20. Twenty. Did I say 20? 20 days with rain. New record from what I hear and explains why March was so depressing. I miss the sun. I need the sun. I want the sun. Thank God for April.

I’ve had blog depression of late. Mexico mission trip is coming up again in less than two weeks. Baseball season is back with my boys. Someday I will return with my very small little contribution to the blogosphere. Baseball did officially start this past week with the guys and I could of died yesterday when my middle son’s coach said, "Come on lets blow this game wide open." One of the kids yelled out, "Are we going to get snack bar tickets?" My boy did get a hit and made it to third base with several fun loving throwing errors by the other team. Deb told me last night that he said, "Did dad see my hit?" My response, " You bet I did!" 

Ever feel like Mr. Bean?

I have to confess there was a time I actually enjoyed watching these guys in cartoon form…

HT: Radio Rebellion

I preached on Sunday. I’m still a young cat when it comes to the proclamation of the gospel. I enjoy it, but there’s apart of me that would love to do it weekly to improve in my exegesis, bible study, and the delivering of a sermon actually worth hearing. Even with my "seminary" training and the do’s and don’t I learned after three years, I still  laugh at myself when I make a mistake or two. Hear are a couple I always kick myself for and I was warned about in seminary.

1. Never apologize It blows me away in how one worship service can be so different from the other when it comes to the delivery of a sermon. This past Sunday I was reading the passage in the first service and I felt good about my reading of the text. In the second service I got a bad case of dyslexia and flip flopped chapters and read a couple of verses twice in chapter 33 and not chapter 32 and apologized twice in the middle of the reading. After I fumbled with embarrassment, I recovered and got back to the text and continued with the sermon, but still was kicking myself for apologizing and even joked about me having a possible case of dyslexia. What I’ve learned is not to put yourself down. Although people love when someone is actually human, It still takes the focus off the gospel and draws attention back onto you.

2. Bookmark any additional text you intend to refer to in your sermon. I laugh because the first service I biffed and was turning pages to find a passage I was making reference to and rectified it in between services with a couple of post-its and was ready in the second service when I made reference to to the passages. Phew.

3. Read and re-read your text for preaching. During my study I did read the passage a couple of times. Never caught the word "bridle" in PS. 32:9. I remember a wonderful preaching and speech prof I had in seminary who would ding us for reading the text incorrectly with no concern for pronunciation. In Psalm 32:9 and of course not knowing this because I’m a complete nimrod from the city, I said the word "briddle" as opposed to the word "bridle." Of course in our traditional service there are about 200 folks who grew up with horses and bridles and I heard a couple of folks laugh under their breathe and thought "gosh, I hadn’t even started preaching" and I was already hearing some quiet laughs, man I’m good." Not! When I was greeting folks at the end of the service, I was reminded of my reading error and learned that the word "bridle" actually has one D. DUH! Lesson learned, read the text, and if you are unsure of a word, use that dictionary. Again, most are forgiving when it comes to a small reading error, but it does turn off some who pay attention to the small things unfortunately which are just as important.

3. Stick to your notes. Although, I’m not a manuscript guy, frustrates me, and my profs told me this and to stick to my heart and ability to not use notes, I was still schooled in the art of the manuscript in seminary. Lesson learned? Don’t ever sway away from your notes, your manuscript or whatever you use that makes you comfortable. At least memorize your notes well enough to not use them. I blew it a couple of times when I couldn’t remember an illustration. The first service I fumbled and recovered in the second service. Lesson learned, look at those notes if you need to at least it shows you know what you’re actually talking about. Also, blow them if needed. My eyes are growing older and I’m finding it harder to read those silly notes.

4. Preach the Word! The Lord has given you a Word and the people want your heart, but also want content. Don’t pretend you know something when you really don’t. I’ve fallen into that temptation as a young preacher and people know it when you side step here and there in pretending and I think it was Calvin who said something about it being a sin if the preacher doesn’t do good exegesis of a text.

Lessons learned. Now we grow and move on. Praise be to God though that you don’t know who you are speaking to and you hope that someone catches a glimpse of hope and Jesus in the Word you’ve been given for the day.

Sunday morning is preaching day. Two services. One sermon I pray. My text…Psalm 32…"If you’re happy and you know it, clap your hands," is my sermon title…my point…"If Christ is in us and we are forgiven, why don’t we live like were forgiven?" I love preaching when I can and when given the opportunity I try to work extra hard at it. One of these days I’ll get to do it lots. Still working it. Shaping it. Augustine apparently before he had died had Psalm 32 posted on his wall to be able to mediate on it easier, and once said, "The beginning of knowledge is to know oneself to be a sinner."

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Oldest child #1: "Dad?
Me: "Yeah."
Oldest child #1: Did you know that if you drop a bug off of a sky scrapper building  it won’t die?"
Me: "Where did you hear that?"
Oldest child #1: "My teacher. If you stomp on it, of course it will splat. If you drop it from a building it won’t die."
Me: "WOW! Your kidding. That’s awesome." (Make mental note. Call school in the morning to learn more about my child’s curriculum)

Although the message is a paraphrase, I think Peterson hit the nail on the head here with his translation of Romans…now if only we the church would practice it…

Romans 12:5-21- 5 The body we’re talking about is Christ’s body of chosen people. Each of us finds our meaning and function as a part of his body. But as a chopped-off finger or cut-off toe we wouldn’t amount to much, would we? So since we find ourselves fashioned into all these excellently formed and marvelously functioning parts in Christ’s body, 6 let’s just go ahead and be what we were made to be, without enviously or pridefully comparing ourselves with each other, or trying to be something we aren’t. If you preach, just preach God’s Message, nothing else; 7 if you help, just help, don’t take over; if you teach, stick to your teaching; 8 if you give encouraging guidance, be careful that you don’t get bossy; if you’re put in charge, don’t manipulate; if you’re called to give aid to people in distress, keep your eyes open and be quick to respond; if you work with the disadvantaged, don’t let yourself get irritated with them or depressed by them. Keep a smile on your face. 9 Love from the center of who you are; don’t fake it. Run for dear life from evil; hold on for dear life to good. 10 Be good friends who love deeply; practice playing second fiddle. 11 Don’t burn out; keep yourselves fueled and aflame. Be alert servants of the Master, 12 cheerfully expectant. Don’t quit in hard times; pray all the harder. 13 Help needy Christians; be inventive in hospitality. 14 Bless your enemies; no cursing under your breath. 15 Laugh with your happy friends when they’re happy; share tears when they’re down. 16 Get along with each other; don’t be stuck-up. Make friends with nobodies; don’t be the great somebody. 17 Don’t hit back; discover beauty in everyone. 18 If you’ve got it in you, get along with everybody. 19 Don’t insist on getting even; that’s not for you to do. "I’ll do the judging," says God. "I’ll take care of it." 20 Our Scriptures tell us that if you see your enemy hungry, go buy that person lunch, or if he’s thirsty, get him a drink. Your generosity will surprise him with goodness. 21 Don’t let evil get the best of you; get the best of evil by doing good.

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I just had to VLOG this…