Shalom!
The Mennonites are offering good resources for mental health issues, including worship resources.
http://www.shadowvoices.com/topics/faith.asp
Shalom!
dave
Thursday, April 30, 2009
Wednesday, April 29, 2009
How are you today, Pastor?
Shalom!
Clergy health, physical and emotional: an ongoing concern! Here's a report from the Lewis Center:
http://www.churchleadership.com/leadingideas/leaddocs/2009/090429_article.html
I'm appreciative of The United Methodist Church taking an interest in my health, as much as I complain about it!
Shalom!
dave
Clergy health, physical and emotional: an ongoing concern! Here's a report from the Lewis Center:
http://www.churchleadership.com/leadingideas/leaddocs/2009/090429_article.html
I'm appreciative of The United Methodist Church taking an interest in my health, as much as I complain about it!
Shalom!
dave
Tuesday, April 28, 2009
The Art of Preaching
Shalom!
Dan Dick, recently with the General Board of Discipleship of The United Methodist Church, is coming to Wisconsin to work as a leader in our Conference, and I'm excited about that!
On his blog in March, Dan wrote about preaching.
http://doroteos2.wordpress.com/2009/03/07/preacher-feature/
Among the many interesting things he noted about preaching and its importance is this:
Perhaps the greatest challenge to modern mainline preachers is an almost 50-50 split between those who want sermons to be challenging, intellectually stimulating, and provocative and those who want sermons to calm, pacify and comfort. 51% of listeners don’t want to have to work hard when listening to a sermon. They prefer stories with morals rather than admonition, invitation, or a call to action. However, 49% (predominantly from those not affiliated with a congregation) want preaching that not only educates but also requires a response. There is a deep sense that preaching should motivate (but not manipulate) people to act. There is also a strong preference for sermons focusing on what God wants us to do, instead of what God doesn’t want us to do. In other words, less focus on the past, our sins, and our failures, and more focus on the future, our gifts, and a vision God’s will for all creation.
Besides pointing to one of the challenges facing the preacher who speaks regularly, this points to something I have long tried to practice: to focus less on our past and more on the promise of the future.
What do you think?
Shalom!
dave
Dan Dick, recently with the General Board of Discipleship of The United Methodist Church, is coming to Wisconsin to work as a leader in our Conference, and I'm excited about that!
On his blog in March, Dan wrote about preaching.
http://doroteos2.wordpress.com/2009/03/07/preacher-feature/
Among the many interesting things he noted about preaching and its importance is this:
Perhaps the greatest challenge to modern mainline preachers is an almost 50-50 split between those who want sermons to be challenging, intellectually stimulating, and provocative and those who want sermons to calm, pacify and comfort. 51% of listeners don’t want to have to work hard when listening to a sermon. They prefer stories with morals rather than admonition, invitation, or a call to action. However, 49% (predominantly from those not affiliated with a congregation) want preaching that not only educates but also requires a response. There is a deep sense that preaching should motivate (but not manipulate) people to act. There is also a strong preference for sermons focusing on what God wants us to do, instead of what God doesn’t want us to do. In other words, less focus on the past, our sins, and our failures, and more focus on the future, our gifts, and a vision God’s will for all creation.
Besides pointing to one of the challenges facing the preacher who speaks regularly, this points to something I have long tried to practice: to focus less on our past and more on the promise of the future.
What do you think?
Shalom!
dave
Wednesday, April 22, 2009
Honor the Earth!
Shalom!
Today, we are reminded, is Earth Day, an idea promoted by Gaylord Nelson, whom I am proud to say was a US Senator from Wisconsin. The Spirituality and Practice folks have some ideas of things we might do to reflect on our connection to Earth:
"Earth Day: 12 Spiritual Practices to Honor the Earth"by Frederic and Mary Ann Brussat
http://www.spiritualityandpractice.com/days/features.php?id=10964
I was reminded the other day as I uploaded my walking steps to the HealthMiles site that since I began walking with this program, I've uploaded a bit over one million steps, or about 442 miles. That's miles around the neighborhood or up and down a Florida beach or, when the weather is not good, around and around a little "garden path" I've fashioned in the basement amidst boxes and bookcases and misc. stuff.
The basement garden path reminds me of the huge footprint I have on Earth and how it would be good to shrink my shoe size. The walks on the beach reawaken a sense of awe at water and wind and earth and sky. The walks around the neighborhood remind me of persons and offer peeks at Spring flowers poking out of the ground.
We need the Earth, and in a sense, the Earth needs us. "The earth is the Lord's and all that is in it, the world, and those who live in it...." (Ps. 24.1)
Shalom!
dave
Today, we are reminded, is Earth Day, an idea promoted by Gaylord Nelson, whom I am proud to say was a US Senator from Wisconsin. The Spirituality and Practice folks have some ideas of things we might do to reflect on our connection to Earth:
"Earth Day: 12 Spiritual Practices to Honor the Earth"by Frederic and Mary Ann Brussat
http://www.spiritualityandpractice.com/days/features.php?id=10964
I was reminded the other day as I uploaded my walking steps to the HealthMiles site that since I began walking with this program, I've uploaded a bit over one million steps, or about 442 miles. That's miles around the neighborhood or up and down a Florida beach or, when the weather is not good, around and around a little "garden path" I've fashioned in the basement amidst boxes and bookcases and misc. stuff.
The basement garden path reminds me of the huge footprint I have on Earth and how it would be good to shrink my shoe size. The walks on the beach reawaken a sense of awe at water and wind and earth and sky. The walks around the neighborhood remind me of persons and offer peeks at Spring flowers poking out of the ground.
We need the Earth, and in a sense, the Earth needs us. "The earth is the Lord's and all that is in it, the world, and those who live in it...." (Ps. 24.1)
Shalom!
dave
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