A look inside my mind...

If you are looking for the sermon from 8/22/10, just scroll down to the next post, titled "You Are Set Free" or click here. If you want to learn a little about my thought process in writing it, just keep reading....

In case you have ever wondered how a minister organizes their thoughts, I thought I would share a bit of my madness/method. Generally I spend time in prayer, meditation, and study before I begin. Then I use a process called mind mapping to look for connections between the texts. From that I discern the essential truth of the texts. I will often use that as a direction to move toward, rather than a thesis to unpack or defend. So, my though process tends to be more inductive than deductive. Anyway, here's the mind map for my next sermon, "You Are Set Free."

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Swim Lessons

So, here I sit, poolside @ the Y. My daughter's class is lined up on the side with feet in the pool. Each in turn are going to one end to swim the length of a lane. Their teacher is in the water with them. A lifeguard with a clipboard has silently joined to evaluate, and another is on the stand and ready to save. The class cheers one another on, or at least they did for the first three. Miraculously they began again when the weakest swimmer began. My heart feels the pang of guilt when another parent cheers with me for my child (I was blogging during his). I can't help but reflect on how this is like the church. Three lifeguards may seem like overkill, but is that not what we have received through Christ? I like he idea that God is in it with us, evaluating our progress, and ready to save. We always need a God who is ready to save. Why else would confession be part of our regular spiritual walk? Then there's the church, called together and given purpose by God. W...

God Has Remembered

First Presbyterian in Lafayette, Louisiana September 12, 2001 – Ordinary 24C Exodus 32:7-14 1 Timothy 1:12-17 Luke 15:1-10 I have a card in my wallet with my name on it. It is not so that I can remember my name. It is so I can remember my grandfather, Samuel Arthur Hutchins - Daddy Bill, who gave it to me years ago. I never asked him why he had it, but it effected me deeply to know that he came across it sometime, somewhere and was moved to keep it in his wallet. The card tells me the meaning of my name, “God Hath Remembered.” I can tell you there were times I wish God would not remember, but that card helped get me through them anyway. It was the only thing remotely Hebrew that I knew the translation of before seminary. So, you can imagine how deflated I was in my late 20’s to learn that although the literal root verb was long memory, the associated noun was simply, “old man.” Hebrew is, of course, a more poetic than literal language, and there is some poetry in the knowledge ...

Emails from Baton Rouge

Clint Mitchel, mentioned in the previous article, is an Associate Pastor in Baton Rouge. They have set up a shelter for expectant and new mothers and are involved in providing assistance reuniting displaced families. I'll post an email here from a list serve that several of my friends from seminary are on. I'll post a few more as comments. Feel free to add your own comments about how your congregation or group is responding. Presently the congregation I serve is taking up a special offering. Some members are also taking in students who have been relocated to VA. Here's what Clint needs/is doing: Martha, Our church has set up a shelter for expectant and new mothers and infants. We are working with people from all over on supplies. Right now, monetary donations are most helpful, partially because the needs are changing from day to day. Our church has set up a fund for Hurricane Relief efforts. To send a donation, please make a check out to University Presbyterian Ch...

Rev. Zach

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