Archive for June, 2009
An Epic Battle of Good vs. Apathy
In: Jesus
30 Jun 2009Just below the surface of a lesson about proper interpretation of law regarding the Sabbath…
On another Sabbath he went into the synagogue and was teaching, and a man was there whose right hand was shriveled. The Pharisees and the teachers of the law were looking for a reason to accuse Jesus, so they watched him [...]
Make ‘Em Laugh (TED Commandment #8)
In: Church
29 Jun 2009Continuing our series on what preachers can learn from the TED conferences’ guidelines, which they’ve affectionately dubbed “The TED Commandments”.
Today, commandment number eight, Thou Shalt Remember all the while: Laughter is Good.
At the heart of this commandment is something deeper than using comedy to communicate. It’s a call to not take yourself too seriously. [...]
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- Tags: preaching, TED, ted_commandments
Your Turn: Sunny Days Are Here
In: Your Turn
26 Jun 2009Moving Your Turn to Fridays from now on, wherein I ask a question that’s on my mind and see where you guys take it.
It’s sunny in Chicago again. My wife says that the reason Chicago’s so much fun in the summer is because we spend nine months holed up inside avoiding the weather, and [...]
I redesigned my workspace this week. This is where the magic happens, folks. That whiteboard still needs to be mounted, though it didn’t stop us from filling it up with ideas about worship music.
Here’s most of my desk, along with my mascot, DJ Life Support. Someday, when God’s face is shining upon [...]
Backwards & Forwards
In: Church| greenhouse
24 Jun 2009Do we plan our main Sunday gathering curriculum forward or backward?
If we plan our curriculum forward, we build as we go and see where it leads. One thing leads to the next, which leads to the next. Ideally we know where we’re going in a broad sense of the term, but nothing is [...]
Images & Words
In: Other
22 Jun 2009Remember the group blogging project I announced awhile back? It’s well underway, and today I got to tackle chapter seven of Shane Hipp’s book, Flickering Pixels. There’s quite a bit happening in that chapter, and I only got to one of the three main points the author, so I might post the other [...]
Hocking Your Wares (TED Commandment 7)
In: Church
22 Jun 2009Continuing our series on what preachers can learn from the TED conferences’ guidelines, which they’ve affectionately dubbed “The TED Commandments”.
Today, commandment number seven: Thou Shalt Not Sell from the Stage: Neither thy Company, thy Goods, thy Writings, nor thy Desperate need for Funding; Lest Thou be Cast Aside into Outer Darkness.
When people show up at [...]
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- Tags: preaching, TED, ted_commandments
Your Turn: Simply Beautiful
In: Other
20 Jun 2009What’s something simple that you find extraordinary beauty in?
Go.
The Hold Steady (Music Friday)
19 Jun 2009On Sunday night, one of America’s finest live bands takes the stage for a $10 show at the Taste of Randolph Street festival, 8-9:30pm, near Randolph & Racine. The Hold Steady are highly celebrated for their Springsteen-esque chops, their storytelling and their ability to rock out like few other bands. I’ve heard them [...]
On Becoming The Bends
18 Jun 2009Allow me to beat a metaphor into the ground in the name of church creation:
Before we can become OK Computer, we need to become The Bends.
OK Computer is one of the all-time life-changing records. Entire books have been written dissecting each moment of that record. It is a hyperbole-inducing hour of music made [...]
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