Category: Ministry

Posted in Ministry

Last minute sermon adjustments

Posted on by William Douthwaite

Today I’m wondering how much I should adjust my sermon to address the event that is on everyone’s mind and constantly on the news: the devastating earthquake in Haiti last week. I’m already prepared to speak about life issues this week, as we often do the third Sunday of January. Yet I can’t pretend that people aren’t thinking about the suffering in Haiti, how they can help, earthquakes, and what this all might mean. I also can’t ignore the even greater tragedy of millions and millions of abortions over the last 36 years in America.

My plan is to still speak the truth about life, and use Haiti as an example of how sensitive we are to suffering and dying in this world. So is God. That is why His Word speaks so powerfully about the value of human life, from the view of both creation and redemption. We care about life because He does. Since I don’t write out my sermons, but do a kind of storyboarding, I think I can weave this together.

Another thing to consider when adjusting a sermon is how quickly we move from one crisis to another. After five days, there are already other stories in the news, and our focus is turned elsewhere. Jesus said that earthquakes are just the beginning of the birth pangs, just a sign that the world will be coming to an end, calling people to boldly testify of him and remain faithful (Matthew 24). It’s going to happen, and you are going to need some endurance, in other words, hang on for the ride and remain faithful by loving God and loving others (Revelation). For me, that’s about all you can say about an earthquake. But there is so much more to say about life.

Posted in Ministry, Rant

Why doesn’t our church do that?

Posted on by William Douthwaite

“Why doesn’t our church do that?” I can’t tell you how many times I’ve heard that question. Another church, near or far, does something newsworthy, and the first question is, “Why aren’t we doing that?” It’s a good question, and I’ve thought about a few responses, some better than others.

When I first hear a question like that, I’m tempted to think, “Great, something else I have to do.” That is not at all true. It is just an opportunity, and more specifically, an opportunity for the person who brought it up to get involved. We should assume that if someone notices a need for ministry, then God is moving them to get involved in that ministry. So a better response is, “That’s a great idea. What’s your plan? Who are you going to get involved?”

But as I think about it further, I believe we also need to stop thinking about competing with other churches. If a congregation is doing a ministry, then we are too, if we truly believe that the “church” is just more than our local congregation. In effect, if another church is doing it, then our church is doing it, too, and the question becomes, “How can we can join them in their efforts?” We do not need to reinvent or clone every ministry, but can enhance what God is already doing. Maybe that’s part of the message he’s sending when we wonder, “Why aren’t we doing that?”

Posted in Ministry

This thing called love

Posted on by William Douthwaite

I’m playing the part of God in an upcoming dinner theater at our church, “This thing called love.” A montage of music, video, live drama, and art, it takes us back to the days just before Hurricane Katrina, and exposes the heart of God to a world that is bent on self-destruction. I have to be the God who is upset at the condition of people, and knows what it will ultimately take to save them. It will cost the life of his son.

David is described in scripture as someone after God’s own heart. Someone who got it, who understood what God was up to, and knew he could be trusted. It’s not that David didn’t struggle from time to time. But at least he had a clue.

The heart of God is an interesting concept. His desires, his passions, his concerns, his will. All things to be sought and discovered. All part of who he is.

I wonder how people picture God. My face probably doesn’t come to mind. Although, when you’re in preschool, you are pretty sure that I’m God. I used to be Jesus when my hair wasn’t as gray. And why not? Who else would a guy you only see in God’s house be?

Posted in Ministry

Eye doc

Posted on by William Douthwaite

I got to the eye doctor a little bit early. They took me back right away for a visual field test, which is much like a video game. After that initial flurry of activity, I’ve been waiting in this little room for 30 minutes (“just a few minutes…” according to Linda). This is when you begin to wonder if everyone has gone to lunch. Or just forgotten about you. Or went on break. I hear voices, so I know they haven’t closed up. Someone’s passes by the room from time to time, but no one stops in my room. Then it gets real quiet for a long time. Creepy.

Suddenly things start to happen. The doctor arrives. Drops are administered. Charts are read. Blinding lights. Which is better: 1 or 2? And before I know it, I’m done.  And everything is fine.

Posted in Ministry

First thoughts on Life Sunday

Posted on by William Douthwaite

These are my first thoughts on my sermon for Sanctity of Life Sunday coming up this weekend. I preach on this every year in January, right around the anniversary of Roe v. Wade. And each year I realize we haven’t talked much about life issues since the last life  We haven’t heard much, either. There was some buzz that health care reform would include some public funding for abortions, but that issue has gotten buried somewhere in the massive bill being worked out in congress. There has been a little news about assisted suicide in some states. But not much.

Now to be fair, we have done a lot with other life issues, being very busy supporting food pantries, the local cold weather shelter, and helping out moms in the local pregnancy center.

Perhaps after 36 years, just about two generations, we’ve just gotten used to it. Which is a shame, because a lot of unborn children have died during that time. A lot of hungry people have died. A lot of older adults have been neglected. God’s word proclaims the truth that all human life is valuable, created by the hand of God and redeemed by the blood of our Savior. Yet, that good news often gets drowned out by political debates, economic considerations, and questions about quality of life. If the good news gets obscured, then life will be lost. So we need to speak the truth about life, speak up for those who cannot speak up for themselves, and remind each other how important life is.

Posted in Ministry

Bacon

Posted on by William Douthwaite

The thing most people will remember about my sermon today is “bacon.” I can tell because that’s what everyone mentioned to me on the way out. I talked about bacon in the context of dying to sin and rising to new life in Romans 6. I said that forgiveness can sometimes make us take sin too lightly. I compared that to the attitude that you can eat as much bacon as you want, and if your arteries get clogged, you can just get bypass surgery and be just fine. We forget how drastic bypass surgery is, and how hard the recovery is. Just ask anyone who’s been through it. In a similar way, sin is destructive, too. If you can avoid it, you do. Just look at the cross to see the consequences. The comparison made perfect sense to me. But I fear that all people will remember is “bacon.” After all, who doesn’t like bacon?

I’ve had a couple of other one word sermon remembrances, too. Maggots. Slut. Hell. You have to be so careful what you say. What might seem like a passing reference in an illustration might be the one thing your hearers remember.

Posted in Life, Ministry

Real Epiphany thoughts

Posted on by William Douthwaite

Epiphany brings back great memories of touring with the Ft. Wayne Seminary Kantorei each winter I was studying for my M.Div. 12-16 male voices plus an organist and director packed up a couple of vans and headed out for a two week tour of churches in different areas of the country.

My first year found us in Iowa, Nebraska, Wyoming, Colorado, Kansas, and Missouri. That was a long, cold trip (We always traveled in early January). My second year I think we didn’t roam as far, going to Wisconsin and Minnesota. My fourth year is fuzzy; I’m thinking we were in Indiana and Illinois, perhaps some Ohio.

This was probably my most enjoyable choral experience. Very talented director, voices, and instrumentalists. A lot of camaraderie with men all studying for the pastoral ministry. I still remember the music, the people, and the worship experiences.

The current edition of the Kantorei is touring in parts of Florida this year, but in parts of Florida not close by, so I won’t get to see them. I hope that they have just as memorable experience as I did.

Posted in Ministry

SOTC draft

Posted on by William Douthwaite

Today I divided up the congregation into family groups for our elders. But I didn’t it differently than I’ve ever done it before. In the past, each elder got a part of the alphabet. This time, I gave each elder people they knew, either through worship, activities, or small groups.

How did I do this?  I printed out a list of our families on card stock and cut them up. Then I took a piece of paper for each elder and wrote their name on it. Next, I went through each name and gave it to an appropriate elder.

Afterwards, I realized we could have done it like a draft. Each elder takes a turn and takes a name, based on who they know. Probably would have been a lot more fun.

Anyway, it will be interesting to see how this works. Instead of contacting people they don’t know and never see, the elders will see most of their family group frequently. It’s not perfect. There will always be a few they will have to get to know. But I think it will work to our advantage.

Posted in Grace, Life, Ministry

Premature Ephiphany thoughts

Posted on by William Douthwaite

Even though Epiphany isn’t technically until Wednesday, we’ll be celebrating it in worship tomorrow. I’ve never been at a church where the worshipers were willing to get together on the actual day of Epiphany, so we usually observe it the first Sunday in January.

It seems like everyone likes Epiphany. Perhaps that’s because the account of the wise men coming to worship Jesus with their gifts is such a familiar story. Few are aware of the significance of the day, but they like it anyway, because who doesn’t like presents?

The actual arrival of the wise men would have been a very strange occurrence for Mary, Joseph and Jesus, Christmas-crashers, as it were. Gentiles in the house? Well, they brought gifts…

Most of us Gentiles tend to forget we’re Gentiles and what an amazing truth it is that the Gospel is for us, whether we bring gifts or not.

And lest we forget, Matthew’s gospel does not tell us where they came from, other than the “east.” He does not mention how many wise men there were. Or that they rode camels. Or that they brought a drummer boy along with them.