Sermon - Pentecost 2 2009

Here's the audio...


Here's a direct link to the MP3 file...

This was a fairly tightly organized sermon for me, probably because it didn't take much digging to see where I needed to go with these texts. The Word was clearly about the relationship between us and the deeds we do. Jesus, Paul, and even the lesson from 1 Samuel were all about the need to "let go and let God" (as they put in some circles). The farmer casts the seeds, but he is asleep or awake, the growth comes from God! So I knew pretty much right away I was going to explore these themes.

Then it helped to read the excellent, excellent essays that are posted on the Disclosing New Worlds Blog. If you preach regularly, you need to read this blog every week as part of your prep. I kid you not, it's that good. Or, at least it really strikes where I am as a preacher in this stage of my preaching career. Your needs in sermon prep definitely evolve quite a bit, but this is where I am right now. Laurence Moore (that's his picture on the right) runs the blog and does a great job of including thought-provoking pieces. He has a great way of synthesizing the Lectionary and relating it to the current dilemmas of a inherited church on the edge of becoming missional church. Definitely worth a read when you're not sure where to take the upcoming Sunday's lessons.

Incidentally, some of you more tech-minded folks may find this website about recording and processing audio with your "home" studio worth reading: TweakHeadz. It's really oriented toward "pro-sumers" like myself that exist somewhere between professional A/V types and normal consumers.

-t