Only as Good as Your Last Sermon

On Wednesday at high noon a faux showdown will take place on the avenue. I will be preaching at SCAPC, as part of the Lenten worship series. My sermon title: Johnny Cash, John Calvin, Jesus Christ. (for the record I am disbanding my disdain for the Presbyterians, a replacement nemesis will be named soon. Why? I like the pastor at SCAPC too much). I first preached the "three JCs" sermon in 2001 at Athens Baptist but I cannot locate the sermon, so it will be a fresh sermon. I will preach this sermon reformatted on Pentecost when I add a fourth JC: John Coltrane.

Since arriving I have to spend more intentional time preparing, writing, and editing my sermon. How much time? I really cannot say, but in my view it is considerable. The reason: the church has a high view of the sermon and expects a well crafted piece of art (one of the reasons I was drawn here). I also spend more time because of the "competition." Competition? In Lime Rock there really was no competition, in my mind at least - considering LRBC was the only Protestant church in the village. But here folk can just as easy go down the street a few blocks and receive a quality and damn good sermon.

All in all I appreciate this environment, it is forcing me to improve my writing and delivery style. I have formed/am forming a checklist of items I have to have before I walk up the stage and stand behind the pulpit: a proper welcome, a written prayer, the words of assurance, order of announcements, & etc. Never in a million years did I expect this level of professionalism, but I appreciate it nonetheless.

Facebook Adventures: Second Edition

I wrote a couple of weeks ago about my experience on Facebook, since then not much has changed the VOR continues to overfriend me and today she has even overgrouped me.  

A few weeks ago I started a just for fun group: I'll Be Disappointed if God's Voice Does Not Sound like Johnny Cash, to date (after four weeks) 14 people have joined.  The VOR even sent out invitations to some of her friends (I believe two joined because of her efforts).  Last night as the VOR was reminiscing about her college days she created a group: I've Been to the Wheel...One too Many Times.  (For those who never spent time at the Baptist college Alderson-Broaddus lemme explain.  A-B is a dry campus  (I believe the college even owns one or two of the liquor licenses in the town).  If one felt so inclined for a golden beverage there are two choices: Lil Moe's - a downtown pub (not a bad choice), or a real sawdust joint: The Wheel (as my late father would say about a place like The Wheel, I've been thrown in better places.")  

As a side note: the thought of the VOR (the proper baptist gal from Scott Depot) "partying" at The Wheel is quite an imaginative process.  

Anyway - The VOR's group now (not even after 24 hours since its inception) has 26 members.  And get this, she did not even invite half of the people who joined!  Some of her friends invited their friends!  Oh well, I suppose this is another example of how small facebook makes introverts feel :(  To make matters even worse, she didn't even invite me.  She responded: you didn't even go The Wheel (I did spend my freshman year at A-B).  True, I did not go to The Wheel but it would have been nice to have been invited.