I Love Preaching!

As you all know, or maybe you don't so read the last post, I had a hard week in ministry last week. Seemed like it was nothing but assisstance calls and funerals. This is the job, I knew it wasn't easy, and I now know why a church this size has two pastors. So, I was feeling overwhelmed, burned out at 23, and then I got to preach. My first sermon here at Central was fine, but it was really only the beginning. This past week was serious; dropping words like not religion but relationship and don't just be Christian but Christ like. The feedback was wonderful. People felt challenged, questioning the things they've always heard and really examining their relationships with God. I love preaching. I love the other things too, even the hard stuff, life and death stuff, but being up there in conversation with all these people, challenging them, asking more questions than I answer. It's just unbelievable and so humbling to be able to transfer the message that God gave me on to God's people. Thank you, God, for this gift and allowing me to do your work. May the words of my mouth always be acceptable in your sight.

Refreshed,
B

Head Messed Up

Hey everybody. Yesterday I was at the hospital as a woman decided to put her sister on Comfort Measures Only, which basically means, let her die. These two women had never married and had been room mates for damn near 80 years. Pardon me, mother, but this is really f***ing with my head. I can't even begin to fathom being in this situation. So, of course, my mind tried to fathom just that. I thought of my grandparents, parents, brother, sister, friends, and the tears came. I started praying, "God, you better not ever do that to me." I know that's immature, spiritually, but after all these years in the church and a religion degree, including classes on thanatology, none of it mattered. It still came out. AND they had to make the decision in 20 minutes. Surgery, with an unknown and probably fatal outcome, or rest, with a definate and certainly fatal outcome. I just don't know. I can't get my head around it. Everybody, I want to be aware of my surroundings and able to do things on my own. If that possibility is out of the question, let me go.

Sorry for depressing,
b

Larry David Meets Cyberspace

So, I woke up around nine yesterday, like I usually do, and got ready for the day. On my way to work, I dropped off some shirts at the laundry. They're repaving the streets around my house and driving is kinda rough. I got to work at 10:00. I'm part time remember, I work 10 to 3. Checked my e-mail, checked my voice mail, checked my church mail. Sat around the office for awhile and answered some phone calls. I got paid, so then I went to the bank and home for lunch, which consisted of a yogurt cereal bar(yea!). Then I came back to church, on the way talking to my brother who had bailed his dog out from puppy jail and told me to blog, so when I got to the office, I did. We had staff meeting after lunch, and were led in a great devo by our custodian, Elton. Something about focusing, I don't know I wasn't really paying attention. Getting ready to start up all the fall programs. My program is called Transitions, the young adult group. We met last night. Actually, me and 7 girls met last night at Muddy's coffee shop. One of which is very cute, very cool, and seems to like me. I told her I got the Ghostbuster's box set the other day, and she immediately said she wanted to watch them. As long as the next movie marathon was Karate Kid. I told her I had Karate Kid. So, of course, I had to go buy Karate Kid. What we do for cute girls!! After coffee, I went home and played with the dog, played guitar, watched TV, and had trouble going to sleep. Around 2:30am I think I dosed off and up again at 9 and here I am.

Andy, you wanted a blog, you got it. Mom, her name is Lindsey, and its no big deal!


Blogging about Nothing,
B

Comments for Everyone!!

I finally figured out how to open my comments to everyone, so, Mom, Dad, have fun!!

To Appease a Brother Blogger

Hi Friends and Neighbors,
This is an apology blog for webabsence as of late. Truth be told, there's not much going on right now. I'm trying to do as little as possible with my time until school starts and am succeeding beyond wildest expectation. I'm sure the insights will just start flowing through me after entering the world of the MDiv. So, expect more then. But for right now, just know that I'm spending more time at the park with Fiona, out friends, some old/some new, and just doing nothing, than I am thinking about blog worthy subjects.

More to come, Brad

Harry Potter and the Ignorant Baptist

Ok, so there's a pastor here in KC who's using his pulpit, and getting on the news, to speak out against the evils of Harry Potter. He joins the Papacy in his diatribe. I really don't know what to say. The limitless ignorance of some people just baffles me.

Reading Stephen King, Watching Spongebob, and, apparently, going to Hell,
B

What's the Buzz?

Stephanie, my sister, and I went to see Jesus Christ Superstar at the Starlight theater last night. Still an amazing show, not the best production I've seen (it's hard to beat Broadway!), but still good. And it still makes me think...

The most poingant characters are Pilate, Judas, and Jesus. However, what struck me most was a line from Mary Magdelene in "I don't know how to love him". She's says, "He's just a man". Later, in one of the most stirring modern stage songs ever, in my humble opinion, Pilate says "He's too small, not a king at all". And, in the most powerful depiction of Jesus, i think, in all of entertainment history, Jesus in the Garden prays to let the cup pass from him. Prays passionately, violently.

With the help of Mel Gibson, post-modern Christians have turned the focus away from sacrifice and towards martyrdom. We tend to think that Jesus was a willing participant in the activities of the cross. Jesus, silently, took the pain of flogging and cruxifiction for the sake of his people. And he wouldn't have it any other way.

It makes people feel good to think about Jesus in this way. As the hero who runs into the path of an oncoming truck just before its barrels down on us, the kids chasing our ball, pushing us out of the way, and taking on the truck himself.

Gethsemenie (religion major, don't know how to spell that!) paints a different picture. Jesus very much did not want to die! He pleaded with God for any other way to get the message across. Prayed with such force that blood came from his pores to let the cup pass from him. JEUS DID NOT WANT THE CROSS!!!! Here is not a man who wants to die for his cause, but rather a man so devoted to his God, that he carries out God's will, even to the point of death. Maybe the language should change from Jesus died for us to Jesus was killed for us. Jesus is not a martyr; he was a man with a family and friends and who happened to love his life, but loved his God more.

I love my life; I wonder, if the chips were down, if I could love my God more.

b

Jealous Rantings

In my work, starting a young adult ministry at Central United Methodist Church, i'm doing a lot of reading and a lot of web searching. One of the examples for what I want to do is a church called Jacob's Well here in Kansas City. Now, I know nothing of the people there, I'm almost positive that they're all wonderful, but I've been thinking about the name. Jacob's Well, mentioned only once in scripture, is where Jesus meets the woman of Samaria and rest for a minute to have a drink. There seems to be something self-serving in naming your church after such a place. But, of course, Jacob's Well is already moving the direction that the whole church will soon move, and has active and successful ministries; thus, jealousy is at the heart of this rant. However, in my brousing of emergent church websites, such as theooze and emergentvillage, I found almost an overwhelming sense of introspective selfishness. One comment on the ooze message board said "I don't serve Jesus...He serves me...let Him" WHAT?!?!?! This wasn't the only thing that bothered me either. The articles on these websites are wonderful, spiritually and theologically, but read the message board sometime, read the graffiti wall. Some people still don't get this post-modern faith. It's easy to turn the emergent movement into "I don't like church, so let's make one that fits me". God, help us become your people again, your church again. Through your guidance and your strength, help us to serve you in this ever-changing world!

Da Da do do Da dum, Da Da do do Da dum

I have discovered the secret meanings and origins of this thing we call blog. If you sing the title to this entry with the Da's as Fa's and the dos as does, maybe you'll figure it out too!

First of all, I must admit my disappointment in my older and wiser brother who, with all his musical excellence and knowledge failed to recognize a line from quite possibly the best song ever written. "Bustle in your Hedgerow" is a lyric taken from "Stairway to Heaven" by, who else, Led Zepplin. 7 minutes of pure rock n roll genius. Andy, Bach, Strauss, Wagner, they're all great and we wouldn't have music today without them. However, to truly become musical afficinados, how about studying the great works of Zep, The Who, Pink Floyd, Pearl Jam. There has been music made in the last 200 years!

Second of all, scary news from London. Why London?!? What's London ever done to anyone? With all that the good ol' US of A is currently taking part in throughout our world, why London?

Thirdly, I've been doing some reading and web-grazing about Young Adults Ministries and I've found one interesting thing...no one tells you how to start from nothing. And here at CUMC i really am starting from nothing. We have a few younger folks in Sunday Worship, but no sunday school, no programs, no outside groups. If i am to be in charge of YAM, i have to first get some YAM's into the building! Oh well, in the words of the prophet (stephenking) there will be water if God wills it.

Well, I should get to work. Thanks for visiting.

have you figured out the song yet? Well, here you go. 80's and doctor. That's all I can give you.

b

Better Late Than Never

Never one to pass up a good old-fashioned bandwagon, I have finally jumped aboard this train called Blog. Prompted by my brother Andy, entertherainbow.blogspot.com, and my good friend Meghann, sorry Mgnnnn, haven't been to yours yet, I have decided to display my inner most thought and feelings to a world wide audience of web-surfers (if you think there should be an s after thought, you're wrong, i only have one inner most thought).

So, where to begin? My life has just changed in almost every aspect. I have moved to Kansas City from the wonderful town of Fayette, MO, 25 miles northwest of Columbia. There are about 2,000 people in Fayette on a good day, when CMU, my alma mater, is in session and it's not hunting season. So, my lifestyle has changed. I also moved from two small rural African American churches into a relatively large membership mostly white congregation. So, my professional (and spiritual) life has changed. I've moved away from my parents, really for the first time, and many very special friends. So, my social life has changed. And in the fall, I start at St. Paul School of Theology here in KC. So, my mental life has changed.

Other than that, not much going on....

Love Grace Peace,
Brad