Slowing Down

Ever since posting my "busy pastor" rant a few weeks ago I've been trying to slow down.

I'm failing.  Miserably.

What's your church cooking with?

I'm preaching this Sunday morning.

The theme is the church's role in nurturing faith at home.

I'll be talking about next generation faith. The church can stunt the faith of the emerging generation if young people are not encouraged to leave "home" one day.

Jesus did it to the disciples when he sent out the 72.
Paul and Barnabas did it when they left on their first missionary journey.

What would happen if a church adopted the value of empty nesting?

We'd probably see a lot more faith being fostered in homes. We'd probably also see a lot more people walking the talk.

Of course, it means we'd have to stop cooking with cheese.

Bad news...

I got some bad news on Tuesday.

Our Pontiac--the Cadillac of mini-vans--is dying

Rotten frame.  That was my mechanic's diagnosis after trying to attach the hoist to something solid.

He figures it'll last the summer.

It's funny.  The outside is fiberglass so it looks great.  It's underneath--the part you can't see--that's showing evidence of decay.

I hope vehicles don't emulate their owners.

Theology for 4-year-olds

I tucked my 2 favorite little people into bed tonight.

I read Shawna the story about Abram telling the Egyptians that Sarai wasn't his wife.  We talked about lying; and about how God takes care of us, even when we're afraid to do the right thing; and about not marrying your sibling.

I told Elijah the story of Jesus washing the disciples stinky, sweaty, poo-caked feet.  We talked about how that job was reserved for servants/slaves.  And we talked about how the most powerful person in the world volunteered to do the lowest job in the world.

And as I talked I got excited.  And I could tell that Elijah was getting excited too.

And after my theologizing was over he cut in the question that had been rolling around in his mind since the beginning of my homily, "Dad, where did the dinosaurs come from?"

I'm glad people don't ask questions after my Sunday morning sermon.