Talbot Davis, Author at Talbot Davis

Uncategorized

Our Partners In India

Talbot Davis April 25, 2012 at 7:03 am 0

The ministry in India didn't stop just because Chris Thayer, James-Michael Smith, and I came back home. In fact, you could say it's advancing better than ever.

Our partners in the Love Your Neighbor Ministry, located in the territory where Christians have been murdered by Hindu extremists, recently held their annual spring meeting. Seven thousand brave Christians traveled for hours, camped in the open air for three days and nights, and let loose with praise and worship, Indian style.

Do you think they complained about nursery conditions? Murmured if the music was too loud or not loud enough? Sighed deeply if someone was in "their" seat?

Our friend Rohini -- one of our students and translators in the March seminar -- was one of the featured speakers. I think he enjoyed the assignment.

Who knows? At the 2013 spring meeting, these pictures might feature a speaker from the Good Shepherd family.

Uncategorized

Top Five Tuesday — Top Five Sports Venues I’d Like To Visit

Talbot Davis April 24, 2012 at 7:13 am 1

I've been to some pretty nice sporting events in my time. I've been to the U.S. Open tennis tournament (of course). I've been to the Cotton Bowl. I've been to the Charlotte Coliseum and then when it became "out of date" at the tender age of 14, I went to Time Warner Arena. I've been to Ericsson Stadium and then Bank Of America Stadium. But there are some fabulous places that I've only seen on television. So what are the top five places I ain't been but sure would like to go?

5. Wrigley Field. I'm lukewarm about baseball and have never been a Cubs fan. But the sound of Harry Carey calling out "Cubs win! Cubs win!" after a Ryne Sandberg home run made going to a game seem like such fun. Actually, I think I'd most enjoy watching a game from the top of the building across the street from the left field bleachers of the friendly confines.

4. Cowboys Stadium. I saw the Cowboys play a time or two in the Cotton Bowl and then a time or two more in then-state-of-the-art Texas Stadium (which we later found out was sort of a concrete dump). But from what I hear, the new Cowboys Stadium is 22nd Century cool. I don't love the team like I did when I was a kid, but a game there would be an experience.

3. Augusta National. I think this would be best if I could wear a head set to hear Jim Nantz's commentary in my ear. His quietly reverent voice makes the place seem that much more sacred; a tradition unlike any other.

2. Wimbledon. I've watched it, dreamed about it, and cried over its results. But I've never been there in person. Some of you might be surprised it's not #1. The reason? Simple. The weather. The possibility of 55 degrees and drizzle in early July has so far kept me away from tennis' holy ground.

1. The Rose Bowl. Wherever you are on January 1, it couldn't be any better than sitting in the sun of Pasadena watching the Granddaddy of them all. The site is so gorgeous that I watch the game even if it involves teams I'm not interested in.

Uncategorized

Sin’s Splatter

Talbot Davis April 23, 2012 at 6:47 am 0

We showed this as a lead in to yesterday's sermon:
:

The piece was conceived, written, art-directed, and recorded by people from within the Good Shepherd community.

It helped reinforce the message's main idea: What you hide in order to have will haunt you.

I suspect that some of you have beeen splattered upon ... and that others have been the splatterers.

Church; Leadership

Is Missional The Same As Gospel?

Talbot Davis April 19, 2012 at 5:00 am 2

Missional thinking is the latest "must do" in the world of the church.

What is missional thinking? In simplest terms, it changes the way we measure success in the church -- moving away from "how many people attend and how much money do they give?" and moving towards "how many people are we sending into the community to be the church by living lives of mercy, grace, and blessing?"

Now: there's much to say on behalf of missional thinking. After all, Reggie McNeal's Missional Renaissance has been on my "Books I Like" section for several weeks now.

I'm especially moved by the way McNeal ties the church's identity back to the call of Abraham in Genesis 12:1-3 -- blessed in order to bless. So missional thinking encourages church leaders to think long and loud about how their congregations can "bless" their communities.

The tacit assumption behind this strategic shift is that if churches and Christians bless enough people through simple goodness, niceness, and kindness . . . well, those same people will want to know about the Christ who sends us.

And I'm about 40% sold on that thinking.

Because, as always, it's interesting to note what the bible DOESN'T say.

In I Corinthians 15:3-5, for example, it doesn't say:

For what I received I passed on to you as of first importance: be nice. Be a blessing. Be involved.

It does say:

For what I received I passed on to you as of first importance: that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures . . .

And II Timothy 4:2 doesn't say:

Be a blessing. Be nice. Be involved in season and out of season.

It does say:

Preach the Word; be prepared in season and out of season; correct, rebuke, and encourage . . .

Lost in missional thinking is the inherent offensiveness of the Gospel. The Gospel is bad news about people before it is good news about God. Or, as Frederick Buechner says, the Gospel convinces people of the tragedy of their lives before it offers them the comedy of grace.

We're not offend people with our personalities, our politics, or our demeanor. But the simple proclamation of the Gospel is bound to alienate some and anger others.

Yet -- sooner rather than later, as I'm recently learning -- the role of the church is to communicate with clarity and conviction truths that I Corinthians 15 spells out: Christ has died. Christ is risen. Christ will come again.

So: will the missional blessing of our communities give us more opportunities to proclaim that Gospel?

Or will the missional blessing of our communities somehow dull us into believing that people will be saved from their "lostness" by our "niceness"?

Pastoring; Ministry; Leadership

A Sermon Flashback

Talbot Davis April 18, 2012 at 6:50 am 0

While I was delivering a sermon a couple of weeks ago, I had a sudden flashback to what one of my seminary professors said in 1988:

"A pastor one who cares for souls. Never lose sight of the fact that God has entrusted everlasting souls into your ministry."

One who cares for souls.

Not "one who preaches sermons."

Not "one who manages systems."

Not "one who motivates volunteers."

Not "one who leads organizations."

Not even "one who empowers communities."

But one who cares for, tends to, speaks over, prays healing into . . . that part of human existence that will never die. The soul.

Whether the crowd is large or small, whether the congregation is supportive or oppositional, whether people are energized or complacent, the fundamental job description remains the same: to care for souls.

Not to save those souls, since that job has already been done.

But to care for them.

When I remember that fundamental task, ministry flows pretty well. When I veer from it, difficulty arises.

To care for souls. A high calling, a large task, one for which all of us who call ourselves "pastors" are ill-equipped.

Until the Holy Spirit steps in.

Talbot Davis

Talbot Davis

The Heart of the Matter

Subscribe

Latest Posts

Past Posts