No, I don't have a new job.

Yes, I did get a one-day gig on Wednesday at Gordon-Conwell Seminary.

Steve Klipowicz, a good friend and occasional workout partner of mine, is also a professor there.  So as he was preparing to teach a summer intensive class on pastoral ministry, he asked me if I'd share some of what goes into the preaching plan at Good Shepherd.


So I jotted down some notes, people in the office helped me locate a couple of videos as well as collate sermon manuscripts from The Shadow Of A Doubt series, and away I went.  Chris Thayer attended for moral support . . . and also to "represent" his alma mater as a 2013 grad of Gordon.  I was able to talk with 21 aspiring and current preachers on how messages happen at Good Shepherd.

The talk had three movements in it.

First, I talked about Scripture and how there are better ways to weave the text into the message than to read it in its entirely beforehand.  I also encouraged them to find ways in which people can "experience" a particular passage in new ways.  To demonstrate I showed this video where, thanks to the artistry of Chris Macedo, a raw idea of mine became a powerful moment for the church this past Advent:



Second, I talked about Series and how preaching in that way connects well with how people's minds work in the 21st Century.  I even shared this piece with some of our greatest hits all together:




Third, I talked about Sermon itself, both designing them to have one point rather than many and delivering them in way a that you connect with people and not paper -- meaning, I believe virtually anyone can preach without notes if they commit to it.  As examples, they all received four sermon manuscripts from The Shadow Of A Doubt -- to discard, adopt, or outright copy!

So it was, as you might imagine, a thrill to be asked and then a real pleasure to teach.

I believe it is God's prevenient grace that he put a great school like Gordon-Conwell a stone's throw from our church.

This week, forty-seven of Good Shepherd's finest are serving in the mission field.

Thirty-four students, staffers, and volunteers are in Moore, Oklahoma, site of the devastating 2013 tornado.  There they are helping Oklahomans rebuild their homes and restore their lives.

Oklahoma + July + Construction = Heat.  Even though it's a "dry heat," it's a merciless heat.  Here's part of the crew:






And what would a student mission trip be without a Van Selfie?  Not much, so here goes:





Meanwhile, thirteen women from GSUMC are in the Philippines helping to train and encourage Filipina church leaders.  Check out the aqua-tinted team shirts!


And the small group discussion:


If you ever get cynical about the quality of people in the world . . . well, I invite you to take a look at all these inviters we have at Good Shepherd.

All people indeed.

This photo was taken on my family's recent beach vacation:




From the left, our 24-year-old daughter Taylor, me, our 21-year-old-son Riley, and then my wife Julie.  We took the trip to celebrate our 30th Wedding Anniversary trip together.

Yes, we took our kids on a 30th Anniversary trip.  Which may strike some of you as odd but to us it reinforced why we've been taking family vacations every year since they were young children.

Here are some reflections on the rhythms and routines of that week away . . .

1.  Children crave tradition.  Though we went to a special locale for our 30th this year, for the last 18 years or so we have gone to the same place (a property on Hilton Head) and have done the same things on the same weekdays and nights every year.  Including eating the same food.  As our kids moved from childhood to adolescence and now to young adult-hood, that predictability gave them a sense of family stability -- always among the best gifts parents give to their children.

2.  Families create their own language. We have phrases and memories that only make sense to us.  For that week away, the four of us live "under the dome," often laughing hysterically at things which would only confuse outsiders.

3.  In the middle of relaxation, time emerges for serious conversation.  It happens every time, and it happened again this year: vacation paradoxically opens up space and time to talk about future, faith, and even the impact of childhood on adult living.

4.  What a privilege that adult children want to vacation with us.  Julie and I continually marvel at their willingness to come. Each year we give them the option of "aging out" of a week with 50+ year old parents, and each year they'll hear none of it.

5.  If you are Anglo, you will never get as tan as your Latino family.  Julie is 1/2 Puerto Rican.  Taylor and Riley are 1/4.  I am 0%.  My tan never measures up.  Sigh.

I had a brief Facebook post on Sunday morning about how I love to start a new series.

Especially when I believe the Word blends with the visuals and creates something both memorable and compelling.  All that is why I was genuinely excited about the start of Lost And Found.

We're following the Elijah cycle from I Kings 17-19 and taking a close look at all that was lost during the course of his ministry and the unexpected ways God helped him find that which is better and more enduring.

One sort of funny thing happened after the 8:30 service.  During that first sermon, I pronounced the word fatwa (see context in first sentence below) as it looks:  fat - wa.  After that service, however, my friend and colleague Chris Thayer -- who, it should be noted, is about half my age with a quarter of my ministry experience -- approached me some hesitation.  "I need to help your pronunciation," he said.  "You're saying fat - wa when it is actually faht - wa."


So how did I respond to this mid-Sunday morning advice?  I said, "Mind your manners, young man" . . . and then went out and did exactly as he said for the next two services.  Ah, youth.

Here's the message:

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