What do Elton John . . . . . . the Gospel of John . . .     . . . and the Movementum series have to do with each other?   Quite a lot, as you'll see on Sunday. 8:30.  10.  11:30.

From the ages of 8-18, I had one goal in life: to become the number one tennis player my age in the state of Texas. The good news is that it actually happened. After a string of second place finishes, I finally won it all when I was 17. I liked it well enough that I did it again a year later. The bad news is that with that mindset developed at such a young age, I tend to look at other people in my life the same way I looked at other Texas tennis players: as rivals. As the competition. Enter the world of preaching. One of the great things about the city of Charlotte is that there are so many good churches, often led by rather remarkable pastors. Some of them are spellbinding speakers who are leaders within their own denominations, others are personal friends who live what they preach better than most, still others are nationally-known phenoms, while some are key leaders in my own Methodist tribe, and quite a few are just plain nice people. That’s the good news. The bad news is when I view people on that list as rivals and competitors. Because in any kind of competition, I’ll “win” in some areas and “lose” in others. When I view Good Shepherd as a fiefdom, I inhibit the advancement of the kingdom. Because, as Paul would remind me, my fellow clergy and I are not adversaries; we’re co-laborers. I write all this today because I believe God has been doing a work in me in recent months. Some of it has been his direct hand in my heart. The other part of his work comes from the book I’ve referenced before: Church Unique. Not church identical. Not church template. Church Unique. What’s true of congregations is true of pastors. Pastor Unique. Each of us a mixture of strength and weakness, flaws and beauty, spirit and flesh. Each worthy of others celebrating the good work God does in their lives and in their congregations. And none of us ranked #1 in this or any other city.

Listen below are some biographies I have read and thoroughly enjoyed in recent years. I'm not including either autobiographies or memoirs in this list -- primarily because there are a lot more Tuesday ahead for which I must find top five something. So here we are with five of my favorite biographies -- not all of the cradle-to-grave variety, but all that present fascinating figures in all their complexity.   5.  Unbroken by Laura Hillenbran.  Hillenbran's description of Louis Zamperini's time in a World War II POW camp were just graphic enough I knew I couldn't see the movie.  But it made for a compelling read.   4.  Glory Days by Dave Marsh.  Marsh's account of Springsteen's stunning rise to worldwide popularity in the wake of his Born In The USA tour captures the artistic and political tensions that made the 1980s so memorable.     3.  Wooden by Seth Davis.  UCLA's domination of college basketball in the 1960s and 70s was so thorough that in hindsight it seems almost impossible.  But it really did happen, and Davis gives a window into the how behind that remarkable -- and unbreakable -- what.     2.  Theodore Rex by Edmund Morris.  OK, and The Rise Of Theodore Rooselvelt.  And Colonel Roosevelt.  Who knew that life before air conditioning could be so fun?   1.  Being Nixon by Evan Thomas.  Richard Nixon was one of the leading figures of my childhood, his election lamented and his resignation celebrated in the Davis household.  As an adult I find him endlessly fascinating: how did such an awkward introvert become the leader of the free world?  How could someone so smart in dealing with paper be so inept at dealing with people?  And how did his daughters ever recover from discovering through the Watergate tapes that their dad was not the man they thought he was?  Sermon material all over that story, and Thomas tells it well.    

So am I preaching about a TV show that became a movie? Well, not exactly.  Actually, not at all. I am giving a message that has everything to do with the heartbeat of Good Shepherd, a sermon that gets to the core of what it means to have a living relationship with Jesus Christ. And the music planned?  Wow. Sunday. 8:30.  10.  11:30.

In ministry -- whether as a member of the clergy or a member of a church -- what you DON'T say is almost as important as what you DO say. Sometimes even moreso. This is especially true in times of grief. What are some things you simply shouldn’t say to families or individuals going through grief? Because the reality is the most people navigating those first shock-filled days after a death won’t remember much of what you say to them . . . unless you say something really dumb. Here’s a list of what to avoid: 1. “He’s/She’s in a better place now.” While that may be true, it’s not helpful. For those survivors in the middle of intense grief, the “better place” for that spouse, parent, sibling, or child would be right there next to them, still living and breathing. 2. “Be strong.” God has given us grief and emotion for a reason: to help us through times of traumatic loss. Moans, tears, and sighs are all part of the process. We usually encourage people to “be strong” so we’ll feel more comfortable around them. And here’s the real truth: the strongest people are those who are most honest with their sadness. 3. “Just let me know if I can do anything.” What you’ve just done is put the burden back on the person going through grief. They have to let you know how you can help. Instead, just help. Tell the person when you are coming and what you are bringing. 4. “It’s all part of God’s plan.” Again, what may be true is not always what’s helpful. In an effort to explain God in the midst of tragedy we sometimes end up blaming God for tragedy. 5. “God needed another angel.”  That sounds sweet, it fits on a Hallmark card, but it is simply not true.  Dead people do not turn into living angels.  According to I Corinthians 6:3 that would be a DEmotion:  Do you not know that we will judge angels? What should you say? How about “I’m sorry”; “I can tell this hurts”; “I love you.” And let Jesus’ words from Matthew 5:4 shape whatever you say and however you act: “Blessed are those who mourn for they shall be comforted.”