tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-82656042012-02-16T07:52:09.441-07:00Kevin PowellMay you see the face of Jesus in everyone you meet. And may everyone you meet see the face of Jesus in you.Kevin Powellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10049966051667764746noreply@blogger.comBlogger11891100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8265604.post-33206698520679140612012-02-06T00:07:00.002-07:002012-02-06T00:10:04.718-07:00Sermon: Epiphany 5B[NB: You can listen to the sermon by clicking here]
“…woe to me if I do not proclaim the gospel.”
Those words rung in my ears on a viciously hot July night in 1999 at Christ Lutheran Church in Waterloo, Ontario, Canada, when this scripture passage was read and preached by my bishop before he invited me to kneel, laid hands on my head, and I received the rite ordination.
It was like I was Kevin Powellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10049966051667764746noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8265604.post-60184686738879374642012-02-05T23:46:00.001-07:002012-02-05T23:47:14.409-07:00Sermon: Epiphany 4B“...any prophet who speaks in the name of other gods, or who presumes to speak in my name a word that I, the Lord, have not commanded the prophet to speak—that prophet shall die.”
Yikes! Makes me want to watch my words even more carefully than I do!
But that’s what the people had asked for. They wanted someone to speak for God, because they worried that hearing directly from the Most High God Kevin Powellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10049966051667764746noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8265604.post-87953043228813978692012-01-21T22:30:00.001-07:002012-01-21T22:30:29.760-07:00Sermon: Epiphany 3B “The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God has come near; repent, and believe in the good news.”
Repentance. I think the Christian proclamation has twisted this word into so many knots that it would be unrecognizable to Jesus’ first listeners. And now, the mere utterance of that word evokes strong feelings of shame. At least it does for me.
“Repent!” we hear preachers Kevin Powellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10049966051667764746noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8265604.post-15063242404515093532012-01-14T17:10:00.002-07:002012-01-15T01:12:24.718-07:00Sermon: Epiphany 2BNew Years day was quite an education for me. I was told that Japanese people are not religious, yet they pray at the shrine. And from the lineups I saw at the various shrines in the area, I could see what people meant.
I would say that makes Japanese people VERY religious. At least in practice if not in belief. It seems that in such a highly ritualized culture, the act of praying at the shrine isKevin Powellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10049966051667764746noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8265604.post-10164941130184553192012-01-07T23:13:00.001-07:002012-01-08T05:37:51.648-07:00Sermon: Baptism of JesusAs it turns out, Jesus wasn’t the only one being called into a new life that day in those waters. God was calling them into the same life that Jesus was called into. Baptism isn’t just a ritual that we perform as an entry way into the church family. And baptism isn’t just a one-off salvation ticket.
Baptism is about being recruited - drafted - into a movement. In baptism, we are joined to Jesus’Kevin Powellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10049966051667764746noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8265604.post-87129935544722797442011-12-31T19:08:00.000-07:002011-12-31T19:08:30.096-07:00Sermon: Christmas 1B<!--[if gte mso 9]> Normal.dotm 0 0 1 98 564 St. Paul International Lutheran Church 4 1 692 12.0 <![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]> 0 false 18 pt 18 pt 0 0 false false false <![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]> <![endif]--> <!--[if gte mso 10]>
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{mso-style-name:"Table Kevin Powellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10049966051667764746noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8265604.post-17410849590947677252011-12-25T00:23:00.000-07:002011-12-25T00:23:36.017-07:00Sermon: Christmas DayMost of the travel guide books I’ve read before coming to Japan say that most people under the age of 40 will understand and speak at least a little bit of English. Especially in Tokyo, they say. So, an English speaker shouldn’t have any trouble getting his or her point across.
Having been here for almost two months I can now say without equivocation that this is absolutely NOT true!
I may Kevin Powellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10049966051667764746noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8265604.post-85525629060203891682011-12-24T06:28:00.001-07:002011-12-24T06:29:00.441-07:00Sermon: Christmas EveThis being my first Christmas in Japan, one of the things I’ve found refreshing is that I don’t have to worry about people whining about the so-called “War on Christmas.”
If you follow the western news you might notice that every December a few commentators, pundits, bloggers, and blowhards decry the fact that some people offer the seasonal greeting by saying “Happy Holidays” instead of Kevin Powellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10049966051667764746noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8265604.post-86890046943711590842011-12-10T23:38:00.000-07:002011-12-10T23:38:54.524-07:00Sermon: Advent 3BTo prepare for my ministry with and among you I read a series of books on small churches, and how they’re different from large churches. Many of the authors noted that many small churches function like they’re large churches. Especially if they’re part of a denomination that requires them to have certain core programming. They rightly note that when small churches mimic the programming, Kevin Powellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10049966051667764746noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8265604.post-76441295543213038122011-12-03T15:55:00.001-07:002011-12-03T15:56:23.865-07:00Sermon: Advent 2B“Prepare the way of the Lord! Make the Lord’s path straight!” says John the Baptist.
I know what he means. In my first week here in Tokyo I decided to go for a walk, to get to know the area a little bit better. It’s hard to get to know a place from a subway car or from a seat on a train.
Still in Alberta mode, where the streets are a grid, I wandered from the office to, what I assumed was Kevin Powellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10049966051667764746noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8265604.post-30205465876437937122011-11-27T01:54:00.000-07:002011-11-27T01:54:20.617-07:00Sermon: Advent 1BOn May 21, 2011 I was on a plane traveling from from Minneapolis, Minnesota to Calgary, Alberta, having just finished attending a five day preaching conference, when I remembered the date, and a bead of sweat appeared on my brow.
How could I have forgotten so easily? After all it had been in the news for months. Warnings had appeared in my email inbox, billboards were erected all over the Kevin Powellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10049966051667764746noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8265604.post-26278483367195419872011-11-12T23:39:00.000-07:002011-11-12T23:39:14.885-07:00Sermon Pentecost 22ASo it makes me ask: where is God in this passage? The traditional reading is that God is the boss, and as the boss, God expects great things from us, or we’ll suffer the consequences.
But I have trouble seeing God that way. There’s no forgiveness, no mercy, and no grace here. If we read this story with God as the boss then God becomes a nasty, punishing, overlord, who demands high levels ofKevin Powellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10049966051667764746noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8265604.post-9287716236611975482011-11-05T15:36:00.000-06:002011-11-05T15:36:08.522-06:00Sermon: All Saints SundayFirst. Class. Doormat. That’s what I said to myself as a little boy and heard this passage from Matthew for the first time.
And I’m not alone. American civil rights activist, Malcolm X once noted that oppressed people will continue to be oppressed if they follow this teaching. And US comedian Bill Maher likes to make fun of this “crazy” teaching that sets people up for abuse.
Those of us whoKevin Powellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10049966051667764746noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8265604.post-80172527213985733552011-10-23T13:27:00.000-06:002011-10-23T13:27:25.274-06:00Pentecost 19A (Farewell Sermon at Good Shepherd)...Good Shepherd is better than that. I know you’re better than that because I’ve seen you be better. You have worked too hard to build this church into the loving, caring, dynamic congregation that it has been through most of your history. You have prayed too many prayers together to allow this church to descend into division.
You have been to too many bedsides, visited too many shut-ins, Kevin Powellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10049966051667764746noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8265604.post-23605347115695709122011-10-16T12:15:00.001-06:002012-02-06T00:36:17.693-07:00Sermon: Pentecost 18AYou can almost feel the tension rising. The way Matthew tells the story is that time after time, Jesus encounters these religious leaders who were trying to trap him, condemn him, and reveal him as a fraud, and time after time Jesus humiliates them.
This morning’s reading was probably the encounter that broke the camel’s back for both of them.
The religious leaders probably thought they Kevin Powellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10049966051667764746noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8265604.post-3372074479793282112011-10-09T11:58:00.000-06:002011-10-09T11:58:21.320-06:00Sermon: Pentecost 17A/ThanksgivingI have a confession to make: I find preaching on Paul’s Letter to the Philippians really hard. It’s not that there no content to work with. Like all of Paul’s letters, this letter is overflowing with wisdom. And it’s not as if I have trouble understanding what Paul is trying to say, although, I do gain more insight his message every time I read it.
It’s just that Paul seems to be writing Kevin Powellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10049966051667764746noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8265604.post-64758714151259806682011-10-02T11:26:00.000-06:002011-10-02T11:26:39.228-06:00Sermon: Pentecost 16AOne of the things they tell us in preaching class is to NOT use ourselves as positive examples of gospel living. The preacher should never be the spiritual superstar in the sermon.
It’s arrogant. It assumes that the preacher is on a higher spiritual plane than the listener. It suggests that its the preacher’s behaviour the listener is supposed to model rather than Christ’s.
It puts the Kevin Powellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10049966051667764746noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8265604.post-88776363945498495052011-09-25T12:04:00.000-06:002011-09-25T12:04:40.016-06:00Sermon: Pentecost 15AAn article, by American preacher Lillian Daniel has been circulating widely among religious professionals. In fact I think half my clergy friends on Facebook and Twitter provided a link to it because it speaks to a common frustration among church folks.
The article has the provocative title “Spiritual But Not Religious? Please Stop Boring Me.” In it she takes on those who create their own Kevin Powellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10049966051667764746noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8265604.post-66706366502242384292011-09-18T12:16:00.000-06:002011-09-18T12:16:08.475-06:00Sermon: Pentecost 14AI have trouble believing Paul in today’s second reading. Not because I think he’s dishonest, but because, given his circumstances, I can’t see why he can be in such a good mood. This letter EXUDES joyful praise of God, and offers encouragement to a struggling church that he just started. His worry wasn’t for himself. His worry was for this new church in Phillipi that was trying to keep Kevin Powellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10049966051667764746noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8265604.post-83334185879402604222011-09-11T11:18:00.000-06:002011-09-11T11:18:09.904-06:00Sermon: Pentecost 13AI’m not one who believes that God is pulling the strings of a puppet-like universe, but I have to wonder how this gospel popped up on the Sunday which happens to be the 10 year anniversary of the attacks on New York City and the Pentagon. I don’t know if I should read anything inappropriate into the collision of events, as if God had manipulated the lectionary to tell us something about how to Kevin Powellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10049966051667764746noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8265604.post-83915648503319641652011-09-04T11:52:00.000-06:002011-09-04T11:52:43.017-06:00Sermon: Pentecost 12AFreedom is something we like to hear about and talk about. But it’s often not something we welcome. We spend more time drawing lines, building walls, putting parameters around our ordered lives, than we welcome the responsibility of freedom.
It’s easier to know our place, to know what we can and cannot do, rather than trust that God is guiding our lives, working inside of us, transforming us Kevin Powellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10049966051667764746noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8265604.post-48492302144023595822011-08-28T12:45:00.000-06:002011-08-28T12:45:29.670-06:00Sermon: Pentecost 11A"...if you read between the lines on his resume, you’d see a different Moses. A Moses who was conflicted. He was a man caught between two worlds. The Egyptian world he was adopted into. And the Hebrew world he born into, and later embraced.
He was caught between wanting to follow God’s will into Egypt to rescue his people, and living the comfortable life he had built with his wife and Kevin Powellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10049966051667764746noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8265604.post-9991990389316103912011-08-14T11:37:00.000-06:002011-08-14T11:37:31.248-06:00Sermon: Pentecost 9AJoseph probably fantasized of this moment, the moment when he could take from his brothers everything they had taken from him.
What would the revenge be? Would he provide a quick ending to their betraying little lives. Or would he draw out the pain over time, allowing their cries of agony to nestle warmly in his vengeful ears?
As Joseph stood there, all the anger and hatred of his past cameKevin Powellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10049966051667764746noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8265604.post-81705485464413597132011-08-07T12:26:00.000-06:002011-08-07T12:26:05.288-06:00Sermon: Pentecost 8AWhere does your life and faith connect? Is your faith something that you reflect upon only at church? Is your religious activity limited only to these four walls? How does what we do “here” impact what you do out “there?” Or even, more to the point, where is God’s best work being done?
In this story, known as the “Joseph saga” (Most of you know it as “Joseph and His Amazing Technicolor Kevin Powellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10049966051667764746noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8265604.post-47925624734355812422011-07-31T11:45:00.000-06:002011-07-31T11:45:16.040-06:00Sermon: Pentecost 7A...no one really knows who this attacker is. Some say it’s an angel. Perhaps even Esau’s guardian angel. Others say it’s a demon out to prevent Jacob from reconciling with his brother. Still others see him as the personification of the dangers lurking in the darkness. And yet others say it’s actually God.
But I like what Rabbi Harold Kushner says. Rabbi Kushner notes that Jacob is alone. Kevin Powellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10049966051667764746noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8265604.post-49590406172537791322011-07-24T12:26:00.001-06:002011-07-24T12:26:45.186-06:00Sermon: Pentecost 6A...when we talk about the “traditional” or “biblical view of marriage” what are we talking about?
We tend to think that the bible defines marriage as one man and one woman to the exclusion of all others ‘till death do us part, amen. And yes, the bible DOES say that.
But the bible also DOESN’T say that.
The bible provides examples of MANY forms of marriage. The bible writers were not of one Kevin Powellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10049966051667764746noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8265604.post-4727201602537137992011-07-10T11:39:00.000-06:002011-07-10T11:39:10.845-06:00Sermon: Pentecost 4AI understand twin brothers, since I am one and have one. I understand both the friendly rivalry and bare-knuckled competition between twin offspring.
My brother Keith was born 10 minutes before me, and you’d think, by the way he talks about those 10 minutes, that during that extra time, he’d gained a world of experience that I’d never possess.
Growing up we’d wrestle and fight. We’d tussleKevin Powellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10049966051667764746noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8265604.post-89294691541083516982011-07-03T11:44:00.000-06:002011-07-03T11:44:16.928-06:00Sermon: Pentecost 3AIsaac ruled competently but charted no new course, he had no new vision for his people, and inspired no devotion. It wasn’t the force of destiny that compelled him to grab hold of the leadership reigns. It was like he was just taking over the family business and lacked the passion that gave rise to its institution. If Isaac weren’t Abraham’s son and Jacob’s dad, we probably would never have...(Kevin Powellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10049966051667764746noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8265604.post-70913672701491429872011-06-26T11:43:00.000-06:002011-06-26T11:43:26.070-06:00Sermon: Pentecost 2AWhere was Sarah? That’s what I want to know. Where was Isaac’s mom when Abraham took their son up the mountain?
Did Abraham even consult his wife before taking their son - their miracle child - to Mount Moriah, to stab him until he bled to death, before throwing his body in to the fire to be roasted and then eaten. After all, that’s what a sacrifice was; a holy barbecue where the Kevin Powellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10049966051667764746noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8265604.post-46258994894145280902011-06-19T12:21:00.000-06:002011-06-19T12:21:45.929-06:00Sermon: Trinity SundayI’m guessing that the folks who put the lectionary together chose the first reading from Genesis because of a certain word.
You probably read this passage so often that you might have passed right over it. I know I did the first 1000 times I read this passage.
But when I read this passage with Trinitarian eyes, I can’t help but lock in on the fact that God speaks of God’s self in first Kevin Powellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10049966051667764746noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8265604.post-48940613354540566142011-06-14T08:51:00.002-06:002011-06-14T09:08:01.470-06:00Book Review: Small Groups With PurposeSteve Gladen, pastor of Small Group Ministry at the Saddleback Church, has written a thorough look at small group ministry. I’ve always admired Saddleback’s small group ministry and I’m glad that Gladen has provided a design on how they’ve built and maintained this effective ministry.
Gladen’s book is practical, realistic, and useful. He doesn’t engage in fanciful theologizing (although his Kevin Powellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10049966051667764746noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8265604.post-62607764816148103142011-06-13T08:32:00.002-06:002011-06-14T10:26:45.285-06:00Book Review: The Irresistible ChurchI’m suspicious of formulas. Having spent the first part of my ministry looking for the “magic pill” that will make my church grow, which, by extension would make my ministry “successful,” I’ve encountered tons of books written by pastors of large churches offering strategies and tactics that will bring both bigger numbers and greater faithfulness to my congregation.
And I’ve found myself so Kevin Powellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10049966051667764746noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8265604.post-51202282439257642292011-06-12T13:49:00.000-06:002011-06-12T13:49:05.024-06:00Sermon: Day of PentecostWhat I find troubling about the Christian church is that we too often seem to be facing in the wrong direction. We look backwards in history rather than forward in hope. We look to the past for inspiration rather than to the future with expectation.
This is especially true when we talk about our beliefs. We trip over ourselves trying to prove that what we believe is the same thing as what Kevin Powellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10049966051667764746noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8265604.post-49772165386847320902011-04-10T11:34:00.000-06:002011-04-10T11:34:38.719-06:00Sermon: Lent 5A: A service of Prayer and Healing“What bible readings do you suggest, pastor?” she asked as we sat across the table from the funeral director.
“How about Psalm 23, ‘The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want...’”? I asked
“Perfect. Mother loved that psalm. She had a copy of it on her bedroom wall.”
“Also, what about Romans chapter 8, ‘Neither death nor life...nor anything else in all creation will be able to separate us from Kevin Powellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10049966051667764746noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8265604.post-4954440949248773292011-04-03T12:38:00.000-06:002011-04-03T12:38:17.013-06:00Sermon: Lent 4A“He put some mud on my eyes. I washed. And now I see.”
Simple. To the point.
But that wasn’t enough. They wanted a fuller explanation. The religious types couldn’t accept his version of the story. There had to be more to it.
Jesus meets this blind man who has been blind from birth. With some spit and dust Jesus heals him. Praise be to God! A man who was blind can now see.
But not so fast. A Kevin Powellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10049966051667764746noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8265604.post-80296198490092745482011-03-29T15:18:00.000-06:002011-03-29T15:18:04.248-06:00Sermon: Lent 3ALast week, Jesus encountered Nicodemus. This week, he meets the woman at the well. And the two encounters couldn’t be more different.
Nicodemus is a man. She’s a woman. Nicodemus arrives at midnight. Jesus meet the woman at noon. Nicodemus is a highly educated, a greatly respected moral and religious leader.
The woman is an outcast, forced to retrieve her water from the well under the hot Kevin Powellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10049966051667764746noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8265604.post-50511342807140084842011-03-20T11:57:00.000-06:002011-03-20T11:57:36.980-06:00Sermon: Lent 2A“Ask me what I know,” he told me, “don’t ask me what I believe.”
This was from a well-known bible scholar, who, in a moment personal honesty, confessed that what he knew intellectually after a lifetime of dissecting ancient texts, was different than what he believed personally.
It wasn’t that he didn’t believe the Christian faith to be false, or that what he learned from studying the Kevin Powellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10049966051667764746noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8265604.post-51760928417610517742011-03-13T12:06:00.000-06:002011-03-13T12:06:34.211-06:00Sermon: Lent 1AIn a sermon a few months ago I asked you, “How would you recognize God’s voice if you heard it? And how would you know it was God’s?”
Today, I want to adjust the question a little, and ask, “How would you know the Devil’s voice if you heard it? What does the voice of evil sound like? How would you know evil if it was sitting across the table from you?”
On the surface, the answer may sound Kevin Powellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10049966051667764746noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8265604.post-37633225855805814802011-03-10T10:04:00.000-07:002011-03-10T10:04:35.200-07:00Ash WednesdayRemember that you are dust, and to dust you will return.
Today is about death. Your death. My death. There’s no sugar-coating or watering it down. We are dust and to dust we WILL return.
And you came to hear this message. Many of you were here last year as well, so it’s not as if this was a case of bait-and-switch. You knew what you were getting into when you laced up your boots, put on Kevin Powellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10049966051667764746noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8265604.post-66218999155974549622011-02-27T11:59:00.000-07:002011-02-27T11:59:13.355-07:00Sermon: Epiphany 8ANo one can serve two masters; for a slave will either hate the one and love the other, or be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and wealth.”
Jesus makes it seem so easy; so cut and dried.
No doubt Jesus was right. Serving God and wealth is impossible because they demand two very different things from us. God puts us on a mission for the healing of the nations, Kevin Powellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10049966051667764746noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8265604.post-1349738645119916622011-02-20T12:17:00.000-07:002011-02-20T12:17:19.826-07:00Sermon: Epiphany 7AThose of us who’ve been around the church long enough have probably forgotten the punch that this passage from the gospel packs. Some of these phrases have made their way into peoples’ everyday language.
“Turn the other cheek.”
“Go the extra mile.”
“Love your enemy.”
But if we take Jesus’ commands seriously, we might worry that we’d become a first class doormat.
If someone punches me in Kevin Powellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10049966051667764746noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8265604.post-51196843478375858972011-02-13T11:48:00.000-07:002011-02-13T11:48:32.174-07:00Sermon: Epiphany 6AI was tempted, to acknowledge the difficulty of this text, then move on to preach from the easier Old Testament reading. This is one of the harder passages of scripture to bundle our brains around. It seems like Jesus is more interested in placing barbed-wire fences around our moral behaviour than setting us free with the good news of the Kingdom of God.
After reading this passage, I can Kevin Powellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10049966051667764746noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8265604.post-71687832308661875492011-02-02T10:57:00.006-07:002011-02-02T11:53:00.677-07:00Book Review: Bonhoeffer: Pastor, Martyr, Prophet, SpyBonhoeffer: Pastor, Martyr, Prophet, Spy; Righteous Gentile vs The Third Reich
By Eric Metaxas
Thomas Nelson, Inc
Dietrich Bonhoeffer is a theological Rorschach test. We read into him what we want to see. I’ve encountered preachers who saw him as a Martin Luther King Jr figure, a theologian who believed that Bonhoeffer was a so-called “pro-family conservative," a colleague who says that Kevin Powellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10049966051667764746noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8265604.post-40215349563468798682011-01-30T11:18:00.000-07:002011-01-30T11:18:20.634-07:00Sermon: Epiphany 4AI was once asked to provide what they called an “Invocation” at a political event a few years ago. So I chose for the bible reading the passage we just heard from Matthew’s gospel, popularly known as “The Beatitudes.” I wanted to offer the crowd a different vision than what usually passes for political discourse.
Later that evening, a politician came up to me and thanked me for reading the Kevin Powellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10049966051667764746noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8265604.post-79376329277591272642011-01-23T12:14:00.000-07:002011-01-23T12:14:04.879-07:00Sermon: Epiphany 3AHow would you know God’s voice if you heard it? What it be so clear that you could respond with great joy in knowing that you’re part of God’s saving plan for the world? How would explain that call to others? How would you describe that voice?
That’s not an easy question to answer, is it? Most stories of hearing God’s call are met with suspicion, or even laughter. It takes some guts to talkKevin Powellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10049966051667764746noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8265604.post-5202403847757805112011-01-18T09:30:00.001-07:002011-01-18T09:32:54.018-07:00Sermon: Epiphany 2AIn reading today’s gospel, it’s clear that we shouldn’t be looking to John the Baptist for advice on how to grow a church. He sends his best people over to another preacher, who looks surprised to see them.
“What are you looking for?” Jesus asks these strangers at his door. “What are you doing here? What do you want from me?” are questions that he was probably really asking.
But it’s a Kevin Powellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10049966051667764746noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8265604.post-5304792298173362222010-12-25T12:29:00.000-07:002010-12-25T12:29:44.657-07:00Christmas Day Sermon“In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God and the Word was God.”
I understand why we read this passage from John’s gospel every Christmas Day, but, I’m not always happy about. To me, it sounds bloodless, the abstract ruminations of a cloistered philosopher who comprehends the mysteries of the divine, but can’t get a date for Friday night. Maybe I’m missing something but JohnKevin Powellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10049966051667764746noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8265604.post-71101587487082639402010-12-25T07:56:00.000-07:002010-12-25T07:56:32.640-07:00Christmas Eve SermonFor those who say that religion and politics don’t mix aren’t paying attention to tonight’s reading from Luke that we just heard. Maybe this passage has become TOO familiar to those who’ve been coming to Christmas Eve services for so many years or been watching endless loops of Linus’ monologue from A Charlie Brown Christmas, that the story has lost its political edge.
“In those days a Kevin Powellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10049966051667764746noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8265604.post-25469192453182124472010-12-14T12:12:00.001-07:002010-12-14T12:13:08.829-07:00Sermon: Advent 3ALeap frog a few generations from last week’s reading and you’ll land in this morning’s passage from Isaiah. The past two weeks we were knee-deep in palace intrigue when King Ahaz of Judah buckled, making common cause with the enemy only to find the holy city in ruins.
A few kings later, and God’s people find themselves conquered and enslaved by the Babylonians. This has been their recurring Kevin Powellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10049966051667764746noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8265604.post-29439571884632518412010-12-05T14:59:00.000-07:002010-12-05T14:59:10.361-07:00Sermon: Advent 2AAgainst Isaiah’s counsel, King Ahaz of Judah rejected the calls for an alliance with the Northern Kingdom of Israel and the Arameans to rebel against the Assyrian empire. And such a decision came with terrible consequences. The northern kingdom was destroyed. And Samaria soon followed. King Ahaz kept his crown, but his reign was effectively over. He lost his peoples’ trust. And so they turned Kevin Powellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10049966051667764746noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8265604.post-39686394060516496342010-11-28T11:46:00.001-07:002010-11-28T11:46:53.662-07:00Sermon: Advent 1A“Freedom” is a program I recently installed on my computer. It helps me get more work done and to better focus. In fact I used Freedom to get the first draft of this sermon written.
Freedom has one simple task: to disable my web browser for as long as I want or need it to. In other words, if I set Freedom’s clock for 60 minutes, I can’t access the internet for one whole hour. No email. No Kevin Powellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10049966051667764746noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8265604.post-78076411811878589972010-11-21T12:10:00.001-07:002010-11-21T12:20:46.633-07:00Sermon: Reign of Christ the KingThis morning we meet a paradox, or tension, or even a contradiction. On this Reign of Christ the King Sunday we sing the great triumphal hymns proclaiming that “Jesus Shall Reign!” before we “Crown Him With Many Crowns!” Music so strong and confident that we are swept up in the glorious majesty of the divine.
But then, a few minutes later, we find Jesus dying between two thieves. Naked. Kevin Powellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10049966051667764746noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8265604.post-170455191699224012010-11-07T12:44:00.000-07:002010-11-07T12:44:28.357-07:00Sermon: All SaintsThe condo-development where my mom lives backs on to a local cemetery. In fact, this cemetery has the distinction of being one of the only cemeteries in Canada that has a highway running through it. In that small strip of highway the feverish pace of southern Ontario life connects with the stoney stillness of history and death without stopping to reflect.
A few years ago, while visiting my mom,Kevin Powellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10049966051667764746noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8265604.post-8482136759356873302010-11-01T12:18:00.001-06:002010-11-03T10:25:55.266-06:00Church UnpluggedSometimes I think that, if I were to start a church from scratch, I’d go unplugged. Not the mid-90’s fad where every girl with a guitar went acoustic. I mean that, in worship, I’d leave out the PowerPoint, the high tech sound system, the band, and maybe even the organ. Worship would be bare bones. Perhaps sing a cappella. Liturgical al fresco.And while I couldn’t TOTALLY unplug, I’d do the best IKevin Powellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10049966051667764746noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8265604.post-10654625754553956332010-10-31T13:11:00.000-06:002010-10-31T13:11:31.921-06:00Reformation Day SermonIf someone asked you what a Lutheran was, how would you respond? I posed that question to the confirmation class a few weeks ago and they looked as blankly then as you do this morning.
For most of us, that’s a tough question to answer. Lutheranism has such a rich and diverse tradition. But it’s also very specific. How do you sum up a whole faith history in a few words?
Those of us initiated in Kevin Powellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10049966051667764746noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8265604.post-25701971516839551072010-10-24T11:50:00.000-06:002010-10-24T11:50:54.192-06:00Sermon: Pentecost 22CI think I can sum up today’s gospel reading in one short sentence: Jesus says not to be a smug, arrogant, self-righteous jerk. So, there it is. Now I can go sit down and enjoy the rest of the service having preached the shortest sermon of my life.
But if I do that I will have fallen into the trap that Jesus set for us. We think we know whose side we’re on in Jesus’ little morality tale. Kevin Powellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10049966051667764746noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8265604.post-28409201506401210152010-10-17T11:45:00.000-06:002010-10-17T11:45:51.762-06:00Sermon: Pentecost 21COn Friday a group of us from Good Shepherd went to the Good Samaritan Society’s Spirituality and Wholeness workshop, and the presenter had us do an interesting exercise.
He first asked us to assume the posture of someone who is happy. So, we all sat up straight in our seats, shoulders back, chin square, and lips smiling.
Then he asked us to assume the posture of someone who is depressed. So Kevin Powellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10049966051667764746noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8265604.post-27657934722306635042010-10-10T11:57:00.001-06:002010-10-13T12:00:13.852-06:00Thanksgiving Sermon(NB: These are heads made from bread. Didn't mean to creep anyone out)
“Do not work for the food that perishes, but work for the food that endures for eternal life...”
Sounds good, doesn’t it? It sounds like something we’d expect Jesus to say. Work for the food that endures for eternal life...it has the aroma of holiness, sacred words we come to church to hear because we don’t find them Kevin Powellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10049966051667764746noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8265604.post-85263401008433848572010-10-03T11:23:00.000-06:002010-10-03T11:23:02.399-06:00Sermon: Pentecost 19C“Lord, increase our faith!” the apostles plead.
A reasonable request. Especially when they saw Jesus work many signs and wonders and heard him preach endlessly about the kingdom of God. If they wanted more of God in their lives, and if faith was the entry point in connecting with God, it makes sense that they’d ask for more faith.
And who could blame them? As people of faith, isn’t that what Kevin Powellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10049966051667764746noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8265604.post-58464789687627887582010-09-30T11:03:00.002-06:002010-09-30T11:13:22.170-06:00Here's Why Christians Flunked the TestI took the quiz that’s been circulating around the internet. You probably heard of it. It’s the one provided be the Pew Forum on Religion and Public Life which asks basic religious questions. I scored 14-15 correctly (I missed a question on religion in American classrooms).The news is not good. Apparently, according to the final report, most protestants couldn’t identify Martin Luther as the Kevin Powellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10049966051667764746noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8265604.post-17589007091230080082010-09-30T10:03:00.001-06:002010-09-30T10:03:51.832-06:00This is a test. A simple test. Nothing to see here. As you were.Kevin Powellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10049966051667764746noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8265604.post-49919763317324148082010-09-23T09:37:00.002-06:002010-09-23T09:43:16.082-06:00Funeral Sermon(NB: I was getting numerous requests for this sermon, so with the family's permission, I"m posting it here)
When I heard that Agnes had passed away and I began to reflect on her life, I turned to Seneca, the early church’s favourite Roman philosopher, whose little treatise called “On the Shortness of Life” had as deep an impact on me as it did on the first Christians in Rome. You might think Kevin Powellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10049966051667764746noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8265604.post-28406444065106859902010-09-20T12:06:00.000-06:002010-09-20T12:06:02.772-06:00Sermon: Pentecost 17C
Text here:
This is one of my favorite gospel readings. It’s wonderfully, ethically ambiguous. It comes put of nowhere and leaves the listener with an itchy scalp.
To me, it gives permission to color outside the lines and to push the edges of acceptable behaviour, Jesus demolishes any sense of ideological purity.
What we have is a guy who really likes his job and wants to keep it. Or at Kevin Powellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10049966051667764746noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8265604.post-54368931377846085622010-09-14T13:45:00.004-06:002011-08-10T11:46:54.322-06:00How to Stop Church DeclineA few weeks ago the United Methodist Church in the U.S. published the results of a survey intended to solicit ideas for how to stop the decline in Methodist churches. The “actionable” results were:Small groups and programs, such as Bible study and activities geared toward youth.
An active lay leadership.
Inspirational pastors who have served lengthy tenures at churches.
A mix of traditional Kevin Powellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10049966051667764746noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8265604.post-83644689756812594132010-09-11T10:00:00.001-06:002010-09-11T10:05:31.495-06:00Book Review: Outlive Your LifeOne thing for sure, Max Lucado can turn a phrase. He’s my confere. In. The sentence. Fragment. Which makes his upcoming book Outlive Your Life: You Were Made to Make a Difference such a fun and quick read. And in typical Lucodian fashion, he illuminates the bible text by pulling it forward into our time. In his hands the bible speaks to us today.Outlive Your Life is about making a difference in Kevin Powellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10049966051667764746noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8265604.post-53528918178343818002010-09-05T12:04:00.000-06:002010-09-05T12:04:03.683-06:00Sermon: Pentecost 15C“You cannot be my disciple if you own any possessions.”
This passage from Luke’s gospel is one that no one takes literally. Even the most ardent, fundamentalist who insists on the literal, word-for-word Truth (capital “T”) of the bible finds a way to weasel out of this passage.
I’ve heard some folks say that this passage only applies to those who let their money and their possessions get in Kevin Powellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10049966051667764746noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8265604.post-89198254748462264832010-09-04T09:24:00.000-06:002010-09-04T09:24:47.881-06:00What's Right With the Church.After a post about the problems in the church, I had written a post about what’s good with the church. But I deleted it. The writing didn’t feel right. Although all of it was true, it felt like I was borrowing someone else’s words. The writing seemed plastic. An artificial defense of a very real group of people. The post included such things as our rich theological history, the faithfulness of Kevin Powellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10049966051667764746noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8265604.post-30226119966329812812010-09-03T02:47:00.009-06:002010-09-16T10:09:30.598-06:00What's the Problem With the Church?1. We’re fighting an uphill battle against decline. Being the church today is hard. This is the problem that amplifies all the other problems. Since we’re not being propped by the culture like we used to be (thank God!) we actually have to get our hands dirty and push that rock up that hill. Ministry takes work and creativity. And a lot of us are tired. Worn out by working harder for less resultsKevin Powellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10049966051667764746noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8265604.post-39993744190603931362010-09-02T02:45:00.003-06:002010-09-02T10:11:30.858-06:00Why NALC Doesn't Bother Me: Part Two (or Why I have Hope)Yesterday I said that the newly formed North American Lutheran Church (NALC) doesn’t bother me for two reasons:1. The new church body doesn’t affect my ministry at all. It’s not even on peoples’ radar screens, and I have no real interest in putting it there.
2. God has not given up on the ELCIC.Today, I’m going to talk about Number Two.I’ve been distressed by some of the rhetoric from some of Kevin Powellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10049966051667764746noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8265604.post-49090640527271083792010-09-01T11:51:00.002-06:002010-09-01T12:07:51.764-06:00Why NALC Doesn't Bother MeThere would gave been a time when the creation of the North American Lutheran Church (NALC) would have given me heart palpitations. I would have groaned about the schismatic nature of a newly formed Lutheran denomination; and waxed on about how churches formed in protest tend to create a culture of dissension that permeates the whole organization’s DNA. Any protestant should know this.But now I Kevin Powellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10049966051667764746noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8265604.post-82978044179985802962010-08-29T11:55:00.000-06:002010-08-29T11:55:07.698-06:00Sermon: Pentecost 14C
NB: With help from Willimon's Pulpit Resource and a Globe and Mail article.
“Be present at our table Lord,” s a prayer we usually sing before church meals. It’s a nice, familiar, song, that adds some reverence to our gathering. Especially when we have some good singers who can add four-part harmony. We pray that Jesus will be present as we gather to eat.
But is that really wise? Do we REALLY Kevin Powellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10049966051667764746noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8265604.post-61710996580360067402010-08-16T13:11:00.000-06:002010-08-16T13:11:05.762-06:00Sermon: Pentecost 12C
Text:
One required seminary course was called “Conflict Management.” It looks like the folks putting together the seminary curriculum had been around churches long enough to know that Christians don’t always get along. And so we were taken through techniques and scenarios on how to “manage” conflict, rather than “resolve” conflict.
To be honest, I still don’t understand the distinction Kevin Powellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10049966051667764746noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8265604.post-23338997166541666832010-08-08T11:24:00.001-06:002010-08-08T11:27:37.020-06:00Sermon: Pentecost 11CNB: With a little help from Willimon's Pulpit Resource.
“Do not be afraid, little flock, for it is your Father’s good pleasure to give you the kingdom.”
I don’t know what you hear in this passage, but sometimes such promises increase my blood pressure. Mainly because of the second half of Jesus’ statement:
“Sell your possessions and give alms. Make purses for yourselves that do not wear out, Kevin Powellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10049966051667764746noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8265604.post-22626235142341580282010-08-05T10:05:00.004-06:002010-08-05T12:59:14.527-06:00Book Review: Your Church is too SmallYour Church is Too SmallJohn H. Armstrong
My first response after realizing this book, Your Church is Too Small, was about Christian unity was: where has John H. Armstrong been for the last fifty years? He talks about ecumenism as if it’s a new idea. And, maybe, for him and the evangelicals that make up his church community, churches working together in common mission is a novel approach.But for Kevin Powellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10049966051667764746noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8265604.post-19614848501974709372010-08-01T22:18:00.000-06:002010-08-01T22:18:35.104-06:00Funeral SermonNB: I don't usually post funeral sermons but a lot of people have asked for a copy. Plus I'm sure Dorothy wouldn't mind.
Psalm 22It’s hard to imagine a world and a church without Dorothy, isn’t it? Like most of you I’m still trying to wrap my head around the fact she’s died. After all, she’s been around this church since the beginning. She’s one of the signatories on the papers making Lutheran Kevin Powellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10049966051667764746noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8265604.post-49947265832556524562010-07-18T12:00:00.002-06:002010-07-19T10:05:43.700-06:00Sermon: Pentecost 8CToday’s gospel sounds like a good summer passage, doesn’t it? Jesus telling Martha not to work so hard, and encouraging Mary to sit at his feet, relaxing, taking in his teaching.
It’s like a spiritual day at the beach.
In today’s over-scheduled, under-joyed lifestyle, it seems like a good message. Take a break. Don’t work so hard. Relax once in a while. Put your feet up. Take a vacation.
ButKevin Powellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10049966051667764746noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8265604.post-50451496559074568382010-07-11T11:24:00.000-06:002010-07-11T11:24:13.015-06:00Sermon Pentecost 7C(NB: With help from Willimon's Pulpit Resource)
Sometimes people ask me, “Do you think Muslims will go to Hell?” It doesn’t have to be Muslims each time the question is asked. You can fill in the blank with any faith group that’s not Christian. Or even non-faith groups like professed atheists.
At it’s heart is the question of judgment. Who will God judge? And maybe by extension, who can WE Kevin Powellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10049966051667764746noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8265604.post-52699118939355757262010-07-05T07:50:00.000-06:002010-07-05T07:50:48.559-06:00Sermon: Pentecost 6C“Go on your way,” Jesus tells his followers, “See, I am sending you out like lambs into the midst of wolves. Carry no purse, no bag, no sandals; and greet no one on the road....”
Those 70 followers of Jesus may have listened to his instructions but very few have ever since. And those who do follow Jesus the way he instructs are either labelled “insane” or declared a “saint.”
It’s as if we Kevin Powellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10049966051667764746noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8265604.post-18019523294585926892010-06-28T10:36:00.000-06:002010-06-28T10:36:35.692-06:00Energy and RenewalI have more energy these days. A LOT more energy. And because I have more energy, I’m more productive (I finished the first draft of my sermon this morning) I wish I could point to one reason why this is, but there are many factors.
But the bottom line is: this what I can do when I’m not depressed.
As many of you know I separated from my wife last November. And I knew I was emotionally Kevin Powellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10049966051667764746noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8265604.post-2920928820056795792010-06-27T15:48:00.010-06:002010-06-27T15:57:03.051-06:00Sermon: Pentecost 5CNB: Had a wee bit 'o help from Willimon's Pulpit Resource
When we're trying to recruit new people into our church, how do we do it? What tactics do we use?
Do we say that we're a friendly, welcoming, bunch? Do we go out of our way to make sure that each new person who comes through our doors shakes at least three hands before making their way to the sanctuary?
Do we make sure that a newcomerKevin Powellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10049966051667764746noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8265604.post-8960527775535526802010-06-23T11:46:00.000-06:002010-06-23T11:46:55.402-06:00Sermon: Pentecost 4C
Lutherans LOVE good theology. And by "good theology" I mean a way of talking about God and God's activity in the world that is deeply influenced by the political and social battles of the 16th century. Good theology is what defines Lutherans. It's unique to us.
Anglicans are defined by a certain, prescribed, worship. Lex orandi/lex credendi or "the law of prayer is the law of belief." Kevin Powellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10049966051667764746noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8265604.post-22885543720293468192010-06-14T13:27:00.000-06:002010-06-14T13:27:10.786-06:00Sermon: Pentecost 3CYou know, pastor, " he said. "There are a lot of PEOPLE in our churches but there aren't very many CHRISTIANS."
"I beg your pardon," I replied.
"There are too many people who go to church but don't live by God's law, they live just like everyone else. They're fake Christians," he said.
"Is that right?" I replied, turning my chair to indicate that this was a conversation I no interest in being Kevin Powellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10049966051667764746noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8265604.post-70482908507617314922010-06-04T10:54:00.000-06:002010-06-04T10:54:55.099-06:00The Turtle Awards(NB: Cross-posted at the Alberta Synod Convention Blog
“For a turtle to move forward it must stick it's neck out.”
The Turtle Awards, are to be given to churches who take risks.
Fine words. But I wonder how true they are. I need to ask, how far will churches be allowed to stick their necks out before being chopped off by the institutional church.
I get a little suspicious when church leaders Kevin Powellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10049966051667764746noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8265604.post-37198388522716779842010-05-30T12:22:00.000-06:002010-05-30T12:22:19.361-06:00Sermon: Trinity CI don't know why those in charge decided to designate one Sunday as "Trinity Sunday." Shouldn't every Sunday be "Trinity Sunday"? A celebration of the great mystery of the three-in-one, one-in-three God? As Christians we confess God to be Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, one God, three-persons, co-equal, co-eternal, one in essence, nature, power, action, and will. It's basic to what we believe as Kevin Powellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10049966051667764746noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8265604.post-89261397580700974382010-05-20T11:31:00.001-06:002010-05-20T12:36:29.844-06:00Book Review: Take Your Best ShotWhy do we expect so little from our youth? As a pastor, I often struggle to find meaningful ways of engaging our young people, to keep them interested and active in church. So, the church tries to keep our kids entertained, an extension of what they get elsewhere. Music they can relate to, games, retreats - and the occasional bible study or service project thrown in to keep our programming Kevin Powellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10049966051667764746noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8265604.post-76354840668416508872010-05-13T13:52:00.000-06:002010-05-13T13:52:48.884-06:00Book Review: Hungry For LifeBlundell's book is no mere theological treatise or a biblical meditation on social problems. Hungry For Life is a manifesto. A call to arms for affluent North American Christians to live more faithfully and generously; using our resources to confront the horrible poverty most of the world lives in.
Blundell begins by showing us the problem of poverty, and the devastating effects it has on peopleKevin Powellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10049966051667764746noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8265604.post-71894850736636283062010-05-03T09:40:00.000-06:002010-05-03T09:40:35.617-06:00Tour My New ApartmentKevin Powellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10049966051667764746noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8265604.post-35320348041040336752010-04-19T08:14:00.003-06:002010-04-19T09:38:43.848-06:00Can we please talk about numbers?
I was once asked:
If your church was given a million dollars with the stipulation that it was to be used for "missional outreach" how would your church spend it? Or a similar question: If God had suddenly sent 500 new members to your church, would you have the ministry infrastructure to integrate them into the life of the congregation?
Both of these questions were asked under the heading: "Be Kevin Powellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10049966051667764746noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8265604.post-53970932303800626422010-04-11T13:56:00.000-06:002010-04-11T13:56:43.819-06:00Sermon: Easter 2C"The door was locked for fear of the Jews," the text says.
Maybe. But I’m sure there was more to it than that.
Yes, Jesus' disciples were probably afraid that their fellow Jews might have wanted to see them end on the business end of a cross. But that's probably not the only reason the door was locked. They might have been afraid of something - or someone - else. And they wanted to keep that Kevin Powellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10049966051667764746noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8265604.post-26845567681728201892010-04-06T06:08:00.001-06:002010-04-06T06:09:45.317-06:00Sermon: Easter Sunday
While much of the bible is, in fact, literary. I tend to believe the gospel writers were both reporting fact and telling a story. While it's not my intention to somehow "prove" the historical accuracy of the gospel stories, because I don't think that's their point. The point of the gospels is to bear witness to what God has done in their lives. And we can go back and forth, arguing over the Kevin Powellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10049966051667764746noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8265604.post-89140153856151906922010-03-31T12:54:00.000-06:002010-03-31T12:54:29.434-06:00Bishop Susan's Easter MessageKevin Powellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10049966051667764746noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8265604.post-50033976636316866362010-03-29T08:21:00.000-06:002010-03-29T08:21:08.579-06:00Re-defining SuccessWe need to re-define what is "success" in online ministry. Churches often see it as a marketing tool to enlarge their congregation. Church growth for the internet age. A new medium for old ministry goals.
But we're given an opportunity to re-think our ministry. Using social media is an excellent way to minister to folks - people we wouldn't otherwise connect with -without any other agenda other Kevin Powellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10049966051667764746noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8265604.post-38213400396761892102010-03-24T22:49:00.000-06:002010-03-24T22:49:17.620-06:00Diana is Blogging!Diana Macintyre, accomplice to Mick, has started a new blog. Check it out. Read it. Enjoy it. Live it.Kevin Powellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10049966051667764746noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8265604.post-56543304716835212722010-03-24T10:41:00.001-06:002010-03-24T10:50:45.055-06:00"Would You Like to Know the Truth?"
(NB: Part One Here)
That was asked of me in tract form this morning. The pamphlet was tossed in the front door of the church this morning. No kidding. A guy pulled up in a mini-van, opened the church's front door (why was it unlocked? But that's for another time), threw the paper on the floor, ran back to his vehicle, and sped off, tires squealing.
It looks like the Jehovah's Witnesses are Kevin Powellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10049966051667764746noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8265604.post-62720864884400835172010-03-22T13:25:00.000-06:002010-03-22T13:25:58.226-06:00Sermon: Lent 5CI think I'm with Judas on this one. He was the only one thinking straight. He had the practical sense no one else had. He was trying to use their money wisely.
Pouring expensive perfume on someone's feet? Is that REALLY how God wanted them to use their money?
Commentators call Judas a "bean counter" and a "thief." They accuse him of not getting what Jesus was all about. Sure he'd been followingKevin Powellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10049966051667764746noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8265604.post-36797301679677470972010-03-18T08:46:00.000-06:002010-03-18T08:46:36.387-06:00Hypocrisy, thy name is...This post is going to make me a first-class hypocrite.
Those who know me know that I have a fetish for new technology and social media. I recently upgraded my cell phone to an iPhone, which sent me into a spinning lather of orgasmic proportions. I love my MacBook with an inappropriate amount of affection. I've twittered since 2007. I'm Linkedin. I've been blogging since 2004. Before that I was Kevin Powellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10049966051667764746noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8265604.post-83295587740016311622010-03-12T10:12:00.005-07:002010-03-14T22:52:37.386-06:00An Exciting Time!? Really?“This is an exciting time to be the church!” Every church leader has said that as a way of spinning bad news. I should know. I'm guilty of saying that myself when talking to anxious churchfolks. It's not that I don't believe it to be true. I think it's only half the story.
But it's not just an exciting time to be the church. It's a terrifying time. Especially when ministry gets harder and harder Kevin Powellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10049966051667764746noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8265604.post-24192984355112414682010-02-15T10:44:00.000-07:002010-02-15T10:44:28.570-07:00March Pastoral LetterWhat are you giving up for Lent? Chocolate? Beer? Coffee? Junk food?
Or are you taking something on? Time at the Soup Kitchen? Reading the bible or other material to help you grow in faith? Spending more time with family? Re-prioritizing?
For my Lenten discipline, I’m kicking my Belly Be Gone™ program into high gear. I’m using the weight loss/strength gaining program to remind myself that good Kevin Powellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10049966051667764746noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8265604.post-67218381177976154572010-02-11T08:30:00.001-07:002010-02-11T10:44:41.440-07:00Church in Palliative Care Rising Again?Church decline doesn’t worry me. It used to. Not anymore. And it’s not because I have a “Jesus won’t let the church die. God is in control” type of attitude. God may be in control but that doesn’t mean that Jesus won’t send the church to its grave
Churches, like other organizations (or organisms!) have life-cycles. We’re born. We grow, reproduce, decline, then die. That’s the way life is built.Kevin Powellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10049966051667764746noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8265604.post-34954308779369542262010-02-09T09:04:00.005-07:002010-02-09T09:55:35.859-07:00Tuesday Morning Snark
Here’s my theory on jazz: it’s the new classical. Jazz shows have replaced most classical programs on CBC and CKUA. People experience jazz today with a sense of awe and wonder that was once the sole preserve of symphonies. It’s the music of choice for the intelligentsia and wanna-be elite. If you want to sound brainy and hip, drop John Coltrane’s name. It gives off both the illusion of smarts Kevin Powellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10049966051667764746noreply@blogger.com0