11.27--Prepare (Mark 1:1-8)

“Prepare ye the way of the Lord!”

The Broadway musical, Godspell, opens with a colorfully dressed and eccentric looking John the Baptizer belting these seven words into and over the audience. The first time that I saw the play, a young man—with a much better singing voice than myself—just let loose as his words resonated throughout the church, and God used this simple melody fill the sanctuary and send chills up my spine.

“Prepare ye the way of the Lord!” 

11.24--Reasons to Rejoice (Thanksgiving Sermon at an Interfaith Service))

It was January of 1983. They had just finished recording the ninth and what was supposed to be final track for their next album, but it didn’t feel complete. One more song was needed. There was only one problem, though: They were out of time. Their studio time was maxed out, and they were about to be kicked to the streets.

At this point, the lead singer does something kind of crazy: he opens his Bible. A certain passage jumps out at him almost immediately, and with the precious little bit of studio time they have left, they put the Scripture to song. It took ten minutes to write, ten minutes to record, and ten minutes to mix. The album was complete because of this song, and it became an instant fan favorite.

This song, “40”, has closed more than 300 U2 concerts around the world since then.

11.13--A Time Such as This (Sermon on Esther 4)

I spent the summer of 2009 working as a lifeguard at the TLU Maybee Pool. I've got the body for a lifeguard, right? The physique? This was one of those jobs that came with so many perks that I absolutely could not pass it up. The school paid for my lifeguard and CPR certification, it came with free housing, I’d be working with some of my best friends, and my favorite summer hangout spot—the Comal River—was just a short drive away. It was perfect.

Now, in years prior, both my wife, Jess, and one of our good friends, Kelli, had worked here, and as far as I knew, no one had ever had to make any kind of life-and-death save; there had been no major accidents, and even the first aid kit was only brought out once in a blue moon. So we expected to have a pretty laid back summer spent getting a good tan, teaching kids how to swim, and floating the river on our off-time. And, honestly, that is what we got. No one had to put their rescue training to use, and even this big white boy was a few shades darker.

It was a great summer.

Nov. 6--Drawing the Line and Digging Our Heels ( A sermon on Daniel 3)

Brad Paisley, one of my favorite country music singers, has had twenty-nine number one hits in his career. One of the funniest of these, in my humble expert opinion, is his song “I’m Still a Guy,” released in 2007. In it, Brad tells his wife that even though he might have changed in certain ways because of their relationship, he cannot and will not change the core of who he is. He is very clear to his love: “You’re probably thinking that you’re gonna change me and in some ways well maybe you might; scrub me down, dress me up oh but no matter what, remember I’m still a guy.”

In this song, Brad lays out what makes him… well, him. He might open up and pour out his heart to his wife, he might walk her very feminine dog, and he might even be caught carrying her purse for her while she tries on clothes out the mall, but there are things that, in his mind, are non-negotiable. His identity as an individual is rooted in certain things, and even though he cares deeply for his beloved, he cannot compromise all of who he is for her.

On some points, he is unwilling to budge.