An XLent Adventure

As some of you know – and heartfelt thanks to those of you who sent cards and good wishes – last Monday marked the 4oth anniversary of my ordination to Christian ministry.  (Coincidentally, the day before marked Kent Siladi’s 39^th, so I’ve got him by a year!)  So this summer’s sermon series will consist of a handful of reflections on ministry; my own personal experience of it, the ministry you and I share together, and the overall character of what it means to be ministers of Christ’s gospel.
 
This is the general contour of the series, although as with so many things these days, it is subject to change at a moment’s notice!
 
July 19             A Long, Long Time
The number forty is a kind of biblical shorthand for a long time.  Sometimes these years have seemed to crawl by, but mostly I find myself wondering where the time has gone.
 
July 26             You Rang?
The idea of The Priesthood of all Believers holds that God calls all of us to various types of ministry.  How do we understand and respond to our calls?
 
August 2          Pastor, Prophet, Poet, Priest
The minister wears many different hats, most of them simultaneously.  This week we’ll look at some biblical models and the ways we see and wear them today.
 
August 9          Have I Got a Story for You!
A groomsman lights up a cigarette during the middle of a church wedding.  A random stranger stands to give an unexpected eulogy at a funeral.  Children’s’ messages gone off the rails.  A handful of the more entertaining stories I’ve witnessed/experienced over the years.
 
August 16        Ripples
Some of the unanticipated ways that one person’s ministry can have a long-lasting and unexpected effect in the life of the church.
 
August 23        The State of the Church
Today’s church is different from the church into which I was ordained forty years.  Heck, for that matter, today’s church is different from the church you and I knew six months ago.  What does it mean to “be the church” in the present moment?
 
August 30        What’s Next?
A transparently self-explanatory title, it’s a question I ask myself nearly every day, and I’d wager you do as well.