Mindful Leader

Season of Pentecost -- Ephesians 3 and a third rule for Leadership!

 

The leadership principle is pretty simple:  There is a God and you are not it!  I play with that during the text in different ways, but the real thing is for us to be open the revelation of God in our hearts, but inviting God in. Can we just let God be God and we get out of the way of blocking entrance or even worse perhaps, inviting in, but then not encouraging God to live in all the rooms of the house.   

This is the 9:00 AM Service.  

Ephesians 3: 14-21.  Jan Woodmansee is the liturgist and does the reading.  

Thank you to the various commentaries in Feasting on the Word.  Wonderful resource.  

This Side of Easter: Being Surprised (May 6, 2018)

 

This is Acts 10 where Peter is surprised by what God is calling him to do, set aside almost everything he has previously known.  What is it that we have previously held as true and God has surprised us with what we need to do?  

Unafraid -- Setting the Stage

This series springs from the well dug by the Reverend Adam Hamilton, Church of the Resurrection, Leawood, Kansas. 

This is getting started with the idea of Unafraid.  We actually live in a time of borderline irrational fear.  The numbers are good.  We are healthy, wealthy, and longest lived people and for some reason, we are more and more afraid.  

Sermon draws from Isaiah 41: 1-10, Psalm 56: 3-4 and Philippians 4: 6-7.  

This starts a six week series on Fear.  The first sermon is on how much of fear is more imaginary than real.  Question is "what are you afraid of".  I know FDR is not Jesus but "the only thing we have to fear, is fear itself" is part of the idea if not the message. 

FEAR can at times be False Events Appearing Real.  At times we live in a world where smoke detectors are going off but it is because their batteries are low, not because there is anything to really fear.  Topical sermon so form will roughly be:  The element of the human condition we are going to look at (Unnecessary Fear), exegete that element of the HC, what does scripture say about it (the Isaiah, Psalm, Philippians and of course Jesus (sermon on the mount)), and then application. 

We do live in times where Auden's "Age of Anxiety" is incomplete and for whatever reason we live in an "Age of High Anxiety."  Real? 

Community Christmas Celebration -- Hilltop -- December 10th, 2017

 

My thoughts to our Community Celebration with Crescent Ridge Stake of the Church of Jesus Christ of the Latter Day Saints (LDS).

I am indebted to this article HERE for some of my thoughts.  Plus a conversation with Roberta Shimensky and a wonderful eNote I received from a Choir Member.    

I do say 13th Century when I really meant 14th Century but ... 

Communion Sunday -- September 3, 2017

First Sunday back after nine weeks gone.  The sermon was from 1 Corinthians 11: 24-27 or so and focused on the "big idea" of communion itself.  Take, bless, break, give.  This is also the Sunday where Eugene Peterson (of The Message) meets Ned Flanders (of The Simpsons).  Little longer than I meant for it to be -- was shooting for more like ten to twelve minutes, but ... it takes a while to get the pace and feel back, right?  At least that is the story and I am sticking to it!  

June 18, 2017--The Great Banquet

 

The scripture is Luke 14: The Parable of the Great Banquet.  This sermon briefly explores Jesus' answer to the question: Who gets to participate in Jesus' banquet that marks arrival of God's Kingdom? What does it mean for us to compel others to come to this party? What excuses do we often offer and can we, like the servant in this story, capture the host's hospitality, and process our own anger and rejection into grace? This was Mario's first sermon at Hilltop. 

May 21st -- Bell Sunday

 

Joyful Ringers, Hallelujah Bells, Carillon Belles, and The Bells of Joyful Sound (special guests).  

This is a mixture of both the 9 and 10:30 services.  

Mother's Day -- 2017 -- Acts 15 -- Who Gets Nurtured?

That minefield that is Mother's Day.  Relationships gone bad, or lost, or never was.  All of those emotions and more.  I focused on nurture.  

In Praise of the Village with Hilltop Children's Choir from 9:00 Service

 

This is the 9:00 version with the Sanctuary Singers, and I think based on microphone positioning, and smaller adult ensemble, the children are more obviously part of this.  Goose bump to me, I know how long this dream has been nurtured at Hilltop and what kind of potential fruitfulness exists with this ministry.  

narrative Lectionary -- New Testament Week Thirteen -- Industrial Strength Joy

 

This reflection is drawn from the Luke 15, three parables.  The liturgist will only read the first two to provide context, and then I re-tell the third one.  A parable familiar to us.