Mindful Leader

This is from Genesis 1 and 2.  My initial foray into the "Narrative Lectionary."  I type this at the two week mark, and so far, I find it to be an excellent way of "teaching" the bible during worship.  

This week the 10:30 service was when I remembered to record myself.  On September 20th, it would be at the 9:00 service.  I hate it when I do that.  But ... 

This wraps up the four part series on Why?  Hilltop has a vision of being a place where all can belong, believe and become.  This sermon is drawn from Galatians 3 ... 

The two readings were from Genesis and Hebrews -- with an attempt to focus on the idea of Grace.  This was not a particularly scripturally based exposition of God's word.  A little history and a lot of Wesleyan Theology.  

There is a lot of scripture here but in theory it is based on Joshua 24: 14-15 but it is also Job 38, Proverbs 3, Acts 5, Genesis 1, John 1, and Amos 7 with a touch of the 2nd Law of Thermodynamics thrown in for good measure.  Three basic parts here:  prove God, some characteristics of God (not exhaustive) and finally, what does this God expect of us?  

When we first laid this out a few months ago, the idea of linking it in any way to Jefferson/July 4th was not part of the "plan" whatever that means.  

This is one of the longer sermons I have ever given.  Over 34 minutes.  

This is from the 9:00 Service.  I didn't start my iPhone for the 10:30 Service, so ... 

Sermon is Ephesians 6: 1-4 but it is as much on Living the Word as much as preaching the Word.  It was also shaped quite a bit by the events of Wednesday in Charleston SC at Emanuel AME.  

Scripture is Psalm 130 -- a Lament/Ascent Psalm.  The big idea is that in Communion, we enter into Community.  

The Sermon is from Psalm 29 and is focused on the idea of Competing Claims on our lives.  

The reading is from Acts 2 (1-21).  That said, I focus more on the idea of 'what does this mean?'  The real "audience" (if one doesn't mind using that term here) is not everyone there, but the 12 youth being confirmed.  

This is from Acts 1 where the Disciples are incomplete -- they only have 11 and need one more to be whole.  This is less about Matthias then it is about returning to wholeness.  

The sermon uses 1 Corinthians 11: 23-26 as a start point, but is more about communion in general than it is about 1 Corinthians 11.  More of a topical sermon, then a classical sermon from a passage.