FORMULA

Part Two  


What I Didn't Say

Cathedral--My apologies for the sound quality of this sermon. We tried something new and it didn't work out so well.  The upside, if there is one, is that I sound a little like I'm preaching in a cathedral.  Unfortunately, it sounds like an empty cathedral.  In reality, if I ever preached in a cathedral, it would probably be empty anyway.  So, if you've ever wondered what one of my sermons would sound like in an empty cathedral, here you go. One more item can be checked off your bucket list.

Lent--This sermon was preached during lent.  I must admit that we Protestant types (for the most part) do little more than give lip service to the Lenten season of the church.  Lent should be a time of introspection, repentance, and rededication.  We tend to talk about it but not do it.  As a matter of fact, some of us don't even mention it.

Our Roman Catholic brethren give things up for Lent...self denial. The self denial thing is a form of fasting which is meant to remind us to take time out to pray and meditate.  Growing up in the Catholic Church taught me that they don't seem to do much more than we do for Lent.  They give things up, which is a good start. But if it does not serve as a reminder that we're sinners who need salvation through Jesus Christ, it's simply an exercise in futility (or worse, an exercise in spiritual pride).

So Lent ends up, for many of us, to be either a neutral experience at best or a negative experience at worst.  I would urge you to make it a positive experience...one in which you allow the Spirit of God to redo your life...one in which you move closer to the God who made you.

Bagels--I work in an accounting office when I'm not preaching. When one of us has a birthday, it's my job to run out and get a couple dozen bagels.  I did this again just a few days ago.  Little did I realize at the time it would cause a spiritual crisis.

One of the guys I work with was asking our various co-workers whether or not he should eat a bagel.  The problem, as he explained it, was he had given up dessert type foods for Lent. His favorite bagel flavor is the Crunchy Cinnamon style.  He already had one sitting on his desk all loaded up with a sweet cream cheese topping.  But before he bit into this sumptuous deli treat, he began to question whether his bagel fell into the dessert/sweet category.

Since we are very good at solving the world's problems in my office, we were the perfect ones to ask.  In short order, we voted to relieve him of the bagel.

Another spiritual crisis resolved!