Interactive Sermon

A Christmas Gift

It came upon a mid-day clear.

The it was a telephone call from Reverend Glen Bachelder. I was still settling in as the newly-called pastor at Christ's Church. The man on the telephone introduced himself as the Interim Pastor of First Baptist Church of Amherst. I knew enough (barely enough) to know that Christ's Church had begun a dozen or so years earlier through a painful split within the congregation there. Pastor Glen filled in some of the gaps for me. There was still much lingering hurt and anger. He shared a conviction: "Within the body of Christ it is important that we make things right." Left alone, he feared this was the sort of foothold evil would continue to exploit. He suggested that he and the board of deacons from Amherst First Baptist would like to come visit with our board of elders--to discuss reconciliation; burying the hatchet.

The meeting took place. It was a prayerful meeting. It had its tearful moments. A handful of men gathered to look back--but also to commit to looking forward. We covenanted to walk forward in a new light. We weren't at all sure what that would look like, but we were committed to a loving course as opposed to a broken one. Pastor Bachelder suggested, "Wouldn't it be great if, one day, we could gather both congregations to worship together?" We all agreed, but we also recognized it wouldn't happen in the near future. Healing, after all, takes time.

Over the last decade we've seen the Lord bless friendships and fellowship between members of the two congregations. We've had occasions to share in ministry in our community. We've had occasions to gather the leaders, to pray and encourage one another. Pastor Mike and I have enjoyed gathering together weekly with other pastors in our community, and we've worked together to change the climate among the many different expressions of the body of Christ in our area, from competitiveness to cooperation. We're seeing God move in our midst.

On Christmas Day we will experience a tremendous gift. The congregations of First Baptist Church and Christ's Church will gather for worship together. A choir and worship team made of members of both congregations will lead us in song; leaders from both congregations will take part; and we will worship as one for the first time in more than twenty-six years.

Pastor Bachelder went to be with the Lord two months ago. He had spent forty years in the ministry serving a handful of congregations, leading people to know and love the Lord--he left a long legacy. But it was a simple telephone call a dozen years ago, and a heart for getting it right within the body of Christ, that serves as the catalyst for a very special gift we'll open on December 25th this year.

Drop By The Office

I'm a couple of months into my Online Office Hours experiment. I think I've made the determination that the concept is a keeper. I might adjust the hours, though. Friday doesn't seem to be the most opportune time for many folks who say that they like the idea in general. 

I'm running into my first conflict decision, too. Next week I will be officiating a wedding a couple hours from home on Friday afternoon. Do I (a) shift my online office hours for next week and give a new time slot a feel? Or (b) do I simply take a week off? Or perhaps (c) I actually try to take it on the road--find an internet location in the area where the wedding is and keep it on schedule? 

The bulk of the people who do 'drop by' for meaningful conversation do so using Facebook and Google Chat. The video feed and chat box on the site itself seem of little use. I may re-conceptualize the look of the site, removing the chat box. One of the difficulties I've had with the chat box, no matter what platform I've tried, is the manner in which people need to 'sign in' to chat. I wish I could find a dialogue box where people could simply type, without having to register. Another adjustment I think I'll need to make.

I hope you'll plan on dropping in this afternoon (or some session soon). I'd love your feedback on the experience as a whole. Pioneering is cool. But it is a process, for sure. 

An aside: At our weekly pastor's meeting... two other local pastors are considering beginning online office hours. Pretty cool, eh? We're trendsetters!

See you between 1:00 and 2:30pm.

Online Office Hours Friday

Don't forget to stop by the Online Office tomorrow afternoon. You can drop by the site www.interactivepastor.com or you can catch me via Skype, Facebook or Google Chat.

Fridays 1 to 2:30PM EST.

I look forward to the conversation! See you then.

Thanks For Being A Pester

I feel like I need a weekend to recover from the holiday weekend.

Friday night was a wedding rehearsal. Saturday I spent all day working on cars and then hosted a cookout. Sunday began with our worship service, and then ended with a wedding. Monday I was back under the hood all day--car issues continue. During all of this Shari and Becky were out of town at a basketball tournament in New York. Shari arrived home and asked, "How was your weekend?" Uh, I think I need a weekend!

It was all good, however. I made significant progress on the cars. That much is good. There is something very satisfying about getting greasy IF you fix something in the process.

Sunday at church I was given a stack of notes from the children in one of our children's classes. They were hand made thank you notes. My favorite: "Thank you for being a pester." I'll hold on to that one for quite some time! Not to mention, the kid handed me a sermon illustration that will preach!

Head gaskets on the old truck are proving two points for me: One--buying old is worth its weight in gold! Do you have any idea how wonderful it is to be able to look at an engine and recognize carburetor, intake manifold, exhaust manifolds, and cylinder heads? On newer cars you have to dig through three feet of environmentalism and computerized sensors to even see the engine! Get this: I was able to sit in the engine housing to lift off the cylinder heads with two hands. Try that on a vehicle made after the mid-seventies.

Two--A job is never as simple as you think. Pulling the engine apart allows me to see all the things I should do "while I'm in here." I mean, it would be foolish not to replace this worn part that I've uncovered, that old part that will need replacing soon, not to mention this thing here--that would look so much better if it were chrome! 

What did you do with your holiday weekend?

 

 

 

Update: Online Office Hours

After a month of maintaining Online Office Hours (and with an hour to go before I open my office door for week number five), I thought an update might be good to share.

Technology ~ I'm still experiencing some hiccups. I should say, you are still experiencing some hiccups. But each week has seemed to work a little bit more smoothly. The video is delayed by a couple of seconds. Which is really creepy because every so often I'll catch a glimpse of myself in delay (sort of like in the old days when you heard your voice recorded and thought 'that doesn't sound like me!').

I've switched services a couple of times. Most recently I'm using Justin.tv to broadcast video and provide the chat-room experience. 

I've also utilized a tool called 'Many Camera' to allow my webcam to serve two services (Justin.tv and Skype) at the same time. Not sure that's working seamlessly... but we're after it.

Irritants ~ No matter which service I've tried to utilize, the chat-room feature calls for pretty labor-intensive registration/sign-in for people wanting to drop in and say hi. I wish this wasn't so. I'm on the look-out for a more entry-friendly tool. You shouldn't have to give your blood-type and a urine sample (exaggerating, of course) to walk into your pastor's office.

Numbers ~ The question everyone is asking is 'how many people are stopping by?' Here's the numbers: Week one - six. Week two - seven. Week three - six. Week four - two. Of all the drop-ins, about half have been people simply wanting to see what this experiment looks like or stopping in to encourage me. The other half, perhaps, developed into more meaningful conversation. So, in other words, this has opened up about ten or eleven meaningful conversations that I might not otherwise have had. That's pretty cool.

What I'm doing ~ The second most popular question is 'what do you do during that 90 minutes?' Here's a look behind the scenes! No, I do not sit and stare at my computer the whole time. It may look like that--because I'm usually oriented in that direction. But I've worked on sermon studies, updates to websites, read through mail and emails, and made telephone calls while being available for folks to stop by. On a couple of occasions I've set work aside and picked up a good book to pass time. I've eaten my lunch a couple of times... a little self-conscious about people watching me chew... and tried very, very hard not to do something totally embarrassing like pick my nose on camera.

One month in the books, and I'm feeling like this is off to a productive start. I suppose I'll check back in on how I'm feeling after another month. Fridays... 1pm to 2:30pm... stop by www.interactivepastor.com.

Resurrection Sunday at Christ's Church?

It is true, I am sworn to secrecy. I cannot tell you what is planned for this year's resurrection celebration at Christ's Church. But I didn't promise that I wouldn't tell people what will not be included.

This, for instance, will NOT be a part of the service on April 24th:

 

Aren't you relieved?

Invite family, friends, neighbors, people you pass on the way to church... everyone! Come Monday there will be two kinds of people in Southern New Hampshire: those who experienced Easter 2011 at Christ's Church and those who hear about it everywhere they go!

Looking Forward To The Weekend

It's Monday. The whole world is looking forward to the weekend. But in Christ's Church world, I've got some pretty terrific reasons to look ahead with greater-than-normal anticipation.

InteractivePastor.com Launch ~ Friday April 8th will mark the beginning of my online office hours. Instead of a physical address, my office location between 1pm and 2:30pm on Fridays will be the URL www.interactivepastor.com. I hope you'll plan on stopping by. Testing of the site has been underway. I'm praying for few glitches and lots of adventure. I'm also praying that it will be a convenient manner for some people will connect with me. Time will tell. 

Worship Workshops 2011 ~ The third offering on the worship workshop schedule is Worship Band, and the session is scheduled to run Saturday morning from 9am to 12noon. I've been thrilled with the turn out and participation for the first two sessions. I can't wait to see who comes together for this one! Here's the description of this session: A class designed for worship band instrumentalists and worship leaders. This workshop will tackle timing, dynamics, transitions, and developing parts for your instrument – learning what to play, when to play and when not to play. We will also discuss how to translate the recorded version of a song into an arrangement that fits your team. This session will include clips from Paul Baloche's Modern Worship Series.

Community-Wide Pulpit Swap ~ The pastors who are a part of the Souhegan Valley Pastor's Association are stirring things up this Sunday in a demonstration of unity. You'll have to go to church on Sunday to see for yourself. Suffice to say, nothing like this has ever happened before! And I am thrilled to be a part of it.

Back, New & Improved

 

www.darinmichaelshaw.com is back! The new and improved site will be the internet home of my literary pursuits. God help us.

I had put the URL in the drawer for a season while I attempted to sort out my literary journey. Consider it sorted. I didn't say clarified, mind you--I still have no idea--but sorted, i.e. I think I know which piles to look in.

Stop by the new site. Let me know what you think. I appreciate your friendship and encouragement.

 

A Preacher On Preaching

I'm often asked about preaching.  Some ask about the mechanics of preparing and delivering a sermon.  Others ask about the experiences of preaching regularly before a congregation.  Still others ask personal questions--my opinion on preaching styles, sermon content, or my personal preferences in hearing other preachers.  I've decided to offer up some answers in a series of posts.

Sorry I got away from this for so long.  Last time I dropped in on this series I promised to share a few funny experiences from the pulpit.  Well, I don't use a pulpit, but you understand that I'm sharing a few funny moments from my preaching past, pulpit or no.  By the way, by funny, I mean 'struck me funny' so as not to be confused with what others might consider a knee-slapping hoot.

What? Gary laughed? ~ In the early years of my preaching there was a guy in my congregation--I'll simply refer to him as Gary.  As I've shared with you before, I don't notice specific people or their reactions to points of my sermons while I'm preaching.  If I say something that is funny and people laugh, it's very rare that I'd notice who laughed or who didn't.  But with Gary, you'd always know--because Gary never laughed.  At anything.  He was as serious a sour-puss as they came.  Never a laugh.  Rarely a smile.  If you thought he gave you a smile, it was only a hint of one--and more like, 'not a frown.' 

One Sunday I was preaching out of the gospels and, out of nowhere, Gary erupted in laughter.  Seriously erupted!  Like the "milk out your nose" variety of laughter.  I surely noticed.  It was so uncharacteristic for him to laugh at all, not to mention this outburst came at a point where I hadn't said anything funny.  I hadn't even completed a sentence.  It would be akin to someone breaking out in hysterical laughter after "Knock Knock!"  Startled, my mind began to race down two lanes: first the sermon path--continuing on undeterred; but second, my altar alter ego began asking, 'What the heck is so funny?'

It took him a little while but Gary finally stopped laughing out loud.  He chuckled a few more times, undoubtedly he was tickled by something and it kept returning to his mind.  He even managed to smile for a bit, of the real not the reformed frown type.  I, for my part, kept on moving and eventually got to the 'Amen.'

Later that evening I put the cassette tape of the message into the deck (that should give you an idea how long ago this was... cassette tape?  anyone?).  I forwarded to find Gary's funny moment.  Aha!  "So you see, Jesus was at the house of Mary and Martha, and their sister Lazarus."  I had slipped up and referred to Lazarus as Mary and Martha's sister.  That was it.  That was all it took and the man almost peed himself!  Go figure! 

Posture During Prayer ~ Once upon a time I fumbled over a word.  That's nothing new--and it's nothing you haven't experienced if you've ever seen me preach.  It happens.  But this particular fumble struck at the funny bone of many in the congregation (and, dare I say, may have been a pain the butt to a few others).  And what's worse, I fumbled on the word once--corrected myself--and then continued to fumble it several more times during the message, each successive time resulting in a roar from the, now humored and completely distracted, congregation. 

I was teaching on postures in prayer and referred to an occasion of David "demonstrating heartfelt contrition--falling prostate on the ground, or in other words, taking a prostate position before his God."  There were a few chuckles, and a dear member of the congregation came to my aid, correcting quietly, "I think you mean prostrate."  To which I asked, "What did I say?"  The congregation completely fell apart in laughter.  I then, in one of those moments where what crosses my mind probably shouldn't come out of my mouth, offered up, "I wonder what assuming a prostate position would look like?"  Well then the congregation really roared.  I totally wrecked our train of thought.  It took a good bit for us all to recover and regroup on point.  Darned if I didn't do it again--next time I tried to use the word prostrate it came out of my mouth prostate, and the whole thing erupted again into wild distraction.  And it happened again at the end of the message.  I had people coming to me afterwords telling me I was five shades of red right before their eyes.  It was very embarrassing.  It's one I have to look back on and laugh now.

Uh... You're Not My Wife ~ Another funny moment and this one not when I was preaching, but rather returning to my seat after preaching.  I have to set the stage.

At Christ's Church I am blessed to have the greatest worship musicians in church-dom leading music for us every weekend.  We have five people who routinely lead the music teams, selecting all the music for each service and "leading us into the Lord's presence."  One of those five leaders is my wife, Shari.

One Sunday that Shari was the music leader, I was particularly blessed by the music set.  When the music team completed their songs and sat down, Shari was in the front row.  Usually, when my sermon is done, the music team returns to lead a closing song--the transition takes place while I am praying.  This particular Sunday, a special time of prayer was to follow my sermon--a family was moving out of town and this was their last Sunday with us.  One of our elders was to lead that prayer.  I took the opportunity to sit down in the front row with my wife.

As I took my seat, the elder leading this prayer-time began his remarks and I gave him my full attention.  But I also was struck with the fact that I was sitting next to my wife and I really wanted to affirm her for the wonderful job she did leading music.  Without looking, I reached over and lovingly squeezed my wife's thigh, as if to say, "I love you!" or something.

I don't know that it was the thigh itself, but something felt strange.  An awkwardness gripped me.  I turned my head--to look directly into the very wide eyes of one of the singers in our worship band, NOT my wife!  Then I saw my wife, sitting just on the other side of this lady and having seen the whole thing.  Realizing what had happened, all three of us burst into laughter--and that at the very moment this elder is lamenting that we were losing this dear family to re-location!  You couldn't have planned a more inappropriate moment in which to laugh.  Sensing that, I rose to my feet to explain to everyone what had just happened, so as not to be misunderstood--resulting in all of our laughing and really lightening the mood.  Even the family leaving seemed to enjoy the timing of it all.  Whew! 

Back next time with some truly special moments.

Let The Fun Begin

Yesterday was fun.  A great morning of worship with the congregation we call Christ's Church, an annual congregational meeting that went wonderfully smooth, and a graduation party with many dear friends for our daughter Amanda.  Then the day was capped with another Celtics win (sorry Laker fans).

But now the real fun begins!

People have been asking me for weeks what I plan to do with my sabbatical.  I suppose now that it's here I can let everyone in on those plans: reading and writing while my family is involved in other things during the day, and lots of time with them when they're not.

On the writing front, I'm within striking distance on finishing the Big Buts manuscript, so that's priority one.  A few things you should know if you're following along:

B.I.C. - That stands for 'butt in chair', and it's something that I need to build back into my writing endeavors.  The truth is that 'life gets in the way' far too often.  This sabbatical should offer me much quality B.I.C. to focus on one of my heart's greatest desires... writing.

#amwriting - A collection of tweeting folks endeavoring to be writing.  I'll jump the bandwagon and join the banter these next couple of months.

#writegoal - Another collection of tweeting writers, these brave enough to publish a daily word count goal.  I'll jump in here, too, hoping to challenge myself and make the most of the time.

On the reading front, I'm presently reading The Boy Who Was Raised As A Dog by Bruce Perry.  I'm taking that one slow as it is heavy on the heart and mind.  When I finish that read, I plan to tackle Exponential by Dave and Jon Ferguson next.  I also plan to spend more time with Eugene Peterson's writings this summer.  We'll see.

Family - I'm looking forward to many dates with my girls, a few projects and chores together around the house, and doing absolutely NOTHING official. 

Sabbatical - it's on!

Oh, and word count between 6AM and 8:30AM this morning was 1685.  Yes!