Found a Funny One

Hey all,

Found a funny one last week. I've been preaching on the Seven Deadly Sins and so I googled "venial sins, examples," and found myself on a Catholic website. Yeah, yeah, you guessed it-- I'm going to crack on the Catholics (the hierarchy anyway...). But- before I do, two things you need to know: 1- I'm married to a self-declared "cultural Catholic" so with that and for other reasons, I do appreciate the many contributions of the Catholic Church; 2- To be ecumenically fair, I'm going to crack on the UM Church too.

So the funny thing? On this site, you can "ask an apologist"- a theologian who speaks on behalf of the church- a question about polity or doctrine (Catholic Answers). HOWEVER, see the posting rules noted below:

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Is that funny or what?! Isn't that telling of the life of the Catholic Church- articulated so clearly, so boldly, at the bottom of some random Church homepage? Basically, you can ask a question-- any question, and yes, you'll get an answer. But that's where your input stops! NO responding, no feedback, no new contribution- thank you very much! "No" is the response to any outside commentary-- even online. Now that's funny stuff.

So on to the Methodists: In reading the Circuit Rider, our UM clergy magazine, a page was dedicated to "Sermon Starters- from Rethink Church," our denomination's latest effort to revive the Church. One of the suggestions was a 'video idea' that came from UMTV where they thought we should watch the series "Church in a Box." As it states so innocently, "a church solves space issue by expanding to a second site, with a worship center in a box..."

Hello?! Bad branding!! Doesn't anyone at the top watch late-night TV? Can I just say "Church in a Box" is even worse than Apple's new "iPad" in relation to women's monthly hygiene! Is anyone getting me here? Because of its off-color nature, all I'm going to say is THREE things: SNL, 2006, & Justin Timberlake. That's all I'm saying...that's ALL I'm saying...

Whoa, Ecclesiastical Catastrophe Averted!

Long story short: Valentine's Day fell on a Sunday and I thought to myself-- a GREAT day to receive new members at Trinity! (Truth be told, it was a bit of a weird Sunday. Due in part to my poor worship planning that one day was: New Member Sunday, Mardi Gras Sunday-- the last Sunday before Lent with live jazz, the final Sunday of my sermon series 'Sex and Sexuality,' Valentine's Day, and-- our annual Boy Scout Sunday. Yes. REALLY.).

One woman who'd planned on either being "welcomed" as a friend or joining as a member was unable to come to our New Members Class the day before. Then, she and I weren't able to communicate until Sunday morning about which she would prefer. ANYWAY, after brief check-in with her just minutes before worship, she decided that she'd go with the "friend" option and join the church on a later date.

Only days later, in reflection did I realize I'd averted a huge ecclesiastical catastrophe! This sweet woman, as far as I know, hasn't been baptized - a "must!" to join a UM church! Uff da! That was a close one! Thankfully, she and I are both well after this near-miss (no lightning bolts from heaven as far as I know), but this was just another reminder to me that as a pastor I can never be off my game-- not even for a minute.