So many noteworthy things that need more attention!

The Indiana Conference of the United Methodist Church has planned a Festival of Young Preachers for June 6. Eighteen young preachers are registered. A banquet has attracted 240 registrants. Public thanks to Tyler Best AoP ’12 for making this happen!

Have you ordered your copy of the 2012 book of sermons: “Uncommon Sense”? At least 50 people who were not at the 2013 Festival have sermons in the book and need to order one. You will be getting a call soon!

If you’re reading this post, you’re likely familiar with homiletics. But if the term is unfamiliar, I’ll tell you my answer when asked, “What is that?” “Homiletics,” I say, “is what preachers do when they keep their sermon under 20 minutes.” Of all the answers I’ve tried, this one seems best understood. No matter what we think we’re saying, what communicates is what really matters.

Last week I soaked up powerful words, ideas and images from a premiere host of preachers at the Festival of Homiletics held in Nashville, Tn. 1700 gathered from all around the globe to engage theologically the practices of preaching and worship, as well as issues related to congregations in the 21st century. The enthusiastic crowd seemed more than satisfied with the spectrum of worship, lectures and workshops. Yet in the midst I heard a very specific challenge urging preachers to stop reading/using manuscripts and even notes in the pulpit.

Several times throughout the book of Revelation, we encounter the phrase “whoever has ears, let them hear what the spirit is saying to the churches”. Since accepting a full time ministry position with a four year old congregation I have found myself saying the same thing and wondering how to authentically preach a gospel that transcends time to a multi-generational church with varying degrees of understanding theological principles.

Tom Moody died this week, after a wonderful life of 90 years and 2 months. Somewhere along that long and circuitous journey he answered the call to preach the gospel. No, he didn’t walk the aisle, attend a vocational discernment retreat, or hear the voice of Jesus; he simply responded when somebody called and asked him to “supply the pulpit” in the absence of their pastor.

BY AARON CARR, AoP ’12, MDIV STUDENT, CANDLER SCHOOL OF THEOLOGY
Now the Berean Jews were of more noble character than those in Thessalonica, for they received the message with great eagerness and examined the Scriptures every day to see if what Paul said was true. Acts 17:11 NIV

I have to confess that I am deeply uncomfortable with the word “entrepreneur.” A few negative run-ins with business majors while in college – coupled with a deep sympathy for the Marxist critique of the whole Capitalist enterprise – has apparently resulted in rather ambiguous feelings about those business people who call themselves entrepreneurs.

So when I was asked us to write about “being an entrepreneur in ministry,” I didn’t know how to respond. It was obvious from the initial prompt that we were supposed to focus more on the pluck, determination, and imagination of an entrepreneur than on his or her specific role as a business person with an idea to pitch and a bottom line to meet. But it is difficult for me to divorce the charismatic connection-maker from the [business person].

Still, I was determined to stick to the theme, and to be only mildly critical of it, so I began looking for alternative kinds of entrepreneurs, people who weren’t interested in large profit margins but were still plucky, determined, and imaginative. The solution to my dilemma, it turns out, had been right under my nose the entire time.

In October, I recently began attending Berea Mennonite Church, a small Anabaptist congregation near the heart of East Atlanta. If the word “pluck” has ever been properly used in the history of the English language, it is when referring to this congregation. Over the past two decades – with plenty of entrepreneurial spirit – Berea has cobbled together a 9-acre farm, a significant piece of land that allows the congregation to live into an alternative economy.