Sunday Brain Dump – 12/7/14

Sunday Brain Dump – 12/7/14

  1. FullSizeRender-2It was an arduous day at The Heights!
  2. Fitting end to what honestly was quite the arduous week for me! Gosh, I’m tired!
  3. Today was the last installment of “The Takeover,” as series of messages where I spend the entire message time answering various questions submitted by our congregation about… well… Anything!
  4. Today we covered important issues such as true love, pre-marital sex, sexting, church attendance, difficulty in marriage and what happens after we die. Whew!
  5. You definitely want to hear some of the questions I got… And how candidly I answered each of them! Click here to listen to the entire 3-part series, “The Takeover.”  Today’s message should be up very soon.
  6. As much fun as The Takeover is for me, it’s also difficult because it’s such a shift from my normal, comfortable teaching style.
  7. Also, what you gain in wide-ranging relevance, you lose in concentrated focus on one major issue. While I’m able to scratch where the people are itching, I’m not able to get deep into any one issue before I have to move on to the next one.
  8. It’s definitely worth this give & take, but I’ll be glad to get back to my normal style.
  9. Brainstorming some ways to make our 11:30 service more of a unique worship experience.  Thinking about ways to use interactive technology and social media to get the folks involved with the worship & teaching experience. Any ideas? Drop them in the comments below.
  10. This was a tough week emotionally for me. When I heard on Tuesday that the grand jury in the Eric Garner case returned no indictment, I went into an emotional funk that was tough to recover from.
  11. I grieved this week for the racial sickness in our country. The clear injustice in our legal system, the hearts of people who are unaware of their own racism, and the minds of people who are brainwashed by their preferred media outlets.
  12. I believe my funk also came from the realization of the awesome opportunity and heavy responsibility that I have to facilitate healthy, loving conversations with my Christian brothers and sisters across racial lines. God has strategically placed me in a position to push the conversation forward on issues of race which is a true blind spot in our denomination (which is predominantly Anglo). This is going to be a difficult journey, but I’m up for it.
  13. Many of my white brothers in the association are up for it too. I’m grateful for the connections that I have with people who are willing to take this journey with me.
  14. If you follow my blog or my social media, I’ve tried to stay active in these conversations. I’m picking my battles. I specifically want to touch areas that inform and challenge us to broaden our perspectives and sharpen our understanding across racial and ethnic lines. I hope it has been helpful.
  15. Some have really come for me pretty hard on social media. Pray for my patience and discretion when responding. Can’t say I have always been tactful. It’s a journey! 🙂
  16. I also received word this week that I’ve been “uninvited” from a preaching opportunity at one of our upcoming denominational gatherings. Trying my best not to speculate on the real reason for this.
  17. I had the honor this week of sitting on a panel at a town hall meeting at one of the influential churches in Washington, DC. The meeting asked the question, “Where do we go from here?” It provided a forum for people to speak, listen and grow! I was honored to participate.
  18. As I looked down the row of participants on the panel, I was incredibly impressed with the brothers and sisters up there… and incredibly unimpressed with myself! What an honor to be considered to stand with the influential and powerful people who were on the panel.
  19. Disconnecting from the matrix this week to get quiet and hear from God. I won’t be returning many calls, texts or e-mails. You won’t hear from me on social media. Don’t be alarmed. I’ll be back in a couple days!!!
  20. Have a great week! Much love.