Monday Morning Quarterback

it’s a good discipline to sit back and reflect on the previous sunday.  what did we do well?  what areas need improvement?  what will change before next week?

1. when i got to the building around 8:30, the parking lot was empty.  it was a weird feeling, because some of the band and sound team are always there before then.  i went to my office and started reading over my sermon notes for a while and kept listening for the band to start practicing.  i also started to wonder if i was being punked.

2. finally, buzzy came in and told me he had decided to give the band some extra sleep time and they weren’t starting practice until 9:00.  i was relieved it wasn’t saturday…

3. i know that there are many people who we only see on sunday mornings.  in spite of that, i know we are not a church family that is defined by sunday morning activity.  i like that.

4. my sermon has been 25 minutes long two weeks in a row.  i feel like i need an award.  there is no question that it is harder to preach a shorter sermon with substance, than it is to preach 45 or 50 minutes.

5. i watched a video-cast of a big-name preacher talk about why he preaches 50 minutes (or longer) every sunday.  the supremacy of expository preaching…value of the word…need to feed people meat…centrality of preaching in worship…verse by verse study is deeper and requires more time…blah, blah, blah.  then i listened to one of his sermons.

6. what i realized was that if he would simply cut out all the times he repeated himself (you know, the kind of repeating that preachers do for drama or authoritative effect), his sermon time would be cut in half.

7. i’m more convinced than i ever have been that if i discipline myself, cut out the “show”, limit the drama, and simply say what needs to be said, i can preach a better…and shorter…sermon.

8. i could have easily stretched yesterday’s sermon to 40 or 45 minutes.  i’ve done it before.  but i don’t know if it would have added anything…except disinterest and disconnect.

9. i’m definitely going to keep working on this.

10. even after all my study on the passage (james 5:13-18), i’m still not sure about the whole elders-praying-and-anointing-with-oil thing. it just seems to me that if it were supposed to be a regular, and super-important, part of our life as a church family, there would be more instruction and definition in scripture.

11. i am really grateful to gary riker for his insight and interpretation of the text.  understanding the anointing with oil as a refreshment and encouragment…as opposed to a mystical “cure”…is amazingly deep and simple, at the same time.

12. singing the prophet song was a cool way to start the service.

13. i love the story of elijah and ahab and the prophets of baal.  would love to see mel gibson’s movie-take on this bible story!

14. one of the areas we need to work on is how we interact with our newcomers on sunday mornings.  it’s hard to know exactly what to do.  some new people want to be left alone to experience the morning alone.  others will evaluate their experience by how friendly people are.  how do you really know who’s who?

15. honestly, i would like us to make the mistake on the side of being friendly and interested, rather than on the side of cold and disinterested.  agree?

16. can’t ever imagine getting tired of singing all because of jesus. ever.

17. i wonder how many preachers and church leaders would say that the 15-20 minutes before…and the 30 minutes after their sunday morning services are at least as important (if not more) as what actually goes on during the show?  this is another reason why i love north point!

18. we went to cabana for lunch yesterday.  i had at least five people ask me if it was my favorite restaurant.  it’s not my favorite food, but i love going there on sundays.  here’s why:

you can move the tables around and sit as big groups. you can stay as long as you want and nobody makes you feel “hurried”. you can eat for two bucks.  anybody can join you. salsa bar is decent. unlimited fountain drinks. you don’t need to wait for the waitress to bring your check. styrofoam plates are an upgrade from the normal paper wrapper plates at other fast food establishments. it’s close.  no wasted gas.

so here’s my challenge:  invite someone to lunch with you next sunday.  it may be the most important lunch of their lives!