Tuesday, May 27, 2008
sermons, videoblogging and mark 14
Last year at Opawa we experimented with videoblogging sermons. Put simply, the idea was to get someone wrestling with Biblical text in real time, real life situations. So here is Sunday nite’s video sermon, with Paul, one of our pastoral team, wrestling with Mark 14:7; The poor you will always have with you, and you can help them any time you want. But you will not always have me. We had sent this verse out as a text challenge during the week. We invited some people to respond to this verse as a rich person, and others to respond to this verse as a poor person. And then we played the videoblog.
Posted by steve at 05:13 PM
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Great idea! I love it!
Also, great verse to choose. Super interesting.
Comment by Brett — May 28, 2008 @ 12:57 pm
Can I ask a question which is on topic but a bit tangential… but it’s the kind of question a schlep from the pews (which is what I am) always wants to ask?
For me the issue is not that we need to do ‘something’ for/about/with the poor – it’s ‘what’ and ‘how much’?
jesus said to one bloke – “sell everything you have, give it to the poor and follow me” but he seemed happy with Zacheus’ “paid back with interest” approach
Where I find the difficulty is in what do I keep for me and mine and what do I give away?
Do I give my all to the poor (Ash Barker and Mick Duncan style) or do I just pick up another sponsor kid and maybe help out at the local food bank once or twice a month…
To be honest I know which I’d rather…
I’m not being critical (at all) I agree with Paul’s comments – I just still don’t get what to do with my agreement…
Comment by Randall — May 30, 2008 @ 5:18 pm
it’s the same in acts – in ch 2 they sold everthing, yet peter’s mother has a house in acts 10, which she uses for hospitality and safety in emergency.
here’s my take Randall – that jesus deliberately gives us a range of options. that saves us from legalism, that names the fact that possessions own us in different ways, and forces us to seek God for ourselves.
no easy answers, just a life of discipleship.
steve
Comment by steve — May 30, 2008 @ 5:24 pm
Randall, another question. Is Jesus interest in what we have, or is Jesus interested in what we do with what we have??? fft
Comment by KSW — May 30, 2008 @ 10:45 pm
Thanks Steve
That little sentence at the end there actually helps quite a bit. I have a penchant for legalism and it leads to inaction on my part. By changing the emphasis to be a response as part of my discipleship that is helpful.
KSW – I have to say: both. Sorry to give a glib answer but it’s a question that goes further than that (for me) If I buy a 20000 sqft house that uses energy at a rate that’s more than 10 times that when children are dying of starvation and people in Africa (et al) desperately need those resources for schools and hospitals then I think jesus does care about what I have – not just whether or not I host a home group in it…
(not taking a shot at you – I appreciate you taking the time to add an answer to my question) but this is my “issue of the moment” and I’ve been thinking about it a lot for 6 months or more and I’m feeling really challenged by it
peace
Comment by Randall — June 5, 2008 @ 11:25 am
Good on you Randall. I think a lot of the radical discipleship edge runs the risk of fusing legalism with Christian guilt. It’s far easier to present radical black and white than to deal with reality and complexity of life with kids.
I found Tom Beaudion’s work on this really helpful in his book, Consuming Faith. He talks about how sinful it is when the way we present globalisation leads to guilt, because that then induces paralysis. He argues we need new imaginations and the emphasis is on the communciator to offer new imaginations not guilt.
for me it comes back to community and practises; we need to find groups of people who will travel with us through the ever-changing complexities of life, together living shared practices that form us in the way of the Kingdom.
steve
steve
Comment by steve — June 5, 2008 @ 12:51 pm
KSW,
i think both – isn’t that the parable of talents, a clear tally both of what people have, and of how they are used?
steve
Comment by steve — June 5, 2008 @ 12:52 pm
Thanks Steve. appreciate your thoughts – and I’m going to look that book up
cheers
Comment by Randall — June 9, 2008 @ 10:29 am
which book Randall; Beaudoin? or the gospel of Luke?
🙂 both are worth reading 🙂 in the search for joyful and generously extravagant simplicity,
steve
Comment by steve — June 9, 2008 @ 3:37 pm
ha ha.
I’m so tempted to make a quip about *never* reading a certain Book because I’m an emerging congregation member…
But I shall refrain… unless the previous paragraph already qualifies… in which case I apologise for any offence…
;o)
Comment by Randall — June 10, 2008 @ 11:10 am