Posted in August 2008 …

Aug 26 2008
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Articles and Ponderings

Open Source Sermon Launch

Thank you to everyone who shared ideas and suggested texts for the world’s first open source sermon. It’s so cool to watch the ideas come together. Your depth of thought and respect for each other give me hope that this experiment will produce something worth preaching.

Here’s the full list of texts you all suggested: Romans 12:3-8, Hebrews 10:25, Matthew 28:16-20, 1 Corinthians 12:12-31, 1 Corinthians 9:22, Ephesians 4:1-16, Acts 2, 2 Cor 5:9-10, Luke 7:31-35

Based on your comments and the principles of the project, I’ve chosen two. Not that we’re limited to these texts, but these are foundational. I keep hoping that someone will add insight from other faith traditions or schools of philosophy, but there’s plenty of time for that as we continue to piece this thing together.

And the winners are….

Now comes the really fun stuff. Go to the Open Source Sermon wiki and start writing! (What’s a wiki?) The first thing you’ll notice is that I’ve locked the sermon workspace and created a “start here” link asking us to define our purpose. No sense trying to collaborate if half of us want to build a hot rod and the other half want to build an eco-cruiser. Once the purpose is clear, we’ll crack the workspace and then it’s edit, edit, edit, straight through to the deadline, Sept 20.

I’ll lock the wiki at noon, Central Standard Time (GMT-6) and present the result to my senior minister. That’s when we find out if this experiment is a success. Can the net produce a preachable sermon? I seriously don’t know. But it’s going to be a blast finding out.

Here’s our beautiful new wiki!

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Aug 22 2008
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Open Source Reprieve

I’m going camping this weekend with a bunch of folks from church, which means I’ll be out in the middle of nowhere Saturday. Now, I could be a rule-minder and go find some coffee shop to work out of for a couple hours, but I think that’d rank pretty low on the Daddy Awesomeness Scale. Therefore, I’m giving all you wonderful contributors a reprieve. I get back from camping on Sunday, so you have between now and then to add your suggestions to the Open Source Sermon Topic thread. I’ll give things a look once I get back and post Sunday night. Assuming all goes well, that post will include our texts and a link to our very own wiki! (What’s a wiki? Click here!)

Spread the word people. This has never been done before. And if that’s not cool enough, your ideas might speak from a pulpit in the not too distant future. Have something to say to the church? To the world?

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Aug 13 2008
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Articles and Ponderings

Keep Your Eyes Open

Take a hint from fighter pilots.  In a quickly changing environment, observation equals advantage.  Any moment with the current reality differs from you original perception, there is an opportunity, because your observation is unique. Even if someone were intentionally observing the same thing at the same instant, they would be observing from a different perspective.  If you discover no advantage, either shift your perspective, or wait.

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Aug 11 2008
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The Third Way

The Third Way – Zen Style

Koans are the zen version of a parable. I found this one via StumbleUpon. (If you haven’t tried it yet, StumbleUpon is both very cool and very addictive.)

One evening as Zen Master Shichiri Kojun was reciting sutras, a thief with a knife crept in. “Your money or your life!”

Shichiri said, “Do not disturb me. You will find money in the cupboard near the wall.” Then he resumed his recitation as the thief began searching the cupboards.

After a few moments, Shichiri paused and called: “Don’t take it all. I need some to pay taxes with tomorrow.”

The intruder gathered up most of the money and started to leave. “Thank a person when you receive a gift,” Shichiri added. The man thanked him and fled.

A few days later, the thief was caught and confessed to many crimes, including stealing from Shichiri. When Shichiri was called as a witness he said: “This man is no thief, at least as far as I am concerned. I gave him the money and he thanked me for it.”

After he finished his prison term, the man went to Shichiri and became his disciple.

I think Jesus would’ve liked Shichiri.

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Aug 09 2008
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Articles and Ponderings

Open Source Sermon: Topic Chosen

Deadline day. Today’s the day we choose the topic for the world’s first open source sermon. Thanks to everyone who took the time to comment, to make suggestions, and to critique. Here’s the full list of sermon topic proposals pulled from your comments.

  • The church’s role in caring for the environment
  • The possibility of life on other planets
  • The laughter/humor of God
  • Christianity vs. narcissism
  • Food, fellowship, and eating disorders
  • The body of Christ

Based on the comments, the top three suggestions were: the environment, the humor of God, and the body of Christ. I agree that the environment is an important topic, and one too often ignored in churches. On the other hand, I’m obviously interested in the idea of a God that laughs. (Hence the name of my blog!) But I think the body of Christ image has the most to offer in this context.

We are performing an experiment, a two way test. The net promises limitless information and collaboration, but do those promises apply to the church as well? Is Jesus welcome on the net? If not, then this experiment will fail. The open source processes that created elegant, complex software like Linux and Firefox will fail to produce a preachable sermon. All we’ll get is more of the triviality and purposeless argument that so often passes for content on the net.

But the test works both ways. The church promises connections too: peace and wholeness. The church promises more than information: truth, or at least wisdom. It promises we will be the body of Christ, and Christ will be our spiritual head. Then it hides those promises behind walls of bureaucracy and conformity. Is the net welcome in the church? If not, then this experiment will fail. The church that learned Latin, German, English, and thousands of other languages will fail to speak to the digital age. All we’ll get is more of the triviality and purposeless argument that so often passes for sermons on Sunday morning.

If we do it right, the sermon itself will become a meta-message of hope.

Congratulations! We’ve completed the first step. Our subject is the body of Christ in a digital age. Paul has already suggested a possible sermon title, “Jesus is my Facebook Friend”. Our next job is to find scriptures that speak insightfully to that topic. We need at least one Biblical text, but non-biblical texts are welcome as well. Put your suggestions in a comment to this post. The deadline is Aug 23 at noon, Central Standard Time (GMT-6) when I’ll choose the winner(s) with consideration both to the principles of the project and the general consensus of contributors.

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Aug 07 2008
29 Comments
Articles and Ponderings

Open Source Sermon

Logo courtesy of Steve Knight

Logo courtesy of Steve Knight

Greetings denizens of the internet. My name is Rob and I’m performing an experiment. Can the collective intelligence of the net produce a preachable sermon? Maybe the digital age is incompatible with such an ancient format. Then again, maybe the lurker will join hands with the hacker and usher in an age of peace and enlightenment. Maybe I’m just lazy and want some free content and editing.

Here’s the rundown.

  • Project: Craft the world’s first open-source sermon.
  • Deadline: Sept. 28th.
  • Principles: Biblically based, Christocentric. (not that all contributors must be, only that the final product must be)

The Process:

  1. Select a topic: Anyone may suggest sermon topics in a comment to this post. Please submit as often you like and comment on other’s suggestions. I’ll choose the winner with consideration both to the principles of the project and the general consensus of contributors. Deadline Aug 9, Noon, Central Standard Time (GMT-6).
  2. Select a text: I’ll post the topic, and perhaps some initial thoughts, and we’ll open up the comments for suggestions. This time we’ll be searching for Biblical and non-biblical texts that speak insightfully to the topic. I’ll choose a primary Biblical text, and perhaps some secondary ones (Biblical or otherwise) using the same criteria as before. Deadline Aug 23.
  3. Write and Edit: I’m thinking a wiki is the best option for this step. I’ll post a link here, and then it’s off to the races. The only promise I can make is that your edits will be edited, by me and by others. If you want credit for your contribution, add your name (real names only, please) to the bottom of the document. Deadline is Sept. 20 when I will close the wiki to public edits. I will then present the final result to my senior minister (a former rhetoric and homiletics instructor). If he agrees the sermon is worthy of the pulpit, then the experiment is a success and we move to the next step. If not, I’ve still got a week to write something from scratch.
  4. Final edit and polish: I’ll take the last week to add finishing touches, modify phrasing to fit my style, and of course practice. Deadline Sept. 28, 9:45 A.M.
  5. Preach: All contributors will be recognized from the pulpit or in the bulletin. Everyone is of course invited to come listen live. Sept. 28, 10:00 A.M.
  6. Distribute: We’ll put the sermon text, audio, and video up on this blog under a non-commercial, share-alike Creative Commons license.

Thanks to Idan for the pointing me in a cool new direction!

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Aug 01 2008
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Church Tackles Invasive Species

Sometimes, churches get it right. I’m pretty pleased to be a part of this project to restore native plants to a strip of land near our church. The area was completely overgrown with invasives that would have choked out all the wildflowers and shade trees. That’s a lose for everyone. The congregation loved shade (and the and the energy savings that came with it). The neighbors loved the wall of green that protected their homes from street noise (and increased their property values). The drivers on the parkway enjoyed the tall trees and greenery that make that particular stretch of Menominee River Parkway one of the prettiest, drives in Milwaukee. (Seriously. Driving that road will drop your blood pressure.) So what are we doing about it?  We’re teaming up with the county, and with master gardeners around town, to reintroduce native plants.  The process is already started, with most of the old stuff gone, and some new plants already taking root.

And now we’re getting good press for it. Tom Heine posted a story about it in his blog for the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. Thanks to Mr. Heine for the article, to the county for the help, to the workers for slogging through mud and rain, and to everyone who has donated money to get this project started. We’re not done yet! You can help by donating time, native plants, or money. Interested parties may contact the church.

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