January 10, 2009

snowed in on a saturday

I am still working through the sermon. I have some ideas of structure and content. I guess that's a good start. Somehow I got off track this week. I usually have something on paper on Thursday and by Friday I have a full draft. Not this week. I don't know what has distracted me. I mean, we did add a short rite with water and such to the service. Perhaps I've been distracted by that. I don't know. Then there was the Shabbat service last night. Sukkat Shalom, a local synagogue, is using our building for the next several months and last night was the service where I offered words of welcome (I mentioned Bonhoeffer...couldn't help it.) and played the mandolin. One cantor, a guitar, a mandolin, and a sangin' baptist can make for some fun Shabbat. It was a great night. The rabbi's sermon was about sojourning. We all had fun with the idea that our congregations and faith traditions seem to be wrapped up in one another right now.

I guess I'm distracted by that. I find it all incredibly moving. It's more and more common now for synagogues and churches to have relationships. Were not necessarily doing anything new. Yet I am deeply moved by this chance to be with one another, to learn with one another.

We're one, but we're not the same.
We've got to carry each other,
carry each other. One.
How much moody overwrought music can I have running through my head at one time? I don't know, but Bittersweet Symphony (or whatever you call it) is also mingled in there with U2. Wow. Maybe I should take a break.

The future's so bright. I gotta wear shades. I'll finish the sermon, pack up the Christmas decorations, watch some Food Network (Our culture sees food as entertainment...and I am in on it. We'll pay for that one some day.), and maybe even pray a little.

Build a snowman if you can!

Posted by tripp at January 10, 2009 08:05 AM
Comments

Tripp - Who could help but be overwhelmed by the mingling? I'm almost moved get my church on....and that's quite a bit of movement. Thanks.

Posted by: Lani at January 10, 2009 11:41 PM

Heh - fanboy here is wondering what Bonhoeffer you used. Just curious.

A sangin' Baptist who drops Bonhoeffer on Shabbat? That's WAAAAAAY out there. :-)

Posted by: Scott at January 13, 2009 10:40 PM

"The Church and the Jewish Problem" is what I used. Heh. I talked about hospitality and God's desire for such virtue from all His people...trying not to put words into Bonhoeffer's mouth there either. He was no Universalist.

That said, with all the e-mails and such between our two congregations trying to get everything worked out, "The Jewish Problem" turned out to be pretty telling. So too did "The Christian Problem." It made for a nice laugh.

Posted by: Tripp at January 14, 2009 06:46 AM