Back in the Saddle

So obviously I haven't been blogging much at all. When I first launched my blog last September, after reading an article in Preaching magazine about pastors who use blogs to communicate with their congregation, I thought it sounded like a neat idea. Then, life happened and I fell out of grace with my own blog. A big thank you to http://tenclay.org/blog and http://firstyearminister.blogspot.com for putting me back in the saddle. Now, as I sit in the study at 67 West Main, perhaps the dream of blogging for communication will become a reality.

If anyone has any ideas about how best to get this blog out to the members of my congregation, it would be much appreciated.

I'm Not Sure I'm a Patriot

With the upcoming Independence Day holiday weekend quickly approaching, one of my least favorite topics is once again rearing its ugly head: which patriotic hymn shall we sing on Sunday? In the grand scheme of things, this is probably not such a big deal. Is it really worth hurting someone's feelings to tell them that most patriotic hymns are not suitable for Christian worship? On the other hand, worship that focuses more on people than it does God is not really Christian worship at all.

As someone whose grandfather fought in World War II (he loves it that the American flag flies at the front of the church) I think it is important that veterans be honored and feel valued. It is the least we can do to thank them for putting their lives on the line in service to our country. However, preserving our theological integrity may be a higher calling. I have not met many pastors who really enjoy or approve of singing most patriotic songs in worship. I would be interested to hear the perspective of someone who really approved of it.