New Experiment: Sermon Planning in Scrivener

I recently started using a program called Scrivener. Essentially it's a word processor designed by a writer for writers. It allows you to work with multiple documents all in one window, and if you want compile them into one file. It makes switching between research, outlines, and your manuscript extremely easy. At the end of a project you can export all your files into all the most popular document types.

With that, I'm going try preparing my next few sermons in it to see how it goes. I tend to have pages and pages of research all clumped into one large word document. So sorting through it takes time. It appears that scrivener might be able to clean a lot of that up.

LINK:

http://www.literatureandlatte.com/scrivener.php

The trial version allows you 30 working days of use with no limitations.

I Don't Get The Controversy: Elephant Room Round II

The amount of controversy surrounding the Elephant Room II is completely baffling to me.

If you don't know about the controversy or the Elephant Room, here's the quick version.

ELEPHANT ROOM:

The Elephant Room is a conference for church leaders where Christian Leaders from a variety of methodological and theological backgrounds come together to discuss their perspectives on a various subjects.

For example, during the first Elephant Room, they had Steven Furtick and Perry Noble debating Mark Driscoll and Matt Chandler on whether the focus should be on evangelism or discipleship and whether it's ok to play "Highway to Hell" in church. (This was actually two different sessions)

I still think it's the best idea for a conference I've ever heard of.

THE CONTROVERSY:

For the second year of the Elephant Room, the organizer, James MacDonald, invited T.D. Jakes. T.D. Jakes is a very famous pastor known for his prosperity gospel and thinly veiled (and occasionally unveiled) modalism. Immediately upon the announcement that T.D. Jakes was joining, the blog-sphere went nuts with criticism.

THE ISSUE:

The Elephant Room has been promoted as a discussion between CHRISTIAN BROTHERS. Therefore, by inviting T.D. Jakes they are affirming him as a Christian brother and endorsing his ministry. James MacDonald defended his decision by saying that he doesn't believe T.D. Jakes is a modalist and that he is a Christian brother.

In the end, James MacDonald resigned from the Gospel Coalition over the invitation and has stated that he has lost relationships over the controversy. Over the last couple of days, AT LEAST two bloggers over that the Gospel Coalition have written their responses to the events. Both said pretty much the same thing.

I DON'T GET IT

I honestly don't understand how inviting a closet heretic to a conversation warrants this much controversy.

THINGS I DO GET:

• I understand why people would be STRONGLY opposed to his inclusion...he's probably a closet heretic
• I understand why the blogosphere would go nuts...that's what it does
• I understand why people would think James MacDonald and Mark Driscoll were too light on T.D. Jakes

THINGS I DON'T GET:

• James MacDonald losing relationships over inviting T.D. Jakes
• James MacDonald feeling the need to resign from the Gospel Coalition
• Multiple Gospel Coalition bloggers chiming in several days afterwards saying the same thing. All that really does is prolong the controversy, despite one of them writing in their blog, "I have not been eager to keep this controversy going." I'm sorry but if your blog is hosted on the Gospel Coalition and you've published multiple books which people actually read, when you chime in on a controversy you keep it going.
• How inviting T.D. Jakes to an event is the same thing as affirming him theologically in a dangerous way. This is not a conference for lay people. This is a conference for pastors. They should be more discerning and informed theologically. They can make decisions about T.D. Jakes themselves.

I simply don't see the danger in a group of pastors having a conversation in front of a group of pastors.

At the end of the day, I don't feel that it's my responsibility to determine who all the heretics are. If T.D. Jakes was invited to an answer questions about his theology, that strikes me as a good thing. If at that event he dances around questions or continues to veil his true beliefs, that is on him not James MacDonald.

I also think that a public event is a good environment for a public figure to articulate their beliefs. If he's no longer a heretic, GREAT! If he's still in the closet, that's on him. If he's openly a modalist, at least we now know.

I guess I see why some people would interrupt inviting him as a Christian brother is a dangerous idea, but I think pouncing on discussion is far more dangerous.

The message has been sent loud and clear, if you want to have a public discussion with someone we consider a heretic, you better do it EXACTLY THE RIGHT WAY or else there will be consequences and controversy.

Video of Our Worship Band: "God Undefeatable"

One of my churches worship bands is leading worship at a retreat in a couple of months. So we decided to record a song and record a video for it. Three of my hobbies are playing guitar, audio recording, and video editing. So I love doing little projects like this.

The end result came out very much on the better side of my expectations.

The song is called "God Undefeatable," and it's by Aaron Ivey from Austin Stone. You can hear his version here: http://austinstoneworship.com/

Here is our video

NaNoWriMo...time to write a book...

November is national novel writing month. I'm not sure exactly what NoNoWriMo is, but it's not a competition. It's more of a challenge to write 50,000 words in November. So people around the world are attempting to write a novel this month.

I don't want to write a novel, but I've had an idea for a book on my experiences during my first 3 years of ministry. I had the idea actually before I started. The original idea was to write a journal of my daily feelings and issues which came up, and to see if it could be published anonymously. ...I didn't do that.

But the idea for a book on what you experience during your first few years of ministry still fascinates me.

The idea behind the book is that every book on ministry is written by a famous pastor or speaker at a mega-church who's experience is extremely detached from what most people are going to experience. Or they're written by people who are 20 years removed from their first few years of ministry.

So what if there was a book written by someone in a entirely ordinary context...writing about what the experience is like.

I don't know that anyone will ever read it, but I think writing is a good exercise for reflection on life. Most of my writing energy is going to this project this month. So my blogging will be a bit thin this month.

Favorite Blogs of the Week

I thought I'd make a habit of sharing my favorite blogs of the week on Fridays.

Five Things I've Learned in Public Speaking - Ron Edmondson - All five are very good

The Right & Wrong Questions for Figuring Out God's Plan for Your Life - Steven Furtick - Gives a fresh perspective on a familiar question

Steve Jobs & Apple - Brilliant 60 Minutes Interview - Big is the New Small - Steve Job's bio using interviews with Jobs which were recorded for his biography

Where Good Ideas Come From - Video

This video inspired the blog posted earlier today.

Creativity, Ideas, and Slow Thought

We live in an interesting time.

Creativity usually doesn't involve having truly fresh ideas. It involves coming up with fresh new ways to integrate multiple ideas in a new and unique way. This requires time of deep thought and access to knew ideas.

This leads to why this is an interesting time.

• We've never had more access to other peoples ideas
• We've never been more distracted by other peoples ideas

I heard someone mention a book which discussed how the internet is changing how our minds work. We're so used to reading articles and immediately clicking away to a new thought that our brains re-wire themselves to more efficiently function in this manner. Thus, they become accustomed to skipping away from deep thought.

This KILLS creativity.

We have incredible new opportunities to be creative. It just requires intentional work on our part.

• We need to take time for deep, slow thought
• We need to control the distractions in our life
• We need to be intentional about what is filling our minds