This Side of the Pulpit » Entries tagged with "writing"
Winding Down and Poll Question
Midweek is officially over now, and the choirs gave their Ascension Day Concert, which was absolutely lovely. To brag on my wife: the Jubilate Choir (children) are fantastic! That group of singers has blossomed under her direction. I’ve got a talented and beautiful bride, that’s for sure. It’s hard to believe that as anxious as I am for all the activities to end, in a few short weeks I’ll be chomping at the bit to start again, looking forward to the beginning of the new school year, to the choirs and classes here and so forth. One thing that I don’t intend to wind down on is blogging here, though at last check maybe it already has! I know I’ve been writing this for the last six months, but I hope to … Read entire article »
Things I Do to Stay out of Trouble
Apparently my Easter sabbatical needs to be over. A couple of people I had no idea read this asked me what was happening here and when I would post again. I guess I have six readers instead of the four I thought I had. But their remarks got me thinking about the blog. It’s gone through quite a few changes since I started it. From obscurity to almost-obscurity, from WordPress to Blogger and back to WordPress–and back to being a pretty quiet corner on the ‘net. For a time I was working hard to make it more popular, and it worked when I posted controversial things, but I found it juvenile to chase ratings and hits, so I stopped. Readers left, too. Ce la vie. So where is it going now? What … Read entire article »
Thoughts on Using a Prepared Sermon Series
I’m using a Lenten series this year written by Concordia Seminary President Dale Meyer and his homiletics students. I’ve only used a sermon series written by someone else a few times in my near-ten years of ministry, and those were for the Lenten “round-robin” services I’ve participated in from time to time. In fact, apart from those three or four years, I’ve never used a sermon written by someone else. The few I have for those services was with some serious heavy re-writing. Ok, St. John Chrysostom’s Easter Sermon is the exception; I’ve read that at one of the Easter services a few times. I approached using this prepared series a bit apprehensively. Not so much out of pride–Dale Meyer is a better preacher than me and most others. But I … Read entire article »
Sound Bite
I think Facebook and text messaging is ruinging ruining my blogging and thinking skills. And typing skills. … Read entire article »
Writing and Visiting Day
Back in my study at Church, taking my good friend Zithromax, feeling like I will live. Since I’m on the mend I will be visiting the hospitals later this morning. It’s been really weighing on me that I have several members I haven’t seen in nearly a week. I’m blessed this year that my sermon load is somewhat decreased. Last night we enjoyed the Children’s Christmas program, which meant I was able to sit and enjoy it without even offering a welcome or anything. It was very nice. Simple, well-organized, and plenty of solos by the kids. This Sunday is our annual Choir Cantata, so there will not be a worship service as usual. And I’ve got a pastor to fill in for me January 3 when I will be away … Read entire article »
Silenced!
So I have been fighting off a cold, and Sunday awoke pretty froggy. Then it got much, much worse as the day wore on. My voice is gone, a nasty cough has arisen, and here I am, reduced to writing and semaphore. Thankfully I enjoy writing, but the semaphore is obnoxious. Mikayla was sweet yesterday afternoon, making me hot tea with honey, and Eliana was especially cuddly with me, adding to our nighttime prayers a petition that I would get better. This morning her prayer has not been answered yet. I must need more repentance. So I am at home today and hope to be productive. I only need three more sermons to write until Epiphany, so perhaps I can work on that. I have my church laptop here, so I can … Read entire article »
Checking In
Feasting, renovating, preaching, visiting, studying, translating, preparing, praying. Fathering, husbanding, building, destroying. Changes are being made. Finishing a novel was not one of them, alas. I finished one last year in November. Have 30000 words of another, and 32000 of this one started November 1, but it wasn’t possible to finish. I have learned, now that I’ve written 110000 words of novel-length fiction what I’m getting better at and what still needs remedial practice. It will get better. It is a lot of fun, especially when the words come and the images are there and I get in the character’s heads and they start doing funky things that I didn’t know they would do. The kitchen is progressing, though everything takes longer than it should. Such is life. It will be good … Read entire article »
Filed under: Personal
Thanksgiving Pause
Dad cut off the end of his finger last week. He was working on cabinets for our kitchen, wearing gloves to beat the cold, when the end of the glove brushed the router bit, pulling his hand into it. If you know what router bits are, then you’ll know that it shreds wood; they don’t cut thin grooves (kerfs) in wood like a saw blade does. Strangely enough, it didn’t hurt him too badly, but he’s got to be careful with it to avoid infection. This means that when he gets here this afternoon I get a promotion in the remodeling project–I’ll be responsible for a lot more that he won’t be able to do. Thanksgiving week, Advent starting, my NaNoWriMo novel to finish, and the kitchen remodel. All to say, … Read entire article »
This Week’s Plan
The month of insanity is almost behind us. It began with Oktoberfest and Redeemer’s 75th Anniversary; included our District Conference, at which I was the preacher at worship and coordinator of our guest presenter; continued with our Stewardship Sunday; Soccer games; out-of-town guests (parishioners who study at Concordia, Seward); and Reformation Sunday with our annual Voter’s Meeting. The last even went pretty well. Voter’s Meetings can be a mixed bag, but our outgoing President ran it well, the officers elected, the budget adopted and nary a dissenting opinion or any other kind of unpleasantries. Thanks be to God. This week I plan on visiting the last few shut-ins for the month, working on my Lutheranism class which starts next Tuesday, beginning study of Romans for my next Bible Study topic and, if … Read entire article »
Filed under: Personal
Hilarious Book Promo
This is what to do with bad reviews and criticism! It definitely makes me want to read it, though I’m not sure why. … Read entire article »
Filed under: Writing&Books
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