The Clothes We Wear

So today my pastor emailed me saying that, unfortunately, I can no longer wear jeans and sneakers when I preside during worship service. A presider basically does the opening prayer, makes announcements, reads the Scripture passage for the day, and then invites the pastor up to speak.

The presider also stands behind a big solid wood podium. So the only time people can see the lower half of my body is when I walk up on stage and walk off - a total of about 9 seconds or about 1.5% of the time I am on stage.

Nevertheless I've been asked to wear business casual.
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If I wore business casual at Mark Driscoll's church they'd probably tell me to wear jeans and sneakers - you know, how the pastor dresses when he preaches.

* The picture above is a screenshot of Mark Driscoll preaching to other preachers

An Awful Weapon

"...but do not forget the culture of the inner man - I mean of the heart. How diligently the calvary officer keeps his sabre clean and sharp; every stain he rubs off with the greatest care. Remember you are God's sword, His instrument - I trust, a chosen vessel unto Him to bear His name. In great measure, according to the purity and perfection of the instrument, will be the success. It is not great talents God blesses so much as likeness to Jesus.

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A holy minister is an awful weapon in the hand of God."

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- M'Cheyne, as quoted from Charles Spurgeon's "Lectures to My Students"

The ESV

Pre-order your ESV Study Bible: http://www.esvstudybible.org/#home

There are a bunch of good reasons to use the ESV. But, without going into the details about translation and meaning, here are just a few thoughts:

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1) I started using it because the guys I listen to use it

Yes, so I admit, I started using the ESV because Piper, CJ, Driscoll, etc. were using it and I jumped in. No, I didn't do my own research first - I just read their own research. Being a layperson and a learner, I think that's just fine. If I were positioning myself as some scholar than I'd be more obliged to do my own primary research.

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2) I continue to use it because I like it

I've lost count of how many times I've thought to myself, "that is so clear" as I've read the ESV...or how many times I've felt like I was seeing something completely new in a familiar passage. The translation is readable and I can read it knowing it's a faithful and accurate translation.

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3) I tell people to use it

I use it. I tell people I care about to use it. And I'm happy to see more people using it because I think its really great.

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4) Dealing with seperation anxiety

Was it hard 'leaving' my NIV? In a sense, yes it was. I grew up with the NIV - nearly all the sermons I listened to were preached from the NIV, all the verses I memorized were from the NIV, and all my bible studies and quiet times were in NIV. My most recent NIV was purchased in college - the time where I experienced the most fundamental theological and personal changes. It is in that Bible where I have underlined passages, written notes, drawn boxes and arrows and more. That Bible was my sword.

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But its not as if that has all disappeared. That particular Bible is still on the shelf right next to my desk along with a bunch of other books I re-access frequently. And its not as if all that was learned in the NIV 'era' is now lost like a friend that has passed on...it is still there, I can still read it and use it.

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Now though, I simply use my ESV for bible studies, quiet times, etc. and its always interesting comparing the the NIV and ESV.

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More: http://www.esvstudybible.org/#endorsements

Take Note(s)

Why You Should Take Notes

1) Keeps you awake
We're all tired on Sunday morning. You know you've nodded off before. If you're going to be asleep during the message, you're missing good stuff. Engaging in some sort of activity, like taking notes, will help you stay awake.

2) Helps you follow the message
I've asked myself many times during a sermon, "Where is he going with this? Did I miss a main point?" A good message will have clear organization. I've found that taking notes helps me to see more during the sermon than I would otherwise if I only listended.

3) Record your own thoughts as you listen
Every pastor wants his sermon to have some sort of impact. Hopefully, we're being impacted in some way as we listen - intellectually, emotionally, relationally... Maybe we become convicted of something we've done wrong. Perhaps we become movtivated or inspired in some way. Or maybe it triggers something we realize we need to do. Write it down.

4) Share it with someone who wasn't there
People actually miss sermons/messages? Yes, they do. Share the goodness of what you've learned. And let's admit it, sometimes even though we ourselves were physically present during the message, we weren't really there.