magic and tragic: preaching buffett on the 9th sunday after pentecost

Yesterday, I preached a revised version of this sermon at our mainline evangelical church.

Any new thoughts?

Other than the comments about my closing song, the one the sticks out to me was from a parishioner who said, "I wasn't real sure where you were going, but you brought it all together in the end."

I've got the audio if anyone can tell me how to get it online.

Plus, it reminded me that I wanted to get this memoir to read.

making the sale and sealing the deal

It's official. The Newell house is up for sale. See it here. The sign went up yesterday and luckily it was shown yesterday too. We've started moving a few things "clear out some clutter" as we were told. So for now, we're just moving our unnecessary junk. Check out our new place! We're in unit 325, so come on by and see us sometime.

And by all means, if you'd like to buy a house contact our realtor here.

will the circle be postmodern, by and by lord, by and by

After a lot of thought, prayer, journal writing, etc., Kim and I have decided to put our kids up for adoption...not really. It's something else I thought I'd never do. (On the topic of "thought I'd never do," I'll have to save that to post later.)

We're hoping to go back to Zebulon, NC where I'll work on a church staff full-time. Yes. That's right. I'm going to be working on a church staff. All the details are pending the process a church needs to maintain order, but it's safe to say that it will happen in some form or fashion.

I was also interviewed and invited to be a resident chaplain at WakeMed for the next year. Somehow, I thought that given this choice I had, I would have gone with the hospital which is a great place. I have no doubt that would have been a profound experience. In the short time I was there, it was a holy and meaningful.

But, I must say, I'm surprised. Surprised at how God works to bring someone "full-circle." (Thanks for that image, John.) When I went back "just for the summer," I thought I'd find an institutional church rooted in modernism. However, what I found was a loving community of Christians who are making a way to serve God in the name of Jesus. They have succeeded and they have failed. They are dreaming and and turning dreams into deeds. They have "Sunday school" and "Learning Communities." They are traditional as well as innovative.

And now the "they" becomes "we" and it feels great to use that word. I am eager to see how the person I've developed into will find ways to follow Christ and lead others in such a context.

In other news, I am still planning (though plans for me change with the wind) to take the counseling classes I had originally planned on to get licensed in some fashion as a counselor/therapist. (That means, however, I've put Jiffy Lube and Lowes on hold at least for a while.)

Finally, Kim and I love our children dearly. Bailey is excited about this. And Zoe just needs a bigger room. But I will donate a very friendly cat to anyone who needs such a burden.