Easter Bunnies and Passion Places

Yesterday was the last day of my online class and it felt good to finally finish that course. For my last assignment in the course I had to write up a manuscript for a funeral and for a sermon. Overall I felt that the funeral went well, and that I put quite a bit of effort into writing the sermon (which was on Mark 5) Without having ever put together a sermon before I never really knew how much work went into one, and the different approaches that could be used. I see myself in the future desiring to go the school route of exegetical studies... I enjoy both the "detective" aspects of piecing together a sermon and the creative end of connecting Biblical material with the context of today.

While writing my first sermon I truly felt in my " sweet spot," I was doing something that I felt like I could do the rest of my life. What a cool feeling when you find something that you love and your passionate about.

Work was tough yesterday, and I'm not really looking forward to work today... its just been incredibly busy because of Easter. Whatever happened to the days when kids would get a coloring book and candy, now kids get power wheels, video game systems, a few games, entire carts of stuff. Another Christian holiday that has been lost to consumerism, and the way people act? People become so nasty this time of year, you sometimes feel like just asking "Do you even know why you celebrate Easter?"

From the way people spend money... I would like to suggest that I'm pretty sure that the recession is nearly not as bad as reported. That or people are feeling it but they are "unable" or not willing to change spending behaviors. Parents have set the bar so high for their children and their expectations that love is tied down to material gain. This is a problem... especially when money is not as amply available.

Enough about work.

The pregnancy has been coming along well. I'm still at a loss for words for this little miracle... I'm just so thrilled for this baby and blessed with what God is doing and has already started.

Anyway I got to get ready for work... perhaps I'll write something more later. My thoughts have been centered around the Church of today, and what we need to do differently in order to be more like the Church that Jesus intended. (or some would say that he didn't intend)

- Peace be with You,
Lance