A Saint in the Shadows

I haven't posted lately on the blog because between normal sermon writing, preparations for Advent and Christmas (including Arlington's Advent Devotional, which will be online next week), and a couple of freelance writing projects, I've been producing so many words lately that the quality/quantity ratio is being severely strained, and the creative energy I would normally be putting into this forum has had to be shifted in other directions.

I do want to share my message from All Saints' Day, even though it has been a month since I preached it and several months since the events that I reference.

My uncle Wayne died very suddenly back in June. I haven't talked about it in this forum because it's been hard for our family, and I know several family members who read this blog weren't ready for it to be put out for the whole world to see.

I went out to Arizona to do Wayne's funeral service right after Annual Conference ended. The whole experience was a roller-coaster of emotions, because while we were very sad at the circumstances, we learned a lot of things about Wayne that we never knew that filled us with joy. It turned out that Wayne was a saint who bent over backward to help people in need, but none of us ever knew it because he never sought any attention or recognition.

Update: for some reason, the sermon.net player doesn't want to imbed.

Sorry about that. You can go to the site and listen there, listen on Arlington's webpage, or subscribe to us on iTunes.

Shameless Self Promotion- Sacramental Podcast Edition

Earlier this week, Jessica and I recorded a podcast for Ministry Matters addressing the question of what is absolutely necessary in the liturgy of Holy Communion, and what is overkill and can make the sacrament stuffy and boring.

Jessica grew up in the Disciples of Christ church and became a Methodist when we got engaged, and is rather "low church" in her preferences. I am a cradle United Methodist and lean toward the Anglican side of our heritage, so I'm a "high church" guy. Gimme the smells and bells!

You can listen to the podcast here, and we'd love to hear any comments on that page or on this blog. What elements are necessary for the Lord's Supper to be a truly holy experience for you?