A Nugget of Gold

I don't know if this is real or not. I have read a great deal of what he has written and think I believe. You decide.

This is a blog written by a man who defines himself as the fake Rick Warren. Fake Rick. Except, I think it's him. It's written first person and sounds like him. Yes I have read PDL.

I found it by noodling around another neat ministry website and following some links. I get good stuff following links sometime.

There are two posts on "Fake Rick's" blog that are really clever. First is a group of Southern California Blonds and why they don't need Jesus or the Church.

The one that led me to this is a poke at Pastor's in the line of the Bud Lite commercials. REAL MEN OF GENIUS. It says:

Today we salute you "Pastors who download their sermons off the internet and read them verbatim." You share those funny illustrations like they actually happened to you. O' master of the keyword, you've even opted for the pro-subscription with the matching powerpoint and video vignette.

You are bold to tell your staff that 2-days a week are devoted to sermon preparation, but you've figured out that in 5 minutes you can pull down someone else's work.

Original greek? Not for you- more like original geek - cause you've memorized all the central pastor sermon urls. Some may ask "Don't you have any original thoughts or words for our congregation?" The answer, "Of course I do, I picked a great sermon out of the list."

Now you too can wake up on Sunday morning when your congregation does, show up 5 minutes before, and feel refreshed and ready to read. Here's to you "Pastors who download their sermons off the internet and read them verbatim."

Once when driving on a Sunday Morning From Fargo to Omaha on I-29 I wanted to hear some good preaching. I tuned in the radio and found several live Lutheran services. I was on the road early and so I had a chance to tune in starting at 8am and listened well into the afternoon.

I was astonished and then disappointed to hear 4 different Lutheran pastors READ the exact same sermon from 4 different churches ON THE RADIO. This was ten years ago perhaps. I don't know if they still do, but I was told that these pastors subscribe to some Lutheran service that provides these sermons.

Why bother. Just mail it in.

Now, this isn't just Lutheran. I know Charismatics and Evangelicals (I'll bet Methodists and Baptists) that do the same thing. I use the Internet to search things out. But in the end it must become MINE in prayer and meditation or don't use it. Otherwise I'm just parroting empty words.

Sadly, I am convinced much of what passes for preaching is more like the real men of genius fake Rick describes than the Pastor who gets away with God and hears His voice instructing him on what he is to say.

I have the same problem with sermon series. I think the lack of the unknown, the lack of the spontaneous, the predictability defeats the expectancy that a person coming to Church should have.

When Pastor Dan preached even though he might have a theme (which he did in the month of February, faith and stewardship) you never knew what he was going to say. Many times during the worship service God would give him something new or fresh to add. You could see him writing madly getting it all down.

When Pastor Dan stood to preach you were sure you were getting a fresh word of the Lord and not some downloaded or sermon spice subscription pap. When he brought the word of the Lord anything could happen. Anything. It was spontaneous and creative. I miss Pastor Dan.

Men of God.

There is a big black book you have somewhere in your office. USE IT. Preach what God gives you, even if it's not what the sermon series calls for. What if God wants to give your people a fresh word next Sunday. Unless, you don't believe God speaks anymore. Then, dial up the ol internet download and continue to fake it.