Everybody Hurts (Encouragement Note #2)

One thing we all share is that we all experience suffering and hardship from time to time.  Some experience it more than others; some handle it poorly, some nobly.  Despite any of this, we all feel pain, everyone suffers, and everybody hurts.  I certainly hope not, but you may be suffering right now.  The reason for and degree of suffering should matter little—indeed, we often berate ourselves, because our suffering is comparatively less than we believe another’s to be.  I’d ask that you not do this:  Please don’t overdramatize your problems and force them upon some poor unsuspecting listener, yet at the same time do not simply dismiss your pain as nothing, in an attempt to convince yourself of your own mental toughness.  It’s okay to hurt, it’s okay to admit you are suffering or having a hard time.  It certainly isn’t against God that you would be crying out.  In fact, because of our frequent suffering, our cries should always be freely expressed to God.

Preaching Quick Hits, Part 2

It’s Saturday night, about 9:30pm mountain time, the kids are in bed, the wife is watching a movie upstairs, and I just discovered live Pink Floyd from ’74 being played on YouTube (with original visuals, no less),  …So why on earth am I blogging about preaching right now, on a perfectly good Saturday night?!?!?

I guess I can’t help it.  Back when I was a vocational minister I had a ritual of sitting down and going through my class/sermon notes every Saturday night.  I’d put some good music on, grab a snack and a soda, and try to get some good review time in before catching the first 30 min. of Saturday Night Live.  No matter how many hours I put into the sermon or lesson that week, I would still review them with a red pen late Saturday night: Indeed, I miss those days (and my little ritual) a great deal.  Perhaps that’s why I’m sitting here, Floyd’s “Us and Them" on my computer speakers, typing this blog about preaching.  It certainly brings back very positive memories.

Preaching 'Quick-Hits', Prt. 1

(note: although the following is in regards to ‘preaching,’ and seeing as how few- if any - preachers will ever read this blog, I invite you to see how these principles might apply to your daily life.  Just because you might not preach, per se, doesn’t mean you shouldn’t try and communicate the gospel, daily…perhaps the Spirit might even encourage you through my “thoughts on preaching," so give’em a try!)

I am a preacher at heart, always have been, always will be.  Proclamation of the Word has always been of utmost importance to me, and most of what I have learned in regards to the act and art of preaching came from working experience and from my old man, Wayne Wylie; who, despite the fact that we don’t always see the same on some issues, and despite the fact that our “styles” of rhetoric are incredibly different, I agree with whole-heartedly in regards to the whys, hows, and what-fors we continue to preach, week in, week out. 

  

So here we go, the first of a number of posts in regards to preaching:

You are not "You" Part 1

You are not “You.”

You are not your own, you where never meant to be.

Your identity, your ego, your personality, your free will;

Your name, your face, your body and mind, your story, your memories;

Your wants, your needs, your desires, your faith, your very life—

As if these things were truly yours to own, as if you were completely in control and the center point of existence.  As if all of these God-given things were handed over to you to do with as you please, to identify as you will. 

You are not You, You are not your own, you were never meant to be.

Paul sums up the declaration of Christian living quite nicely in the following:

I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me. (Galatians 2.20)

'Encouragement' Note #1

This morning as I was simultaneously covering my daily bible reading and listening to my iPod on shuffle, George Harrison’s “All Things Must Pass” came up.  Not the over-produced and somewhat dated-sounding version that Phil Spector nearly ruined on Harrison’s 1970 album of the same name, mind you.  Rather (to my ears) the definitive version that you can find on the second disc of the Beatles’ Anthology 3.  George sings the following, accompanied by nothing but a clean tremolo and reverb-laden electric guitar.  .

Now the darkness only stays the night-time
In the morning it will fade away
Daylight is good at arriving at the right time
It's not always going to be this grey

All things must pass
All things must pass away

Granted, I’m cherry-picking lyrics here, and may even be guilty of taking these words out of their original context. However, I’ll take encouragement where I can find it.  And despite the fact that “this too shall pass” isn’t officially in the bible, it’s a simple shot of wisdom and comfort that all Christians should remind themselves of daily.

It reminds me of Jesus’ promise that we have all heard so many times, and yet continue to forget:

²⁸ “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. ²⁹ Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. ³⁰ For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.” (Matthew 11)

Whatever you are going through today, if you are suffering or frustrated or depressed or hurting or whatever, just remember it won’t last forever.  God strengthens us through these ordeals that cause us suffering.  They will pass. 

Peace in Christ,
Mark Wylie

For better or for worse, here we go...

Another blog to clutter up the infinite world wide web, I suppose.

Oh, well….Here we go.

I am starting this blog for one reason and one reason only:  I can’t help it.  Paul claimed in 2 Corinthians “I believed, and so I spoke.”  As such, I can’t keep quiet any longer.  I may currently be a recruit firefighter, but I am and will always be a minister at heart.  When I left vocational ministry back in 2009, I vowed to be ‘silent’ for a time.  That time is now over, I’m afraid.

I am currently, technically, unemployed.  Well, I am indeed “employed”, I just don’t get paid for what I do.  I am a recruit firefighter with the Southwest Adams County Fire and Rescue Dept., a small department in north Denver just under Westminster in unincorporated Adams County.

I used to be a vocational minister, with nearly 10 years of experience.  I have 3 masters degrees, one in education, one in “religion” and one in theology.  Of course this makes me the odd bird on our engine crew when I am on shift.  I will turn 37 at the end of October.  Technically I am too old to be doing what I am doing.  To say the least, I am an average ‘rookie’ firefighter/EMT at best, but other than being a minister, I can’t imagine doing anything else.