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| Simple Things | Brad's Blog Mid-Week Missive | By Brad Miller on9/8/2010 1:07 PM | |
| Greetings!
This past Sunday evening about 9:00, Carol and I had been out to dinner and were walking through Centennial Olympic Park. As we passed the fountain, loudspeakers in the area announced that in a few minutes, a synchronized music and water show would begin. Kids scrambled out of the fountain and headed off to their parents and sat on the benches and walls waiting for the show to begin. We also found a place to sit. For the next 15 minutes, the music played – from classical to old time rock n’ roll – and the fountains danced and sprayed in time and intensity to the music.
As I looked around the area, I saw families with kids of all ages, staring intently at the fountain and the movement of the water. As I looked at the faces of the people gathered I saw nothing but smiles. It was not a big thing, maybe not even something they knew was going to take place. But, it was something a little out of the ordinary, something pleasant, something that brightene ... |  | |
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| | Sunday September 5, 2010 "Learning to be Worthy" Psalm 37 | | Brad's BlogBrad's Sermons | By Brad Miller on9/8/2010 1:02 PM | |
| It was a big day in my life. It was the day that I turned in my notice at the university. The day I went public with my plans to leave the security of tenure, of a department chairmanship, of a full professorship. And why was I doing all this? Because I was responding to a call to go to seminary in order to enter full time ministry.
But something funny happened that day: when it finally came time to act, I began to have doubts. Protocol said that I turned in my resignation letter to the provost, the chief academic officer of the university. He accepted the letter, he said, with sadness, but with an understanding of my response to a “higher call.” By the time I got back to my office, the President of the University was there to meet me, having heard the news from the provost. In our conversation, the phrase came up again as he said at least he was glad that I was leaving for a “higher calling.”
By the time the day was over, I had heard that phrase a dozen ... | | |
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| | Moving Forward | | Brad's BlogMid-Week Missive | By Brad Miller on9/2/2010 11:45 AM | |
| Greetings on this beautiful morning,
The last couple of months have been exciting times at BCC, and the excitement continues into the Fall. In July the Executive Team and Elders, along with Rev. Jennifer and I, spent time in “cluster” meetings of the church seeking to gather information and feedback about where we are and where we need to be going. It is an exercise that should take place every few years, if only to make sure we are on track to be what God would have us be here at the corner of Peachtree and Lanier. There are other good reasons, too. This congregation has changed in the last few years: young marrieds are now starting families, young families are now seeing their kids off to college, empty nesters have become retirees, and that doesn’t even take into account the many new members that have joined us. In short, this was the time to take stock.
For those of you who participated in those meetings, I know you share my excitement at the enthusiasm a ... | | |
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| | God's Love Never Quits | | Brad's BlogMid-Week Missive | By Brad Miller on8/26/2010 8:27 AM | |
| Greetings!
This week started with an afternoon of celebration with the International Christian Church as they installed their new pastor, Sokhom L. Chau. Any day I get to spend with my Cambodian friends is a good day, but this day was up near the top. With Sokhom’s installation, the church has taken another great step forward on their faith journey. New members have joined; their property looks better than ever; and the smiles on their faces tell the whole story: they are reveling in the blessings of God. But more than that, they are working hard to share those blessings with as many people as possible.
After the worship service, Phan Rhattanak and Phaly Huy sat with Charles Kinney and me and talked about what BCC had done for them. They talked of being inspired by the stewardship letter that went out a few years ago declaring, “Are We Crazy?” Phan said it made the folks of the ICC sit up and say, “Hey, we are crazy too!” Because of that letter, he said, ... | | |
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| | Sunday August 22, 2010 "Must We Suffer?" Romans 8:12-24 | | Brad's BlogBrad's Sermons | By Brad Miller on8/25/2010 8:11 AM | |
| Suffering is all around us. Each of us know what it means to suffer. Each of us has witnessed the pain of loved ones dealing with disease or heartbreak or misfortune. And each of us has probably wondered: must we suffer?
In his letter to the church in Rome, Paul addressed the issue of suffering, at least in passing.
As we hear the scripture, let’s put ourselves in the position of the congregation in Rome. We have gathered to worship and are told that there is a letter to be shared, a letter from a missionary in the field. The letter is from Paul, a missionary known to us, even if we have never met him.
Close your eyes and listen to Paul’s words. Remember, if you were in the church in Rome, you would most likely hear once and once only, so listen carefully. I have asked XXX to read part of Paul’s letter to us.
So then, brothers and sisters, we are debtors, not to the flesh, to live according to the flesh— for ... | | |
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| | Planning Ahead | | Brad's BlogMid-Week Missive | By Brad Miller on8/19/2010 9:54 AM | |
| Greetings!
As we move steadily toward Fall, activities in the church start to gear up. On September 12th, we will begin our “Super Sunday” program that will run for 6 Sunday evenings. On September 24th and 25th, the Garden Club will hold their Fall “Yard Sale” (which is highlighted by some very nice furniture donated to the club specifically for this sale). On October 10th the pumpkins will arrive…and on and on.
To kick off the Fall, beginning this Sunday, August 22nd, we are undertaking a new endeavor for Adult Christian Education. Each week, in addition to the “Lectionary Class” and the Senior Adult Class, we will offer a “Special Topics” class in the newly renovated classroom (in the old church office – ask on Sunday and someone will get you there!). The classes will all meet from 9:45 to 10:30 and are designed to address one of the streams of thought that came from our recent cluster meetings. That is, a desire for spiritual development through increas ... | | |
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| | Sunday August 15, 2010 "Why Did You Change, God?" Malachi 3:5-7a and John 14: 15-21 | | Brad's BlogBrad's Sermons | By Brad Miller on8/16/2010 1:40 PM | |
| It’s funny where sermons can lead you.
And I’m not talking only about where they might lead people who hear them, I’m also talking about where the sermons sometimes lead the preacher.
It’s a little hard to explain, but this sermon series entitled “Questions for God” has led me to places I wouldn’t have expected. And that is a good thing. The fact is, this series has led to a reaffirmation of why I do what I do, why I believe what I do, and why I want so badly to share that with others. It isn’t that I have necessarily learned something dramatically new, but I have become reacquainted with some important truths, and I can’t tell you how much that excites me.
This week, maybe more than ever.
I think that there are about four different kinds of sermons. I tend to think that some sermons are primarily to inform; they are teaching sermons. Some sermons are intended to provoke someone to action. Some sermons are aimed ... | | |
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| | A New Start | | Brad's BlogMid-Week Missive | By Brad Miller on8/11/2010 8:21 AM | |
| Greetings!
As I was driving to work this morning, I passed about 50 kids waiting for school busses along my way and I was reminded that for alot of the kids in the Atlanta area, this week is the first week back in school. One friends kids in Decatur actually started last week, on August 2nd. It seems early to me, but it must really seem early to the kids! In fact, I don’t think it matters if you start on August 2nd or October 2nd: it’s still going to be early for the kids!
But still, I remember going back to school with a sense of excitement, a sense of a new beginning, and if it was a year where you changed schools, you actually had a chance to “reinvent” yourself among people who had never met you before. Sometimes that is what I miss most after spending so much of my life involved with higher education. Because the fact is, that new beginning and new excitement was just as present in my 13 years as a college faculty member as it was when I was in elementar ... | | |
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| | Sunday August 8, 2010 "How Am I Doing?" Micah 6:8 and Luke 6:27-31 | | Brad's BlogBrad's Sermons | By Brad Miller on8/11/2010 8:12 AM | |
| So, envision this: you are standing before God, having left this earthly life. How many of us wouldn’t want to know “How did I do?” It gets at the essence of our relationship with God: “Have I lived up to what you wanted, God? Was my worship, my praise, my life, pleasing to you?”
The first time I can remember thinking about this was about 14 years ago when, as part of my seminary education, I served as a chaplain at the Edgewood, a residence for folks who are homeless and HIV-positive. There I met a man named Johnny, about 30 years old, a gentle, quiet man who had a great talent for drawing. In fact, there is a pen and ink drawing by Johnny displayed in my office to this day. Johnny was at peace with his situation, and was what I would consider to be a fine, Christian man.
But Johnny had not always been that way. As we got to know each other, Johnny slowly shared his story with me. Born of a solid family, he veered away in his teens and early twenties, be ... | | |
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| | Connections | | Brad's BlogMid-Week Missive | By Brad Miller on8/11/2010 8:06 AM | |
| Greetings on this steamy day,
Today I was reminded of the importance of the connections in our lives. Too often, we don’t really think about how many ways we have been touched, and how many ways we are able to touch others. But today I was reminded again that among the greatest blessings we experience are the connections we have with so many people.
Today I spoke with an old friend. Someone who I haven’t talked to in a long time – maybe 3 years. Within minutes we got past the catching up part and it became clear that my call was well timed because he needed to talk. And while all I did was listened, our connection was a help. To both of us.
Today I had lunch with a friend that I see about 5 or 6 times a year. We were in the midst of a pleasant lunch when it dawned on me that I had something nagging at me that she was in a position to help with, because of her profession. And so I asked her professional opinion about something and, as ... | | |
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