tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11000494.post5564209670236883936..comments2023-09-26T02:56:04.683-05:00Comments on Leaves from the Notebook of a Tamed Optimist: Everything CrashNathan Mattoxhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01618816092900455135noreply@blogger.comBlogger3125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11000494.post-34928128100218415612009-11-16T13:43:50.311-06:002009-11-16T13:43:50.311-06:00The sermon went pretty well. Seems it was one of ...The sermon went pretty well. Seems it was one of those topics people were really wondering about. One of my members asked me as I walked in the back door, "Preacher, what is the Methodist belief on 2012?" I told him that most pastors would say that it is a con, and that just happened to be what I was preaching on that day! You can hear it if you want or read the notes at: <br />http://www.morrisokumc.blogspot.com/Nathan Mattoxhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01618816092900455135noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11000494.post-78816839326970064012009-11-13T12:13:56.530-06:002009-11-13T12:13:56.530-06:00Great post. I agree that for many it is an entert...Great post. I agree that for many it is an entertaining diversion to speculate about the apocalypse. Jesus warns against that.<br /><br />I like the midwife imagery. Maybe I'll steal (I mean "borrow"!) that someday. I also like Brandon's comment. He's right. There are lots of folks willing to preach about it in unhelpful ways.<br /><br />I found a useful quote from Fred Craddock (in the Luke volume of the Interpretation series of commentaries, p.248) as I was preparing for the First Sunday of Advent: "The life of disciples, after all is said and done, is not one of speculation or of observation but of behavior and relationships."<br /><br />Good luck with the apocalypse!Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11000494.post-36303423052721530432009-11-12T19:12:23.952-06:002009-11-12T19:12:23.952-06:00I'm glad you are preaching on this. If respons...I'm glad you are preaching on this. If responsible preachers do not talk about apocalyptic, plenty of others are, and generally not in helpful ways. We avoid this kind of material at our own peril.Brandon Blackstenhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02102062498555577118noreply@blogger.com