What I Have Learned

Adam watching cotton candy at the PNE.

This Sunday I am preaching a sermon called "What I have Learned" - based on what I have learned in the first year as pastor of this church. Basically, I have learned that people are needy, you will get hurt and that God is sovereign.

I am using 2 Cor. 1:3-11 as the lens for looking at these themes.

The passage explicates the comfort God gives, the suffering we will endure as his disciples and the hope that contextualizes our experiences.

My Dad is in town, which is cool - Adam and Sophia are having a great time!

Other news - Zondervan will no longer be publishing their updated version of the New International Version bible, the "Todays New International Version". This is disappointing - I have used the TNIV since its publication for both personal devotions and for public preaching since its publication.

This particular translation uses gender neutral terms when referring to people. Example - God created humankind in his image - instead of - God created man in his image.

As you might expect, this generated all kinds of controversy by conservative types - I had thought the furor had died down, so I was quite surprised when the publisher announced this week they are going to stop publishing it.

Which leaves me in a quandry - I would like to keep preaching from it, but also want to preach from a translation that I can encourage others in my church to get if they like. I like the English Standard Version which one of my former profs spear headed. It has more archaic language, but is a more literal translation.

Or maybe I will just preach in Greek and Hebrew from now on.