I analyze everything and separate into two categories: the good / instructive and the crap. My focus, however, is on the good and instructive. In other words, I try to separate out the crap specifically so I can focus and "dwell" on the good.
I even did that when I was driving a lot in areas where the only radio stations were local religious programming. I would listen to the sermons and say, "Crap. Crap. Crap. Oh, cool, I hadn't thought of it quite like that. Crap. That's interesting. WOW; great way to phrase that. Crap. Crap. Crap. Crap. OK, had enough." Then I would spend my free time on the drive thinking about the parts of the sermon that were insightful and instructive. I have written some excellent talks while I drove, and many of them were inspired by sermons from ministers that, frankly, were quite crappy overall.
3 comments:
I've listened to some very good sermons on some Christian radio stations in the past -- some of them were 90 percent or better solid doctrine. I've needed things like that to remind me that there are folks in other faiths that do have a portion of the Lord's spirit and do get something valuable from their worship.
This in contrast to some Protestant services I've attended where the Spirit was kind of there for certain portions (testifying of Christ, loving your fellow man portions), and not there for others ("and now your sins are forgiven".) I just can't feel anything when the alleged Gospel of Jesus Christ is being taught and not a word is said or implied about repentance and turning one's heart to God.
The faiths that preach repentance and turning to Christ to overcome one's sinful NATURE, those are the sermons that work for me. You miss that and you're left with "crap" -- a gutted Gospel that misses the entire point of what being "saved" is all about.
This post makes me smile. :)
Good stuff. I haven't listened to a lot of radio sermons, but I have done this with some online sermons. I gain a lot more appreciation for other faiths that way and love that I'm learning and expanding my horizons, so to speak.
Of course the flip side of this is also true. It's kind of sad, as well as frustrating, when I find myself thinking "crap...crap" in my own Church meetings. But it happens!
Take home message: It is indeed important to be looking for the good, even if it takes extra effort!
Great way to put it, Ray.
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