Irish Calvinist:

We are now in the home stretch of the presidential conventions. With the exception of the Olympics, these last several months have seemed like a constant barrage of speeches. The candidates and their respective teams believe that speeches are one of the best mediums for communicating their ideas to the American people.

I thought we were cutting edge?

Does this not sound a bit old fashioned to the sophisticated evangelical pastor? After all, we are told by many ‘experts’ today that talking to people in large chunks of time is not effective. Furthermore, it is often said to be arrogant and archaic to stand up behind a podium and have people sit down while you talk.

But what do you see at the National Conventions? A speaker, a podium, a crowd seated, an appeal to action, and even propositional statements!

From this week’s worship quote of the week:

Most middle-class Americans tend to:
worship their work;
work at their play; and
play at their worship.

That which we worship, we serve,
and that which we serve we will give our all
–heart, soul, mind and body.

–Gordon Dahl, in WORK, PLAY, AND WORSHIP IN A LEISURE-ORIENTED SOCIETY, Minneapolis: Augsburg Fortress, 1972. ISBN: 0806612339