Poets, Prophets and Preachers

This week I had the sincere pleasure of listening to three of the freshest and authentic voices on the art of preaching. The conference lasted only 2 1/2 days but it felt like just moments because of how brilliant it was. I learned so many theological and conceptual ideas about what makes a great sermon and also many practical tips and tools to shape the messages and talks I give on a regular basis. Like an artist shapes and creates a painting or a dance, preaching is an art form.

Zach Lind, the drummer from Jimmy Eat World was there as well. He was there for the entire conference just listening. He is a friend of Rob and Shane and shared some insights with us on working with a song the way that we work with messages and sermons. I am a HUGE Jimmy Eat World fan so I was in heaven listening to their song, Dizzy, and the two versions they worked with before they got the song where they wanted to for the album.

Great sermons need time to sit on the shelf and marinade before they can be shared, just like songs from a band or art in a museum.
My friend Wally got up on stage to participate in some improv comedy on Monday night with a friend of Rob's. He had to confess to "Father Tim" and it was hilarious.

Great worship by the music team @ Mars Hill and even better quote from German theologian, Meister Eckhart.

"Whether you like it or not, whether you know it or not, secretly all nature seeks God and works towards him...Covertly, nature seeks, hunts, tries to ferret out the track on which God may be found."

Rob and Shane Hipps. Shane is a pastor from AZ and a brilliant communicator and expert on how technology shapes our faith. You must read his work on this, it is called Flickering Pixels and is available everywhere.

Peter Rollins is another guy who was there and blew my mind!!!

He is a pastor, a prophet and a poet all wrapped up in one Irish package. He is from Belfast in Northern Ireland and his talks on sermons, transformance art (this deserves a whole blog post on its own I will do sometime) and the fact that God is knowable yet unknowable was awesome.

I am going to list the resources you should get after reading this and if you are giving messages, talks, sermons or are a writer at all - you must get this conference when it comes out on DVD in a few months. Check the site, www.robbell.com for a release date.

We finished the conference with a time of reflection and communion and I got a chance to talk with Rob afterwards and give him a hug and pray for him. We talked about our new additions to our families - us with Emma and he and Kristen's new baby girl, Violet.

I am so blessed to be able to do the job that I do and attend conferences like this that really make me thankful to my God and my family.

Grace and Peace to you!

Matt

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Drops Like Stars - Rob Bell (comes out August 1, but we got advanced copies)

How Not to Speak of God - Peter Rollins

The Orthodox Heretic - Peter Rollins

Flickering Pixels - Shane Hipps

Art and Fear - Bayles and Orland

The War of Art - Steven Pressfield

All six of these titles are a must for your library!