I keep seeing signs all over my town for "Authentic Jesus." It's on billboards, buses, benches, and a big sign outside one of the churches. Anyone know what it is? I had no idea there was anything BUT an Authentic Jesus. I haven't heard of any fake Jesuses around.
I've never heard of it, but googled it out of curiousity. I found an answer on a blog that questioned what the signs were for. A closer look reveals that they are announcing the launch of a new preaching series at Harvest Bible Chapel, with campuses at 1000 North Randall Road in Elgin and 800 Rohlwing Road in Rolling Meadows. Additionally, the series will be offered at Harvest sites in Niles and Crystal Lake. The signs also announce a significant benchmark for this church: the 20th anniversary of the start of Harvest. Actually, the series is a two-part offering. The first, beginning today and running through November, focuses on 1 John. The second part, from December 2008 through August of next year, shifts to the Gospel of John.
Little do many folks know, but now a days the preachers doesn't write the sermons in many churches... They BUY the packages.. Which ar eusually drawn out from some book someone wrote.. Iinthis case, The Authentic Jesus book..... This happens to be one of those packages... You are seeing an advertisement for one of your local churches on this "Series".. Here are some links.... http://www.usccbpublishing.org/productdetails.cfm?PC=608 http://www.skepticforum.com/viewtopic.php?f=37&t=10236
Actually, I don't believe that this is a modern trend, although I suspect buying sermons is. I remember reading sermons in high school (non-traditional literature teacher). Sermons would be captured and published for posterity, and I believe they would be read from the pulpit at times. Here's a collection of sermons by John Wesley. I will ask our pastor how often he thinks preachers use (or have used, historically) sermons written by others. I personally have no problem with the practice as long as the source is credited. I want to know who's ideas and opinions I'm hearing. I trust some sources more than others.
Well 'round these parts it is. I remember when the Da'vinchi code came out and all the churches for miles around had the same "Davinchi code explained" series going. If you go into the Family Christian stores you can buy the series' for any topic you can think of, full sets of things, like sermons, color leaflets, handbills, notes for parishioners, etc.. Or you can buy huge kits for vacation bible school.. Last year, the kdis began to notice that "This years'" vacation bible school themes were very similar... You either chose the "Make a ssplash", Rodeo or Baseball themed vacation bible school... as we drive along the roads and freeways of Houston... they all have the same banners, different denominations, no relation of churches.. they just happened to have bought THAt particular vacation bible school set.. Now, this is not that I am saying anything is wrong with it.. I was just simply trying to explain what the billboards were for.
My Methodist minister aunt buys her sermons. To me, that is totally...I don't know! I don't mind studying another person's sermon, and getting some ideas, etc. from that person, but....
Our pastor writes his own sermons. I think the pastor's job is to prepare his own sermons, based on what God is leading for that church.
I agree that pastors should write their own stuff. The pastor at our old church did...I know cuz he would tell the same stories over and over... (and they were autobiographical) I am thinking the pastor where we are going now...maybe gets his ideas from somewhere...although he did say the other day that he had one sermon planned and God put another "on the docket" But there are definitly themes and sometimes even graphics that appear...well...packaged. I suppose God could but a packaged curriculum on a pastors heart. I think it "works" better if it is original. (I think it is, if not obvious, at least knowable if it is original or not) and also definitly sources should be cited.!!!!
There is a mega-church here that has a current series out complete with large signs, lots of cool related graphics and other things. It is still the pastor's own sermon series, but the church has lots of money to put into all the "extras".
My old pastor (when growing up) did his own thing because when I asked the new pastor about a Christmas sermon, he had no clue to what I was talking about. It seems most recently I have gone to where there are series going on and sometimes I miss themore org. ones.
