From the Sacred Sandwich website

As a people person, Pastor Nickerson always enjoys getting to know each congregant a little better.

Many of you know that our class leader can be found visiting the four corners of the world. He is a globe trotting kind of guy, so can you guess where is was this week?

For those of you who like reality TV there is a new show coming in 2011. The name of the show is “Pat and the Pastor.”
This will track the fun and unusual relationship between a SS class leader and the teacher. It will provide both video and audio of what it’s really like behind the scenes of SS class in 21st Century America. Here is a short audio except from the this new reality TV series. Pat has just received a series of strong emails from Pastor B. and is responding with a voice mail of his own. Disclaimer: The names have not been changed nor has anything else been changed because no one here is innocent.

Pat Jones (class leader extraordinaire) - To listen CLICK ON THIS LINK

It’s not too late to join us as we Read the Bible in 90 days!

(Click on the unaltered photo above and print out a copy of the plan)

This from the Sacred Sandwich Website



PS - I did notice one comment said “Wrong fruit, not the apple in the tree but the “pair” on the ground”

from the Sacred Sandwich blog site

Remember our definition for Neo-Orthodox: those today in the church that believe the Bible becomes the word of God. In other words meaning is found in your personal experiences and based on what it means to you. So with the help of "Why we're not Emergent (by two guys who should be), Kevin DeYoung and Ted Kluck here is how you can identify this type of church person. (I did make a few minor changes).

You listen to U2, Moby and Johnny Cash's Hurt (sometimes in church), use sermon illustrations from The Sopranos, drink lattes in the afternoon and Guinnes in the evenings;

If your reading list consists primarily of Stanley Hauerwas, Henri Nouwen, N.T. Wright, Stan Grenz, Brennan Manning, Jim Wallis, Frederick Buechner, David Bosch, John Howard Yoder, Wendell Berry, Nancy Murphy, John Franke, Walter Winks and Lesslie Newbigin (not to mention McLaren, Pagitt, Bell, etc.) and your sparring partners include D.A. Carson, Jonathan Edwards, Martyn Lloyd-Jones, and Wayne Grudem; if your idea of quintessential Christian discipleship is Mother Teresa, Martin Luther King Jr., Neslon Mandela, or Desmond Tutu;

if you don't like George W. Bush or institutions or big buisness or captalism or Left Behind Christianity;

if your political concerns are poverty, AIDS, imperialism, war-monerging, CEO salaries, consumerism, glorbal warming, racism, and oppression and not so much abortion and gay marriage;

if you are into bohemian, goth, rave, or indie; if you talk about the myth of redemptive violence and the myth of certainty;

if you lie awake at night having nightmares about all the ways modernism has ruined you life; Read More...

Do you remember the game “where in the world is Carmen Sandiego?” Maybe you have watched the today show and seen as they promote “where in the world is Matt Lauer?” Well, we in the Learning and Living class have our own world traveler. His name is Pat Jones our beloved class leader. While I was working hard today I received this email alert. When I opened it was this photo of Pat. Immediately I thought this must go up on the website. Of course on Sunday you will hear the story behind the picture so bring your friends, neighbors and relatives for story time with Uncle Pat.


Click on photo for another surprise

Several years ago I was talking to a well known pastor about people leaving the church. He told me that if the church is preaching the gospel as instructed by the full counsel of God’s word then the term is called “blessed subtraction.” I must say I pondered on that for weeks if not months. In a day and time where so many churches are developing strategies to bring in the crowd, a preaching of the full gospel may take people out.

So when I found this picture here is the question that came into my mind regarding the subject of church growth. Would it be better to fill up the church in a “seeker-friendly,” try it before you buy it type of preaching, or basic gospel preaching where the crowds are much smaller? In later posts I will provide actual documentation on this specific issue. I would like you to answer the poll from the perspective of what you are actually observing in the American mega churches. A mega church is a church with attendance over 2000. The answer to poll question covers from Houston to Chicago in other words the whole country. Don’t answer based on what you would like to see but what you do see.

Check out the poll question below:

Just for information L and L stands for “Learning and Living.” This has been a wonderful time of ministry at Carmel. I have been privileged to have discussions ranging from the sovereignty of God in election, to the return of Christ and yes even to those who become members of our class. At one time I think Pat was going to have a class constitution to set forth all the principles, guidelines and long term vision. In talking with Pat it has become clear that one of our ministry commitments is to “chowing down” or eating. As we demonstrated last week with the pasta buffet.

So even though this is not a corporate decision from the leadership, we are leaning toward a class policy of eating in order to join this community. Ironically I was contacted by someone who has heard of our class and sent a video even prior to even coming to our class.
I thought the best thing to do is simply post the video and then have a poll question. And please if you are not a member of our community don’t vote. The vote is open to those who presently reside on the class roll.

Based on the following video, simply CLINK ON THIS LINK, does this participant qualify to become member of our class, please keep the context mentioned above in mind before you cast this all important vote.


PS - This is an actual video sent to me from a couple in our class and if you can guess who then bonus points are available and will be added to your next test.

I know what you are thinking, aren’t you a little late on this post. Actually I wanted to put this up earlier but over the holidays I had first a cough, then the flu and finally a sinus condition. Basically I was on the couch from December 13 till about two days before we came back in January. One night it was bad, I will spare you the details but I appealed to Nancy for an emergency room visit.

Here are two short video clips from comedian Bryan Regan that best describe that particular night, and what would have happened if I had opted for the emergency room.

Click on Video #1
Click on Video #2

Hope you enjoy!