Ezekial

I just read Audrey's blog and she is writing something about Ezekiel. We are reading through the Bible this year and now we are spending time with Ezekiel. I read the first 3 chapters this morning and thought about preaching this Sunday on Ezekiel.

Wow! It starts with his call from God in the form of a fantastic vision of a creature that has 4 faces - face of a man, an eagle, an ox, a lion. And it has wings and wheels! And he is then being called to preach to God's stubborn and rebellious people.

And I am also reading a book called "360 Degree Leadership: preaching to transform congregations" which goes on and on about thin blooded preaching. And on this Monday afternoon I sit and feel inadequate to try to open up God's message in Ezekiel in a way that would really be transformative.

but......I know there is something big here. Something about our God who is bigger than and more than we can even begin to imagine. Something about the vision of the life that God calls us to that is bigger than we can imagine - both as church and as individuals.

I am wondering if the temptation in preaching that makes it thin blooded is to make it palateable so that people don't see the chasm between what we are and what God wants us to be. And maybe full bodied preaching has an aspect about it of being hard to swallow at first.

I was convicted reading Audrey's blog today with the quote that said that we are not - as church supposed to be meeting people's needs" but to become CHURCH - this holy body that may be as hard to define as a fantastic creatiure with four faces and wheels and wings!

Beginning thoughts on Ezekial -saying I hope that God will clarify this stuff this week.