Nathan James Norman
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Nathan James Norman

Husband. Father. Pastor.
Storyteller. Reader. Comic Fan.
Slave of the Lord Jesus Christ.

The Orchard Church

Pastors and Celebrity

9/24/2019

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I want to offer a word of caution to my fellow pastors about seeking popularity.

As I confessed to my congregation in my sermon last Sunday, I have sought attention and popularity for much of my life. I lie to myself, thinking that if I were more popular, I could have a better impact on the world for Christ.

If I'm honest, though, that is a false virtue I try to wrap around my self-centered quest for personal glory.

Before most of my sermons I pray, "May Christ increase, so I may decrease." I must pray this. It is not a reality of my heart, it is a plea for God to change my heart.

God says: I am Yahweh, that is My name; I will not give My glory to another (Isaiah 42:8a HCSB).

A few months ago, I read Michael York's odd, yet satisfying memoir of filming the movie Megiddo: The Omega Code 2. In it, he recounted a quote from John Updike: Celebrity is a mask that eats into the face.

I intended to post John Updike’s quote for a few weeks, and then I came to Luke 11:42-12:3 in my sermon series through the Gospel of Luke. In his famous woes, Jesus condemns the Pharisees' obsession with popularity and attention: Woe to you Pharisees! You love the front seat in the synagogues and greetings in the marketplaces (Luke 11:43).

I used Updike’s quote here.

So this post is a caution, but mostly for me: Celebrity is a mask that eats into the face.
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Julius Von Jan Against the Nazis

9/18/2019

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I have been slowly working my way through Preaching in Hitler's Shadow: Sermons of Resistance in the Third Reich edited by Dean G. Stroud.

Until this book, I had never heard of Pastor Julius Von Jan. He is not a major figurehead in the resistance against the Nazis. But his voice mattered.

When the Nazis began to their attack against Jews in November 1938, Von Jan spoke out against the Nazis. I have included below, some quotations from his sermon, O Land, Land, Land: Hear the Word of the Lord! Shortly after this sermon was delivered, he was dragged from his home by approximately 500 Nazis, beaten publicly by the Nazi mob, and imprisoned.

He survived the war. He is not household name. As far as I know, the only available English translation of his sermon must be purchased. And yet, his voice mattered. His courage mattered. And I think he still speaks to us today.
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Review: Sensitive Preaching to the Sexually Hurting

1/27/2017

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Review: Sensitive Preaching to the Sexually Hurting

Summary: Sensitive Preaching to the Sexually Hurting walks preachers through a variety of topics related to human sexuality. Dr. Sam Serio offers practical suggestions and language to use while discussing these sensitive topics.

Review: For six years, I served in a sexual abstinence program through my local pregnancy support center in upstate New York. In retrospect, we should have been named a sexual design program. So, I was very interested to read this book with my background biblical sexuality and my current role as a pastor.

Serio explores sexual topics with an openness that’s needed in the Christian church. He covers the topics of Casual Sex, Abortion, Sexual Assault, Childhood Abuse, Same-Sex Attraction, and Sexless Marriage. His categories are helpful, and he highlights some topics that had not occurred to me.

At the end of each topic, Serio gives text suggestions to talk about these individual topics. I did not find these terribly helpful. However, the main sections of the chapters are very helpful. He offers terms, phrases, and great insight on how to present these sexual issues to congregations in a gentle but biblically truthful way.

My one major criticism with the book is the chapter on Same-Sex Attraction and Homosexuality. While I appreciate Serio’s balanced and loving concern for individuals, he puts too much emphasis on the parents as a root of same-sex attraction. He highlights four types of fractured parental relationships that lead to this type of attraction but fails to address what happens when none of these fractured relationships is present and a person still experiences same-sex attraction.

Ultimately, I was surprised with how helpful I found this book. There are areas I disagree with his approach, but Serio offers pastors an image of gracious, biblical conversations from the pulpit.

Find it on Amazon here.
Find it on Kregel here.

Rating: 4/5 Stars (I really liked it)

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The Joker did not find this book helpful.
Note: I received a physical copy of this book for free in exchange for an unbiased review.
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Preaching Without Notes

11/22/2016

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I have been doing personal research into The First Great Awakening over the last few months.

In my studies, a retired historian friend of mine - Hawkman - suggested I read The Great Awakening: Documents on the Revival of Religion, edited by Richard L. Bushman. I came across this sermon, Defects of Preachers Reproved by Solomon Stoddard.

It was written in 1723.

I was amazed to come across the following paragraph:
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The reading of sermons is a dull way of preaching. Sermons when Read are not delivered with Authority and in an affecting way. It is prophesied of Christ, Mic. 5.4 He shall stand and feed in the strength of the Lord, in the Majesty of the Name of the Lord his God. When Sermons are delivered without Notes, the looks and gesture of the Minister, is a great means to command Attention and stir up Affection. Men are apt to be Drowsy in hearing the Word, and the Liveliness of the Preacher is a means to stir up the Attention of the Hearers, and beget suitable Affection in them. Sermons that are Read are not delivered with Authority, they favour of the Sermons of the Scribes, Mat. 7.29. Experience shews that Sermons Read are not so Profitable as others. It may be Argued, that it is harder to remember Rhetorical Sermons, then meer Rational Discourses; but it may be Answered, that it is far more Profitable to Preach in the Demonstration of the Spirit, than with the enticing Words of mans wisdom.
I have been preaching without notes for almost seven years now. I thought I was being innovative! But Stoddard advocated for preaching without notes nearly three hundred years ago.

His argument is incredible. The pastor isn't arguing that preaching without notes merely gives the speaker better stage presence. Instead, he is arguing it gives the preacher greater authority as he is empowered by the Holy Spirit.

From firsthand experience I have seen this in my own personal ministry. When my sermons are rooted deeply in Scripture and study, something happens when I stand before the congregation with only a Bible in hand.

This is why we will be discussing how to preach without notes as one of our topics during the upcoming One Day Preaching Seminar at The Orchard Church and in partnership with North West Baptist Association.

(Hint: Preaching without notes has very little to do with memorization.)

Click on the picture below and register for this free seminar!
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One Day Preaching Seminar

11/15/2016

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I will be hosting a one day preaching seminar. It is open to anyone interested.
Check it out:
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Review: Preaching With Accuracy

6/21/2015

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Summary: Randal E. Pelton presents a concise textbook for "Big Idea" preaching, which focuses on connecting the big idea to Christ-Centered sermons.

Review: In general, I agree with Pelton's preaching philosophy. I am a "Big Idea" preacher from the school of Haddon Robinson. Much of Pelton's book interacts with Robinson's philosophy of preaching, and like minded persons. He uses slightly different terminology, but at its core (or big idea) it flows from that same school of thought.

For this reason alone, I must commend it as a solid work on homiletics.

The book itself, however, is conflicted with what it wants to accomplish. On the one hand, it wants to present itself as an introductory, one-stop shop, for preaching sermons from the text. But on the other, it is trying to make an argument for bringing Christ into every sermon and how to do that. The book is fairly short, but in comparison to the other sections the chapter on "Canonical Big Ideas" is rather long. But it is too short to make a winsome argument, or equip the homiletician with the various options of Christ-centered preaching that Pelton offers.

The book is built off of the "Big Idea" preaching philosophy, and adds onto it this Christ-focused concept of a "Canonical Big Idea." There is simply not enough time spent on this concept, though. In this extended chapter Pelton juggles the tasks of arguing the need for this step, while simultaneously trying to teach how to do this. He doesn't quite succeed in either.

I would like to see his thoughts on this "Canonical Big Idea" presented in a longer work on its own. There just didn't seem to be the space to present what needed to be presented.

Finally, Preaching with Accuracy felt much more abstract than a book like this should feel. There certainly needs to be a philosophy presented, but the suggested big ideas, and sermon help never felt concrete. I looked at the suggested big ideas and without thinking began working on them to simplify their wording. To move them to a more concrete place.

So, while I agree with Pelton's preaching philosophy overall, I feel this book had dual foci which shifted the attention away from the concept of "Canonical Big Ideas" Pelton wanted to present.

Rating: 3/5 (I Liked It)

Find it at Kregel here.
Find it at Amazon here.

You know the Qwaridians beat-up Superman, right?
Note: I received a physical copy of this book for free in exchange for an unbiased review.
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Interview on 3LC Publishing

6/14/2015

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3LC Publishing featured me in an interview for their "In God's Image" series.

Over the course of the interview I talked about my writings, the Untold Podcast, and preaching with a creative flare. Head over here to check it out: http://www.3lcpublishing.com/2015/06/in-gods-image-author-podcaster-nathan-james-norman/

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An Opportunity to Grow in the Art of Preaching

4/25/2015

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My preaching mentor, J. Kent Edwards has recorded a number of Mobil Education courses through Logos Bible Software.
You can learn online from the courses or, better yet, get some hands on training along with the courses.

The information is just below this introductory video.
Breaking news...Crosstalk Global and Logos Bible Software are partners! We are jointly offering 1-week training opportunities in biblical preaching this June. Drs. Steve Gunn, Patricia Batten and I will be teaching these classes @ Logos Bible Software's main campus in Bellingham WA. 

These classes build upon the Mobile Ed video courses I have done for Logos, so students can get the practical personal help they want with their preaching, in these one-week intensives. 

Check out the link, www.logos.com/masterclass come if you can and PLEASE PASS ON THIS BIG NEWS!!
-Kent
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8 Reasons We Use Pew Bibles Instead Of Projection 

3/11/2015

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We use pew Bibles at the church I serve.
Well, we don't have pews. We have cushioned chairs. So technically we have "chair-back Bibles," but the idea is the same.

It might seem antiquated or out of date to have pew Bibles. After all, we have access to a projection system, slide show software and advanced copying systems. We could project whatever text is being preached from. We could also print the text and insert it into the bulletin. But we don't.

Our church has made a conscious decision to not do any of these things. (We will occasionally project a secondary text, but not the primary one). There are direct and indirect results of this decision.

Below are some of the bullet point reasons we use pew Bibles:

  1. Projecting the text takes the Bible away from the congregation. We want people to hold their own Bible (even if it is on their phone). We want them to bring their Bibles. We want them to be able to find their way around it, so they can find their way back to that place.

  2. Pew Bibles give the congregation immediate access to the context. None of the pastors and presenters can play "fast and loose" with the biblical text when the Bible is in the hands of the congregation. At a glance they can see the immediate context.

  3. The congregation knows where the text is located. Years later it is much more likely a member will be able to find his or her way back to a needed text if he or she had been there before. (Even with the digital versions). If we just projected the text and/or printed it in the bulletin, they might remember seeing it on the screen, but they'll have a much harder time finding it again. 

  4. People will become more familiar with their Bibles. We want people to know how to navigate their Bibles. We want people to be able to find passages. We want them to be able to find texts and verses in their time of need. Even with digital searches, there is something lost when a person doesn't know where a text is located. (Old Testament? New Testament? Epistle? Gospel?) The context is key.

  5. It is easier to give Bibles away. I don't have exact numbers, but when we decided to move toward pew Bibles three years ago, we had to invest quite a bit of money. Over the last few years we've easily given away $1000 worth of Bibles. Additionally, every week there's a script I follow: "Please open your Bibles to 1 Samuel 4:1. If you don't have a Bible, feel free to use one of the red chair-back Bibles. They're cued up for the most part. And if you don't own a Bible and you'd like a Bible, please take that Bible home with you, put your name in it and read it. It's our gift to you. We want you to get into the Word of God and the Word of God to get into you." This communicates the importance of the Bible to the whole congregation. Young and old. Every single week.

  6. If parents bring their Bibles, kids bring their Bibles. When we project the text it communicates that  attenders don't need to bring their Bibles. As a result, the kids don't bring it. I spent eleven years in youth ministry. I always wanted teens to bring their Bibles. I communicated it every week. In the churches where pew Bibles abounded, most of the youth brought them. In the churches that projected the text, most of the teens did not. 

  7. Reading straight from the text tells the congregation where authority comes from. It isn't from the pastor. The authority of the church comes from God Himself.

  8. It tells the congregation where the pastor's sermon receives its authority from. Again, it is not from the pastor. When the pastor preaches  from the actual Bible and people read along in an actual Bible, it implicitly communicates his message is not a clever device from Himself, but delivered under the authority of the Lord Jesus Christ.
These are some of our reasons.
What other direct and indirect benefits are there to having pew Bibles?
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Why I Am Not A Vision-Casting Pastor

2/27/2015

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I'm not certain when I first came across the doctrine that the pastor of a church must cast vision to his congregation. It may have been in a book I was assigned during seminary. I certainly heard it from a number of pastors I served under. Whenever it was, though, I just accepted it.

It made sense. And successful mega-church pastors said it was important.

They even quoted the Bible to show how it was necessary:
Where there is no vision, the people perish (Pro 29:18a KJV).

Now, I've never been a wonderful "vision caster" to begin with. So, I've never really done much "vision casting" during my fifteen years of ministry (eight years as a pastor). I wish it was because I was super-discerning, but it's not.

I just thought this was an area of growth for me. And then I came across the now infamous Steven Furtick coloring book from Elevation Church.
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Once in a while it takes someone pushing the heterodox-envelope just enough to snap me awake. And this did it. 

This "church is built on the vision God gave Pastor Steve"! Not so! The church is built on the Lord Jesus Christ. The church is built on the proclamation of the Gospel.
The moment I read this coloring book everything became clear. No matter how good the vision of the pastor, it is far short of the vision already given to the church by our Lord and Master.

The church already has a vision. It's called The Great Commission:
Go, therefore, and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe everything I have commanded you. And remember, I am with you always, to the end of the age.” (Matt. 28:19-20)

So, what about all those verses about people perishing from lack of vision?
Well, this is a gross abuse of the text. The verse is ripped out of context. It doesn't mean the pastor should give the people his vision. Here's what the whole proverb says in the KJV:
Where there is no vision, the people perish: but he that keepeth the law, happy is he. (Pro 29:18 KJV)

A rudimentary understanding of the Hebrew language illuminates this text even more. But without that, a simple survey of other good translations show us what God the Holy Spirit was communicating when he inspired this:
HCSB -Without revelation people run wild, but one who listens to instruction will be happy.

NASB - Where there is no vision, the people are unrestrained, But happy is he who keeps the law.
ESV - Where there is no prophetic vision the people cast off restraint, but blessed is he who keeps the law.

This text isn't talking about a pastor or leader casting vision. It's talking about people lacking the prophetic Word of God. Without God's revelation (the Word of God) sin goes unchecked. This is a proverb about the need to hear and understand God's Revelation - The Bible.

Proverbs 29:18a (only the first half) is often conflated with Hosea:
My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge (Hos 4:6a HCSB). But once again, the whole verse bears out what God the Holy Spirit was actually communicating: My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge. Because you have rejected knowledge, I will reject you from serving as My priest. Since you have forgotten the law of your God, I will also forget your sons. (Hos 4:6 HCSB)

It is about knowing God. And how do we know God? Through his Divine Law. Through his Revelation. Through the Word of God. Through the Bible.

In both of these maligned verses the people are lacking knowledge of God's Law/God's Word. It is destroying them.

So, it's ironic that visionary leaders use these texts to justify gathering people around their vision, which will ultimately hurt the congregation. Because no matter how good the "vision" of the leader is, the Revelation of God (the Bible) is infinitely better.

As a young pastor I spend time in 1 & 2 Timothy and Titus. I want to better understand what my role as a pastor is. Paul doesn't talk about vision-casting. He talks about being a herald. One who proclaims the message of the Gospel (no innovation needed!):

  • Keep your attention on Jesus Christ as risen from the dead and descended from David. This is according to my gospel. (2 Tim 2:8 HCSB)
  • I solemnly charge you before God and Christ Jesus, who is going to judge the living and the dead, and because of His appearing and His kingdom: Proclaim the message; persist in it whether convenient or not; rebuke, correct, and encourage with great patience and teaching. (2 Tim 4:1-2 HCSB)
  • Timothy, guard what has been entrusted to you, avoiding irreverent, empty speech and contradictions from the “knowledge” that falsely bears that name. By professing it, some people have deviated from the faith. Grace be with all of you. (1 Tim 6:20-21 HCSB)

Now, I think the local church needs to strategize how they can best fulfill the great commission. But this isn't vision-casting. The vision is always, always, always The Great Commission.

I'm a messenger. A herald. A preacher.
It's my job to proclaim what is written, correctly.

I'm not a vision-caster.
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