So what are you gonna do about it?

a few thoughts about worship at the southeastern church of Christ yesterday... church was really good yesterday - very challenging. greg preached the kind of sermon that just gets under your skin. the kind where you get uncomfortable because you can't just ignore it. and it wasn't so much because he made a fabulous presentation (though i do like his preaching style) but it was because today he proclaimed the Word of God - you know, the one that is living and active and sharper than any double-edged sword, dividing even soul and spirit.
he challenged us with the radical commitment and obedience of john the baptist, and the impact the Christians of ephesus had on their community. they were making such a difference that the people who made their living from selling figurines of the goddess artemis began a riot. greg asked "are we making such a difference around us because of our relationship with Jesus Christ that the powers of darkness feel the need to fight back?" he asked us, in the past week what decisions have you made BECAUSE of your relationship with Jesus? how has your behavior at work been impacted this week by your relationship with Jesus? how have your relationships with other people been affected this week because of your relationship with Jesus?
after sermons like that we like to talk about how "the preacher was really turning up the heat on that one" or "well, now he's just meddling" (always said tongue in cheek) or "that was a great sermon. i really like what he had to say." but the challenge offered from the Word of God today goes well beyond those politenesses. it slaps you in the face and says "so what are you gonna do about it?"

the text for the sermon was Acts 18:23 - 19:41

Admitting Defeat

With just 8 posts in the last 8 months (and half of those came in January) I have decided to give up all pretenses of being a blogger. I had a hard enough time this summer just sending out update emails to friends and family during my time in Honduras. So this is it. I will no longer pretend that I'm just behind on blogging, or just too busy to get out a long post. I resign myself to being a "make a post whenever I feel like it and not a week sooner" kind of guy. This doesn't mean that I'll never post my thoughts on some subject in particular or maybe even just write about some random happening in my life. But I am releasing you all - you faithful blog readers - from your feelings of obligation to check my blog frequently (or even regularly). And Jeremy, it is with a clear conscience that I give up my spot on your side bar (if you haven't already removed me). You are free to go about your daily lives unfettered by the burden of worrying about why I haven't posted in 8 weeks. You are free to use your precious bandwidth in some more productive manner, rather than habitually returning to kentbrantly.blogspot.com only to see me, once again, making a Good Friday alfombra in Guatemala.

So go. Run with this new found liberty. Write about it on your own blog if you like. Run and never look back. Don't worry. Someday some event will bring me to mind and you'll think, "I wonder what good ol' Kent is up to." You'll remember this blog and you'll think about cruising back over to check for an update. I'm telling you now friend, just send me an email. Your chances of learning something new about me are worlds better that way.

Farewell,blogger. Adios, you faithful few. Thank you for your continued support.


ps - maybe i'll post a summary of my summer before school starts again.