I really like my new project (Smashing Sermons). Using the Smash Book to record my sermon notes while reflecting on the meaning of the sermon has brought my attention to the word of God in a new and prolonged way that helps me really absorb what I have heard. I am reading a book by Dallas Willard called "Hearing God". I have just begun the book but already I see parallels in what I have begun to do with my Smashing Sermons and with "Hearing God".
To make the above Zentangle I painted black chalkboard paint onto the paper. Next I glued one of my origami crosses to the middle of the painted space. I then used a white paint pen with a small point to create the Zentngles. This was so much fun. The effect of the white on black was fun to work with, it reminded me in a weird way of those velvet posters that can be colored with markers and also of black light posters from the 70s.
As I've mentioned before the Smash Book comes with some of the pages already printed with images. This is no problem with gluing things in because you can just glue things over the image - however if you are trying to embellish notes or add designs of your own it presents a challenge. This layout had a picture of a subway train station on the left hand page. I glued on a quote from the sermon: "Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it" from George Santayana, an American philosopher. I also glued on a verse from the sermon, Deuteronomy 8:2 "Remember how the Lord your God led you all the way in the wilderness these 40 years". This was the Memorial Day sermon and the point was to not only remember the heroes of our military past who have sacrificed for the freedoms we enjoy today but to also remember what God has done for us. And not just the gift of His son and His sacrifice but all the specific big and little things of our own history that remind us of the never-ending provision and love of God.
The title of the sermon was "Tie the String Around Your Finger, A Message from Deuteronomy 8". I printed a graphic from the internet of a finger with a string around it and I tied a cord around a toothpick and glued it to the hand of the drawing figure to reinforce the idea to REMEMBER.
This layout included an Easter eggs image on the right hand page. Rather than try to compete with the busy pattern I typed a verse from the sermon onto white paper and pasted it in. The verse is "Now faith is confidence in what we hope for and assurance of what we do not see, Hebrews 11:1. I also previously mentioned that the Smash notebooks have accessories that can be purchased separately. I purchased an accessory that allows you to add pages at any point in the notebook. The green striped strip at the center of the layout is an insert-able strip that is really two strips. The insides of the two strips have peel off tape that reveals the two sticky strips. You can insert any page between these strips and then press the strips together to hold the piece of paper in place. I used the strip to attach the sermon notes page from the church bulletin with my notes recorded on it. On the left is the cross and chalkboard paint with white paint pen. Underneath that is the image I cut from the front of the church bulletin.
My favorite point from this sermon is that Faith Frees from the Bondage of Bitterness! Pastor Gerald mentioned that after he preaches people come up to him and say "you read my mail today" meaning they felt that the pastor or God was speaking directly to them about some specific issue they were having. He told us not to think that about this point. He said that EVERYONE struggles with bitterness. I found that comforting because when things go wrong rather than be a tower of strength and stoic optimism I fall back on self-pity and bitterness. Not every time but often enough that it makes me sad that I must be so disappointing to God. He has provided the solution right there in His Word and must wonder why I can't get it. The verse Pastor Gerald used to illustrate this point was Genesis 50: 20-21, "You intended to harm me, but God intended it for good to accomplish what is now being done, the saving of many lives. So then, don't be afraid. I will provide for you and your children.". This verse of course refers to Joseph following his time as a slave. His brothers sold him into slavery and after many years and many turns of events he held a position that allowed him to save a nation from starvation. Their meanness was used by God to help not only Joseph but many other people.
Can't we all benefit from that message? Whatever is going wrong, large or small, the world may mean it for evil but God will use it for our good and perhaps even for the good of many others. There is meaning in all suffering. And going back to the previous week's message we must actively remember the times in our past when God has brought good out of evil and know that He will do it again. Amen.
***podcasts of Preston Ridge Sermons are found here.
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