Peter Storey Notes

Early in August, Peter Storey preached at our church. As I listened to the sermon, I took some notes.  Rather than expend on them, I thought I would list them here.  Perhaps something in them will spark something in you, the reader. Peter's sermon is available on our church website.

• We need to learn the difference between doing church and being the church. It is harder to be the church.  In order to be the church, we need what only God can do.
• There is a big industry around doing the church.  Is any of it about "Changing the world?"  Most of it is about saving the church - we have become obsessed with the survival of the church.
• The world only changes when the church gets broken.
• The paralytic had become the heart burden of his four friends.  We can't be Church until we make that space in ourselves.  Can our hearts be broken enough to let the different one, the needy one, the enemy fall in.  Only then does compassion take up residence in our hearts - only then can we stop doing church and be the church.
• Church is about learning that you can't have Jesus without his friends.
• Compassion is rooted deep within our gut.  We have to feel it, deep down in our gut.  When we feel that, we stop worrying about the presentation of ourselves, our possessions and our church, and we put the other first.
• That's what happened to these four friends, but the church got in the way.
• Everyone had their backs turned to the man.  This is almost our default position.
• Even with Jesus preaching, it was time for something more important.  Compassion shouldn't surprise us when it damages church property.  It should push us to act.  Radical hospitality can break open a church.