{"id":187,"date":"2007-10-05T03:01:03","date_gmt":"2007-10-05T03:01:03","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/blog.beliefnet.com\/markdroberts\/2007\/10\/some-things-ill-miss-about-california-part-3.html"},"modified":"2007-10-05T03:01:03","modified_gmt":"2007-10-05T03:01:03","slug":"some-things-ill-miss-about-california-part-3","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/markdroberts\/2007\/10\/some-things-ill-miss-about-california-part-3.html","title":{"rendered":"Some Things I\u2019ll Miss About California, Part 3"},"content":{"rendered":"

Preaching at Irvine Presbyterian Church. I’ll miss preaching to what was for sixteen years my congregation. (Photo below: a pan of the congregation on my last Sunday at Irvine Pres.)
\n
\nPreaching is a huge privilege. The chance to study God’s Word, to meditate upon it, to live it, to pray over it, and then to share what I’ve found with my sisters and brothers in Christ is truly a gift to the preacher<\/em> (and, I hope, to the preachees). (Photo to the right: preaching in our two more traditional services)
\nWhen I first came to Irvine Pres, there were two services on Sunday morning. A couple of years later we added a Saturday evening service. Then, in 2005, we began our Veritas service, a “post-contemporary” service primarily but not exclusively for young adults. This meant that I preached four times each weekend, twice with digital projection (on Sat PM and Veritas) and twice in the good ol’ fashioned way.
\nDuring my sixteen years and three months as pastor of Irvine Pres, I preached well over 600 different sermons. With repetition on a weekend, I preached about 2,000 times. I don’t think I ever took for granted the significance of my calling as a preacher. Yes, there were some weeks when I wasn’t able to put in as many hours of preparation as I would have preferred. But I can honestly say that I never “winged it,” preaching an impromptu sermon.
\nWell, perhaps with one exception: my Christmas Eve sermon in 1992. I had fine plans for that sermon, but they were dashed on the rocks of joyful reality when my son, Nathan, was born on December 21, 1992, a week before he was due. Three days later, on Christmas Eve, we brought Nathan home from the hospital. As you might well imagine, I hadn’t had much time to prepare my sermon. So on the way to church that evening, I thought about what I would share, more of a testimony than a full-on sermon. I remember that one of my main points was the utter vulnerability of a baby, reflecting on the risk God took in becoming human. (Photo to the right: Preaching at our Veritas service)
\nFrankly, I can’t remember too much more of that sermon. And I don’t even have notes. Mostly I remember feeling like I was in a fog that night. A couple of friends told me it was one of the best Christmas Eve sermons they’d ever heard. But they might have just been being kind.
\nIn case you’re wondering, in my new position at Laity Lodge I will have opportunities to preach, mostly as a guest preacher. The speaking I’ll do at Laity Lodge involves teaching the Scripture with lots of personal illustration and application, but it’s rather more informal than preaching. I will be able to keep on studying and sharing what I’ve found from God’s Word, both in speaking and through my writing. But I will miss the unique communication challenges and opportunities of preaching.
\nWhat are these? <\/em>you might wonder. As I understand it, preaching involves teaching, but “goes for the jugular” spiritually. Though my sermons did not regularly feature an altar call at the conclusion, I was seeking to lead my congregation, not only to assent to new ideas, but also to receive God’s grace in a new and transforming way. I would regularly articulate the gospel, the good news of God’s salvation through Christ, and call for a response of faith. One of my greatest joys as a preacher was hearing how God touched people’s hearts and changed their lives. Some made first-time commitments to Christ. Others found deeper forgiveness and healing. Others gave more of themselves to the Lord.
\nSo I will miss preaching, especially preaching to my beloved congregation in Irvine. But I trust that God will use me in new ways as I step out in obedience to Him.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Preaching at Irvine Presbyterian Church. I’ll miss preaching to what was for sixteen years my congregation. (Photo below: a pan of the congregation on my last Sunday at Irvine Pres.) Preaching is a huge privilege. The chance to study God’s Word, to meditate upon it, to live it, to pray over it, and then to…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":214,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[17],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-187","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-california"],"yoast_head":"\nSome Things I\u2019ll Miss About California, Part 3 - Mark D. Roberts<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/markdroberts\/2007\/10\/some-things-ill-miss-about-california-part-3.html\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Some Things I\u2019ll Miss About California, Part 3 - Mark D. Roberts\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Preaching at Irvine Presbyterian Church. I’ll miss preaching to what was for sixteen years my congregation. (Photo below: a pan of the congregation on my last Sunday at Irvine Pres.) Preaching is a huge privilege. 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Roberts","description":"Mark D. Roberts: Thoughtfully Christian Reflections on Jesus, the Church, and the World","potentialAction":[{"@type":"SearchAction","target":{"@type":"EntryPoint","urlTemplate":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/markdroberts\/?s={search_term_string}"},"query-input":{"@type":"PropertyValueSpecification","valueRequired":true,"valueName":"search_term_string"}}],"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":"Person","@id":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/markdroberts\/#\/schema\/person\/1ff094a57b7e41f534434b1723df3d73","name":"Mark D. Roberts","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/markdroberts\/#\/schema\/person\/image\/","url":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/markdroberts\/wp-content\/wphb-cache\/gravatar\/f2d\/f2ddf5f080861f66ea230384f9d1bab2x96.jpg","contentUrl":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/markdroberts\/wp-content\/wphb-cache\/gravatar\/f2d\/f2ddf5f080861f66ea230384f9d1bab2x96.jpg","caption":"Mark D. Roberts"},"description":"The Rev. Dr. Mark D. Roberts is a pastor, author, retreat leader, speaker, and blogger. Since October 2007 he has been the Senior Director and Scholar-in-Residence for Laity Lodge, a multifaceted ministry in the Hill Country of Texas. Before coming to Laity Lodge, he was for sixteen years the Senior Pastor of Irvine Presbyterian Church in Irvine, California (a city in Orange County about forty miles south of Los Angeles). Before his time at Irvine Pres, Mark served on the staff of the First Presbyterian Church of Hollywood as Associate Pastor of Education. (Thanks to Janel Pahl for taking the photo to the right.) Mark studied at Harvard University, receiving a B.A. in Philosophy, an M.A. in the Study of Religion, and a Ph.D. in New Testament and Christian Origins. He has taught classes in New Testament for Fuller Theological Seminary and San Francisco Theological Seminary. Mark has written several books, including No Holds Barred: Wrestling with God in Prayer (WaterBrook, 2005), Dare to Be True (WaterBrook, 2003), Jesus Revealed (WaterBrook, 2002), After \"I Believe\" (Baker, 2002), and Ezra, Nehemiah, Esther (Word, 1993). His most recent book is Can We Trust the Gospels? Investigating the Reliability of Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John (Crossway, 2007). He is currently working on a commentary on Ephesians that will be published by Zondervan in 2014. Mark writes a devotional for The High Calling of Our Daily Work, a website associated with Laity Lodge. His \"Daily Reflections\" can be viewed online or sent as a daily email. If you wish to receive this email, just visit TheHighCalling.org and sign up. Mark serves on the editorial board of Worship Leader magazine, where he publishes articles and reviews, including his regular column \"Lyrical Poetry.\" Additionally, he has published dozens of articles in leading magazines and journals. He often speaks for churches and other Christian groups, and has been interviewed on over seventy-five radio programs nationwide. Mark is married to Linda, who is a Marriage and Family Therapist, a Spiritual Director, and a retreat speaker. They have two children, Nathan and Kara.For Publicity Photos and Bio Statements for Mark, please check here. Mark's Dossier Professional History: Senior Director and Scholar-in Residence, Laity Lodge, October 2007 to present. Senior Pastor Irvine Presbyterian Church, June 1991 to September 2007 Adjunct Assistant Professor Fuller Theological Seminary, 1994 to 2007. Courses: New Testament Theology and Exegesis. Adjunct Instructor San Francisco Theological Seminary, 1995 to 2001. Courses: New Testament Greek and Exegesis Associate Pastor of Education First Presbyterian Church of Hollywood, 1987-1991 Teaching Fellow Harvard University, 1980-1983 Education: Ph.D. in the Study of Religion. Harvard University, 1992. Area: New Testament and Christian Origins M.A. in the Study of Religion Harvard University, 1984. A.B. magna cum laude in Philosophy Harvard University, 1979. Phi Beta Kappa; Danforth Fellowship Books: Can We Trust the Gospels? Investigating the Reliability of Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John. Crossway, 2007 No Holds Barred: Wrestling with God in Prayer. WaterBrook, 2005 Dare to Be True: Living in the Freedom of Complete Honesty. WaterBrook, 2003. Jesus Revealed: Know Him Better to Love Him Better. WaterBrook, 2002. After \"I Believe\": Experiencing Authentic Christian Living. Baker, 2002. Ezra, Nehemiah, Esther in the Communicator's Commentary Series. Word, 1993. Contacting Mark: You can reach Mark at: E-mail: mark@markdroberts.com mroberts@laitylodge.org Phone: Laity Lodge: (830) 792-1216 Address: Laity Lodge 719 Earl Garrett Kerrville, TX 78028","url":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/markdroberts\/author\/mroberts"}]}},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/markdroberts\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/187","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/markdroberts\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/markdroberts\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/markdroberts\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/214"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/markdroberts\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=187"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/markdroberts\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/187\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/markdroberts\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=187"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/markdroberts\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=187"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/markdroberts\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=187"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}