Shane Hipps – You Are the Medium – an exploration of the human being as God’s ultimate medium for his message. if the medium is the message, and you as a person are the medium, then what does that say about the message?

Medium of You
We have a  body – don’t underestimate that
you have a body for some reason
so God-Jesus – Embodied

Physical body – 5 senses – obvious

Energetic part of body -
thinking, psychology, activity, all have an energy quality
We feel this energy when talking to someone who is no longer listening (we know bc of their lack of energy)
Energy always follows attention
sexual energy is connected with creativity and vitality of life
connection however is not always sexual.
The more we develop our energy/attention/etc. the better you serve

Bono has energy to fill stadiums.
Oprah has energy
Michael Jackson – energy
Our energy is experienced differently by people
Another energy sheer gravitas – presence – Colin Powell

- Unchanging – the only thing that actually changes is your access to it.
- Unlimited – our Essence
Paul wrote about essence in Romans 8.11

Practices to develop your energy levels
physical – you know how to do this (exercise, sleep, eat right)
– physical body is the copper of your energetic body
– do not underestimate your breathing and your posture and how the two relate
We are imitative creatures
- so whatever we give to our audience, the will imitate.  This may reveal some of our blind spots
- shadow moment we down our shadow, it wrecks us
- we must acknowledge it, uncover it  find the person you like the least, feelings, etc. it’s probably in you.
- Own it.  Shane actually used the movie 8 Mile as a reference (which is like Francis Collins quoting Power Rangers ;-).  It’s when Eminem’s character (Rabbit … uhh, I think ;-) owns the negative things in his life that his battle opponent can no longer attack him.

Essential – essence is something you must act and know not just read and believe it.
Breathe you can’t save breaths, you can’t lose it – give it away
Breathe after success, after failure

If it’s anything this world needs is peace, compassion and wisdom.
There is no such thing as a good preacher, only a good person preaching.

New readers -please note there is a context here, especially with Pete. He uses a lot of  paradox, irony, and hyperbole.  But he also uses humor, hence the segue entrance.

After he successfully dismounted, he gave these words prior to the real introduction of  his message: “My job is to get you to disagree with me.  I don’t even agree with meYou need to push back against what I am saying.  To cause a rupture ….”

Peter Rollins – For Those With Ears to Hear: Parables and the Lost Art of Provocation – an exploration of that theological dis-course that holds the power to send us hurtling off course and onto a new one

We need Substantial Change

Christianity is fundamentally violent - People like St. Theresa ruptured the system (Ghandi, MLK)

The question isn’t whether Christianity is true but what does Christianity claim when it claims to be true?

The desire to know the name of God -Moses – systematic theology – gives us insight to who we are now

People’s dogs looks like their owners – people’s gods also look like them

- in baptism, we are brought into the name of God

Revelation is -
epistemological incomprehension
experimental bedazzlement – experience you can’t experience
transformation – no longer the same again

God is apocalyptic – the incoming of something you cannot predict

He reveals and conceals at the same time.

It is darkness and light – hidden/revealed – mystery/revelation
we are changed/renewed
You are my strength (my maranatha) but I am weak.
I fired it up, hallelujah, hallelujah, hallelujah
I curse the day when I saw the light, when you found me.
I find my home in Babylon, where I am exiled.

Why don’t worship songs express our darkness, only love and hope?

So our preaching should be a discourse.
a course that take you off-course

Theo-poetry
something to disturb, alter, change
disruptive, subversive & grounded

Sermons are always about the here and now.
always on the practical

I deny the Resurrection every time when I fail the poor, when I do not serve the helpless

I affirm the Resurrection every time I stand up for those that cannot stand for themselves.

This is substantial change.