TV saved my life

This AM while I was reading over my email I cam across an article about a 9 year old boy who upon discovering that he had been separated from his family while hiking/camping in the Utah wilderness used what he learned from watching the Discovery Channel's survivor program Man vs. Wild to save himself.

Remembering what he learned while watching the show with his Dad and brothers, Grayson W. proceeded to use his bright yellow rain jacket to leave markers of his location to his would be rescuers. Further following the advice Man vs. Wild's host Bear Grylls, Grayson followed the river down to the lake it flowed into knowing that it was a popular location for campers. It was there that he was discovered by some mounted rescue workers and returned to his worried father whom Grayson greeted with "Happy Father's Day!"
(To read the entire article CLICK HERE)

I have heard stories like this before. Toddler dials 911 to save his Grandpa after Big Bird teaches him how. Man saves neighbors home from wild fires applying what he learned from a magazine in his Dentist's office. Every once in a while we hear of people like Grayson doing something extraordinary based off what they learned from TV or from what they just happened to read. The truth is that we, as a people, are capable of amazing things when we are put in the perfect situation to apply what we know to what is going on. In a lot of ways this is what I am hoping the summer Sermon Series does for this church. It is my hope that by hearing and experiencing worship that places the call to community, welcome across barriers, and radical hospitality at the center of our time together we may be like Grayson and apply what we have heard when the opportunity arises.

This week I will be preaching on Acts 11:1-18 which chronicles Peter's explanation of the events that led up to his preaching and baptism of Gentiles. For the early church this was radical to be sure and certainly was an action that demanded an explanation. My sermon is entitled "All God's Children: Us & Them."