Sermon Tone Analysis

before kids:

thank helpers of fall festival

fall back next saturday

thank gretchen & inform about katie

service:

sicial media & life/culture imitating art/media

Twitter Bio.

Instagram, snap shot

Facebook About Me

All these Social Media spaces exist to help you inquiries and followers know what you are at a glance.

I stumbled upon this thought and came across an article about the meaning and background of the phrase:

Life Imitating Art:

The notion that an event in the real world was inspired by a creative work.

Life Imitates Art far more than art imitates Life.

Oscar Wilde.

“Art makes us notice things that we often ignore, therefore, art gives meaning to life.”

Anti-mimesis, as it's known in the philosophical community, is the theory that people learn about self-expression from art and fiction.

Our actions and thoughts are directly inspired by the art we see, rather than art being a reflection of our organic imagination.

I don’t want to get into a philosophical discussion about the degree of truth in this statement of philosophy.

Art makes us notice things that we often ignore, therefore, art gives meaning to life.

But from a cultural observational place we can see how this philosophy influences our culture.

It is a warning and also an insight.

Current culture belief is that the brand and the person give meaning to your life.

The digital interactions, these virtual encounters become more and more valuable and influential.

Image and optics are vital.

We are in the midst of a world where people get insta-famous, become Reality TV Stars, and YouTube celebrities; athletes and actors determining what is important and of value.

All of a sudden these individuals represent a brand that people want to follow.

They have credibility and influence.

The art and business they create shapes the life of those they come in contact with.

The warning:

The problem with all of this is that if culture has swallowed and ingested what the artist, the athlete, the person, the brand, the image to have to say and communicate; creating way to much influence over people and culture.

What happens when the icon.

the brand.

the messanger.

the idol doesn’t measure up?

Harvey Weinstein (sexual predator making movies and friends of the elite)--this is like the pedophiles safe haven in the Catholic Church & doing nothing about it.

Complicit in silence.

NFL players (political statements conflicting with customers)

Kardashians (beauty products, but life is live drama)

Taylor Swift (relationship mess, but her songs are about love?)

President Trump & politicians (message manipulator, controlling the narrative while he pushes an agenda; elected by the people, for the people, yet only if those people are lobbyists, special interests, and money makers?)

What insight can this offer?

But it got me into a line of thinking that is pertinent today, especially about the person of the Apostle Paul and some things he had to say about imitation.

I wondered what might Paul’s bio read if he were living in the 21st c. and the day & age of social media.

I wondered what ways he might try to influence in his friends on Facebook and his followers on Instagram and Twitter.

In my wanderings and ponderings I believe there is a place to identify themes and values woven throughout the letters and accounts of Paul’s life that he desires for his readers to capture and be influenced by.

So for the next 5 weeks leading up to Advent I want you to consider his life as a disciple, an apostle, an evangelist, and a surrendered follower of Christ; what where the themes of his message that he wanted his friends and foes to capture and begin to enliven?

I am sure you could add to or subtract from this summary, but Based upon the book of Acts, going through commentaries, and scouring his letters in the NT, here is what I surmise Paul would write about himself in the digital age of the 21st c..

Paul of tarsus, apostle and servant of God

______.

________.

Thanks-giver, _______.

“All art is an imitation of Life.”

Aristotle

imitator of Christ.

Speaker of truth.

Boaster of people.

Thanks giver.

Grace and peace proclaimer

Speaker of truth

Boaster of people

Thanks giver

Grace and peace proclaimer

So this morning I want to unpack what Paul stated frequently in his letters to various cities and churches across Asia.

related to the word—

Imitate

Greek: miméomai, mimētḗs, and symmimētḗs

imitating faith means not merely striving to live up to the faith of others but a readiness to take the same way of faith in full commitment to Christ.

The NT as a whole does not teach imitation in the primary sense of imitating an example but rather in the predominant sense of discipleship, i.e., of obedience to the word and will of the Lord either directly or by way of the apostles.

Moral attributes:

We can seek to imitate him in his moral attributes such as his holiness, righteousness, justice, goodness, love, mercy, compassion, tenderness, longsuffering, lovingkindnesss, faithfulness and forgiveness.

Actions:

Servant; Suffering;Surrendered.

Called to be ambassadors:

1 Corinthians 5:

It is relational:

Whose we are influences how we live.

This is a relationship of unfolding reality.

First to Christ:

Whose we are influences how we live.

This is a relationship of unfolding reality.

The righteousness of God is discovered in the way that we imitate the son of God.

Cloud of Witnesses:

Imitation involves who influences your life and how your life is an influence to others.

But imitation involves obeying the rule as well as copying Paul’s example.

This is why Paul adds: “As I am of Christ.”

The Corinthians should imitate Paul by heeding his word as he imitates Christ by understanding the apostolic ministry as Christ wishes.

Paul’s own authority rests on the superior authority of Christ

Jesus said I am the way, the truth the life.

Jesus is the medium and the message, he gives meaning to life.

Paul understood this entirely.

That's why he told his friends, I have endeavors to live a life worthy of the calling IN Christ.

I have been faithful to introducing Christ to you through the way I live, teach, and lead.

Paul’s usage assumes a primary source, in his case it was Christ.

compare Greek understanding with current understanding (influence & obey vs. copy)

Paul’s usage assumes a primary source, in his case it was Christ.

Yet here is how he states--

Summarize imitate me as I imitate Christ.

Would any of you say to another person: imitate me as I imitate Christ?

Oh, the get that from their mother/ they get that from their dad.

In our family we don’t talk, we silent treatment.

in our family we yell.