Heart pounding

I am reading through the Relevant Church, kinda skipping around. I just finished Holly Rankin Zaher's chapter on Three Nails, an emerging Episcopal Church plant in the Pittsburgh area.
I'm not sure exactly what it was about the story of Three Nails that got me so fired up, but it did. As I read about their planning and praying and discussing what an emerging community of faith might look like, my heart literally began to pound.
There is excitement about the new and untried. There is excitement about maybe reaching people for Christ. There is excitement about something new!!!???

Keeping me up at night

I have been losing sleep lately, not because my kids are sick or I'm stressed out about getting kids signed up for summer camp but over a friend.
A former student from our high school group, decided art school wasn't for him. So he is home now. He did great at school, good grades, made friends; just came to the decision that he wasn't sure he wanted to waste his parents money on another semester of something he just wasn't sure about.
So the thought that is keeping me awake is this: I don't think he really got involved in any kind of church while he was at school. Will he come back to church? The thought that thought grows into is: Once, all our kids leave high school will they find a church? Once their parents aren't there to kick them out of bed, will they get up and go to church? Will they pick up their bibles? Will they search out other people following Christ? Is church, our church, a place, both literally and figuratively, where post-high school age people can come, will want to come, to explore faith and Jesus Christ?
Am I even asking the right question? Is our community of faith, a community that is willing to hang out with young adults?
I am happy my friend is home. It will be good to reconnect with them.
This is a subject I hope to return to often. Its potential upside is huge as far as reaching young adults goes, and it's potential downside is just as large, in that we are at risk of losing a generation.

Blog map

Thought this was kinda cool.

Chained to my circumstances

We started a series at church this week called Life to the Full. I knew it would reach a lot of people right where they are at . I didn't expect to be one of those people. Week 1 was called Releasing the Chains, as each person entered the room they were handed a small card with a picture of a big ol' chain on it. Rich used examples of how Christ freed people from various chains, the paralytic whose 4 friends lowered him through the roof, Legion and the herd of pigs, and the Pharissee and the tax collector at the altar. The service ended with Rich asking us to spend a few minutes with God asking him to release us from our chains, whatever they might be. Then to take that picture of the chain and leave it at the foot of the cross at the front of the room, symbollically asking Christ to free us of our chains.

Up until that moment, I would have said I didn't have any chains. But God's spirit moved in me; showed me how I am chained to my circumstances. Rather than resting in Christ's presence, I slog and bumble and hurk and jerk from one circumstance to the next. High as a kite one moment from an awesome conversation with someone.... dragging tail the next, looking like someone just shot my puppy because the guy at Home Depot handed me the wrong washer and i didn't realize it until I got home. Giddy as a school girl one momemnt because someone just told me how one of my messages really spoke to them...feeling like someone hit me in the stomach with a bat the next, because there is realtional drama amongst our high school students.
I really do want to grow up, to be mature in my faith. Unfortunately, the more I thought about it the more I have allowed myself to be at the total mercy of my circumstances rather than at Jesus' total mercy. So I got up, walked to front of the room and left the chain of my circumstances at the foot of cross.

Retelling of John 4

Check out this modern day retelling of John 4.

Challenging, thought-provoking, beautiful, motivating, confrontational, unsettling, comforting, telling, pick your adjective....I think this retelling captures a picture of Jesus that more people need to see.

Who's afraid of intelligent design?

This article, Who's afraid of intelligent design?, in the Washington post, delivers one of the best and most balanced arguments have I heard for the teaching of the origins and development of life.
I wrote something similar awhile back called More ramblings on Evolution and Stuff.
I believe this may be one of those things we don't discover the complete truth about this side of heaven. That's why it is all the more important for us to have healthy discussions around topics like this.

Leadership-downs and ups

Last year, at this time, I had 11 adult volunteer leaders helping me run our student ministries. It is now down to 4. 5 of them have moved and two (both moms of young kids) stepped down because it became too much for them.
We are still running our programs. More importantly, we are still reaching kids with the love of Christ. God has blessed this ministry with people who are not afraid to invest in kids lives. With fewer leaders, I can spend more time with each of them, discipling and coaching.
This year, I also have two student leaders, a senior guy and a junior girl, who are helping out with our Middle School stuff. Both of them have really stepped up and our impacting kids lives. The other part that is really cool is that our current middle schoolers are asking how they can become student leaders when they are in high school.
God is good. I am incredibly grateful for the leaders that are in place now. I am grateful for God's peace which I truly feel about our current leadership situation.

Free Ipods

Check out this site. Free Ipods. You have to jump through some hoops but it looks legit.

Oh the places you'll go

I found this cool little thing on Stu's Rants.

bold the states you've been to, underline the states you've lived in and italicize the state you're in now...

Alabama / Alaska / Arizona / Arkansas / California / Colorado / Connecticut / Delaware / Florida / Georgia / Hawaii / Idaho / Illinois / Indiana / Iowa / Kansas / Kentucky / Louisiana / Maine / Maryland / Massachusetts / Michigan / Minnesota / Mississippi / Missouri / Montana / Nebraska / Nevada / New Hampshire / New Jersey / New Mexico / New York / North Carolina / North Dakota / Ohio / Oklahoma / Oregon / Pennsylvania / Rhode Island / South Carolina / South Dakota / Tennessee / Texas / Utah / Vermont / Virginia / Washington / West Virginia / Wisconsin / Wyoming / Washington D.C /

Go HERE to have a form generate the HTML for you.

Willow Creek Next Gen Conference

I spent 4 days last week at Willow Creek with three of my adult leaders and 6 student leaders. Their new auditorium was unbelievable. 7000 seats??? A coupe of things stick out to me about the trip.
There were only a handful of occasions when I felt like I was leading kids. The students with us truly acted like leaders and lived up to expectations that I placed upon them.
The personal theme for the conference for me was my own personal brokenness as revealed to me in the light of Christ's overwhelming grace and mercy. I'm not in the middle of some major backslide or struggling with a nagging sin but to feel forgivness and grace and mercy wash over me like a river was such a gift. I have been following Christ for 17 years now and it's great to know that God's mercies truly are new everyday.
Maybe the highlight of the trip came after we got home. Bethany, of our student leaders slipped a note in backpack at our Saturday night Service. I didn't find it until the next day. It was a thank you note for inviting her to the conference. She told how she felt like she really connected with God for the first time. She felt a calling on her life; calling to serve others and to serve the Lord. She concluded her letter by telling me she wanted to lead others like I have led her. What a gift to be able to see someone like Beth come into her own, to experience the Lord of the universe and to hear his calling on her life.

Albert Mohler on McLaren's Generous Orthodoxy

I had nearly finished reading Brian McLaren's A Generous Orthodoxy when I stumbled upon this review via Movable Theoblogical by Dr. Albert Mohler. Dr Mohler is the president of the Southern Baptist Theological Seminary.

Dr Mohler writes:

he embraces relativism at the cost of clarity in matters of truth and intends to redefine Christianity for this new age, largely in terms of an eccentric mixture of elements he would take from virtually every theological position and variant.

My take would be a little different. In a Generous orthodoxy I found McLaren affirming and encouraging those aspects of varying denominations which he believes to most closely resemble the early church. At the same time, identifying those aspects of the same varying denominations, that when compared to the church that Christ laid the foundation of, are found lacking. More simply put here is what the Methodist have done well and not done well, here is what the Catholics have done well and not done well, here is what the anabaptists have done well and not done so well, etc.

This is a man who doesn't want to offend anyone on any side of any argument. That's why it's hard to find the orthodoxy in A Generous Orthodoxy.

I think I understand Dr. Mohler's perspective, i.e., the gospel has the potential to be offensive. I do not however agree (and this is an assumption I am making about Mohler's stance) that a potential to be offensive gives us as followers of Christ a license or worse a mandate to offend in the name of Lord.

McLaren effectively ransacks the Christian tradition, picking and choosing among theological options without any particular concern for consistency. He rejects the traditional understanding of doctrine as statements of biblical truth and instead presents a variant of postmodernism

What is the value is consistency for consistency's sake?

A responsible theological argument must acknowledge that difficult questions demand to be answered. We are not faced with an endless array of doctrinal variants from which we can pick and choose. Homosexuality either will or will not be embraced as normative. The church either will or will not accept a radical revisioning of the missionary task.

At the risk of sounding sarcastic and disrespectful, it must be nice to live in a world that is completely black and white. Difficult questions demand to be answered? Who exactly determines who is qualified to answer those questions?

We will either see those who have not come to faith in the Lord Jesus Christ as persons to whom we should extend a clear gospel message and a call for decision, or we will simply come alongside them to tell our story as they tell their own.

So according to Dr Mohler evangelism consists of reciting the four spiritual laws. The movement of God in our lives has no place in sharing Christ's love, that would be telling our story. Expressing an interest in someone else's life by asking questions about what they believe or about their past experiences has no place in reaching the lost for Christ either because that would mean we would have to listen to their story.

Honest Christians know that disagreements over issues of biblical truth are inevitable. But we owe each other at least the honesty of taking a position, arguing for that position from Scripture, and facing the consequences of our theological convictions.

At the risk of sounding sarcastic yet again it must be nice to have all the answers. According to Dr Mohler there is no room to say "I don't know." A position I believe to both disingenuous and dangerous. I truly believe that scripture has the answers to many questions. I also believe there are some questions that don't have answers.

I am sure Dr Mohler has and will continue influence people for the Lord. He must have worked incredibly hard to attain a position such as the one he holds. He is due a great deal of respect. My hope and prayer is that he has not become so enamored with his posotion and the respect he is owed to be willing to look and listen to those with opinions contrary to his own.

Authoritative Communities

This post on Christdot has got my brain turning. I'm not sure what to do with it yet. But this concept of authoritative communities; multi-generational, intentional gatherings cannot be ignored. I have been a youth pastor, either paid or volunteer for the better of 12 years now and ministry has always been about identifying groups, youth, 20-somethings, young marrieds, seniors, and ministering to and in those groups. The logic to support this is obvious. Or so it seemed. Now, it feels like we have been wrong all this time and possibly robbing our communities of life changing relationships simply because of a demographic.

Much more work and thought to be done...

Pace and consumption

For the first time in 4 years of full-time ministry I feel good about the pace at which I am running. I am spending time with my wife and kids, I am spending time with folks outside of program and I am not tired all the time.

There is only one disappointment right now. I am not able to spend the time I want blogging. I post, like 2x a month. I almost feel guilty. I read the sites of others and I 'll occasionally comment. But I feel as if the blogosphere has turned into one more thing I am consuming. I want to contribute to the conversation. I fear I won't be able to.

Postmodern children's ministry

pcm
Originally uploaded by kayos.

Here is a short review of new book called Postmodern Children's Ministry. I am adding it to my "to read list." I have also recommended it our Children's ministry team.

It will be interesting to hear their responses. My hope and best case is they will see it as challenging and stretching.

My brain is fried

I was gonna sit down and write tonite. However, my brain is not firing on all cylinders and the wife just walked in the door from the video store with Anchorman.
Here's to mindless entertainment.!!

the practice of the presence

I recently finished reading practice of the presence of God by Brother Lawerence. Being continually aware of the Lord's presence, asserts Brother Lawerence, makes God's presence in times devoted solely to Him that much more real and moving. I understood the logic but this morning experienced it.
As I have been going through my days, I have tried to remain in the presence of the Lord; uttering small prayers of acknowledgement and thanksgiving. Not that I would consider myself living in the continual presence of God but I now experience God in places like the gym and while stuck traffic. This morning as I wrestled with the first chapter of the book of James, I felt as if I were immersed in God's presence. The intellecual knowledge of John 1

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was with God in the beginning.

is mine. This morning the experiential knowledge, the encounter, with the person Christ as the Word of God, was mine as well.
Thank you Father God for the many ways in which you meet us.

Zechariah 14

I have been trying to get through the books of the minor prophets. I have been trying to understand the bible as one of God's tools for revealing himself. I have been trying to get beyond seeing the bible as my "little answer book." "God show me your character" has been my prayer as I spend time reading the bible.

Then there is the 14th chapter of Zechariah. I have always been taught by spiritual leaders and mentors that God will not, even more, cannot compel someone to worship him. My studying of Jesus reveals to me that he loved, cared and healed people into a worshipping relationship. Yet in the 14th chapter of Zechariah there is this:

Zech 14:16-19

16 Then the survivors from all the nations that have attacked Jerusalem will go up year after year to worship the King, the LORD Almighty, and to celebrate the Feast of Tabernacles. 17 If any of the peoples of the earth do not go up to Jerusalem to worship the King, the LORD Almighty, they will have no rain. 18 If the Egyptian people do not go up and take part, they will have no rain. The LORD will bring on them the plague he inflicts on the nations that do not go up to celebrate the Feast of Tabernacles. 19 This will be the punishment of Egypt and the punishment of all the nations that do not go up to celebrate the Feast of Tabernacles.
NIV

Most scholars believe Zechariah is speaking of the days after armagedon. This sounds like compulsion to me, withholding sustenance? Will God have had all He can stand by that point? And say "It's my way or the highway!" It actually sounds worse than that. It sounds like, "It's my way or no way."

From a worldly standpoint, it would be totally understandable if God were to use this tactic. He set the world in motion, gave us some loose parameters and let us have at it. We then decide to go our own way; over and over and over again. Finally, God get's to the point where He can't take it anymore. "I'm tired of watching you people screw this thing up. Do it my way or else." But God is not of this world. Therefore, a worldly standpoint is irrelevant.

What part of God's character is this? Does this go into the God's ways are higher than mine and I'm not supposed to get it? Will I get it when all things come to completion? How do I explain a passage like this to a friend far from God? To high school student trying to make sense of the world?

Lord give me wisdom.

Incapable of a significant answer

A comment I added to Tim Bednar's post on e-church.com
To answer the original question, why the silence Tsunamis?
For me personally, I think it is because I lack the capability. I lack the mental and emotional capability of dealing with something so horrific. I sit in my toasty little home and begin to think of orphans bewildered, searching for their parents and I shut down.
I think of parents weeping and wailing at the loss of their of children. I think of my own children fighting to survive in the torrents of water that wreaked so much havoc and I become paralyzed with fear and sadness.
We were staggered, as a nation at the loss of 3300+ on 9/11, I can't begin to comprehend 155,000+.
Spiritually, I don't think there is an answer of any significance that we, as mere humans can offer. Not only does a signifcant answer not exist, I think we diminish the magnitude and tragedy of what happened when we try to offer one.

Why does church have to be this way?

I just got off the phone with dear friends who called to say they were leaving our church. They have been partners in mininstry, supporters and encouragers. Their daughters are very involved in our student ministries. Their eldest daughter is our boy's favorite babysitter. We have invested much in them and they have invested much in us. They have given countless hours of their time and energy, given selflessly of their resources. To say they will be missed is an understatement.
Were they without faults? No. But they love God and they Love other people. And I love them.

They told me they have felt God calling them elsewhere for some time now. Their season with us is over. I don't want to stand in the way of anyone following God's call. With that said though, I don't get it! I don't like it. And I don't understand it! Why does church have to be this way?

When I was in the marketplace people came and went all the time. It never felt personal like this. It never hurt like this.

more on technology that I can't do without

Inspired by Tim Bednar's post on e-church.com I began to consider the technology that I can't do without.

Firefox defintely makes my list as the browser of choice; for tabbed browsing and live bookmarks which act kinda like a News aggregator
Feeddemon is the aggregator I use to keep up with the blogosphere.
Final Cut Express is the video editing program that makes me look like a pro (from what I have been told) at a fraction of the cost.
Flickr is what I use to share family photos as well as minstry stuff.
I am a total novice at web design, I get my help from HTML Code Tutorial

Anyway, those are the tools I am using most often right now. As an aside, with the exception of Final Cut, all were brought to my attention by other members of the blogging community.