an audience of everyone

There are several people throughout the world, whether they wanted to or not, have become 'Christian celebrities.'  These are people who are either authors, speakers, pastors, evangelists, etc, who are very well known throughout various parts of Christendom.  There are some who seem to welcome and embrace this status while there are some who try to avoid 'celebrity status' at all costs.  While I am at no risk of becoming one of these 'Christian celebrities,' I find myself wrestling with an issue that relates to it.

I can't help it.  When I hear about friends of mine who have been asked to write for certain magazines/books or asked to speak at camps, retreats, conferences, schools, etc, I find myself thinking, "why not me?"  What is it that I lack that I am not sought after for these things? I don't have to think long and hard to realize that there is a deep-rooted pride within me that wants to seen as something and that wants to be known as somebody.  When I am occasionally asked to speak somewhere, why is it that I enjoy it so much when other people find out?  Perhaps it is because there is a large part of my heart that is still trying to seek the approval of others.  God, may my heart seek to give you honor and glory above all others.

As always, I would love to hear your thoughts/experiences. 

being real

There is a group of about 8-10 men who meet at my church every Thursday for an hour around lunchtime to gather around God's Word.  Every guy in the room is either retired or works a blue collar job of some sorts.  There is no one in the room who would claim to have any specialized education in the area of theology, ministry, or the scriptures.  While they have been meeting for about three months in a room very close to my office, I had never joined them in their small group despite being invited.  Last Thursday, I decided that I would join the guys for their hour long study/conversation and can I also add that it was one of the most refreshing experiences I have had in awhile.

What was it that I enjoyed so much about this little band of brothers?  The men are quick to confess their utter need and dependence upon Christ.  There is no fluff, no smoke and mirrors that they use to somehow make it look like they have their crap together.  Prayer requests consist of help with meth and alcohol addictions.  I couldn’t help but think that Brennan Manning would thoroughly enjoy a group like this.  There is no ‘scholar’ among them that feels necessary to somehow exalt himself or let it be known that he is the ‘superior Christian’ among the group.

Don’t get me wrong; with a group like this, you will certainly come across some interesting theology and conclusions.  For example, this Thursday we read the entire book of Colossians and discussed its content in one hour… An impossible task.  And this is what I couldn’t help but wonder as the group was coming to a close: what would many of my seminary professors think about what took place in that small group setting?  Would they be disgusted at the lack of proper exegesis?  Would they be disappointed that I did not take more of an authoritative role among the group so I could correct false conclusions?  Would they be able to see that Jesus looks at a group of men like this and is so proud to see his sons seeking his face the only way they know how? 

I have a lot to learn from these men.

"I didn't get much out of worship today"

I overheard someone say that the other day... "I didn't get much out of worship."  I thought about saying something but I am always cautious about coming across as condescending.  This is not the first time that I have heard a statement like this and, in fact, I am sure I have said it at one time or another in my life.  What irks me about a statement like this is the consumeristic nature of the statement... That somehow gathering for worship has become more about gathering to be pampered.  Don't get me wrong, when we come before God in a spirit of worship we will definitely be blessed, but may 'being blessed' never precede our desire and intention to offer up our worship.

And while I may have already beaten the dead horse in previous entries, this is what I find to be a continual pattern in many people's understanding of the worship time, especially in Protestant circles.  We come seeing if the pastor has good insight this week, if the band plays our favorite songs with excellence, if the powerpoint/videos are appealing, and so on.  I wonder if there would be as much 'church hopping' if we ceased to think this way...

A perspective of thanks

I have had a cough for almost a week... one of those coughs where you actually wake yourself up from coughing.  Along with my good friend 'the cough,' I also have a canker sore on the side of my tongue that reminds me of its presence everytime I chew food.  I found myself thinking, "I can't wait until two or three days pass and the cough and the canker sore are gone..."  There is nothing wrong with that sentiment at all.

Then I started thinking about other people, people I know and millions more that I don't, who have many issues I'm sure they wish would go away 'in two or three days' but they will not... People who have terminal illnesses, people who are not able to control their blatter, cancer patients, loneliness, a lack of hope, and so on.  Don't get me wrong, I don't enjoy waking up due to a coughing fit or accidently grazing my teeth against the canker sore in my mouth, but may I give thanks that I can walk with my own two feet and go get the 'Oragel.'   May I not forget that I am truly blessed and have much to give thanks for.  Lastly, may it become a pattern of my life to daily give thanks to my God for the simplicities of life... a beating heart, oxygen, a loving wife, and so much more.

cell phones and youth ministry

A couple weeks back we began a new small group series on Sunday evenings (mentioned in a previous entry).  The main goal of the series is to teach and to share the wider narrative of scripture... within the 66 books of the Bible, we read about the grand-narrative, the wider picture of what God is up to in the world.

To help teach and bring life to many of these familiar stories, we have the students participate in a number of experiences throughout the evening, such as: discussion, art, prayer, silence & reflection, etc.  My reason for writing today is not so much to recommend Michael Novelli's 'Shaped by the Story', but to share the discouraging events that take place just before the lessons begin.

Because the lessons focus on experiencing the stories of scripture, we thought (and so does Novelli in the book) it would be a good idea to have a 'cell phone basket' for the teens to put their little mobile devices in so that they won't be distracted as they 'enter the story.'  So far in two weeks, we have had at least one student 'threaten' to leave, others promise that they would tell their parents about what we were doing,  and several cry and complain as if we were asking them to give up a lung. 

In November we went on a retreat with our students.  Mistakenly, we did not enfore a cell phone rule.  As a result, many of our students were constantly checking facebook, sending texts, and 'connecting' back home... While the teens may have 'retreated' physically, their cell phones ensured they did not have to retreat socially, mentally, and spiritually.

And to me, this is the crux of the issue.  Phones, smart phones in particular, have made it so we no longer have to be mentally present where we are physically present.  Our phones have enabled us to disconnect from our surroundings and reconnect to our social networks, our favorite games, and our friends.  I may possibly be in the presence of hearing the most beautiful rendition of Bethoven's fifth or perhaps I am sitting in a pew where God's Word  is being preached with truth and conviction but my eyes, ears, mind, and heart can very easily be hundreds of miles away thanks to my droid.

Smart phones brag about their ability to 'connect us' but I would argue that as much connecting that is taking place, there is a greater amount of disconnecting that is happening.  Invited to a friends house that you don't care to be at?  No problem at all.  The conversation doesn't particularly interest you?  Easy solution.  Too scared to have the awkward 'break up' conversation in person?  Problem solved.  Disconnecting has never been so easy.

Not only do our phones enable us to disconnect, I would also argue that they foster selfishness, greed, and impatience.  The smart phone is geared to give the owner anything they want in an instant: people, news, sports, facebook, porn, music, you name it... So what happens when we are placed in an environment that does not cater to every aspect of our wants?  We get it with the help of our phones.

"And then Jesus approached the two students, one was sending a tweet pic of their new shirt while the other was updating their status, and said to them, 'I want you to put your phones down and follow me..."

sheep that go astray

I'm working my way through 'The Godbearing Life,' by Kendra Dean and Ron Foster.  The book takes a fresh look at the important role that adults have in being 'Godbearers' to students as oppose to program leaders.

As the authors begin the 3rd chapter, they refer to Jesus' parable about the lost sheep and how every student that enters into our 'flock' is now under our care.  The authors continue on and say that we will be held accountable for every sheep that is lost and never returns.

While I am familiar with this parable, this comparision is frightening to me.  There is a large amount of students who have come through our doors in years past who have since stopped attending and/or lost interest attending our church... Many of them, to my knowledge, did not leave to attend a different church.  While I realize being a minister calls us to love and care for the sheep of our flock, it also seems like an unreal expectation to be personally responsible for every single one.

With many of the teens, though not all (regrettably), there have been follow up calls/messages inviting them back to the church.  However, at the end of the day, they are free to do as they please.

How responsible is the minister?  How responsible is the local church for sheep that have gone astray?  How do you interpret this in light of the parable that Jesus spoke?

awkward conversations

I just had one of those really awkward conversations... You know, one of those conversations that you have to have but there is no part of you that looks forward to having it.  I am not sure if I handled it the best.  Whenever I have the imaginary conversation in the car I am always a lot more confident and articulate... (you know what I am talking about) But then when it really happens, my heart starts beating faster and I am suddenly not as cool and collected as I hoped I would be.  Hey, I never promised that my blog entries would be profound or insightful :-) Enjoy your Thursday.