Just saw this...

It launches tomorrow!

Updating...

Blogger is adding some new features and stuff, so my blog will be using a beta version of what they're doing for a while...

Sorry if this gets things all jacked up for a bit (like the blog links are gone and the side bar is at the bottom of the page and who knows what else).

As soon as I figure out how to get it fixed, I will.

One feature that I do like will be adding labels to posts that will categorize things a lot better than just what month they were written in. (But it will be a while before I can get through all the posts and get them labeled.)

The Best 6 Bucks I Didn't Really Spend

Last Christmas, I recieved a gift card for a church bookstore in town. I don't get over there very often, so I still had a few dollars unused on the card. I happened to be in the area a couple weeks ago with a few extra minutes, so I stopped in to see what I could find. Just before I got to the music area, I found a small table full of clearance stuff. Books, music, CD's, etc. (They even had some old cassettes!)

"Everything $2."

The words called to me. I don't know, maybe I'm cheap, but if there's a table full of $2 items, surely there's something worthy. In addition to the book about U2 that I blogged about last week, I got Derek Webb's "I See Things Upside Down" CD, and Charlie Peacock's book "At the Crossroads", which I've been reading. For 6 Bucks! For 6 Bucks that someone gave me!!!

This book is about the Christian music industry. Some good points, some shortcomings. Actually it deals with some similar themes as "Walk On" did, but from within the industry itself. Peacock advocates a more complete kingdom vision - God's story everywhere in everything, as opposed to Christian music being reduced to 3 mentions of Jesus and better days to come when he returns. Living a life that is fully integrated with that kingdom vision.

It's been a very enlightening book, and a challenge to pay attention to the ever-expanding nature of the Kingdom of God and the beauty of creativity that is a part of the nature of His image bearers.

As he is speaking to the fact that there are so few examples of music from Christians that deal with the broader (but less easily labeled) aspects of God's Story, he mentions a passage from Song of Solomon: "Let him kiss me with the kisses of his mouth - for your love is more delightful than wine." This lyric wouldn't go over so well as a "Christian" lyric in CCM.

But ironically, within five minutes of reading that page, the Derek Webb CD that I bought that day played a song titled "Better Than Wine" that deals with just that theme! And now is a song called "T-shirts (what we should be known for)" is speaking to the same topic as much of the book. Then again, Derek Webb is being seen as somewhat of a rogue element in the Christian Music Industry. But I bet he's read this book, too.

Either that, or, he and Charlie Peacock are living the same Story...

May I live it too...

And you with us.

Coming Up

Yeah, it's a month away, but make your plans now!

Send me a sign...

There are a number of links to church sign generators on the web (click here for example), where you can fabricate a church sign to make whatever ridiculous comment you want it to make. This site, Crummy Church Signs, however is reportedly filled with examples of real live church signage gone amuck. Some of those are trite and cheesy, others are downright wrong. Some are sad and others are just hilarious.

I wonder, though, what is wrong with this picture. This is a picture of an actual sign that I took in front of a business that is located next door to a church facility. What does it say about a church's relationship to its community? Now, I don't know anything about the church really except the location of its building and that they have a reputation for free food (soup kitchen type of outreach). But something is wrong here...

Great Message...

Not sure if this is legit or not... but it's hilarious. If you're ever running late to something, this may just get you off the hook. It's great to know in this age of image in communication, some people can still paint a great picture with their words.

(Thanks to Marko for posting this first)

Walk On

Just finished reading this from Irish Presbyterian minister, Steve Stockman. I'd almost picked it up a while back, but didn't have the money, but I found it at a bookstore for two bucks so bought it last week.

If you like U2, it's a pretty interesting look into the spiritual depth behind much of their music. If you don't like U2, this might give you a reason to try again, with fresh ears to hear their message.

The 2001 edition (the one I found) obviously doesn't include anything past their Elevation tour, but there is a new edition out from Relevant Books that includes everything through How to Dismantle An Atomic Bomb, which some say is their "most spiritually profound" album yet.

The book may make you think about this band (among other things) in a very different way. What does a living/visible faith really look like? Has the church tried so hard to not be "of the world" that we really don't live "in the world"? Do my actions and my words make the same statement about my self/belief/God?

With Trepidation...

I just dropped off Emily for her first day at school. It was interesting to see her excitement be diluted by trepidation. For weeks, she’s been looking forward to getting back to school and going to her new school. She’s talked and talked about her plans for the playground and the kids she’ll get to see.

This morning, she excitedly slung on her backpack, loaded up with all the supplies she’ll need for the year (which apparently was very heavy). But as we entered the school, full of anxious parents slipping away from their kids, I felt her little grip tighten. As we dropped off her stuff by her desk, I could see her wondering, “I don’t know anyone… what am I supposed to do now?”

The uncertainty of the new was tempered a little when I led her to the playground to wait. A quick hug and a beeline for the slide seemed to put the world back in order for her. But then she discovered a new rule… most of the playground is off limits until the regular recess. Back to dad’s side and ‘what am I supposed to do now?’

I know my kid well enough to know, she’ll be great. Today when I pick her up, her fears alleviated, she’ll have a thousand stories to tell. So I left. She’ll be ok. She’ll figure out what to do.

So will I. So can you. No matter what uncertainties we may face in life, we know Someone’s coming back to pick us up when the time comes. Regardless of the fears that steal the excitement of life from us, we know our Father’s love is stronger than those fears. And that’s enough to get us through...

Step into Disaster

It was just after Christmas, 2004. Do you remember? A small wave flooded the beaches just moments before a mammoth wall of water brought the world's attention to Indonesia. In the wake of that disaster, walls crumbled... spiritual walls. Last night, our students got to hear from a couple who stepped into that disaster to bring hope.

They told us how the people of Indonesia, which is the most populous Muslim majority nation (almost 90% of its over 200 million people claim Islam), had been very resistant to the message of Christ. But that changed. When Christians rose up to pour themselves into helping the Acehnese to rebuild their homes, their city, their lives... the wall of hostility toward followers of Jesus began to crumble.

It was a great picture of living, active faith. By making the world a better place for someone else, these missionaries are able to love those who are lost. Working with Team Expansion and IDES, they've built over 300 homes, helped establish brick factories, and accomplished so much more. As they build, walls come down. (I read an article today that was an imam lamenting the fact that Christian missionaries were making headway in the Muslim world.)

Pray for followers of Jesus to show this love that rebuilds lives and tears down walls.

Interesting Article

Just read an interesting article in the Washington Post called Ministering With New Maturity. Some really good thoughts about how youth ministry has 'grown up' over the past few decades. It was nice to see a positive perspective of youth ministry from an 'outside source'.

--for more insight into the world of youth ministry, you might check out Marko's blog (where I found the link to the WP article).

Dakota...

Kind of hesitant to put up another post on this topic, but it's just too funny...

Last night I was giving Dakota a hard time about eating my popcorn or something. He said it was his popcorn because he "told" mom to make it. I replied that, no, he had "asked" mom to make it. Here's how the rest of the conversation went:

Me: "Kota, you don't really tell mom to do anything. You ask her. There's a difference between telling and asking."

Dakota: "and poop."

So, yes everyone, there is a difference between asking, telling, and poop. Don't forget. (And don't expect anymore poo posts anytime soon, either!)

Who says they don't teach anything on TV?

Last night, LuAnn and I were talking about something, making plans for the rest of the evening, and the kids kept interrupting. Trying to get them to go play elsewhere, she said "Scat." to which Emily replied "Animal poop? We're not animal poop!"

Hey, at least it's something.

Post Camp Thoughts...

It's nice to be home after the past couple weeks of camp. Jr High camp had a few bumpy days, but overall it was great. Really got to see the students coming together. High School week flew by and was a good week, as well. Most of our students were involved in leading worship for the week, and they did a great job.

On the way home last Friday, we came around a corner and almost hit a buffalo! As I stopped, I rolled down my window for a nice chat (I don't know why, so don't ask!), but he decided to jump the fence and head the other way.

Also, from the highway, we could see some of the flames from the fires that are burning up the Panhandle. A few times yesterday, I could hardly see the bluff out my window through all the smoke that's settling in the valley.

So, now that camp is done, it's officially the beginning of the end of summer (or something like that). I'm excited to move into the fall and continue to see students growing and being discipled. God is at work here, and it's awesome to be able to play a part in it all...

Consumed

This week at HS camp, our students will be challenged to be “Consumed”. In a time when so many things pull us in so many different directions, the idea of being consumed by any one thing may seem a little off. Aren’t we supposed to strive for ‘balance’ so we don’t suffer ‘burn-out’?

You can read a lot of modern thought about achieving balance in your life. Certainly there are areas of life where a proper balance is important. But can we really have a spiritual balance? Or a balance of spiritual life and physical life?

I think the answer is “No”.
“Anyone who loves his father or mother more than me is not worthy of me; anyone who loves his son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me; and anyone who does not take his cross and follow me is not worthy of me. Whoever finds his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life for my sake will find it.”
Jesus doesn’t present a balanced picture here (in Matthew 10:37-39). It sounds like all or nothing to me.

Too many Christians have concerned themselves with the prim and the proper and the well ordered life at the expense of being consumed by the mission of Christ. When you’re on a mission, everything must succumb to the import of that mission (or you’re not really ‘on’ that mission are you?). Our students are being called to pick up their crosses and follow an imbalanced, all consuming Way. In doing so, they will find life and take that life with them everywhere they go!

The well balanced man has never changed the world but one who is consumed will set it ablaze.

Transformation

“Anyone who thinks transformation always shows up carrying fireworks hasn’t paid much attention to caterpillars and butterflies. Give me a deep, heartfelt transformation anytime; it grows wings and flies.” – Audrey Ferris quote stolen from a promo from Group Publishing

Youth ministry is all about transformation. It’s about students being transformed by the living, breathing Word and Spirit of God into living, breathing letters of His love for His lost. It’s about selfish kids being transformed into generous sharers of God’s compassion. It’s about gifted students being transformed into humble servants.

Next week, I'll be at camp with a group of students who are being transformed. After that, I’ll be at another camp with another group that is caught up in this transformational process. A few weeks ago, I was CIY with our high school students as they moved toward further transformation.

During these intense weeks, you can be sure, that tears will be shed, decisions made and shared, walls torn down, and emotional floodwaters raised. But that is not the transformation. Those moments often mark important points on the transformational journey, but they are not the transformation itself.

The true transformation that is needed in student ministry only occurs as students learn to live their lives in more Christ-like ways. They’ll come back from conference and camp excited… but the transformation is still in process. And much of what they’ll become depends on you. They will imitate the example you set, so be sure that you are being transformed into a model of humanity that is worth emulating – one like Jesus.

More Thoughts on Unity

This theme of unity has come up a number of time for me the past month or so. From this post to one of the days at CIY to another couple items in the past few days. Interestingly, I've been asked to speak at camp on the topic of unity as well. (Funny how God prepares us for things if we're paying attention!)

A couple days ago, I found this short story by Clint Heacock called A Castle for the Ages on Relevent's website. It's a good metaphor (don't try to push too far, though - any good metaphor breaks down eventually) for a lot of what's going on in the church today. You should go there and read the article.

You should also check out the blog of Tony Myles (Don't Call Me Veronica), specifically this post about a recent trip to speak and listen at an Emergent gathering. A lot of interesting thoughts there, but what struck me most were his observations of how people from differening points of view would approach each other in dialogue.

A great picture of unity in the church:

All the believers were together and had everything in common. Selling their possissions and goods, they gave to anyone as he had need. Every day they continued to meet together in the temple courts. They broke bread in their homes and ate together with glad and sincere hearts... -Acts 2:44-46

Some thoughts from Paul:

As a prisoner for the Lord, then, I urge you to live a life worthy of the calling you have received. Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love. Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace. -Ephesians 4:1-3