the intersection of life and grace

No one wants to get old. especially youth workers.  So, earlier this week when my son sent me a link to the infamously annoying to teenagers mosquito tone (a noise in the high-end range that our ears lose after years of  loud music, screaming kids, and chronological advances), youth workers everywhere started posting with glee if they were over 25 and could hear this noise.  It’s a fun site, with a badge you can use to boast of your achievement, or mourn your aural insufficiency.  You can try it here.

Enter Adam, my sarcastic genius of a friend.  I mean that as a compliment, mostly!  Within 24 hours of my passing the link above to him, the Parent Audio Test was online and cracking me up.  Click here, try it, grab the badge, tell your friends, because it is just that funny.  If you don’t think so, – yes, I’m just that mature. 

Believers, Christ-followers of any denominational and doctrinal stripe – I’m talking to you. And me.  Stop it. The whining.  The complaining.  Really.  Before you speak, or type, another word about:

• a devotional practice or church tradition you have never participated in and therefore believe it must be specifically prohibited by scripture
• a politician or government policy, or the President, with clearly ill-considered sarcasm and disrespect  and nary an ounce of constructive thought (much less action)
• you get the idea, right?

I see a lot of facebook status updates (and their attendant comments), and twitter updates, and blog comments, and forum comments over the course of a week.  I have to say, a lot of them are whining or complaining.  The rest are fine – running commentary on life.

I’m only talking about the sort that fling sarcastic, unhappy criticism out into the cyber world and are never followed up with contstructive action thereafter.  Think – there are a lot of people who can see what you’ve said on the internet, people who may not be your direct “friends” on a particular social network.  They may not all be as smart, enlightened, mature, or skilled in discerning satire as are you.  And, in the written word, that discernment is mighty difficult because 85% of communication is non-verbal.  Words are evocative, and 100% open to interpretation.  [Public service announcement pause to tell you that I am completely calm, not angry, and not kidding about the subject of this post.]

Therefore, before you or I type another sarcastic, caustic, crushing word on your blog,  a disucssion forum, facebook or twitter status… stop.  Are you representing Christ accurately? Are you doing more than throwing words into air?  If not, why not?

What do the scriptures say about tearing each other down?

How about tearing down those who do not believe?

Maybe, even if you don’t practice the penitential season of Lent, you could just try, for the next 7 weeks, to:

“[S]et an example for the believers in speech, in life, in love, in faith and in purity. Until I come, devote yourself to the public reading of Scripture, to preaching and to teaching. Do not neglect your gift, which was given you through a prophetic message when the body of elders laid their hands on you.

Be diligent in these matters; give yourself wholly to them, so that everyone may see your progress. Watch your life and doctrine closely. Persevere in them, because if you do, you will save both yourself and your hearers.” [1 Timothy 4:12b-16]

And:

“You, my brothers, were called to be free. But do not use your freedom to indulge the sinful nature; rather, serve one another in love. The entire law is summed up in a single command: “Love your neighbor as yourself.” If you keep on biting and devouring each other, watch out or you will be destroyed by each other” [Galatians 5:13-15]

We can communicate more clearly, more effectively, if we first heeding Paul’s teaching about his message (that of Christ) to the Corinthians in written and personally-spoken form:

“You are looking only on the surface of things. If anyone is confident that he belongs to Christ, he should consider again that we belong to Christ just as much as he. For even if I boast somewhat freely about the authority the Lord gave us for building you up rather than pulling you down, I will not be ashamed of it. I do not want to seem to be trying to frighten you with my letters. For some say, “His letters are weighty and forceful, but in person he is unimpressive and his speaking amounts to nothing.” Such people should realize that what we are in our letters when we are absent, we will be in our actions when we are present” [2 Corinthians 10:7-11]

Don’t hide behind your computer screen if you aren’t going to act on the words in real life.

From time to time, an online friend, fellow Christ-follower, and Mets fan, named Adam Roberson will send me an email about something that God has put on his heart.  I asked him if I could share this one with you.  I think he should have his own blog to share these things! See if you don’t agree:

And now, more Rambling Candor…

Today, February 25th, 2009 is a pretty significant day. Yes, Tiger Woods has finally returned to competition and the TV Golf Ratings will quadruple. And, yes, Baseball’s Spring Training is now in full swing (intentional pun). But the Wide World of Sports is not what I am talking about.

Today is Ash Wednesday. In brief, today is the first day of Lent marking the beginning of the 40 Days (not counting Sundays) before Easter. The marking of Ashes on the forehead in the sign of the cross is a symbol of our repentance. “From Dust we are made and to Dust we will return.” These practices are typically, but not always, observed in Protestant Denominations.

Lent is a season of the Penitent Man. Again, it is a Season to focus on God through our repentance, meditation and prayer. It prepares us for Holy Week leading up to Easter Sunday, or Resurrection Sunday, which is, of course, the very foundation of Truth. That is, Christ conquered death. He paid the penalty for my sins and yours.

I hear people sometimes inadvertently use this season as a punch line when claiming to give up chocolate or TV or red meat. In other cases, some choose to fast one meal a day. Others, choose other areas of their life to sacrifice. If we are starting our 40 day journey to the cross in a penitent manner, our Lenten Season should be helping us maintain focus on God and what Christ has done for the world. How do we do this?

If we choose to sacrifice an hour of sleep in the morning, we devote that extra hour of the day to God through prayer, meditation and study. If we choose to turn the TV off every evening, we devote that still quiet to God by opening His word. If we choose to fast a meal or snack (lunch, candy, coffee), when we are tempted by the hunger and cravings for such things, use those hunger pains to remind us of Christ Suffering on the Cross and His Gift of Salvation to the World.

The point is denying our Self-Righteousness, becoming Penitent, and focusing on God. This journey to the cross reminds us we are sinful, we are human and we are lost without Him. At the Cross, we find Redemption. At the Cross, we find Salvation. At the Cross, we find Truth. At the Cross, we find Love. Christ died on that Cross to pay the punishment for our Sins. He conquered and defeated sin and death three days later when He walked out of His tomb.

If you don’t traditionally observe Ash Wednesday, Lent or Holy Week, please take this time to recognize what God has done for you and me. Observing these practices ARE NOT required for Salvation. They are simply actions some of us take to remind us what Christ has done for us and why we need Him. Just as Christmas is recognition of Emmanuel; God with Us; the Birth of God in Human Form.

God Bless.
Adam

THE OLD RUGGED CROSS

On a hill far away stood an old rugged cross,
The emblem of suffering and shame;
And I love that old cross where the dearest and best
For a world of lost sinners was slain.

So I’ll cherish the old rugged cross,
Till my trophies at last I lay down;
I will cling to the old rugged cross,
And exchange it some day for a crown.

O that old rugged cross, so despised by the world,
Has a wondrous attraction for me;
For the dear Lamb of God left His glory above
To bear it to dark Calvary.

So I’ll cherish the old rugged cross,
Till my trophies at last I lay down;
I will cling to the old rugged cross,
And exchange it some day for a crown.

In that old rugged cross, stained with blood so divine,
A wondrous beauty I see,
For ’twas on that old cross Jesus suffered and died,
To pardon and sanctify me.

So I’ll cherish the old rugged cross,
Till my trophies at last I lay down;
I will cling to the old rugged cross,
And exchange it some day for a crown.

To the old rugged cross I will ever be true;
Its shame and reproach gladly bear;
Then He’ll call me some day to my home far away,
Where His glory forever I’ll share.

So I’ll cherish the old rugged cross,
Till my trophies at last I lay down;
I will cling to the old rugged cross,
And exchange it some day for a crown.

Almighty and everlasting God, you hate nothing you have made and forgive the sins of all who are penitent; Create and make in us new and contrite hearts, that we, worthily lamenting our sins and acknowledging our wretchedness, may obtain of you, the God of all mercy, perfect remission and forgiveness; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, on God, for ever and ever. Amen. [Book of Common Prayer, p. 217]

In traditional Christian practice, today begins a season of reflection, fasting, introspection for the purpose of repentance and renewed relationship with Almighty God; through the remission of our sins and the forgiveness available by the Cross we approach more closely each day of our Lenten journey.  In short, a check point, a tune up, a time to set aside some comforts and distractions and listen to what God has done, and wants to do.

Perhaps, in the listening, we’ll find those places where God wants to bring us closer to him; where he wants us to yield to his better way; where he will heal us, teach us, refine us.  If we set aside some comforts and distractions and listen for a short season, only a few weeks purposed to uncluttering as we consider Jesus Christ’s approach to the Cross in humilating horror, the fait d’accompli we fallen made necessary, and of which we fallen only can receive the benefit.  Stunning.

Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us,  looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God.

Consider him who endured from sinners such hostility against himself, so that you may not grow weary or fainthearted. In your struggle against sin you have not yet resisted to the point of shedding your blood. And have you forgotten the exhortation that addresses you as sons?

“My son, do not regard lightly the discipline of the Lord,
nor be weary when reproved by him.
For the Lord disciplines the one he loves,
and chastises every son whom he receives.”

It is for discipline that you have to endure. God is treating you as sons. For what son is there whom his father does not discipline? If you are left without discipline, in which all have participated, then you are illegitimate children and not sons. Besides this, we have had earthly fathers who disciplined us and we respected them. Shall we not much more be subject to the Father of spirits and live?  For they disciplined us for a short time as it seemed best to them, but he disciplines us for our good, that we may share his holiness.  For the moment all discipline seems painful rather than pleasant, but later it yields the peaceful fruit of righteousness to those who have been trained by it.

Therefore lift your drooping hands and strengthen your weak knees,  and make straight paths for your feet, so that what is lame may not be put out of joint but rather be healed.  Strive for peace with everyone, and for the holiness without which no one will see the Lord.

[Hebrews 12:1-14, ESV]

I want to get my youth ministry and church leadership audience to chime in on something, if you will. Over the past couple of weeks I’ve been reading Mark Riddle‘s new book Inside the Mind of Youth Pastors: A Church Leader’s Guide to Staffing and Leading Youth Pastors. I’m writing a review of the book for YMX, and Mark has graciously agreed to answer a slew of questions I sent him and make this humble blog a stop on his blog book tour.

I’ve been thinking a lot about one of the book’s shortest chapters (12), which addresses the elongation of adolescence and the resulting effect that should have on youth pastor hiring decisions. I asked Mark about it so we will eventually hear his input on this question when the blog tour interview appears.

Let me set the stage a bit. Mark, in Inside the Mind, cites research by Dr. Jeffery Arnett (Emerging Adulthood: The Winding Road from Late Teens through the Twenties) which makes a compelling case that, developmentally, the years from 18 to 25 should be considered late adolescence. The characteristics of this developmental stage, Mark argues, should be carefully considered in choosing to hire someone from this cohort as a spiritual leader for those in earlier stages of adolescence.

From Inside the Mind of Youth Pastors, Ch 12, p 82:

If, however, you choose to hire an emerging adult to lead your youth ministry, you must give significant attention to mentoring that person in leadership and discipleship.  Teenagers need their youth pastors to have a strong sense of who they are, based on life experiences.  They need youth pastors who have a sense of stability in their identities.

Certainly there are men and women in their early to mid-20s who fit the bill, but they are few and far between.  Church leaders need to dispel the myth that younger is better for youth ministry leadership.  It’s simply not true.  In fact, entrusting spiritual leadership of your teenage children to someone who’s still working through the five characteristics [of late adolescence] listed earlier [in the chapter] is irresponsible.

While there is a lot of that which makes good sense to me – considering that car insurance and rental companies have considered this age group less capable of responsible decision-making and judgment in general, and have run their businesses accordingly for, well, ever.  That doesn’t change the fact that the vast majority of youth pastors/minister/directors I have ever had contact with got their start in youth ministry as volunteers or staff as young adults in their early 20s.

So, I’m wondering what you think about this.  And, if you agree, what are your constructive ideas for ways to bridge the time from the end of college to age 25 for those who have earned ministry degrees, but are not yet “adults” by this developmental measure?

The last section of Shea Stadium fell today into what will be the parking lot of CitiField, which is slated to host the final two exhibition games of the Mets ’09 spring schedule on April 4 & 5 against Boston. (two videos embeded below)




Farewell, old friend. Maybe my name will get picked for tickets the home opener, April 13, 7:10 pm against the Padres? That will quite possibly be as cold as the Tigers game we went to in Detroit last April, when the temp at game time was about 40 degrees (and only fell from there)!

HT to Metsblog

From Crazy Love:

When I am consumed by my problems – stressed out by my life, my family, my job – I actually convey the belief that I think the circumstances are more important than God’s command to always rejoice.  In other words, that I have a “right” to disobey God because of the magnitude of my responsibilities.

Worry implies that we don’t quite trust that God is big enough, powerful enough, or loving enough to take care of what is happening in our lives.

Stress says that the things we are involved in are important enough to merit our impatience, our lack of grace toward others, or our tight grip of control.

Basically, these two behaviors communicate that it’s ok to sin and not trust God because the stuff in my life is somehow exceptional.  Both worry and stress reek of arrogance.  They declare our tendency to forget that we’ve been forgiven, that our lives here are brief, that we are headed to a place where we won’t be lonely, afraid, or hurt ever again, and that in the context of God’s strength, our problems are small, indeed.

Why are we so quick to forget God? Who do we think we are?

[Crazy Love, chapter 2, pp 41-42]

This is my second time through Crazy Love, reading it the first time after hearing him speak at the NYWC in Pittsburgh last fall.  It is because of spiritual sledge hammers like the above that I took it up again.  This time around, I’m going through it more slowly, journaling my reactions and revelations, and using the DVD resource – which is a lot like sitting with Francis Chan and having a conversation about the chapters.  The DVD video segments are engaging, beautifully produced, and it should be noted that they are not identical to those which have been available on the website as they bring some different points of discussion to the table.

My friend Cathy is plotting something extraordinary – she’s training to run back-to-back marathons, 52.4 miles, in the space of about a month.  Cathy, like my husband Tom and our friends Stephen and Maggie, is a member of the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society’s Team in Training.  Team in Training runners participate in group training and encourage each other in their running goals, while raising funds and awareness in the search for a cure to this group of cancers.  My mother lost her battle with Hodgkin’s Disease 30 years ago, a battle that she likely would not lose today because of the advances made thanks to research furthered by organizations like the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society.

Because I was already aware of Team in Training’s purpose, when Cathy posted on her Facebook page that she was doing this and needed financial support, I clicked through to donate to a cause that is near and dear to my heart.  I made my donation, like always, in memory of my mother.  In her note of thanks, Cathy blew me away by asking if she could write my mother’s name on her arm for her race.

I know she doesn’t expect me to post this.  In fact, she doesn’t know I’m doing it until someone else (or google) tells her.  You can read about her motivations at her Team in Training page by clicking here.  While you’re there, would you consider making a gift to make sure that more advances are made against these cancers?   For my mom, and all who’ve lost, let’s help Cathy help more win.

Thanks.

In honesty, I haven’t been hiding.  I was preparing my self-houshold-work for thryoid surgery.  I am nearly completely recovered – just some more time for the incision to heal and my visit to the surgeon for follow-up on Tuesday is expected to provide the all-clear.

I have many things about which to blog, and that’s one of the habits I want to restore.  Areas will certainly include youth ministry, what I’m up to in ministry, along with a smattering of life, my own hack political analysis, and whatever comes my way.  Just like always.  And, I WILL address the ideas in the skribit box (near-right sidebar), so if you have an idea, pitch it in; if you like an idea, vote it up. Democracy in action.

In the meantime, Gavin posted this quiz, I thought it was fun, so I took it.  You can too, if you like, there’s a link below that will enlighten you as to your aisle at Staples, too.  Mine was eerily correct, btw.

You Are a Coffee Mug

You have loads of energy and stamina. You can zip through the most boring of tasks with complete enthusiasm. You are also great at motivating a group. You are a fearless leader. You are efficient and productive. You don’t put off tasks or procrastinate. You actually enjoy working. You would make a good small business owner or startup employee. If a job requires blood, sweat, and tears – then you have some to give.