Yoinks!

R.I.P. Myron Cope.

There are just some things that say Pittsburgh if you're of a certain generation. The nasal tones of Myron Cope do the color commentary of Steelers games is one of them. I remember people at college talking about what a terrible voice Howard Cosell had and saying "You've never heard Myron Cope!"

Like Cosell Cope began as a writer. It's easy to forget what a fine practioner of that art he was. His voice made it so easy to think of him only as comic relief. Add in Myron's own vocabulary like "Yoinks" (an all purpose word for anything big, good or bad. If was really big it might get a "Double Yoinks") and it was easy to overlook the fact that Myron also knew what he was talking about.

Cope served as broadcaster for the Steelers longer than any other broadcaster has served a single team. He's won awards and been inducted into the Radio Hall of Fame. The first pro football announcer to get that honor. Heck, he even got a full segment on SportsCenter this morning. What greater honor do we have in this day and age? Myron also invented the "Terrible Towel".

Myron Cope was 79. He retired from Steeler broadcasts in 2004. I can't believe I'll never hear that voice again.

Yoinks!

Yet another Monday

Wow, where did my weekend go?

Saturday I met with the group that's working on some preliminary work for the group that will look at ministries with children, youth and young adults as part of the revitalization process in the diocese. I know that sounds absurd when you type it all out but I think it has the potential to be a positive force in the diocese. Good meeting but it ran a little long.

Then Sunday it looked like someone had broken our DVD recorder. We video the 10 AM service and play it back on local cable access. Turns out the recorder was just a little out of whack and appears to be fine now. Too late to record the service though.

Then it was CROP Walk. Which despite everything went exceptionally well. We did something new this year and had it in February at the local ice arena. Some folks walked the track others skated. Very cool(no pun intended) and we raised around $3500. But it was exhausting so I went home and collapsed.

Watched a movie! That's actually a big deal recently. We've been doing something most movie nights.

A Man For All Seasons Winner of 6 Oscars including Best Picture, Best Actor, Best Director. Paul Scofield does a great job in this rather cleaned up version of the life of St. Thomas More. More was a great man but the movie skips over his less savory moments (like burning Lutherans. I like Lutherans.) Again if you're going to the movies to learn history you're in for a rotten education. But as a movie it was wonderful. Orson Welles, Leo McKern, Robert Shaw, John Hurt, Susannah York,and Vanessa Redgrave. Lotsa fun.

Also enjoying a podcast series for a while now. "Speaking of Faith" with Krista Tippett from American Public Radio. She ranges quite widely in her topics, interviewing Rick and Kay Warren, looking at diplomacy and religion, Mormonism, Mathematics, purpose and truth and much more. It's very interesting and comes from no particular theological point of view. It's also a great way to take my mind off of the workouts!

Speaking of which! Last week was not a great success. I lost a grand total of 5 pounds but only one of them counts. Yeah, the laziness caught up with me and I put a couple pounds back on. So I had to re-lose them. Sigh. So that next big hurdle - 200 pounds is still taunting me. Seems like a lot of others in the contest had the same kind of week, including Marko. Time to kick up the intensity.

Last week I visited with the local chapter of Intervarsity. First time ever. Felt like a good visit and they seemed to enjoy my visit so that went well. Later this week I'm visiting with a Middle school group. Out of the frying pan...

So that's where we stand at the moment.

Peace

Blogger Down

Over the course of 6 years or so that I've really been a "citizen" of the blogosphere I've only been able to meet about 5 people in real life that I've come to know on line. One of the very first was Lee. If memory serves I met him right around the time of (maybe even on) the worst day of his life. He has been diagnosed with cancer.

His life since then has been something none of us can even imagine. He's an intelligent guy, a fine writer, father, husband and staunch 'Piskie.

And he could use some company right now. Pop over to his blog and check out what's happening and leave a note if you would. I know he loves hearing from people.

Thanks.

Some serious if conflicted thoughts

I am seriously conflicted about this post.

You see I was raised to be a nice Episcopal boy. We don't say bad things about other people. You just put a strained smile on your face and make sure never to invite them over for drinks or dinner again.

It's the Episcopal form of shunning.

At the same time I am just so disturbed by this that I need to comment. And for you to understand you probably need to see at least some of the video. So here it is.

This is a Baptist preacher doing what he believes is right. He believes his congregation needs to hear this word. It is important for him to spend the time to preach on this passage and to share this conclusion. That's clearly what he believes in his heart of hearts. And I'm sure that he believes that the Holy Spirit is moving him to do it.


And I believe he's wrong.

I don't believe this is an important portion of scripture that needs to be brought before the church. Beyond that I believe the conclusion he draws is (sigh, this is SO un-Episcopalian) ridiculous. This is a waste of his skills, his intellect and his faith. I can't believe that his congregation sat there without thinking "Pastor's slipped a cog".

In the end it did get me thinking. It got me thinking that THIS is EXACTLY the reason why we need to spend more time teaching our kids what the Bible is all about.

Because if we don't they'll think that this kind of thinking IS what the Bible's all about. That's there's nothing more important for us as people of faith to worry about than this kind of silly rule making.

I do NOT want our kids thinking that God particularly cares about whether a guy takes a wee standing or sitting.

I do NOT want our kids presented with this kind of preaching and teaching and not have it challenged clearly and compassionately.

I DO want our kids to know and love the Bible for the wonderful gift and resource that it is.

I DO want our kids to be able to think clearly about their faith and its basis. And to know when someone is wasting their time with nonsense.

So I have no choice. I have to write this post. I have to say that I believe this brother in Christ is seriously off base. And I'd like to say the following as well to all my brothers and sisters in faith, young and old:

Spend some time reading your Bible. Do yourself a favor and get more than one translation. Compare how they interpret the ancient languages in which Scripture was originally written. Think about what it says. Be prepared to be challenged by what you read. That means some of it is going to sound wrong, funny, strange, troubling. Some of it is going to say things you don't like. Good. You need to read all of it, not just the bits that you like. Learn it so people can't twist and distort it for their own ends. Some people are trying to con you with the Bible. If you don't know it then you make it easy for them. Ask questions. If the answers aren't clear or don't make sense keep asking questions. Don't let anyone make you feel "dumb". The disciples had to have Jesus repeat things to them too.

The Bible carries God's message to all of us. It's a message about love and hope and caring for one another. It's a message of peace and joy and being welcomed home. If you hear people telling you it's a message of anger and violence of any kind (mental, physical or spiritual) they're leading you astray.

Let me say this in clear, un-Episcopal fashion:

They're wrong. They're lying to you. They're wasting your time. They are dishonoring God.

Peace

Couldn't resist

I promised something serious and that's still coming but I had to hit this. Thanks to Matthew for pointing me this way. I didn't know this site existed. So very cool for us Trekkies.



So true, so true...

Find more at Star Trek Inspirational Posters

Peace

Quick update

Well I continue to progress in my "Biggest Loser" contest. I still haven't broken into the top 10 yet but it's early. People are dropping easy pounds. My plan has been to be slow and steady so I can (hopefully) maintain a steady consistent loss.

So far that plan is working. I dropped about 2% of my initial weight the first week and I dropped an additional 2% this past week. That's right on target!

If I can maintain that this week it will put me below 200 pounds for the first time in at least a decade. That is a HUGE milestone for me. I've gotten close a couple times and fallen back each time. I'm determined that it will change this time.

I've now lost about 30% of my overall goal. Boy that seems like a big percentage when I've only lost so little weight. But I've checked my math twice. Wow.

As for the mustache - the polls aren't closed yet and the vote is still rolling in. We've heard from some of the west coast polling places and they're overwhelmingly in favor of the clean shaven look. We will not be calling this vote any time soon.

I'm working on something serious for later this week.

Peace

So what's romantic?

A good many years ago I got some serious static (mostly genial) from folks when they found out that I'd given my wife a rolling pin for Christmas. Between the idea that I was "arming" my wife and the idea that buying something so common place, so utilitarian for a Christmas present was just awful. We were relatively newly married and it was seen as just so un-romantic.

On the other hand my wife loved it. It was just what she wanted and she was very excited when she unwrapped it.

So was it romantic or not?

I vote romantic.

But just yesterday, Valentine's Day, I didn't get her a card, I didn't get her flowers, I didn't take her out to dinner.

Some of you are shaking your heads. The romantic failure. The cad.

Let me tell you what I did do yesterday. I ran the snowblower and cleared both of our driveways. I got down on my knees and scrubbed the dirtiest floor in the house. I did a quick clean of the bathroom. I cooked dinner. A favorite meal that I make from scratch.

My wife thinks I'm pretty romantic. You see she doesn't enjoy cooking dinner. So I do it. She was going to scrub that floor but she's working three jobs right now and she's tired when she gets home.

Yes, I buy her flowers. And I buy her cards. And I take her to dinner. The flowers wilt and the cards get thrown away and dinner out is nice. Dinner made for you every day, a help with the jobs around the house, making sure that she has what she needs before I go do my stuff.

That's a far more valuable kind of romance. The flowers and dinner are nice and flashy. But it lacks substance. It lacks staying power.

(In case you're worried I'm taking her away from it all for three days on a second honeymoon later this year.)

Peace

Soft Centres

Thanks to "The Ongoing Adventures of ASBO Jesus" for this

A Lenten Discipline?

I'm not sure this counts. Although I am giving something up for Lent (basically).

Well, actually I just happen to be giving it up at the same time as Lent so it really doesn't count that way.

You see on Friday, February 8 2008 I did something that I have not done in 30 years. And did it with some trepidation.

I shaved my upper lip.

No one has seen that lip since my junior year at college. No one. Not once. It has resided safely ensconced under a mustache for all these years.

And it's gone.

The mustache, not the lip.

It feels rather strange really. I get this sensation of a draft when I inhale through my nose. I keep going to play with the mustache and it's not there. I have to remind myself to shave there each morning!

We(meaning me and she who has the only relevant opinion)are giving it till Easter to decide if we like it. My daughter has already cast her vote (bring back the lip hair!). So we'll see.

As to my weight loss plans they hit a small bump. I dropped some weight, then gained some of it back during my birthday weekend. I'll dispatch those pounds again quickly.

In the first week I lost just over 10% of my total goal. Not bad. Let's see if we can keep it going.

Peace

I am the Victim of a Conspiracy!

It involved my wife, my daughter, my oldest friends in the world, trusted members of my church, EVEN MY PRIESTS!!!!!


And I've never been so happy in my life.

My daughter, wife and several friends conspired to throw me a surprise birthday party over the weekend. To be honest I'm only lukewarm on birthdays anyway and as this one was a milestone (millstone) one I was perfectly fine with ignoring it.

The ladies in my life would not hear of it.

As usual, they were right.

I was utterly oblivious. My daughter's insistence on coming home for my birthday even though she was coming home on break from college just three days later. Their insistence on going to church on a day when the weather was wretched. (Blowing snow, whiteouts, wind chills in the minus 10 range). The line of cars parked along our friends street. Nothing tipped me. Till I walked in the door and they all yelled surprise.

I hate surprise parties. But I loved this one. Good friends, good food, PRESENTS! Also my friend of longest standing (since third grade), two of my best friends from high school, and my best friend from college all sent e-mails that alternately made me laugh and cry.

IT WAS WONDERFUL!

Now can I share a little something here? I'm amazed, astounded and perplexed that anyone would bother going to such lengths (this thing has been in the planning for months apparently) for me.

I find myself utterly unexceptional. A bit boring really. Can't imagine why anyone takes second notice of me. I count each day as lucky that my lady wife hasn't come to her senses and gently (because that is her nature) kicked me to the curb. I'm astounded that such an amazing young woman shares any DNA with me (obviously the superiority of her mother's genetics over balance mine). I can't fathom why people would willingly come out on such a wretched day just to wish me well,and give me some very nice presents to boot!

That's not false modesty. I can't explain it. Haven't got a clue.

They like me. They really like me.

Astonishing.

Peace

And now for something completely different...

Yes, I'm a huge Monty Python fan.

That probably says something about my character.

Kindly keep it to yourself.

No, the something different is a challenge I've taken on in my life. A challenge to seriously work at losing weight.

I've been above what my doctor considers a healthy weight for about 20 years. I've never liked being this heavy but like many of us I just couldn't really buckle down and do something about it.

And I was stubborn in that resistance.

High blood pressure couldn't make me change.

The threat of diabetes kind of got my attention.

Add to that my 50th birthday (which is mere days away) and I was finally coming around.

In the spring my lady wife and I are planning a little bit of a second honeymoon. That really started me thinking about making a change. But I was just missing that last little push.

Then Marko from Youth Specialties announced that he was going to lose weight and opened up a challenge for other youth workers to compete with him. He put up some nice prizes and sat back expecting a couple dozen folks to take him on.

Other than me there are only about 271 others who are in. Probably a few more than that actually.

So now I have a little competition thing to add to the list.

Did I just feel a little push?

I know myself well enough to know I need to be accountable. So this is it. I promise to keep my progress updated here.

My goal is to lose 40 pounds. How much of that I can reasonably do in 12 weeks is the question. I see no reason why half of that isn't a perfectly achievable goal. That would be just shy of 20% of my current body weight. As they say on the show "Biggest Loser", those are big numbers.

My plan is simple. Eat smart, eat less, exercise.

Repeat for 12 weeks.

Keep me in your prayers.

Peace

Leaving MySpace

This is my opinion and mine only.

I'm deleting my MySpace account later today.

To be honest I've always been a little iffy about MySpace. The glut of tacky ads, the regular porn spams in my mailbox, the poor security have all made me feel uncomfortable with this online social site. But I knew that some of our youth were to be found there and I need to be where they are.

Not any more. And I'm urging all our young people, adult leaders and groups to depart MySpace. Here's why:

MySpace Deletes Atheists

An online group with almost 35,000 members was deleted. For no apparent reason other than a group of alleged Christians who put an online "hit" on a group that they disliked.

They hacked the site, destroyed forums, deleted members, banned them (which apparently is a permanent, non-repairable action)and re-named the site "Jesus is Love". (The story from the former moderator of the group is HERE.)

I detest and reject all the actions of these supposed Christians but that last one makes me want to vomit. A more un-loving, un-Christ like act on the web is hard to imagine. It is deeply, profoundly repulsive to me.

These actions are profoundly un-American in my opinion. They are a blow against one of our most cherished concepts. A "Freedom of Religion" must necessarily also be a "Freedom From Religion".

Don't get me wrong. I AM a theist. I AM a believer. I DO believe that they are wrong. Deeply, sadly wrong. But that does not give me the right to attempt this kind of persecution and oppression. The Gospel does not support that in any way.

These actions are also in my opinion deeply un-Christian. Jesus is shown to regularly speak and reach out to the outsider. His harshest words, over and over and over again, are directed at those INSIDE the faith community of his time. Those people who oppress and reject their fellow man and woman. Certainly he calls all to a life in faith. How on earth anyone expects actions like these to lead anyone into a life in faith is beyond me. They are perfect exemplars of why so many people have rejected the church.

Because we can be judgmental,dictatorial and unwilling to allow any thought process not perfectly in line with whatever arbitrary standards are chosen.

I looked into the Episcopal groups at MySpace. The largest I found was under 1,000. Given the opinion of many folks out there about The Episcopal Church (you will find many who believe we are apostate at best, heretic or atheist at "worst")I am concerned that we could very easily be next. I do not believe that such a thought is particularly hysterical at all.

I have sent a bulletin to all my friends on MySpace outlining my concerns, directing them towards this blog, and urging them to delete their membership with MySpace. Some may see this as retreat in the face of the enemy. I see no way to confront the enemy directly but do see a way to bring pressure on MySpace to live up to its earlier commitment to protect this community. And by extension all communities.

It's funny how often this phrase of Martin Luther's has popped up for me over the last couple years. I have looked at my alternatives and I have decided:

"Here I stand. I can do no other".

Peace

OH, YES I WOULD!!!!

This is exactly my kind of humor. (h/t to Marko)The missiles are balloons. Attach them to your car then drive like...well like you've got missiles on your butt! I can only imagine the looks you'd get.

Parking lot politics

As I walked back to my car outside the Wal of Marts the other day I saw this bumper sticker:

Do you want Politicians legislating morality?

And I thought "Hell no. I don't want ANYONE legislating morality"

The history of morality legislation stinks. The biggest example, and likewise the biggest failure, was the Volstead Act otherwise known as the National Prohibition Act of 1919. Prohibition was a complete flop as is virtually all morality legislation. You can make all the laws you want and man will still act immorally. In fact there's one school of thought that says banning something out right makes it more attractive.

Curiously, Jesus seems to have known this. But his church manages to forget it.

Which leads me to another thought that has wandered across my mind recently. I remember distinctly being taught that Emperor Constantine's conversion and adoption of Christianity as the state religion of Rome was a great thing. A pivotal, important moment in western history.

As the years have passed I've come to completely disagree with that teaching. The connection of the church with the state is important but in a completely negative way. It was and is a catastrophe for the church.

First of all because it gave the church pretensions. It made us believe that we are entitled to rule in this world, that it is right for the church to rule in this world. Clearly this is what many of Jesus' followers expected and what Jesus himself rejected. Again that amazing ability to not listen to what the Savior taught.

Second, it has weakened the church's belief that it can change the world on its own. Instead of feeding the hungry, clothing the naked, fighting for justice and peace and living out a Christ-like life we try to make the law in our own image. Why do we need the law when we have Christ? Because we've stopped believing in the power of Christ in the world.

This is not to say that people of faith shouldn't be involved in politics. But we should be involved in politics to achieve the ends of faith, not power. We should live out our political lives doing everything we can to feed the hungry, clothe the naked and fighting for justice and peace.

THAT would result in a more moral world.
THAT would result in our Lord being held in honor and praise.
THAT would result in people seeing Christianity as wise and loving and respected.

Constantine screwed up.

But it's not too late to fix it.

Peace

This is just so wrong

I like Pepsi.
I like cucumbers.

But no.

A video for your consideration

I do not like chain letters.
I do not forward chain letters.
This includes ALL letters that say I don't love Jesus, or I'll die or whatever if I don't forward this to 5, 10, 15, 200 of my friends.

What follows is a chain letter video. The ONLY reason why I'm including it here is that prior to it's dopey chain letter ending I think it raises some very real and challenging questions.

So DON'T feel compelled to forward this to anyone. Just watch and think.



Peace

A theological moment on my way to lunch

I decided to walk down a couple blocks from my office to grab a sandwich for lunch. The walk makes me feel virtuous enough to get away eating a half sub for lunch, LOL.

On my way I was approached by two young men wearing identical dark winter jackets. They were well groomed, bright eyed and I knew they were Mormons before I saw their name tags reading Elder so and so.

I must admit I'm conflicted on the subject of Mormons. In my experience they are some of the nicest, politest, hardest working folk I've ever known. They seem to have a commitment to their faith that goes beyond what most Christians seem to have. By and large they are just likable folks. Back in the day when they were the hot pop stars I'll even admit to a small crush on Marie Osmond.

But I think their theology is rubbish. I feel bad saying that. There's enough trash talking and slagging on one another's theology in the Episcopal church over the last 5-10 years to make me never want to be around it again. But the fact remains. I know enough about LDS theology to know that it doesn't work for me at all. As a Christian I believe in a bunch of stuff that is just so obviously delusional to the secular world view that I avoid mocking other folks for believing in things that I just can't wrap my mind around. In the end I'm still left with my complete rejection of the basis of their faith.

No doubt some will point out that I should be "counter-evangelizing" them. To save them from this incorrect theological stance. Sorry can't go there. It would waste my time and theirs. That's my personal decision and I can live with it.

But it doesn't relieve me of the tension I feel between my personal like of them as people and my theological dislike of what they teach. And that's the tension of the moment standing on a cold, breezy corner in January, all of hunched against the cold.

So I do what I always do. Tell them I've spoken with LDS missionaries before (true), that I'm familiar with their beliefs (true), and that I own a copy of the Book of Mormon (true). I tell them that I'm a youth minister in the Episcopal church nearby and that I'm on my way somewhere (all true). Then I chat with them for a moment. Ask how long they've been in town, how they're bearing up with the weather (without going into details these guys were obviously from warmer parts of the country). I listened to a little bit of their pitch, made it clear I wasn't interested in a longer conversation on the subject, shook hands with them both and said good bye.

That's probably more time than most folks gave them this afternoon as they wandered through downtown. I hope it's at least as polite or more so than average. In that I think I responded in a Christ like manner.

Should I have done a little theological wrestling to try and turn them? I don't know but there wasn't a call in my heart to do so in that time and moment. They're so very serious and I don't feel the need to open up a new frontier of serious religious issues. I have enough of my own. Maybe being greeted cordially by a person of a different faith (yes, I think the LDS understanding of Christ is different enough to warrant calling it a different faith)on a cold wintry corner is what was needed at that moment. I don't know. In the moment I went with what felt right.

They were a nice couple of guys and I wish them well on their journey in faith. My prayer is that God will continue to work on their hearts and bring them to where it is He has planned for them.

And the sub was really good!

Peace

And now some other stuff

Just some odds and ends lying around the place:

Haven't been watching a lot of movies lately. But here are the latest:

Happy Feet - This is a fun little movie that I really enjoyed. But I remember people making a really big deal out of it and I don't quite see that. Some funny stuff but not all that.

Robin Williams Live on Broadway 2002 Now THIS was funny! The world's most popular Episcopal comedian was just fall down funny. Great concert film.

North by Northwest- I'm a huge Hitchcock fan and this was one of the "big" movies I'd never seen. I didn't realize how funny it is as well. And the scenes when Grant gets buzzed by the plane? The special effects are incredible. I was amazed when I checked out the special features to see how much of that was done in studio. Eva Marie Saint was wonderful in a nastier role than she usually got and James Mason was his usual wonderful slick and sleazy character. You should definitely check it out.

Jerry Maguire_ Yes a lot of this movie is over the top. But I loved it! Yes, "You had me at hello". As much as I like Renee Zellwegger (and I do) this movie is all about Tom Cruise and Cuba Gooding Jr. Their scenery chewing, outrageous characters make the movie worth watching. Besides how many movies get two catch phrases as deeply into popular culture (the one above and "SHOW ME THE MONEY!")

Space Cowboys - got this forgetting that I'd seen most of it on TV already. Is this a great classic film like the Hitchcock above? Nope. But back in theater school we learned Goethe's three rules of criticism -
What was the artist trying to do - make a fun, senior citizen "buddy" movie.
Did they succeed? Yep
Was it worth doing? Movies really are PRIMARILY about entertainment. This was a fun little piece of entertainment. Fun cast having some fun. Worth the time to watch it.

Other stuff:

I'm in love with a new computer application. Google Reader. I check a bunch of blogs, friends, ministry, faith based, sports. And it was a hassle trying to page through finding new updates. I'd tried a Firefox extension or whatever they're called and it was OK. But only OK. Google Reader is great. Simple, clear and only shows me the blogs that have updated. Love it.

Finally this is just cool. Love the song plus I had to learn to juggle a little back at theater school. So I'm in total awe of this guy - Chris Bliss (h/t to Marko) What he does here is hard and requires immense concentration. The video is about 4 minutes long but worth it I think.


Peace

On being passionate

For any of you who found the title titillating I'm afraid you're in for a disappointment. I'm talking about being passionate about faith and ministry.

My last post was a rant about folks who, if I'm being honest, I thought gored my ox. As it turned out it was mostly mis-communication with one of them(but not the other). A wise lady friend and former youth minister sent me a long but profound note about youth ministry. It got me thinking.

And here's what I thought:

I've known for years that I'm really only interested in things that I can dive fully into. That's when I'm fully engaged and I tend to throw myself into it. I was that way for a long time in my previous career in radio. It's how I am about youth ministry. One of my catch phrases is "Good enough isn't good enough". I have a perfectionist streak in me. When things aren't perfect I tend to get down about it. I could have done more, I could have done it better.

You can not imagine how many times my lady wife has watched me beat myself up this way. It's what I do.

But it's also what makes me good at what I do. I can get fully engaged because I BELIEVE in what I'm doing. And it bugs the heck out of me when I see people who aren't willing to go that far. I used to drive people crazy in my last career because I'd say "I only expect you to work as hard as I do. I accept that you may be better at some things than I am and that I'm better at somethings than you are. Final results are whatever they turn out to be. But I expect you to work as hard as I do. And I work very hard".

I expect that when a diocese or congregation tells me that youth ministry is important that they are going to WORK HARD at it. Too often youth programs are just that, programs designed to keep the kids busy and out of the adults hair. It's about the lecture hall vision of teaching and the "We have relationship with our youth for two hours every Sunday". It's "Oh that Bob and Mary's daughter" instead of learning the kid's name.

I have a confession (you're going to think I'm nuts). I hate what I'm about to do. It feels like cheating, like I can't do my own thinking and writing. It feels like I'm slacking.

I told you, I'm nuts. But it's how I feel.

I'm going to quote somebody else (see, see!!!! Nuts!). Martin Saunders is the Editor of Youthwork Magazine and Chair of Youthwork the Partnership, a huge youth ministry movement in the UK. I saw this interview at a great website run by the amazing Len Evans (Youth Ministry Interviews) and it just spoke to me. Len asked him "How would you like to see youth ministry change":

"I’d like to see every member of our churches start to take responsibility for young people – starting with the ‘adult’ leaders. The biggest problem for youth workers here is that many churches employ them to ‘take care of the problem’ of young people, instead of trying to understand and engage with them at every level. Unless young people get integrated into the hearts of our churches, then our churches are not long for this world. And of course, it’s the adult church leaders who hold the keys. So I’d love to see us move towards a model where the whole church takes some responsibility for young people – even if that just means praying for and mentoring them."

(Lazy. Slacker. You disgust me.)(I'm JOKING people!)

Martin got it exactly right. This is my hope for youth ministry as well. I don't care if we do great programs, or any program at all. I don't care if we do Youth Sundays or whatever.

We need to stop taking care of our youth and begin caring about our youth.

And now if you'll excuse me I have to get back to work.

Peace

Youth Ministry Rant

I'm so...(well I can't really use the word here that I'm thinking so fill in the blank yourself). Let's just say I'm not a happy camper.

I spend a bit of time conversing with other folks on various blogs. By and large I get along pretty well, even with the folks with whom I disagree. But every once in a while...

The discussion that has gotten me cranked was started by a post referring to "unChristian: What a New Generation Really Thinks About Christianity" by David Kinnaman, President of the Barna Group, and Gabe Lyons, founder of the Fermi Project. The book looks at the attitudes of 16-29 year olds toward the church, especially those who are outside the church. I don't think any youth minister would be surprised by the results. This led to a discussion on the comments thread about youth ministry, mostly the question of what are we doing wrong?

I believe we have been doing some things wrong. I also believe that a lot of us are working VERY hard to correct that. As always with youth ministry the fruits of our work may not be seen for a while.

But two responses astounded me. The first amounted to "Well youth ministry is probably a good idea but really it doesn't matter one way or the other. The kids either get it or they don't. We just need to leave it in God's hands". I don't know if this one makes me more angry or sad or frustrated. I do not deny the central role of the Divine in the process of growing in faith. I'm just here to try and water God's garden and provide some of the earthly things each plant needs to thrive. In real terms that's relationship, teaching and listening.

That brings me to the second poster. He sees teaching as a very limited tool, all the current models of youth ministry as completely failed and youth ministry simply as a tool of the institution to perpetuate itself. Sunday school, youth group, failures. Not worth discussing. The first poster mentioned her concern with "forcing Jesus down(the youth's) throat". I'm sure no one will be surprised that the second person has nothing positive to offer, just a dismissive attitude toward everything we try to do. Quite simply if we don't have something brand new to offer then it's just SSDD and therefore automatically bound to fail.

Needless to say my doctor would not approve of my blood pressure right now.

Don't get me wrong. I don't live in a fairy tale world. I'm well aware of the shortcomings of youth ministry. The spectre of ministries that rely on "magic box" programs, unimaginative teaching, lack of building relationships with the youth, lack of resources and/or dedication from the congregations make what we do almost impossible in some places. But more and more we are recognizing that and making changes. Sadly the most visible elements in the church too often make the rest of us look bad. Spending massive amounts of time and energy arguing the fine points of worship style or fine points of theology while the world is hungry and naked and in prison makes us all look like hypocrites.

But having to fight both the cynicism and defeatism embodied by these two folks just makes it so much harder.

Maybe I'm kidding myself. Maybe I'm just re-arranging deck chairs on the Titanic. The only problem is that when we do it right I see a difference being made in the lives of young people. Not as many youth as I'd like at any given moment but then I'm not supposed to be playing the numbers game.

And the numbers are betraying us. People forget that statistics only measure the past. They can be used as an indicator for the future but the accuracy of that indication relies, nay REQUIRES, that all conditions remain the same as before. If what we're doing now is right we won't know for at least a decade. It the curse of youth ministry. That the harvest almost always comes after they're gone. We plant the seed and we often get to see it bloom. But the full harvest, the fully developed person of faith, is truly a rare thing for us to see. And that's probably as it should be since when they leave our care they're still in the final stages of growth.

The recurring challenge was don't tell me about how kids show up or continue to go to church. Prove to me that they are growing in their faith, that they "get" it. I just want to scream "You're the idiots who don't get it!!! What you want isn't measurable. By your carping and defeatism you make this even harder than it is."

I have managed to refrain from actually calling anyone an idiot.

This really comes at a tough time (or maybe a good one). I'm struggling with the ideas in Loren Mead's book "The Once and Future Church". I'm struggling to find the wheat among the chaff. What is good and useful for my youth from that which is just "we've always done it that way". I think I'm making progress too.

I read what these people say and I wonder why should I worry about it? If they're right then I'm spinning my wheels. If they're wrong they represent a real voice in the church (which I've heard in other forms before) and if the church doesn't care any more than that then what do I owe it?

Yeah, yeah, I already know the answer to that one. I owe the institutional church a return on what they've invested in me, I owe the spiritual church a return on my gifts, and I just owe God. Period. Oh yeah and I owe my kids for the love and trust they put in me.

So I guess I can't pout and have a pity party or throw a tantrum.

As I said on the thread - youth ministry is harder than it looks.

(Editorial Note: After I posted this the first poster mentioned above and I had the chance to exchange some e-mails. I understand where her point of view grows from and know that she was not attacking me or youth ministry per se. Rather the frustrations we all feel about how hard it is to make a difference in the lives of young people had just taken her someplace I'm not ready to go. I hope that we've made our peace personally now. And I'll keep fighting the good fight knowing that while she hopes I'm right she reserves the right to wonder if I'm wrong)

Peace