Wide Awake In Student Ministry

2011-05-02T14:51:00.003-05:00

Great blog post about the next generation coming up of young leaders in the church. I'm excited and can't wait to invest in their generation!

http://www.churchleaders.com/pastors/pastor-articles/150367-emerging-leadership-14-characteristics.html/

2011-05-02T13:20:00.003-05:00

Dr. Chris Stephens is a friend of mine who has influenced me in many ways. One of the main arenas he has done so is in leadership. Through his leadership and at Faith Promise Church in the Knoxville, Tn area (God's Country), the ministry has grown exponentially and God is doing some huge and incredible things. I like to see churches growing and blowing! We all want to be in one. Our Pastor in Cypress, Dave Gibson, basically says that ministry is striving and depending-striving to work and do our best before God while utterly depending on Him to move and show up. I see that striving and depending in Chris and his leadership, and I love to hear and read his thoughts. Below is a Vlog post on church and leadership today gives us alot to think about. Enjoy.

The Gospel According to Glee

2010-10-06T10:20:00.008-05:00

I'm not Gleek (a term to describe Glee fanatics of the show), but last night's episode was a telling snapshot of spirituality in this current generation. It all started when a character from the show, Finn, makes a grilled cheese in which suddenly he suddenly sees the face of Jesus in the bread. The "Grilled Cheesus". He begins to pray to the Grilled Cheesus, which is a whole misguided fiasco in and of itself. At the same time, Kurt, another student's father is lying comatose in a hospital bed. Kurt is gay and a self-proclaimed atheist. And while the other students share Finn's gravitational pull into spirituality through Kurt's crisis, Kurt doesn't share the same sentiment. Having sensed this, Sue Sylvester (the resident self-serving Cheerio coach) descends on Kurt in a vulnerable moment to get him to lodge a complaint againts the glee club for singing spiritual songs at school-their way of dealing with all thats going on with Finn, Kurt, and especially their way of trying to be there for Kurt. Another episode all over the place, but then all of them are.

Embedded in this episode are all kinds of indicators of the spiritual climate of our students today. Finn's prayers are all self-serving (from making quarterback on the football team again to making out with his girlfriend Rachel) and are steeped in the Moralistic Therapuetic Deism that is indicative of student cultute today. MTD's basic belief system is one we see creep even into the beliefs of our Christian students today - God created things and watches over us and the world; He wants people to be nice, fair, not fight and get along like the Bible and most of the world's religions would say (thus the Christianity confusion we see in alot of students today and the relative idea all religions lead to the same place); The basic goal in life is to be happy and feel good about one's self; God really doesn't get involved in things unless he needs to fix a problem or provide something for us we want (the brunt of Finn's interaction with Grilled Cheesus); and Good people go to heaven when they die.

On top of the examples of MTD, we also see in the episode the conflict with other faith systems (Judaism, Sikism, Islam), unbelief, and antagonism toward and disappointment with the God of the Christian faith. All Kurt's friends want to do is be there for him, and he eventually sees this and warms back up to their help and their prayers. He even agrees to go to church with Mercedes, a traditional black church in which she encourages members prayers that day to be interceding for Kurt's father. As the episode began to wind down, I noticed one thing. No matter where the different characters fell on the spiritual spectrum during the hour, in true Hollywood fashion toward the end of the show, they gravitated toward one thing everyone so desperately wants: Hope. Now understand me, the show was definitely not giving a nod toward Christianity. If anything, it applauded the religious pluralism and unity this generation is embracing. But, for us believers who work with students, we need to help them understand that Hope is the what the Christian faith is all about and what sets it apart from every other faith system and belief that is out there. A God who created us to be in relationship with him gives us hope. The cross and it's significance is all about hope. The resurrection more than anything bleeds hope.

I'm not saying Hollywood has turned a corner in their view or thoughts on God. They are still very propagandish (is that a word?). But shows like Glee, which students in your youth groups and mine are watching, are helping to educate our students, even Christian ones, in a false Gospel and a false hope. They are also great windows into the soul of our student's culture to help us stay on top of their pulse. Use them to start discussions with your students on the character, attributes, and mission of the one true God so they will be equipped to "always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give a reason for the hope that you have" (1 Peter 3:15). It's good homework for you to.

First Day of the Month Awkwardness

2010-07-01T19:02:00.004-05:00

I read this blog entry from Bryan Allain this morning about the awkwardness of what to say when people ask "Can you believe it's ________ (put any month here) already??!! We know we've all been there-on both sides. Bryan has some pretty hilarious comebacks that I want to use next time I'm challenged to a response. You can read them by clicking on here. Stinking funny! Try some of them next time and have fun with people just to see what they do . . . Just for fun, try pulling it off by adding your favorite obscure holiday, just for kicks. ("Can you believe it's Extraterrestrial Abductions Day already??!!) What weird day would you pull on people? Have some fun and write what you would do in the comments below . . .

Were You Blessed on Father's Day?

2010-06-21T10:23:00.003-05:00

Yesterday was Father's day and my family blessed me hugely! I had a typical Sunday morning full of ministry, but later we just chilled. My kids and wife took me to a movie and then out to eat. Just hanging out and having a lot of fun as a family. No better gift!

Which brings me to the thought - why do we place so much more importance and emphasis on Mother's Day as a society (and even as churches) and not Father's Day? Most of us Dads feel like we get the shaft overall on our special day. Even in our churches we plan and execute activities that take away from enjoying and being with Dad (like meetings and setting up for VBS). We wouldn't even think about planning anything of the sorts on Mom's day. Mom's and Dad's both need to be honored and appreciated. My family honored me significantly yesterday. Mom is invaluable, but leadership and responsibility-physically, emotionally, and spiritually-are all placed on Dad.

My buddy, Chris Stevens wrote some good thoughts on Dad. Here is a short snippet from his blog: (Thanks for the thoughts, Chris)

I wonder why Mother’s Day is a huge deal and Dad’s Day comes and goes without much fanfare? Dads, do you ever feel slighted? Sometimes I think of us guys like Archie Bunker. That is not how God sees dads. I have never thought about it before, but He calls us the same title He gave Himself – FATHER!!! That is a big honking deal, don’t you think?

No matter what happens this Father’s Day we must never forget the power of the father! There is a reason that God placed the dad as the spiritual leader of the home. If a mother takes her kids to church, about 15% will continue to go to church after they are grown. If the dad takes the kids, about 75% of the kids will continue to go after they are grown.

Dads can affect their kids’ lives forever, for good or for bad! That is how God designed it. Here is another amazing fact I found today while preparing for the message this weekend. In Malachi 4:6 we see the mark of a major move of God. “The hearts of the children will be turned to the fathers and the fathers to the children.” I could think of a lot of marks of revival and never would I have come up with this. God did! Dads can change the world!

Beach Week Musings

2010-06-21T10:11:00.004-05:00

Last week we had our annual Beach Week with our high school students in Panama City Beach, Florida. Amazing week! I love our students and love seeing and hearing what God is doing as a result of this trip. Instead of being redundant and posting a report, our Girl's Ministry Director, Lindsee Eddy (who rocked the Tuesday night message, by the way) has posted a great report of the week on her blogsite that I recommend you guys check out. Here's the link: http://www.lindseelou.blogspot.com.

Photos From India Trip

2010-04-09T08:04:00.016-05:00

Here are some pics from our adventures on the India trip (in order):

Our digs at HBI in Chennai; my bag and it's condition when it finally arrived; the train we traveled to K. Kota on; the surrounding countryside in K. Kota; HBI's regional learning center in K. Kota; Some of the youth workers I trained (yes, they ARE youth workers); our room in K. Kota; the large group of pastors, wives, and youth workers that all attended the training sessions; my class of youth workers and my translator Isaac; eating traditional Indian celebration dinner with hands; HBI campus; fun day in Chennai; St. Thomas Mt.-traditional site where Thomas the disciple was martyred and is buried; Stanford Bridge-Chelsea football stadium; look kids-Big Ben, Parliment!; Tower Bridge in London.

India Thoughts

2010-04-07T07:28:00.038-05:00

Thanks for being patient! Between jet-lag and getting caught up at the office I am just now getting some thoughts together to share on India. I will also have some pics scattered thgroughout as well.

What an incredible journey! The travel part was definitely the hardest. We were 10 1/2 hours ahead of Houston but the hardest time to deal with it was after we returned home. Half our team was bumped that Friday from our original flight and had to wait until Saturday to leave. We arrived in Chennai about 1 am Monday morning. The half of the team before us only arrived about six hours before due to late and missed flights in Frankfurt. They had to fly to Mumbai, wait 5 hours and then fly to Chennai. After our group arrived, we found out that one of my bags and all the luggage of one of our lady's was left in Frankfurt and wouldn't be in Chennai for 24 hours. She had nothing. I had my clothes in a carry on but did not have toiletries and snacks. Steve, our leader, and I would leave a few hours later for K.Kota so I would not get my bag unitl the end of the week. Donna and I were dealing with the airline until 3 in the morning at the airport, then finally we went to our digs at HBI in Chennai. As steve said, we went from flexible, to fluid, to being "poured out as a drink offering" pretty fast!

After a short amount of sleep and orientation at HBI (Hindustan Bible Institute), Steve and I left for K.Kota, a village in the neighboring state of Andhra Pradesh, about a 9 hour train ride through the night. The original plan was to leave the night before, have a day at the HBI Learning center in K.Kota to get ready, and then began teaching on Tuesday. Due to our flight changes, we arrived Tuesday morning and went straight to teaching! Steve trained about 100 pastors and I trained about 25 youth workers. And I mean "youth" workers! their average age was 15-23, but they looked anywhere from 10-17. These youth also preach, teach, and have major leadership roles in their churches. Amazing! Our training looked at the discipleship strategy of Jesus with his "small group" (disciples), basic Bible Study Methods, and basic training in how to do small group ministry. Isaac, my interpreter, was amazing and became a good friend. He is a pastor with a heart for youth and runs a school as a ministry of his church in his little village. Santha Kumar, our HBI host who went to K.Kota with us, sat in on my classes. He works with the youth in his church as well as over 250 slum kids in Chennai. No one else with reach out to these untouchables, Dalits, the lowest of the low in the caste system. But Santha loves on them in the name of jesus every week. These guys are rapidly becoming my heroes! It was a grueling experience, teaching with a translator ov er six hours each day, but an incredible experience to see the body of Christ in action and so different on the other side of the world.

We left Thursday evening by train for Chennai and arrived back at HBI in the middle of the night. Went through debrief Friday as well as a ministry tour of HBI and a authentic Indian celebration dinner together. Saturday was a fun day of sight-seeing and shopping in Chennai. We saw the traditional site where Thomas the Disciple was martyred and buried. Sunday at 4 am we boarded a plane for London amidst the British Airways strike, but still made to London on time. Sunday was a fun but quick day around London. Exciting for me since I've never been to that side of the pond. I've gotta take Anna there sometime, it's avery cool place. The highlight for me was seeing the Chelsea football stadium, Stanford Bridge. I got me and Ben a Chelsea jersey. No game there that day, though.

Now, Some not-so-random thoughts and lessons from the trip:

1. God is alot bigger than the "American" box we put Him in. He is also working in huge ways in India and alot of other places much greater than we see Him moving in America. I understand even more about "contextualizing" to your culture that God has placed you in to reach them.

2. India youth workers are hungry to learn how to get into God's Word and disciple in greater ways. I mean, Hungry! My group even skipped state exams in school to stay for the final day of training. In comparison, we feel very satisfied.

3. Curry-based food is exotic and very good, but nothing beats a good burger. Burger King in London on Sunday night was a huge blessing.

4. The train ride from K.Kota was the hardest thing for me. I was very hot and tired and dirty, and sharing a small sleeper car with 5 other ppl was not fun. Especially for 9 hours. We Americans like our personal space. In the Eastern mind, there is no such thing.

5. Never under-appreciate the power of a hot shower. Or air-conditioning. Or sanitation.

6. 150 personal movie choices sure make a 10-12 hour plane ride go faster and more bearable. I got huge insight into youth culture by watching "Twilight: New Moon". Although I'll never get that two hours of my life back. Ever.

7. The bond of the body of Christ is strong and vital when you meet other brothers and sisters and see what God is doing on their side of the world. We will have a part in every person they lead to Christ. Awesome!

The next post will be pictures of the adventure. Maybe later today or tomorrow am. I just tried and blew about 45 minutes trying to get them on this post and then losing them.

Thank you all for your support, prayers, and encouragement during this trip. If I get the chance to return and continue the investment in the youth workers in K.Kota it will be worth it!

Last Day In Chennai

2010-03-19T23:32:00.001-05:00

The work is done. So much to tell but cannot right now. Off to St. Thomas Mount and a day in Chennai. Leave at midnight for London. Much to post later. Blessings!

Finally!!

2010-03-15T10:53:00.001-05:00

Well we made it to Chennai about 24 hours later than planned. 2 of us had luggage that didn't make it so it will be here tomorrow morning . . . as I'm on the train up to K-Kota. Just can't seem to re-unite with my peanut butter!

One half of our team made it here about 12 hrs before us. All finally together and after a day of orientation ready to get to work. I'll travel tonight by train to the village and start teaching in the morning.

We've all learned the meaning of flexibily and waiting on Gods timing, so were glad to get to work now. I'll be "dark" electronically while in K-Kota but will be back on blog, Twitter, & FB when I get back to Chennai Friday morning.

Check out our teams blog as well at http://cbcindia2010team.blogspot.com

Pray for the work!

And Away We Go!

2010-03-12T08:49:00.002-06:00

Well, it's here. I'm tired and excited and I didn't sleep well last night. I think my last supper at Del Pueblo didn't set well with my allergies. Or maybe it was just the cooler weather. All the same, it's probably better so I can sleep on the plane tonight.

In about 4 hours I will head to the airport to embark on my biggest adventure (well, not counting marriage . . . and parenthood . . . and youth ministry). About 2 am Houston time I will arrive in Frankfurt, scramble to catch the next 9 hour leg, and arrive in Chennai about midnight Sunday morning (11:30ish Saturday morning Houston time). Yep. Already lost a day.

So many people have graciously supported this chance in gifts and prayer, and I am deeply grateful to all of you who have invested in one way or another so I can have this opportunity. I look forward to what God is gonna do both in my own life and in the lives of the nationals we minister to in India.

This will be my last regular blog until I get back, unless-I have a machine I can update on in Chennai. We will have wifi so I can Twitter and Facebook, so periodically check my page out here and on FB to see if I've been able to have any activity. In the middle of the week I will not be able to have internet access but will be able to again when I get back to Chennai at the end of the week. The team in Chennai will have a blog of their own: cbcindia2010team.blogspot.com

Please pray for the many things we have talked about on this blog and in my prayer emails to you. Especially remember my family while I am gone.

I look forward to sharing with you everything that God does.

Peace of Christ.

The Crunch Is On

2010-03-11T10:15:00.003-06:00

It's the last day before I leave and I'm scrambling trying to get everything done at TSMAC and home before I head out. I'm excited to see what God is going to do and how he is going to use me to help equip youth workers on the other side of the world.

Today's prayer focus is for the folks we are going to minister to and train. Part of our team will be out in local orphanages, schools, and hospitals ministering with drama, prayer, and service. Part of our team will be training leaders and educators at Hindustan Bible Institute in Chennai and working to update their network and training their tech guys as well. Another pastor and I will be travel to Kamavarapukota in the state of Andhra Pradesh to train pastors and youth workers. Pray for all these folks that we encounter to see the love of Christ if they do not know him. Pray for the folks at HBI that our help and training will be beneficial and equip them to good works for the body of Christ in India. Pray the same for the pastors and youth workers we will see upstate as well. Pray for our team to work and love each other as a team and we strive to be the hands and feet of Christ while we are there and for there to be no strife or division. Pray that we will be good witnesses everywhere we go. Pray for opportunities to share Christ to people we meet on the plane, in town, and during our travels.

Thank you all so much for sharing in this adventure with me! Talk to ya tomorrow!

Is It Time For Your Medication or Mine?

2010-03-10T11:25:00.002-06:00

I took my first Malaria pill this morning. I hear that over time as you take them kinda mess with you, although the daily brand that I'm taking is a lot milder on your system than the weekly brand. I also just looked up Malaria on Wikipedia. Yeah, shouldn't have done that (don't look it up honey). I did read that India has done very well though at eradicating it more than alot of other countries. It's funny how this has been in the back of mind all morning instead of final prep work, to do lists, and work. The Enemy can get you side tracked and worried about nothing often.

So my prayer focus I'm asking you to join in today is for health issues. Not just protection from Malaria and other little mean parasites that prey on pasty white tourists, but other things that could be more damaging. Pray that my Diabetes stays regulated. Rice and chicken will be the staple where we are going, and rice is starchy and turns into glucose which can wreck havoc on a Diabetic system. Pray for some healthier alternatives if possible and for God to supernaturally oversee my circulatory system. Pray for sleep at night so I can stay healthy-it will be hard being 12 hours ahead on Houston time. Pray for protection from cold, sinus, and flu strains. Not good things to have in a foreign country unless you have an unhealthy obsession with quarantine.

I know I will be fine, God is going ahead of us on this trip and is in control. Continue to pray for peace of mind for Anna, Kelsey, and Ben while I am gone and for their safety in Houston as well. It's easy not to feel fully safe when Dad is gone. It will help having some family in for the week and good friends and neighbors right there.

I appreciate all the prayers-feelin' em! God is gracious!

JJ

You're Flying Over Where??!

2010-03-09T09:28:00.002-06:00

That was my wife's reaction when I told her I traced out the flight pattern that we most likely will take this weekend when I fly to India. If I'm correct, it takes us over some of the more . . . interesting places in the Middle East and Asia. Houston to Frankfurt is a no-brainer. From Frankfurt, we should fly over such exotic ports o' call as Turkey, Syria, Iraq, Iran, Afghanistan, and Pakistan. Now I know we are in international airspace and will perfectly fine, but not much of a comfort to Anna until I get to Chennai and she hears from me. Add to that the fact that India is almost 12 hours ahead of Houston, and that makes it a long wait.

Which brings us to my prayer focus today: safety for our team. Pray for safe, uneventful flights to Chennai and on the way home as we stop-over in London. Pray for safety in Chennai for our team and in K-Kota where Steve Noris and I will be. Safety from harm, but also safety from fatigue, disease, sickness, pride, and attacks from the Enemy. Pray for peace of mind for our families and for them to feel God's goodness and presence during this time.

Thanks for all your prayers-I sure feel them!

Monday Before India

2010-03-08T08:54:00.003-06:00

T-minus 4 days and counting until I leave for India. With a short week it's going to be hard to get everything done to take care of TSMAC and church stuff as well as family responsibilities before I go. Spending today getting last minute travel items as well as trying to enjoy at least part of the day as a Sabbath since it will be the last one for about 3 weeks. Still have to finish my last lesson for training as well.

Which brings us to todays prayer focus: Time. Pray that with time beginning to crunch I'll have enough to get everything done. That I'll be able to focus, prioritize and take care of things according to importance. It's really hitting me now that I really will be traveling all the way around the world into a vastly different culture than I've ever been in. Getting a little nervous and anxious. Starting tomorrow, 3 full days is not a of of time to get everything done, pack, and still spend generous amounts of time with Anna, Kels, and Ben. Pray that I will be able to make the most of these last 96 or so hours. And pray this for the other 7 members of the India team as well. Thanks.

Heading to the Far Side of the World

2010-03-06T22:09:00.003-06:00

One week from tonight I will be arriving in Chennai, India on a mission trip to train Indian youth workers. I feel like a cross between Tully Mars in a Jimmy Buffett novel, Indiana Jones, and Hudson Taylor. (The latter being the only one non-ficticious.) But before I begin my trek to the Far Side of the World, I want to take the next few days to bring to mind some things to pray for as I get ready for this amazing adventure for which I am hugely grateful for to God and all of you who've helped me get this far.

Today the prayer focus is for the Bania people of the state of Andhra Pradesh. The Merchant Class of people. These are primarily the folks we will be ministering to in the area where I am going. Although we fly into Chennai, I will go with another pastor to a village in Andhra Pradesh to teach for the week at a local Bible Institute.

The Merchant Class run most of the business in India and is part of the Hindu and social caste system. The caste system include the very wealthy and prominent, the Brahman, all the way to the lowest, the Untouchables. Seldom does each caste class reach out to those in the caste systems below it. Merchants can become very self-sufficient and wealthy, money is their god. Their loyalty lies with the Hindu goddess who brings wealth.

Pray for the one true God to show the Merchant Class that only He can satisfy that longing of fulfillment they are trying to fill with wealth. Pray for the pastors and youth workers we will be training that they will have the skills and relationships they need to minister to the Bania.

My plan is to blog every day until I leave next Friday about a specific prayer need or fact of India. I am so excited to see what God is going to do. Check back here everyday through next Friday and please comment or shout out some prayers!

What I'm Giving Up For Lent

2010-02-17T09:27:00.003-06:00

Lent is upon us and this is really the first time in my life I am seriously making an attempt to observe the full six weeks of it. I appreciate the beauty and gravity of the liturgical order and service, but in the vein of some of those who have gone before, I am laying out for all to see what I'm giving up for Lent. For, you know, accountability as well as shameless publication for all two of you who still check on my blog. Be very jealous.

STUFF I'M GIVING UP FOR LENT

my Backyardigans habit
making Pasedena TX smell better
Scandinavian clogging
Celine Dion songs
my magnetic personality
speedos
the Downhill Slalom
back hair
Subliminal bullying
the pursuit of my private island where I can be a pirate
saying "yar"
my search for Hogwart's
CTU training
yak milking
cutting my fingers with a papercutter
flying to Dublin to jam weekly with Bono and the boys
underwater basket weaving
bromances
thongs
astronaut training (NASA's being cut anyway)
goiters
Martha Stewart
my Rolls Royce collection
Luby's
my Lane Kiffin fan club membership
alligator farming
roadkill (this is a stretch since I am from Tennessee)
having my art on display at the Louvre
playing 1st base for the Astros (Lance can have it back)
Canasta with Bigfoot
gnat breeding
dreaming in color
Uber-Hyper-Nomadic-Super-Ultra-Phlegmatic Calvinism

All kidding aside, I really am observing Lent this year and do have some things I am doing without. But, as you can see, my resolve is strong and I do pretty well at abstaining. But like I said, I was just inspired by some other bloggers who had gone before me in this charted territory. So, like in their case, feel free to make some suggestions of other things I could also give up for Lent - I'd love to hear them in a comment . . .

Top Popular Songs of 2009

2009-12-15T16:36:00.003-06:00

The Source for Youth Ministry just released a very informative article on the top songs of 2009. Read it for a great window into Youth Culture as this year winds down . . .
Click this link here to go to it: Top Artists of 2009

Muppets Bohemian Rhapsody

2009-12-02T21:59:00.003-06:00

One of my favorite classic rock songs by one of my favorite childhood programs! Enjoy!

Between the Divine and the Daily

2009-11-16T11:32:00.010-06:00

In my back yard here in Houston I have stately Queen Palm that we planted right after we moved in a few years ago. It has grown very fast and very tall. Today is Monday and my day off, or as I'm trying to make it more and more, my Sabbath day. Today in Houston it is also remarkably cooler that normal and I'm sitting outside on my back porch spending my morning in reading, contemplation, prayer, and just general enjoyment of the day. And it's not hot. Or humid. Or sticky. Or put your least favorite Houston weather characteristic here. I'm watching the Queen Palm, and it's a little windier than normal. When the wind hits it just right, the fronds wave majestically toward its beckoning direction. When the wind is full force, it turns my back yard into a cathedral of sound that invites me to look up and listen as the pine trees weave a beautiful tune among their branches. (eek, I'm starting to sound like a poet). In this moment the wind is supreme above the din of the neighbors hammer, the lawn service's mower, and the occasional traffic on the street in front of my house.

For me this is an intersection of the Divine amongst the daily. I am naturalist, that is I can feel really close to God and seem to focus, pray, worship, contemplate best in the outdoors. Especially on a cool or cold day with my decaf chai tea or my favorite Starbucks blend, whichever I happen to feel a fancy for.

I am currently reading a book by Robert Benson on the discipline of the Daily Offices, or fixed times of prayer, if you will. An ancient practice that has it's precedent even from the pages of Scripture as we see in the prayer lives of David, Jesus, and other Biblical personalities. Jewish roots that have been passed down through centuries, kept alive in the early years and first centuries of the church, but practiced now by very few believers, and evangelicals at that.

I recently discovered this ancient discipline and began to learn about it on a recent sabbatical. I found a Book of Common Prayer at a close-by seminary and purchased it (and I'm not even Catholic or Episcopal). I am trying to make prayer a better discipline in my life, not just requests, but praying back Scripture to God and acknowledging prayer as a time spent in Abba's presence.

I'm convicted we don't pray enough. At least we don't really pray. Or maybe I'm just talking about me and you actually have prayer figured out. Please write a book if you do. We spend time asking things focused on what we want, but not enough time praying as a blessing to God. The Daily Offices have helped me be more focused for that purpose. Benson's book is one in a series on the ancinet practices that I've stumbled on and am currently trying to obtain the rest. I found it on the 5 for $5 rack at Mardel's. Best dollar I ever spent. He does a good job explaining the Offices for an evangelical like me, but really talks about the discipline as not getting into a routine of it, but learning to use it as a tool to live a life of constant prayer. Hence the name of the book, In Constant Prayer.

Laerning to live a life of constant and fixed prayer is new to me. The Offices are a huge blessing and help. Fixed times of prayer are becoming for me a time to re-focus at key times of the day to make sure I am about God's purpose whatever I may be doing. It also just gives me time with my Heavenly Father.

For me, on Mondays that are particularly cool in Houston, when the morning light and shadows dance around in my backyard in harmony with the wind, while reading more about the importance of prayer in our lives, the Divine has intersected the daily.
Where does that intersection happen for you? I'd be intersted to hear from you and find out.

A Culture Window Worth Watching

2009-09-16T20:40:00.002-05:00

One of the greatest windows into the current culture of your students is the annual MTV Video Music Awards. I wasn't able to watch Sunday night but caught them online today. Most everyone already knows about the Kayne West/Taylor Swift fiasco, but there were so many more key glimpes into the world of students. Of note especially was Lady Gaga and her performance. She is worth paying attention to since she is one of the main voices influencing your students.

But instead of taking my word on it and repeating what many worthwhile folks have already blogged, let me give you a link to go to. Walt Mueller is a foremost expert and culture guru in Student Ministry. I read him every chance I get. He gave a very thoughtful and insightful breakdown of the VMA's a couple of nights ago on his blog. I highly suggest it. Go to learningmylines.blogspot.com to get his take on the famous night.

I also suggest you watch a little bit of the VMA's yourself, just to begin to get a pulse on the worldviews out there. You can watch the entire program or each segment separately at www.mtv.com/ontv/vma/2009 .

As much as you may not like much of what's in it, the music and video industry is a mainstream window into the world of your teen. If we're gonna have a chance to redeem culture we need to see and understand it first (not necessarily agree with it). Catching glimpes afforded us by mogul giants like MTV help us see and hear the hearts and souls of a generation that is normally very guarded with us. Look for these opportunities and think through how Christ would use them.

Jon and Kate . . . Not Doin' So Great

2009-05-26T20:26:00.016-05:00

I stomached the premiere of Jon and Kate Plus 8 with my wife last night. Reluctantly. It was pretty sad.

First of all - who are Jon and Kate and why should I care?

I guess I care because they need prayer right now. I'm not a fan of the show, but my wife and kids are. I do know that alot of Christian couples have elevated them to a high place and now with a possible fall . . . well.

Instead of giving my extrapolation at this juncture, I have found a blog that really reflects where I am at with the whole thing. It's a worthwhile read to ponder. Go here to read it.

Why continue with a new season on the show? Why still go on book and speaking tours when your own marriage needs repair?
Why have your main focus on the kids when your spouse should come first? I know its only by God's grace it could be any of us and that there are extra stresses having multiples of multiples and that a whole lot of couples with multiples end up in divorce.

Hopefully they won't be another casualty of faith, fame, and fortune.

The Phoenix Has Risen

2009-05-26T19:12:00.006-05:00

So I'm back from the dark regions of the blogging world. I'm not sick anymore and neither is my laptop, but is has been an interesting couple of months. Probably best to cover it in a Past, Present, Future format:

PAST:
1. Major laptop problems, so haven't been able to blog in a while. This coupled with having everything but the Swine Flu left me out of commission for a while. Glad to report both laptop and blogger have recovered fine.
2. My wife had a major injury that rocekd our household in early April. She fell in the middle of the night and broke her neck and jaw. We've had many weeks of recovery, she had her jaws wired shut for several weeks, and wore a neck brace for several weeks. She is much better now, but still can only eat soft food. It will take a few months for total recovery. She has tests coming up to rule out what might have caused her to lose consciousness. I did learn alot, though, about such things as servanthood, being Mr. Mom, and what's really important at the time.
3. Because of the above, I am soooooo behind at the church. There are a ton of new changes coming for the fall, major summer events and trips right around the corner, and Anna and I had to reschedule our long-awaited sabbatical week for the Fall. I have to be honest and say I feel like I am constantly spinning more plates right now than I can handle and I was at a pretty bad place a few weeks ago. It has been a hard year for us personally, and it all hit the wall and I lost it. In front of my youth. Last month. But God is gracious, and I think I'm moving to a better place now. Slowly . . . but surely.

PRESENT:
1. I'm back blogging. I'm mean, really . . . right now . . . I am typing this.
2. Last week I went home to Memphis to officiate the wedding of a former student. It was a blast seeing former students and old friends and what God is doing in their lives. My Youth Pastor's wife passed away and I was also able to attend her service and see him and friends from my youth group I grew up in. People I hadn't seen in 10-15 years. It was hard to see them under those circumstances, but good nonetheless. Boldly went to see Star Trek while I was there too.
3. Getting ready to graduate our seniors in TSMAC. Wow, another year has gone by this quickly! it's always bittersweet to see our seniors head to new chapter in their life. I'm grateful for how God has used them this last four years and hopeful for how He will use them as they move on to college. Many of our students that graduate use the experience from the years they were in TSMAC to in turn minister in the churches and campuses they move on to.
4. Going through 24, Heroes, CSI Miami, and Office withdrawl until September.

FUTURE:
1. Getting ready for a busy, busy, summer (see #3 under "PAST"). The economy has hit our participation (as it has everyone) in our summer trips and we've had to re-calibrate for it. Starting a new thing for summer with our Sr. High called TSMAC U. Mexico mission trip in July. We have a charge staff-wide in our church to simplify our ministries and church life and live into our new vision and have a whole new atmosphere at CBC come August 23. This is all a good thing, but who knew simplifying would be such hard work? I feel like my plates are spinning and I can't keep up with them. Ultimately I believe all this change will put us in a better place and that God will do some incredible things, but it's going to be a long hard summer to get there.
2. My daughter starts high school this Fall and moves up into my group. Talk about a different dynamic! I am excited about it but anxious as well. She is even more. If any of you guys out there have already lived through this-some help would be appreciated.
3. I think I'll have several kayak days in Galveston Bay this summer to chill from the busyness. Looking forward to that and some family day trips to the beach!

So there it is. l'm back. Be looking for more posts, more often. All two of you.

Sick Again

2009-03-10T20:46:00.001-05:00

So I'm sick again. My laptop is sick as well. So I'll start back blogging in a few more days while we both rest.

No Line On The Horizon

2009-03-05T19:46:00.004-06:00

So I've been dissecting U2's new album to find some nuggets of noteworthy truth and ponderence. The album's not as upbeat as "Atomic Bomb", but it does have some sonic riffs and lyrics in it. The band is getting more and more gutsy in reflecting their faith as raw and blatantly as they do in this latest effort. Some classic soaring U2 sounds and anthems on the new record.

Here are some worthwhile nuggets so far . . .

No Line On The Horizon: Title song has a good and memorable riff that will catch you off guard. Not my personal favorite on the album.

Magnificent: So far, favorite song on the album. This could be a psalm. Soaring praise to the Creator. "I was born, I was born to sing for you/I didn't have a choice but to lift you up". "From the womb my first cry/it was a joyful noise." "Only love could leave such a mark/Only love could leave such a scar." "Justified you and I will magnify/The Magnificent."

Moment Of Surrender: "It's not if I believe in love/but if love believes in me".

I'll Go Crazy If I Don't Go Crazy Tonight: "Every sweet tooth needs a hit/every beauty needs to go out with an idiot/how can you stand next to the truth and not see it?". "The right to appear ridiculous is something I hold dear" (I love that one).

Get On Your Boots: Great song to bring out as the first single. Not as good as "Vertigo", but one great line: "here's what we're gonna need, love and community/laughter is eternity if joy is real".

White As Snow: The first few bars of the song is taken from the hymn "O Come, O Come Emmanuel". "Who can forgive forgiveness where forgiveness is not/only the lamb as white as snow". It was written for a soldier that died in Afghanistan.

Breathe: Another great guitar riff in this one. "But I'm running down the road like loose electricity". "Everyday I have to find the courage/to walk out into the street/with arms out/got a love you can't defeat". "Walk out/into the sunburst street/sing your heart out, sing my heart out/I've found grace inside a sound/I've found grace that's all I've found/And I can breathe, breathe now". When the band did this live Monday night on the Late Show, Bono changed the last chorus to "Spirit, breathe".

Good Stuff.

Time Flies

2009-03-05T15:23:00.003-06:00

Wow! Almost a month since I've blogged . . . in between the flu, TSMAC Dive Weekend, and an amalgamation of other known and unknown maladies, time just got away. But got some good stuff coming, so stay tuned. For all two of you who currently know about Wide Awake.

Random Stuff

2009-02-10T09:19:00.005-06:00

Some good quotes from stuff I'm reading (and hearing) right now:

"In the midst of a generation screaming for answers, Christians are stuttering." Howard Hendricks

"Here's what we're gonna need, love and community, laughter is eternity if joy is real" U2 from "Get On Your Boots"

"When have we forgotten that the church doesn't exist for us? We are the church and we exist for the world." Erwin McManus

This last one hits all of us in church work. We deal with it all the time and even perpetuate it ourselves as pastors sometime. How many times have we heard about people wanting to leave our churches because of things that have seem to have no kingdom value? Comments like "I'm just not being fed" and "we're just not being ministered to" dot the landscape. Add to that "I don't like the contemporary music"; "I don't like the hymns"; "I want more deep teaching"; "I want more fun"; "I think its too shallow"; "I think it's too deep"; "I think we use too much media and culture"; "I ______________________" and we got more "I's" than a sack of Idaho potatoes. Now, are these all bad things? Of course not. We need to balance our ministries and reach, train, and minister to our folks we are entrusted with. We are to be good shepherds of the flock. Neither does this mean that we don't evaluate, listen, and get feedback. All of those things are very helpful and help us to better serve. I love my students, my parents, and our folks at our church. It's an incredible place where we see God at work. But we have created a consumer mentality in our churches in America today, much by our own design, that can be very shallow on true kingdom principles like outreach, community, true discipleship, justice and basically having a heart for the the things we see that Christ has a heart for. Not that I have the answers for this dilemma, it's just a pet peeve stirred up by a great quote.

Grammy's

2009-02-09T19:58:00.010-06:00

Caught the Grammy's last night, even though I didn't get to watch them until about 20 minute into the program. Some notable and worthwhile performances:

Al Green and Justin Timberlake: well, not really Justin, but definitely Al Green.

Coldplay and Jay-Z: great live performance of "Viva la Vida". Great lyrics.

(can't believe I'm saying this) Jonas Brothers and Stevie Wonder: having a daughter that screams every time you even mention Nick Jonas, I was apprehensive. My observation is thus: If these guys could break out of the Disney contract and and really write meaningful songs and not have the stigma of screaming pre-pubescent girls at every live outing, they might be pretty good. They have good stage presence and perform well. But it did help having Stevie up there. "Superstition" was hands down the highlight of the set.

Allison Krauss and Robert Plant: bluegrass meet Zepplin? Gotta get that album.

and of course - U2: As usual, best way to start of the show (I believe this is the Irish quartet's third time in the last decade). I haven't been too keen on the new song, although I'm ready for the new album to drop. But after watching live it's grown on me. Kinda a of Dylan "Subterranean Homesick Blues" and Larry Norman "Reader's Digest" with a modern rock edge. They've done it again. That's why they are The Man. That's right.

One Of Those Days

2009-02-09T11:33:00.007-06:00

Don't cha love it when everything just comes together in perfect sync? The planets align just right, your karma runs over your dogma, murphy and his law take a vacation, and you are the man and can just do no wrong!

Yesterday was not one of those days.

FUEL (our Sr. High worship experience) started way too late. We had major soundboard issues. Thus we had major band issues. No monitors worked right, so alot of songs were slow and painful. Not to the band's fault, but faulty equipment mind you. I had only ten minutes for my talk and was majorly rushed. We had a significant decrease in attendance because of flu, sports, tournaments, laziness, and lack of world peace in general. One of my superiors happened to wander in when nothing was going right. Not good timing.

Why couldn't it have been last week? Everything was flat out on. The band was tight. Worship was engaging. I finished a three week series on The Kingdom. Over 100 students there. Great moving of God at the end and two students even came to Christ! Our FUEL team was on task (well, they usually are-they own it!)

Oi!! There are just those days in youth ministry. I hate em, but they come. I'd be interested to know how anybody else deals with those days.

And to top it all off, I missed U2 opening up the Grammys! (But I caught it on YouTube later).

Oh well. There's next week and God is still in control.

2009-02-06T10:13:00.004-06:00

Best line from "The Office" last night:
"Are you trying to hurt my feelings? Well you succeeded. Fortunately, my feelings regenerate at twice the speed of the average mans".

Stinky funny! Classic!

What's your favorite Dwight moment? . . .

1,000 Questions

2009-02-04T23:55:00.002-06:00

We ended our "Upside Down" series with our high school students this past Sunday with this video. Very powerful. Got a lot of response from our students and had a very moving ending to the morning .

Tribes

2009-02-03T21:21:00.008-06:00

So this blogging thing is harder than I thought. It's been 3 weeks, so I'm still getting disciplined in it.

I'm reading a book by leadership speaker Seth Godin called "Tribes". Working with students the concept of tribes is not new. Youth are notorious for running in their tribes (not to be confused with cliques). All of us belong to some tribe or another. A tribe carries a sense of community, belonging, purpose, passion, and intensity in everything it has in common. For us in ministry, the pull is that tribes need leaders. The caveat is that anyone in the tribe has the potential to be a leader. We need those leaders, especially leaders who are ready and willing to do things differently and to think outside the box.

Which brings me to the section I'm reading right now-the difference between factories and tribes. Now, were talking organizations here. Companies. Corporations. But for our purposes, let's say, oh . . . the church. Interesting things about factories: they're made to produce steadily (a product or a service), without major risk, and cut costs as efficiently as possible. Factories are efficient. Factories offer stability. Factories offer assurance that the same, mundane, routine job will be there in the same, mundane, and routine way in 20 years. What factories don't offer is free agents. Out of the box thinkers. Risk-takers. Passion. TRIBES. If I asked you what your dream job would be, chances are you wouldn't say 20 effervescent years on an assembly line making toothpaste caps. Most of us would want to see the scope of our dream reach far and wide. Most of us would want to be our own boss; control our our own schedule; create things or services we're actually proud of; have input in what we do. Listen to what Seth says:

"The factory is part of the fabric of our lives. It's there because it pays, and it's there because it's steady, and it's there because we want it. What you won't find in a factory is a motivated tribe making a difference. And what you won't find outside a factory is a tribe of customers, excited about what's to come."

He goes on to say that the organizations of the future are filled with smart, fast, flexible people on a mission. A tribe . . . of leaders. Leading a tribe . . . that get it. Whether it's a company or a church. All of us know by now that these are unstable times we're in right now. And in unstable times growth comes from leaders who create change and engage their organizations.

So the question I am wrestling with and propose to the meager number of you who might by chance mull over this humble blog is . . . are our churches (is my church) a factory . . . or a tribe?? Hmmmm . . .

So, it's a great, easy read. I dare you to read it.

2009-01-11T07:20:00.001-06:00

I am sooooo psyched about tonight!!!!

Top Highlights of 2008

2009-01-09T09:41:00.006-06:00

Here's my top 10 highlights of the past year:

10. Becoming an official "Office" fan (finally!) I should get a Dundie for that . . .
9. Seeing the NW Houston Youth Ministry Network start and grow healthy - you guys rock!
8. TSMAC Mexico City Mission Trip - looking forward to going back this year!
7. Preaching about being Salt and Light in our culture in the Big House at CBC
6. TSMAC Deeper Summer Trip - "Retro" through the decades & returning to our first love
5. Riding out Hurricane Ike - not necessarily a good highlight . . .
4. Courtside seats at the Rockets game - SNAP! Those guys look much shorter from the cheap seats
3. Coaching my son's basketball team
2. Seeing my daughter turn 13 and become a young lady, and . . .
1. 18 years of marriage and Anna still wants me around. I am so in!

How can 2009 top that?

Dos Jota

2009-01-09T08:37:00.002-06:00

Wake the neighbors and phone the dog-Dos Jota (aka Daddy Jones) has a blog! So I figure every good youth pastor worth his weight in salt has to blog, so I got on the bandwagon after some challenges and encouragement from some of my colleagues. Stay tuned for ramdom thots on student ministry, spirituality, life, family, friends, U2, and anything else that crosses my mind. Come back often and check it out, add me to your blog ring so i can feel good about myself! Ha.