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So when I was out in East Texas by myself having to walk a while to get internet access I actually spent a lot of time thinking and writing. Now I'm home sitting in my leather chair and I have nothing to write about. I guess this proves why I need to get out of town to think and write.
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Ok I'm back. Posted an edit of my written dissertation and got lonely so I drove home last night. Now I'm in the office and am reminded of why I was gone. Right away I'm back in the mode of working. Today though is a little fun as we are decorating for Club Christmas. Every December Stream Youth Ministries goes Christmas crazy. We host guest bands every Sunday for a combined Junior and Senior High morning. I'm teaching for the next 4 weeks and pretty stoked to do it. We pulled out boxes and boxes of stuff today to put it. Fun....
There is something I've been wrestling with for a long time that I finally decided to write about. Over the last 15 years in Youth Ministry I have have struggled with one main thing when it comes to talking about following Jesus. The idea I wrestle with is talking to students and families about the importance of college.
Here's my thoughts. I have been working with an organization for a long time called Youth With a Mission What they do is typically provide a ministry training ground for post high school students who want to spend time growing in their faith and serving but either aren't ready for or who have made the decision to not attend college. What I have found over the years is that the education that these "students" receive at YWAM is of huge value to them and to the world. What they receive is an opportunity to make a difference as 18 year old and a focused time to growing closer to God. What the world receives is an example of someone who's passion and pursuit is Jesus.
I realize I may be over simplifying that and I'll probably get some critique because of it but I'm trying to make a point quickly.
All the Churches I have worked at have mostly middle to upper middle class white families. I would guess that for 95% of the families I have worked with that the question is not "if" students are going to college but "where".
What I would like to do is to propose to many students that they take 1 year away from high school to serve somewhere and then go to college. The problem with that is our society seems to make that idea not socially acceptable. The expectation is that you will go to college and 4 years later you will either go to graduate school or get a "real" job. Unfortunately, many students graduate without any clue about what they want to do and are forced to take a job to begin paying off debt and full filling the expectations that they will become an adult.
Even as I write this I realize that it will be met with skepticism. I'll probably even take some heat from parents who will tell me not to encourage their kids to do something different. To them I say relax. I'm not preaching that or talking to students about it. I'm just voicing something I wish we had the freedom to talk about more. I'd love the opportunity to work on creating something like that for students.
One thought I will end with though is I'd like us to honestly evaluate how we would feel if one of our son's or daughters came to us and said that they wanted to follow Jesus and for them that meant they weren't going to go to college. How would that make you feel as a parent? I think coming to terms with that is important before we can have an honest discussion about this.
Being alone really makes me think. I'm sure many people would say that I don't sit still long enough for that to happen very often. Today when I woke up I started thinking about how to best convey to the students at HPPC that understanding the Kingdom as being "here and now." Without going into a huge theological treatise on that opinion I'm mostly trying to figure out how to convey that believing in God's present "kingdom" should have ramifications for how we live.
This fall I have come to realize that a lot of Texans worship both on Saturday and on Sunday. Sadly, it seems that most people have more passion and heart for what happens on Saturday in stadiums across Texas than what happens in Churches on Sunday. While that may sound like a negative critique it also gives me a bit of hope because it proves that people still have passion. My hope is that I can somehow translate the importance of "Kingdom Living" to this culture.
How to best do that in Highland Park? I think that there are huge opportunities to translate how we should be changed to a people that can help make those changes. I am encouraged to see some people who actually "get it" who have resources and social standing to reach out to others in this community. I am encouraged to talk to students who have a heart for Jesus which supersedes their love of the world. I am grateful for an amazing staff of leaders who's hearts are Kingdom focused and who desire to bring students into that mindset with them.
Of course outside of a reliance on Jesus these 4 talks will fail. Not fail to be funny or to have stories that draw students in and technology that makes them interesting. I can pull that all off on my own. Where they will fail though is to make a difference that is lasting. My prayer (and I hope prayers of those reading this) will be that God speaks through me to convey a message that will transform lives during this Christmas season.
I think writing transparently here is a bit cathartic and helpful as it allows me to get to a point of open honest reflection as I attempt to speak God's truth and not my own.
We've been out near Tyler Texas for the last 3 days. It's cold and raining. This resort is actually pretty cool but we haven't been able to enjoy it as we've been stuck inside. We're definitely wanting to come back here in the warmer months. I don't have internet or phone access in my room so I'm pretty unreachable. That's ok with me though as my goal is to read, write and pray for the next 5 days. I'm working on my dissertation and a teaching series I'm doing for 4 weeks in December. I'm working through some ideas on the Kingdom of God and its current implications on how we should live our lives. It's a topic particularly grabbing me right now as we enter into the Christmas season and all its craziness.
Something I've been hoping for a long time is officially happening starting today. Danielle, the kids and I are going to spend the weekend at a condo down in Tyler Texas and then starting Monday-Friday I will have a full-week to work on my dissertation, read, prepare my Christmas teaching series and draw nearer to God. I have been hoping for this week all fall and its finally going to become a reality.
It's been a long time since I've had this much time to study and read. I'm hoping to get a lot of writing done as well as get a book project a little bit more fleshed out.
I'm not sure what type of internet access I'm going to have but my cell phone should work.
So it's snowing here in Dallas. Happy Thanksgiving in the snow
Right now I'm watching the Cowboys game. My daughter just woke up and wanted to watch Dora the Explorer. Instead of giving up the tv to her I simply handed her my iphone where I have several episodes of Dora recorded. Thank you Apple.....
Ok so I don't live in Seattle anymore but I do read the Seattle Times online almost every day. Today I saw anarticle that made me sad. Right before Thanksgiving weekend a number of Ferry Boats were pulled out of duty to be repaired. Now I'm not sad that they were pulled I'm mostly sad because of the history represented by these boats is coming to a close. My dad worked for the ferry system in Washington for 33 years and since I grew up on an island I used it almost every week. To see boats that I have been on being pulled from service makes me both feel old and feel like history is disappearing.
Now I realize this comes right at Thanksgiving which for me is bittersweet this year as I really miss our families and friends on the west coast. Although Texas is great what it doesn't have is "our" history. I really wish I was getting on a boat to the Island tomorrow to eat turkey........
Normally I work in an office with about 15 people. They are all great and I love being around them. Today though I'm the only one here. Silence and solitude is an interesting thing. I don't get much of it in my life and it's something I crave.
So don't call me :)
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