So I'm sitting beside Mike Devries as he writes his latest blog filled with wisdom, and God given insight. He's been bugging me that I don't blog enough, so I thought I show him -- so Mikey, here's my blog!
Tonight I was telling someone a story that Phil Cann told me. Later they're going to be watching the movie "Saved", a brilliant movie written to show how not to be a Christ follower. Phil was telling me about when the cast from the movie dropped by their youth group for a little research on what it meant to be a part of a Christian youth group. It was amusing becasue they were trying to be "undercover" and McCauley Caulken showed up in crocodile pants. A word to the wise McCauley, nobody where's crocodile pants to youth group.
During the worship Mandy Moore headed up to the front of the group to join the girls praying and worshiping in front of the stage.
What was interesting was that as soon as someone noticed who she was, the group began to gather around her so much that they had to remove her from the group.
Think about it! Here's a group of young people worshipping the creator of the universe: coming before the throne of heaven, envied by the angels for the freedom with which they can crawl into the lap of the God of all that is -- and then here comes Mandy Moore!
"Uh God, can we pick this up later, there's this really cool person here. And God, she's famous!"
Why is it that we are so quick to worship people rather than the people's creator?
I made a crack about Mikey and his pressure to blog, but the reality is I actually struggle not to place him on a pedestal. In fact I came to Y.L.I. the first year with a lot of stars in my eyes. I remember sitting at breakfast one morning and realising that I had a book on my shelf written by every person that I was enjoying a meal with: Jim Burns, Steve Geralli, Mike Devries, Kara Powell. As I write this, I'm waiting for Harp 46 to begin playing and I'm struggling with the urge to run over and ask April Stace for an autograph.
Why is it that we are so quick to worship people rather than the people's creator?
What's been really interesting, is that as I've gotten to know these guys, I haven't gotten to know spiritual giants who never sin, and have the answer to every question known to man, rather they are men and women of God who are doing their best to follow after their Jesus and listen to his calling and his word as well as they can. I've met giants in the youth ministry world struggling with their own teenagers. Mike and I have gotten to be friends because we're both members of the "False Prophet's Club". And Robin Dugall has become my hero only because he's open about his struggles and his own short-comings.
What if we let our desire to worship people push us to worship the people's creator?
I guess what scares me, is I think I might be up on somebody else's pedestal. Some of these students seem to talk to me in the same way I talk to some of my idols, the problem is I know my heart. I know how sinful my thoughts are, and how selfish and impure my motives are at times. I know how much I struggle to chase after Jesus and spend so much of my time just throwing temper tantrums because I won't listen to my Dad. I know that the last place I should be is on anyone's pedestal.
(Interestingly enough someone at the T.E.A.M. conference just inadvertently substituted Mike Devries' name for "God" - I thought it was fitting with this particular blog)
You see if I've done anything to make a difference in someone's life it's only because that's what God has created me for, and done through me. Mike's talks are challenging and thought provoking becasue that's what the creator made him to be. Harp 46's music inspires me and touches me because that's what the creator made them to be. Robin challenges these students in the conference to be revolutionary subversives because that's what the creator is doing in him at the moment.
Seeing greatness in others should only inspire us to worship the greaterness of the creator!
And for all you modern thinkers, here's a little alliteration for you 
People Push Praise Pointedly, Purposefully and Positively ... to Him!
Great thoughts!
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