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Ice Cream & Theology

A few nights ago my son and I had a couple of hours together to just do whatever. So we went to the church and listened to our new worship band practice for the kickoff of our new worship service called Third Service(shameless plug), then we headed out for some ice cream.

 We went through the McDonald's drive thru to get some cones. After we got our cones, we are sitting in the parking lot and Parker just says out of the blue, "I love this in my life"  referring to the ice cream cone. I started laughing because it was just so funny how he said it and for some reason I immediately thought of GRACE. God's abundant, sweet GRACE.

I don't know why I did this maybe it was because I was thinking about the message I have to preach in a few weeks which has to do with sin, and I LOVE having grace in my life which covers so much in my life. How I need to have grace for others, and from others.

As we head toward Easter may you remember how good the grace of God is, poured out on us through Jesus.

So for all of you who will be attending Third Service you just got a sneak peek of part of the message for May 3rd!

Hope to see you all there.

I'm Moving to Roseto!

I have had Malcom Gladwell's book Outliers for awhile now and just haven't been in the mood to pick it up, my bad. So far this is a great book. Gladwell is looking at what makes people successful. He starts with an incredible story about the town of Roseto right here in Pennsylvania. It seems that in the 1950"s in this small PA town they had virtually no one under the age of 65 with heart disease in a time when heart attacks where a national epidemic. In fact Roseto's death rate from heart attacks was 50% lower than the national average and the death rate for all causes was 30 to 35% lower. What was so peculiar about these people? Here is a quote from the book:

"There was no suicide, no alcoholism, no drug addiction, and very little crime. They didn't have anyone on welfare. Then we looked at peptic ulcers. They didn't have any of those either. These people were dying of old age. That's it."

So they looked into dietary reasons, exercise, genetics, and geography to see if that was what was making these people so healthy, so different. All of those factors were dead ends.

What they began to realize was that the secret of Roseto wasn't diet or exercise or genes or location. It had to be Roseto itself. As the researchers walked around town, they figured out why. These people visited each other, cooked for each other. Many of the homes had three generations under one roof, grandparents where treated with respect. They all went to church together, and there were 22 separate civic organizations in a town just under 2000. The wealthy were discouraged against flaunting their wealth and encouraged to help the poor. They cared for each other.

The Rosetans were healthy because of the world they had created for themselves in their tiny little town in the hills. People's success was defined by the community they were in.

In order to understand success of the individual we have to understand the culture he or she is a part of, and who their friends and families were, and what town their families came from. They had to appreciate the idea that the values of the world we inhabit and the people we surround ourselves with have a profound effect on who we are!

This is fascinating. It is a great picture of community, of the Kingdom of God, of what Jesus intended for his church. How can your church or youth group be more like Roseto?

March of 1989, July of 1989

I know what many of you reading the title of this Post are thinking "I was in diapers!".Oh! to be young again. I am about to hit the 20th anniversary of two very meaningful moments in my life. The first a tragedy, the second a calling.

March 1989 was devastating. I was 19 and finishing up my sophomore year at Geneva College as a Broadcasting major. One day the phone call came that  a friend of mine named Dave Grove (wearing green shirt in pic above, I'm the one in purple) was killed in a car accident. He was 19. Dave and I had served as camp counselors at a little camp in western PA known as Suncrest. Dave was a musician, a lover of Jesus and my friend. At the time of his death he had a love for Jesus that I knew nothing of. I was just another one of those church kids who knew everything but had no love for God. Dave's death was a tragic event that sent me on a four month journey where God allowed me to come to a place where I had to decide if I was truly going to follow Him. Dave's death sent me into a period of lostness, wandering and questioning the Christianity I had grown up with.

July 1989 was miraculous. I was serving as a counselor at Suncrest camp again for the elementary age camp (In pic above I am 2nd from right in back). I was really there to hang with my friends, and have a good time, little did I know what God had in store. One night in chapel, after a puppet show (yes I said puppets) the speaker John started talking about Jesus. It was nothing I hadn't heard a million times, but it was like I was hearing it for the very first time. It broke me. I found myself at the altar crying out to God, simply telling him I wanted to know Him, and that I would go wherever He led. I know the perfect storm of my wrestling with Dave's death, the Holy spirit, and God's plan for my life finally got the best of me. My life would never be the same. The best way for me to describe it is I simply FELL IN LOVE WITH JESUS and I have been in ministry ever since. I received my calling into ministry there at camp. That is 20 years ago this July.

What can you all in ministry learn from this? Well...

-You never know when God is going to break in and upset your entire life.

-Tragedy is a catalyst for change

-Beware the power of puppets! Ha Ha!

-That it all really doesn't matter unless you love Jesus, trust me I know.

-Preach Jesus, don't worry about the results.

-Don't give up on those church kids who don't get it, I was one of them.

So here I am almost 20 years later. A follower of Jesus. Still trying to fall more deeply in love with the One who gave His life for me.

 I wonder what the next 20 will be like?

Some Appropriate Truth

Came across these great quotes from G.K. Chesterton a british writer and preacher from the late 1800's and early 1900's. His words seemed spot on for the current climate we live in.

"Everywhere there is the persistent and insane attempt to obtain pleasure without paying for it....'Let us have the pleasure of conquerors without the pains of soldiers; let us sit on sofas and be a hardy race.' ...All around us is the city of small sins, abounding in backways and retreats, but surely, sooner or later, the towering flame will rise from the harbor announcing that the reign of the cowards is over and a man is burning his ships." 

"If I did not believe in God, I should still want my doctor, my lawyer and my banker to do so."

Amen brother!

The Hardest Funeral

I don't know why I was thinking about this today, but I was thinking about the one funeral I have done in 19 years of youth ministry. It was when I was in Tampa working as a HS pastor. It was for an 18 yr. old girl that I didn't know at all. She was killed in a car accident coming home from a late movie.

She didn't go to our church or any church for that matter, there was really no evidence that she had any kind of faith to speak of, and neither did her family. She was a wild child, she had "lived" a lot in 18 short years. I did the funeral because she was related to a family in our church and they asked for our help. I knew it was going to rough.

The first meeting with the parents was so sad. They were just lost. They really had nowhere to go with their grief. I wasn't a parent at the time, and now that I am, I understand the immense pain they were in, in some small way. The tragedy was, it was pain with no hope. They didn't have any foundation to deal with the pain. They had no shelter to run to. I would be devastated by something like this, but I believe I would have hope. They really had none. It was devastating to watch.

Is there any tougher funeral to do as a pastor? Surely one for someone very old or an infant would be easier, at least from an eternity perspective, or simply that the older person had lived a long life. Yet here was an 18 year old girl, lost in the prime of her life with an uncertain eternity. What do you say?

In many ways sadder still was what I saw as I did the funeral and looked out at all the teens gathered there, they had no hope either. There was no solid ground in their lives at all. I remember listening to them talk after the funeral about leaving there and just getting wasted, that was their only sense of relief, the only way to deal with the pain. My heart broke for them, I wanted to sit with them each individually and say, "It doesn't have to be like this, there is hope, there is a God who loves you and who has conquered death. There is an empty tomb."

In my sermon that day I talked about her story, about God's story, about their story and whether their story was ever going to intersect with God's. It's all I could think of to say. It was the hardest thing I have ever done in ministry. I have preached in front of thousands, spoke all over the country, been in mental institutions visiting broken students, but all that was nothing compared to this.

It was a very disturbing day. Full of despair. Yet in the midst of it these words echoed faintly in my heart, "I am the resurrection and the life, He who believes in me will never die."

I know that my faith in Jesus is not all about getting to Heaven someday, that Jesus is just as good for this life as the next. But on a day like that day, hope was a beautiful thing. Hope of eternity spent with Him.

Thank you Jesus.

The Hole in Our Gospel

Just picked up this book from the CEO of World Vision , Richard Stearns. I know this book is going to haunt me in a good way. I have just briefly skimmed the quotes he has included and here are a few.

"Sometimes I would like to ask God why He allows poverty, suffering, and injustice when He could do something about it." "Well, why don't you ask Him?"

"Because I am afraid He would ask me the same question."

-Anonymous

"A holy life will produce the deepest impression.

Lighthouses blow no horns; they only shine."

-D.L. Moody

"Endeavor to live so that when you die, even the undertaker will be sorry."

-Anonymous

"I'm With the Band" Part #2

This is the second post highlighting former students of mine who have gone on to do pretty well in the music industry. These are the last two bands, but if I forgot someone I apologize just write me and let me know.

My Favorite Highway

Dave Cook (2nd from the left) was in our high school ministry at North Way. His band was just signed to Virgin Records and they have traveled all over the USA playing shows. Their song "Bigger than Love" was featured on an episode of The Hills. I am excited to see how these guys do. Congrats David!

Eric James and the New Century/ The Early Hours



Eric James was not one of my students but he was the worship leader for the high school ministry at North Way. Eric and his band the New Century did really well playing all over the country and their music was featured on a MTV CD and his songs appeared in a few tv shows.

Their music is available on itunes. Great album you should pick it up.

He is now in a band called The Early Hours. Don't know much about that band but you can check out their myspace HERE

I Have a New Friend

No not a new Facebook friend but a "no-technology involved" friend. His name is Bob. He goes to my church. Bob is a retired school teacher. He taught at Quaker Valley for 34 years. He has two masters degrees and he is an avid reader. Bob's wife died just a few short months ago and he lives alone, his kids all live out of the area.

Bob must be in at least his 70's now if not pushing 80's but to be honest I am a bad judge of those things.

We became friends through a Wednesday night class I taught at my church for adults called the Jesus I Never Knew. It was loosely based on the book of the same name. We talked about Jesus' Jewishness, His message of the Kingdom of God, and His teachings put in historical context. We had some lively discussions. 

Bob might be older but he is sharp and he kept me on my toes for the three weeks of the class. At times I felt like he should be teaching not me and he often stayed after to talk to me and we laughed together and began to get to know each other.

The week after my class I saw him on a Wednesday night and he called me over to his table and he had a gift for me. He had bought me a book, it's called Constantine's Sword, it is about the Jews and the early church. Great historical book. He said he thought I would like it. And just this past wednesday night he bought me another book, two very nice gestures.

Why do I tell you this? Well for 20 years I have been working with students and encouraging adults to build relationships with the teens they meet, to invest in them, befriend them, because they really want your friendship. Bob in many ways is doing that to me. He has befriend this "young" man and taken an interest in him. He has invested in my life in small but meaningful ways. It is special. In his eyes I probably seem like a teenager.

He is quickly becoming someone I look up to. I hope I have the thirst for knowledge that he has at his age. I hope I am still learning and growing. I hope I will take the time to buy a young guy a book, stop and talk and listen.

Bob is doing what every good youth minister does, invest in the next generation.

Thanks Bob.

"I'm with the Band" Part #1

Many of you know that one of my dreams is that I could play in a rock band, that would be awesome! Well I don't think that is going to happen but I have been privileged over my nearly 20 years of youth ministry to work with many talented students who ended up doing pretty well in the music business either nationally or locally. 

So I thought I would let you know who they are so you can check them out.

ANNASAY

Brad Lebakken (red tie), the leader singer for Annasay, was in my high school group at North Way and played guitar in our worship band and crazily enough is going to be leading worship in our new service at my church beginning April 19th. You can check that out at Third Service

Brad's music is available on itunes and his band's website HERE

Annasay plays a lot of Pittsburgh clubs and youth events. 

Ben Hardt and his Symphony

Ben Hardt hung around the youth ministry in Zelienople I led. He has one of the most unique sounds I have heard with a mixture of rock and string quartet, it is awesome. He plays a lot of local clubs and is currently working on a new album. He was named artist of the year in Pittsburgh last year. He is playing a show for my church in May so stay tuned for that date.

Ben's music is available on itunes and his myspace page HERE

RECESSION

Nic Cotherman was part of the high school youth ministry at North Way. His band Recession (great name for a band right now) is doing really well in the music scene here in Pittsburgh playing the big clubs.

Recession has shared the stage with:  
The Plain White T’s
The Hush Sound
The Cab
Lovesick Radio
The Stills
The Myriad
Lovedrug
Cool Hand Luke

Nic also is helping lead our new service worship by playing drums.

Recession's music is available on their myspace page HERE

 

More to come in Part #2 including a band who just got signed to VIRGIN records!

So I was watching U2....

So I was watching U2 on Friday live from Fordham University in New York and during the song Beautiful Day (video above) I noticed something very interesting. As the camera zoomed in on Bono who was kneeling down almost into the crowd, nearly every single person that you can see in the crowd is either looking through their cell phone camera, digital camera, or camcorder. (See for yourself at about :36 sec mark in the video above). It got me thinking about a lot of things.

1. What was Bono thinking looking at all those cameras focused on him instead of people looking directly at him?

2. How big a difference the concert experience is than just a few years ago when you couldn't bring in cameras or anything like that both for the performers and the audience.

3. What is it like to be a college student in a digital world where seemingly every moment of your life is captured electronically and posted to the internet? Is that a good thing?

Growing up in the 70's and 80's myself there are a lot of moments from my life that I wish would have been captured digitally, memories that I can't get back. Yet I have been wondering lately what is the effect of having your life displayed on the digital stage for all to see? How are students experiencing life? Did it not "really" happen if it doesn't end up on facebook? Kinda scary thought.

Is it ok these days to just be in the "moment" ,like at U2 concert, and not have to be looking through your digital camera screen the whole time, but just "be" there?

Maybe we have lost the ability to just "be" somewhere or with our friends and not think, "Oh, this will be great on my facebook page, or blog". Maybe I've lost that ability.

Maybe these are just the ramblings of a 39 year old, who does love technology, but just couldn't help but be stirred watching these rockers from my high school days perform in this brave new digital world.

What do you think?