YOUTHINTHECORNER

No offense to Walt Mueller but I am sick of the word culture.  It has become the most overused word in church vernacular since relevant.  I am sick of how some use the word as a diseased amoeba that we must protect ourselves from.  I am sick of how it is used as a convenient way to over generalize important issues of our day like media influence, social networking, violence, racism, war and a world economy.  I am sick of the way the Church acts as though it is not PART of culture.

Simple fact of the matter is that you can’t separate Church and Culture.  The religious influence on the people is one of the crucial marks of culture in society.  We should be asking not how is this culture affecting this people group or that organization but rather ask how is the New Testament Church affecting Culture.

The internet is here to stay, so are TV, Movies, Democrats, Republicans, Hate and Love.  How do we as a church navigate through this world and proclaim Jesus.  I strained a ligament in my knee a few weeks ago and last night I tweaked it playing with my 3 year old…holding it in pain she saw that I had a small scratch and went to get a band-aid for my booboo.   In her world if she fixed the scratch the pain would go away.  Church, stop focusing on the scratch…stop focusing on the surface level evidences of pain and let’s go deeper into the soul and offer healing. Healing that comes only from Jesus.   Then, the church will begin to AFFECT culture not simply be observing and commenting on it.

Study Jesus and you find someone who went out of his way to AFFECT culture not to comment on it.  Even when he commented on it he was stirring the pot of the establishment.  I pray that you who read this read it with it’s intent to encourage spiritual leaders to LEAD with love, compassion and mission.  Let other people study why.

I totally ripped the title off from Bill Hybels but it was good.  Today is Assistants day and I recognize that it is yet another holiday invented by Hallmark to sell cards it is a day I will gladly celebrate.  Nancy Webster is my ministry assistant and as I am typing this out she is scrambling around getting the church ready for students tonight.  I feel like I take advantage of her and the great thing about her is that she would find that offensive for me to say.

She is the picture of what a pastors assistant should be.

She protects my time – she schedules my appointments and protects my study time and my time off.

She protects my family – she gets in my face if it seems I am not spending time with my family.  Also she loves my family, she is a friend to my wife and loves my girls.

She protects me from me – she has total access to tell me when I am being a tail…and she HAS had to use it.

She loves and buys into our ministry – this is not just a paycheck for her, she views this as a calling for her.

She brings a solid voice to a room full of random, impulsive ones.

I hope that as pastors you appreciate what your assistants do for you and if they don’t do all that I included above I hope you grow stones and fire the one you have and hire someone like Nancy…I said LIKE Nancy!

Thanks Nancy…Happy Assistants day

Psalm 100:1-2  On your feet now—applaud God! Bring a gift of laughter, sing yourselves into his presence.

I love to laugh.  It is my favorite thing to do.  I love to make other people laugh.  I remember early in my ministry, trying to find “my voice”, trying to find the style that God would give me to present his word.  One Bible Study I just started making fun of Peter.  The kids rolled.  They said it finally made the Bible “real” to them.  That was it…my voice.

I have been told from time to time that I need to be more serious or more “pastoral”.  I don’t really know what that means or how to do that.  I could no longer stop using humor to present Gods word as I could do it in Russian.  I think God likes humor.  I see the way he talks to the pharisees and his use of hyperbole and irony to get them cornered and realize surely it would have made the people in ear shot snicker.

I love creativity, I am not that creative but I love it.  I love finding new ways to present an old story.  I love to wow people with the Gospel.  To the critics who say that is unnecessary I would just point out, was it really necessary for God to use a burning bush, a donkey, bright lights and angels at the birth, walking on water, ascending into heaven?  The answer is no, he didn’t have to but it was more effective communication and a lot cooler.

Now I am not saying that humor and creativity should outshine the truth of God’s word.  There has never been a time where truth is needed more.  However, if there is a better way to communicate.  If there is a way to make people smile or laugh while discovering the mysteries of God, shouldn’t we try?

I don’t know it is just a thought.  I am going to go watch Monte Python now.

Today is my wife’s birthday.  She was gone for a week with my girls for spring break to visit her mother and it was torturous.  I have learned that my life doesn’t work nearly as well without her.  She is my best friend, my favorite person to make laugh and I love being her husband.  I am good at it.  I thank God that he blessed me with her.  She is my worship pastor for our youth ministry, one of the reasons being that her voice still melts me.  She is an incredible mommy.  She is the teacher every student at Macedonia wants to have.  She is gorgeous and her eyes still pierce my heart.

I have known her for over 15 years, we have been married for 10 of those.  She has always had a part of my heart.  She is so darn lovable.

I love you baby, Happy Birthday.

I am resting after an incredible day of Worship and Celebration and Family.  This weekend we had over 1100 people in the auditorium and over 100 in KidsPointe!  That is a lot of people hearing about the power of the resurrection that now lives in us as Christians.  Ricsha and the team did a great job and the “blood” creative moment was unbelievable.  I mentioned Saturday night during offering that Christmas gets all the press but Easter is the most incredible day for us as believers.  BTW, The inaugural Saturday service was a huge success!  I am proud to be part of Pointe North, I am proud to be a part of what The church is doing, I am thankful for a loving Jesus that let’s me do it.

Last night was Collide our joint Middle School/High School worship service.  One thing that has become a tradition for collide are our opening acts being BIG and a SPECTACLE…another tradition is them NOT working!  Last night felt a bit like a dog chasing a car and actually caught it…be careful not to bite off more than you can chew.  I love the spirit of our team that feels we can pull off anything.  However, a tip for us in the future and a tip for those of you who run productions is to make sure you CAN pull it off with EXCELLENCE, otherwise it is simply a distraction.

Last night was amazing, over 300 students + 40 adults, it was awesome to see that many teens worshipping God.  So, not to take away from what God DID do let me give you a few points on how to keep from catching YOUR car.

• If at all possible do a full run through, including tech.  This will allow you to find gliches ahead of time.
• Pray and get a red pen out.  Every GREAT idea doesn’t have to be done.
• Leave time in your program…creative elements always seem to take more time than you alot for.
• Make sure if you invite your senior pastor, all these things are done (last nights mistake)
• Don’t over analyze after it is over like I am now…rejoice that the Word of God was presented, worship took place and 345 people were exposed to the presence of God.