Youth Ministry and the Law

My time in youth ministry has gotten me up close with the police a few times. Mostly in not-so-fun circumstances, but once, they were responding to a concerned neighbors call about someone shooting a shotgun at the church. When the police arrived they asked us to stop shooting the dumpster... with a balloon launcher and past it's goodness fruit. Funny! But today, I'm not talking about that kind of law. I'm talking about the law of God.

Back in the day, the Israelites tried to earn their way to heaven by perfectly following God's laws. They created more laws to follow help them follow God's laws. And still, no one could seem to do it perfectly. So Jesus came and actually did it. He lived the law perfectly so that no one else ever had to. We are saved by grace through faith, and this is not something that we accomplish, it is a gift from God. So we no longer have to try to earn our way to heaven!

Except in youth ministry. I often feel an immense pressure to teach students how to be good, moral people. I feel like there is an expectation that I will teach them not to watch 'R' rated movies, that saying cuss words is wrong, and a whole list of other things that will help them be good, moral people. And lots of the things on the list are true and good and right and will help them be good, moral people.

I have just one problem with that: I am not looking to create good, moral citizens of this earth. I mean, I hope students are good and moral and ethical and all that, I just they are something else first.

I hope they are in love with Jesus, and his bride, the church. I hope they are giving Him all their heart, soul, mind, and strength. And then loving others out of their love for Christ. If they are doing that, the moral choices will be easier. And if they aren't doing that? The moral choices won't save them, and I don't want them for a second to think the goal of church and God is for them to be a good person.

So parents, I apologize if you are hoping I will teach your kid right from wrong. I'm not real interested in that being my job description.

But I will teach your kids about fixing their eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, and running a good race with him as the finish line.

Simplifying

I like to read blogs. As a youth pastor I really enjoy reading blogs about youth ministry. So I subscribe and subscribe and subscribe. And read and read and read. And all this subscribing and reading leads to a whole mess of thinking.

On any random day, I will find myself drawn into blogs to think about calendar planning, how to be a better teacher, purity, running a good event, and many other things. I realized over time, that I was thinking and creating less and less for my own youth ministry, and more and more just jumping from thought to thought.

And so, a week or two ago, I did this:
BEFORE:

AFTER:









I kept 4 youth ministry blogs that are people I know or that I feel like "mentor" me from afar. I kicked the rest to the curb!

And I haven't noticed or missed them at all!

But I have a lot more time to breathe. And pray. And listen. And dream. And create. And that is beautiful.

I think God, in the life of Christ, calls us to live simply because it creates space around us. The space for God to speak to us. The space for people and relationship. The space for silence and meditation on and around the things of God.

But I still have a ways to go, just stop by my office some day!

What places in your life do you need to find simplicity?

Thoughts from My Ordination

I was ordained in the Mennonite Church on Sunday. Coming into the ordination, I don't know that I had a lot of thoughts about what it would be like. I didn't expect to feel different on Monday morning, and I didn't. But I also didn't expect some of the things I did feel and experience.

• Having my college pastor, Gary Aronhalt, and his wife, Melanie, for the weekend was incredibly fantastic. We had sort of lost touch outside of facebook in the last few years and it was wonderful to sit and tell stories and reconnect. I love those people. 
• It has also been a while since I heard my mom play piano and my dad sing. They are really talented. I'm glad a small fraction of their musical talent rubbed off on me. I love those people a bunch, also.
• Students and youth leaders wrote me letters comparing me to various items of clothing and then dressed me up in them. It was fun. And encouraging. And I looked like this(ps- you can't see the sweet clip-on earrings or sweatpants):

• The prayer time. Oh my. A group of men and women came forward and prayed for and over me. And it was a powerful moment in my life. One of the hands on me was pouring the Holy Spirit into me. And I mean I could literally feel it coming into my shoulder and filling my upper body. It was hard to stand under the weight of it. I have never experienced something like that before. But if that was the Holy Spirit, I want more!

All in all, I was blessed by the morning, and I think our church was, as well. I am so grateful that God has called me in this time to this place to be a pastor. And specifically a pastor to students. May His kingdom grow and His fame increase!

On Spiders and Snakes

Yesterday while mowing my lawn I took this picture:

I posted it to facebook and somebody made the following comment about it:

 Orb spiders eat the bad bugs!

Almost like they were on the side of the spiders. And so I share with you, humanity, my thoughts on snakes and spiders. Any place that I have inserted "facts", please know that I have not diligently checked them for accuracy. In fact, I am making them up to suit my needs. (It's practice for a future in politics!)

Lie #1 we believe about snakes and spiders:
The enemy of my enemy is my friend. Sometimes they are also your enemy. We eat bad bugs? That is ridiculous. I have a house for a reason. It keeps the bad bugs outside. Also, I believe spiders are the only bug in my yard that may contain enough neuro-toxin to kill me. That seems worse than a mosquito bite that itches. If we want to have the enemy of my enemy talk, let's talk about the pest control guys. They are my friend. They kill "bad bugs" as well as spiders.

Lie #2 we believe about snakes and spiders:
Snakes and spiders are pets... Someone in my church caught a large tarantula at work the other day and brought it to show it to us in the office. He "felt sorry for me" and others in the office that didn't want to have it on our hand running around. That's like bringing in flesh-burning acid and then shaking your head when I won't stick my hand in "for the fun of it." If that demon pet bites you, it will get a taste for your blood and eat you at night. Just watch any horror movie that involves snakes or spiders. That's how it works.

I had a friend who had a pet python. Yes, the kind that kills people when the slightest opportunity is given. One day, he come home from school and it was gone. After a week, so was his cat. And a small herd of sheep. True story, except the sheep part. Snakes don't like wool.

Lie #3 we believe about snakes and spiders:
We may get spiderman-like superpowers if we are bitten. That's dumb. For every 1 spiderman, think of all the villians that are created. You are much more likely to turn into some snake-lie villian who wishes to turn an entire city into "bad bugs" for food than to turn into spiderman. So don't try it.

Lie #4 we believe about snakes and spiders:
Their mouths are too small to bite humans OR they will only bite you if provoked. When you believe these things, they have you right where they want you. RIGHT. WHERE. THEY. WANT. YOU! It's kinda like playing dead with a lion or a bear. You know what lions and bears do with dead stuff? They eat it. And they are happy because they don't have to chase it. Ask anyone who knows (mostly me): Snakes sit all coiled up so they can strike whenever you get in range. Unprovoked, on a nice walk, going to to do charity work for snakes and spiders? They don't care. They want to share neuro-toxins with you.

Here is a short poll to gauge your feelings on snakes and spiders and what you have learned from me during this informative blogpost:

Prosperity

The greedy stir up dissension, but those who trust in the Lord will prosper. Proverbs 28:25

How do you read the Bible? I think a lot of us read it like a personal instruction manual. And verses like Proverbs 28:25 are pretty exciting when you read the Bible this way!

This verse can quickly go from a statement about greed and trust, to a personal money-making strategy. We can "trust in the Lord" with the end goal of financial prosperity.

Somehow, I don't think God intends for us to trust him with the result being a healthy 401K.

I do think God intends for us to trust him with the end result being a person who is shaped and formed (sometimes painfully) into a kingdom of God citizen. I think that is closer to what prosper means. This verse reminds me of Psalm 37:4-

Delight yourself in the laws of the Lord and he will give you the desires of your heart.

You see what the Psalmist did there? Pretty clever. He says God wants to give you the desires of your heart. Awesome. 6'4" here I come! Wait, he says something before that?

Delight yourself in the laws of the Lord... So the idea is first to immerse yourself in who and what God is. Soak him up in the Scriptures and then I believe he will give us the desires of our hearts. But I think our desires will change. They will line up with the kingdom of God instead of the kingdom of man.

His desires will become our desires. And I think in those moments, we see and understand prosperity very differently.

Where is your heart greedy for this world instead of for Christ today?

"Give me Christ or else I die."

Reflections

As water reflects the face,

so one's life reflects the heart.

Proverbs 27:19

One of my favorite types of photographs are those that show reflections in water. I love them because I know they take planning to have the right kind of light, patience to have a calm day, and a good eye to see the picture that many might miss. One of my absolute favorite reflection shots is by Andrew Hetherington: 

So the question today is: What is your heart reflecting? Is it reflecting love and hope and joy? Or is it reflecting anxiety and anger and frustration? What is in our hearts comes out in our lives. 

And other people notice. They see the reflection of our hearts. I was at an event recently and two people got into an argument. One of the people involved immediately started saying things under his breath that weren't super kind toward the other person. He then loudly and meanly, "joked" about what he was angry about. None of those in the room were fooled. We knew he was all kinds of mad. But it also said something about his heart. His reflection wasn't so great in the moment. (Although this story isn't about me, you can assume that most days of my life, it could be.)

His reflection, and yours and mine, was crystal clear.

We have a choice in what we reflect. We can put beautiful things, like Scripture, in our hearts and pray to God that those things are reflected, or we can put in ugly things, like Nic Cage movies. The reflection may be somewhat horrifying! Seriously, though, you can make a list of the things in your life that you hope aren't reflected to the world. Stop putting them into your life!

If our lives reflect our hearts and we claim to know Jesus, then our lives reflect Jesus. Even when they really don't. So pay attention to what you are reflecting today, because it speaks to the world of a God who is love or who is angry or who is forgiving or who lacks forgiveness. Let's ask God to give us lives that reflect who He is.

What do you hope is reflected from your heart to your life?

Monday Wonderings (and Wanderings)

• I wonder what would happen if God's people lived out his call to be "one" in spite of our differences... I think the impact on communities would be overwhelming.
• I wonder if I will ever feel "caught up" at work. Feeling overwhelmed seems to be a common theme in my world the last 3 months. I'm not a big fan of it.
• I wonder what would happen if I got rid of half my stuff tomorrow. I don't need most of it, but I have it. I think I have 30 shirts. I might wear half of them. My wife does some laundry everyday, so I could probably get by with 5. But I have 30. That seems kinda dumb. (I would guess I will still have 30 next week...)
• I wonder if writing these at night makes them more melancholy? I feel like it is. I wish I had remembered to get back on the blog horse when I woke up this morning. I much prefer writing in the morning.
• I wonder if the day will come that Kennedy doesn't want me to lay in her bed at night and talk with her. She is a pretty marvelous human. I am blessed to be her dad!
• I wonder why ice cream has to be so delicious and many healthy foods are not quite so delicious. I mean, I can force myself to eat broccoli, but seriously, if you cook that stuff, it is gross. Put cheese on top and it's gross stuff with cheese on it. Granted, ice cream with cheese on it doesn't sound so fantastic, either. I do, however, feel a need to try Brussels sprouts. I keep hearing they can be good. I have my doubts. Also, the "Brussels" in Brussels sprouts is apparently a proper noun type deal. Always capitalized. I would love to have that happen with my name. I don't even really care what with. It would just be sweet that people said, "Look, there's a Blasdel _______." Do rounded wall corners have a name? I think "Blasdel corner" has a good feel to it. Any other suggestions would be appreciated so I can get whatever process to attach my name to something started.

What do you wonder today?