Category Archives: Youth Ministry

2009, Ethos, Leadership, Life, Ministry, Youth Ministry

Wednesdays Are For Relationships

One of my favorite parts of youth ministry is visiting my students for lunch at their school. For me this usually happens when I can fit it in or when I need to connect with a student during a difficult time in their life. As I looked at managing my schedule better I wanted to carve out specific time for me to visit schools on a regular and consistent basis. So now Wednesdays Are For Relationships.

The plan is for me to visit schools during lunch on Wednesdays this semester. By making this a priority and by staying a head of my schedule I think that I can keep this up.

Rather than haphazardly intending to meet with students I’m strategically making time for it.

2009, Books, Collecting Experiences, Discipleship, Leadership, Life, Music, Theology, Wrestling With Scripture, Youth Ministry

Friday Thoughts

This really has been a good week. Here are some of the highlights:

Schedule: As I stated last week, I’ve altered my schedule to make me a bit more productive and pro-active. Things went well. I found places to tweak and to change. Maybe my schedule can help you schedule. I’ll post on my schedule next week.

Reading: I finished 2 books this past week and started 3 more. I’m reading everything from theology to discipleship to Sesame Street. No fooling.

Practical Theology: I’ve been pondering this for a little over 2 weeks now- Read 1 Cor 9:19-23. Now, think of a specific issue in worship/ministry that causes arguments- you know, weeping and gnashing of teeth.

Next ask yourself, “Would Paul have encouraged _______________ if it would advance the gospel?” or “Would Paul have changed the tradition of ___________________ if it would have led someone to Jesus?” I believe that the answers to these questions has a profound impact on our practices. There’s you some light thinking for the weekend. You are welcome.

U2: Tons of new info out about the album. Rolling Stone & Q have song descriptions. Radio stations are saying that the new single will be out in the next two weeks. Bono is talking about “outdoor” shows and a tour beginning in June (He must have heard my request to avoid the due date of my forstborn. He such a stand up guy.). If only there were some album cover pics. Oh well. We can’t have everything we wish for. Check out all the new information at @U2 New Album Info page.

Technology: I’ve been asked to teach a Youth Ministry seminar in February. One of the sessions will be on “Using Technology in Ministry” I am looking forward to Bobby’s posts on Swerve on using mobile devices for ministry. Check out his quick Mobile Primer.

You: I hope you have a great weekend. See you on Monday.

Ministry, Parenting, Popular Culture, Resources, Youth Ministry

The Elephant in The Family Week 2

I got a ton of great feedback from readers last week that they were looking forward to this series of posts. Thanks to everyone who posted comments and left me info on more resources. Thank you so much.

I had planned on posting this earlier in the week but I was unable to do so. I am scheduled to preach this Sunday and I caught a bit of the crud this week. I am feeling much better today. I hope every one has a great weekend. Enjoy my teaching notes from last week’s class, The Elephant in the Family.

Week 2: The Message Has Been Tampered With
As a youth minister I’ve heard my fair share of questions that teens ask about dating, relationships, and sex? There are a handful of questions that I seem to get over and over.

How far is to far?
If you participate in oral sex are you still a virgin?
Can I sleep with someone even though we are getting married?
Is masturbation wrong?
Can I be forgiven for having pre-marital sex? If I go too far?

These questions make us nervous don’t they? They catch us off guard. Like me, some of you may believe you have the perfect answer to one or all of these questions but feel like your brain and you mouth struggle to synch up when speaking. The problem is that the Christian message of holiness and purity and devotion has been lost is a sea of indifference, secular culture, and fear.

The issue is that kids have questions and who better to answer them then their parents and the church. In that order. Based on our discussions from last week and our experiences most parents do not take the time to deal with these questions. Kids aren’t hearing from us in ways that they should.

What They Hear
Teenagers hear these messages about sex…

Parents say, “Don’t do it…”
The Church say, “Don’t do it because it is dirty, rotten, and shameful… so wait ‘til your married.”
The Culture say, “You should do it when YOU’RE ready…make sure to use protection.”

No wonder our kids mess up. There is no consistency of message.

Crisis Points
This inconsistency leads us to a handful of Crisis Points that everyone in society is concerned with.

Results of promiscuity
Instant Intimacy
Early Sexualization

“The Christian perspective is much more concerned for the whole person. Our focus is on the development of healthy values, being responsible for one’s actions, one’s relationship with God, and generally what is right and wrong. The Christian perspective deal with, to a greater extent, how we treat members of the opposite sex and our deeper moral character.” (22)

Parents Job Description

Talk
Role Model with Honesty and Integrity
Positive Peer Influence
Grace & Forgiveness
Something is better than nothing

Leadership, Ministry, Popular Culture, Resources, Theology, Wrestling With Scripture, Youth Ministry

The Elephant in The Family Week 1

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Abstract grungeOver the weekend I kicked off a new class designed for parents called The Elephant in the Family. Our topic is talking with your kids and teens holistically- heart, body, mind, and soul- about sexuality and purity. I titled the class The Elephant in the Family because too often this issue of purity and sexuality hangs around our families and remains undiscussed and ignored. No longer I say! It is time that we do better for this generation. Let’s start by helping them honestly deal with these tough issues.

Each week I want to post my notes here on the blog as a way of helping as many people as possible. Tonight, I’m posting the notes I used to teach from. Check back later in the week for more resources.

I am basing the foundation of my class on Jim Burns’ book, Teaching Your Children Healthy Sexuality. This is a great primer on how to get the conversations about sexuality and purity started in way that seem natural and purposeful.

I am by no means an expert in this field and I am not parent (yet) but I do teach teenagers about purity and about what God thinks of their sexuality. I initially picked up this material to aid me in becoming a better teacher. As I read it, talked with other parents and youth ministers, and looked at my long term teaching goals for the year the opportunity to present this stuff to the parents of my teenagers became an opportunity I didn’t want to miss. I am so thankful and humbled by the families that were represented in the class this past weekend. I live in a great place at the intersection of teens and their parents. It is a Honor to serve them both. Hopefully, you too can use this material over the coming weeks.

BTW, Big thanks to the people over at National Community Church for making their Elephant In The Church Series open source. Their artwork and designs really help me settle on a theme and title for this class. You guys rock!

What We Are Up Against

In 2007, 48% of high school students had ever had sexual intercourse, and 15% of high school students had had four or more sex partners during their life. (CDC, June 2007)

Over half of the young people in America claim to have had oral sex by the age of twenty-two. The average age of the first Internet exposure to pornography is eleven years old.? 
In 2007, 39% of currently sexually active high school students did not use a condom during last sexual intercourse. (CDC, June 2007)

In 2006, an estimated 5,259 young people aged 13-24 in the 33 states reporting to CDC were diagnosed with HIV/AIDS, representing about 14% of the persons diagnosed that year. (CDC, June 2007)? 
Each year, there are approximately 19 million new STD infections, and almost half of them are among youth aged 15 to 24. (CDC, June 2007)

Adolescents are more likely to engage in high-risk behaviors, such as unprotected sex, when they are under the influence of drugs or alcohol. In 2007, 23% of high school students who had sexual intercourse during the past three months drank alcohol or used drugs before last sexual intercourse. (CDC, June 2007)

As worried and as sick as I am about these statistics about the physical tolls that our young people are taking in regards to their sexuality I am equally concerned with their mental, emotional, and spiritual states.

Why This Class, Why Me

Every year I try to address issues such as dating, sexuality, purity, and God’s desires for our lives with teenagers. I know that the best way to teach in these issues is to do in intentionally and to be prepared. I initially picked up Burns’ book, Teaching Your Children Healthy Sexuality to help me teach these lessons more effectively. As I read I became convicted that I needed to share this material with every parent I could. What I liked about this material is that it is clear, concise, and looks at sex education with the whole person in mind. It isn’t just about telling kids “Just Say No!”

Teaching Your Children Healthy Sexuality is about learning about God’s design for our sexuality and how to cherish it. It is about training ourselves for godliness. It is about keeping ourselves physically pure and mentally pure. It is about holiness.

This material calls for intentionally doing better for our kids and learning how to answer their questions using honesty and God’s word.

Teaching Your Kids

Jim Burns begins his seminars by asking parents the question,

“How many of you received healthy, value centered sex education from your parents growing up?”

He says that usually only 1 percent of the parents present will raise their hands.

Since this is the case here is what begins to happen: Because we didn’t have healthy conversations about sexuality modeled to us, we feel inadequate to have those healthy conversations with our children.

Or we don’t know when to bring up the subject and speak openly and honestly and in an age appropriate manner.

Or we are afraid that our teens are going to ask about our past experiences.

Too often these hurdles leave us being silent on the whole issue.

Discussion Question #2
How do you feel about the sex education you received (or didn’t receive) from your parents?

Healthy, Value Centered Sex Ed Defined

Most Church Sex Ed initiatives begin and end with drilling home to kids the importance of remaining pure until their wedding day. If we are honest, we want so much more for our children don’t we.

“We can help establish in them a lasting sexual integrity that starts at a young age and extends throughout their entire life, guiding their self-image, how they treat members of the opposite sex, and how they view and enjoy marriage, as well as how resolute they are to remain faithful.” (15)

So, for the purposes of this class when we say Value Centered Sex Education we mean Sex Ed that is based in what God values. When children understand and begin to live with the idea that God’s view of sex isn’t dirty and sinful but beautiful and a gift from God than they begin to value their sexuality in the same way.

Class Overview

Over the next few weeks we will cover the following during our time together:

Your role as Parent in teaching your child about sexuality
How and When to talk about sex in a way that is natural and intentional
Developing a theology of sexuality
Building a foundation for pure living
Rites of passages for your child to experience
Choices and consequences

I could spend the next three months working through this material chapter by chapter, cover everything mentioned here, and still feel like I only served you halfway. Again, I’m not the expert and the last thing I want to do is drone on about things that you may or may not care about. In an effort to make this class the best it can be answer the following for me:

What do you want out of this class? What do you want to see covered in this class? What is going to best help you and your family when it comes to building a foundation of sexual integrity for your children?

Homework

1) Read Chapter 1 of Teaching Your Children Healthy Sexuality

2) In his book, The Seven Checkpoints, Andy Stanley describes a point in his ministry where he began evaluating the effectiveness of what his teens were learning in youth group. He felt that up until that point his teaching and strategy had been fairly hit and miss. He wanted his teaching to be a laser beam of consistency and clarity so that the students in his youth group would have a greater understanding of who God is and what the Christian life looks like when practically lived out. In order to find these essential topics he began to ask the following questions:

If we could permanently imprint anything we want upon our students’ minds, what would it be?

What do they need to know? What is the irreducible minimum?

Now it is your turn. Take these two questions and in terms of your child’s education of sexuality begin to ask yourself what do you want to make sure that they know? What topics/information do you want to make sure that they hear about from you? Before they leave the care of your home, what is it that they need to know about God’s view of sexuality that will help them navigate the secular world outside?

In order to make this as relevant as possible write out a list of the 7 essential topics that you want your kids to know right now- this year- 2009- in order for them to have an age appropriate, heathy, value centered view of their sexuality. Be sure to do this specifically for each of your kids. You can use the list of suggested topics below to get you started (even more topics can be found on pgs. 79-81 of Teaching Your Children Healthy Sexuality). Be sure to bring your list to class next week!

2008, Adverts, Books, ESVSB, Ministry, Remarkable, Resources, The Word, Wrestling With Scripture, Youth Ministry

Review: ESV Study Bible

Matisyahu 3Why The ESV?
I have used the English Standard Version in my private reading, teaching, and speaking since 2003. While my primary teaching Bible has been the TNIV I like getting away from the familiar phrases and wording and into something a bit different like the ESV.

The ESV is a word-for-word translation in the vein of the NRSV and NASB. It can be a bit stiff in some places but there is a lot of life in these pages.

Why The ESV Study Bible?
Study Bibles are designed to help the reader dig deeper into the history, meaning, and application of God’s Word. I will be forever grateful to my first NIVSB for helping me begin to understand Scripture. That Bible logged many hours and late nights with me through high school and college studying for pleasure and studying for school. Since then I have used Life Application Bibles, devotional Bibles, “master” study bibles, reference Bibles, and the TNIVSB. In most of these Bibles the notes and study helps tend to overshadow or crowd out the text. With the exception of the TNIV, I have been unable to find a study bible that drives me deeper into the word or causes me to become enveloped in the passage and the study helps.

It is in this that the ESVSB succeeds.

Why the ESVSB Succeeds
The stats for the ESVSB look like this:

2 million words— of Bible text and insightful teaching in 2,752 pages.
20,000 notes— focusing especially on understanding the Bible text and providing answers to frequently raised issues.
Over 50 articles— including articles on the Bible’s authority and reliability; on biblical archaeology, theology, ethics, and personal application.
200-plus charts— offering key insights and in-depth analysis in clear, concise outline form; located throughout the Bible.
Over 200 full-color maps— created with the latest digital technology, satellite images, and archaeological research; printed in full color throughout the Bible.
80,000 cross-references— to encourage easy location of important words, passages, and biblical themes.
40 all-new illustrations—including full-color renderings and architectural diagrams of the Tabernacle, the Ark of the Covenant, Solomon’s temple, Herod’s temple, the city of Jerusalem in Jesus’ time and throughout the history of Israel, and many more. (from the official ESVSB website)

I’m not going to lie to you. 2 million words, 2,752 pages, and 20,000 notes do not a light Bible make. This thing is huge! It has to be huge to fit all this stuff inside the TruTone cover. However, don’t let these stats scare you away.

The notes are solid but do not take anything away from the actual text. The biblical text is in a large font at the top of the page while the notes are in significantly smaller somewhat italicized font on the bottom of the page. This makes for a smooth reading experience. I am currently working through the entire Bible again. While the goal is to simply read through the text, I have purposely slowed my pace down to take advantage of the study helps. This has been a huge blessing to me and has really made some of the more difficult passages come alive.

Winning Features of the ESVSB
illustration-solomons-temple.jpgColor Pages, Illustrations, and Charts
Color pages are nothing new but here is the first time that color pages in a Bible have impacted my study of scripture. From the subtle hints of olive green highlights on each page to the glorious, highly detailed illustrations to the colorific maps the ESVSB truly uses color to its advantage.

Take the illustrations as an example. The picture on the left is of Solomon’s temple and can be found on pages 604-605. This two-paged, full-colored rendering is quite beautiful and far exceeds anything I’ve ever encountered in a Bible. The same goes for the charts and diagrams. While reading in Numbers I was able to visualize for the first time how the Israelites were commanded to march and encamp through their wanderings. The tabernacle was to remain in the center of the camp and the people wether at camp or on the move. God’s presence is to be at all time central in the life of the believer. While on one hand this is a great revelation to me I am also saddened that I’ve never fully grasped this small truth before. Thank you charts on pages 267 & 269!

Reference Materials
Not only are there highly academic intros to each biblical book and the usual concordance here but there are also a ton of scholarly articles and features covering everything from Biblical Ethics to Reliability of the Cannon to What Role the Bible Played into Evangelical Protestantism throughout history. There is a MA in Biblical Studies available at your fingerprints here.

Online Features
Everything on page between the TruTone covers is available online to everyone who purchases a physical copy. That includes the illustrations, notes, charts, text, and supplemental readings. The online area also allows you to upload your own notes as you study and since the feature is web based you can access your notes from any computer. Very forward thinking feature.

So that does it for this extended commercial. While the ESV isn’t my favorite translation this Study Bible has proved to be an invaluable part of my study. I would highly recommend this Bible for anyone who wants to dig a little deeper into God’s Word.

Thank you Crossway for all your hard work. The effort has truly paid off!!!

Apple, Customer Service, Rants, Technology, Unremarkable, Youth Ministry

That’s a Shame

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Earlier today I tried to download a demo for a program designed to help youth ministers manage their ministries. The program tells ministers that their software will help them track attendance, events, money, birthdays and help them follow up with visitors.

Sounds promising.

So I registered with their website and clicked download. OOOPS! The program is PC only.

I run a Mac. So do a few other youth ministers.

“No big deal,” I thought. I’ve gotten by thus far without this product so I moved on with my day.

Seriously, not 5 minutes later my phone rings. It is customer service with this program. They were wanting to chat me up about their product. I informed them that I was unable to run their program because I don’t have a PC.

The following is a direct quote from their customer service lady (best read with the voice of the secretary from “Ferris Bueller”)

“Oh, you don’t have a PC? That’s a shame!”

No, no it’s not.

No what is a shame is that the instructions on your CD-rom from 2007 tell people to:

Click Start.
Click Run.
In the run dialog box, type (CD drive letter):Setup
Then Enter.

Wow. Ever heard of Autorun? That’s a shame!

Collecting Experiences, Conferences, Discipleship, Leadership, Ministry, Remarkable, Worship, Wrestling With Scripture, Youth Ministry

Divine Appointments and Convergence

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A few years ago I was introduced to this idea of “divine appointments.” We’ve all experienced these in one way or another.

You know… when you just happen to meet someone going through a similar season of life that you are experiencing and your “chance” meeting brought clarity or encouragement.

Or when your plans get changed and in the midst of being frustrated and angry you realize that there was a reason your plans were changed- You missed something so-so and God provided an Oh-Wow.

Today I experienced the “divine appointment” in spades.

First I arrived at the Catalyst Labs still unsure as to whether or not I was going to purchase a ticket. As I walked in the door a guy asked me if I had a ticket. I kinda brushed him off thinking, “I can read the signs dude. I know where to get the tickets.” But the guy insisted. Turns out one of the people in his group couldn’t make it to the Labs and so I was suddenly presented with a ticket! Terrific I thought and I proceeded in to the Labs thinking I was only going to be able to catch the last few sessions. Nope. I was 20 minutes before the “Opening Session.” I hadn’t really missed a thing! For once it paid off getting to the airport before dawn!!!

Another concept that I have been working with recently is this idea I call “Convergence.” Convergence happens when I’m really listening and learning and connected to the Father. It is as if I have a heightened sense of spiritual hearing. I feel like God’s getting my attention when I start hearing things over and over and in different mediums. When this happens I get this sense that everything I’m reading, watching, hearing, conversing about all seem to “converge” together.

The only Lab I chose to go to was the first one. More on this is a second.

Lab Number One was taught by Scot McKnight, author of The Jesus Creed. His Lab was based on his latest book, The Blue Parakeet, a book about examining how we read and apply the Bible. As a youth minister (and semi-pro-semi-amateur Bible scholar) this subject is a pretty important aspect of my life. However, just in the past month I have been wrestling with the short-comings I have perpetrated and the vision I want to put forth for teaching teens how to read their Bibles in a way that naturally leads to living out that Good News. That is exactly what Scot’s lab was about. Sha-zam!

For Lab Number Two I kinda got squeezed out of my preferred Lab so I settled into a familiar named author’s class. I have read Reggie McNeal’s This Present Future and Practicing Greatness so I though that I would see what he had to say. First off, the man is funny. I mean real funny and with a slightly warped Office-like-awkward-pause-kind-of delivery. Secondly, the man knows his stuff. His topic was to speak on his new book but he disregarded that subject to focus on his last book. He laid out the 7 Practices from Practicing Greatness spending the bulk of the time (read: all) on Practice 1, The Discipline of Self-Awareness. I am working through a 60 day self-leadership study right now. What reggie had to say is echoed in this book I’m working through and the notes I took seem to be a perfect supplement to walk me through the next part of the study. Weird huh?

Finally, I experienced a divine appointment and convergence in Lab Three. Thankfully, the space time continuum stayed intact.

I chose my speaker and subject for Lab Three, found my seat, settled in and then… I different speaker walked onto the stage. Now, I knew who this guy was and I was fine with the switch but I hadn’t chosen to listen to him speak. I chose the guy that hadn’t shown. As this speaker began his talk he looked out into the audience and said, “Some of you didn’t mean to be here. But God has set you up for a divine appointment.” Whah!?!?!?!

The speaker then went into a pretty detailed exegesis of Genesis 1-3: the creation and fall of man. Last Sunday Genesis 1-3: the creation and fall of man was the subject of my Sunday school class. I got some great questions from my teens and I got some good feedback but I felt like I left some questions unanswered. This Lab went a long way to help me work through some of their questions. Awesome!

I am so thankful that God had some divine appointments scheduled for me today. What a blessing!

More Catalyst to come.

Collecting Experiences, Ethos, Experience, Guilty Pleasure, Ministry, Resources, Spilling Personal Secrets, Study, Unchained from my Desk, Youth Ministry

The Batcave, aka The Nerdery

Much like Superman’s Fortress of Solitude, the Batcave serves as a place of privacy and tranquility where Batman can be himself. – Wikipedia

When I need to get away and do some focused hard-core study for a class or a lesson I pack up all my gear – my notebook, Bible(s), book(s), iPod, pens, and highlighters – and head straight for my new, secret getaway. This place serves my needs because it is away from my desk, it is always quiet, and I avoid distraction from email or phone calls. I call this place of privacy and tranquility…

The Batcave
IMG_0384

This top-secret photo was snapped during my last visit and smuggled off the premises on my iPhone.

So where is the Batcave? I’ll never tell. However, I will spill the beans on what the Batcave is.

The Batcave is an annexed room next to my local comic book shop. The room is often used by groups of people play fantasy games like D&D, Warhammer 40K, and World of Darkness. It’s official name is The Gamers Guild.

That’s right I study at The Nerdery. But as you can see from my picture, in the middle of the afternoon no one is playing anything. The room is almost always completely empty. The people at the comic shop are so cool and so kind to let me use this area to study. I am so thankful to them. Every employee there has teated me so kindly. I love my new study-home.

It is so quiet there that I feel like my productivity quadruples. I just throw on my iPod (or don’t) whip out my pen and notebook and go to town crafting lessons. Very awesome.

Sure, there is no supercomputer or trophy room filled with the spoils of past lessons or retreats and there definitely is no Batmobile waiting in the wings (I do have a black car though) but this Batcave suits me just fine.

Until next time readers. Same Bat-channel. Same nerdy writer.

General, Youth Ministry

Year 5

Well, all my teens officially go back to school this week. Some started last week, most went back today, and some head off tomorrow. It was an incredible summer and I am so thankful to God for keeping us safe but also for making sure we never got comfortable. It was a big summer for our group and I loved every second of it.

With the start of this school year I am entering into my fifth year of full-time ministry. I can’t believe it. Five years.

I am excited about what God has in store for me but I am also humbled knowing that many never make it this far.

To be honest, there is no other place I want to be than in full-time ministry.

So here we go. Year Five.

Thank you Father for letting me work with your children. Guide me, strengthen me, mold me into your servant. Give me wisdom and discernment. Help me finish my race strong. Thank you Father. Thank you.

Leadership, Ministry, Popular Culture, Questions, Theology, Youth Ministry

The Why of Leadership

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He flies. He can see through walls. He can lift up cars or bounce bullets off his chest or do just about anything he wants to.

And that’s the part that gets me. He can do anything he wants to…

…and he decides to do what? Be a hero? Why?*

We live in a world where nobody sticks their neck out for anybody. I write about it all day long. We lie to each other. We brutalize each other. We kill each other.

And here’s this… this…man.

Sticking his neck out for everyone. Way, way out.

Those of you who know me know that I am fascinated with the idea of Leadership.

What makes a leader? Are leaders born or made or both? Why are some people leaders and others are followers? How can someone, who seems to have all the markings of a leader — the brains, the words, the look, the backing — fail so miserably at leading? What’s the secret?

As a kid I fell in love with Superman. I had the bed sheets, the sleeping bag, a red towel cape, and of course Superman action figures. In fact, in my office I have two of my favorite Superman figures: the original Kenner “Superfriends” Superman and the exclusive mail-in figure of Clark Kent.

As a kid I focused only on Superman. I played with that figure so often that much of the paint has worn off. My Clark figure looks near mint. I would imagine what it was like to fly like Superman and help people and do great things. I wanted to be Superman because Superman was good and just and caring. Superman always did the right things and he always, no matter what, put the needs of others before himself.

Superman is the very definition of a leader. Clark’s just a reporter. Right?

Now I’m a man (in most respects). Now I can’t help but look at that Clark figure.

When did Superman become Superman?

Was it when he learned to fly or was it washing dishes after dinner with Martha Kent?
Was it when he ran faster than the train or was it working in the fields with Jonathan Kent?
Was it when he came to Metropolis or did it happen back in Smallville?

I believe that people are born leaders. Some people can lead regardless of where they are and regardless of what resources they do or do not have. I think most of us can just sense it when someone is a true leader and when someone is just getting by on charm or luck or talent. However, just being born a leader doesn’t seal the deal.

It is the why behind the leader that makes all the difference.

The son of Jor-El would be a leader regardless of where his space-pod landed. It just so happened to land in a field somewhere in Kansas. That fact was lost on me as a child.

It never occurred to me that Clark had anything to do with who Superman was or what he did. If only I had known then the why of Superman. Why he saves people, serves people, brings out the best in people.

You can have all the talent, fame, money, and good looks in world to lead but if you don’t understand the why… your not really leading.

To understand that man in the cape who could fly- all I needed to know was Clark.*

(Quotes by Lois Lane and Lana Lang, respectively. This idea has been swimming in my head for a while but was brought into focus by Loeb and Sale’s Superman For All Seasons))