News, Rants

Here’s the Line… Here’s You Crossing It

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I can’t remember how many times my Youth Ministry professor stressed the importance of never embarrassing a student. While I know that I’ve failed in the past and have embarrassed a student here and there nothing compares to this story I found today. Adolescence is tough enough without the help of jerks like this teacher from PA. What was this guy thinking?!?!?!?!

Teen says teacher made him sit on floor
Associated Press

BEAVER FALLS, Pa. – A 17-year-old high school student said he was humiliated when a teacher made him sit on the floor during a midterm exam in his ethnicity class – for wearing a Denver Broncos jersey.

The teacher, John Kelly, forced Joshua Vannoy to sit on the floor and take the test Friday – two days before the Pittsburgh Steelers beat the Broncos 34-17 in the AFC championship game. Kelly also made other students throw crumpled up paper at Vannoy, whom he called a “stinking Denver fan,” Vannoy told The Associated Press on Monday.

Kelly said Vannoy, a junior at Beaver Area Senior High School, just didn’t get the joke.
“If he felt uncomfortable, then that’s a lesson; that’s what (the class) is designed to do,” Kelly told The Denver Post. “It was silly fun. I can’t believe he was upset.”

Vannoy was wearing a No. 7 Broncos jersey on Friday, because he is a fan of John Elway, the Broncos’ retired Hall of Fame quarterback.

Vannoy said he was so unnerved he left at least 20 questions blank on the 60-question test, and just wants out of Kelly’s class because he’s afraid the teacher won’t treat him fairly now that the story reached the media.

“I’m going to have to deal with him for two more nine weeks (school quarters) and he’s going to want revenge somehow,” Vannoy said Monday. “I took the test. I’m shaking. I’m furious. I didn’t know what to do.”

Kelly, who wore a Ben Roethlisberger jersey Friday, and his principal, Thomas Karczewski, didn’t immediately return messages left on their school voice mail Monday.

Big Beaver Falls Area School District Superintendent Donna Nugent said she was aware of the situation, but said confidentiality rules prevent her from commenting specifically.

“We’ll take whatever action we need to in order for the student to feel comfortable,” Nugent said.

If it were up to me John Kelly’s teaching certificate would be suspended indefinately. This man does not deserve to be in the classroom teaching children. I hope the school district comes down hard on this guy. Sadly, the only thing that will happen is that sports clothes will get banned.

Kelly,
Was it worth it?

Link

Rants

A Little Honesty

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Last week I sounded off on one of my pet peeves:Rude people at the movies.

In an effort to hold myself accountable I am offering up this sad revelation about my behavior at the movies.

My cell phone started ringing in the middle of the movie last night.

There, I said it.

I was humiliated. I had broken a cardinal rule. I always turn my phone off. Always. I tried to silence it as quickly as I could but I was all thumbs. I finnaly cut it off and sat there feeling completely awful.

The fact that my wife and I were two of the four people in the theatre and the fact that the battle raging on the screen muffled the sound of my cell phone brought me little comfort.

I’m sorry old man in the middle and old lady on the front row. I hope that I didn’t ruin you evening.

Theology, U2

We Need a Hero

Rock music and social causes became inextricably bound in the late 1960s. Rock songs provided the soundtrack to the era’s protest movements and articulated the highest hopes and most deeply felt anger of the Vietnam generation.

In today’s money-driven age, however, socially conscious songwriting seems sadly irrelevant. Music that once challenged the prevailing social order—from the Beatles to the Clash, from Curtis Mayfield to Jimi Hendrix—now provides the background to car commercials. As a revolutionary force, rock seems spent.

But look again.

Bono, the lion-haired, sun-glassed front man of rock super-group U2, has spent most of this decade pioneering new ways for music to retake the political stage. His secret weapon? A deeply felt and seriously abiding sense of faith—one that has made it possible for the Irish rocker to connect with both arenas of screaming fans and the famously crusty Republican Senator Jesse Helms. “I love Bono,” says the conservative icon.

Bono is not a protest rocker in the old style. “I’m not a winging liberal…I’m no hippie with flowers in my hair. I come from punk rock,” he told Oprah. Bono is, in fact, a meticulous and shrewd forger of alliances—and a winner of results.

In the last year, while touring with a successful new album, Bono worked relentlessly to help secure billions in debt-relief and AIDS funding for the poorest nations of Africa. And he did all it with a sneer on his lips that would do Elvis proud and a from-the-gut faith that punctuates his every public statement. For this, Bono is Science of Mind’s Spiritual Hero for 2005.

First, he was nominated for the Nobel prize. Then Time Magazine named him one of the Persons of the Year. Now, Bono has been named Spiritual Hero of the Year by Science of Mind magazine. The profile was written by Mitch Horowitz and will appear in the January 2006 issue. You can read an exerpt of the article at SotM or you can read the entire profile from Horowitz’s website. It is a pretty good read although it rehashes alot of information that has already been available.

I found this link on the absolute best U2 website: @U2. They consistantly deliver excellent links and news about all the members of U2. They are one of my favorite websites period.

For the record, while I highly admire the man, Science of the Mind has named Bono the Spiritaul Hero of 2005- not me.

Mitch Horowitz
Link
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Music

Wipe Away Transgression, Set the Captives Free

Open your eyes and look within:
Are you satisfied with the life you’re living?
We know where we’re going;
We know where we’re from.
We’re leaving babylon, y’all!
We’re going to our father’s land.

Exodus, all right! movement of jah people!
Exodus: movement of jah people!

This is such a great jam: Exodus by Bob Marley. For some reason I have found myself singing this song today, all day. I love it!

Faith in Action

Sleep Tonight and May Your Dreams Be Realised


Let us develop a kind of dangerous unselfishness. One day a man came to Jesus; and he wanted to raise some questions about some vital matters in life. At points, he wanted to trick Jesus, and show him that he knew a little more than Jesus knew, and through this, throw him off base. Now that question could have easily ended up in a philosophical and theological debate. But Jesus immediately pulled that question from mid-air, and placed it on a dangerous curve between Jerusalem and Jericho. And he talked about a certain man, who fell among thieves. You remember that a Levite and a priest passed by on the other side. They didn’t stop to help him. And finally a man of another race came by. He got down from his beast, decided not to be compassionate by proxy. But with him, administering first aid, and helped the man in need. Jesus ended up saying, this was the good man, this was the great man, because he had the capacity to project the “I” into the “thou,” and to be concerned about his brother. Now you know, we use our imagination a great deal to try to determine why the priest and the Levite didn’t stop. At times we say they were busy going to church meetings—an ecclesiastical gathering—and they had to get on down to Jerusalem so they wouldn’t be late for their meeting. At other times we would speculate that there was a religious law that “One who was engaged in religious ceremonials was not to touch a human body twenty-four hours before the ceremony.” And every now and then we begin to wonder whether maybe they were not going down to Jerusalem, or down to Jericho, rather to organize a “Jericho Road Improvement Association.” That’s a possibility. Maybe they felt that it was better to deal with the problem from the causal root, rather than to get bogged down with an individual effort.

But I’m going to tell you what my imagination tells me. It’s possible that these men were afraid. You see, the Jericho road is a dangerous road. I remember when Mrs. King and I were first in Jerusalem. We rented a car and drove from Jerusalem down to Jericho. And as soon as we got on that road, I said to my wife, “I can see why Jesus used this as a setting for his parable.” It’s a winding, meandering road. It’s really conducive for ambushing. You start out in Jerusalem, which is about 1200 miles, or rather 1200 feet above sea level. And by the time you get down to Jericho, fifteen or twenty minutes later, you’re about 2200 feet below sea level. That’s a dangerous road. In the days of Jesus it came to be known as the “Bloody Pass.” And you know, it’s possible that the priest and the Levite looked over that man on the ground and wondered if the robbers were still around. Or it’s possible that they felt that the man on the ground was merely faking. And he was acting like he had been robbed and hurt, in order to seize them over there, lure them there for quick and easy seizure. And so the first question that the Levite asked was, “If I stop to help this man, what will happen to me?” But then the Good Samaritan came by. And he reversed the question: “If I do not stop to help this man, what will happen to him?”

That’s the question before you tonight. Not, “If I stop to help the sanitation workers, what will happen to all of the hours that I usually spend in my office every day and every week as a pastor?” The question is not, “If I stop to help this man in need, what will happen to me?” “If I do not stop to help the sanitation workers, what will happen to them?” That’s the question.

Let us rise up tonight with a greater readiness. Let us stand with a greater determination. And let us move on in these powerful days, these days of challenge to make America what it ought to be. We have an opportunity to make America a better nation. And I want to thank God, once more, for allowing me to be here with you.

We’ve got some difficult days ahead. But it doesn’t matter with me now. Because I’ve been to the mountaintop. And I don’t mind. Like anybody, I would like to live a long life. Longevity has its place. But I’m not concerned about that now. I just want to do God’s will. And He’s allowed me to go up to the mountain. And I’ve looked over. And I’ve seen the promised land. I may not get there with you. But I want you to know tonight, that we, as a people, will get to the promised land. And I’m happy, tonight. I’m not worried about anything. I’m not fearing any man. Mine eyes have seen the glory of the coming of the Lord.

Dr. Martin Luthur King Jr.
Mason Temple in Memphis, TN
April 3, 1968

Link
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Music

iTunes Statistics

My buddy Scott and his wife have been living over in England for the last few months. Over at his blog, he posted survey results from his iTunes music library (via Sarah), I thought that I would join in on the fun and post the results from my own library. When your done reading, let me know about your music libraries. This should be good. Enjoy.

Number of songs: 2975

Sort by song title:
First Song: … Baby One More Time- Britney “KFed Is Killing Me” Spears
Last Song: Zooropa- U2

Sort by time:
Shortest Song: (Repeat/Return) or When the Seventh Angel Sounded His Trumpet, and There Were Loud Voices In Heaven, Which Said: “The Kingdom of the World Has Become the Kingdom of Our Lord and of His Christ, and He Will Reign Foreverandever Etc…- David Crowder Band (00:10)
Longest Song: How Do I Become the Incarnation of Christ?- Mike Cope (1:17:14)

Sort by album:
First Song: I Am – !Hero (Rock Opera Soundtrack)
Last Song: The Wanderer- U2 & johhny Cash (Zooropa)

Top Five Most Played Songs:
1) Square One -Coldplay (X&Y)
2) Sometimes You Can’t make It One Your Own- U2 (HTDAAB)
3) Angel- Sarah McLachlan (City of Angels OMPS)
4) Fix You – Coldplay (X&Y)
5) City of Blinding Lights- U2 (HTDAAB)

First song that comes up on Shuffle: Mofo – U2 (Pop)

Search the following and state how many songs come up:
Sex? 1
Death? 3
Love? 191
Hate? 2 (1 song, 1 “Lost” episode)
God? 85
Texas? 10
You? 403

Ministry

Perspective on a Changin’ Times

In life, change is unavoidable. Kids change from children to adolescents over night. We move from season to season with very little fanfare. Products and television shows move and change as the public changes their tastes. Change happens.

In youth ministry, changes can bring about frustrations when done poorly or changes can bring about new life when carried out with care.

I read a great article this morning that compared changes within our youth ministries to changes on the hit children’s television show Blue’s Clues. No foolin’. The post was right on the money. If you are in youth ministry or you are anticipating changes within a ministry, read this article.

You probably know the scenario quite well by now. You enter a new ministry with all the gusto in the world, excited at the chance to make a difference in the lives of students (again). Not only that, but you also have another shot to share the vision God has put into your heart in a way that works for you (and seems supported by the leadership who hired you). There’s only one problem, though… the youth worker on staff before you left you some baggage that you feel needs “cleaning up.” Maybe it’s the night the student ministry meets or the person who was left in charge of the praise team. In any event, you gamble again with the concept of change, wondering what it’s going to take to put a well-needed fresh spin on things.

Perhaps the real issue, though, is if the change is as needed as we think it is. Many times in ministry we enter our latest paradigm with baggage of our own, often wanting to create our new context into the image of our old one. Other times we have been operating with an outdated model of how to do student ministry that may have worked before but won’t necessarily work again. With this in mind, the real tension lies not in the structure we’ve inherited but in the agenda of our own hearts.

Keep reading:
Getting A (Blue’s) Clue About Change

Technology

MacWorld Expo Stuff

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There have been some great new products and updates released at the MacWorld Expo this week. I am already salivating over little enhancements to iLife ’06 which include the new program iWeb which will allow for easy web page development and podcasting. The updates to iWork look pretty awesome. I have stopped using Microsoft office because i am so addicted to Pages and Keynote. Good stuff!

Apple also introduced the Intel-based Macs. Wow! Built in iSight! Whaaaaaat!

Check out the links below:

MacWorld Keynote Address
iLife
iWork

Books, Ministry, Theology

Eighteen Years of Dawning

Back in college, my youth ministry professor turned me on to a book by Kendra Creasy Dean entitled The Godbearing Life: The Art of Soul Tending for Youth Ministry. Much like Bro. Lawrence’s Practicing the Presence of God, this book helped shape my heart for ministry in ways that I hadn’t yet experienced. Every so often, I get the itch to re-read The Godbearing Life and everytime I do I learn a little more. Dean makes the argument that we- youth ministers, pastors, teachers- have been invited to become Godbears to the world in which we live. While Mary physically brought God into the world in the birth of Jesus Christ, “God invites all of us to become Godbearers- persons who by the power of the Holy Spirit smuggle Jesus into the world through our own lives, who by virtue of our yes to God find ourselves forever and irrevocably changed.” This powerful image has stuck with me from the first moment that my eyes read the words on the page. What an awe inspiring invitation. You cannot help but be passionate about that task.

Dean’s newest book Practicing Passion: Youth and the Quest for a Passionate Church begins with another powerful image of invitation. Although this one is a little more daring and scarry. Dean believes that just as Abraham was asked to offer Isaac before the Lord, we too must make that same choice. Do we allow our children to go off into the world to face the culture on their own or do we offer them up to God so that they might have a new life and a new heart? The choice seems simple but, according to Dean, the choice can seem terrifying when you are faced with the full reality of having a child who is entering into adolescence.

No amount of searching the text or teaching or preaching quelled the rage that mounted when I read that abraham bound Isaac to an alter, automotron-like, following the divine dictum that he present his child as a burnt offering to God. What kind of parent would do such a thing? What kind of God would ask such a thing?

And then my son turned twelve.

Now, it seems, there are only two choices. Brendan could come of age alone, as scores of his pubescent peers will do, heading into the wilderness of adolescence to face decisions- many with irreversible consequences- once reserved for adults. I know he can’t survive this alone. He has youth, smarts, and vigor, but few skills of resistance, and precious little experience excersising wisdom over whim. Consumer culture would surely eat him alive. Its greedy teeth marks show already.

The other option is to accept God’s invitation: “Take your son, whom you love, and offer him as a burnt offering on one of the mountains that I shall show you” (Genesis 22:7). I can climb this coming-of-age mountain with Brendan just so far, knowing that very soon I will run out of ways to protect him.

Surely God does want Brendan’s heart, the way God desires the heart of every adolescent. Yet if Brendan were to run, where would he go? Back to the shelter of childhood? He could try, but he’ll soon learn that no adolescent can be a child again, no matter how immature he acts. Forward, then, to adulthood? A rather optimistic plan, given the fact that no one today knows where, exactly, adulthood actually begins. To his peers? Maybe. But they’re lost in the wilderness too- although we can still hear their voices, most of them, calling out through the media that tempt them off this holy mountain. He could go back to his parents- well, I guess not. Anyway, we’re not home. We’re along for Brendan’s adolescent journey too, which means facing the fact that very soon we are either going to have to give him up or give him over to God.

Given the options, I’m banking on God.

And so his dad and I find ourselves these days hammering away at an alter, made of practices of faith and a fellowship of believers we’ve been attending to over the years- the combustible stuff of Christianity, faith fuel that ignites in the presence of holy fire.

For better or worse, one of these days we will arrive at the sacred place, and I will lay him down on this alter of faith. And when that day comes- when the car keys, the career plans, the dates, and the decisions are his, not ours- his dad and I will offer him up to God, who has a plan.

Question: What does all of this have to do with practicing passion? Answer: Everything

If we are not zealous about teaching and raising our children to follow the Lord than we are like a boxer beating the air. If we do not show our young that the call to follow Jesus Christ is a call to exhibit the Passion of his everlasting love than they will not hear us. Youth ministry is a about ministering to the entire church, re-introducing to this passionate life, and living out its kingdom values.

What an invitation!

The Goal Is Soul