Radically Real

Priorities
I often wonder why we in ministry (especially youth ministry) are expected to behave so much differently that our cohorts in the secular world. No I don't mean morally, or ethically, I know we are called to a higher standard. Let me give an example.

I recently read a note that was sent regarding why a teen could not make it to a church event. Part of the reason was because the event was during a particular sport season, the event would cause the teen to miss a practice. If the teen missed the practice, the teen would be benched for at least two games and not start several more. Let's not be too tough on the kid, that is a tough decision for a high schooler. My problem is with the coach but to a larger degree, my problem is with our society and the standards and priorities we are setting.

What would happen if youth folks acted like this coach? Answer: we'd be fired for demanding too much from our kids. And yet it is fully expected behavior from someone who teaches something as eternally significant as (a sport). Priorities?????

I once had a talk with one of my youth. She was explaining about having to run laps for not properly demonstrating a skill. I asked what would happen if I did a similar thing in youth group. Oooh it got deathly quiet. What are we teaching our kids when we allow coaches to be tyrannical but expect youth workers to cower in the corner and accept, for God and our ministries, whatever crumbs of time are left over. Anyone remember first fruits? Just a thought.

Pool Parties and Modesty

One of the great joys of my life is being a member of the advisory committee for Jr. High youth ministry events for my church district. I am blessed to work with some really great people who really have a heart for kids. We are planning an event for this weekend that involves some water sports and things. At out last event some of the young ladies showed up in less than appropriate swim wear, so we decided to try asking that everyone wear a one piece suit or be appropriately covered. A Jr. High Guy's hormones need no help. One of the women in our group was expressing dismay at trying to find a one piece for a neice who will be attending the event. She asked what was on parents minds that all she could seem to find were fairly skimpy bikinis. Here is my response.

You hit on the salient point of the whole issue though. At the age of the kids we minister too, their parents are buying the suits. This year at Creation, Ryan Dobson (who wrote the best Christian book title I have ever heard..."Be intolerant-Because Some Things Are Just Stupid") or Joshua Harris (I don't remember which) relayed the story of taking one of the boys in his Jr. High group to pick up his girlfriend to take her to one of their youth group activities. The girl came out very scantily clad and said good bye to her father and left her go without saying a word. He relayed his discomfort with how the girl was dressed, but he didn't know what to say since she wasn't a regular member of their group but an invited guest. As it turned out when she got to the place they were going, she went into the bathroom and changed into something appropriate. The speaker was perplexed by this activity so when he got back to his group, he took some of the older girls aside and asked them if they had any idea what the girl was doing. The girls knew immediately, this young girl was testing her father to see if he really loved her. The father failed the test. We sometimes show love to our kids by the boundaries we set. Most of the kids we minister to have all of the friends they need, what they need is role models, leaders and examples. Some of them also need parents. Remember what I always tell you, God has put us on the front lines of ministry, with some of His most precious creations at the defining time in their lives.

“I am brutally honest and radically biblical. I believe that people have been marketed and pitched and sold everything imaginable and the one thing that has yet to be tried is the truth. People in a post modern culture have never been told that at their very essence, they s___. They have been told positive self-thinking and self esteem and self actualization and self grandizement and self fulfillment. But what they have never been taught is what Jesus told them and that is to deny themselves and so we preach a gospel of denial of self and exultation of God and what you find is the smaller you become and the bigger God becomes, the more you truly see yourself as you are and the more your hope rest in someone other than yourself and that’s where there’s joy and hope.”
Mark Driscoll, Pastor Mars Hill Church, Seatttle

Now that's radically real?
What do you think?

"My read is that a generation of churches have chosen to keep their traditions and lose their children. And I think that's the greatest tragedy becaus3e people are far more important than style and structure rituals and traditions." Erwin Raphael McManus

What do you think, church?

Getting real.
The name of this blog is radically real. The idea behind it is that I am on a quest for authenticity to live the most genuine Christian life I can live. I have become increasingly aware of the magnitude of the task. I am equally aware that I cannot do it on my own. Paul said basically that the things he didn't want to do he did and the things that he wanted to do he didn't do. If the author of over half the new testament struggled with this very thing, what hope do I have? Well in a way, plenty. You see the battle is the Lord's. I need to hold on to him.

Recently I went on the web, looking up one of my favorite evangelists. He seemed to have fallen off the map recently and I wondered what he was up to. I looked his name up on the web and discovered that he is now a motivational speaker and that he had some sort of moral calamity. As a result he is not in ministry any more. It broke my heart. I love this guy. It didn't break my heart because I was disappointed in him (though I must confess that was part of it, since I have seen thousands of kids cometo Christ as He spoke to them from the Word), he fell into sin, he can be forgiven by Jesus and I pray that he repents and is restored. No, I was disappointed because as I looked at this hero of mine and saw that if he could fall to an attack of the enemy, I thought what hope does little old me have. I mean if he couldn't resist this temptation, what hope do I have? Well I have plenty if I can hold on to Christ and the word.

The Word tells us that God will not allow us to be tempted beyond what we can bear and that if we are he will give us a way out. If you want to pray for me, pray that when the way out becomes clear, I will take it, no matter what the sin. Sin is a bear for one very important reason, a lot of time's it's enjoyable while it is going on. The enemy makes it look real appealing, but remember what Jesus said: "The thief comes to steal and kill and destroy, but I have come that you may have life and have it to the full." (John 10:10) We need to hold on to the fact that sin may be pleasurable for a season, but is nothing more than bait on a trap that will steal and kill and destroy. The real life is found in the teachings of Jesus. In this case, I can hold on to the wife of my youth and love her for the rest of my days and keep my commitment to the Lord and to her, which is fully what I intend to do in Christ. Pray for a hedge of protection around all marriages, but especially for those of us in ministry.

Recently in my recovery, I had some pains that were very disturbing to me. Was I having another attack? There was a very real temptation there too. Had God given up on me? (It sounds stupid but I am being real) my faith was shaking, I was in trouble. I became afraid to do almost anything. The enemy was stealing my joy, killing my witness and destroying my life. But I still have a choice. I can fall to the temptation and stop living and just exist or I can trust God and live my full life that he has for me. I have my good days and my bad days, and if I start whining, I pray that my readers will remind me of this post, but I want a real, full vibrant life of following Jesus, not dwelling under a cloud of sin and disbelief.

Jesus resisted the temptation of the enemy by holding on to the word. It seems to me that is the key to this whole deal. How much time are you spending in the Word? When the enemy throws a temptation at you, will you know what to say to Him? Hold on to Jesus and let Him speak to you through the Word and whatever you do, stay real. He will help if you ask.