post NCYM reflections # 3

One of the great joys this year was getting to bring one of my college kids to the conference.  He has expressed an interest in going into ministry. I am blessed to have been his youth minister, and for him to see something in me that he wants to emulate in his own life. I think he had a great time at the conference, getting to see an insideers perspective into what youth ministry is about.

One of the joys of ministry is getting to lead other young people into a desire to answer God’s call for their life. Why is it though, that as we get older we sometimes loose sight or track of the ability to hear or discern God’s call. Why? I think we make things difficult or make things more complicated. We look for the reasons not to do somthing, instead of embracing the impossibility as an opportunity to trust God.

Chase, I pray that you continue to heed God’s call for your life. Go where he leads you, even if it is into unpleasant places.

post ncym reflections 2

Been a bit swamped with some graduate school reading:

John J. Collins, The Apocalyptic Imagination; The Pratice of Preaching, Paul Scott Wilson; The Theology of the Book of Revelation, Richard Bauckham; The Philosophy of Existentialism, Gabriel Marcel; The Revot of the Masses, Ortega, and 1984 by George Orwell have been consuming my energies.

One day of the conference, I was attending a class entilted “minister to special needs children.” As I was sitting waiting for the class to begin, I was asked to pray for the class. Here is the funny thing. I am a stutterer, have been for years, and as I began to pray my tongue got tied and here I was before my collegues in ministry stuttering like Moses! It was embarrasing to say the least.

As the class went on, our speaker identifed some of the special needs, and for the first time in my life I learned that stuttering is considered or labeled as a special need.  I just thought it ironic that God would lead me to a special needs class as one having or growing up with special needs.

I am one who stutters. Every conversation I have I am aware of my propensity to stutter. I went to speech therapy as a kid, but none of my teachers or my parents every told me I was different or inhibited if you will by my stuttering. I am now in ministry, and make my living with words. It is another one of those ironies of life, or ironies of God’s guidance that he uses people with all kinds of issues in his kingdom.

I do have one moment that sticks out as a life changing moment though as it relates to my stuttering. I was in the 5th grade. I was built then like porky pig, and realized that I talked like him. It was my day to do the morning announcements and well, it was horrible. Even the office staff lauged at me as I stumbled and sweated nervously through my morning annoucements. When I got back to the classroom all of the other 5th graders were laughing at me. I was crushed.

The kids then on teased me about my speaking, and it bothered me then. But, I did get help from then on from a speech therapist. I guess my diagnosis is a mild form, but nonetheless, it is a major pain when I am trying to engage in conversation and I can’t speak just right. The words are there in my head, but somewhere between my brain and my tongue there is a misfiring. It is fun sometimes, like when I am preaching and I begin to make all kinds of terrible faces as I struggle to get the words out. At home or among friends sometimes I break out into melodious singing as a way of humoring myself.

I am one who is less than perfect, called by God and loved immensely by the Father. I am honored to be in such good company with the likes of Moses, he also had issues with his tongue!

post ncym reflections # 1

We left early today, and now hanging in out in New mexicoo wathinvg the national championship game. What a week! Lots of good speakers, and time well spent hanging out and visiting with friends in the trenches of youth ministry as well.

My wife couldn’t come this year, and it was a bummer not being able to have a few days away with her. But, I got to bring one of my college students who is thinking about entering youth ministry, so that was a blessing to be able to bring him along.

I got to sit at the feet of Tony Campolo, Mike Cope, Patrick Mead, and others. The most memorable thing that I will walk away with from the conference is a renewed perspective that the kingdom of God is bigger than we often have allowed it to be. We were relentlessly reminded that God loves the poor, downtrodden, and broken and that we are called to emulate our master. Patrick talked about the difference between Celtic Christianity and Roman Christianity. I will comment more later on this, but for now here is the main difference. Roman Christianity invites people to church who are already like us, whereas Celtic Christianity goes to where the sheep are. What a contrast in orthopraxy.

“Father of mercy, and grace, thank you for your love and goodness and for this crazy call to follow you wherever you lead. May we all learn to discern the difference between Celtic and Roman Christianity and may we see the beauty of pursuing the sheep. Helps us to love the Samaritans in our lives, and may we emulate you daily moment by moment.”