Thank you, Kenny

Isn’t it amazing what a change in perspective can give you.  Every 4th weekend, I take my daughter to the minor league Kane County Cougars game.  They do a game and then the Jesse White Tumblers and then one heck of a sweet fireworks show.  They have yet to win at a game we attend, so we are mostly there for the fireworks with a great view.  But it was during the game that perspective took place.

I like to people watch.  The family to my right left early because the little girl went into tears every time the audience roared.  The family to my left took up two rows and moved around alot.  The guy in back of me invoked the name Kenny in his vocal narration of the game constantly.  This is where I learn a lesson.

“C’mon Kenny”  “Swing and a miss, Kenny!”  “Easy out, Kenny” “One two three Kenny” “He got two bases, Kenny!”  This and many other things I would hear all night long directly behind me.  At first I thought he did not know the players names and it was his version of bub, dude, or hey you.  Then I decided he was irritating.  But there was something incomplete about my assesment..something felt off.  I decided to brush it off and continue thinking he was daft….until the seventh inning stretch.

During the stretch, I literally decided to do a stretch and get a look at whomever invoked the name Kenny every other word.  There he was, a man in his mid to late fiftees, dark hair, nice SLR camera with a telephoto lense strapped around him.  He had what I assumed to be his wife to his left and to his right….was Kenny.  Kenny was an older man, at least he looked older.  Kenny was also obviously mentally challenged…and enjoying every word of the narration given to him.  Suddenly, the invocation of Kenny in every play took on a whole new meaning to me.

Kenny narration was an act of love and of joy and of sacrifice and of community.  Kenny narration was a thing of beauty that made me smile.  The smile took some time because I had to get over my own embarrasment seeped in my earlier judgement and irritation.  What changed?  Not my ears, not the words, but my heart.  All I had to do was turn around and use my eyes.  It only took me seven wasted innings to enjoy the last two.  Thank you Kenny, and thank you to the narrator. You made the game, and the ballpark, a better place.  You also taught me a lesson.

What do you think about X church?

The past three weeks I have had this question posed to me when people find out I am a pastor.  “What do you think of church xyz?”  The question is usually followed by that person’s opinion of church xyz and then several reasons as to why they do not go to church anymore.

To be honest, I am less interested in my own opinions on other churches than I am in trying to find the common threads in what keeps people away from church.  What keeps them away seems to be closely intertwined with what they are looking for not being found.  I only learn this through my follow up questions.  Why did you try to go to church and why did you stop?

The questions about church xyz lately is mostly about specific and well known larger churches in the area.  Churches like Willow Creek and Calvary.  Now, I am at a stage in my life where I am not out to insult or disparage other models of doing this whole church community thing.  I think there is not only enough of that going on these days, but too much of it.  I am only reporting what others complain about in the hopes that we can take away something useful.

The first complaint I hear about is the greeters.  It is 2 or 3 waves of being greeted with plastic and hollow smiles while being pounded with literature and gift bags and having their children swept away into another room.  Now, remember, this is the perception of the people I am talking too.  Perhaps the smiles are genuine…I dunno, I was not there.

The next complaint is the significant one.  This is the one that I think universally we all need to listen to and heed regardless of our church model.  The next complaint is about the show.  “The show” is a term I have heard more than once.  The show refers to the service being too spectacular, the music too polished, the preaching too slick, the lighting just so, and so forth.  They see the flash, they see the emotional reactions of the “audience”, but they do not see substance or community.

One person even talked to me about the juxtaposition he and his wife felt when they attended a small group from a church and then went to Sunday service.  Small group was intimate and personable and the people seemed real.  It felt organic to him.  So he went to Sunday service.  He felt it was orchestrated, phony, and he and most everyone there did not have a voice, they just attended a weekly show.

Why did they try to go to church?  They tell me they saw the building and all the cars and thought maybe there would be something.  All these people experiencing something together?  It must be worth checking out!  Why did they give up? They wanted more than a show, they wanted to experience God and that does not happen with good mood lighting and well rehearsed music.  It happens when people gather together in God’s name and are God’s hands and feet to each other.  It happens when people have permission to let their guard down and just be real.

I am in no way suggesting worship music should no longer be rehearsed and I am not saying sermons should not be well delivered.  I am also not suggesting this happens only in larger churches.  People can see “the show” in a small church just as easily.  Maybe it is easier to be intimate in a smaller church, but I think it can and should be done in the larger church too.

The answer?  I think the answer lay in focus.  Are we focused on a good show?  Are we focused on numbers?  Are we focused on keeping the newcomer in using techniques gleaned from a book or a seminar?  Or could we just focus on being a community that is enjoying each others company under the canopy of the one who created us and bask in that love?  If we can do that, then all we are doing is inviting others to gather with us under the canopy.  It might be what they are looking for, it might be why they came.  Just a thought.

Soapbox Alert!!!! Is this all there is?

So there is someone in my world I care a whole bunch about who feels the call of God on her life.  Several people both within and outside of the Christian “institution” have given her several reasons why she cannot do this or would suck at it.  WTF?

Before I get to the point of my soapboix. lemme say this.  If someone comes to you with a dream in their heart that burns a light within them…do not be an ass clown and douse that lovely flame!!!  K?  Friggin thanks for that!

Okay….so how does one become a pastor today?  First, you gotta have a penis..second, you (and your penis) have to be young.  Next, you march yourself to the nearest regionally (preferred) or nationally accredited liberal arts Bible college and get you a four year degree in pastoral studies.  After that, get a Masters in divinity (it’s okay, you and your penis will still be young).  Now you are educated (never mind the fact you don’t know jack about life) in the facts and figures of the Bible.  You can hermeneutic and homiletic and your systematic theology is well….systematic.

So now you need to be respectable so you can get a job as a youth pastor.  If you have not found a wife…get one…or at least slap a ring on her finger and call her your fiance’.  You are now ready to be a youth pastor.  Hurry up and do a good job.  If you are lucky, you can advance to a pastor of spiritual development by the time you are 30.  Play your cards right and you can one day become a Sr pastor.

So…um….what if you are a girl?  Good luck with that.  What if you have a job, kids, and no money or ability to get to one of them fancy colleges?  Too bad. WTF!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Here is the worst part of it all.  The callous fools who would diminish dreams inspired by God do it to people’s faces.  AAAAARRRRRRGGGGGHHHHHHH!!!!!!!

Our God is a mysterious God who has a long history of using screw ups, not good enoughs, slackers, and other associated misfits to change the world.  When you see the least of these in unusual places in life claiming to have a call of God in their lives…watch out!  They are the real deal and they will likely confound us and convict us and challenge us.  They will also enrich lives and follow God’s will while we rest in our systems and mechanisms.

We are out of balance and I almost wonder if we are due for another revolution.

Yet Another Shining Moment (working at the car wash)

Okay okay, I am sorry!  I have been a little behind in entering and updating things around here.  I will start with the kids.  The YASO kids.  A few weeks ago we had a car wash for a fundraiser.

I need to backtrack.  The CarWash was on a Saturday morning, but the Friday night was YASO. Back to the story.  After YASO, the kids all went to Dana’s house (one of the young adults in the group) to camp out in her yard with a good old fashion bon fire.  I intended to stop by, but an asthma attack got in my way.  Anyway, point is, for them, this was not a fundraiser, this was an event and the event started hours before any water went into any buckets.

I arrived at the ministry center (where we meet) at 8:30 armed with doughnuts and three of the intrepid campers.  A few minutes later, Dana arrived with a box of Joe and the rest of the campers.  We decorated signs with markers and glitter and whatnot and we filled up buckets with soapy water and prepped our stations.  By ten AM we were ready and kids were holding signs.

We waited.  Some cars honked, some cars flipped the bird, but all cars continued to drive by.  I began to wonder if car washes were still effective and if we would have any cars.  As usual with the YASO kids, any time I begin to doubt, I am proved wrong.  At about 11:30 our first car rolled in.  From 11:30 until 3 we had cars lined up…sometimes two abreast and people donating money.

I had conversations with parents and local residents about what it is we do and how long we have done it and the kids just kept on having a good time with no sign of energy dampening.  Speaking of dampening, towards the end of the day the kids decided I was too dry and doused me with the love of water and such.

Now for the miracle.  At the end of the day, I gave the final count of the money raised.  I was hoping for a few hundred dollars…two…three if we were lucky.  No. We had raised $541!!!

The end result was not the only matter though.  It was a day filled with love. joy. community, and purpose.  It was a day of laughter, joy, and more miracles.  It was a very good day.

Growth verses Growth

Many churches think of growth as growth in numbers, but I am nto so sure that is the right gauge to be looking at.  In our church, the mission is simple.  Provide people with safe harbor so they can learn about their role in the story of Jesus and then go on to serve God and man.  Based on that, the gauge for growth is more disciples.  Now, a disciple spreading good news will naturally bring people into the church community, but that is not the only gauge.  Change is ultimate gauge.  There lay the rub.  One cannot see into hearts, one can only see behavior.

Hearts are tricky and complex things and sometimes we can do the right things for the wrong reason.  This gives us change of behavior, but may not be indicative of change of heart.  So now what?

Since we started YASO and Lifebridge, I have seen people seek help for bulemia, pain killer addiction, and so forth.  I have also seen people who live on the edge of prior life addiction struggle and not wanna go back.  The past few weeks, the numbers have been growing.

So here I am with larger numbers and changing lives and behaviors, but do I have disciples, which is the ultimate measure of growth.  The simple answer is I know I have some disciples, but I do not know about others.  So what is a leader to do?  Discipleship is more than turning to page six of the latest study guide, it is more than changing behavior, it is a matter of the heart .

Biblical knowledge is a good thing, so is social justice and action.  But lately, these have become polar opposites in many churches defining discipleship.  I see both of those as being valid aspects to discipleship training, but neither offers the sole focus.  I am not sure there is a sole focus other than being a follower of Jesus and walking in the yoke of Christ.

Jesus knew his Bible and theology, Jesus acted on social justice and spoke out when he saw injustice, Jesus reached out to the least of these.  Jesus also taught us time and time again many lessons that if applied, will challenge us, enrich us, and shake us up a bit.  This is good news, but it is also a lot of news.

This June we will be launching a discipleship training course.  In the vein of Cole and his book, “Search and Rescue”, we are going to often replace the word disciple with hero.  I hope this change in perspective will help lead to the changed lives and hearts I speak of.  In many cases we do have changed hearts.

So, are we growing?  Yeah we are.  But we can turn that stuff up a notch.

Cheers!

Practicing What Ya Preach

So last Sunday I was continuing into the sermon on the mount and I got into this passage in Matthew 5.

” ²¹“You have heard that it was said to the people long ago, ‘Do not murder, and anyone who murders will be subject to judgment.’ ²²But I tell you that anyone who is angry with his brother will be subject to judgment. Again, anyone who says to his brother, ‘Raca, is answerable to the Sanhedrin. But anyone who says, ‘You fool!’ will be in danger of the fire of hell.

²³“Therefore, if you are offering your gift at the altar and there remember that your brother has something against you, ²⁴leave your gift there in front of the altar. First go and be reconciled to your brother; then come and offer your gift.

²⁵“Settle matters quickly with your adversary who is taking you to court. Do it while you are still with him on the way, or he may hand you over to the judge, and the judge may hand you over to the officer, and you may be thrown into prison. ²⁶I tell you the truth, you will not get out until you have paid the last penny.^“

Murder and thinking/talking smack about someone are one and the same???  Suddenly I felt kinda screwed.  I have found myself thinking about those I am angry with or feel hurt by.  The time has come where I had to let it all go.  Then came the realization about the brilliance of this.  Letting it go means I potentially end it all.  Some of the conflicts in my life are continued by my mouth and my attitude.  In other words…I learned some of the actions people have taken against me were in response to actions I have taken on them.  I know!  Pretty messed up, right?

If there is anyone reading this that I have cheesed off, I am so very sorry.  If there is anyone reading this who is mad at someone else, let it go.  There is an immense weight lifted when you stop thinking ill of others.  It may have taken my own words about God’s words to get me to learn this lesson, but it ain’t worth it.

So many of us say…”Well, at least I have not killed anyone.” In truth, based on this definition, I think all of us are murders.  Murder in the heart and the physical act do not seem to hold much difference to Him.  God seems to place it on the same level.  Is it worth it?  Is it worth the bitterness and the hate and the risk of being called a murderer?  Beyond that, is it not time to offer a measure of grace we all have been accorded?  I mean, all of us know what it is like to have screwed up and we so desperately, in that moment, want to be forgiven and be let off the hook.  Why is it that when someone else wrongs us we are so often unwilling to give it?  We want justice, not grace.  We should give what we want.  Grace.  Grace is getting something you do not deserve, but so desire.

Cheers!

Double Header and Then Some

This Sunday I am preaching at two different churches over two different topics.  One will be at the Congregational Church of Lockport.  The other will be my church, LifeBridge.  The first one will be on the woman at the well.  This is a sermon I have preached before and it is fun to talk about.  For those who want a general gist…watch this video.  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q49BbfgJbto .  I think the poet does a great job describing it.  Anyway, the second one will be continuing the Sermon on the mount.  A few weeks ago we started into it and it is a lot of fun.  Why am I rambling about these things?

Both sermons will have significance on a interpersonal level.  The first sermon is a date of sorts.  The other church would like to see what happens when our two bodies meet.  I am not sure who will come to the group date, so that will be interesting.  The second one is gonna be interesting.  Last week we had over 45 people in attendance.  A record.  Is this the beginning of a new trend or a bubble?  It is what it is and I cannot control it, but I am curious.

If I were a betting man, I would say the turnout to the first service will be limited and that we are on the cusp of a growth trend.  I am not about numbers, but growth is good.  Why?  Cuz the way we do church is about making disciples and more is better.  The world could use some salt and light. 

That’s all.  Less than 500 words this time. 

Cheers!

Communion Potluck #6

So today was the first Sunday we ran out of chairs…but still had plenty of food.

Once a month we do something called communion potluck.  As opposed to a sermon, we have everyone bring a dish and we break out tables and share a meal together.  In the last supper/first communion there was a feast among friends.  There is something magical that happens during a meal.  People are relaxed and they share stories and situations and….well…life.

When the meal starts to wind down I come up and take the elements and pray over them and then we have communion..intimate, lovely, and among friends.  It is no surprise to me that this is our largest attended service, but this was the first time I had to break out EVERY table and EVERY chair and we still had to play round robin seating.  It was as wonderful as wonderful can get.

At the end we had two people named Mario and Sam lead us in 4 wonderful worship songs.

All of what I am saying sounds very clinical, but it is something you have to see and feel and taste and experience.  It is life, it is community, and it is organic.  I am wondering if I am going to have this chair problem again next week…I could enjoy having that problems as I enjoy life with my friends. Even if I do not, it is wonderful to me that I get to share meals with my friends at least once a month.

Cheers!

Two Tribes (and I believe in miracles)

Ever have a plan a go to pot?  I did.  It rocked!

Lemme explain.  The Bible college I used to attend, Christian Life College, sponsors this friggin huge youth convention called Ascension Convention.  Thousands of kids pack it in to a Chicago Area hotel from five different states.  Now, the cost for this is $139 a kid.  Yeah…my crew cannot afford groceries and gas and tolls, let alone something like this….so….I bought a booth.

Now, YASO has 2 phrases.  One is “Speak Out!”  This comes from the name YASO (Young Adults Speaking Out), and the other is a phrase we use on our banner…”Society’s Forgotten Children Silent No More!”

Well, my plan was this, we would be at the convention 2 days.  Day 1 would be running the booth and talking about our safe house project, day 2 would be spent doing the YASO demonstration.  YASO demonstration is to march the grounds holding the banner, wearing white tees, blue jeans, and expressionless masks.  The juxtaposition of silent no more while expressionless faces refuse to engage you is kinda creepy.  Then we pass out stickers that say…”As Christians, we apologize for being self righteous, judgmental bastards!  YASO!  Speak Out!”  In a public places, this concept does not offend.  At a Christian event chock full of the sub culture we were risking eviction.  I was ready to engage anyone who judged them in their ICP clothes.

Then the miracle happened.  The kids were only visibly judged by the over 30 crowd (I could name names, but that would defeat the point) by 4 people.  The kids, the student body of CLC, and the staff appreciated their presence and thanked them for it.

We started off with the booth, literature, and a stack of parchment for people to tell their stories.  Nine of our kids told theirs and we ended the night with 25 handwritten stories of hurting and honest and fragile and precious hearts.  Then, as with all miracles, something happened that was small, but destined to grow.  A couple of our girls were bored and tossed a stuffed bunny around.  hen the bunny was hit in the air like a volleyball.  From that, a game called bunny ball was born.  Later, bunny ball morphed into “Ride That Pony”.  It is a dance that the YASO kids do at the coffeehouse.  It is done in a circle and it is symbolic of meeting new people and expressing interest in getting to know them better.  I am sucking the life out of it describing it…just know it is fun and beautiful.  There were maybe 11 of our dancing and over 70 others from other churches and y0uth groups that joined the circle.

13 kids wearing tutu’s, tripp pants, dog collars, ICP gear, striped stockings and so forth with their pain and hurt on a sleeve walked into a room of thousands of kids and took over and left their indelible mark.  I have never been more proud and I have never been more humbled.  I also realized again and yet for the first time…that I do believe in miracles.

Ya had to be there.

The stories from this event have inspired others to get their churches involved in helping us.  For the first time other people know what we started here…because I got out of the way and let them be heard on their terms and with their bunny.

What is a YASO anyway???

YASO is not quite a youth group, it is not quite group therapy, it is not quite social justice. YASO is where the gospel meets honest conversation, action, and acceptance. Imagine Jesus meeting Fight Club (no one talks about what happens inside). YASO can be divided into three separate categories. Happenings, Helping, and the Safe House Project.

HAPPENINGS:

Happenings are the heart and soul of YASO. Happenings are the very foundation of what we built everything else we do at YASO. Happenings occur twice a month from 7-10 PM. Usually on Fridays and Saturdays . Happenings start with free pizza and soda. For some kids this is the only full meal they experience. Then and adult presenter and a youth presenter talk about something topical that affects them where they live. No holds barred presentations about addiction, eating disorders, poverty, sexuality, and other important topics we are uncomfortable with. Then the kids get to open up and talk about their experiences and thoughts on the topic. From there kids are welcome to pray together or talk about serious problems with an adult volunteer or a trained peer counselor. To date, we have had 2 addicts go into recovery, a bulimic seek treatment, and one delivered from the edge of suicide. We are making a difference….together.

HELPING:

Helping is a two way street. Many of our youth live in poverty with alcoholic or abusive parents who do not provide as they ought. Through the adults we provide kids with gift cards for food and gas and clothing and other necessities. We help provide access to counseling and medical attention. We are limited in our resources, but we give where we can. The youth help as well. YASO youth help out in church, food pantries, and some are even helping feed the homeless . Their goal and desire is to be a real disciple spreading God’s love and hope.

Halfway House:

Perhaps our most ambitious project. A local business owner commented to me  once,”It’s really hard to study when the yelling and hitting starts at night. Some of these kids would feel safer in a bunk bed eating Mac n Cheese. Build them that opportunity.” It is our intention to raise money to purchase and build a halfway house where young adults with little to no options can have that clean bunk and warm meal along with counseling and an opportunity to get a job and an education. If this means anything to you, please donate. Much like inner city youth, some of these kids live in dire circumstances.

To Youth leaders I would say this:

We are in no way suggesting this ministry is better than a traditional youth group. This is not about better. This is about a good idea that without Coffee, smoke machines, and laser shows has met the “missing demographic”. You may find some validity in this ministry and it is my hope that you will incorporate aspects of YASO in your own youth ministry and outreach.

Part of what makes our group so popular with local youth is that they help form it and create it. From day one we sat with the youth and asked them what this should look like and feel like. Furthermore, we asked them what they were willing to do to make this happen. What one sees and experiences at YASO is not the creation of a brilliant youth pastor or a great program from a book. Rather it is a community of youth and adults working together to design something beautiful and good and of God.

You know as well as I do that the youth in your area, and in your church, suffer from abuse, molestation, cutting, poverty, addiction, eating disorders, an overabundance of sexuality, and many other issues. Too often we restrict kids from admitting to these hot button issues and katy bar the door of our youth group to them. Even if we do not do it on purpose, we sometimes present this false impression that you have to have everything together to be in the doors and participating in youth events. Yet we know Jesus used the least of these to change the world. Our posture with the youth needs to change.

When Jesus was presented the woman caught in adultery and asked if she should be stoned…He changed His posture. He ignored the crowd and knelt near her before making His challenge to them and then went to her side again. It was only after the crowd left he told her to live a different way and sin no more. Sometimes, it is presumptuous of us to ask them to change until we are first willing to change our posture and be their advocate. An advocate for life and an advocate for a second chance. That advocacy may entail an anxious member in the crowd ready to toss a rock.

Perhaps this intrigues you, perhaps this offends you, perhaps you have been doing this and have ideas to share.