As always, school is off at a brisk jog. It isn't sprinting yet, but give it time. Over the past year I have become a big believer in the Sabbath. Not necessarily the Hebrew Sabbath, but just the practice of slowing down from time to time to remember and spend time with God.
Unfortunately I am an American...
We live in a culture that tells us, "If you're not busy, you're lazy."
The sad part is we buy it.
I bought it.
The things that occupy my time are good and all important to me. My time is stretched and pulled by my youth internship, Seekers, and school. That is why I am searching for Sabbath.
Since I cannot and will not drop any of these things that I love, I have to keep my eyes open to the opportunities to stop and rest. I still want to know God and He wants to know me. Finding the time to do that will be an adventure.
I am excited about all the blessings in store for this semester. I am working with a youth group that I love, I am in a drama ministry that has become my family, and I am learning so much about God and my work.
I just have to remember to slow down.
Sunday, August 29, 2010
Saturday, August 7, 2010
The Have-Nots
I have been thinking a lot about the way we see the world. We separate everything into neat categories.
There are the rich and the poor,
the popular and the unpopular,
the good and the bad,
the beautiful and the hideous.
There are the Haves and the Have-Nots.
Unfortunately, we let these distinctions infiltrate our faith. We see people outside of Christianity as those without faith,
without hope,
without God.
We forget that faith is a part of being human. Whatever we feel to be right, whatever we cling to, whatever we hold dear is our faith.
We neglect the fact that life is not possible without hope. Whatever gets us out of bed, whatever makes us work, whatever we long to see is our hope.
But most importantly, we forget that God is everywhere, in everything, and with everyone.
When it comes to God, there are no Have-Nots. There is no group that is outside of God's love. Therefore, there is no group that should be outside of our love.
Our job is not to implant faith, our task is not to create hope, and our duty is not to deliver God. Each of these actions is beyond our grasp.
But love is greater than hope and faith, as you've heard before. Not only is it greater, but it is what is within our grasp.
We cannot use faith and hope on others. We can love them.
In a world where everyone has the love of God, will we continue to withhold our own?
There are the rich and the poor,
the popular and the unpopular,
the good and the bad,
the beautiful and the hideous.
There are the Haves and the Have-Nots.
Unfortunately, we let these distinctions infiltrate our faith. We see people outside of Christianity as those without faith,
without hope,
without God.
We forget that faith is a part of being human. Whatever we feel to be right, whatever we cling to, whatever we hold dear is our faith.
We neglect the fact that life is not possible without hope. Whatever gets us out of bed, whatever makes us work, whatever we long to see is our hope.
But most importantly, we forget that God is everywhere, in everything, and with everyone.
When it comes to God, there are no Have-Nots. There is no group that is outside of God's love. Therefore, there is no group that should be outside of our love.
Our job is not to implant faith, our task is not to create hope, and our duty is not to deliver God. Each of these actions is beyond our grasp.
But love is greater than hope and faith, as you've heard before. Not only is it greater, but it is what is within our grasp.
We cannot use faith and hope on others. We can love them.
In a world where everyone has the love of God, will we continue to withhold our own?
Monday, August 2, 2010
Spit Shine
Today marks the end of an era. I bought a new watch.
For those of you who are not familiar with my bond with my late timepiece, I will share the history of that watch.
I received it as my first "real" (analog) watch when I was in the 6th grade. It has been on my wrist almost every moment since that day. That is why I have such a tan-line on my wrist. It suffered dents and cracks for almost 9 years. Today it took its last hit from a basketball before it finally gave up.
I started thinking about that watch.
How quickly do we throw things away when they no longer look "good"?
It had been years since that watch looked good.
But it still ticked.
It still stayed on my wrist.
It still worked.
We so easily forget that things continue to serve their purpose long after aesthetics have faded. We figure that if something doesn't look pristine then it isn't working the way it's supposed to work.
We treat ourselves the same way.
We try to keep ourselves looking nice and put-together so that we appear to be doing everything right. We cover up our flaws to give the appearance of perfect actions. We spit-shine our souls.
But spit-shine still depends on spit.
Whatever we do, we're going to get dirty. We're going to get battered. We're going to be broken.
But God still works.
Where we are filthy, he shines. Where we are cracked, he makes whole. Where we fall apart, he remains the same.
Do not let the bruises and cuts of this life fool you into thinking you are useless. Let God show you that your scars make you something more.
When we are at our most broken, he shows just how whole we can be.
For those of you who are not familiar with my bond with my late timepiece, I will share the history of that watch.
I received it as my first "real" (analog) watch when I was in the 6th grade. It has been on my wrist almost every moment since that day. That is why I have such a tan-line on my wrist. It suffered dents and cracks for almost 9 years. Today it took its last hit from a basketball before it finally gave up.
I started thinking about that watch.
How quickly do we throw things away when they no longer look "good"?
It had been years since that watch looked good.
But it still ticked.
It still stayed on my wrist.
It still worked.
We so easily forget that things continue to serve their purpose long after aesthetics have faded. We figure that if something doesn't look pristine then it isn't working the way it's supposed to work.
We treat ourselves the same way.
We try to keep ourselves looking nice and put-together so that we appear to be doing everything right. We cover up our flaws to give the appearance of perfect actions. We spit-shine our souls.
But spit-shine still depends on spit.
Whatever we do, we're going to get dirty. We're going to get battered. We're going to be broken.
But God still works.
Where we are filthy, he shines. Where we are cracked, he makes whole. Where we fall apart, he remains the same.
Do not let the bruises and cuts of this life fool you into thinking you are useless. Let God show you that your scars make you something more.
When we are at our most broken, he shows just how whole we can be.
Friday, July 16, 2010
The Broken Heart of God
He sat on a hill,
Watching as the city
shut down.
Traffic lights stop their
green
yellow
red
exchange
and begin another night
of blinking.
He can't get rid of
the sorrow.
His heart aches for the broken,
the homeless,
the beaten,
the lost...
He thinks of the girl
who knows no father's love.
He thinks of the boy
who chases cocaine's release.
He cries out at God in his soul,
"What are you going to do?
Why are you silent?
How can you watch this?"
No voice booms from the sky,
no burning bush,
no still whisper...
Just a heartbreak.
Deep and immense.
He feels the heart of God.
A quiet voice in his soul speaks,
"Don't you think I know?
Don't I feel the pain of my children?
This is my heartache.
Can you bear it?"
The man buckles under the weight,
the pressure,
the pain
of the broken heart of God.
As he sobs he hears his voice
echoing back,
his soul questioning itself.
"What are you going to do?
Why are you silent?
How can you watch this?"
Watching as the city
shut down.
Traffic lights stop their
green
yellow
red
exchange
and begin another night
of blinking.
He can't get rid of
the sorrow.
His heart aches for the broken,
the homeless,
the beaten,
the lost...
He thinks of the girl
who knows no father's love.
He thinks of the boy
who chases cocaine's release.
He cries out at God in his soul,
"What are you going to do?
Why are you silent?
How can you watch this?"
No voice booms from the sky,
no burning bush,
no still whisper...
Just a heartbreak.
Deep and immense.
He feels the heart of God.
A quiet voice in his soul speaks,
"Don't you think I know?
Don't I feel the pain of my children?
This is my heartache.
Can you bear it?"
The man buckles under the weight,
the pressure,
the pain
of the broken heart of God.
As he sobs he hears his voice
echoing back,
his soul questioning itself.
"What are you going to do?
Why are you silent?
How can you watch this?"
Saturday, July 10, 2010
Summer Book Reviews
Well, in addition to teaching, planning/leading trips, going to devos, planning youth parties, and all the other crazy adventures of a youth internship, I have found time in the summer to consume a few books. A quick list:
Searching for God Knows What- Donald Miller
Your First Two Years in Youth Ministry- Doug Fields
Jesus Wants to Save Christians (Audio)- Rob Bell and Don Golden
Velvet Elvis (Audio)- Rob Bell
Contemplative Youth Ministry- Mark Yaconelli
180 More: Extraordinary Poems for Every Day- Billy Collins
Nevada- Joshua Porter
The Know-It-All- A. J. Jacobs
Che: The Diaries of Ernesto Che Guevara- Ernesto Guevara
I've done pretty well, I think, considering the busy-ness of the summer. Now, I'll give my thoughts...
Searching for God Knows What: An interesting book. I won't say that it was my favorite. The author did share a lot of his own personal struggle with faith, but his discussion of stories from the Bible was a bit limited. I'd still recommend it as a good read. It will provoke some thought.
Your First Two Years in Youth Ministry: This book was given to me by Evan (the Bossman). Despite the author being a goober, it was a helpful book. Since I am not a full time minister, a lot of the advice wasn't immediately applicable. I am glad to have been introduced to some of the various stresses and issues of early youth ministry so that I can look ahead.
Jesus Wants to Save Christians and Velvet Elvis: I lump these together because Rob Bell's work tends to have the same effect all the time and it is never old. He takes passages of scripture that I know and applies a new and fascinating meaning to them. He is also not afraid to challenge those parts of our faith that seem to have been hijacked by our culture and twisted away from the original intent of Jesus. He always leaves me analyzing my faith and stretching further and deeper.
Contemplative Youth Ministry: Another Evan pick. I loved this book. My dad's reaction to the title is what makes this book so great. I told him the name of the book and he replied, "Isn't that an oxymoron?" He was joking, of course. However, many people DO view youth ministry that way and that was one of the main thrusts of this book. The author seeks to see youth become more than Christian teens, he wants to guide them to be true Christ-followers. Thus, the job of a youth minister is not to baby-sit and entertain, but to try to practice the presence of Christ that others might come to know him fully.
180 More: Extraordinary Poems for Every Day: Just a book of poetry compiled by my favorite poet. I haven't been writing as much poetry as I used to write, but reading it has given me a lot to enjoy and to learn. Now, I have not actually read each poem in the book yet, but I have spent enough time with it for it to earn a place in this entry.
Nevada: A strange, somewhat gruesome, and very thought provoking book. The book is written as a piecing together of many different journal entries, news reports, police logs, etc. Some of the writings are from the perspective of mentally challenged or diseased people. The author does a great job of capturing a unique identity in each entry. The book itself is about Satan coming to earth and leading a revolution. He gives many speeches that expose many of the attitudes and behaviors of our culture that go against God's purpose for our lives. A warning: this book contains very graphic and wicked violence.
The Know-It-All: The best book I've read since The Year of Living Biblically, written by the same author. This book is the record of his experience reading through the entire Encyclopaedia Britannica. A. J. Jacobs is hilarious and insightful. He is socially awkward and not afraid to show it. His failed attempts to apply his newfound knowledge remind me of the Friends episode where Joey buys the V section of the encyclopaedia and tries to bring up Mt. Vesuvius in conversation. Also, he peppers the book with enough random facts that you feel like you've joined him for part of the work.
Che: The Diaries of Ernesto Che Guevara: Don't worry, I'm not turning into one of those Manifesto-quoting, Communism supporting, Che-shirt wearing weirdos. I watched The Motorcycle Diaries with some friends a few weeks ago and got interested in this controversial figure of history. After reading these excerpts from his diaries, I cannot say that I admire him more or less. The writing consisted of a lot of description of battles and tactical decisions with not much mention of motivation and beliefs. I can admire his decision to leave behind studying medicine to devote himself to a cause he believed in. He was not afraid to stand up (even in the UN) and declare what he believed. I will not say that I agree completely with his ideals and I will never say I agree with his methods (or the methods of those who opposed him), but I can admire the loyalty of such a charismatic leader to his cause.
It has been a good reading summer, but I think my brain needs a nice non-thought-provoking fiction.
Searching for God Knows What- Donald Miller
Your First Two Years in Youth Ministry- Doug Fields
Jesus Wants to Save Christians (Audio)- Rob Bell and Don Golden
Velvet Elvis (Audio)- Rob Bell
Contemplative Youth Ministry- Mark Yaconelli
180 More: Extraordinary Poems for Every Day- Billy Collins
Nevada- Joshua Porter
The Know-It-All- A. J. Jacobs
Che: The Diaries of Ernesto Che Guevara- Ernesto Guevara
I've done pretty well, I think, considering the busy-ness of the summer. Now, I'll give my thoughts...
Searching for God Knows What: An interesting book. I won't say that it was my favorite. The author did share a lot of his own personal struggle with faith, but his discussion of stories from the Bible was a bit limited. I'd still recommend it as a good read. It will provoke some thought.
Your First Two Years in Youth Ministry: This book was given to me by Evan (the Bossman). Despite the author being a goober, it was a helpful book. Since I am not a full time minister, a lot of the advice wasn't immediately applicable. I am glad to have been introduced to some of the various stresses and issues of early youth ministry so that I can look ahead.
Jesus Wants to Save Christians and Velvet Elvis: I lump these together because Rob Bell's work tends to have the same effect all the time and it is never old. He takes passages of scripture that I know and applies a new and fascinating meaning to them. He is also not afraid to challenge those parts of our faith that seem to have been hijacked by our culture and twisted away from the original intent of Jesus. He always leaves me analyzing my faith and stretching further and deeper.
Contemplative Youth Ministry: Another Evan pick. I loved this book. My dad's reaction to the title is what makes this book so great. I told him the name of the book and he replied, "Isn't that an oxymoron?" He was joking, of course. However, many people DO view youth ministry that way and that was one of the main thrusts of this book. The author seeks to see youth become more than Christian teens, he wants to guide them to be true Christ-followers. Thus, the job of a youth minister is not to baby-sit and entertain, but to try to practice the presence of Christ that others might come to know him fully.
180 More: Extraordinary Poems for Every Day: Just a book of poetry compiled by my favorite poet. I haven't been writing as much poetry as I used to write, but reading it has given me a lot to enjoy and to learn. Now, I have not actually read each poem in the book yet, but I have spent enough time with it for it to earn a place in this entry.
Nevada: A strange, somewhat gruesome, and very thought provoking book. The book is written as a piecing together of many different journal entries, news reports, police logs, etc. Some of the writings are from the perspective of mentally challenged or diseased people. The author does a great job of capturing a unique identity in each entry. The book itself is about Satan coming to earth and leading a revolution. He gives many speeches that expose many of the attitudes and behaviors of our culture that go against God's purpose for our lives. A warning: this book contains very graphic and wicked violence.
The Know-It-All: The best book I've read since The Year of Living Biblically, written by the same author. This book is the record of his experience reading through the entire Encyclopaedia Britannica. A. J. Jacobs is hilarious and insightful. He is socially awkward and not afraid to show it. His failed attempts to apply his newfound knowledge remind me of the Friends episode where Joey buys the V section of the encyclopaedia and tries to bring up Mt. Vesuvius in conversation. Also, he peppers the book with enough random facts that you feel like you've joined him for part of the work.
Che: The Diaries of Ernesto Che Guevara: Don't worry, I'm not turning into one of those Manifesto-quoting, Communism supporting, Che-shirt wearing weirdos. I watched The Motorcycle Diaries with some friends a few weeks ago and got interested in this controversial figure of history. After reading these excerpts from his diaries, I cannot say that I admire him more or less. The writing consisted of a lot of description of battles and tactical decisions with not much mention of motivation and beliefs. I can admire his decision to leave behind studying medicine to devote himself to a cause he believed in. He was not afraid to stand up (even in the UN) and declare what he believed. I will not say that I agree completely with his ideals and I will never say I agree with his methods (or the methods of those who opposed him), but I can admire the loyalty of such a charismatic leader to his cause.
It has been a good reading summer, but I think my brain needs a nice non-thought-provoking fiction.
Wednesday, July 7, 2010
Leave No Pterodactyls
One of the mottos of Wilderness Trek is “Leave No Trace”. During orientation before our week of camping and mountain climbing, one of the guides was talking about this motto. She asked if we knew what LNT stood for and gave us the hint that it was not “Leave No Pterodactyls”. I guess she didn’t do so well on her tough spelling tests in the dinosaur unit at school as a kid.
Anyway, I had a lot of opportunities to think about that motto throughout the week. The idea is to make it seem as if no one had ever been on the trail that week. It’s not such an easy job. For a group of twenty people to go anyone unnoticed would be difficult, but especially when you are headed into an area where only animals live. There’s bound to be a trace, but we try.
As one of the men with us pointed out, our lives are supposed to be the opposite. The people we
encounter are supposed to feel God.
But it’s so easy to go unnoticed.
Just as it’s easy to pull up some grass and drop a candy wrapper on the mountain, it’s so simple to pass through the world without disturbing anything.
It’s easy to be quiet.
It’s easy to blend.
However, our volume has the same effect in both cases. The whole mountain of animals knew where we were simply by our laughing and singing (and groaning in pain). Yet, the world only notices less of
God the louder we shout.
It’s easy to be quiet.
It’s also easy to scream.
What’s hard is letting the world see you for all that you are.
What’s hard is being broken for the sake of the broken.
What’s hard is letting God leave a trace.
So the time has come for each of us to stop covering up the trail that He blazes. Let the rocks do the crying out. Our job is not to shout, but to come down off the mountain and let God’s love do the talking.
Anyway, I had a lot of opportunities to think about that motto throughout the week. The idea is to make it seem as if no one had ever been on the trail that week. It’s not such an easy job. For a group of twenty people to go anyone unnoticed would be difficult, but especially when you are headed into an area where only animals live. There’s bound to be a trace, but we try.
As one of the men with us pointed out, our lives are supposed to be the opposite. The people we
encounter are supposed to feel God.
But it’s so easy to go unnoticed.
Just as it’s easy to pull up some grass and drop a candy wrapper on the mountain, it’s so simple to pass through the world without disturbing anything.
It’s easy to be quiet.
It’s easy to blend.
However, our volume has the same effect in both cases. The whole mountain of animals knew where we were simply by our laughing and singing (and groaning in pain). Yet, the world only notices less of
God the louder we shout.
It’s easy to be quiet.
It’s also easy to scream.
What’s hard is letting the world see you for all that you are.
What’s hard is being broken for the sake of the broken.
What’s hard is letting God leave a trace.
So the time has come for each of us to stop covering up the trail that He blazes. Let the rocks do the crying out. Our job is not to shout, but to come down off the mountain and let God’s love do the talking.
Saturday, June 19, 2010
Life Update
Well, I figure it's about time for a simple post about life.
I am sitting in my host home (aka The Vatican. The people I am staying with are the Popes...get it?) watching some World Cup soccer and just thinking about how great life is right now.
I have been working with the Hillcrest Youth Group since late March and it has been a tremendous blessing. It is such an awesome experience to be able to teach, worship, and simply hang out with such a great bunch of kids.
I am about to leave this Sunday for two trips back-to-back. I will be going with a Middle School group of about 20 up to Camp Champion at LCU this coming week. On Friday morning I will be picked up in Lubbock by a High School group heading to Colorado for Trek. I am going to be one tired youth intern when we return on July 2nd. Luckily things will slow down a little after that, but it will also be July! July? That's so close to the end of the summer. The other interns will have their last day on August 11 (Happy Birthday to me, right?). This summer is flying by.
God has been teaching me a lot of things about youth ministry, relationships, and myself. I have developed a greater passion for teaching and learned a lot more about how to have a little fun instead of diving too deep too quickly (a fault of mine).
Well, I really need to finish packing for this crazy two-week adventure.
Until next time, may God gently remind you that you will always be learning. May your heart be open to the possibility of change. May you continuously be amazed by the hearts of those around you as you catch glimpses of Christ through their lives.
Blessings,
Matt
I am sitting in my host home (aka The Vatican. The people I am staying with are the Popes...get it?) watching some World Cup soccer and just thinking about how great life is right now.
I have been working with the Hillcrest Youth Group since late March and it has been a tremendous blessing. It is such an awesome experience to be able to teach, worship, and simply hang out with such a great bunch of kids.
I am about to leave this Sunday for two trips back-to-back. I will be going with a Middle School group of about 20 up to Camp Champion at LCU this coming week. On Friday morning I will be picked up in Lubbock by a High School group heading to Colorado for Trek. I am going to be one tired youth intern when we return on July 2nd. Luckily things will slow down a little after that, but it will also be July! July? That's so close to the end of the summer. The other interns will have their last day on August 11 (Happy Birthday to me, right?). This summer is flying by.
God has been teaching me a lot of things about youth ministry, relationships, and myself. I have developed a greater passion for teaching and learned a lot more about how to have a little fun instead of diving too deep too quickly (a fault of mine).
Well, I really need to finish packing for this crazy two-week adventure.
Until next time, may God gently remind you that you will always be learning. May your heart be open to the possibility of change. May you continuously be amazed by the hearts of those around you as you catch glimpses of Christ through their lives.
Blessings,
Matt
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