I know it is a leap - but given that you buy into the premise from the earlier post, what are the implications for youth ministry of reconciling a divorce between a rational and systematic theological approach with a more holistic faith and practical theology? That is the topic I would like to make an attempt at addressing here.

1. Restoring doubt as a companion to faith
For too long, doubt has been demonized in Christianity. Doubting Thomas has been ridiculed, doubt is perceived as sin and at times the reason why our lives go awry or prayers unanswered. The problem with this - is that besides being inaccurate, it introduces unneeded stress to young people causing them to wonder, “if I doubt, have I fallen out of relationship with God and Christ?” The opposite of faith is not doubt. The opposite of faith is certainty. In the face of a certain thing - faith is not necessary. We know without faith it is impossible to please God - so faith is absolutely essential in this journey of the Christian Faith. With faith - hoping in the face of uncertainty - doubt will accompany us. This is what we must help young people understand - that when we doubt, it provides the opportunity to exercise trust in our Good, Great and Merciful God. Our teaching must move away from making our faith “bullet proof” and allow for the shadows, the mystery and the dark corners that result in being in relationship with the God of the Universe (who was a “cloud” by day and pillar of fire by night - both images don’t provide the incandescent certainty we might desire!?). Such a view of doubt will allow for young people to enter a relationship built on genuine trust and faith (rather than facts and certainty - that are really not possible this side of eternity).

2. Versus verses - recapturing the narrative
In the past 100 or more years we have surgically dissected the bible transforming it from a narrative to a prescription of points, propositions and principles (NOTE - most things dissected are no longer living?!). It isn’t unusual for a youth pastor or preacher to build a whole message on the basis of one or two verses - out of which a number of points and “living principles” might be taught. While this isn’t the end of the world - I don’t think it gets at the intended purpose of why God gave us the revelation contained in the Older and New Testament. The narrative of the Bible shares one over arching story told to us through hundreds of smaller stories. I would encourage us to get back to relearning and helping young people encounter and begin to live within this story that continues to unfold. I think we need to get beyond the numeric verses to the whole story. Seeing our story shaped by God’s story of creation, incarnation and recreation - this I believe is the purpose of God’s revelation and what can begin to transform individuals, communities and our world.

3. Beyond spontaneous prayer
In the traditions I affiliated for most of my Christian life - praying was a spontaneous affair (aside from the occasional recitation of The Lord’s Prayer). It wasn’t unusual for people to be labeled as ‘great prayers’ (which actually seems sort of odd - for it wasn’t a designation signifying that they prayed effectual prayers - merely that they were great at saying a memorable and cogent spontaneous prayer). My sense is that prayer is 1. more than saying the first things that come to mind and 2. more than talking to God. Prayer is 1. an act and declaration of faith, 2. a surrendering of our will and way to God’s will and way, 3. communication and communion, and finally (at the very least) 4. an offering of our worship.

If that is a true representation of prayer, then there is room for our prayer to go beyond spontaneous spoken prayer. This makes room for all people (those good at spontaneously speaking to God and those not so good at that discipline) to come before God using written prayers (there is a great heritage of written prayers to be mined from the Church’s history). Written prayer provides a great opportunity to teach us what to pray for and how to pray. Written prayers also allow for us to meditate on the ancient words and allowing for space to listen for God’s voice in the midst of our meditation. Written prayers are a wonderful corporate discipline - helping a community find it’s identity in common prayer and having the encouragement of hearing one another recite the words of faith to God who is listening. Finally, a prayer life that employs both spontaneous and written prayers gains the advantage that when we don’t have words to pray (in life’s disappointments, or moments of doubt, or times of stress) we can rely on those oft recited words we have learned through written prayers.

4. Returning the baptismal and table to a place of prominence
The final implication that I will point out in this post is that a reconciled faith (that brings both the head, heart and hand together under a narrative theology) allows room for mystery and the “unanswerable” (ie. the mystical). In youth ministry we need to push the lectern (or music stand) out of the center of our meeting spaces and allow room for the baptismal and the table. We need to see spiritual formation as a process that takes place outside of just our brain. Right beliefs are important (we need to rightly understand that the God of the Universe is good, gracious, great and faithful) - but equally important is a right will and right behaviors and right relationships.

For too long we have educated individuals into the community of Faith, but this in my estimation is wholly inadequate. Jesus invited by both example and command to honor the practice of baptism and the Lord’s Supper (Eucharist) as practices that would shape our Christian identity. In too many places these rites have been stripped of any enduring power to transform our lives and relationships and become merely acts of obedience. Baptism has lost any sense of identity formation and become a way to testify to the world of our changed relationship to God and Communion (Eucharist) has become a monthly remembrance of Christ’s death on our behalf (a memorial). While I wouldn’t argue that those are wrong reasons to practice baptism and communion - I would say that there is much more to the story. I would argue that Baptism ushers us into a new relationship with God that allows us to be IN God and God to reside IN us (we rehearse and participate with Christ in his death, burial and resurrection). I would suggest that in communion we do remember the death of Christ, but that in that meal we are also ushered in a mystical way into the very presence of God that is unique to sharing the bread and wine. We commune with God in this meal - we are ushered INTO God and God resides IN us - it’s a paradox, a mystery, a new way to relate to God (each time we partake of this meal).

The sacraments of Baptism and Communion need to find new space and new meaning in our youth ministries. These practices need to be seen not merely as symbols - but also practices instituted by God to restore us to our original image.

Again, enough for now. Peace.

I may be slow on the uptake. It is a realization as I grow older that I am not as quick to change my ways as I would like to think. The latest way this has dawned on me is in my thinking and appropriating the reality of my evangelical/traditional upbringing. I have heard for years now and even at times taught about the intellectualization of the Christian Faith. I have at times been very adamant about the detrimental effect of making the Faith a rational and verifiable enterprise. Yet, the older I get the more I realize the roots of one’s tradition are very difficult to uproot?!

Recently, the implications of this rationalized faith have become even more graphic to me as I began to see how a faith that is unduly focused on right belief and doctrinal purity begins to erode a faith that finds any moorings in emotion, intuition or behavioral practice. In the evangelical world I grew up in and was educated in - the premise was our Faith had reasons. Our entering into a life with Christ was no “leap in the dark” I was told - Christianity was a rational faith that was soundly rooted in facts verifiable by science and history and archeology and, and, and… The result of such a presupposition was that our Faith moved away from the story of Scripture to be situated on premises, principles and propositions taken from Scripture. Our theology moved from the story of Creation and Promise; Incarnation and Atonement; and Community and Restoration to one of Justification and Sanctification among other theological constructs (now I know that this is not necessarily incompatible - but the move away over time can become one that is irreconcilable). I grew up in a faith that taught me to trust in my positional standing before God on the basis of a forensic justification. Right belief provided me a right standing - and it was something that was true - the evidence demands a verdict.

A faith that is proportionally more situated in the head is one that over time grows to be a faith that is cold, less relational more rational, focuses on being right more than living at peace with others and seems to more easily slide into a lifestyle of legalism. A broad brush stroke I admit - but in my experience a brush stroke that contains a good deal of reality (exceptions aside). In this move among conservative Christians moving from a faith rooted in God’s story to a faith rooted in rational, scientific study a divorce has take place - between the head and heart; between Systematic Theology and “Practical” Theology; between scholarship and spirituality.

Over the past ten to twelve years I have noticed a resurgence of concern regarding this “divorce.” I have read much and become hopeful that a reconciliation between Systematic Theology and Practical Theology (would we call this Narrative Theology?) can take place. What I would like to suggest is that a new (really an ancient) conception of faith is needed. Doubt is not the opposite of faith. Certainty is. Our Christian Faith is not first and foremost a provable enterprise that we can know with certainty. If so - than we are not in the business of faith. Faith does demand an element of trust in the midst of UNcertainty (and if that is true doubt seems to be the companion of faith?!). The ancient conception of faith was a holistic acceptance of God’s existence, God’s nearness and God’s involvement in Creation that demanded a response of head, heart and hand. The ancient conception of faith shows that because we believe that God spoke we therefore align our behavior and relationships on the basis of our trust in God’s goodness, greatness and faithfulness (think the birth of Isaac, the blood on the door frame, the walking into the Red Sea and the Jordon, the fire consuming the sacrifice, the Virgin birth, walking on water, etc.) How does this faith grow - I would say it is a wedding of right belief AND right relationships AND right practices. For too long we have emphasized belief with very little concern for the place of practices and community in the development of our spiritual lives. The place of a mystical union with God and the community of God’s people has a necessary part in restoring God’s image in each of us. The place of right practices (baptism, eucharist, biblical worship, serving others and spiritual discipline) also must be elevated to new heights if we are to see God’s people move beyond head knowledge to be transformed into those who are marked with the image of God.

Well I have diagnosed more than prescribed for sure in this post - hopefully I will return to this theme and look at the ramifications such a reconciliation would have in youth ministry.

But, enough for now - Peace.

In the week or weeks ahead I will be posting the following (so I hope you will stay tuned):

Book reviews of a couple of fairly recent reads: The Great Giveaway by Fitch, The Search for God and Guinness by Mansfield and finally Book, Bath, Table and Time by Edie.

I also will be doing a post on Youth Ministry and the place of baptism in our theological and practical approach.

Finally I will be doing a post in the near future on A Prepositional Gospel 2.0.

Here in the east many are bracing for some serious weather - if it is affecting you - be safe and enjoy the “break” as the weather limits your activities. If your team is in the Super Bowl - well enjoy. I am anticipating a great super bowl menu, a shoot out of a game, and a few choice adult beverages.

“Sunshine is delicious, rain is refreshing, wind braces us up, snow is exhilarating; there is really no such thing as bad weather, only different kinds of good weather.” -John Ruskin

Peace!

There is nothing like a great story. It doesn’t happen often enough, but when it does; well, it is magical. Gathering around a crackling fire on a cool, clear night and then the magic, “Tell us a story!” Ahh… the pressure is on! It’s a great pressure, though - to weave a tale that excites, holds the attention, keeps ‘em guessing and then comes together at the end with surprise or relief or, at the least, a “fairly” logical resolution. Some of the finer moments in my time with family, friends and youth ministry all took place around a fire sharing a “good story.”

Nothing can capture us like that - our imagination, our attention, our emotions and maybe even shaping our vocation and our character. Lately I have been experiencing that as I have been walking around and in my daily chores living with a couple particular stories from the New Testament - and I have been noticing: they don’t seem to have a bottom, you can go so deep; and they don’t seem to have an end, they just keep unraveling; and they don’t seem to stop revealing and teaching, they illumine more and more.

Then yesterday I stumbled across this quote from Parker Palmer,

“The marvelous thing about learning from a story is that the story never ends, so our learning from it need not end either.” (from The Active Life. Harper & Row. 1990. p.98)

Yes!!

Don’t ever stop listening to or sharing a great story, there is nothing like it.

I want to continue considering the legacy of Youth Ministry - I am wondering in our current regime, “what are we passing on?” In the first post we looked at what we are leaving students in the area of content. I suggested maybe we need to revisit the tradition of the Catechism. (Read the post here)

In this post I would like to raise (or rant about) the question of: what are we passing on through our approach to youth ministry as it relates to ecclesiology?

How are students leaving our youth ministries thinking about, The Church? Are our youth ministries grounded in a healthy image and theology of The Church? I believe this question is vital in measuring or evaluating the health and value of our ministry to youth. The likelihood of a young person being a part of the Church in the future will be tied I think in large part to this question.

My observation is that in youth ministry we have not done a great job in helping teens be aware of the importance of participation with all the people who are part of the Body of Christ. Equally I don’t think we have helped students see their necessary and unique role in the local expression of The Church. I think we do great at getting kids to come to a church building and be active in the church building (via attraction-al activities; great programs; etc.) - but too often these are age specific experiences sequestered from the rest of what is taking place in that community. In my mind this doesn’t do the church (the priority of and purpose for) justice. This is a very truncated and impotent view of the church (the church as a building or a place to hang out with people like me).

Isn’t the church about being Christ’s body on earth? Isn’t the church mandated to continue the work of Christ in announcing and demonstrating His Kingdom on Earth? Isn’t the Church the gathered people of God - all His people a diverse group (of all races, shapes, ages, and gifts) of sinners in process of becoming saints? Isn’t the Church about gathering to communally demonstrate and celebrate the goodness, greatness and glory of God and then scattering to be the hands and feet of God in the midst of our community?

So what are we passing on to students about the church through our youth ministry? Are they getting it? My prayer is that we will pass on a vibrant picture and experience of the Church so they don’t decide to pass on it when they graduate.

Peace.

This prayer of St. Teresa of Avila kept going through my mind as I was writing so I add it here for all our benefit:

Christ has no body now on earth but yours,
no hands but yours,
no feet but yours,

Yours are the hands with which he is to bless men now.

Laying awake in bed this morning I began to consider the question of this post. What are we passing on? In youth ministry are we passing on the Christian Tradition? What does that look like? I guess I am really thinking about the so-called conservative or evangelical brand of youth ministry - what is the (real objective and measurable) “tradition” or legacy we are handing over to our students.

Even when I am old and gray,
do not forsake me, O God,
till I declare your power to the next generation,
your might to all who are to come. [ Psalm 71.18]

When I think of that passage I wonder - what are we leaving the next generation with? (3 reasons to wait? have a quiet time? funny anecdotes? memories of other cultures?) As I was thinking about this I again was struck with the memory of reading Christian Smith’s book, Soul Searching. One of the factoids that I can’t escape is that after interviewing a bunch (that is a technical term) of adolescents about their beliefs - the most theological statement that emerged from his hours and hours of interviewing was, “Jesus died for me.”

This can’t be our heritage.

As a person involved in Youth Ministry - this can’t be the fruit of the hours and the energy and the resources that have been given and sacrificed.

Can I suggest that we return to the legacy of passing on a tradition of Catechism?

Let’s provide youth with a bit more substance than, “Jesus died for me” (that may be a good start but do students understand why Jesus had to die; and do they understand the obligations involved in appropriating that death?) - and augment that with helping them understand the meaning and memorizing the words of:

The Great Commandment
The Ten Commandments
The Lord’s Prayer
The Apostles Creed

Then let’s ensure they understand how to approach and participate in the Sacraments.

Any thoughts?

This week I head, along with a good friend, to the Great White North. I had no idea how much colder it was up there than here in Western PA; man I got to pack the long johns!! I am heading up to host a Spiritual Retreat as a pre-conference option for the Canadian Youth Worker’s Conference. I will also be one of the “Spiritual Directors” during the conference.

I am looking forward to the time. It will be wonderful to get reacquainted with some friends from long ago (my schooling days) and also seeing some of my colleagues and friends that I have the pleasure of serving with through Sonlife/Youthfront.

Well this is sorta a public service announcement letting you know that I don’t know how much I will be posting over the next week - but I will return if it is quiet (kinda depends on the access to wifi in Toronto).

A prayer I have been lifting up in preparation of my time in Canada… (From the late Brother Roger of Taize)

Dear Father,
Like your disciples on the road to Emmaus,

we are so often incapable of seeing
that you,
O Christ, you are our companion on the way.

But, when our eyes are opened,

we realise that you were speaking to us,

even though perhaps we had forgotten you.

Then the sign of our trust in you is that,

in our turn, we try to love,
to forgive with you.

Independent of our doubts or even our faith,
O Christ,
you are always there:
your love burns in our heart of hearts.
Amen.

I often remind myself as I serve in youth ministry that what seems ordinary and mundane (a simple prayer; a routine Bible study; a retreat; another gathering) is the very thing that God can use as a burning bush in someone’s life. I read a story this past weekend that once again encouraged and reminded me again - “with God any old shrub will do.” God doesn’t need intricate programming or precise and perfected presentations - God uses regular, routine and upright efforts to bring life altering change. Listen to this story:

It begins with a teenager going to a Christian camp to hang out with his girlfriend and “horse around” for a week. Sound like anyone you know? I am sure a few kids come to mind - kids you may have wished you had the foresight to leave at home! Keeping the motives of this young man in mind - listen to the rest of the story in his own words:

“But one morning, we were asked by our cabin leader to go spend a little time in prayer before breakfast. So I wandered out of our cabin, down a hill, alongside a basketball court, and through an open field, and then I walked over to the campfire area, climbed a short incline, and finally sat next to a tree, and prayed what my cabin leader told us to pray: “Lord, fill me with your Holy Spirit.” I wasn’t particularly open to spiritual things, but for some reason I said that prayer as our counselor advised. The Lord to whom I prayed that prayer caught me off guard. To quote the words of John Wesley, ‘My heart was strangely warmed.’ I don’t remember what I expected to happen (probably nothing), but what happened was surprising. That prayer, or should I say the answer to that prayer, changed my life. I didn’t speak in tongues, I didn’t ’see Jesus,’ and I didn’t ‘hear God.’ My eyes didn’t twitter, and I didn’t become catatonic. When I prayed, something powerful happened, and I went to breakfast a new person. Within hours I knew what I wanted to do for my life.”

The author goes on to explain his journey from being a regular kid attracted to girls and sports and “enjoying life” to becoming a young man with a voracious appetite to read, study and understand the Bible. This “hunger” to understand the Bible didn’t wane and prompted the author to dedicate his whole life to this pursuit. He is now considered a leading scholar in the area of the Synopic Gospels (Matthew, Mark and Luke) and is becoming a popular author. The subject of the story is Dr. (Yo) Scot McKnight, and he recounts this story in his new book, The Blue Parakeet: Rethinking How You Read the Bible.

Youth ministry is important work. It is God’s work. Yet, maybe it is not as “hard” or as “complex” as we make it? Let’s help others engage with God using ordinary (even simple) words and leave the extraordinary results up to God.

I was at a youth meeting recently at a local church and leaned over to a good friends and whispered, “Prayer as a crowd control.” He happened to be a veteran youth worker, and a huge grin formed over his face as he nodded repeatedly.

Have you ever done this? I know in years past I was “guilty as charged.” You just hear the phrase and you know of what I am speaking, right?

You walk up in front of a crowd of students (or other audience) to welcome or to introduce someone or the next item on the agenda - and no one seems to be listening. You try again, repeatedly attempting to get folks attention (seconds of failure turn into a minute) and people start shushing and saying, “quiet down.” Then it happens. You raise your voice just a bit and utter the magic words, “Let’s pray.” You pause and bow your head. Just like that - shuffling stops, voices diminish and a stillness sets over the crowd.

Prayer as crowd control…

Prayer isn’t about controlling others. Prayer isn’t about pushing our agenda or a technique to acquire what we want - but too often we use it in such a fashion.

Let’s make a resolution - no more prayer as crowd control - instead let’s work harder at gaining the attention of our audience with other techniques. Let’s leave prayer as a means to give God our full attention and to align our lives to His will.

On earth, as it is in Heaven.

peace.

I often hear folks wrangle and worry about the rate of teenagers who once they head off to college, head out of the church. They quote statistics and studies about how this crisis could become the demise of the church. Fear of losing “our kids” and strategies to “bridge the gap” and retain young 20’s has probably raised lots of money and sold books and programs as the problem du jour - but is that the solution? Now, while I agree there is a problem (the church is growing old and failing to retain the young) I am not sure that I agree with the cause of the problem or the often suggested solutions. It is true that once young people are out on there own they often don’t go to church… but I wonder were they ever a part of the church in the first place?

Are kids leaving the church? Or has the Church left kids? The answer is, “Yes” but the crux of the issue is the latter. I think it is worth considering if the church has a place for young people. Oh, I know churches spend untold amounts of money on facilities, staff, programs and snacks to keep children and teenagers active, busy, and happy; but are they a part of the life of the church? Are they a valued and integral part of the larger life of Christ’s Body the Church? It seems children and young people are merely active in the church while their parents participate in the life of the Church? I have been wondering lately if the issue with young peoples exit from the church is a result that teens are a part of a youth ministry; but fail to be part of the life of Christ’s Body. That the loyalty of young people is often to a youth leader and their Christian friends; but they don’t understand or see the need to be connected to the mission and life of Christ body - the Church. One could even say, kids aren’t leaving the Church because the Church never had them.

So I am suggesting to you that our young people aren’t missing; the Church is missing in our youth ministries?