Have you ever been asked, “What time is it?” Stupid question or maybe I meant it as a rhetorical question. Of course, we have all have been asked, “What time is it?” Lately I have been tempted to respond, “The time is now.” Not to be a “smart-alec” or a “wise guy” but to make a person pause and think.

Round my parts we have traded in the rakes of fall for the shovels of snow fall; and last night as I walked up from the barn crunching the new fallen snow and watching a light flurry in the moon light - well time didn’t matter. It was one of those “time standing still” moments; when the past is forgotten and the future stays distant and now absorbs the whole person (mind, will, emotions and spirit). Unfortunately this is an all to rare experience. We are often so absorbed with “time” (in a chronological sense) that we never enter the now (When is “now,” if we are always responding to the past or preparing for the future?).

During one of my earliest New Testament Greek lessons I discovered the two primary Greek words that convey the idea for time: Chronos and Kairos. The former conveys as you can probably tell the idea of chronological time (which we desire to measure with preciseness with watches and clocks that can click off hours, minutes, seconds and nano seconds); the latter conveys another type of time - time as opportunity.

Kairos, is the “fullness of time,” time beyond deadlines and “time is money” embracing instead each moment as an opportunity to enter into NOW. Now is where we can be. Now is where we are present to God’s activity; the words of another; the beauty or tragedy of the created order and where we live “to the full” (in our senses, our divinely created purpose and to our potential as human). It has been observed that Heaven will be an “eternal now.”

My desire is to be able to enter more fully in to the time that is now. For it is only in the present that one can be (in the past I was and in the future I may be…).

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?

I often think about my own faith wondering, “Is my faith growing, increasing and becoming stronger?” I am not talking about in a general sense, meaning when I speak of my faith - my entire spiritual state - I mean my trust, my faith in God, my resting in Him.

One way I often consider if my faith has increased is by looking at my patience and my ability to wait. I think one of the true measures of our faith is our waiting. Having faith when the answer comes quickly is not a real measure of our faith and trust in God - those celebrated for their faith in the New Testament book of Hebrews chapter 11; they were patient, trusting people who waited. Noah waited for rain; Abraham waited for a land and a son; Moses waited by a well in a foreign land (for 40 years); God’s people waited in a desert wandering for too many years (some patiently, others very reluctantly) for the promised land; and on it goes…

One of the measures (I think a pretty profound one) of our faith is how we wait? Do I wait expectantly for God to answer or to relieve my pain - or do I wait pouting; grumbling and/or bitterly? My hope is that as I look back at my life I see my faith increasing and that I see that evidenced by my ability to wait patiently and with hope in my God.

“But do not forget this one thing, dear friends: With the Lord a day is like a thousand years, and a thousand years are like a day. The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. He is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance.” [2 Peter 3.8-9]

Today’s weekly wisdom is again culled from Thomas Merton’s great little book, The Wisdom of the Desert. It is a delight to peruse and too often hits squarely between the eyes. The thing that again and again touches me is that the wisdom of these ascetics (people living difficult lives; living in poverty; and often alone for great stretches by choice) is more often than not the offer of grace. Oh, how we need to learn to be gracious. Oh, how I need to learn to be gracious - I am often willing to look at my life through the eyes of grace; but when it comes to the other the lenses of judgement often skews my view.

“An elder was asked by a certain soldier if God would forgive a sinner. And he said to him: Tell me, beloved, if your cloak is torn, will you throw it away? The soldier replied and said: No. I will mend it and put it back on. The elder said to him: If you take care of your cloak, will God not be merciful to His own image?” [Merton p. 76]

And one more today:

“One of the brethren had sinned, and the priest told him to leave the community. So then Abbot Bessarion got up and walked out with him, saying: I too am a sinner!” [Merton p. 40]

Project Renovation is a ministry venture from Lancaster Bible College led by Rick Rhoads, that I have had the privilege of serving with. In my opinion Rick and his team are an exemplary regional ministry and doing a great job serving, loving and caring for youth workers in Central PA, MD, and DE! There primary focus is the development of the youth worker - so through prayer, spiritual retreats and equipping conferences The Renovation Project attempts to fulfill its purpose. The times I have had the pleasure of serving with “the Project” I have been overwhelmed by the care and hospitality they have demonstrated. So it is no surprise that I am looking forward to the youth conference that Project Renovation is hosting on Saturday October 18! Mike King, president of YouthFront, will be the keynote presenter addressing the topic of “Presence-Centered Youth Ministry.”

If you are from the mid-atlantic states it may be worth checking out the Presence-Centered Youth Ministry Conference on October 18 (9 AM - 4 PM). It looks like it will be a quality day of training with some good elective options (and it is not very costly)!

I will be teaching a seminar at the conference; I have been preparing it to share at a couple of conferences I will be attending - I am looking forward to presenting what I am learning! I am calling the seminar, “On The Matter of Monks: sketching a youth ministry for today.” (Although in full disclosure - the folks at Lancaster didn’t want to freak people out - so no mention of monks is being made in the advertising! I instead refer to “transformative faith communities” or something like that.) I describe this seminar in the following manner:

In this seminar the participant will consider the history of Christian Monasticism and it’s implications for ministry with and for youth today.

• What is Ancient-Future? (Defining and discussing Key Terms to guide our learning)
• Why Monasticism? (What do Monks have to say to kids, anyway?)
• A Brief History of Christian Monasticism?
• A Monastic Matrix (lessons and qualities of transformative ministry)
• Sketching Youth Ministry for Today
• Q&A

If you happen to come by the conference - please say hello!

I have often thought about the seven deadly sins. I think I have probably tasted them all in full or in part - and felt the full impact of their promise for more but instead leaving me drained, wanting and miserable. Too often I have been tripped up by trying to avoid lust and greed, etc. only to find my life going down a black hole of managing my sin rather than living a full life. I think it is a by-product of the attempt to live the Christian life - we can find ourselves focusing on all the wrong things; avoiding mistakes; sin management and keeping up appearances.

This provides the backdrop to a wonderful and encouraging charge from someone who knew how to live. He didn’t live perfectly (in fact he failed big time) but, he charged into life and it seems he learned from his mistakes and focused on falling in love with Jesus. He left us in the form of a letter, a better way. A way that doesn’t avoid the topic of sin - but doesn’t make it the focus of life. He writes to us about what I call a life-giving way. A way to find life to the full! I stumbled across this passage yesterday and it filled me with hope, brought a smile to my face and redirected my thoughts which again had come to rest on former things.

I hope you find encouragement and hope and life as you reflect on the writings of Peter.

Simon Peter, a servant and apostle of Jesus Christ,

For this very reason, make every effort to add to your faith goodness; and to goodness, knowledge; and to knowledge, self-control; and to self-control, perseverance; and to perseverance, godliness; and to godliness, brotherly kindness; and to brotherly kindness, love. [2 Peter 1.1-7]

I absolutely love this transparency and “tongue in cheek” questioning - it reveals our inability to even imagine the great beyond (and the One who resides there).

—————–

“I wonder whether they have rum and Coke in Heaven? Maybe it’s too mundane a pleasure, but I hope so — as a sundowner. Except, of course, the sun never goes down there. Oh, man, this heaven is going to take some getting used to.”

-Desmond Tutu, London Sunday Telegraph, April 27, 2001

ht - Friar

I have mentioned that of late I have been doing a bit of tree work on my property. After living here in Western Pennsylvania for the last four years my wife and I have started to see the way to best manage the land we have and it involves a bit of tree removal. But not just cutting down the trees mind you - but also removing the dreaded STUMP, as well. From experience, now I can tell you that is no small feat!

It all began with taking down some tall trees… and then the real work began - cleaning up all the limbs and timber. And then you have to face - THE STUMP. We tackled the stump by digging up as much soil from around the base of the stump as we could muster. In an attempt to expose the root structure. Then it was time to cut out as many of the roots as we could find - using a chainsaw and an axe. Then we let physics attempt to do it’s thing - by hooking a chain to the very top of the stump and then connecting it to the base of a nearby tree with a come-a-long; we attempted to pull up the stump.

Let’s just say, while it worked - it wasn’t as easy as one would hope. After cutting out all the exposed roots that we could get to - it still took some serious cranking, digging, more cutting (as more roots became visible) and muscle to get the roots to “let go.”

A little photo essay reviewing the process:

A Stump.

Exposing the Roots

Cutting the Roots

Cutting the Roots 2

Pulling it Down!

OUT!

As I went through this process it struck me… it takes an awful lot of work to expose and undo a root system. It was tiring process. There were times I wondered silently if I would ever get the stump out. Then I began to be encouraged; the youth worker in me kicked in and I realized this is what my work has been and still is all about. As a parent I began to feel more confident in my work - for again; this is what my “job” has been about the last 17 years. I have been about work that is unseen - working on helping young people develop below the surface. It has been about encouraging and nurturing root systems.

And what I learned while trying to get a stump to let go; roots are pretty tough!

Take heart and have faith.

I don’t know where I heard it first - but it has definitely stuck with me. The thought that was posted to my mind was that a name for the mystery of the universe, the God and King of all should be, “Surprise.” Seems fitting. A God who shows up in unlikely places: a bush on fire in the desert, in the belly of a whale, speaking through donkeys, and hanging out with sinners and tax collectors, a God who raises the dead, provides gallons of REALLY good wine at a local wedding and a God who when all the world is stirred up - surprise - ascends into heaven.

That is a God who should be called, Surprise. You never know when or where or even how such a God will show up.

It causes me to keep my eyes pealed. Keeps me alert. Grows my awareness and certainly opens my thoughts to God’s uncanny ability to speak and show Himself through and in the most unlikely circumstances.

When was the last time you sensed, Surprise?