Watermelon vs. Rubber Bands

It's a good thing that they didn't try this with their head.

West Ohio Conference 2012: The Good, The Bad and the Ugly

It has been a few weeks now that I have been back from our Annual Conference in Lakeside Ohio.  And in these days it has taken me some time to "detox" from my full experience. I don't necessarily mean that in a negative way.  There was a lot of good that came from our conference.  But there are also some things that I observed that cause me a lot of concern.  So that is why I gave this the subtitle of The Good, The Bad and the Ugly!


THE GOOD


First of all, in all the conferences I have ever been to in my entire life I can not think of a better location than Lakeside, OH. The environment of this lake community is such that within days you begin to hope that this is something of what heaven will be like some day.  I would catch myself marveling at the architecture of the Hoover Auditorium or the beauty of God's creation all around us.  It is a marvelous location.


Secondly, when the connectional system that the United Methodists are know for works the way it is supposed to, it is a beautiful thing; to know that we are so much more than just the walls of the church that we serve in can be a refreshing and uplifting thought.


Third, the worship and the teaching is as always, very exceptional.  I feel bad about not getting there earlier on Sunday because I heard that the Sunday night service was outstanding.  But I did get to the other worship events and teaching times.  I thought Bishop Ough was great.  He has mad people skills.  He is very talented at being real, authentic, and at just the right moments, a touch of humor to break the  mood when it was necessary.  He will be missed in the West Ohio Conference.  He will leave some pretty big shoes to fill.  I would not want to follow him.


Fourth, Wade and his team always put together a dynamic and professional program.  I got frustrated with myself on occasion because at times I just could not sit still any longer when we were talking about recommendations to amend the amendment of the amendment of the resolution.  After a while my brain just couldn't take it any more.  I do not have the ability to sit still for very long unless my mind is completely absorbed into something completely amazing like "The Avengers" movie.  So with that said, when a meeting would be going on for hours about minute details of legislation I would have to bow out for some time.  Unfortunately, it appeared that I developed the knack for leaving at just the wrong moments because every time I left, later on I heard that something completely awesome happened that I missed.  Example of something Lisa said to me: "They did this tribute to Bishop Ough that was just as funny as Saturday Night Live. Boy, Scott you missed it! It was a scream!"


Fifth, The Wings of the Morning and the Miracle offering where just amazing.  We, as a conference, have been supporting a mission in Africa that is in desperate need of a new airplane.  Our goal at conference was the raise $500,000.  When we took the offering we came really close to almost breaking a million dollars!  What was really amazing is that a person from the audience called out for one more offering to see if we could break the one million mark. As you might have guessed, with the energy and excitement in the auditorium, we were able to get enough pledges to break the million dollar mark.  It was an exciting moment. The African pastor was so excited that he gave Bishop Ough a live chicken.  That was really actually quite funny.  The chicken didn't think so.  And I believe that the African minister gave this as a gift in a tongue-in-cheek fashion.  I think this idea definitely raises the bar for my next White Elephant gift exchange.


Sixth, we had a 5K race that was the most fun event of the whole week for me.  It was such a beautiful morning and to run around Lakeside was just amazing.  I was of the opinion that the Bishop should have made the walk/run mandatory for everybody! 


THE BAD
I think that the number one thing that always takes me by surprise at every conference is the age and the health of the majority of the people.  In fact, when you consider the 10 pieces of legislation that were brought before the conference members, the ones that produced the most conversation were those related to health care and pensions.  With an aging clergy there will be a deep concern and worry about wanting to make sure that they will be taken care of.  I really don't blame them.  But here is my concern: can a denomination really take care of an aging population of clergy when it is not anywhere near balanced with a younger population of people entering into pastoral/church ministries?  This is just a microcosm of the national dilemma as the Baby Boomer population is retiring and Generation X (we were called Baby Busters for a reason!) is supposed to absorb the healthcare and retirement cost of that generation.  It is impossible.  There is not enough money to sustain this without highly taxing the younger generations.  And when you see the imbalance of age in the Methodist church we can try to make sure we are covered through arguing the fine points of legislation in conferencing.  


But I would like to recommend a new approach that not only will bring peace to those who are aging but benefit the entire church as a whole!  We must stop focusing on making sure our future is secure through legislation that really means nothing if we do not have people in the pews. We need to not make our primary focus on "my" future but invest more on "our" future.  Here are just a few things to consider: 


1.  We as a denomination need to be adding life and vitality to our children's ministry and youth ministry.  We need to invest time, money and effort in making the ministries directed at youth and children a vital part of every church.  I know that my own grandmother could not stand being in her own Sunday School class because she felt that all the could talk about was death and growing old issues.  She loved to be around youth and children because it inspired her and filled her with life.  The segregation of age groups needs to be reconsidered.  Not that we just throw it all out but we need to find ways to build bridges among all ages within a church.  This will add to the spiritual and mental health of everyone involved.  


2.  We need to help the process of becoming a pastor in the Methodist church not be so complicated and stretched out.  It becomes a discouraging process for those involved especially when they see their counterparts in other denominations move much faster through the process. 


3.  We need to include youth in all areas of the Methodist church.  The East Ohio Conference puts us to shame in this area.  Which now leads me to the ugly . . . 


THE UGLY
Now I am just going to let loose and rant a little bit here.  I left the West Ohio Conference so discouraged and upset this year.  But one thing you need to know about me is that I am looking through the "goggles" of youth ministry.  There were 2 events that stood out to me that let me know what our conference thinks of when it comes to youth ministry.  The first event was when the conference was discussing issues related to the new budget.  A representative tried to bring up that the funds for campus ministries were significantly cut from the previous year.  This seemed to be brushed aside as no big deal.  When you have college age teens and those that represent significant ministries directed at college students I am sorry but that IS A BIG FREAKING DEAL!  I was not pleased by how we could not find even a little bit of cash from some other area of the budget to help sustain the funds needed for campus ministries.  


But I would say that the thing that really, really pushed me over the edge was the last piece of legislation: to get rid of paintball/laser tag games at all camps and replace them with creation care activities and other such things. Really?!?!  I was dumbfounded at this piece of ridiculous legislation.  Apparently those that run the camps feel the need to be micro-managed by the conference.  I had an entire speech I wanted to give against this but unfortunately I was not called on.  Instead, everyone wanted the conference to be over since this was the last thing so everyone moved quickly on this.  Two teenagers tried very hard to explain that they enjoy the option of going to camp and playing these types of games.  But the camp lady made her case for trying to link actual real gun violence to these types of activities and that camps should be a holy place where kids can learn about creation care.  This seemed inconceivable to me.  I couldn't help but to think that this was some kind of joke, but it wasn't.  So the debate was short and quick, and the vote was hurried so everyone could get out of there.  Of course, this will be the deathblow to the camps.  No teen is going to attend a camp that doesn't offer these kinds of activities.  At least no boy that I know of.

I also began to wonder, what's next? Is it wrong to play capture-the-flag?  No squirt guns? Can we not have any competitive games? What about archery?  Will we impose these on the Scout troops that use our church facilities?  No more b-b guns or archery you gun-crazed Cub Scouts!!


Well, I can say that I have never used one of our United Methodist camps because the closest one I think is over 2-3 hours away from here.  But even if I had one 10 minutes away I just couldn't support their logic in what they think camp should be.  Instead we have  a lot of great camps and retreat centers all around the Cincinnati area that give many, many options of fun things to do with your youth groups as well as great facilities to help foster spiritual development and worship with your teens.  What a particular church decides to do with their teens is one thing.  To have a camp impose what they think we should or should not be doing just doesn't make sense to me.  


Then the last and final thing that just shoved me into a depression was hanging around for the rest of the week at Lakeside and getting a first-hand view of how the East Ohio Conference "does youth ministry".  Their teens come up to Lakeside for the weekend and have their own youth conference that is really an amazing event that integrates them into how United Methodist's do conferencing.  Not only that but they had tons of fun games, great speakers, worship, etc., etc., etc.  I was in awe with all they were doing.  They also crafted legislation that they were going to present to the Main Conference of East Ohio once all the people arrived later.  East Ohio has seriously invested in their youth in a way that will preserve and nurture the ongoing health and vitality of their Conference. 


With all that said, I am grateful for my connection to the United Methodist Church.  I have learned a lot over my 8 years of being a part of this denomination.  I have been given the opportunity to launch a youth ministry with a church that really truly wanted to invest their time, talent and treasures in creating an effective youth ministry.  This has by far been my most positive experience as a youth pastor.  But when I look at the bigger picture, I am sad.  We have the ability to invest in our youth in a greater way at a conference level but we don't.  East Ohio is the model we must follow.  If we invest in our youth and children in the way that they have done, this will only do more to insure the state of the future church and the care and dignity of the older populations in our churches.  

Here's to hoping that we can learn from our neighbors and re-envision a new approach to ministries directed at our children and teens.  The future of the denomination depends on them. It is up to us to lead them and inspire them to want to get involved and believe that they really are the church of today as well as the church of the future.  

Lessons in Getting it Backwards: From Extraordinary to Just Plain Ordinary

Passage: 1 Samuel 8: 4-20

At the first church I ever served at, I would often have teenagers invade my office all throughout the day.  You see, there was a Christian school that was connected to the church so during the school year there was a certain segment of the youth group that had unlimited access to stop in and visit whenever they had a study hall they wanted to get out of.  Many times they would come down to hang out, eat my candy, play video games and just waste some time until the next class they had to be at.  But there was one particular time that I remember that disturbed me.

I had a young man come down to my office who at the time was an upperclassman.  He was really wrestling with what he thought his future plans were going to be after he graduated.  And here is the dilemma he was having trouble with.  On one hand, he was beginning to sense strongly that God was calling him to be a missionary.  This excited me.  I was more than willing to help him in any way that I could. 

But I could tell that there was a problem, something that was causing him to struggle.  He began to tell me that his parents, who were prominent members of the church and leaders on the school board, questioned this calling and wanted him to go to their alma mater, Notre Dame, and pursue a degree that would reflect the skills that stood out on his various tests that showed where he had high scores.  

Now the way that this story turned out is that he eventually followed the advice of his parents.  He got his degree from Notre Dame, is an outstanding member of the military, and has settled into the American Dream.  His parents couldn’t be prouder. 

But I often wonder, what if? What if Bill would have followed what he believed to be God calling him to mission work? I know, as a parent it can be all to nerve-racking when God sidesteps our perfect plans for our kids and asks them to do something that was not in our plans; something that we cannot be in control of; something in which we can’t see what the future might turn out to be. 

In our Scripture lesson for today we come across a story in which the Israelites stood at the crossroads of deciding on an extraordinary life or an ordinary life. Having to choose to live what they perceived to be the good life over what could be the best life.  For many years the Israelites were lead by God himself.  Up to this point in the Hebrew Scriptures we can read of all of the extraordinary ways in which God used prophets, priests and judges at specific moments to rescue Israel in miraculous ways and establish them as a nation.  All of these offices were used to always point the people back to the God who was directly leading them.  

But now that Israel has established itself as a nation, it began to look around at the neighboring nations and comparing and contrasting themselves to others.  All of a sudden, they realized that they did not have a king like the other nations. 

Forget the fact that the King of kings and the Lord of lords was already leading them. 

Forget the fact that God used mighty and miraculous means all throughout their history to set apart Israel as his special people. 

Instead of celebrating the extraordinary relationship they have with the God of the Universe they wanted to conform to be just like everyone else. They wanted a flesh and blood king.  They wanted to live by sight, not by faith. 

We see that Samuel takes this as a personal rejection for all that he did as a prophet of Israel.  But God assures Samuel that this is not about the people rejecting Samuel more than it is about the people rejecting God himself. 

If there is one thing that is clear in the book of Judges it is that the people constantly drift away from God when times were good and began worshiping idols.  And then when God takes his hand of blessing away from them they cry out to him.  God would send prophets to call them back and judges to rescue them from their enemies.  But as soon as they were rescued and things got better again, they would turn their backs on the living God and worship gods that were created by men. 

So God shows Samuel that this is the nation’s rejection of God.  He tells Samuel to go ahead and give them what they want, but it comes with a warning.  If you want a king, these are the things you will have to endure:

 1. Your children will be used by the government for military purposes (as

          opposed to a mighty God who would fight their battles for them).

2.  You children will be used to serve the government: in areas of

          agriculture, weaponry, military, and textiles all to prop up the royalty

          over themselves. 

3.  Your own hard work will be observed and the best of what you have will

          be expected to go to the king: the best of your fields, servants and

          animals.  You will be taxed on all of these things.

In just about every important area of your life you will have to help support and maintain the government in a way that will ultimately feel oppressive.  Sound a little bit familiar?

The Israelites are wanting all of this over being lead by God. They want to trade in a rather extraordinary life over a very ordinary life.  Why?  And what does this story have to do with us?

I believe that all of us, everyday are faced with this challenge.  Do we go about the rather ordinary, mundane patterns of regular life that we can map out and make some sense of, or do we allow God to lead us to do the extraordinary, the leap of faith, taking the step outside of our comfort zone?

I think for our graduates, I personally catch myself asking the wrong question -  

So what do you want to study at college? 

What are your plans after you graduate?  

I wrestle with the fact that the question really should be:

 What do you believe God is calling you to do with your life? 

Think about the differences between those two questions.

One is focused solely upon them.  The other calls us to seek God’s will for our life.

One is about pursuing an occupation and a paycheck, the other is about pursuing a calling and purpose in life guided by God himself.

I think for adults, the reason we see so much pain with relationships that break up, affairs, materialism and a overall narcissism is because many of those I consider my friends have come to a point in their life where they are bored with what seemed to be the perfect plan for their life several years ago:

get a job,

settle down,

start a family,

buy a nice house and cars for everyone,

get that nice little vacation spot to get away for R&R. 

We see so many who achieve the apparent “American Dream” only to hit a wall called the mid-life crisis.  They have succeeded in pursuing the ordinary life and now they have become bored with the routine, mundane patterns of their life.  They feel that they need to do something to spark some new excitement or energy into their life.  And all too often, in their pursuit for something extraordinary, they end up creating a bigger mess of their lives. 

We constantly need to correct our thinking and shift from one old paradigm to a new one.  Instead of trying to plan out our ideal life, it is time for us to open up ourselves to God who wants to give us an extraordinary life. 

Instead of trying to pursue yet another new fitness program, or bigger house, or new diet fad, or new car, or new girlfriend or boyfriend, what if instead, we pursued God and allowed him to bring purpose and meaning into our lives that transcends all our stuff. 

What if we actually believed the things we learn in church, to trust in the Lord with all our heart, and to not lean on our own understanding.  But in all our ways acknowledge him, and allow Him to direct our paths, to pursue his ways over our ways, to set our minds on heavenly treasures over earthly treasures? 

Just imagine what this world could have looked like if Israel followed God they way they were supposed to:

          1)  No manmade government.  God is our King.

          2)  No mandated tax system. I could give freely as God leads me.

          3)  No need for military. God protects us from our enemies.

          4)  No boring life.  God leads us to do extraordinary things.

I can’t imagine a more perfect world. 

No more electing imperfect people and political parties into office. 

No more sending off teenagers and the poor to fight wars to protect our “national interests”. 

No more cable news talking heads arguing for or against the government. 

A world where God is our King and we are his children. 

I have good news!  We have the opportunity right now to start living into this reality, knowing that our future will fully live into this when Christ ultimately returns.

Now I know, it is a little bit scary.

Abraham dropped everything and followed, not even knowing what the plan would be. 

Joseph went through some extremely painful experiences before he realized how God was able to use it all to save Israel and Egypt.

Moses actually tried several times to say no. He didn’t want to do it, but God convinced him otherwise. 

Samuel gave his life to be a prophet of God.  Only to feel very underappreciated at the end.

Yet the Israelites completely missed it all.  With a history full of amazing stories of God’s leadership, guidance, protection, deliverance and care, instead they wanted to trade all of that in for a man-made government. 

Will we be a people who learn from the mistakes of those who have come before us, or will we continue to repeat the sins of those from the past?

Graduates, have you wrestled with the deeper question of what might God be calling you to do with your life, instead of just what you want to do to get a job and earn a paycheck?

Adults, by American standards, many, if not all of you have achieved more than you probably thought possible when you were just a high schooler. 

Have you allowed God to fully redeem your life and give you purpose and meaning in all areas?

Or do you catch yourself looking at godless people who are trying to find meaning through worshiping the gods of our culture? 

Is your life infused with a higher calling in all areas of your life knowing that what we do here will impact eternity? 

Or do you catch yourself looking for the next quick fix? 

May we as a church body be focused on the mission and work of God who wants to use us to do the extraordinary.  Never, never, never settle for an ordinary life that we can manage and control ourselves.  Not my will, but THY will be done on earth as it is in heaven. AMEN.

Evolving in Your Faith

I just read another great book that I really enjoyed.  This book details the faith journey of Rachel Held Evans growing up in a very conservative Christian community as she "evolved" into the Christian she is today.  In many ways you can see this as a story that fits into one of the most significant shifts in our generation: the shift from a modernistic to a post-modern outlook on life.  Rachel grew up in the town that has become famous for the Scopes Monkey Trial - Dayton, Tennessee.  Her childhood and teenage memories as she describes them are hilarious.  She has a great sense of humor as she casts a comic, yet critical, interpretation of her upbringing.

I felt convicted when she went into her description of her spiritual journey during her teen years.  She explains how having a "biblical worldview" was a high priority. I remember in my early youth ministry days that I took this very, very seriously.  Now this is not to say that the Bible does not help to shape our worldview.  Of course it does, especially if you actually pick it up and read it!  But what Rachel is saying is that the "worldview" talk was used to systematize a set of beliefs that where imposed on everyone with very little room to think for yourself.  The reality is that instead of all things being so black and white, there is a lot more grey than we are willing to admit.  Rachel comments that "our interpretations are colored by our culture, our community,our presuppositions, our experience, our language, our education, our emotions, our intellect, our desires, and our biases. My worldview affects how I read the Bible as much as the Bible affects my worldview." (p. 192) 

Wrestling with doubt becomes a main theme as she enters into a world that she thought she understood in black and white categories, only to discover that she was the one who began questioning things and having doubts about what she has grown up believing.  And it is in wrestling with these doubts that has actually made her faith stronger.  Rachel states that, "After I'd thought for so many years that good Christians are always ready with an answer, it was a question that eventually drew me back to belief. In the end, it was doubt that saved my faith."  (p. 119)

Rachel turns some of her childhood beliefs on their heads and exposes them for what they are.  But then by wrestling with doubt she is able to gain a much greater appreciation of the mystery of God, a humility that gives way to finally not having to think that we have to have all the answers to life, and a deeper sense that we are to fully live into our faith right now, in the present.  Our faith is not so much about the after life as it is more about the present life that we are currently in the midst of.  

I loved Rachel's ability to tell her story in a fun and comical way but with enough heart to feel the true journey that she struggled with as she emerged into the person she is today.

I would highly recommend "Evolving in Monkey Town.  It was a great read.

Mister Roger's Neighborhood Tribute

This is a great tribute video to one of the pioneers of Children's television.  I remember watching this guy as a little kid.  It brings back warm feelings to see this video!

I Really Did Run

I FINALLY make it into one of the West Ohio Annual Conference videos and what do they get? Me running a race like Eric Littell with the Chariots of Fire theme song in the background? No, they get a shot of me hovering over the snack table at the end of the race. (1:38)  I did run the race.  So, yes, I was entitled to some snacks.  I got some orange slices, half a banana, and a water bottle.  But I ran the race! And I ran it hard!  Really!  Also, that is me running at 0:56.  I know, it is just a pair of random legs.  But it is me!  Really!

Cell Phones During Church

Finally, a solution to cell phones during church!