Archive for May, 2009
Earlier in May, Samuel and Elliot began their first “try out” process ever. They are trying out for the “travel” or “rep” team. There were 35 some kids who tried out, 12 make ‘A team (no black vans needed),’ and 12 make ‘B team.’ The rest are ‘C team’ which may or may not actually be a team. This much we were told at the first of three try outs.
This process has been more difficult for me than it has been for either of them combined! The tryout process was hard enough, but then came the news that neither of them made the A team. This was a blow. Of course I had to sort through, is this a blow to me since (of course) the world revolves around me and everything (including stuff that doesn’t include me) directly reflects on me in some way. OR is it a blow since it’s just sad for them. (Or maybe a little of both).
It was sad to watch my boys’ eyes as they grasped for the emotional fortitude to deal with disappointment. Now, this isn’t the first time they’ve suffered loss or disappointment, but this is the first time that something reflected on them and their abilities.
While this was sad and hard, it also was good. It opened up the opportunity for me to sit my six year old Elliot on my lap and tell him that confidence comes from within us—not from the outside (from others). It comes from knowing, even despite what others think sometimes, that we are good. That confidence ultimately comes from God, and that God has given him a special gift. And that, even if these coaches don’t see it, it doesn’t mean he doesn’t have it.
It gave me a chance to talk to them about my basketball….um…..career. About how I got beat out by this other kid for varsity for a year, and then the next sat the bench watching him play. We talked about how this made me feel, and how it made me better as a person and a player.
You see what’s strange is that as you grow up there come times (often ones that are thrust upon you not by your own doing) of perspective. Times when the bubble you live in is burst and you are forced to face a new reality either about yourself or about the world. My kids have always been among the very best on their soccer team and even their league. ANd now, all of the sudden, they couldn’t make the A team. Powerless to stop it, I sat by and watched one of their little bubbles burst.
So, in the end, I believe this is good. Adversity often yields a greater harvest than ease. And to our great joy, they both made the B team. Yay! So they will both keep playing, and keep learning. And Dad will keep trying to let go, one little bit at a time.
I gave a teaching two weeks ago, and I was thinking some more about it, so I wanted to elaborate here a little bit. The teaching was about the interdependence we all have upon one another’s giftings. (I think I had a catchier title than that though!)
Anyway, for some reason I was thinking of a line from the movie “The Incredibles” today and it reminded me of my teaching. There’s a place in the film with the villain (who has been systematically luring “supers” to his island and killing them) explains that one day he will make the technology he has used to kill the “supers” public knowledge so that all people can be “super” (clearly he’s been a little jealous).
He then utters the line that I was thinking today, “If everyone is Super, then no one will be Super.”
His logic being, that the only thing that makes “supers” right now is the fact that their special powers make them something “other” than everyone else. Their powers make them special and stand out. Therefore, if everyone shared those same exact powers, there would be no difference – no hierarchy – and thus, no “supers.”
In thinking about this quote today (honestly I’m not sure how this all happened – I don’t normally meditate on the spiritual significance of quotes from cartoon movies I haven’t seen in a year or so!) I realized that this was exactly Jesus’ goal in the way he gave “gifts” to people!
If you read the different accounts in the Bible where God gives “spiritual” or other gifts to people, it says something like “to each person” a gift was given…in each account! Why the emphasis? I think it was (and is) very important to God that we all understand there are no favorites, no showboats, no one-man-shows in the Kingdom of God.
And in fact, I think it even goes further—I think he created us to only be able to function at our peak capacity when we are interconnected with others and partaking of one another’s gifts! In other words, when people try to venture off on their own, bringing glory to themselves, and doing in all on their own—I think they are missing the bigger plan of what God has for their lives. I think that to truly live the fullest, most meaning-filled lives that God intended for us, we must allow ourselves to both give and receive as part of a community.
Community is such a powerful term to understand – to live together. To share life. This is one of God’s highest aims for us I believe.
He could have easily given only a few to be the “special Christians,” the “supers” who did all the work. But he didn’t. The Bible stresses over and over again that no person is more important than another, that every single part of the “body,” no matter it’s function, is vital and integral to survival and success of the whole.
What’s interesting is that people are always trying to do the opposite! We are always trying to exalt one specific gifted person aren’t we? This person is the best teacher; the best pastor; has the biggest church; sells the most books; etc. And what we find is that more often than not, these people struggle to maintain balance and live the lives they set out to live. Maybe the reason is that they became too lofty – and separated themselves from the body. Maybe they lost that interconnectedness that we were all pre-wired to need.
So anyway, maybe this is one of those things that’s only interesting to me :) But I just think it’s such a cool reflection on the character of God, that he loved us all enough to level the playing field by making us all “supers” and then created us to need one another so that we could experience the joy of true community.
I’m a full time pastor, but I do graphic design as a side job. I haven’t seen any real work for that side job now for half a year. The economic downturn hits home…
This has left me relatively stressed about money. I hate being stressed about money. So far, in my ten years after graduating from college with honors, I have yet to go beyond living paycheck to paycheck. Well scratch that – it happened for about 4 months right before my side job dried up.
So now I’m trying to figure out what to do. Do I trust God and wait for the side job to pick up? If so, for how long? Do I look for another job? What kind? One that I can do at home from my computer would be ideal, but hard to come by. Nothing I could do part time will earn me what design work did.
I’ve thought about teaching at a Christian school part time, coaching a team at a highschool, becoming a bus driver. I even got some applications for being a bus driver, but the lady didn’t think I had much of a chance. Plus, the time commitment makes it almost impossible to hold down my regular job. Who knew?
The problem with most of these jobs, is they will take me away from my family more, which is not something I really want either…at all.
So right now I’m kind of waiting, and pursuing whatever small side jobs present themselves. This is how we used to live when we first got married. I had a job, Mandy had a job, and then God brought small opportunities whenever we needed them. Right now I’m working to finish a basement for a friend of mine. Not the kind of work I really love, but it’s work.
So I’m looking for silver linings:
Not having any design work at night: frees me to up to watch lots of TV! (Yes! – On to my second season of House already!), gives me an opportunity to pursue some other creative goals that maybe I normally wouldn’t (have to say lately TV is winning out against creative goals, but still…), gives me a chance to start a blog! Hey!
Working construction: gives me a chance to learn new things (which I love), work with my hands (which I love until they hurt really bad), wake up early (which I hate), and get dirty (always fun).
Having less money: helps me appreciate the little things in life more (like Ritas, Ritas, Ritas – it’s so cheap!), makes me better at budgeting (who doesn’t want that?!), teaches us discipline (again – fun), and in general, I think, can bring us closer as a family.
So yeah, what in your life are you currently looking for silver linings in?
Every summer I end up leading a few big projects or events for the church. This year is taking the cake with, by far, the most I’ve ever tackled. So I thought I’d record it. It’s very exciting.
Free Soccer Camps
For 10 years now, VCF has sponsored free soccer camps to the community as way to show people the love of God in a practical way without having to brow-beat them with it. It has been wonderfully successful each year. I’ve had the chance to meet some great people, make some friends, and most importantly, give Jesus a “good name.” A lot of people have negative views of Jesus and the church, and I have found that these events shed a good light on us.
This year the response has been unprecedented. Normally I print over 1500 flyers and distribute them on driveways all around our area. Then by the time the camp comes, we have about 120 kids signed up between three different weeks.
This year we have two weeks, and no flyers – just word of mouth. And we filled up almost two months in advance! I just added a third camp, and it’s almost filled! We will have close to 180 kids this year! Plus, as a new added wrinkle, my dad and Lynn are going to offer free classes to the parents during the camp one day. The classes will discuss parenting and youth sports. Cool right?
Project Timothy
I’m super excited about this idea—it’s a new one. Besides being the youth pastor at VCF, I am also the Regional Youth Task Force Leader for the Eastern Region of the Vineyard. There are over 70 churches in our region. This summer, I am leading (and VCF is hosting) a teen leader boot camp experience. Basically we are inviting teens from across the region who show leadership potential and will make a 1 year commitment to their youth group, to come and receive some great training. I have secured a bunch of great teachers from all over the region, so these teens will literally be immersed in a life changing experience for 7 days. I think it’s going to be amazing.
I’m also part of the National Youth Task Force, and they are talking about next year making this a leadership boot camp for the nation. Exciting!
Impact Week
This is an awesome new brainstorm idea that my dad and I have been working on. In July VCF is going to sponsor Impact Week. Basically what we’ll do is provide at least one service or outreach opportunity every day for the entire week. And the challenge will be for every single person in VCF to participate in at least one of these events during the week.
So on one day we might have a group serving food to the poor, another night we might be doing free yard work in a neighborhood, another night we might work on a someone’s house who is in need, etc. This will culminate in …
Water Park Day
This year to follow up the soccer camps and Impact Week, we are going to put on a large scale Water Park Day on our 21 acres at VCF. We will invite the community and make this a great experience for kids of all ages. In a time when people’s wallets are tight, we want to provide a great family day without the expense. I think it’s going to be hugely popular.
The Training School
Last but not least, as youth pastor, I am organizing a week long “boot camp” experience just for our teens as well. This one is less ambitious in scale, but no less important. It gives us a chance to really go “deeper” with our young people and help them explore their faith in a more complete way. They also get a chance to serve the poor of Wilmington through a free VBS, which is always a profound experience.
I think that’s it. A lot right? That’s why my facebook status lately has said a lot about “I’m planning….” These take an amazing amount of forethought and planning. But I’m getting there!
So I’ve had the same discussion with two different people recently about worship. I think it’s an interesting debate/dialogue, so I want to record it here. Maybe you’ll find it interesting too.
The basic question is this—is worship just about God, or is it about us too? As I’ve talked to some people I am realizing that there are many people who feel it is dangerous to talk about worship being anything other than solely about God. Worship is for God alone, and any by products we may receive from it are a great bonus, but not the true essence and meaning of worship.
I raised this as a discussion question at youth group and one person asked the poignant question, “If you stopped getting good feelings (etc) during worship for the rest of your life, would you still worship?” The assumed answer being, “Of course!” because God is completely and utterly worthy of worship. I think that’s a great point. Clearly you can’t take anything away from God and his being deserving of worship.
However, as I’ve thought about this and discussed it, I am finding myself seeing worship differently. I see it as not just something we do for or to God, but something we do with God. I know that sounds kind of strange, but I really think that a full worship experience needs to not only include the praise and honoring of God, but also the receiving of His grace, love, forgiveness, and communication. It’s a two way street.
I think this stems from my picture of God. I really relate to God as a Father, a Savior, and a Friend. I probably relate more to those “images” of God than say, the King. Thinking of God as the King makes me feel like worship is probably more uni-directional. But, as a father here on earth, I know that all my interactions with my kids are two way.
Just tonight, after a meeting at church, Elliot ran up to me, and without saying anything, reached up and grabbed my face and planted a big one right on my lips! That’s worship baby! He was solely focused on loving and adoring me. But what did I do? Bask in his love unresponsively? No way. His overwhelming act of love elicited a greater response on my part. I grabbed him, lifted him in the air, and squeezed him and kissed him all over his face.
That’s my image of God! I really am convinced that our whole-hearted expressions of worship (whether they be through music, or action, or words, or prayer, or whatever) elicit greater responses of love from our Heavenly Father to us. The One who is Love is moved by the sheer force of His own nature to respond. In fact, I don’t think he can not respond!
It is like the prodigal son, or the adulterous woman, or David repenting, or Daniel in the lion’s den, or Peter in prison, or you and me . . . in worship. This is who God is. He is more than a figure to be exalted. More than an ideal to be praised. More than an all powerful force to be extolled.
He is a person. A personal God. A God whose image we represent. And He loves with greater tenacity, greater force, greater extravagance than we can ever muster. The sheer power of his love has blinded him to our grotesque sin, moved him to lay down his life for us, and broken him free from the power of death like no other. Just because of love.
So worship to me is more. It’s always more. I don’t want to settle for just telling Him that He’s awesome. Of course He deserves that, and of course I’ll do that for eternity. But I want to experience the fullness of relationship—a two way exchange between two personal beings who love each other deeply.
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