Saturday Shout Outs!

The Ides of March are almost upon us, and that can only mean one thing- Julius Ceasar is going to die! But if it could mean two things, the second would be that it's time for a brand new edition of the Saturday Shout Outs! Spring has finally sprung in places that thought they might never see grass again, and here in Florida we're back into 80 degree days. Whatever your location and weather, I hope your faces are sunny and your days are bright! Now let's get busy and do some shouting...

•  Tomorrow is the 12th birthday of the one and only Conner the Dog. Although 12 is fairly old for a cocker spaniel, our favorite mutt continues to be pretty lively- and a VERY early riser! He has asked for a steak and an ice cream cake for his party. The jury is still out on that one.
•  Our prayers continue to be with the family of Wayne Gless (Springfield Friends Meeting) who passed away on March 3rd. Jane, Patsy, Ken, Gilly & Kaitlyn are on our hearts every day. When I wrote about Wayne last week (Remembering a Sweet, Sweet Spirit) I said that I didn't have any crazy stories about him. Marilyn reminded me that I was wrong. Once, during open worship at SFM, Wayne rose to speak about my work as the youth pastor and tell the congregation what a difference I was making in the lives of students. As part of the evidence he reported how Marilyn and I dealt with so many things, including middle of the night phone calls from troubled youth. Up until that Sunday we had rarely received such phone calls. After Wayne reported how well we handled the issue, they started pouring in! But that was classic Wayne- one of the most supportive church members we ever had the pleasure of knowing. He is missed.
• Lately I have been overwhelmed by the number of former youth who have asked for prayers for their families as they deal with separation and/or divorce. I will not list names, but if you are one of those who has been crying out please know God hears your hearts, and I and many others are praying for you. Peace be with you, my friends.
• I saw on Facebook where June Crotty (FUMC-Kissimmee) passed away this week. June and her husband Clyde were driving forces in that church for many years. They gave us use of their lake house one Sunday every summer for a Breakaway and we always enjoyed their company. Their grandsons Wayne and Kendall were active (and quite entertaining!) members of our youth family as well. Our thoughts and prayers are with the family.
• There was a rumor going around this week amidst all the crazy wheelings and dealings in the NFL that the New Orleans Saints might trade the incredible Drew Brees to my lowly Buccaneers. I know it won't happen. But please, just let me bask in the glow of that glorious rumor for a few days before shooting it down. Drew Brees is a great football player and a class act. The Bucs have very few of either these days...
• So this week we found out that the Walt Disney Company plans to rename the Disney Hollywood Studios (again); make a live action Dumbo movie (Did someone discover an actual flying elephant? If not, this is a DUMB idea!); and that Frozen 2 (the original has already taken over the them parks) has been given the green light. Suddenly being banned doesn't hurt quite so much!  LOL
• I'm currently reading the new book from my old friend Brent Bill (Quaker Lake & lots of other Quaker things!) and Jennie Isbell. It's called Finding God In The Verbs- Crafting a Fresh Language of Prayer and so far it absolutely wonderful! If your prayer life needs a swift kick in the butt, this book will supply the foot. Available on Amazon.
• 2o years ago I could have named the starting line-ups for every ACC team as they headed into the annual ACC basketball tournament. This year I cannot name a single player who doesn't play for UNC or Duke. I'm not watching at all. It's finally happened- I've become a full-fledged Floridian, more interested in Spring Training baseball and off-season football than college basketball at tournament time. I weep for myself. I do still hear news sometimes...so just let me say GO HEELS!
• And finally...most of you know that I was blessed with 2 wonderful parents. You also know that I was "raised" in jr. high and high school by a youth group family that made me so much of who I am today. We found out yesterday that a member of that family is very sick. For now I will leave this an anonymous request. We pray for healing and peace for my friend and their family. Please join me.

Have a wonderful weekend, my friends. 

Because of Jesus,

Flashback Friday: The Great Adventure Revisited

In August of 2010, for the 1st anniversary of this blog, I put together a good old fashioned slideshow featuring classic music from Steven Curtis Chapman. And it rocked..

The past called yesterday- and judging by this picture it apparently called from a hotel room bathroom phone in NYC sometime around 1983. I was reminded that at my current age, over half of my life was spent in youth ministry. That epiphany seemed to demand a full-scale 60s style, hallucination inducing Friday Flashback. 28 years of student ministry. 7 minutes, 17 seconds. 150 pictures. Hundreds of old friends. And just like real life, the images go FLYING by. It's almost surreal. Now THAT'S what I call a flashback...

Because of Jesus,

My Favorite Disney Animated Films

My son Will (age 19) and I watched Fantasia on blu-ray Tuesday night and were once again reminded of what a creative tour-de-force that film remains even after so many years. I also remembered just how wonderful so many of the Disney full-length animated feature films are. It was a wonderful night. 

That was followed on Wednesday morning by the announcement that they are going to make a live action version of Dumbo with Tim Burton directing. I am working on a post for next week called 7 Things I Believe (and you probably don't!), and one of those could easily be that I believe Disney needs to cease and desist with making new versions of their classic films. As my son (the one who is studying filmmaking in college) likes to say, "There is no need to make a new version of a film when the definitive version has already been made." Or in this case, Don't mess with Walt! These animated classics (and many others) will never be topped. So please, Disney- leave them alone. Here are my animated favorites, in no particular order...

1. The Jungle Book
2. Lady and the Tramp
3. The Lion King
4. Lilo and Stitch
5. Sleeping Beauty
6. Aladdin
7. Snow White & the Seven Dwarfs
8. Beauty and the Beast
9. The Hunchback of Notre Dame
10. Fantasia

If you are disappointed not to see Frozen on my list, then you just don't know me as well as you thought you did. It MIGHT make the list if I included my top 25! Enjoy your Thursday, and watch a Disney animated classic soon. You'll be amazed at how brilliant they remain.

Mangled Movie Lines (Church Version)

A Direct Quote From Every Church in the World!

An old improv game we used to play once inspired me to ask this question of myself, and I share it with you today. What if your favorite movie lines had been delivered at church or youth group instead of in their original scene? How might they be different? I have come up with a few- I hope my readers will come up with many more! Here we go!

• "I'll be back...as long as the church next door doesn't get a Starbucks."   Terminator
• "I'm going to give them an offering they can't refuse..."   The Godfather
• "Oh no, it wasn't the airplanes. Twas the youth group that killed the beast."   King Kong
• "Nobody puts the church secretary in a corner."  Dirty Dancing
• "You shouldn't make me play Fluffy Bunny, Johnny. My mother made me play Fluffy Bunny once...ONCE."   Johnny Dangerously
• "40 years of darkness, earthquakes and volcanoes! The dead rising from the grave, traditional worshippers and emergent worshippers living together- total chaos!"  Ghostbusters
• "Have fun storming the sanctuary!"   The Princess Bride
• "What we have here is a failure to communicate... (OOPS- didn't have to change that one!)    Cool Hand Luke
• "Of all the churches in all the towns in all the world, THAT senior pastor had to walk into mine."  Casablanca
• "The new hymnals are here! The new hymnals are here!"  The Jerk
• "There are two types of people in the world- those who like Rob Bell, and those who don't..."    What About Bob?
• "The United Methodist Women... They are not the cowering wretches we were promised. They stand. They are unruly, and therefore cannot be ruled. To challenge them is to court death."  The Avengers
• "Oh, the youth minister is very popular Pastor Ed. The sportos, the motorheads, geeks, sluts, bloods, wastoids, dweebies, d*ckheads - they all adore him. They think he's a righteous dude."  Ferris Bueller's Day Off
• "Fat, drunk and atheist is no way to go through life, son."  Animal House
• "Frankly my dear, I don't give a dad blast the gosh darn blankety heck..."  Gone With the Wind
• "What do you kids want me to do, dress in drag and do the hula?"  The Lion King
• "You say the youth group needs a bigger budget? You've got to ask yourself one question: Do I feel lucky? Well do ya, Punk?"  Dirty Harry
• "When I first came here, this was all swamp. Everyone said I was daft to build a church on a swamp, but I built it all the same, just to show them. It sank into the swamp. So I built a second one. That sank into the swamp. So I built a third. That burned down, fell over, then sank into the swamp. But the fourth one stayed up. And that's what you're going to get, Bro, the strongest church in all of Nashvegas."  Monty Python & the Holy Grail
• "Cinderella story, from outta' nowhere, about to become Trustees Chairman..."   Caddyshack 
• "They've done studies, you know. Be purpose driven. 60% of the time it works, every time."  Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy
• "Jesus is King of the World!"  Titanic

Let's face it, friends- sometimes the institution of the church is funny. It OK to laugh. I've said it before and I'll say it again-  I cannot survive a day without Jesus or laughter. And they ARE NOT mutually exclusive. Now let's hear your movie favorites, mangled for a little church humor! I'll Tweet the best ones. Have a Happy Hump Day!

Stop and Smell the Roses

You know the old wise saying that reminds us we need to take time to stop and smell the roses as we move through life? Nowhere is that more true than when we are walking the #NarrowRoad. Today I encourage you to read the Guided Meditation written below, or better yet, ask someone to read it to you. Close your eyes and soak in the the things the meditation asks you to visualize. Move slowly. Seek sanctuary in what Jesus has to say to you in these moments. Remember this quote from Richard Foster as you begin: "Our adversary (Satan) majors in 3 things:
-noise
-hurry
-and crowds.
If he can keep us engaged in 'muchness' and 'manyness' he will rest satisfied."

Get Behind Me
(A Guided Meditation)

Stop! Slow down! Take a breath.

Recall the events and activities of last week.

How much of that time was spent doing good for others?

How much of that time was spent doing things for your own personal pleasure or gain?

Now imagine you have arrived at a peaceful place. It is a place you know well, a place you love. You are sitting and resting. Jesus approaches you. He sits with you. He begins to list all of the activities and events from your week. He takes your hand, looks into your eyes and says "Get behind me."

Now think again of the busy days that lie ahead. Only this time, imagine that you are following Jesus as He leads you. Will your activities and choices changed? Are there things you plan to do or say that you do not want Jesus to see or hear?  Turn to Jesus.  Ask Him what things in your life you need to change so that you may follow Him more closely.  Ask for guidance and courage to follow the Christ. Ask for direction, that you would know what path to follow. Tell Jesus you seek to go where He would lead you in life. Understand that you cannot follow when you are leading...

Get behind Jesus.

Be still and know that He is God.

In this season of preparation we call Lent, it becomes more important than ever to our souls that we take time to pause and enjoy the many blessings God has given us. It is a time to understand that that we cannot be at our best unless we surrender our lives to Jesus. The #NarrowRoad comes with a guide. Follow him.

Because of Jesus,

If I Were Starting Over in Student Ministry

An early ICU meeting at Springfield Friends

It's been 8 years since my final days as a youth pastor, and my role these days is as a kind of a youth ministry Grandpa, offering nuggets of wisdom to those who ask. Every now and then a young youth worker will ask what I would do first if I were starting over again today. While there are many things I would change about my own years in ministry, there is one thing that would remain constant- Relationships would remain Job #1, the most important part of the job. Over my many years as a youth pastor there was one program I kept trying to initiate (with mixed success) that was/would have been a great help in keeping relationships on the front burner of ever every ministry I served. That program was the Intensive Care Unit (ICU).

I had been doing student leadership retreats and thinking about leadership training for several years when I first read about the ICU in J. David Stone's brilliant little book Spiritual Growth in Youth Ministry (Group Publishing, 1985). The idea was not new, but it was in a format that intrigued me. Dave suggested that you invite a group of student leaders to be a care unit for the other students in your ministry. In later years I opened it up to anyone willing to make the commitment. This involved training sessions and a covenant commitment to both the ICU and the youth ministry in general. The primary focus of the ICU was on building relationships and making students feel significant, wanted, needed and prayed for. Here's an actual copy of the list of responsibilities I put together for one of the churches where we used this program:

The "Love Lists" were just our way of splitting students into small groups (6-8 in each) that were then assigned to an ICU member for care. These lists included active and inactive members, and anyone who showed up at youth group even once was immediately added. Membership in the ICU came with no power or privileges, only responsibilities. We wanted to help those who wanted to be student leaders understand sacrificial ministry. Among the things they agreed to with the covenant they signed were:

• Being faithful in attendance to our youth programs and our church.
• Attending a monthly ICU meeting.
• Praying for our ministries.
• Getting to know students who were not in their usual circle of friends.
• Praying daily for the 6-8 students on their "Love List."
• Taking seriously the assignments given to them by the ICU.
• Keeping the youth pastor up-to-date on all issues and problems encountered.
• Keeping anything discussed at ICU meeting private and confidential.

I started using the idea in the late 1980s, and used it for the rest of my career. To be honest, it was very hit or miss, depending on the students in the group. Some years the ICU was a very important part of what we were able to accomplish. Other years it was just a monthly meeting to report on how things were going. And some years it just didn't work at all. But when it worked, it was amazing.

So if I were starting over again, one thing I would do would be to revisit the concept of the ICU  and make it THE ongoing priority in my youth ministry. Look again at the lists of responsibilities and commitments. How much better would your ministry be (and this would be true in the church as a whole, too!) if everyone got a weekly phone call or text from another student? How much more connected would they feel if their special occasions were always remembered and recognized? How strong could relationships be if everyone knew they were being prayed for every single day? And how much better would your ministry be if you were training your teens to be ministers among their peers, not by giving them power but by teaching them to serve? If I had it to do over again, I would have put much more of my energy and prayer into the idea of the ICU. I think it could have changed many more lives if we had just been a little more consistent and committed. I have lots of other information on ICU training and covenants that I would be glad to share with anyone who is interested. I'd love to hear your thoughts on the idea and ways you could use the ICU in your setting. Thanks for reading!

Because of Jesus,

"He will bear their iniquities"

For me, the cornerstone of the Old Testament prophecies about Jesus is this passage from Isaiah. Read it. Then read it again. Jesus knew what he would face at the end of his life on earth, and yet he came for us anyway. This season of Lent is about preparing our hearts for the walk to Calvary and the resurrection to come. Imagine walking in the shoes of Jesus, who, though he was God, was also fully human. He knew worry. He felt pain. And all of that was foretold by Isaiah. 

Isaiah 53:10-12 (The Message)

Still, it’s what God had in mind all along,
    to crush him with pain.
The plan was that he give himself as an offering for sin
    so that he’d see life come from it—life, life, and more life.
    And God’s plan will deeply prosper through him.

 Out of that terrible travail of soul,
    he’ll see that it’s worth it and be glad he did it.
Through what he experienced, my righteous one, my servant,
    will make many “righteous ones,”
    as he himself carries the burden of their sins.
Therefore I’ll reward him extravagantly—
    the best of everything, the highest honors—
Because he looked death in the face and didn’t flinch,
    because he embraced the company of the lowest.
He took on his own shoulders the sin of the many,
    he took up the cause of all the black sheep.

"As he himself carries the burden of our sins." We are all black sheep and God loves so much he sent Jesus to take our burden. That is all we need to know about this season. He came to bring us sanctuary in the arms of a loving God. Remember.

Because of Jesus,