Through the Roof!

Most of you are probably familiar with the story found in Luke 5:18-26 in which 4 friends carry a paralytic to see Jesus.  Unable to get to him through any normal route, they cut a whole in the roof of the house and lower their friend down to Jesus.  The story had many layers, including the divinity of Christ and the Pharisees complete lack of faith and understanding. But primarily this story is about the faith of a man and his 4 friends- and how that faith led to major moment in the Jesus Revolution. Today, as we continue to seek our own personal revolutionary moments, I invite you to spend some time with these two questions:

1. Who brought you into the presence of Christ?  This question is not so much about who preached the sermon or sang the song as it is about who dropped you through the roof to get you there.  For me, it was my best friend from 8th grade on, Steve Semmler.  And just like with the friends in the scripture, there were obstacles to overcome.  He had invited me to go to summer camp with him and to attend his youth group, but I kept coming up with excuses.  And he kept asking.  He finally got through to me when I found out that the right girl would be at a youth group skating party.  The mats our friends use to take us to Jesus can take many forms.  I didn't know that Steve was changing my life forever- and I'm not sure he did either.  But he did.  He brought me into the presence of the Christ who would say to me over and over again in my life, "Get up!  Your sins are forgiven."  And trust me, there are still plenty of Pharisees who scoff at that today.
2. Who is it in your life that you need to lower through the roof?  I was taught a long time ago that it is important to have at least one specific person in your life that you are praying for in the hopes that they will come to know Jesus.  In my youth groups we often spoke of praying for the Empty Chair- lifting up our friends who needed to be there and were not.  And while the praying is important, I think sometimes we let ourselves off the hook too easily.  Sometimes we need to physically bring them to the feet of the Savior.  We need to invite them to church, or to a small group, or a concert, or dinner at our home- someplace where they will encounter the living Christ.  We may need to put them on a mat, or in a car, or on a boat- whatever means necessary- to get them to Jesus.  For the friends in Luke's gospel, it was about having their friend healed.  It is no different for us.  The healing may not be physical.  It may be a relationship.  It may be emotional.  It is certainly spiritual.  They need to see the Great Physician.  They need to experience the Jesus Revolution in their lives.  And it is our task as their friend to make sure they have that opportunity.

Take some time today to be still and think on these questions.  Remember who it was (and it may be many people on more than one occasion) that brought you to see Jesus at a time when you desperately needed Him.  And who is it that God is calling you to bring?  Even if you need to go through the roof...

Because of Jesus,

Hall of Fame: The Gastler Family

One of the great things about having my very own Youth Group Hall of Fame is that I get to make up all the rules about who and how I induct old friends.  So far there have been students from four different churches and Quaker Lake Camp.  There have been entire graduating classes inducted at once.  And there has been one entire family added to my HOF as a unit. Today we make that two...


My experiences at Wesley Memorial UMC would have been completely different without the presence of the Gastler family.  Hal, Joanne, Jennifer and Christine were all very important to our student ministry and to me personally throughout my 4 years there,  and they are also one of the most loving and supportive families it has ever been my privilege to watch in action.  I could easily have inducted each of them individually, but it just felt right to bring them recognition as a family.  I could go on and on about their contributions to Graceland, but I'll try to limit myself as I talk about each of them- beginning with Jennifer.

Christine, Nina, Jennifer and I-
Myrtle Beach 2004

Jen was a high school student when I arrived- a very active participant and one of the most popular girls in the ministry.  She probably doesn't remember this, but on our first big trip together, the 2002 Ski Camp, she was the one who gave me all sorts of inside info to help me sort out the cliques and relationships in this youth group that was new to me.  Her friendship was so important as I began to re-build the group.  Later on she went to Myrtle Beach with us in 2004 after her graduation and we became close all over again as she helped make that trip so special. I went to see her and some of the others after she went to FSU and we had a great dinner- at Olive Garden, of course!  Now she's teaching high school here in Tampa.  It's a no-brainer to add Jennifer Gastler to my Hall of Fame.

Christine collecting for the Souper Bowl of Caring!

Christine was in middle school when I arrived, but she was already a leader.  She was a gifted soccer player, which led to some heated "discussions" between us, as you may know my feelings about that sport!  She went on most all of our trips, was with us for Graceland most every Sunday, and always- ALWAYS!- wanted input on what songs we would sing.  I particularly remember her always wanting to sing the verses of Sometimes By Step, the great Rich Mullins song, and being disappointed when we would only sing the chorus.  And not quietly disappointed, either! :)  She provided leadership, friendship and character to our ministry.  Her spot in the HOF has been waiting for her...

Hal & his group on one of our legendary
Digital Scavenger Hunts!

Hal & Joanne are just one of my favorite couples ever.  Hal is a sports nut, loving UConn basketball (men and women), Red Sox (and Rays) baseball, soccer, Bucs football, Lightning hockey and pretty much everything else you can think of.  He is a true fanatic.  And Joanne may be worse!  They both chaperoned our 2002 Myrtle Beach trip, and Joanne joined is 2004 as well.  Hal was a regular at our Sunday afternoon football games before becoming a very important part of the Graceland Youth Ministry Team.  He and I had some great discussion about every topic you can imagine, and his input on one of our famous Student Leadership Retreats was a great help to me.  Joanne saved us from a major financial snafu on the 2004 Myrtle Beach trip by paying for the group meal at Captain Benjamin's Seafood Buffet (as I type that sentence I am realizing that with all the happened over the months that followed, chances are excellent she never got paid back for that...Wow.  The Gastler's were always going above and beyond the call of duty...) after the church credit card was declined.  She is also the Mom who famously once told me that the greatest gift I could give her on Mother's Day was to have youth group and "get her family out of the house for a couple of hours."  There are so many great memories.  And Hal, we still need to sing Screen Door together some day...


So welcome to my Youth Group Hall of Fame, Gastler family.  When it opens (after someone buys me the Betsy B) I promise to make your section a sports bar!  Love you guys and hope to see you soon.


Because of Jesus,

Happy Father's Day!

"My life has been a poor attempt to imitate the man.  I'm just a living legacy to the leader of the band."  -Dan Fogelberg, Leader of the Band.

My two favorite guys- my now 15 year old son Will and my dad, Bill - at their favorite place; Walt Disney World.  I am so thankful for my son, who is at his grandmother's house this week.  And I was so blessed by my amazing father, who passed away in 2006.  My thoughts and memories of the two of them make Father's Day one of the best days of the year.  I thank my Heavenly Father every day for placing them in my life.  Have a wonderful day of celebrating your dad!


Because of Jesus,

The Never Ending Story

My Surprise 30th Birthday Party

Since I began writing this blog in August of 2009 I have talked about praying for God to show me what is next in my life of service to Him- when in fact He was already placing  me smack dab in the middle of it!  I have spent the last 4 years telling myself I am no longer a youth pastor, when in fact that is simply not true.  It's just that the "youth" are all adults now...


I have received a number of emails and other messages over the past few weeks that have reminded me that my life as a youth pastor is a never ending story.  In my mind the picture of what my student ministry looked like is very much like the one you see here.  I was surrounded by youth who cared about me, needed me and looked to me for support and guidance.  And you know what?  I still am.  Instead of gathering in a youth room, we now gather in a digital community.  Instead of stopping by my office to discuss dating problems or complain about their parents, now they e-mail to tell me about their marriages and their children.  People who are now older than I was in that picture write to ask for advice and to make prayer requests.  And they say (some spoken, some unspoken) that I will always be their youth minister.  While I was waiting for a new ministry, God was bringing me an old one.  


As I have reconnected with many of my old friends for youth group days gone by, God has been adding to my ministry through my new friends on Twitter.  They encourage me and pray for me. They have helped me to remember that my primary spiritual gift has always been that of encouragement, a gift I try to share with them and my old friends on a regular basis.  Through this great community of faithful friends- both old and new- I am rediscovering the person Jesus calls me to be.  I cannot praise God loudly enough for these old connections and new beginnings.  It's time to heed the words of Paul in Philippians 3:13-14-  "But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead,  I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus."  Or in the words of Bill Murray in the movie Meatballs- "FORWAAAAAAARD HOOOOOO!" I look forward to sharing the next chapter of this never ending story with all of you...


Because of Jesus,

What Does a Christian Look Like?

Jen & Erin Augenblick Shannon

Marilyn, Will & I had dinner this past Sunday night with Jun and Jennifer Minnigan Kuramochi at their home.  Jennifer (also known as Bob) was a Hall of Fame student in my youth ministry at 1st UMC- Kissimmee back in the 90s, and now they live about 5 miles from us here in Tampa.  It's always great to see them.  Bob made a wonderful dinner (featuring homemade crab cakes) and then beat us all at Trivia Pursuit (her punishment for beating me is this picture from her younger days- she's the crayon on the left!).  But it was Jun who really make my night when he told me the following story.  My memory may be a bit shaky because I was laughing so hard, but this is the general idea...


Jun & Jen help his parents operate a sushi restaurant in Clearwater, and they always have great stories about their customers.  On this occasion Jun (whose family is Japanese) was in the restaurant when he sneezed.  An older woman looked at him and asked him this awkward question: "What do you people say after a sneeze?"  Jun assured her that "God bless you" was fine.  She was a bit surprised, offering up the opinion that perhaps he would prefer "Buddha bless."  Seriously.  Jun then further surprised her by announcing that he was, in fact,  a Christian who attends church weekly and is part of a praise team.  Her response to that was this unbelievable statement:  "You don't look like a Christian..."


The 5 of us were laughing hysterically at this, and I immediately asked Jun if I could use his story.  But the more I thought about it, the more I began to wonder:  How many self-proclaimed Christians are out there profiling people as non-believers because of the way they look?  We don't wear uniforms, so how do you know a Christian when you see one?  I mean, what does a Christian look like, anyway?


This is not a new issue. In fact, the root of the problem goes back many generations.  My grandparents had a very clear image of what Christian should look like.  In those days, it was assumed that everyone went to church on Sunday- and that they wore "the uniform."  Conservative hair cut, no facial hair.  White shirt and tie (and most likely a jacket) for guys,  or a dress for the ladies.  White churches were all white, black churches were all black.  Anyone who didn't fit the image obviously didn't get it.  And they were shunned by the "good" Christians.  Later on, the standards changed but the judgement didn't.  Those with long-hair, tattoos, tattered jeans and sandals were considered ragamuffins. They were allowed in church, but never truly accepted.  And in far too many places church remained the most segregated hour of the week.  The uniform might have changed to khakis and polo shirts (or shorts and flip-flops here in Florida), but people were still judged by how they looked.


So where are we today?  What in the world would cause this lady to assume Jun was not Christian because he is Asian?  Let's just cut to the chase.  I believe our basic problem is that we expect Christians to conform to the expectations of "church people" rather than the person of Jesus.  I am a 51 year old white male who attends a church full of people who are very much like me.  Some are younger, some are older and some are from different ethnic backgrounds- but mostly they are like me.  I suspect most of you do the same.  If we are not careful, we begin to see all Christians- and Jesus- in our own image, when what we should be doing is re-making ourselves in the image of Jesus.  Now THAT would scare people!  Imagine being part of a church full of Jesus Freaks running around offering love, grace and mercy to everyone they meet!   How we dress, our age, the length of our hair, the color of our skin and nationality of our parents would cease to matter.  All that would matter is loving people as Jesus taught us to love.  Who cares what a Christian looks like;  Jesus already explained what a Christ-follower is like.  The team jersey that identifies us is found in John 13:35: "By this all men will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another."  It's pretty simple.  No dress code, no judgement- just love.  


By that standard, my friend Jun certainly "looks" like a Christian to me.  He and Jennifer welcomed my family into their home, fed us crab cakes and sat and shared stories both old and new for hours.  They showed us love.  Best.  Uniform.  Ever.


Because of Jesus,

Written On My Heart

Welcome to another CCM Thursday.  Let's get this straight right from the beginning- I don't like boy bands.  Even though in the mid-1990s A.J. from the Backstreet Boys had a number of direct connections to my youth group in Kissimmee, I was NEVER a BSB fan.  Even though I think Justin Timberlake is one of the 2 or 3 most talented people on the planet, I had no trouble telling N'Sync to go "Bye, Bye Bye."  I don't even know what NKOTB stands for. So in 2000 when I began to hear of a Christian boy band - Plus One - that was being put together, I couldn't have cared less. And that's the way it should have stayed...


Then my friends at Interlinc- THE source for new Christian music for youth pastors- included a Plus One song on one of their video loops.  I didn't mean to watch it.  It's all Interlinc's fault.  I certainly never intended to like it.  But Written On My Heart was just so catchy...   The kids had incredible voices and it was the #1 Christian song in the country for 2 months!  The video really spoke to me about telling the world how much Jesus loves us, and the lyrics are a wonderful reminder that God has loved us since before we were born.    Think about these lyrics:

You game me Your love,  lifted me up

Now I'm looking at forever 

when I never thought I'd ever see that far

You, you're in my soul wherever I go

Now I know right from the start

Your love was written on my heart

So go ahead.  Make fun of me.  Tell me to hand over my "Man Card" yet again.  At least it's not on my Ipod (OK, that's a lie- it IS on my Ipod, and I love it!).  But like I said last week about Testify to Love, this song is a guilty pleasure that gives me goosebumps every time I hear it because it is such a positive, upbeat testimony to the love of God.  So enjoy it.  And if you find yourself liking it more than you want to, don't blame me. Blame Interlinc!  :)

True Family

Nina, Justin, Cory & Zach at Portillos

At the conclusion of our 2004 mission trip we had scheduled in a day of sight-seeing and fun in Chicagoland before starting our trip back to Tampa.  I had several purposes in mind when I did this.  First, I wanted the youth to see a little of downtown Chicago. Secondly, one of our adults, Ross Hurt, was tacking a family vacation on to our trip.  His parents lived in Illinois and his wife (Kena, part of our Youth Ministry Team) and daughter were flying up to meet him.  In addition, Ed and Robin Smith (more of our YMT) and their twin girls were also in the area visiting Ed's famous sister.  So we would head downtown for the day, then drive out to my former stomping grounds in the western suburbs and spend the night in a motel.  One with actual beds...

Dinner Time!

We took a train downtown to Union Station and walked around a bit until we arrived at the Sears Tower.  We did the tourist thing and went to the top, soaking up the observation deck and the history of that amazing city.  Afterwards we all ate stuffed pizza for lunch at Giordano's.  Some of the girls knew of an H & M store on Michigan Ave, and so we began to search for it.  It turned into a death march.  We walked MILES before finding that silly store- but we did find it.  Then we headed back to the CSM site, picked up our van, and headed out to the suburbs for a night of relaxation before our long drive back to Tampa.

Ohana Means Family

We checked into our motel in Lombard, IL and immediately hit the pool.  We had a great time cooling off, harassing each other and just generally having fun together.  Then we headed across the highway to the Yorktown Mall (former home of the Veggietales studio) and a Chicago institution called Portillos.  Famous for Chicago-style hot dogs and Italian beef, it was an old favorite of mine.  It was also where we met up with the Hurts and the Smiths.  We had an amazing meal and a great time of fellowship.  It occurred to me as we were sitting there that this was what the family of God was all about.  We had adults, youth and babies sharing a meal together.  All of us had worked together in the name of Jesus.  We had given praise to Him and given ourselves to Him in worship.  We had played, prayed and broken bread together.  And the best part was we had done it all TOGETHER.  We were living Acts 2:42.  I can look at this group photo taken outside of the restaurant and KNOW that we loved each other in God's name- and that is amazing love indeed.

Ross and Bree

We almost ruined the whole thing by going to see the newly released Spiderman 2 that night- I fell asleep- but we eventually made it home.  I still have an orange t-shirt from the trip that was "customized" for me by Lexi and Christine (with messages of love) using paint from the synagogue work site.  Each time I wear it I am reminded of the best mission trip I ever led.  It may not be my favorite trip- but it was the best.


Because of Jesus,