The Hogwarts School of Youth Ministry

Bob in Spanish Wells, 1997

This post was first shared in May of 2014. I share it again on this Flashback Friday in it's original format (slightly edited) for a couple of reasons. One, I was recently asked once again how we were able to do all we did in our student ministries and this post is my favorite answer. Two, I wanted you to see the original comments. And three, I have been talking with a lot of old Kissimmee friends these past few weeks. It got me thinking about the good old days...

"Most folks these days don't have enough faith to see that God's magic is happening all around them..."

I have a dear friend named Jennifer Kuramochi. Some of you know her her Jennifer Minnigan; still others simply as Bob. You can read about her days in the youth ministries of the First United Methodist Church of Kissimmee in many posts on this site, including The Legend of Bob, which is her entry into my Hall of Fame! So anyway...Jen and I are still friends. We were talking a few weeks back and she was telling me that whenever she recounts stories from her youth group days people are often in disbelief of all that we were able to do. Her husband Jun just shakes his head in wonder at the fact that a church youth group was able to go places like Spanish Wells, New York City and Myrtle Beach- not to mention the speakers, the concerts, the mission trips and the day trips. We got a lot of that same reaction at the FUMC-K reunion last year. Jennifer told me that once when asked how we were able to do all that we did, she thought for moment and responded, "I'm not sure. I think maybe Carl was part Wizard!" 

One of my favorite places on Walt Disney World property was The Beaches and Cream Soda Shoppe. I remember not only the great meals and the oh-so-decadent banana split pictured here, but also all the times times we were there with so many old friends and youth groups. This, after all, was the home of the Disney Dash Ice Cream Bash! One of those memories concerns the time in 1993 a group of us from Springfield Friends Meeting headed over mid-afternoon one day to get an ice cream fix and wound up singing Hopelessly Devoted to the other patrons of the restaurant (click But Now for the whole story!). That memory got me thinking more about that amazing '93 trip to WDW, stories of which were told here on this blog under the label Magic Tour back in 2010- and it took me 20 posts! Each of the nearly 50 participants had a 5-day park hopper pass. We stayed at Disney's Caribbean Beach Resort. We ate at some of the finest restaurants on property, and saw both the Hoop-de-doo Musical Revue and Polynesian Luau dinner shows. We were special (and featured!) guests at Pleasure Island's Comedy Warehouse. Every day was amazing, and as Marilyn I sat talking on Saturday the words of Bob came ringing back to me. How did we do all that stuff? Maybe I was part Wizard...

Of course we know the truth. We were able to do all that we did and accomplish all that we accomplished because we were blessed by God to do these things in Jesus' name. All of the churches I served had the resources and gave us the freedom to dream, to be creative, and yes- to be MAGICAL with our youth ministry programming! But the adult leadership in each of those ministries deserves credit for this one thing- we believed the magic could happen! We had faith that amazing things could happen. We had the audacity to believe in the biblical directive to pray big prayers and dream big dreams. I learned early on from some brilliant mentors that youth ministry thrives when you live in the Possimpible (thank you, Barney Stinson)- that place where the possible and the impossible meet. There was no doubt in my mind that if we did those things, God could provide the supernatural- the MAGIC. I suppose you could say I attended the Hogwarts School of Youth Ministry! What I lacked in theological training I made up for in faith. I believed in what we were doing and never allowed nay-saying Muggles to steal our dreams. If I were indeed part Wizard, it was only in the sense that I never ruled anything out just because it seemed to be out of our reach or impractical. Big churches or small, we believed in trusting God to take us to places beyond our grasp- but firmly in His. There was never any doubt in my mind that God had great things in store for the churches I served a youth pastor. That's how we did great mission trips over my 28 years to places like DC, Chicago, Nashville, Tijuana and Spanish Wells. It's how we did ski trips, amazing weekend retreats, over a dozen NYC trips, took trips to see the Braves play baseball, spent weeks at Myrtle Beach and had

New York Trip in the early 1990s

amazing adventures together at WDW. It's how we hosted great bands like Spooky Tuesday, Sundry, Lost And Found and Geoff Moore & the Distance, and communicators like Curt Clonninger, Duffy Robbins, Mike Williams, Rick Bundschuh and Ted & Lee. It's how we did outrageous summer events, had awe-filled worship and built bonds that are still strong to this very day. It's how we changed lives! We didn't get everything right, and we had our share of mishaps. There were times when it became less about God's power and too much about me, and the ministry suffered. But even in the tough times, we never stopped believing in the magic of youth ministry to bring teenagers into the presence of God and into relationship with Jesus and with one another. And when our plans were filtered through a mission for Christ and magnified by God's love for us, all things were possible. 

Looking back now, I still can't explain how it all came together. I don't know how we paid for everything, I don't know how the plans came together so well, and I don't know why God blessed us in so many ways- other than we believed God would! I just know that for 28 years God kept sending waves, and instead of ducking and hiding we kept yelling SURF'S UP!!! It was indeed magical. And if that makes me part Wizard- probably more like the foul-up Mickey the Sorcerer than Harry Potter- so be it. The abiding lesson of the Hogwarts School of Youth Ministry? Never underestimate the awesome power of God to do things that are far beyond your reach. So tell me, fellow Christians- do you believe in that kind of magic? The church so often seems to be full of Muggles...

Because of Jesus,

One Very Long Decade

Ten years ago today I had loaded up my Ford Taurus station wagon and was leaving Tampa for my new ministry in Waycross, GA. My first few months in Waycross were going to be hard, as Marilyn and Will remained behind so Will could finish 5th grade at his school. Still, I was excited to see what new adventures God had in store for me. I stopped at the Tampa Christian Bookstore on my way out of town to pick up a few things for my new office, and while there I received a phone call from my Mom. My Dad, who had been very sick for a couple of months, had passed away. Obviously my plans changed and my trip was delayed as we took care of my Mom and dealt with Dad's passing. Ten years ago today. My Dad is such a huge part of who I am, and I still miss him every day. In some ways it doesn't seem that long ago. And in some ways it has been a lifetime. These have been 10 very long years...

Why so long? Let me count the ways! I survived 5 months without my family, but just barely. Thirteen months after Dad's death my life fell apart. I lost my ministry and for a short period of time my freedom. We moved back to Tampa, where from 2007-2009 I was basically a hermit, certain no one outside of my family really wanted to see me. I was unable to find a job and felt pretty useless. Through the support of some great friends and this blog, I began to bounce back. Then in 2012 I was diagnosed with diabetes and had the big toe on my left foot amputated. In 2013 I lost 2 more toes, this time from my right foot. I was dealing with not only the disease but some emotional turmoil in my personal life as well, and life just got difficult. But with lots of support, love and encouragement I made it through the rain.

And then came Sunday, August 16, 2015. My beloved dog Conner, who had been my constant companion through so much of the decade, passed away. On Friday of that same week my best friend, Lisa Jewett, was diagnosed with ovarian cancer. On Saturday, Will moved out of the house for the first time and into his apartment at the University of Central Florida. Since that week much of my life has been spent caring for Lisa, visiting doctors, spending nights in hospitals and trying to take care of myself at the same time. Sharing life with her has been a true blessing, and her good news last week brought a smile to my heart. And then on January 30 we received a call that my mother had been taken to a Hospice House. On February 5, my Mom died. And somewhere in the midst of the pain it occurred to me that these 10 years had come full circle. It has been a kidney stone of a decade in many ways. My prayer is that it has now passed.

The Apostle Paul once wrote that in the end, 3 things remain- faith, hope and love. And that has certainly been my recipe for survival. I could tell you that my faith in God has never wavered, but that would be a bold faced lie. I have doubts every day. But my faith has never left me. My friends and family have shown faith in me, even when I didn't deserve it. Faith has helped keep me afloat. And because of my faith and the faith others have shown me, I always have hope. Even in the darkest of times there is hope for a better tomorrow, and that hope is always present in my heart. I may be down, but never out. Life hurts, but there are reasons to persevere. There are people who have given me hope to carry on. And I am blessed.

And love? Love is everything. The past 10 years have taught me that whatever the question, love is the answer! All the Sunday school cliches- God is love, Jesus loves me, love one another- are all absolutely true. It becomes clearer to me each and every day that life is about understanding that I am loved by so many people in so many ways, and that sharing that love with others is what makes the world go 'round! I know so many of you love me. I hope you know how much I love you.

So here's to the next 10 years! May they be full of love, light and joy. And may the peace that passes all understanding fill out hearts so that we will never be content with merely surviving. Let's get out there and truly live!!!

Because of Jesus,

It Is Well

One of my favorite hymns of the church is the great classic It Is Well With My Soul.  Written by Horatio Spafford in 1871 after his family drowned at sea, it has been sung in churches for many years. It is a glorious reminder of the saving grace of Jesus Christ, even in the midst of our greatest struggles. It is a song of hope and perseverance. The song has lifted my spirits on the numerous occasions when I realize that I, like all humans. am a sinner saved by grace. It was the last hymn we sang my final Sunday at Springfield Friends Meeting in 1994; it was a song that brought me comfort at times of great personal darkness. The song is a brilliant reminder that Jesus loves not because of what we do or who we are, but in spite of those things.

Despite my head-knowledge of the love and grace of God, there are days when my heart still hurts. I imagine this is true for everyone. Yesterday we said our final earthly goodbyes to an old friend; already this morning I have hugged my friend Lisa who is staying with us as she goes through the hard days following her recent chemo treatment. Life can hurt. But God is ever present, and the love of God whose name is Jesus can bring us peace even in our pain. So today I have a challenge for you. Watch this very cool video (complete with lyrics) of a modern arrangement of the song by the great band Jars of Clay from their album Redemption Songs. If you listen to this song and feel a sense of true worship and a sense of thanksgiving for the sacrifice Jesus made for each of us, then take some time and praise Jesus on this Sabbath. If you don't feel those things, you may need to get your heart checked. I'm just saying...

Because of Jesus,

Waiting

In this life we spend a lot of time waiting- and almost as much time complaining about waiting. We, as a species, hate to wait! Lines at Walmart makes us crazy to the point that we cheat and get in the express lane with 21 items. We get impatient with traffic lights, yelling at them to change. We despise when it takes FOREVER (2.3 seconds) for a website to load. Even being put on hold ticks you off a little- admit it!  We hate to wait.

Growing up Quaker should have taught me a lot about waiting. The Friends Meeting I grew up in had periods of silence in which we waited on the Spirit to speak to each of us individually- and many weeks nothing happened. The Quaker camp I worked at for many years had quiet evenings on a hillside waiting for both the sunset and the presence of God. There were many lessons to be learned about patience and calm. But apparently I failed to learn them.

Nearly 30 years as a youth pastor should have gifted me with the patience of Job. In the church, people seldom do anything on time or in a timely manner. Parent's sign kids up late, kids show up late, church elders respond to your requests when it is too late- the list goes on and on. And then there is the matter of being patient with God's little puzzles that we call teenagers. They often surprise you when your expectations are low and often disappoint you when they are high. Without patience, the natural instinct would have been to abandon all hope. So you wait, and trust that God will use your efforts to make a difference in the long run. It has been said (often by me) that when you are in student ministry you never know if you had an impact on a student until after they have been gone from your ministry for 10 years. So you do your best...and you wait.

But all of that practice- all of the waiting- doesn't make it any easier to wait on God when we need answers. Scripture tells us that "they who wait upon the LORD will renew their strength (Psalm 8)" - which is a wonderful promise- but what are we supposed to do while we wait? Lately I have spent a lot of time in God's waiting room, and it has been a stressful experience. There have been prayers and waiting for signs of healing in a friend with cancer, and there have been no such signs. She is fading. So now we pray that God would release her from her pain and suffering...and we wait on that as well. Another friend with cancer is in the early stages of her fight, and we pray and wait and hope that the chemo treatments will work and she will be made whole again. I pray for miracles. We believe in God and we have faith in the doctors, but we still must wait for results. And it is just so hard. Many of you know that I find more theology in music than in theological teachings, and in this case it is Tom Petty who speaks the truth:

The waiting is the hardest part

Every day you see one more card

You take it on faith, you take it to the heart

But the waiting is the hardest part

So what should we do while we wait on the LORD? How do we survive something we hate doing so much? First of all, we need to wait expectantly. We wait on answers to prayer and on God's movement in our lives because we expect it to happen. It will seldom be in what we think is a timely matter- but it will happen in God's time. If we trust in the God who loves us and have faith in the people who love us and who love the people we love, then the waiting becomes much more tolerable. We must wait with the grand expectation that God has an answer- even when we have no idea what that answer may be. Secondly, we need to wait with a willingness to learn. We learn to persevere when things don't seem to be going our way. We learn that we worship a crock pot God, not a microwave God. We place things in God's hands with the understanding that it often takes time to learn the outcome- no matter how crazy that makes us. We learn that we can very seldom "fix" the things we wish could be fixed and that we are NEVER really in control of anything outside of our own actions. Solutions require help, often in the form of faith in something or someone else- or both. We don't like that, but we must learn it. Waiting can be frustrating, painful and scary. But it is also necessary. We wait for answers and we wait for new strength. And we hate every minute of it...

My son is coming home from college for the weekend and is arriving this morning. So I suppose I should get ready for his arrival- and then wait on him to get here. It just never ends, does it? Have a blessed weekend, my friends!

Because of Jesus,

Friends With Benefits

One night a while back while goofing around on Twitter I tweeted the following in an attempt to be funny: My friend has health insurance. I have a 401K. Does that make us friends with benefits? #ThingsThatMakeYouGoHmmm

Unless you have been hiding under a rock (not that there's anything wrong with that!) for the past decade or so, you know that is not what our society means by Friends with Benefits. There have been movies made, books written (both pro and con) and countless situations on situation comedies featuring the concept. If you don't know what it is, watch the early episode of The Bang Bang Theory in which Penny tries to explain the social construct to Sheldon. Then you'll be really confused! For now I'll just say that the benefit in question in the majority of those cases in sex. But that's not what I want to talk about today. The title may have reeled you in, but what I want to focus on today is not the idea of Friends with Benefits, but instead on a much more important concept- the Benefits of Friendship.

One of the great blessings of any life is true friendship. I was fortunate to discover as early as my junior high years what a true friend looks like. I became part of a group of people who both corporately and individually showed me the keys to being a good friend. And that key was trust. You see, we shared everything. We talked about relationships and sports. We shared dreams and disappointments. We told each other when we thought someone was messing up. We explained dirty jokes to each other when someone didn't "get it." We held each other accountable and laughed in the face of peer pressure. And we talked about God and our faith and our doubts. Most of those people- my first REAL friends- remain my friends to this day. And the group added more and more people as we got older. But I also discovered more friends with whom I could share everything as I moved from church to church, and as former youth morphed from their roles as students to a more important place in my life- friends. There is no greater blessing in life than friends and family. And then there are those very few people in our lives we love so much that the word FRIEND, even bold and in all caps, is not nearly big enough. But that's a post for another day...

There are many people who mistake acquaintances for friends. Facebook has done as much to devalue the word friend as the Apple Store has to devalue the word genius. A true friend is not someone you know or even someone you know about. Being able to tell you when you went on vacation, what you had for lunch and what you are watching on TV at any given moment does not make us friends. It makes us acquaintances. We know each other, but we don't KNOW each other...ya know? Being a true friend means getting your hands dirty and actually spending time sharing life with a person. It means opening you soul to them and being trustworthy enough that they do the same for you. For me, a true friend is less someone I see everyday and more someone I wish with all my heart I could see everyday! They are not the people I long to see only when things in my life are good, but the people I NEED to see when life gets rocky. One of the things that holds my life together in the midst of the storm is knowing there are so many people who have my back. True friends who see my mess, hear me cry and love me anyway. People who will tell me I'm an idiot even as they give me a hug. Go back to the concept of Facebook friends for a moment. How many of those people do you wish were your next door neighbors so you could share life with them everyday? Or better still, how many of them would you invite to live with you if they had such a need? There is nothing wrong with having lots of acquaintances. They add to our lives as well. But aside from knowing Jesus, there are few benefits in life that equal having true friends.

So why this rant today? Because I wanted remind myself- and you- that Michael W. Smith may have been wrong. Friends are not necessarily friends forever. Through faith, we can be brother and sister in Christ forever, sure. But to remain true friends we have to work at it. Friendship that is taken for granted can wither and die. Friendships that are only pulled out of the closet when we have special needs morph back into acquaintances. Friendships that are abused often end very badly and with a devastating certainty. There are few pains worse than losing a good friend, for any reason. But there is no excuse for losing a true friend because one of you just gives up on the other. Some of the most special friends in my life are people that I lost for a period of time and was left to wonder if our friendships were over, only to come back stronger than ever because neither of us quit on the other. Keep fighting for the friendships that matter to you. They are the best benefits around.

I have homework for you today. Make a list of the people who are your true friends- the people who you can talk to about anything, who know you inside out and love you anyway. The people your life would not be the same without. The people you wish you could see today. And them reach out to them. TODAY! If you can see see them, see them. If not, give them a call or a text. Tell them that this crazy guy you know told you to tell them that you are so thankful to have them as friend and that you want all of the benefits that come from your friendship. That ought to get a conversation jump started! Let them know they are treasured. I hope my friends already know that. But lately life keeps reminding me that every day is a day to take nothing for granted. So share the love today. Be well, my friends...and you too, acquaintances. :)

Because of Jesus,

Maybe Chicken Little Was Right...

Normally I am man of many words. But today I struggle to find the ones that truly express what I am feeling. This faulty post will have to suffice.

Our "Ohana"

One week ago today I wrote down my thoughts about Riding the Crazy Train. In that post I listed a number of bad things that were happening in my life recently and talked of a desire to follow the example of Dr. Sheldon Cooper and just jump a train and ride- to anywhere! My somber mood threw off many readers and old friends- they are so accustomed to "Sunny Side Up" Carl. Several voiced concern, and their thoughts were much appreciated. What they didn't know- and what I have not said- is that by late last Friday afternoon my world had gotten even darker as yet another piece of bad news rolled in. 

My dear friend Lisa Jewett- one of the people I love most in this world, someone I see and talk to most everyday- was told that she might have ovarian cancer. After a few days of worry tempered with hope and prayer, yesterday that diagnosis was confirmed. A scary road lies ahead for Lisa and her family, beginning with surgery on Monday. Will, Michelle, Marilyn and I are an adopted part of that family. Lisa is Marilyn's Disney buddy and Will's other mom. She, Marilyn and I eat dinner together far more often than we don't. We watch TV shows together- including some I would be embarrassed to admit- via text messages. We are truly Ohana. And while we believe that God is in control and we have faith that the doctors will do what is needed- all of us are scared too. And I am left to question if my crazy train analogy from last week went far enough. Maybe Sheldon wasn't the right source of inspiration. Perhaps I should have turned to the great philosopher Chicken Little- because it does indeed feel like the sky is falling. Words cannot tell you what she means to me, but this goes even beyond our love for her. Lisa becomes the third of my friends, all under the age of 55, to currently be battling cancer. There are times in each of our lives when circumstances feel overwhelming. That point is currently in my rear view mirror and things just keep feeling more out of control. If you think there are some cracks in my faith - the source of all my hope - you are right. If you think I am pissed at the universe, you win again. I yelled at God last night. It wasn't the first time and it won't be the last. Fortunately, God understands, loves and forgives. God is so much bigger than our anger and so much bigger than the storms in our lives. And it's far better to be yelling at God in the darkness than to have no one in the darkness at whom to yell. 

Far too many of us know firsthand that Cancer Sucks. Please pray for Lisa, and feel free to leave a comment letting her know that you care. Pray for your friends, my friends and everyone touched by that horrible disease. And more than ever, take time today to tell the people you love just how much you love them. Hold nothing back. Take nothing for granted. Enjoy every sandwich. And remember- and please keep reminding me - that in the end, God wins! Always...

Because of Jesus,

Searching for Answers

"I would take no for an answer, just to know I heard You speak..."

Many of you know that over the past few weeks it's felt like the universe has been punching me in the gut on a regular basis. Lately I've been praying some pretty specific prayers about the things going on in my life and how God wants me to deal with them. The #NarrowRoad has become a little bit of an out-of-control roller coaster that is no longer simply exciting- it's making me nauseous. I'm praying to feel the leading of the Holy Spirit, to be open to how to deal with with all of these body blows. And to be completely honest, I'm just not getting any answers- that I'm aware of. Now I spent enough years teaching and preaching about prayer to know that God answers all prayers. I am fully aware of the sermons that teach us that there are 4 answers we may get. They all seem to follow this basic format:
1) NO- Sometimes God just says no, and we have to get over it and trust that God knows best.
2) SLOW- Sometimes God wants us to be patient and to wait on whatever it is we are asking for.
3) GROW- Sometimes God has areas of of our spiritual life that He wants to see mature before giving us what we ask for.
4) GO-  Sometimes God simply says YES!

It is entirely possible that I am getting the SLOW or GROW answer from God and that I just don't want to hear it. But what it feels like to me is that God is backed up with prayer requests and that mine is not getting past the secretary. Anyone else ever feel that way?  

"Now I'm not looking for burning bushes or some divine graffiti to appear..."

I know better than to expect God to spell it all out for me. Jesus' disciples never had a clue what the plan was for them- why should I be any different? God likes to make us search, because there is much to be learned in the process. It's just that sometimes in my life- like right now- I want answers. More specifically, I want God's answers. Sometimes I wish He was a CEO, so I could file a plan and He could accept it or reject it. Or maybe if I could just send God a text to make sure I'm going the right way. But that's not how it works. God wants me to discover what He has coming up next in my life, not file my plan with Him. And no matter how hard I search, I cannot find the home office. I know that Jesus is all the proof I should need that God loves me and will take care of me, but I struggle with wanting more. It's like Chris Rice wrote in his amazing song (all the quotes in this post are from it) Smell the Color 9:

"Cause I can sniff, I can see, and I can
count up pretty high; but these faculties
aren't getting me any closer to the sky,
but my heart of faith keeps poundin' so
I know I'm doin' fine but sometimes findin'
You is just like tryin to smell the color nine."

You know what? I lied. I do want a burning bush. I want a GPS and crystal clear road signs on the #NarrowRoad. I want to know God's will in my life, and I want to know it now. My friends and family with heath issues need answers. My friends who are lonely need answers. I want a return text message from God giving us life directions. But I'm not going to get it. There is a great mystery to following God and putting our lives in Jesus' hands. It is in many ways a trip into the unknown, one of the scariest places there is for human beings. That's why we call it faith- the evidence of things unseen. We want control and we try desperately to hang on to it. We want to fix things and we ask God to help us. But in fact, real prayer is about letting go of control and trusting God totally. So I'll keep praying, and trust that the answers will come. Until then, I'll just keep trying to smell the color 9... 

"Nine's not a color, and even if it were you can't smell a color.

No, that's my point exactly..."

Because of Jesus,

P.S. Happy birthday to Jillybean & Heather BBBB.  August 25th is forever etched in my brain because of you two!

Along the #NarrowRoad

It has been written here and many other places that one of the great lies of the Prosperity Gospel is that if you follow Jesus and walk the #NarrowRoad then life will be all rainbows and unicorns. You will be blessed with wealth, health and fame. There will be no suffering and sorrow. The preachers and churches who pedal such crap attempt to sell life with Jesus here on earth as if it were a preview of Heaven. It's not. We do not live our lives in the paradise that once was (the Garden of Eden) or in the paradise the someday will be. We live in the real world- and in the real world, sh*t happens. Even when Jesus is walking with us. This is a concept that should require no biblical proof-texting. The Messiah said it plain and simple- "In this world you will have troubles..."

The very first post ever made to this blog quoted the late Dan Fogelberg's wonderful song Along the Road. I share those words again today:

Joy at the the start, fear in the journey, 

Joy in the coming home

A part of the heart gets lost in the learning

Somewhere along the road

For me, there is no better description of the #NarrowRoad. I write today with my eyes still watering every time I think about the passing of my beloved dog Conner this past Sunday. I pray daily for friends who are suffering with disease and heartache, and a part of that prayer is often "Why, God?" There is great joy in our friendships, and great fear and sorrow in their pain. Feeling those things is not a lack of faith, it is a human reaction to the human condition. Following Jesus does not and should not anesthetize us into some sort of zombies for Christ. We are emotional beings, and we were created that way by God. If you know any scripture at all, then chances are good that you know that "Jesus wept." And so do we.

So if walking the #NarrowRoad doesn't provide us fame, fortune, health and constant happiness, then why bother with it? Are we just trying to insure our spot in Heaven, or is there a more concrete earthly reason why life is better when spent with Jesus? I believe there is- and I believe that reason is HOPE. This life is still filled with potholes, but Christ-followers walk in hope with the knowledge that we never face them alone. Dan wrote that "moments of rest and glimpses of laughter are treasured along the road." Even when there is pain, there can be peace. Even when there is loss, there is still hope. Those are the secrets of the #NarrowRoad.

So today you have homework. Take 4 minutes out of your schedule and watch the video below. Enjoy the beauty of the pictures, but don't get lost in them. Get lost in the lyrics. Think about your own journey as you hear Dan sing about the trail. And know this- no matter where you may wander, Jesus is always there to "level and light your way." You want to know the real Prosperity Gospel? God's love NEVER fails us- even when we hurt. Have a blessed day, and enjoy the journey.

Doomsayers vs. Doomslayers

The concepts of "Doomsayer" and "Doomslayer" contained in this post came from some notes I had in a very old file. I would love to give credit to the original speaker, but I simply don't know who it was. I can only say, "Thank you" and praise God for the inspiration all of these years later...

More and more these days I read articles and blogs that seem to take a negative view of our future here on planet earth. They are worried about the end of the world, terrorism, our economy and so much more. Just yesterday I received an email explaining that the prophets foretold the world will end while Obama is President so that history can record that he is to blame. Huh? If the world ends who will record history? There are actually people out there who this minute are worried about the Zombie Apocalypse or an alien invasion. It's crazy! But anyway... Much of this writing comes from people who call themselves Christians, and this concerns me. At a time when so much of the world has become consumed with the end of times and being Doomsayers, we who know Jesus should be positioning ourselves as Doomslayers. While others find their hearts hardened with fear, hatred and distrust, we need be a people who have had our hearts (to borrow a phrase from G.K. Chesterton) "hardened with hope." If those who believe in a risen Christ do not have hope how can we expect anyone else to? Just recently I had a longtime believer write to me talking about how evil this world is, and that there seems to be no hope for good. Her point was that "things are bad now, and will only get worse. We don't know what the future holds."  

Actually... YES we do!

We know exactly what the future holds. Paul wrote that there is nothing- NOTHING!- "that can separate us from the love of God that is Christ Jesus our LORD." We know that whatever we may face, the power of the Cross can meet the challenge. We may not know where the twists and turns our journey here on earth may lead us, but we know where the road ends. God wins! We may not see what the future holds, but we know WHO holds the future. And in that future, these things are true:
* The lion will lie down with the lamb.
*  The wicked will cease their troubling.
*  The weary will find rest.
*  There will be no more tears, no more sorrow, no more hatred.
*  There will be no more hunger and no more war.

So in this world of Doomsayers, it is time for the Church to rise up and be the beacon of hope that Jesus wants us to be. We need to help our friends and neighbors discover the abundant life now (John 10:10) and the eternal life forever (John 3:16). It's time to be a Doomslayer! How? Like this...

• To those who feel weary and unloved, we say, "Jesus loves me- this I know!"
• To those who feel lost, we say, "Jesus is the Way, the Truth and the Life."
• To those who have lost faith, we say, "Jesus is the same today, yesterday and forever!"
• To those who put their faith in a political party or movement, we say, "There is only one King of Kings and LORD of Lords who guides us."
• To those who have lost their joy, we sing, "Joy to the world!  The LORD is come!"
• To those who have lost hope, Jesus says "Come to me, and I will give you rest...and peace."

Far too many of us stand in church each weekend and sing "Our God Saves" or "Our hope is built on nothing less than Jesus' blood and righteousness," and then go out and live our lives in the chains forged by the Doomsayers. It's time to pick a side. Will we join the mighty chorus of doom that is echoing through our land? Or will will join the great cloud of witnesses proclaiming in a loud and mighty voice, "Tis so sweet to trust in Jesus" and carrying his overwhelming message of hope to our communities. I cannot speak for anyone else, but as for me, I choose to harden my heart with hope. I choose to be a Doomslayer.  I choose Jesus.

Because of Jesus,

Remembering Posey

Posey & Marilyn

One year ago today, at 8:24 pm, my father-in-law Posey Steele went home to be with Jesus. He was 88 years old. He fought hard for 8 days after taking after a terrible fall the previous weekend and suffering a severe head trauma, but it was time for him to go to "the mansion prepared for him" by his Savior. He left behind Marie, his wife of 67 years; daughters Marilyn, Linda and Carol; grandchildren Spring and Will; and great-grandchildren Danielle, Evan and Ryder as well as other extended family members. But to stop with his family would be to miss out on the wonder of Posey. He left behind the town of Elkin, NC, where it seems most everyone knew him from his days as a mail carrier, his retirement days working at the local Food Lion grocery store or his regular stops to have a biscuit with his boys at a local eatery. He left behind his beloved Poplar Spring Baptist Church, where he he served many roles over the years including that of deacon and faithful member of the choir. And perhaps most importantly he left behind a legacy of stories and memories for everyone who ever knew him. We all take comfort in knowing that Posey lives on in our hearts and minds because there will ALWAYS be one more Posey story to tell! He is missed. But we are confident that because of the grace and mercy of the love of God whose name is Jesus, we will see him again. And he'll probably be watching wrestling...

As we prepare for a few family days at the beach, I ask for prayers for the entire Steele family, but especially for Posey's loving wife, Marie. Losing a loved one is never easy; losing a spouse after 67 years is almost unimaginable. Her faith is strong, but her body is weak and her loss is great. It still hurts. Please lift her into the Light and ask God to give her strength as she carries on. We shall continue to lean on your prayers and a faithful God in the coming days. Be well, my friends.

Because of Jesus,

Get Out of the Boat

We have spent over 6 months talking about what it is like to try and live life on the #NarrowRoad. At least one answer we have come to is this- it ain't easy! There are challenges to following Jesus, both in our daily walk and on our long-term spiritual journey. But if we think following Jesus on dry land is tricky...

In Matthew 14 we read of the time Jesus walked on water. There was great surprise and even some fear on the part of the disciples in the boat he was was walking towards- they thought he was a ghost!- despite all they all previously witnessed from him. But once his identity had been established and their fears calmed, Simon Peter did what Simon Peter always did- he tried to jump to the front of the line. "Lord, if it's really you, tell me to come to you on the water." When the Master replied, "Come" Peter was off and walking. What a moment earlier had seemed impossible was now being done by the official screw-up of the 12. He took several steps on the water before it occurred to him that this was actually pretty ridiculous. He was walking on freakin' water!!! He panicked and began to sink before Jesus reached out to save him (because that's what he does). The Messiah asked Peter why he had doubted and had so little faith, and there is no record of Peter's reply. But I know what mine would have been. "Little faith? Dude, I just walked on water. You say little faith- I say 3 steps no one besides you has ever taken before! I may have stumbled, but at least I got out of the boat. You called and I came to you in the waves. I ROCKED IT!" What had just happened was amazing and they all knew it. Which is why in verse 33 they bowed in worship, saying "truly you are the Son of God!" 

Whether on dry land or in the water, life on the #NarrowRoad was never meant to be safe and humdrum. Jesus calls us all to be different, to be radical and to be risk takers. It is indeed very difficult to walk on water if you never leave the boat. What does it look like for Christians to metaphorically get out of the boat? It means loving people the world doesn't love. It means giving up things that are important to us so that others may be blessed. It means that when Jesus says "come to me" that we go- no matter where that leads us. Just like with Peter, taking the first steps to do these things will scary. We may sink. Sure, we can stay in the boat, go to church on Sundays and be safe in our faith. But we are warned in the Revelation of John that being lukewarm is a really bad thing. Being lukewarm- having a half-a**ed faith- can get you "spewed out of God's mouth." We are called to go for it, to dive into life with the Savior. We will fail if we think we can do it on our own. But walking with Jesus, we can accomplish the improbable. We will no doubt stumble at times. But stumbling is better than sitting in the boat. I want to take those steps. I want be able to scream to the heavens, "I am not Jesus, but I seek to be like him. I took 3 steps. WOOHOO!!!" And if I keep my eyes on Jesus, perhaps I really can do things I never dreamed possible.

What boat do you need to step out of today? Where (or to what) is Jesus calling you that you are afraid to go? Who is Jesus calling you to love today that makes you feel uncomfortable? If our lives on the #NarrowRoad makes us feel all safe and comfortable, chances are good we have wandered off the path again. Get out of the boat. And then trust in Jesus to carry you through the storms.

Because of Jesus,

Jesus Takes Care of the Rest

Keith Green

"You just keep doing your best, and pray that it's blessed,

and Jesus takes care of he rest!"

My senior year in high school (1976-77) I became friends with a dynamo of a freshman girl named Sandra Payne. She and her friends adopted me as their big brother (actually the 7 of them called me Snow White- but that's a story for another day!) and Sandra's family treated myself and my friend Steve as if we were relatives. It still, even some 39 years later, feels funny to call her Sandra. Everyone knew her as Punky. Punky Payne. Among the many things she brought into my life that year was my first introduction to what is now known as Contemporary Christian Music. She played albums for me by artists like Evie, Amy Grant and Keith Green. One of the Keith Green songs she played over and over was called He'll Take Care of the Rest. And just for Punky (wherever she may be) that song is my devotional for today!

Keith Green was truly one of the pioneers of early modern Christian music. As with most of his peers, he saw music as a ministry more than entertainment, and his concerts were often accompanied by some serious preaching. He and his wife Melody were the founders of Last Days Ministries. In 1982, while flying over some land that had been purchased for the purpose of expanding the ministry, Keith and 11 others were killed in a plane crash. His death at such an early age left an huge hole in the ministry of the church, and he is still missed today. He remains an inspiration to many of today's artists and ministers.  

He'll Take Care of the Rest was not one of Keith's best known songs, even back in 1977 when it appeared on his first solo album For Him Who Has Ears To Hear. It would have been easy to pick a more popular (yet still seldom heard in today's world) Green song, such as Asleep in the Light, So You Wanna' Go Back To Egypt or You Put This Love In My Heart. But He'll Take Care of the Rest holds a special place in my heart- in part because of Punky, and in part because it is a reminder that God often calls the unwilling to do the improbable. In many ways that feels like my story too. It is a reminder that God doesn't always call the equipped; sometimes God equips the called. Plus, this song is just flat out fun. So enjoy it, and then go check out more of Keith Green's story online.  You will be inspired. This one's for you, Punky. And just so you know- among the 7 dwarfs she was Dopey.  :)

Because of Jesus,

I'm No Good On My Own

"I'm so thankful that I'm incapable of doing any good on my own..."

We live in a society that is performance based. Our self-worth is often tied to our accomplishments. We identify ourselves more by what we do than by who we are. We encourage people to "make something of themselves." And we so often take this attitude with us into our spiritual journey. We approach the #NarrowRoad the same way we would approach climbing Mount Everest. If WE train hard enough, prepare enough and do all the right things then we can reach our destination. Living life with Jesus becomes just another thing we can accomplish if we will just put in the effort. And then, were we ever to achieve our goal, WE would claim the victory. Well friends, I have some good news for you today, and it's an important lesson of the #NarrowRoad. It ain't about you. It's all about Jesus. And I, for one, am thankful for the knowledge that it is- thankful that I am no good on my own!

Walking with Jesus does not require us to bring a GPS, a walking stick, supplies and our very own "can do" attitude. Following Jesus requires us to give up. To surrender. To acknowledge that he is charge and that we have not chance of salvation without him. Of course there are things expected of us as we learn from our Guide, but that is very different from a belief that we can plow our own road and find out own way. We cannot. 

One of my favorite bands is Caedmon's Call, and one of my favorite songs of theirs is Thankful. It expresses far better than my words the joy we should find in the knowledge that there is nothing we can do to make God love us more and nothing we can do make God love us less. We just need to praise God for the gift of grace and the salvation that comes with it. None of us are good enough on our own. All of us are good enough with Jesus. And for that, today and everyday, I am thankful! Enjoy the song, and celebrate your neediness.

Because of Jesus,

Flashback Friday: These Times

With everything going on in the world around us, the time seems right to share this post again- if only for my own sake. Sometimes a Flashback Friday is a great excuse to say something important for a second time...

A couple of years ago I was watching the VH1 Top 20 Video Countdown with my wife and son when we encountered one of the most uplifting, hopeful and spirit-filled songs I have heard in a very long time. The band is called SafetySuit. I cannot speak to the religious convictions of the band members. It is is not "Christian" music. But if you are a Christ-follower, this song speaks to the condition of so many of those around you. People are hurting.Times are hard. And one of the most precious commodities the church has to offer is hope. If you are in student ministry and have not yet built a message around this song, then get busy. This video will inspire you, because whether intended or not, Jesus is all over it, just oozing from each frame.  It is my hope that it will move you as much as it did me. So here is the official music video for These Times...

"Throw up your hands and believe it. These times are hard.  But they will pass..."


Because of Jesus,

How To Ruin A Teenagers Faith

Strangely, encouraging this did not make the list!

WARNING: This Vintage Post contains sarcasm and overreaching general assumptions! Read with caution!


Anyone who spends anytime around middle school and/or high school students knows that they face many challenges in their day-to-day lives. Some of those challenges involve their faith. They are deciding who they believe, what they believe and how to live out those beliefs in the world they live in. You would expect the church to be at the forefront of helping these fragile followers of Jesus discover their true selves. And often it is. But on occasion the church (and the adults who "make the rules") actually provides more confusion than help. Today I want to take a look at 5 rules we use to turn teenagers away from God and towards a Double-Life Faith where they simply go through the motions of Christianity. These rules can also apply to new adult believers, so beware!

#1)  They must dress differently for church than they do for anything else. In my early days as a youth pastor most students were still being coerced into wearing their "Sunday Best" to every event at church- from weddings to worship. I myself wore a tie on Sunday for years and wore one on almost no other occasion. I was always told this was because we should wear our best for God, but I have come to believe it was a disguise we wore in the hopes that Jesus would not recognize us on Sunday after the way we had behaved all week...
#2)  They must talk differently at church than they do anywhere else. It's important for church youth to learn to speak in a language no one can explain. I'm not talking about the swearing- that probably should be different. I'm talking about "Christianese." At church, they can tell you that a worship service was"Spirit-filled," or that someone was "Saved" or "washed in the blood of the Lamb"- and give you a "Hallelujah" or an "AMEN" to back it up.  If you ask a youth at school on Monday how the church service was, about the best you can hope for is "whatever." We teach them to describe their faith journey in a language they will never use outside of church.
#3)  They must learn that we don't talk about "those things" at church. Teenagers must learn that some subjects are just unsuitable for church. Jesus may be LORD of All, but he obviously cannot deal with subjects like sex and evolution. If students hear often enough that "we don't talk about that here," then guess what? They'll quit talking about it with you and with God- and go back to gathering their info from the highly enlightened 17 year old who lives next door. Muuuuuch better....
#4)  They must learn to act differently at church than they do everywhere else. At church it is important to act happy and be nice. You must pretend to share a fashion sense (see #1) and musical tastes with people 4 times your age. As a real life teenager, your job is to be moody, grumpy and occasionally outright Gothic. Learning to pretend you are someone different at church than you are in real life is the basis of a good Double-Life Faith.
#5)  They must learn that Christians are perfect, and so are they! At church, you never admit sin, defeat or failure, because everyone knows that Christians are perfect. Those sins you committed during the week are best hidden away on Sunday, because goodness knows Jesus doesn't want to hear about them. If our kids hear often enough that our goal is to get to heaven, and that heaven is for perfect people, then they will understand the need to NEVER confess their sins- at least not when anyone in the church might hear them. Grace?  That's for losers...


History has shown us that if we teach these things well when our kids are young, we can be fairly certain that they will grow up believing that Jesus is "that one guy who lives in that one building." They will have learned that faith has no place in the real world, and that God lives in a tiny little box kept under the pulpit. They will have learned to live a Double-Life Faith. It is a lesson far too many adults have learned far too well- and now they know how to play church. Want to ruin the faith of a teenager? Maybe you should just send them to church. It's time to stop the madness. It's time to get real with our kids about faith. Quit giving them "church." Start giving them Jesus. And one more thing. Don't tell them how important they are and then not bother to learn their names or care about anything they are interested in. I'm just sayin'...


Because of Jesus,

It Was THE Manic Monday...

Yesterday I was joking on Twitter about what the disciples were doing on the afternoon of the resurrection. I suggested they probably had to attend a committee meeting; a friend countered with the hilarious yet poignant reminder that they would have needed to elect a new treasurer to replace Judas. That started me thinking about what that afternoon- and the day that followed- were like for the remaining 11 disciples. And those thoughts brought me to this one. I grew up in North Carolina, where the official state holiday for Easter was always Easter Monday. When I was young, it meant a day off from school and and so I never questioned it. But as I grew older I found this tradition to be quite strange. There are 6 weeks of Lent, including Ash Wednesday, Holy Week, Goof Friday and the actual celebration of Easter. Yet for some reason they used an extra day to invent an official holiday on which to acknowledge this high holy day. Easter Monday.

As I think back on that from this point in my life, I see it all differently. What actually happened on the first Easter Monday? What was going on in the lives of the people in Jerusalem as word spread that the tomb was empty and Jesus had been spotted walking about? I have a feeling it effected people in very different ways. But with apologies to The Bangles, this was not just another manic Monday. This was the MANIC MONDAY! Consider the following possibilities...

* The Jewish leaders had to be more nervous than a censor at rap concert. Their Roman overlords had given them the "Jesus Problem" to deal with, and then crucified him at their request. This rumor that he was still alive and ready to cause more trouble for the Empire was bound to bring down the full wrath of Caesar on the Pharisees if they didn't put an end to it quickly. Heads were going to roll. And you just KNOW that Pilate was getting a major "I told you so!" from his wife.

* The disciples had to be more confused than usual. They believed he was resurrected; they had seen him, touched him, talked with him. But given their track record, I have to believe that they had no idea yet what it meant. Was Jesus finally going to throw the Romans out? Would they keep traveling around as a team, with Jesus teaching and them providing support? And most of them had deserted him when things got tough. Did he even like them anymore? They had probably not been that confused since the Master started doodling in the sand...

* The Roman guards had to be miserable. You can just hear their statements to the TMZ reporters of the day. "Of course he was dead. We wouldn't have taken him down if he wasn't dead. We're not idiots!" And then from the guards at the tomb- "We never left our posts, and that boulder we put in front of the entrance was enormous! It's not our fault! What were we supposed to do, tell the freakin' angels not to move the rock?" I am sure if it happened today either President Obama, aliens or Kanye West would be blamed. And it would probably be Kanye's fault...

* And then there were the average citizens- people like you and I. The ones who yelled "Hosanna" on Palm Sunday and "Crucify him!" a few days later. How did they respond on Easter Monday? As the stories spread that this man Jesus had beaten death, did they believe or treat it like a National Enquirer headline? Were his radical teachings about peace, love and forgiveness suddenly more than just words, or was he still just another wacko street preacher? Were they now ready to truly believe?

For me, those questions are at the root of what Easter Monday should be all about. We know the entire story, from beginning to end. We know the teachings of the man and glory of the King. We know the facts. So the question for each of us, as it was for Peter and everyone else on that first Easter Monday, has not changed. Who do we say that Jesus is? If after the miracle of the resurrection you can't answer with confidence that he was and is the living God, then you may never be able to answer with assurance. He beat death so that we might live. He restored us to a right relationship with the One who created us. Today is a day to BELIEVE and to change the way we live our lives. Today is the day to cling to our risen Savior and never let go again. Maybe NC had it right all those years ago.  Maybe we should recognize Easter Monday- as a day when we recommit to the One we claim to follow. How will you celebrate today?

Because of Jesus,