Remembering a princess

Unless you live in a cave, you have probably heard that today is the 10th anniversary of the death of Princess Diana. For weeks there have been specials, concerts, and so much more. Our world celebrates the life of a woman whose fame resulted from her fortune and the fact that she was born into the right family and married the right person. Estimates say that almost a billion people watched her wedding in 1981 and around 2.5 billion people watched her funeral ten years ago.

I want to acknowledge that Diana did some good things with her life and position. She did charity work that gained recognition for causes such as AIDS and land mines.

What troubles me is that while the media is saturated with stories and features about Princess Diana, I am hearing very little about another woman who died ten years ago.

On September 5, 1997, only five days after Diana, Mother Teresa died at the age of 87.

Here is a woman who left home at the age of 18, never to see her family again. She lived a life of poverty (according to the world's standards). She lived among the sick and dying. She invested her life in helping those who no one else would help. I could write a book about the things this humble woman did with her life.

My issue is not as much with these two women as much as it is with how the world is reacting today. While the world remembers and celebrates a woman whose life consisted of things such as money, privilege, divorce, adultery, and world travel, most people overlook a woman who truly brought the Kingdom of God into this world.

Imagine how different the world could be if young women would aspire to be Mother Teresa instead of Princess Diana. Imagine if instead of focusing on marrying a prince, young women would want to commit their life to the Prince of Peace. Imagine a world where women would forget about crowns full of jewels and strive for the Crown of Life. Just imagine...

How fitting that on a weekend when most Americans forget about the reason many people have an extra day off on Monday, we also forget about the labor of a woman who dedicated her life to helping the untouchables of this world. May God have mercy on us for not hearing His words more...

“You know that the rulers in this world lord it over their people, and officials flaunt their authority over those under them. But among you it will be different. Whoever wants to be a leader among you must be your servant, and whoever wants to be first among you must become your slave. For even the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve others and to give his life as a ransom for many.” (Matthew 20:25-28)

shine!
Jason

What church should be

I love the Rochester Church. Last night our entire church family gathered in the Family Room to pray together as the school year starts. Students prayed for parents, students, and teachers. Teachers prayed for students. Parents prayed for each other. It was such an encouraging time and it reminded me of what church is supposed to be.

Church should not be something we do or somewhere we attend. Church should be who we are. Church should be a loving family of all ages helping each other along the journey.

Too often church becomes this ministry and that ministry, a collection of special interest groups who gather in their corners. Don't get me wrong. Different age groups and various parts of the family need time to sort through their own unique issues. But it must never stop there.

For example, if youth ministry is just teenagers gathering in the basement every week to sing their songs and talk about their lives, something huge is missing. They need the larger church body. They need to know they are loved by senior citizens, parents, teachers, young adults, and even children. They need to know that church is more than their youth group. They need to hear the words of those who have gone before them. They need to listen to the stories of those who are further along in the journey.

In today's world of "church for my special group"  I am afraid that gatherings like last night don't take place often enough.

Now I am the first to admit that the students in the youth group at Rochester aren't always excited about times when they come upstairs to gather with the rest of the church. Last night wasn't the first time I heard, "We're not downstairs tonight? Ugh!" I understand that feeling. But I imagine that years from now (and maybe even sooner) many of those students will appreciate and remember the night that their parents, teachers, and other adults, laid hands on them and prayed over them.

The church should be a place where followers of Jesus of all ages come together to experience life and help each other along the way. Let's work on getting out of our comfortable little special interest ghettos and strive to be the family of faith God intended us to be in the first place.

shine!
Jason

Why am I in ministry?

Last night as I sat in my grad class discussing and thinking about ministering to families, this question surfaced in my mind: What is it that draws me to ministry? In addition to my love of God, my desire to serve Him and my love for people, why is it that I had dedicated my life to ministering to youth and their families?

The more I thought about it, the more I started to get a pain inside. I was taken back to my youth and I remember how lost I often felt. It's funny how when we often look back on our teen years we only remember the good stuff. But last night as I reflected back a lot of the reality of those years came to the surface.

I remember struggling to figure out who I was.

I remember wanting someone, anyone frankly, to accept me for who I was.

I remember sitting in classes, so distracted by my loneliness that I was oblivious to my surroundings.

I remember writing poems trying to vent some of the hurt on the inside.

I remember wanting a girlfriend just to give me some sort of identity.

I remember even more that I don't want to share right now.

I know that times have changed. And what scares me so much is that today's teenagers often face even more loneliness and pain than I experienced. Sure, they often hide it well from us adults, but the reality is that they have been abandoned by us.

So as I think about why I am in ministry, I think a part of it is to deal with my own issues from my teenage years. I hope that in some small way I can help parents and students find common ground. Navigating adolescence is hard for the parent and teenager. The parent wants to desperately hold on to his or her child while also acknowledging this child is becoming their own person. The teenager desperately wants to find himself or herself while still knowing that there is a safe place called home where there is unconditional love.

This dance called adolescence was not always a pleasant experience for me. There were many lonely times filled with hurt and pain.

There is no one who will go through life without experiencing pain and difficulties, but my prayer is that I will be able to help someone find a path on the journey where the pain is diminished and they have a better glimpse of the abundant life Jesus promises us.

shine!
Jason

I've got it all wrong

I am so selfish.

I can't count how many times I look at a situation or relationship and ask, "What's in it for me?"

The more I get to know God and His unselfish nature, the more I come face-to-face with my own selfishness. What can my wife do for me? What can I get out of my ministry? What will this person or that person do for me? What will I get in return if I (fill in the blank).

I hate this part of me. It reeks of sin. It drives me crazy. It makes me angry.

I don't think I am a horrible person. Or, maybe I am. But I am a sinner washed by the blood of Jesus. I was really convicted today by something I read for my grad class:

Stanley Hauerwas has argued that we always marry the wrong person. That is, we never marry the one we thought we were marrying - because marriage changes us. So you wake up one day and realize that the person next to you is not the person you committed your life to five years ago. Of course, you are not the same person either... Nobody ever chose to marry a person who is addicted to alcohol, or who develops a terminal illness. But sometimes you wake up in a marriage and that is the person you've got. Being a parent is like that too. Parents never get the children they thought they were giving birth to... What we need, when we marry or have a child, is some means of turning our fate into our destiny. As Christians, our faith provides us the means to live together as parents, children, husbands, and wives. Just as we didn't choose Samson or Sarah to be our grandparents in faith, so we didn't choose Jesus to be our savior. He came to us, not the other way around. (John 15:16) (W.H. Willimon, 1996)

Why do we so often convince ourselves that life is about us? What makes us arrogant enough to believe the world revolves around us? In a word, sin. More specifically, I believe it's pride.

It started in the Garden of Eden, continued at the Tower of Babel, and hasn't ceased yet. It is a disease human beings suffer from constantly.

We may not always get what we bargained for in life. I know I haven't. I didn't sign up for the deal where my mom died in a car accident before her grandson was born. I didn't expect to lose my mother-in-law to cancer four months after that.

There are very few things I am 100% sure of in life. But I am convinced that life is more about how I react to the situations I encounter than complaining about them. God never guaranteed a life without problems. He called me into a life where I bear the burdens of others and they do the same for me. He asks me to join Him in the plan of redeeming creation. He demands my allegiance to something bigger than me.

The more I realize that I am created in the image of God to join His work in this world, the more I realize this life is not about me; it's about helping others find the peace and joy that often gets lost in the midst of a sinful world full of darkness.

shine!
Jason

Unlikely heroes

I was blessed today to witness the baptism of a great young man. Shaun, one of the young adults that has been attending our third service, made a commitment to God today and was baptized into Christ.

Today as I watched a crowd of young adults gather around Shaun, I was taken back to a time over a year ago. I remember sitting in my office talking to Liz. Without going into details, Liz was at a difficult point in her life. We sat and talked about her life. We prayed together.

Liz had been coming periodically to youth events, but she had recently made some poor choices and many of her Christian friends had deserted her. In the midst of this disarray and confusion I met Liz. She told me I wasn't like most Christians she knows. I still remember her telling me, "You're pretty cool for a minister." (Maybe not those exact words, but something like that.)

Between now and then we have had dozens of conversations about life. The ups. The downs. The good, the bad, and the ugly. Regardless of what was going on, I always remembered that Liz was a daughter of the King of Kings.

In recent months, I have watched Liz grow and mature in her relationship with God. I was blessed to be able to baptize her into Christ about a month ago. Over the last several months, she has introduced a host of young adults to Jesus through the Rochester Church. It seems like every week Liz and her crew are bringing someone new. Shaun's baptism today was another chance to be reminded of how God is working through Liz.

Liz has experienced many more tragedies and difficulties in her life than I could ever imagine. From the death of her fiance to a life full of people who have let her down, Liz has been through so much. Amazingly, God continues to use Liz effectively despite all of her "problems." When a normal person would have given up, Liz, through the power of the Holy Spirit, has continued growing in her journey.

The lesson I have learned - and continue to be reminded of - is this: Never give up on anyone. You never know when someone who seems "hopeless" to some could be the next Liz. They could be another explorer on the journey of life. Just as He had done throughout history, God will take the most unlikely of characters and make them the heroes of the story. Liz is proving to be another one of God's "success stories."

shine!
Jason

Dancing with Jesus

One of the members of our church sent this to me. What an incredible video. It speaks for itself...

shine!
Jason

Communion at Texas Roadhouse

This past weekend someone blessed us with a gift card to Texas Roadhouse. (A huge thanks if you read this because it is one of my favorite places to eat!) I don't always run right out and use gift cards, but I did on Sunday. We had just spent a few hours out at the Armada Fair to watch Minor Measure perform.

As a side note, this group of teens from our church continues to get better as a band. One of the members of the group following them even commented about how good they are. Anyway, I am proud of these guys for exploring, developing, and using their gifts.

Anyway, so after getting chilly and wet at the fair, I was ready for a yummy meal in a warm environment. I ordered the usual: 6oz. sirloin smothered with onions, mushrooms, and cheese, mashed potatoes, and a cup of chili. When our meals arrived, we did what we almost always do when we go out to eat. We asked our waitress if there was anything we could pray for.

Not only did she share with us what we could pray for, she asked if she could join us. So here we are in the middle of a busy restaurant holding hands with this young woman we had only met moments earlier. We prayed for her, our meal, and a few other things.

I think this is really what Jesus had in mind when it comes to communion. This is not to discount the importance of what happens when we gather as a church. My point is to emphasize that communion is not just something that happens a few minutes once a week. It is people coming together in community to share in the kingdom of God.

Jesus himself said, "For where two or three gather together as my followers, I am there among them.” (Matthew 18:20) Isn't it interesting that God Himself said, "The facts of the case must be established by the testimony of two or three witnesses." (Deuteronomy 19:15)

So what is communion? Is it a religious ceremony, a ritual, a tradition, or a social gathering? Yes. It is all of those. It is a time for God's people to gather and give their testimony about who Jesus was and is. Paul even wrote, "For every time you eat this bread and drink this cup, you are announcing the Lord’s death until he comes again." (1 Corinthians 11:26)

So on a Sunday afternoon in a restaurant consumed by the noise of people, the aroma of food, and an atmosphere of celebration, we were able to be witnesses to our faith in Jesus and our trust in God. It was a time to approach the throne of God with and for a young woman somewhere on the journey of finding and following God.

The next time you go out to eat, ask your waitress or waiter what you can pray for and see if church breaks out.

shine!
Jason

Remembering a friend

I still remember the last time I talked to him. It was Wednesday, August 1. Connections had ended and we were in the lobby at church. A group of college students had invited Nic to join them and go to Applebees. Nic said he didn't have any money. I opened my wallet and found three dollars. I handed him my last three dollars and told him to go get something with them. With that Nic and I hugged and he walked out the door.

Less than a week later I got the call. Nic had died. He had lost his long struggle with drugs. Nic and I had talked numerous times about this battle. Enough of the sad stuff. Let me tell you about my friend, Nic.

Nic was a young man with incredible talent and a heart full of love. Time and time again he would talk about his three greatest passions - skateboarding, his fiance, and his son (not necessarily in that order). Nic wanted to enjoy life.

I still remember walking into the hospital the week that Carter was born. I remember the joy on his face. And I could see the combination of pain and joy in his face as he and his fiance made the choice to give their son up for adoption. It was the most difficult decision I think either of them ever faced. I remember at the time being impressed with the maturity of this young man. In the midst of a life filled with trials and challenges, he was able to rise above it and make a decision that was in the best interest of that little boy.

Nic is gone now, but his memory lives on. I will always remember the times we sat in my office talking about life. The hours invested in a friendship. The times we hugged each other as we both tried to understand this journey called life.

Some lives never have the opportunity to reach their full potential. Nic's life is one of those. There is so much more I could say about Nic and about the life lessons I learned from knowing him, but I will conclude with this: I find joy in knowing that I had the opportunity to call him my friend.

shine!
Jason

Spectator Christianity

If it wasn't for the black and gold jerseys all around me, I might have thought I entered a time machine and was sent to first century Jerusalem. As the players walked off the field they were inundated with yells. People shouting their names. You could see footballs, shirts, papers, and - of course - the Sharpies. Everyone hoping for a chance to get even one autograph.

If you haven't figured it out yet, I spent a day at the Pittsburgh Steelers training camp in Latrobe, Pennsylvania.

You could tell when the most popular players walked by the crowd. The screams would get louder. The chants would begin. And people would shove towards the fence, hoping for a signature.

I won't lie. I was there. Matthew and I had a football and a Sharpie. Sure, it would be cool to get some autographs. (For the record, we got two autographs.)

But some of these people were hard core. Some had helmets and footballs full of signatures as they pursued those few autographs they still lacked. Some were staying in hotels close by so they could come back every day. It was obvious to me that for some of these people, Steelers football was their religion.

So what would possess someone to worship football players instead of God? (And this worship is not limited to football. Have you looked at a magazine rack recently?)

If I had the same impression of God that many of these people probably have, I might worship football players too. If worshiping God to them consists of going to a building for an hour or two, listening to someone speak, tasting a little bread and grape juice, and singing a few songs, I can understand. I would much rather gather with my close friends, watching hard-hitting action, enjoying chips, salsa, and your favorite drink, and screaming like crazy when your team does well. Sounds a lot more exciting to me.

But then maybe that's the problem. For many people, including a lot of Christians, following Jesus has become more like a spectator sport than something we participate in. And in a culture full of entertainment, going to church will have a hard time competing with football, American Idol, or dozens of other options.

But what if following Jesus is more than going to church? What if it is a full-contact activity where you are the one in the trenches getting dirty? What if it is more about serving others than being served? What if it is about being on the field instead of in the stands?

There are way too many couch-potatoes and arm-chair quarterbacks in church. They do little but have advice for everyone else. They are the first to complain when things don't go their way. They are the first to walk out the door when you disappoint them. Like the fan in his living room, they offer criticism without ever stepping on the field. They want to tell others how to follow Jesus while they sit in the pew.

Maybe the reason so many people are leaving church for centers of worship like football stadiums is because we have not modeled or offered them the kind of experience God calls us to. When we cease to settle for spectator Christianity and get people involved in a full-contact life of following Jesus, people won't need to worship superstars; they will be able to worship the bright Morning Star.

shine!
Jason

The King of Kings in the Queen City

Well, I have been home less than a day from Cincinnati. I am exhausted and encouraged. Worn out and lifted up. It was a great week of serving where we witnessed God at work.

I am so impressed with the team that went to Cincinnati. They very seldom complained and almost always did what was asked of them. They served the people of Millvale and allowed God to penetrate their hearts.

Saturday night's devotional time was a great ending to an awesome week. I witnessed this group of students worship God in a way I had never seen them worship ever before. Their hearts were connecting with God's. They praised God without reservation. They poured out their hearts as they sang. Then they shared what they brought with them that they were leaving behind or what they were taking back with them. This was not a reference to their clothes, but to what God had done in their lives. I was amazed at what some of them shared. I saw a fire for God. I witnessed them experiencing a new passion for God that some of them admitted they had never experienced before.

My prayer is that their zeal does not grow cold and that their passion becomes contagious. These young people went to Cincinnati hoping to have a good time and serve others. Not only did they accomplish that mission, they found God dwelling in the inner-city of Cincinnati. We all found a God that - as the apostle Paul said - can accomplish more than we can ask for and imagine. And that is a mission worth going on any time.

shine!
Jason

Mission: Cincinnati 2 - 3rd Update

Well, our trip is nearing its end. Thursday was our last day working with the kids at the community center and we will see them again at church on Sunday.

Yesterday afternoon we visited the Freedom Center. This is the location of the National Underground Railroad Museum. While we visited the Freedom Center last year, this year's visit seemed to have much more impact. The students learned about various kinds slavery that still exists around the world today including sweatshops and sex slavery. If your teenager is on this trip, be sure to ask them about the Freedom Center and how it impacted them.

Thursday was a great day as well. Our last day of the carnival and Bible time went great. Even though they were hot and tired, our students worked hard. We ended the afternoon with the kids at the center by serving them sloppy joes. Our time at the center all week has been very rewarding.

Thursday night our group participated in a prayer walk. We visited nine stations discussing and praying about all nine fruit of the Spirit. For many students it was a time of renewal, encouragement, and spiritual formation. One student commented it was one of the best nights of her life.

Today we will enjoy a day of fun in downtown Cincinnati at an outdoor market and a Reds game. Tomorrow morning we will join the Millvale community for church and then head home. It has been a great week. I hope to post a wrap-up blog early next week.

shine!
Jason

Mission: Cincinnati 2 - 2nd Update

OK, so this will be a real update.

What an amazing week this has been. I will try to encapsulate it in a few paragraphs here.

NOTE: If you are not familiar with our trip, we have a team of 19 teenagers, 6 adults, and 1 six-year old who are ministering to the Millvale community in Cincinnati. This is an urban housing development where a lot of families with children live. This is our second year spending a week with the people of Millvale.

Sunday night was a great trip down. Other than the van overheating because we sat in a traffic jam for almost an hour and not getting to our destination until almost 10:00pm, it was a rather uneventful trip. (And don't worry, we have had zero problems since then with the van. We figured out it was just because the A/C was running while we were sitting still in traffic for so long.)

Monday was a day I don't think I will ever forget. The roller coaster ride started in the morning when Josh Graves called me concerned. He had heard something about Mike (not his real name), a friend of ours, and was trying to get more information. Then less than half an hour later, he called with the news I feared, Mike had died of a drug overdose. I had been working with this 19-year-old young man for over a year now. (I am sure I will have more to say about Mike in a future blog, he had become a good friend.)

Regardless of the situation back home, our team of 26 had a lot of work to do. (I can relate to how Jesus felt when he found out about John the Baptist being killed but Jesus still had to minister to the crowd.) It was our first day and we were figuring some of it out as we went along. But it went smoothly and we set up our carnival. Our team brought games and activities for the kids there to play. When the kids play, they get tickets they can cash in later for prizes.

After lunch, we had Bible time. Our teenagers did a great job of teaching the children about God. While they prepared well for their classes, their best teaching was the way they loved on these kids. I saw children climbing on our teenagers backs, giving them hugs, and experiencing love they seldom see. It was a real encouragement.

Then that evening we went to Pat Pugh's house. (Pat is the minister that works with the Millvale community.) At Pat's house we got to know Justin. Before we left Pat's house, we all sat and listened to Justin's story. It was a story of victory. Justin will admit he is not there yet, but he is on the path of overcoming and escaping his past. After Justin answered a few questions, we surrounded him, laid hands on him, and prayed for him for some time. Most of the members of our team prayed for Justin and others in the community. It was one of the most incredible experiences I have been a part of. You could see emotional healing taking place right before our eyes. One of our teens later commented that it was the closest she had ever felt to God.

Tuesday was another hot, but good day. Our students continued to work hard with virtually no complaining, in spite of the temperature flirting with 100. They worked hard, loved on children, taught their classes, and lived out the Gospel. Tuesday night's devo started around 10:30pm and ended somewhere around 12:30am. It was so encouraging to hear the members of our team share their hearts and how God is working in their lives this week.

Yesterday was hot again. But it was also good. Still more heat. Still no complaining. Still a lot of hard work and love being shown to these kids. We had intended to feed the children lunch, but when we got here this week, we found out that the summer lunch program provided a lunch. So we switched gears and served an early dinner around 3:30pm. On Wednesday we served bologna sandwiches and the kids loved it. They were enjoying another meal and time with our team. For many of these kids, the food they receive at the center is the only thing they will eat all day. One of the most touching things is the reaction of the kids as the afternoon goes on. They start asking, "Are you leaving soon?" They don't want us to leave. The children begin to hold on a little stronger, hug a little more, and stay a little closer when they sense we are getting ready to leave. For many of them, we are the most love and attention they have seen in a long time.

I know that each student will have his or her own stories to tell you. They have certain children whom they have bonded with. They will leave with memories they will never forget. And they will come home having met God among the children of Millvale.

shine!
Jason

Mission: Cincinnati 2 - 1st Update

This will be really short. Things are going really well! We have had internet connection issues so I have not been able to get on. I will update soon with details. The teens are doing awesome!

shine!
Jason

Making a splash

No, this is not a blog about baptism. (Although I could probably make it one with my training and background.)

Actually, I want to talk briefly about the encouraging week I had.

I got talked into teaching the 5th and 6th graders for VBS. If I am going to be brutally honest, I wasn't super excited, but I accepted the offer out of a sense of duty.

This 5th and 6th grade class was called "G-Force." The whole theme for the VBS was "Mighty U" based on super heros and the super powers God gives us. I honestly don't know if I have ever taught a VBS class except a class for teens.

All I can say is I am so glad that I accepted the offer. This has been a great week and I have learned a lot.

While interacting with these pre-teens I was reminded how important it is to dedicate yourself to Jesus as early as possible in life. The sooner you can learn the baby steps of obedience, the easier it will usually be to develop good spiritual habits.

I picked the title "making a splash" for this entry for a couple of reasons:

First, I was reminded this week that even these pre-teens can make a huge impact for Jesus. They showed me that someone giving a lot out of their little bit is usually more significant that someone giving a little bit out of a lot. Most young people don't have a lot of money or material items to give. But their hearts and love for people are hard to match. They can sometimes remind me of the widow with the two coins.

Also, I was reminded that I need to keep an open mind. I was blessed to be used by God this week in a way I didn't expect. Often our ideas are just that, our ideas. We need to remember that God is God and we are not. He will provide opportunities we may not understand or want to do. Too bad. God will stretch us when it helps His kingdom spread.

I say all that to tell you this: No matter how big or small you are, how important or insignificant you feel, how smart or unintelligent you think you might be, or how little you think you have to offer, God wants you to serve Him faithfully. I believe that God is much more concerned with your faithfulness than your success.

No matter what situation you find yourself in, serve God with all you have and watch Him work in the lives of those around you. That is how you can make a splash that will last for eternity.

shine!

Jason