Is Seperation Inevitable....

So this week in my 'Career Youth Leadership' class ..one of the topics was different kind of models for youth ministry. One of the models was created by Mark Senter, who believes that the focus of youth ministry is to create a new church that will eventually separate from the church. I thought this idea was interesting. Obviously this idea won't fly with most people, but one of my class mates suggested this type of separation is already in the church, due to the nature of small groups. But, on a larger degree it is what is happening in the modern/postmodern shift. If the goal of the church is to meet with God, is a separation not necessary? People experience God different, neither one is better..but our culture/context is different. I thought that was interesting that it might be necessary for a split so the church doesn't have this constant battle over who is right. Because, I don't really believe one way is right..but to make the postmodern people function in a modern church or vise versa is counterproductive and will lead to many leaving the church. But part of me believes that many in the evangelical world have sold out to modernist view to see this, but i am thankful for 'The Great Giveaway' by David Finch who is does an excellent job in showing this assimilation to modernist ideas.

Are you a PoMo Hater?

Sometimes I wonder why post modernity riles so many people up. I guess for the most part people love it or hate it..maybe thats due to a elementary view of what it stands for. I think I've read my fair share of post modern philosophy and still only grasp little parts of what they believe and the influence they are having on western culture. I think it is mostly in the church that people are against this shift. I always think its funny that so many in the church want to fight this change in worldviews. I think Chuck Smith Jr says it best, "Some Christians are deathly afraid of the new world and stand at every gate to prevent its entrance. But you might as well stand in front of a tidal wave with your arms spread wide. Besides, the new era is not coming; it's here." So my pastor basically went on a 'PoMo hater' rant this sunday, he did warn us before hand that he was gonna go on a rant. Not sure what the he expected to get out of it....I wonder if christian leaders did the same thing during other cultural shifts? Did pastor rant about the downfall of reason as something to be ignored during the enlightenment...or during the rise of modernity? I believe we need to look at culture with open eyes...and be a critic of culture not simple ignore it...or worse try and fight the shifts that take place...

So what's the message?

So one of the main thrusts in my church and thus my internship is the Franklin Graham festival that is coming to Winnipeg in October. So ever Tuesday the high school/junior highs go to 'Christian Life and Witness Classes'. They are basically prep for the festival. I think for quite some time I have been turned off of Franklin Graham, it began a couple years back in my 'Evangelism' class at college. We watched a video of Graham' alter call at one of this festivals, I think the consensus that the class came to was that we were not comfortable with his approach. Now maybe that is because of the generation gap between him and myself. I have found myself at odds with pastors or ministers that are more than twenty years older than me i think in this period there has been a significant ideological shift.
But back to the question at hand, something really perturbed me about a video that they showed a couple weeks back. The idea behind the video was that people needed forgiveness from God for various of things. One of the things that the video focused on was that people need forgiveness for their loneliness. I think we need forgiveness for a lot of things..but loneliness is not one of them. I think people who feel alone need God's love...to feel his presence not to be told that they need to ask for forgiveness. This is especially the case for youth. I feel it is almost part of adolescents to feel alone or wanting friends or someone to turn to. I just fear that there were teens at the class who saw loneliness as a sin. I feel this like a lot what the festival is saying is creating an improper view of God, which is having a huge effect on teens. Not sure if you guys agree with me on my view of loneliness, if you do or don't I'd love to get some more insight on this.

Are we God's friend?

Recently I heard this sermon by Steve Carter. Steve is the junior high director at Mars Hill Bible Church in Grand Rapids. It really hit a cord with me. It deals with Cyrus, who God anoints to rebuild the temple and restore Jerusalem. The funny thing about this is that Cyrus doesn't even recognize God. So how does that all work that God anoints, which in Hebrew mean messiah. So this sortof one of those things that throwing traditional Christianity for a loop. So God call Cyrus, a pagan king his anointed. I think the question that this begs is why Cyrus? Why did God turn to a pagan king, someone who clearly doesn't belive that Yahweh exists. Couldn't God have found someone I don't know more 'Christian' or 'Jewish' or someone who actually worships God to do his work? I think something that fails people in north America is that we believe that anointing is reserved for the 'called'. But not for the everyday person, definitely not for a pagan king.
But, I think more importantly is that it shows that God can use anyone. God's anointed is not just for the pastors or those 'called' to ministry but for Christian all over. By being a follower of God you are anointed, we are all messiahed. God calls us all his anointed, but I think the question is do we believe it? Do we believe God has anointed all of us to be his friend in this world? I think it is something we have to choose, God is doing things in this world, but do we want to get involved. I think what Cyrus shows is that it takes action, God is calling people to join him. But if Christians don't' join God in what he is doing what happens? Does God wait on Christian to come around? Um, well the story of Cyrus says no, God will use whoever will join him. God needs friends in this world.
So the question is are we willing to be God's friend? If not God's work in this world will still get done, its just a matter if we will be apart of what God is doing in this world....

Why we do what we do....

So in this past week, I had a class where we talked about our times in high school and the events in youth that really influenced us. The funny thing about it is that all the events were 'fun' events. None of them really had this deep theological basis. I think that is revealing, not that youth ministry is in place to entertain or be the activities coordinator for church kids but I do believe that it does play a purpose. Recently, I ran across this quote that rung really true in why we have fun events, there is a greater purpose to youth ministry. "When youth ministry draws its primary energy from special events, cool leaders, and high-voltage youth gathering more than from the long tradition of practices through which youth identify with the life, death, and resurrection of Christ, we communicate a version of faith that has no analogy in the adult church--or in real life, for that matter.' I think often ministry become overly focused on the highs of energy that is merely a fun event not an event where we see Jesus in our leaders or the reason why we do things. I think that in putting an emphasis on these events is at the root why many teens leave the church after high school, we are no longer the only game in town. They can be entertained through over means. I think a shift needs to take place inorder that youth group is not a holding pen for teens, but a stepping stone to becoming more involved in the church, if it is not seen within the paradigm of discipleship it is bound to fail, due to its temporal nature. I guess that is why a big picture is necessary when ministry focuses on proper behavior or niceness, it is not creating a Christian idenity but a middle class identity, which allows the teens to leave when this idenity is fulfilled. What do are actions in ministry communicate to youth?