The world according to one of my students...

The world is a broken place...

In this world, cutting helps some deal, everyone is getting fat. No one is telling the truth, lying is consistent, self-made tears can be blue tears or red droplets, war goes on everyday to try and achieve peace and people are starving to death. Charity is a thing of the past, we all lie to ourselves and everyone around us, nowhere is safe, everyone has phobias and multiple fears. We all lose hope, money controls us all and friends all carry knives in order to stab you in the back when you aren't looking. Disease runs wild, relationships are harder, hook-ups and one night stands happen more often, underage drinking is popular, illegal drugs are being taken, smiles are fakes, homes are broken, life-spans are shorter, material things are a must and abuse is high. Sex is meaningless, boys are jerks, girls are the equivalent of the devil, nobody cares, everyone fends for themselves, animals are being eaten, and forests are destroyed. Health is getting worse, STD's are common, rumors are spread like wildfire, trust is slim, honesty is disappearing and crying is a daily activity.

Man, the world needs Jesus, huh? Reminds me of why we do what we do...

It's been a while since I've posted anything meaningful...I keep meaning to, but...

Last week I started a teaching series with my Sr. High students called "The Justice Mission." It's a Youth Specialties cirriculum that works with the International Justice Mission that works to give students a perspective on God's heart for the poor and oppressed. Last week I had done the prep work...watched the video clip, reviewed the cirriculum, chosen the appropriate questions and was set to go. As I started to teach, I found myself getting more and more swept up by what I was teaching. Rarely do I get emotional when I teach, but as I talked about God's heart for the oppressed, how God HATES oppression and poverty, it was all I could do to hold back tears. I didn't see it coming, and didn't expect it. I hope that it continues and that students continue to see the passion in my heart that I didn't realize that I had...

Side note: Many of you have heard of or read Shane Claiborne. I recently found out that The Simple Way community in Philly was burnt to the ground by a fire started in an abandoned warehouse that was owned by the city of Philadelphia. Over the last two months, the community has attempted to rebound and the city (apparently) has been terrible to work with. Please keep them in your prayers and make the Call of the Day if you have time...It's a prime example of oppression and injustice within our very state! May we be called to show God's heart to the city of Philly!

Yeah, I'm a Simpson's character...

That was AWESOME!

Yeah...That helped make for a pretty awesome weekend. The Ocoee River in TN...The 1996 Olympic Whitewater. Awesome.

What a week!!

"We went to help the broken, and God used them to break our hearts."
-Justin Baxter, 12th grade

Justin shared the above quote on Sunday morning during the 11:00 service. His comments continue to send chills up my spine because they are so accurate...God broke our hearts, and moved among us. God used our students to show compassion and grace to the least of these, but God used the least of these to change us. None of the 30 people who went our the trip last week are the same...Thanks be to God!

Some highlights include:
-In one house we drywalled the living room and kitchen, including the ceilings. We remodeled a bathroom from the floor boards up. We took out a window, reframed the wall, insulated and sided. We sanded and taped drywall in the bedrooms and eventually painted it all. As we left, the husband looked at his wife and said "This is looking like a home, rather than a shack."

-In one trailer, we skirted the trailer, replaced the windows and door and eventually fixed the back wall of the trailer that had been ripped from the back by building a frame to reattach the wall to the trailer. Pretty incredible stuff for 22 teenagers!

-Toward the end of the week, the students approached us because they wanted to paint the drywall in the house. Two teenage girls lived in those rooms, and our girls had forged a new friendship with the girls, and our girls wanted to do something extra for their new friends. Unfortunately, money wasn't going to allow paint (or new lineolium in the bathroom) and our students decided they wanted to give their own money to buy paint. Their hearts were broken, and a coat of paint quickly covered the walls.

-The lady who lived in the trailer lived there without electricity or running water. She had lost everything that she had in a fire about 10 months earlier. As our students worked, they decided she needed new curtains for her windows, and after a trip to Wal-Mart, she had new curtains, a new area rug, and sheets and blankets for her bed...that they paid for with their own money. Toward the end of the week, a guy pulled out his wallet and handed me all the money that was inside. When I protested and told him that it was too much he said "I have a paycheck at home...They have nothing. It's the least I can do."

-On Tuesday night, we began devotions. I had my devotions ready, but I wasn't even close to being prepared for what was about to happen. In what I consider a Pentecost moment for our group, the Holy Spirit showed up in a powerful way. I began to speak and towards the end, I offered an invite to accept Jesus Christ (this was not in my original plan!). That night, three students accepted Christ and 7 others rededicated their lives to Jesus. For the next three hours I talked to students and prayed with students. One student made the decision to get baptized and give his life fully to Jesus. Two senior high guys poured their hearts out and told me about the many struggles they encounter. Toward the end of our conversation, i said "What can I do to help you guys follow Jesus?" and with tears one guy responded "This. Talk to us. Go to Taco Bell with us. Play frisbee golf with us. Let us know that we're not hopeless and help us follow Jesus." I still cry when I think about that Holy moment and the absolutely overwhelming affirmation of my ministry there. It hit home for me, as I had been questioning my ministry effectiveness...Thanks be to God for being bigger than my missteps and using me for God's greater purposes.

-On Friday, the homeowner wanted to thank the kids for their hard work. She left about 2 PM and returned about 3 PM with six pizzas from Little Caesars. She couldn't afford the pizza...it was extravagant and an incredible thank you and the students knew that. That night I told my students that I wanted to serve them communion with pizza, just so they could get a picture of God's extravagant grace. May we always embody the extravagant grace that is given to us.

I have more stories and more pictures...Too many to put here. But I'll close with the statement I made to the congregation on Sunday morning...
"I put a hole in the bus. Two actually. I accidentally got the church bus wedged between a cliff and the overhang of a cabin and promptly put two holes in the roof of the bus. I didn't mean to do it and I'm sorry. But the hole in the bus can't begin to compare to the brokenness of our hearts."


Thanks be to God.

Mission Trip week...

In just a few hours, we'll be leaving to spend the week at Red Bird Mission in Beverly, KY. I feel like we've been prepping for this trip for a year, and I believe that God is ready to do mighty things in the hearts of my students and those we serve. As we prepared for the trip, I asked students what they wanted out of the trip...the overwhelming response was "We want to be renewed" or "We want revival" or "We want to see God." Powerful stuff...I just have to make sure that I don't get in the way...

Our students don't know what to expect...they've never seen poverty like we'll see it...They can't imagine a place where Wal-Mart isn't right down the street or where the movie theater isn't just a few miles away. They don't realize what this looks like, and that this kind of poverty happens in their own state...I hope that this screws with their heads a little and that they get a glimpse of God's heart for the poor.

I'm excited...My parents are meeting us in Beverly on their way home from Mississippi with their church...I'm really thankful and excited to minister with them...My mom remarked how exciting it is for them because I've been a part of what they've done for so long and now they are a part of our ministry...Neat stuff.

Pray for us...For revival, for safety, for changed lives, for the powerful touch of the Holy Spirit...

To God be the glory...

Someone who...

A student who used to attend our group wrote this on her online profile the other day...She's broken and hurting and her whole life is in pieces. She's left the church, no longer attends Youth Group, and this is who she wants to meet...

"someone to push me to my limits. someone that will test my abilities. someone that has lived the same life i have. someone who had died for love. someone who has conquered all of their dreams. someone who isnt afraid to be themselves. someone who has pushed beyond all boundaries. someone who has beat a disease. someone who has saved anothers life. someone who would accept me and my flaws. someone who will make me their world, and i can do the same."

I know that someone...I know that someone to be Jesus Christ. Please pray for her, as she is in desperate need of a life-changing encounter that only the scandalous grace of Jesus can provide...Pray for Beth and I that we might get an opportunity to model this to her...

Christ have mercy...

5 Core United Methodist beliefs...

What are 5 central United Methodist beliefs that you think that every United Methodist should know about? Just curious...

Reflections from a Christian Music Festival

After returning from a weekend with 25,000 of my newest and close-est (sometimes too close, if you know what I mean) friends, I feel the need to make a couple statements about the world of a Christian Music Festival...

1. There is a difficult balance when you're trying to drink enough water to remain properly hydrated in the 90+ heat, but when you also don't want to use the porta-potties because they passed the level of disgusting about three hours into the first day.

2. Do atheists go to Christian Music festivals and pass out tracks that say "Are you sure that there REALLY is a place to go when you die?"

3. What makes techno music CHRISTIAN techno music? I heard this weird techno band (I'm not even sure what they were called) and they claimed to play Christian techno, but as with all good techno, there were no words (or even instruments other than computers!). Weird.

4. I met gypsies at the Festival...Real, live gypsies who sing gypsy music and drive around in a van that is fueled by vegetable oil. No joke.

5. Students make me laugh...In the midst of a difficult, stressful week, I was reminded that God has called me to Jessamine County and, more specifically, to Nicholasville UMC even when I don't necessarily feel called to be at Asbury Seminary at this point in my journey.

6. Students make me proud...The kid who "bought a kid!" from the Compassion table with his own $32 per month and couldn't stop talking about Ali the rest of the weekend. He wanted me to wish him happy Father's Day because "I adopted a kid!" The best part is that the guy is a Senior in High School and really was that excited.

7. The Chik-Fil-A cows that wandered through the festival and danced to Toby Mac were scary, although I have a picture of one giving me a hug. Cows were not made to walk on two feet, that's for sure!

8. Toby Mac is old...Looks like an old man. This is, of course, because he was rocking out with DC Talk when I was 13! Still can dance, though I'm not sure his moves warrant as much Jumbotron experience....I am the expert after all!

9. If you've never heard Shane Claiborne or read his book, you should. It really screwed with my students head...In a good way.

10. Should we be discussing solidarity with the poor when we paid a lot of money to get in? Seriously? How many of the bands who pushed for care of the poor do the same? How many just stole it from Bono?

11. With all due respect to Randy, what exactly is Christian metal? Seems like they sing whatever they want ( that I can't understand!) and at the end just say "We want to thank Jesus! Good night!" Does that make them Christian?

12. David Crowder Band puts on a terrific show! They even play a Guitar Hero guitar! They really understood how to maintain a balance between performing and leading worship. If you haven't heard them, you should...Great band!

13. Concerts that start past 11:00 PM are WAY too late at night!

14. It's good to have "Roger moments" with students...Named after my Dad's deep pastoral heart, conflict management, and his ability to express discipline and love at the same time. I'm learning to facilitate "Roger Moments," and I've got a great model! Happy Father's Day, especially to my Dad who is heading to the river for Canoe Camp with his Jr. High students!! May they avoid Roger moments, unless they need 'em!!

Many Thoughts...

I currently have many thoughts about many things...In the next few days, I intend to blog on three topics...1. My real response to Annual Conference and 2. My fake response to Annual Conference. Tonight, though, only two thoughts...



1. Last week at Conference I consistently got razzed about my Jumbotron appearances. I, like Keith, was suprised at how many people read my blog. So, during one of these interactions, someone is telling Bob Zilhaver about my amazing Jumbotron dancing skills. As the conversation was ending Bob looked at me and said "Keep Dancing" and walked away. Although he didn't realize it, this spoke to me...It reminded me of I Corinthians were Paul speaks of the foolishness of God to the world, but our salvation. When I dance, I look foolish...very, very foolish. It's the reason that they place me on the Jumbotron. I was reminded to keep dancing, and right now, that's a good word for me.

2. Please pray for Beth and I for several reasons. We leave today with 40 students to attend the Ichthus Music Festival, so that will be a lot of fun, but that can also be stressful as we try to keep track of our 40 students around 25,000 of our new close friends. Second, please pray for Beth and I, as we received some terrible news earlier this week. It was one of those things that made me feel like I got kicked in the stomach, and we're not sure how we're going to recover. God's grace is sufficient and abundant and we know that, but right now I'm in shock. I can't say much more than that, but please pray for a way out of a difficult place and for God's provision in our life. As events unfold, I'll write more and I might ask for some assistance...We'll see.

Conference Thoughts...

Tomorrow morning I fly out from Louisville to Pittsburgh for Annual Conference. I'm excited and a little bit anxious, oddly enough. I think that my anxiety rises from the 10 hour trip that I have to make on Sunday by myself in the car.

Although I've read some of the laity statements, I still haven't made my mind up on who I'm voting for. Clergy wise, I'd know, but I'm not there yet...I'll just have to subtly nudge my Dad to think the same way that I do...

I'm totally against RS 901...Christian Education Sunday. I mean, seriously...do we really need Christian Education?

Ok...I'm not against it...I always find those resolutions comical because they always pass...sometimes I want to vote against them, just for fun...I normally vote against setting the bar!

Prayers are welcomed on Thursday night as I lead a possibly contentious Section 7. We're the General Conference section, so this will require all of the Parliamentary procedure that I can muster!

I'm excited to see some old friends, especially my good friend Erik Hoeke. We commiserate about seminary, dream big dreams and enjoy Conference throughly. Normally Erik and I get together in the Spring, but that didn't work out this year, so Conference will be a good time for us to connect. I'm excited to meet some of the Youth delegates, see friends from previous appointments, and say hey to the blogging crew. The only downside about conference this year is the the Pirates are in the Big Apple...Not that I'd skip out or anything...

See you soon!

It happened again!

Tonight, at a Lexington Horsemen (arena football) game I made the Jumbotron again. Seriously, I have wicked dance moves. One of the guys I was with has started calling me JJ for Jumbotron Johnson...I know, everyone is madly impressed and wishes that they could be me (especially since all I've done in the last week and a half is go to sporting events!), but maybe, just maybe, you all will someday get to be on the Jumbotron, too.

Life Goals

I achieved one of my life goals yesterday...

Beth and I and a couple of our friends took a trip to Cincinnati to see the Pirates/Reds game @ Great American Ballpark. I had never been to GAB, so this was one step closer to my goal of seeing a ballgame in every big league ballpark. While the Pirates lost 4-0 we had a great time. I believe that I was the only Pirate fan in attendance (I referenced something about "Pirate Nation" and Beth told me that only encompassed myself and Erik Hoeke!), and one of the guys sitting below us even stated "I think that you're the only Pirate fan in the whole country!" Ouch. Anyway, back to my life goal...

I MADE THE JUMBO TRON! For a good 30 seconds, the huge video scoreboard showed ME dancing! I am a professional ballpark dancer, and it's my goal to try and use my mad dancing moves to get on screen every time I attend a game. I've accomplished this before many times at Minor League games (Altoona, Lexington, Harrisburg, Lancaster), but I had never managed this feat before at a Big League park. Yesterday, while dancing during the 6th inning, I finally made it. I didn't think that it would happen, especially as I was all outfitted in Pirates garb and we were in Cincy, but it did. The whole section cheered, and afterwards, I took a bow. Good stuff.

By the way (and this is how I KNOW I married the right woman) Beth wasn't even embarassed. She said that she's gotten used to it by now, and she supports me in my life goals. She was also the one who wanted to go the ballgame and suggested it! Awesome!

My Leadership project

I was reading Keith's blog about leadership, and thought that it might be interesting to post a presentation that I'll be giving today, I guess, on Christian Leadership. It might be dull to watch with just the powerpoint, but I'd love to hear some feedback!

I've taken John Gardner's 9 Tasks of Leadership and connected them with Christian Leadership and the three essential functions of Christian Leadership (Governance, Direction and Liberation). It's pretty self-explanatory, really...

Here's the link...

Shuffle Up and...

The Top 5 songs on my iTunes shuffle...

The First Time-U2
Great Indoors-John Mayer
Beauty and the Mess-Nickel Creek
Lonely Nation-Switchfoot
All Blues-Miles Davis

These are very different than the top 5 most played...

Still Fighting It-Ben Folds
Let My Words Be Few-Matt Redman
Annie Waits-Ben Folds
Zac and Sara-Ben Folds
Gone-Ben Folds

Obviously, I've been in a Ben Folds mood lately...Just can't beat a piano rocker...The Billy Joel of my generation.

I'm posting this because I know you all care so much. If blogging does nothing else for me, it brings to light all of my ego issues...

Brokenness...

Yesterday, I received a mysterious letter postmarked from Erie with no return address. This couldn't be a second letter from the same group, I thought. It was...A second letter from "Concerned Laity in W. PA" and it was even worse than the first one. As someone who considers himself 'conservative' and 'evangelical' I apologize for the hurt and confusion that those letters cause. I'm upset that the authors attack those that they don't know, use Scripture as a weapon rather than a transforming hope, and react rather than renew. As I thought about the letters, though, I thought about two interesting things that I want to share...

1. The letters main concern revolved around fear. Fear of closed churches, fear of "unbiblical" pastors, fear of dwindling membership, etc. etc. As the writers chose to write, they wrote out of a fear for what they know, rather than a hope for what they don't. They believe that the UMC is close to death, and the only thing that brings about life is a certain understanding of sexuality. I tend to believe that which brings life is the Gospel of Christ, not a certain understanding of sexuality. I have a hope for the future of the church, and I believe in a God whose mighty acts of redemption have shaped history, and continue to give life to the church. Is orthodoxy important? Yes. Will orthodoxy renew the church? No. What will? Probably orthopraxy, but even more, the Gospel will renew the church for mission and ministry as it renews the world.

2. There is much struggle and hurt around the issues of sexuality, and much the church doesn't understand. I had to laugh as I read the two positions regarding the Sexual Wholeness seminar at Bakerstown...While our concerned laity thought it was ruined by Tracy Merrick's presentation, First Pittsburgh thought it was ruined by our concerned laity! There is much more to sexuality than homosexuality, and the church doesn't really understand ANY of it! How do we minister to the sexually broken? How would the church respond to the woman at the well or Gomer, wife of Hosea? How do we speak healing to the abused? How do we understand sexuality as a good gift of God? What's even more interesting is that our discussion of power, politics and even the Gospel have become centered around our issue of unknowing when it comes to sexuality. When's the main thing going to be the main thing? When can we preach a redeeming, healing, transforming, discerning Gospel that speaks grace and truth to all? That's what we need...Not unsigned letters.

Thanks...

Thanks to all for your prayers for Luke...We received word that he was sent home from the hospital and the Dr's don't want to see him for another 30 days, so that's a huge praise! Please continue to pray for Stephanie, my sister-in-law, as she's not handling this stress, etc very well. Apparently she's had several breakdowns and just isn't doing well. Jonathan wants her to see a doctor, but she refuses...Please her in your prayers...

Really quick...

I'm over my head in school work, church work, taxes and moving...I'm still trying to recover from a Holy Week which was to be my Reading Week in which I didn't read. This is the reason why I haven't blogged...Not because I don't want to, but simply because I find myself collapsing into bed at the end of the day.

Anyway, please pray for my new nephew, Luke Walter Ryall. Luke was born about a week ago, and was shortly thereafter transferred to a NICU with a brain hemorrage. My brother-in-law and sister-in-law are in Germany, as he is in the Army, so they are seperated from family and any sense of support system. We're praying for Luke's healing, as well as the work of God that might bring Jonathan and Stephanie into deeper relationship with God. Our family (Beth's mom and dad, sisters, etc) would covet your prayers for Jonathan, Stephanie and Luke over the next couple days.

My Visitation

Tonight I did visitation...Youth Ministry visitation. What does visitation look like for a youth pastor? Tonight it looked like a Middle School band concert. Last week it looked like the East High musical. The week before that it was the East-West game. Every week it looks like a high school cafeteria. I do visitation...mine just looks like a concert.

Why? Because when I do visitation I meet new people. I meet students who are consistent in my group and I meet their friends. I meet parents. I see students who come to be youth ministry every once in a while and I remind them that I know their names and they matter to me. I see members and non-members. Visitation matters.

This weekend, I'll probably see many of the students I saw at band concert. Every week after visitation, I see more students. It's good stuff. It's good to be seen in the community and to see others. I like visitation...even Middle School band concerts.


By the way...We got a house! The church purchased a house and offered it to us as a parsonage! This means that we're going to move from our 14 x 34 cinder block apartment to a real house! It's a great old house that's been recently remodeled! We'll be living the upstairs which is probably 3x bigger than our apartment! Washer, dryer, etc etc...It'll be great for life, sanity, ministry...Thank you God!

Shuffle Up and...

The first five songs that come up when I shuffle my iPod/iTunes...Just for fun...
1. Lead of Love-Caedmon's Call
2. What Would You Say-Dave Matthews Band
3. I Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For-U2
4. How to Save a Life-The Fray
5. Prodigal-Casting Crowns

Just kind of fun...