Living for the Person Next to Me.

A book I want to read soon...

It explores what the gopsel message looked like to enslaved African people in America.

Contemplative Youth Ministry

I'm currently reading a book by Mark Yaconeli called "Contemplative Youth Ministry."

It's been really insightful for me, because it doesn't focus on activities and the "how to" of youth ministry. The primary focus of the book so far has been on the health (in all senses) of the youth leader. This is such a refreshing, and wanted read!

I wanted to crudely summarize the last chapter I've read (4), for both you and me.

I will start with a quote from the intro to the chapter and then quote some of the author's words that I thought were really notable, very short summary, then my thoughts!

Chapter 4: becoming a good receiver

"You will discover that the more love you can take in and hold on to, the less fearful you will become. you will speak more simply, more directly, and more freely about what is important to you, without fear of other people's reactions. you will also use fewer words, trusting that you communicate your self ever when you do not speak much. The more you come to know yourself-spirit, mind, and body-as truly loved, the freer you will be to proclaim the good news. That is the freedom of the children of God." - Henri Nouwen

In all of the hectic schedules and how hard we work to create "moments" and such we have to realize that... "We can't create love... Love is a gift God offers us, a gift that asks only that we let down our resistances and yield." When we don't realize that, we take way to much of the responsibility of our ministries on our own shoulders.

SURRENDER

"I have observed too many churches and youth ministries whose methods expose a consistent distrust of God. These ministries embody a sense of urgency that communicates a God who is either a relentless taskmaster or completely incompetent... All silence and stillness is eradicated for fear that youth might find God disappointing, boring, or absent."

This is so true. When I try and explain that I would like to slow down and just experience some of the quieter and (what I think are) more powerful and longer lasting parts of God people get a little nervous that the students will be get bored or be uninterested. But I agree with that author when he says: "In contrast, Jesus isn't afraid of reality. He isn't afraid of doubts, or downtime, or disappointment, or boredom... he might even find them critical to spiritual growth."

What this book did was give me permission to start doing what I thought needed to be done anyway. To slow down and stop stressing out so much about changing kids lives, and trusting that part to God and the Holy Spirit. My job is to love (well, that and all of the other menial work that goes into preparing for a growing ministry), not try to change them. Mark sums this section up really well:

"To stop and surrender is to repent - to turn and repent from our preoccupations and remember the One who has gone before us. When we stay still, we become aware of the source of our activity. We can awaken to the real source of our faith, whether it is our own anxious fear or our hunger for God's love.

RECEIVE

One of the reasons we (including me) have such a hard time finding God sometimes is that, "The Christian Life begins by receiving," and, "We don't know much about receiving in North America... To live here, is to do (what we do is our identity)."

"In contrast, a life of love is open-ended. ...Love is its own reward."

"Many of us have heard many times that God loves and cherishes us. Yet how many of us really believe that?" I know that I only really believe this some of the time. The rest of the time I'm trying to get over myself and believe it, which in turn turns into my trying to do something else to earn God's love (or "unlock" it, or some other adventure in missing the point).

I am freed and made uncomfortable by one of the last questions he asks in the chapter: "How many of us are driven by an unsettling anxiety that the Christian life is something one earns or achieves?"

"We notice a sense of relief that we're not the center of the ministry. We discover newfound energy as it dawns on us that our role in youth ministry is not to "make something happen!" Our task is simply to rest in wonder at what God is doing, and then to lend a hand as we're needed."

This chapter was quite powerful for me. I can't create love. I can't make people (forcibly or coercively) into Jesus followers. I need to trust God's role in my ministry more. It isn't my job to make them meet God. I must surrender all of this to God. My Job (role in own life and ministry) is to embody the life Jesus gives us. I must adopt an attitude of receiving, and loving, not doing. So that I can receive that God cherishes and approves of me before, or despite what I do. I want to live like Jesus - I want to live as if there is a boundless, shameless love present and available within every moment!"

Books

Epic

About half way through this book... for the 3rd time. I like it a lot. While sometimes I may feel that the author, Eldredge, over generalizes here and there, the heart and passion of the book are great. Definitely is a great read when I want to refocus why in the world I'm not pursuing a career path where I would make a lot more money : ) Also something to note, John Eldredge wrote one of the first books I read that lead me to care anything about following this Jesus guy.

The back reads this:

"Life, for most of us, feels like a movie we've arrived to forty minutes late.

Sure, good things happen, sometimes beautiful things. But tragic things happen too. What does it mean? We find ourselves in the middle of a story that is sometimes wonderful, sometimes awful, usually a confusing mixture of both, and we haven't a clue how to make sense of it all. No wonder we keep losing heart.

We need to know the rest of the story.

For when we were born, we were born into the midst of a great story begun before the dawn of time. A story of adventure, of risk and loss, heroism... and betrayal. A story where good is warring against evil, danger lurks around every corner, and glorious deeds wait to be done. Think of all those stories you've ever loved - there's a reason they stirred your heart. They've been trying to tell you about the true Epic ever since you were young.

There is a larger story, and you have a part to play."

Books