Making Sausage

Lately I've been thinking a lot about The Creek and our effectiveness as a youth ministry. I know God's desire for us is to see students come, experience the love and presence of God in worship, hear his voice for their lives out of his word and become active parts of The Creek - serving God with their time and talents. That's a pretty decent summary of what a good youth group should look like. But there's a catch...we are dealing with people.

Now if we were making sausages on an assembly line, all of the above would be pretty easy: Get 'em in, shape 'em up, ship 'em out. Easy as 1 - 2 - 3. But people change the equation. People show up with expectations and needs that can make our little "making-people-like-Jesus" assembly line explode in a cloud of smoke and flames.

That's why we have to change our perspective a little bit. The people who visit The Creek are not there by random chance. God planned for them to be there. He looked down from his giant lazy boy in heaven and decided that this person needed to be at The Creek on this specific night for a specific reason - so they could know him. We have to see this because we need to recognize that every Wednesday night we are part of a plan that God set into motion before we were even a twinkle in our daddy's eye. He designated us to be a part of leading this person to Jesus. So when you come to The Creek tomorrow night remember that God put you there to make someone else feel welcome, to feel God's love.

Great Night

It was a great night at The Creek tonight. Just a super duper, ally-ooper night.

'Nuff said.

On Your Marks...Get Set...

On Sunday night we started second group of students going through the D1 Discipleship program. It is pretty intense. It includes reading a book on spiritual disciplines, daily Bible reading and prayer, journaling, fasting and memorizing a full chapter of the Bible. It is a real commitment, that is for sure. But for me, when I look at the students who are just beginning this six week journey to become more like Christ, I don't see how hard it is going to be. I don't see how much work or concentration it is going to take to memorize Romans 6. I don't see how tough it will be to be focused enough every day to read something and write in a journal about what you got out of it. I don't see the mountain. I see what is on the other side. I see the potential for what Jesus can do with the lives of these incredibly dedicated students if they give themselves to him one hundred percent. I see God's power and joy growing in their lives beyond what they could have ever expected or imagined. I see them making an impact for God that will resonate throughout human history.

As they kick off from the starting line, I'll be cheering them on the whole way.

Ears Are Difficult Sometimes

Cameron woke up an hour ago crying because her ears hurt. She has had a cold and probably has an ear infection now. I think ear infections are the devil's way of letting us know that he is still around. They stink. My problem is that once I am awakened in the middle of the night I have a hard time getting back to sleep...hence a 3:15 a.m. post.

What? Who else am I going to complain to about the fact that I can't get back to sleep? If I wake Terri up I'm a dead man.

Dear Facebook

Dear Facebook,

I don't really understand you. You are a mystery to me...an enigma. You seem really neat to me at first, a way to keep in touch with everyone I have ever met in my entire life, but then I realize that you are quicksand. If I give you five minutes of my life you demand 50. You drink me down slowly like a Steak n' Shake milkshake. Why are you doing this to me? Are there not enough people who love you that you demand all my attention? Must you shove all your applications in my face to show me how great you are? Are you really that needy?

Furthermore, why is the thing everyone writes on called a wall? Can you name any single culture where it is okay to write on a persons wall? Why not just call it "My Diploma" or "My Birth Certificate" or "My Most Important Document Ever" since none of those things are appropriate to write on either? Why is it that every time I ever sign on to you I feel compelled to share my deepest and darkest secrets? Facebook, you lay me bare.

I'm going to leave it at this, Facebook, because I need to maintain a good relationship with you. You are my gateway to a lot of friends and family, but I think we need some space. I'm not breaking up with you, just redefining our relationship. I've got a wife and kids that need me, Facebook, and I just can't give you everything you need! I know you'll find that perfect person who wants to be in a mafia war, tell the world when they are putting on deodorant and announce what Harry Potter character they are. I'm just not emotionally prepared to do that for you.

We can still be friends though...

Chris

AAAARRRG!

Yesterday at 4pm I got a call from Sam at Lakeland, where The Creek meets. Sam is a stand up guy, and by that I mean he literally stands up straight on two legs. He is also a cool fella. Sam called because, even though he was sure that someone had already called to inform us, he wanted to make sure we knew that the room we meet in on Wednesdays was not available last night. They were using it for a church event. Long story short, no Creek for you!

I can take these things in stride, but with camp, my vacation and last night it has been three weeks since I have been to a Creek service. Three weeks!!!! I feel like I have been living in a bubble at the bottom of the ocean. I am severely Creek deprived. So help me, if we have to sing songs in a circle around a garbage can while holding hands in a public park next week to have The Creek we will do it. Don't tempt me...I will make it happen.

PS. I'm really looking forward to our Cool Crest outing on July 22. Unlimited mini-golf and video games sounds pretty sweet to me. Gonna be shootin' up some bad guys...Click here for more info.

My Prayer

I love this passage. It is very simply the hearts cry of a person who wants to know and be close to God. I read this and repeat it over and over because the more I say it the more true it becomes for me, and I want this to be my own personal prayer more than anything.

Psalm 119:27-35
Help me understand the meaning of your commandments,
and I will meditate on your wonderful deeds.
I weep with sorrow;
encourage me by your word.
Keep me from lying to myself;
give me the privilege of knowing your instructions.
I have chosen to be faithful;
I have determined to live by your regulations.
I cling to your laws.
Lord, don’t let me be put to shame!
I will pursue your commands,
for you expand my understanding.
Teach me your decrees, O Lord;
I will keep them to the end.
Give me understanding and I will obey your instructions;
I will put them into practice with all my heart.
Make me walk along the path of your commands,
for that is where my happiness is found.

Comment?

So I'm out here writing all my innermost thoughts and it feels kind of weird because I get no feedback. In a normal conversation I would say something and the other party would respond. For example, here is a conversation between my imaginary friend, Buddy, and me:

Chris: I like to eat bananas.
Buddy: Actually, I prefer plantains to bananas (look it up here).
Chris: That's because you have no taste buds.
Buddy: You wanna go? I'll throw down right here, son!
Chris: Bring it!

So that's what a conversation should look like, but with this blog things feel a little one-sided. I want to fix that. In the interest of creating a little bit of dialogue I'm going to set up a little prize drawing. At the bottom of this post is a little comment icon. Everyone who uses it to leave a comment to this or any other blog post will have their name entered into a drawing. In one week on July 15 I will draw the winning name. That person will win something so profound and incredible that words cannot begin to describe it. Okay, words can describe it...I will take you out to eat after The Creek next Wednesday night. My treat.

Any takers?

Missed Wednesday

I'm sitting here on the couch in my parents house, the house that I grew up in. We are on vacation in Illinois and tonight is the first Wednesday night that there has ever been a Creek service without me there. I have mixed feelings about it. I am kind of bummed out that I missed it. I love Wednesday nights. I love seeing everyone at The Creek - teasing those who need to be teased, high fiving those who have not been high fived enough, talking to students who I haven't gotten to know yet - I love it. You know how it feels when your friends go on vacation or go on a school trip without you, and you know that they are having a great time making jokes and creating new memories without you? That's how I feel right now. The Creek is like my second family and when I'm not there I feel like I'm missing all the good stuff.

On the other hand, I am beyond happy that there are people who care enough about The Creek and the students who are part of it to make it happen even when I'm gone. I think of Dan Taylor who God has blessed with a unique ability to sing and lead worship. I think of Kerri Buck who takes care of the details of attendance and sets up our information table. I think of Jodie Wolfe who has pushed more couches into place than all the dudes in our youth group combined. I think of Dan Harris who is just at the beginning of his journey into ministry but is jumping in feet first because he loves The Creek. There are more, and if I left you out it was only because my hands are cramping up from typing all this praise.

I miss pre-service prayer - pressing into the presence of God with students and leaders who are passionate and excited about calling on him to make a difference in the lives of every person who darkens our doorway. I miss the power of lifting our requests to God who loves us so much that even our most shallow requests are of huge importance to him. I miss worshipping him with the group of people that I care about so much.

Even as I put all these thoughts down in lines of letters, it occurs to me that I am very blessed. Not with talent or money or fame or ability, but with you guys. I really love you guys. I love that God smashed us together like peanut butter and jelly* because he knew we would be delicious together.

* Have you ever thought about the first person to put peanut butter and jelly together? What made him think it would be such a delicious combination? I don't know who it was or when it happened, but somebody needs to put some flowers on his tombstone. He's a hero.