Because I have recently had a few comments about what I wrote, I wanted to indeed share with you what I wrote for April's newsletter article for church. I am curious to see what you think about it. Here it is:

Magnifying The Lens: What You See May Not Be There
Last month, I had the privilege of spending a weekend at Chula Vista resort in the Wisconsin Dells with about thirty or so junior highers, along with our fearless Youth Minister Chris and six other adult chaperons who bravely accepted the challenge. I knew I was in for quite a ride that weekend as it had been awhile since I had "hung out" with middle-schoolers. Now, the deal is, hanging out with junior-highers is definitely an age check...I mean I kept asking myself, "How did I get to be so old?" Age is not so bad, but when you hang out with youth for a weekend, you feel well, uh, old! Can I tell you something though? That weekend reassured me of something. These young adults are thinking!

You say, "Well, yeah, they're supposed to do that!" But, it is what they are thinking of that amazed me. See, this group of youth reassured me that their generation can have a voice and speak to AND for the church with it. This generation of youth, who already feel like outsiders, like the ignored, like the un-included, are all made to voice their hopes, their dreams, and their questions for the church. What struck me while I was talking with these articulate young people was the question, "Is the church doing all it can to help our youth feel as if their voice matters, or is the church responsible for creating a generation of atheists by ignoring their voice?" Let me ask you another question: Are we pushing a particular version of understanding the church onto our youth just because we are comfortable with that version?

Let's say you are the parent of a junior-higher, and you or your spouse or both, have grown up in the church. You have a particular lens through which you see the church, and how your faith exists by way of the church, and who this God is. And so for years, you build up these assumptions about how the church is supposed to exist, what it believes, why certain practices are in place, and what you think you deserve in it. You have children. You have them baptized because that's what you're supposed to do. You take them to Sunday school, because that's what you're supposed to do. You help them understand communion, because that's what you're supposed to do. And then you take them to confirmation because that's what you're supposed to do. This whole time, your child is aging in the fast culture of excess, believing bits and pieces of gossip or truth, being crushed by the impact of hormonal tweaks, taking in massive amounts of global and cultural information, and then trying to discern their place within the hierarchy of relationships with you and their friends. Oh, and your child has the ability to figure out what's real and what's fake. And most of what they take in around them is distinguished by this ability. They want to make sense of the world around them by experiencing it for themselves. The same can be said for their faith.

Having your teenager see faith through your lens, the church through your lens, politics through your lens, etc., does not always work out they way you hope it will. In fact, most parents who rigidly place that lens in front of their child's eyes will lose that child's ability to connect with them. If you push, he/she will push back. And sometimes, they will walk away from it altogether. What's the point in trying to show you they believe. if what they believe is unacceptable for you? Maybe at age 12 or 13, your child's faith is at best, piecing itself together in questions, in doubts, in silence, in dreams, and in temptation. Maybe your child is really struggling with to answer some tough questions without you, because your child cannot relate to your answers. See, forcing your teenager to see faith through your lens is not going to allow them the freedom to make some choices about living this life God made them for. Yes, you can bring your children to church and be involved with all that comes with it, but please do not assume that the church will fill in the gaps of your child's faith if you have already done so with your version of faith. Because what you may be doing in the long run is creating an agnostic, or worse yet, an atheist. They may not believe because they have been told their whole lives what or who to believe.

See, your teenager is looking for the proof that faith is more than just a lens, more than just words, more than just worship attendance, more than just societal acceptance in Christian circles. Your teenager is looking to see if you really believe what you live, what you talk about, what you see. You junior higher wants to know why they should believe when they aren't given the room to do it. Are you being honest with how close you walk with Jesus, or is the gap considerable enough for your child to see so that they become aware that your faith isn't what it appears to be? These are tough questions that you as parents of junior highers need to be asking yourselves when you assume your lens of faith is good enough. It's not. Your lens of faith is good enough for you. Let your teenager grow as one who willingly and unashamedly prays to God, "I don't know what this faith thing is all about but I want to know. Help my doubt be all I can offer you when that's all there is. And help my belief be all that you want so that it may praise and please you always."

You are doing a good job as a parent...you know that. Keep it up. But, please allow the Holy Spirit some room to work on your teenager's heart. You can only do so much, and then it's up to the mystery of God. That mystery helps them think. That mystery helps them question, pull apart, and disassemble faith so that it can be something more than another excuse to make it into heaven. I pray that this generation realize the kingdom of God here and now. That they bring into view, God's kingdom here on earth as it always exists in heaven. That they will be inspired by the stories of the saints and martyrs of previous generations. That this generation voices their hope into a fractured world. My friends, this generation is the voice of the church today because they are the church of today. I think it's time fellow adults, that we quieted ourselves and became silent so that we can actually listen. Let's listen to this generation's voice so that we all learn that their voice matters most when we value it for the sake of realizing the kingdom here and now! For if we do not value it now, we have no one to blame but ourselves when that voice is gone. My hope and prayer is that St. John's Lutheran Church be a venue where ALL youth are valued, their voice is valued, their energy is valued, and where their faith is built by the voices whose faith seeks understanding just as much as their own. "And whoever welcomes this child...in my name, welcomes me." Matthew 18:5

More later...

Hey all. Sorry I have not posted in a bit. Been extremely busy with churchy stuff...but then again, that's what a guru does. So, onto my thoughts. I was watching the Today show this morning, and they interviewed this guy who posted a video on YouTube. Maybe you have heard about him. He basically posted a video, asking anyone who needs to talk to someone, to give him a call...he then posted his cell number. He estimates that his cell bill for next month may reach 50 thousand dollars, and his plan for his cell is only 600 minutes...OUCH! Now, as Meredith was interviewing this guy, his phone was ringing non-stop. He answered a few calls, but had to eventually put his phone on silent. It got me thinking about the loneliness of people, and the disconnection people honestly feel.

We all go through our bouts of loneliness, but are we that desperate as to use such outlets like YouTube, MySpace, or any other social online gathering space to be honest, so much so that we do it within the context of anonymity? I know people who are addicts to these spaces and cannot go a day without communicating their messages and chat with people they don't know. Yes, this is perhaps one of those spots where I can post ideas and messages that I am feeling, and I do it mostly anonymously, although there are obviously people who know who I really am And in the blogging community, we accept that...for the most part, we are unknowns who happen to journal and write publicly about our lives. But, I got to thinking about the power of putting yourself out there for someone to notice you. That's what blogs do essentially. They put you out there as one who has an opinion, story, anecdote, or piece of wisdom that may or may not ramble and inspire. And you hope that maybe your blog with somehow connect with someone.

Is this YouTube phone guy caring about the disconnection humanity seems to suffering from? Or is this just a way for a very lonely person to somehow receive some attention? Why do we feel so disconnected from one another that few of us are willing to be the anonymous receivers of pain and thoughts? In my line of work, I do do this. I listen to people's issues, and listen some more. That's what I have learned about being a good pastor...to listen, listen, listen. I have met blowholes who talk too much, and frankly like to hear themselves speak...they like the attention in the room to be focused on them. That's uncomfortable to be around...trust me! But, I genuinely appreciate listening to people because I know that people associate me with who I am "working for." That's a part of the gig. I don't always know what to say, or how to react, but I listen. I listen not because that's the best way to earn people's trust, respect, and love. If I talk too much, I will drown out the soft voices of need around me who are too tired to speak up. That's why I am always trying to fine tune my radar. I notice the facial expressions, body language, or tone of conversation of the people around me. I notice the little things about people that people give off unknowingly. That's what makes I think, a good listener...noticing the little things.

I guess I applaud this guy. This guy is risking himself to listen to people. I think that's what we all want. We all want someone to listen to us. To help us make sense of the chaos and blurs of our lives. We all want someone to acknowledge that we exist and that we are alright. We need someone to validate our struggles, to question our choices, to keep us grounded, and to give us hope. We need people around us who are willing to sit and listen...no agendas, no motives, and no limits. We need people to hear us; not to hear us pontificate about who we are, but about the broken pieces of our lives that we are unsure how to put back together. I believe that's why Jesus was followed greatly....because he listened to people...he listened to their inner battles, and their outer joys. I also believe that's what helped get him killed too. Let me challenge you: How can you put your radar up today, to notice who around you might need a listening ear?

Listening to the above, loving the above, obsessed with the above, driving to the above, air-drumming to the above, sleeping with...uh, wait. From the top down:

I definitely like the new Vinnie Paul (drummer for Pantera and Damageplan) creation, "HellYeah." This is the first release from Vinnie since his brother "Dimebag Darrell" was shot in the head a few years ago by some crazed fan just as their band at the time, Damageplan was beginning a show. Good to see that Vinnie is once again playing the drums, and honoring his brother's memory by putting together this brutal band and making some new music. This one will rattle your teeth out of your mouth. Might be painful, but what the hell. This supergroup has members from the "new-metal" bands Nothingface and Mudvayne, and of course one of the best groups to ever create music, Pantera. HellYeah is hard hitting, vulgar, ballsy hard rock that I find absolutely soothing to drive to in the open country of Wisconsin! Hey, I am all about scaring the cows as they hear me driving past 'em!
www.hellyeahrocks.com

The latest offering from Europe is interesting. Definitely not your throwback to the good ole "Final Countdown" days. "Secret Society" is harder, darker, and punchier than I have ever heard from these guys. Joey Tempest's vocals are mature, a little on the lower side, but he can still belt out some extreme highs. And the incomparable John Norum slashes his way through this release with huge guitar chops, punchy riffs, and soaring solos. I really like how these guys have stretched to sound heavier. And ultimately, it works! Also, the cover art is great. Not sure what it all means, but then again when you get the guy who designed ALL the Pink Floyd covers, uh, what you see is anyone's guess. Great work!
www.europetheband.com

Marillion's latest called "Somewhere Else" is really good! It's hard to describe what this band sounds like. They are a bit moody, maybe melancholy. But, I find their music to be incredibly beautiful. Steve Hogarth who writes most of the music also plays keys and sings these amazing vocal lines that are layered with thoughtful lyrics and spacey melody lines. I really appreciate the virtuosity of these guys...no cookie cutter musicians at all. Somewhere Else's edge is its mood! It leaves me feeling relaxed, reflective, and good. I also appreciate the fact that Somewhere Else does not sound like their previous release "Marbles" at all. For example, Ian Mosley is doing more drumming on this one; powerfully, gracefully, and yet, he backs off when the music needs some room to breathe! I like that. I would definitely check these guys out if you are looking for something different to listen to.
www.myspace.com/marillion
www.marillion.com

Of course, what can I say about Threshold's new offering "Dead Reckoning" that I have not already tried to say? Uh, maybe I haven't had time to write anything about it, because it's been in my trusty steed's CD player for the last week playing constantly! Go out and buy it when it's released in the U.S., April 24th!
www.thresh.net

Neal Morse - We All Need Some Light

Great, beautiful song! Neal is a great theologian, and incredibly talented musician! Mike Portnoy on drums, although with this song, he is definitely laid back. This song just makes me close my eyes and say a prayer for my friends who are going through some darkness. You are not alone! Hope this song helps.

Why didn't I have these lyrics in my head as I was forced to leave that "place" disguised as a church? Definitely a great song from the best CD to come out this year (Sevendust - Alpha is now second for me, followed closely by Shadows Fall - Threads of Life)!

so open up the door
and get me out of here
I won't be back for more
this isn't my future
so watch me disappear

"Disappear"
Threshold - Dead Reckoning

Last night, I went to see my beloved Milwaukee Brewers beat up on the stupid LA Dodgers. Now, considering how opening day went, I was fairly sure that the Brew Crew would dominate the game. Well, that was not the case. They won the game with four runs to LA's three. And so, as a good and faithful Brewer fan, I cheered and applauded when I should, and got nervous in between those times. Now, when I go to Miller Park (usually with my friend Lurch), we generally go early to get in some batting practice time, watching the other team bat, with our ever vigilant baseball encased hands up and ready to catch a line drive aimed for the section of seats we are watching from. Well, unfortunately we came up empty...watching other fans jump over seats at the risk of life and limb to acquire a ball.

My other proud obsessive compulsive habit I have is I usually take a few official MLB baseball with so that if the chance arises, I can go over by a dugout, wait for some choice players, and see if they will sign 'em. Last night, I forgot to do this, and wouldn't you know it, after batting practice, who goes over to the fans to sign stuff but the man of the Dodgers, Nomar Garciaparra. Yeah, NOMAH from the great Red Sox from not so long ago. As one who collects autographs from musicians and baseball players, I usually appreciate anyone who signs stuff, but that showed me last night, that Nomar cares for his fans and takes time out to meet them. That was cool! Trust me, I have met my fair share of musicians and baseball players who are just jerks and frankly believe their signature is not worth their time for you.

All in all though, the game was fairly tame, the group of college-aged drunken fans behind me from LaCrosse seemed to have a better than average good time, and I spent a small fortune on dinner (15.75 for two brats, a cup of fries, and a large Mountain Dew in a souvenir cup). I mentioned to the nice lady ringing my food order up, "I could buy a steak for what I am spending on this!" She laughed nervously of course. I also bought my yearly press book so as to read up on stats and the new players! It was a good night, considering the fact that EVERYTHING at that ballpark is expensive! Even parking went up a dollar this year to EIGHT bucks! Now, parking is another one of my pet peeves. They put you in this gargantuon lot side by side and two deep. If you happen to get your vehicle before anyone around does, you are waiting for them to move, and maybe then you can back out. But, if the moron behind you does not let you in as was the case last night, then you are really stuck until someone sober decides to let you in.

Ahh, yes the baseball season has begun! I look forward to many more days and night like this at my favorite expensive baseball park, cuz afterall, the Brewers are my team. Got to go and see them, despite the fact that they are not usually all that good, but I am hoping that this year might finally be our year. We'll see! Now, all I have to do is start saving for my next trip...gotta save at least forty bucks for the three hot dogs I will slowly savor along with my eight dollar bottle of Mike's Hard Lemonade! Can you spare a quarter to my baseball fund? More later...