I HATE YOUTH PASTORS!

I've seen a trend.

It was a perception I felt as a youth pastor.
It is a reality that seems to be true now as a lead pastor.

Maybe HATE is a strong word.
Maybe MISUNDERSTOOD is more palatable.

At times I see a lack of respect.
A total distaste for youth ministry.

There is an analogy that runs in circles that Pastors are like coaches.
And coaches hire and fire their staff at will.

Assistant coaches are just cogs in a larger machine, replaceable.
Hours are greater than their opinions.
And pay is less than well, its just less than.

Youth pastors are seen as less than...

It works for the NFL but not for the ministry.

Another approach maybe to view Lead Pastors as Principals and
Youth Pastors as Teachers.

Teachers are noble and honorable.
Teachers are essential in developing education.
Teachers are molding the next generation.

Donald D. Quinn, professor at Akron University says, "If a doctor, lawyer, or dentist had 40 people in his office at one time, all of whom had different needs, and some of whom didn't want to be there and were causing trouble, and the doctor, lawyer, or dentist, without assistance, had to treat them all with professional excellence for nine months, then he might have some conception of the classroom teacher's job."

Sounds like youth ministry to me.

I believe the best schools have the best teachers.

I believe that churches would be much healthier
if they treated their youth pastors with the respect they need.
The respect they deserve.

Here are some of the quotes and opinions I've heard first hand in regards to youth ministry,
some are from pastors and some are from church officials.

-"Youth Pastors should be seen and not heard in church board meetings."
-"The Senior Pastor is King."
-"Youth ministry is not a priority at this church, anyone can do it."
-"He was a good youth pastor because he always did what he was told."
-"We are excited to have these youth pastors at our church we got them for a bargain."

Despite the discouraging perspective on youth ministry there is a shift taking place.

One of the best opinions I've heard on youth ministry was not on the internet or in a book, but it was from a pastor of over 25 years experience talking to another pastor; that I had the privilege of listening to their conversation.

"I do not understand my youth pastor, and I am not supposed to...
he speaks a language to a generation that I cannot reach."

Youth Pastors may not be hated,
but they are certainly misunderstood,
and maybe that is a good thing.

"...To reach a generation that I cannot reach."

Free Fallin' & Church Plantin'

It's like reaching the peak of a roller coaster one link at a time and then...

It's like stepping inside the batter's box adjusting your swing and then...

It's like jumping out of an airplane and there is no going back. 

It's like church planting.

We planted, launched or jumped in faith Valley Community Church April 1, 2012 and it was no April Fool's joke.  It is one thing to TALK about church planting, it is another to DO church planting.  Four years of talking and planning lead up to this moment, and I was sick, sicker than sick.  On the surface it looked like any other church service but we did it...and there was no looking back! 

The day was a success, but now the reality is hitting me in the face at over 100 mph. 

I feel like Jerry Maguire stepping out of the comforts of his job and into the dream of the unknown. 

The dream of doing things different.

The dream of meeting a need.

The dream of Hope in the Valley.

Each service is another exercise of praying like it depends on God and working like it depends on us.  It is amazing how I've come to value each person, each soul that walks thru the Community Center doors.  I have to be honest, it's hard to remember to do an official count of how many people there are on a given Sunday, but I never forget to make a conscious effort to talk and connect with our VCCers. 

There is pressure to get this church off the ground, much like there is pressure to get anything that is new  stable and moving in the right direction.  Although this feels like a scary ride I just have to sing and remind myself that the scariest rides sometimes make the most memorable rides. 

I am Free Fallin'. 

Free Fallin in Faith.

(I find myself singing in my car like this a lot, and just as off key too).

Soundtracking the Bible Pt. VI Ezekiel - Amos

The genre transitions from wisdom literature to the writings of the major and minor prophets.

The prophetic writings fit together to connect the Old and New Testament like a Swiss watch who's value comes in the intricacy and complexity as numerous parts work together to create seamless movement.

These are books that can be easily passed over because of the cryptic writing and bizarre visions. However, underneath surface lies the inner workings of the gadgets and gears that keep the bible in time.


25. Ezekiel - Stairway to Heaven: Led Zeppelin 

One of the most controversial songs and yet popular of all time is Stairway to Heaven.  Surrounded in rumors of mysticism and backward masking,  the original message was about materialism and inspired themes by Tolken's Lord of the Rings.
Ezekiel is a prophetic book that a good portion of the theology of Lucifer is derived and end time prophecy.  The core of the book is God's faithfulness. How he would rather forgive than judge.

(Check out this amazing cover at LCBC a church Central PA)




26. Daniel - Ring of Fire: Johnny Cash

More than just a play on words as Daniel was thrown into a "Ring of Fire," he is a character that stands for integrity and truth.  Written during a time of the Israelites being in captivity, the main theme throughout is how God's love remains faithful even though His people may not. 
Ring of Fire echoes that same theme of faithfulness.  Written during a time of addiction for Johnny Cash, his wife June Carter wrote this song to her husband.   The title may seem ominous but it is actually a song about falling in love.

(The song takes a more tender tone performed by June Carter)




27.   Hosea - Pretty Woman: Roy Orbison 


The life of Hosea plays out like a modern love story as the song of the same name was featured in the movie "Pretty Woman" about a man who falls in love with a prostitute.  Hosea was also a man that fell in love with a prostitute despite her cheating ways.  The picture of being faithful to the unfaithful mirrors God's love that is the same for us.
The song Pretty Woman by Roy Orbison was about his wife Claudette and has a similar history to Hosea as well.  Written when Orbison and his wife had a falling out.  She cheated on him and filled for divorce but Roy's loved never failed and the couple remarried.



28. Joel- Is It Any Wonder? : Keane

Often thought as the "Prophet of Pentecost," because of the connection with v. 2.28 and Acts 2.16 and the outpouring at Pentecost in the New Testament.  Digging deeper into the book you find a people struggling under a corrupt young king Joash and manipulated by his father.   Joel had a mind like a chess player seeing a couple moves down the line and brought a message of judgment but also promise.
The UK band Keane pens a similar note in the song "Is It Any Wonder?" Tim Rice-Oxley, the main lyricist for the band, said in article for Q Magazine, "It articulates something that a lot of people have felt over the last few years: being powerless and totally misrepresented." The song is also said to have have another message of a trouble relationship between two people, much like God and his people in the book of Joel.



29. Amos - Get Up Stand Up : Bob Marley 

This book is a response to the social injustice of Amos' day.  Amos speaks of how God has a special interest for those who are poor and exploited, as the northern kingdom was oppressing the people of the southern kingdom.  The message of Amos is a timeless one as their are still volatile social issues today when it comes to racial minorities, social classes, single moms, and even the elderly. 
Bob Marley was voice much like Amos speaking to the injustices of his day.  "Get Up Stand Up" was a song about taking action against the oppression in his country of Jamaica and Marley transcended generations as a voice fighting for respect and acceptance.



Next week will close out the Old Testament and the remaining books of Minor Prophets. 

Pearl Jam Pastor

Eddie Vedder of Pearl Jam

I loved the music of the 90's.

Bands like Nirvana, Pearl Jam, and Smashing Pumpkins changed music over night from hair-bands and ballads to crunchy guitars and flannel.

Interesting enough, most of those bands did not set out to be famous.

The "Grunge" movement was counter-cultural and these artists were in it for the music not the fame.

“We didn’t write to make hits. But those fragile songs get crushed by the business,” Eddie Vedder frontman for Pearl Jam told Carmon Crowe in an interview for Rolling Stone.

They just wanted to have integrity and make great music.

As a Pastor I struggle with the need to be famous.

I want to have a mega church.
I want to write books that sell millions of copies.
I want to speak at large ministry conferences.

It is frustrating that even myself and ministry can get sucked into the "Fame Machine."

The other side of the "I wants..." leads more out of my heart than my ego.

I want to be a good family man.
I want to have integrity in my craft.
I want to serve my church and community.

This is the place that I want be, but the culture of the day pushes me to not be happy, to want more.

Despite the pull to be bigger and have more it is the small that fuels America in business and in the church.

A recent study by the U.S. Small Business Administration’s (SBA) Office of Advocacy counted 26.8 million businesses in the United States.


Of those, 99.9% have fewer than 500 employees and as such are considered small businesses. This means that only one-tenth of one percent have more than 500 employees. Yet, more notable is the fact that according to the U.S. Census Bureau, 98.2% have fewer than 100 employees. And if you are impressed with that number, you may be amazed to learn that in the same report it states that 89.3% of the businesses in America have fewer than 20 employees! Bear with me for just a moment more as I drive this point home. Even more amazing is the fact that 78.6% have fewer than 10 employees and 60.8% have fewer than 5 employees.

A recent study by the Hartford Institute for Religion Research reported 300,000 Protestant and other Christian churches (excluding Catholic Churches) in America.

Of those, 94% have fewer than 500 worshipers and are considered a small church. And to break that number down even further 59% of churches have 99 or less worshipers on a given Sunday.  The Mega Church that is considered to have over 1000 worshipers makes up 2% of the churches in America. The Joel Osteen and the Craig Groschel churches of 10,000 worshipers or more make up .01% of the church population in America.

I may never get that book deal, because quite frankly I am not a good writer, or speak at an awesome church conferences like Catalyst...

but I love my family.
I love my church.
I love what I do
and that Rocks.

Soundtrack the Bible Pt. V: Ecclesiastes - Lamentations

One of the hardest things to do is understand tone from text.

How often do you misinterpret an email or a text message because you cannot hear the inflection in a persons voice?

The same can be said about certain books of the bible, especially Ecclesiastes and Songs of Solomon.  Two books that are definitely not on the Junior Bible Quiz reading list.  The content is deep, poetic, and mature;  and yet, insightful and true.

The songs that cover this collection of books play out like a 90's movie; complete with grunge and classic rock soundtrack.  It was music that was misunderstood, but music that gave a generation a voice.

20. Ecclesiastes- Loser: Beck

You cannot be more straightforward than, "Meaningless, meaningless everything is meaningless."(Ecc 1.2)

In relation to Beck's chorus, "I am a loser baby/ so why don't you kill me."  The voice of Ecclesiastes is a very wealthy man (almost beyond wealthy) at the twilight of his life in contrast to the voice of "Loser" who is young and very poor.  Ecclesiastes was a book Hebrews used for instruction; to find significance when the world can make you feel insignificant.  Beck's anthem did the same for Generation X. 

Both are often misinterpreted.

Both are speaking of time.

(It's interesting that song will find it's way to be a voice of another generation of "losers")

21. Song of Songs- Crash Into Me: Dave Mathews Band

I remember discovering this book of the bible as teenager and it was probably one of the first times I actually got excited to read the bible, and quote some scripture.  The picture of love and beauty is raw, graphic and yet also poetic and enchanting; without being pornographic  Dave Matthews Crash follows the same tension of desire and love.  Crash was the song that began the genesis of thought for this blog series.  When I hear this song or read this book, I see a love story.  

The meaning of Songs of Songs has been highly debated, but great art often does that very thing.

22. Isaiah- Dream On: Aerosmith

The first in the series of four books labeled Major Prophets, Isaiah is a haunting and prophetic book.  The two fold message of judgement but also promise of a Messiah.  The language is poetic but also has a bite, challenging the nation of Judah to live right. "Dream On" by Aerosmith originally released in 1973 was the blueprint for power balleds to come.  Is it a love song or is it something more? "Half my life

is in books' written pages/Lived and learned from fools and from sages/ You know it's true/All the things come back to you."  This song is as relevant today as it was almost 40 years ago.

23.  Jeremiah- All Apologies: Nirvana

Often called "the weeping prophet," because he is one of the most persecuted characters of the Old Testament.  Jeremiah's contemporaries cursed him, beat him and even threw him in prison (Jer 15, 20, 32, 37).  Kurt Cobain's troubled soul is similar to Jeremiah's struggles to know God's plan for his life.

The refrain "I wish I was like you/ Easily amused" echo's Jeremiah's anxiety.  Underneath the unwanted label of the leader of Grunge, Cobain often struggled with the artistic vision of Nirvana be misunderstood.  It is bittersweet to find that Jeremiah never got to see his prophesies come to fruition; and Cobain's life cut short before he could see the influence of his music on future generations.



24. Lamentations- Long December: Counting Crows

Jeremiah's writings are elegantly dramatic, much like Adam Duritz prose style of writing with Counting Crows.  They say misery loves company, and you can picture them both merry in their melancholy.  It is unfortunate that in the American translation loses the aesthetics of an acrostic poem covering his pain and sorrow "literally from A to Z" in the first four chapters. 

Long December was written during a time when Durtiz spent many nights in the hospital visiting a friend who was hit by a car.  This song came out of that experience. "The smell of hospitals in winter/ And the feeling that it's all a lot of oysters, but no pearls/ All at once you look across a crowded room/To see the way that light attaches to a girl."

There is comfort in knowing that someone understands your pain. That is the hope Lamentations and the hope in the music of Adam Duritz, "like a lot of songs on the end of an album it's not about everything turning out great, but it at least it is about hope... and the possibilities."

What are some songs that bring you comfort in the midst pain?

Soundtracking the Bible Part IV

The Old Testament was written in Hebrew.  In that culture collections of books were organized by theme not chronically as cultures in the West prefer.  The next five books in this post transition from the Historical books of Nehemiah and Esther to the Poetical books of Job to Proverbs.

The Poetical books of the bible are just that poetry, they are not commands.  They should be read with the filter as one listening to good advice or a beautiful song.  It gives wisdom.  It encourages.  However, people have a mind of their own and do not always listen, and what happens in love songs does not always happen in real life. 

It's refreshing to find the Bible not just about facts but also about emotion, passion, and love.  

If the historical books are the mind of the Bible the Poetical books are the heart.

15. Nehemiah- All Along the Watchtower: Jimi Hendrix 

Originally written by Bob Dylan All Along the Watchtower  was penned after his motorcycle accident.  The track was part of the album John Wesley Harding that featured a number of songs that had biblical allusions.  Inspired by the birth of Dylan's children and marking a new phase in his life this song mirrors the nation of Israel, as they were also turning the page and starting a new chapter.   Nehemiah focuses on one man's passion and drive to rebuild the wall surrounding Jerusalem.   The book is perfectly balanced between the spiritual and the practical with verses like "We prayed to our God and posted a guard (4.9)".  The Jimi Hendrix version is the most popular for his spirited guitar solos that echo the dramatic structure of the song written without choruses. 

16. Esther- Lady Gaga: The Edge of Glory

The book of Esther rewinds back to when the Jews where in Exile under the Persian Empire. Written in a short-story style similar to Ruth where the main protagonist is also a female. The word "God" is never mentioned in the book however His presence is felt throughout all the drama and intrigue as Esther risks her life to become Queen to Xerxes and save her people.  Lada Gaga's soulful anthem Edge of Glory was inspired by the death of her grandfather and the life of Rocky.  She says the song is about "looking at life directly, with the feeling that he or she is a champion," and that is exactly how Esther lived her life. 

17. Job - Comfortable Numb: Pink Floyd

The book of Job is one of the most well known stories of the Bible, and possibly on the oldest as well.  The story unfolds over 40 chapters filled with vivid imagery, poetic laments, and dynamic confrontations to address the question of suffering.  The Wall by Pink Floyd, which Comfortably Numb climaxes the double album, is also grand in scale.  Thought to believe that the song was about drug use, David Gilmour says, "this song can be divided into 2 sections, dark and light. The light are the parts that begin "When I was a child...," which Gilmour sings. The dark are the "Hello, is there anybody in there" parts, which are sung by Waters."  Job is a tale dispelling the fallacy of sin equaling suffering.  It is a story of Light overcoming Dark, it is story of God believing in us to prove the Devil wrong.  (The imagery during the live performance is breathtaking especially at the 6.30 minute mark when the Wall breaks to become a bridge.)

18. Psalms - Bohemian Rhapsody: Queen

The main author of Psalms is King David (total 73) writers also include Moses, Solomon, Asaph, and anonymous contributors as well.  The range of emotion is vast from sorrow and joy to anguish and peace.  It is comforting to the reader knowing these words come from the Saints of the Old Testament.  The rock-opera Bohemian Rhapsody is a complex pop song that matches the emotional range of Psalms as well as the variety in arrangement.  Freddie Mercury never said officially what the song was about, but guitarist Brian May shared some insight, "Freddie was a very complex person: flippant and funny on the surface, but he concealed insecurities and problems in squaring up his life with his childhood. He never explained the lyrics, but I think he put a lot of himself into that song." The 150 books that make up this musical and artistic work are more about expressing one's feelings than searching for doctoral meaning.





19. Proverbs- Blowing In the Wind: Bob Dylan


Proverbs is more than the fortune cookie of the bible filled with pithy sayings.  The wisdom is deep.  The topics are wide.  The advice is timeless.  Proverbs is a book of maxims written for a young Jewish audience, with truths compacted into a few lines scripted in an indelible fashion.  Bob Dylan's Blowin in the Wind is also a song that transcends generations with powerful truths layered upon verse and chorus.  Dylan played the song for Pope John Paul II in 1997, upon being greeted, the Pontiff said this,"You say the answer is blowing in the wind, my friend. So it is: but it is not the wind that blows things away. It is the wind that is the breath and life of the Holy Spirit, the voice that calls and says, 'Come!'"




The next part in Rock of Ages will focus on Ecclesiastes to Lamentations. 

Soundtracking the Bible Part III

What happens in the next five books of the Bible will send ripples through the pages of history. The nation of Israel reaches highs as King Solomon builds a vast kingdom only to find a nation torn in two and then sent to Exile.

It is a story of lost and found and how God can use ordinary people to do extraordinary things

The characters that take stage range from Kings and commoners to prophets and priests who all play a part in this story; God is an author who never wastes words or an opportunity.

10. 1 Kings - Kings & Queens: 30 Seconds to Mars

Written during the Babylonian exile of Jews, 1 Kings opens with King Solomon and his quest for wisdom. Author Jeremiah does not hold back tracking the positive and negative choices of the Kings of Israel. This historical book is grand in scale and mirrors the anthem of Jared Leto's Kings and Queens.   "We were the kings and queens of promise/ We were the victims of ourselves/ Maybe the children of a lesser God/ Between Heaven and Hell."  It is here that the split of Israel (North) and Judah (South) begins and sets the stage for the struggles of Israel to come.


S
11. 2 Kings - Viva La Vida : Coldplay

There is not a main character in the second book of Kings, however human nature is the major theme throughout.  Israel is a broken mosaic of choices made that set a nation of promise into a nation in captivity.  Chris Martin's bittersweet symphony matches the tone of nation searching to pick up the pieces, "One minute I held the key/ Next the walls were closed on me/ And I discovered that my castles stand/ Upon pillars of salt and pillars of sand."  If there was a bright spot in the dark cloud over Israel it would be Elisha and Elijah, a beautiful illustration of how God can use us despite our insecurities.



12. 1 Chronicles - Iris: Goo Goo Dolls

It is said that Ezra wrote these next two books of the bible, and at first glance could look like a retelling of OT texts, but there is more.  The audience of this book was written for a nation returning from Exile.  Like an artist putting together pieces of a mosaic, Ezra rebuilds the fractured history of Israel to show how they fit together into God's plan. "And I don't want the world to see me/ 'Cause I don't think that they'd understand/ When everything's meant to be broken / I just want you to know who I am," there is a common thread of wanting to belong that echoes thru Chronicles much like thru the song Iris; and that's something we all can relate to.



13.  2 Chronicles - Sigh No More: Mumford & Sons

The second part to Chronicles focuses on Judah.  The book is very historical, but there is a purpose to giving the past a second look.  It is amazing how seeing things from a different persecutive can make even the toughest parts of the past find meaning and purpose. "Love; it will not betray you/ Dismay or enslave you, it will set you free/ Be more like the man you were made to be." The lyrics from Mumford & Sons are a poignant epilogue to Chronicles that although a nation maybe in downfall, it is not the end.



14. Ezra - My Hero: Foo Fighters

After years of exile under the Babylonians the Israelites were allowed to return home and find second life.  Ezra is a reminder that even the ordinary can be a hero.  Ezra was a humble low-profile leader, that played key role in bringing together a community to rebuild a temple and also a nation.  "There goes my hero/ watch him as he goes /there goes my hero/ he's ordinary." Some thought that "My Hero" was written about Kurt Cobain, but Dave Grohl says the song is a "celebration of the common man." We all want to make a difference, but most of us lead ordinary lives, Ezra shows us that we can do both. (Check out the acoustic version of "My Hero" which brings out the heart and message of the song).



What songs today remind you of characters in the bible?