I receive regular emails with links to youth ministry/ youth culture articles and websites. Recently, Newsweek did an article on the the “look at me generation”. It makes some interesting notes about this generation’s view of “reality” television and documenting their lives before a camera or on the internet. Anyway, I found this article interesting:
http://www.newsweek.com/id/123484
What do you think?
One of the biggest challenges I’ve found to being in full time ministry is the fact that ministry is now a “profession” for me. When I received what I believed to be a calling into ministry, it has always been something I saw as a heavy and burdensome challenge, never as a chance to “get paid for being a Christian”. I never saw it as an economic or “professional” choice, even though I’ve always been well compensated and cared for. In fact, I have never believed myself to be an employee of any individual church, but a servant of God in His kingdom. He sends me to specific places for service and situations in which I am to submit to the local church servant leadership He has set in place. Yet, I often feel like people are distrusting of me because I am a full time minister, that somehow the message is corrupted because I get paid to tell it.
I can’t blame people for that. It doesn’t take long to think of situations in which people abused the gospel for their own personal gain. I even find myself jealous at times of people who volunteer at church part-time and their teaching is quicker to be received and somehow perceived to be more reliable.
But, I know how much work there is to do and how important it is. I also know that ministries (such as to youth) require constant training and study, as it is cross-cultural communication. There is also a huge need for someone who organizes and equips the volunteer forces to minister to others.
That all being said, when I find myself doubting my calling or doubting my place in youth ministry or doubting I should be working for the church, I ask myself one question: “Would I do this if I didn’t get paid?”
Even in dark, depressing, frustrating, and lonely times, the answer has always been “Yes”. I’d teach classes and help with retreats and befriend teenagers and organize events. When I reconcile that with myself, I find that I can get over the self-consciousness or perception that someone doesn’t trust me.
If the answer to that personal evaluation ever becomes a definitive “no”, it’s time to move on to something else.
But right now, I think it’s pretty cool to be where I’m at, doing what I’m doing.
A recent Time magazine article told about a Christian humor website called “Lark News“. It’s a lot like “The Onion” except with an evangelical spin. The fake articles often cross into irreverent zones, but also force me to evaulate some things that might make me uncomfortable. Check out this article:
Inner-city ministry trip confirms youths’ worst impressions
or this one:
Lotion soap switch angers congregation
(Try switching “soap” for hot buttons you might have at your church. Frightening.)
Anyway, if you hate irony or sarcastic writing, this site isn’t for you.
This day every year, I curse the fact I left Arizona.
Yes, this is Daylight Savings Time. Time to “spring forward” your clocks and enjoy getting one LESS hour of sleep.
Arizona does not participate in such a cruel past-time.
So, here’s to you Grand Canyon State. And here’s to second guessing my math when calculating the time difference when I call your wonderful residents.
Special thanks to wikimedia commons for the photo. In this map, blue is bad. Note how Arizona is the only state in the US that is not blue.
Ever get tired of all those forwards?
Or are you the one who is sending them?
I started something in the last year that probably drives everyone nuts. I started verifying if a forward is true on snopes, then sending a link back to the person who sent me the forward if it isn’t true. I mean really, you can only so many emails stating that Madalyn Murray O’Hair is trying to get the “under God” taken out of the pledge of allegiance. People, she has been dead since 1995. Exactly what kind of threat does she pose? There are many more like this out there. Just look em up at www.snopes.com.
I do like getting jokes, though. Especially funny ones.
