Sunday, March 29, 2009

On Shopping for Churches

I had a disturbing conversation with a friend today. Not a great friend, but someone I respect and trust. She said that she and her family were looking for a new church because her daughter, a high school freshman, hasn't been able to get connected and get interested in the youth ministry at our church. As someone who has led or co-led the youth ministry at our church for about 5 years now, this was interesting, frustrating, and discouraging to me all at the same time.

On one hand, her comment was that we don't "offer enough" for the high school students. We typically meet Wednesday nights, and we have either a bible study, fun night, or some combination of the two. I can see this point...I am a volunteer with a job and a family (two young kids) and I don't always have time to do everything our students would like to do. I know that's a shortcoming for me. And, we used to do more. We did monthly events for the high school students (she didn't come to those either, usually, but that's beside the point). She also said that homework often gets in the way of her daughter coming Wednesday night. I get that, too, as my first grader has a hard time finishing her homework sometimes, and I know high school students are often overwhelmed with all they have to do. Finally, she said, "I just wish we had more kids coming." I can see that point, I wish we did too. I took these comments as fair criticism and took them to heart... I really do want to do things with excellence, just like we try to do everything at Genesis.

On the other hand, I cannot invite other students. The only high school students I ever have access to are the ones that come to our church and the friends they bring. If she wants her friends to come, she should invite them. There are three ways to do youth ministry with your friends. Go to one they all attend, invite them to yours, or make friends with the people who are there. Most students will do a combination of these. On the homework front, many of our students have lots of homework, but they're really engaged and make it a priority- not over their schoolwork, but alongside it. Also, I would like to do more things, but many students won't come to the things we do offer, at least not regularly. How can we commit to offer more events just in hopes some of the less engaged students will come?

I don't know where to land on this. I've poured my heart and soul into these students, and I'm thrilled with what God has done in some of their lives, and I love being a part of that. On the other hand, I look back at the setbacks we've had- high school students that have left the faith, many that have had babies before marriage, and I really feel like a failure. Do I give up, and hope that someone else comes along with more zeal and more passion and more... time? Or, do I hang in and hope that my presence is not depriving some eager volunteer of a chance to invest in the lives of these kids?

The tough conversation was offset for me this morning, though, when I got into the auditorium. I saw a former student, a college sophomore, who is doing great, walking in her faith and she gave me a big hug. Then, I saw two sisters who were involved in the ministry and moved to Florida, and they were so excited to be back and see me and, especially, their friends with whom they shared some neat experiences. I feel very blessed to be a part of the lives of these young people, and I feel at times, that God has used me to speak into their lives. I just wish I knew if I still had the drive and desire (and ability) to do it.

So, that's it. Don't read this as a vendetta against this student or her family... I haven't mentioned names because I love them and don't want their discomfort to become the target of my frustration. I'm bummed that this girl is not connected. I'm disappointed that whatever I've done hasn't been enough. I'm frustrated that this family is church shopping to please their daughter, who may not get involved anywhere (CS Lewis, in The Screwtape Letters, suggests that if the enemy can't stop someone from going to church the next best thing is to have them shop for a church that 'suits them.') So, what would you do? I'd love your comments.

Steve

Monday, March 23, 2009

Facing the tempters

Reading C.S. Lewis's The Screwtape Letters helps us to realize that there really are tempters around us trying to draw us further from God. It also helps us understand that we can too easily be fooled into thinking we can defeat them alone, or that our sin is not that important.

King Saul fell into this trap, as well. When he went to war with the Amalekites, God told him to wipe them out. But, Saul chose to keep the choice livestock for himself and his men. No big deal, right? He even tells the prophet Samuel, "I have carried out the Lord's instructions." Samuel responds with his sharp wit, "Oh yeah, then why do I hear sheep bleating?"

All sin is important to God. It's easy for us to think that secret sin, the one nobody knows about and that doesn't really hurt anyone, doesn't matter. And that's exactly what the tempters would have you think. That's not important, neither is it the next time, nor is the next step, nor the next and eventually, you're in a pit you can't escape. So, when facing the tempters, it's important to remember to never do it alone. Instead, like David, say, "I come against you in the name of the LORD Almighty, the God of the armies of Israel." It's the only language they understand.

Peace go with you.

Tuesday, March 17, 2009

Who are you pretending to be?

"All mortals eventually become what they are pretending to be." - Uncle Screwtape, from C.S. Lewis's The Screwtape Letters

Reading from this book last night, this passage hit me particularly hard, in two ways. First, there are things that I don't picture myself as, that my actions probably say I am. It made me ask: what do my actions say about who I am, and how does that line up with or contradict who I think I am? For instance, I say it's stupid to be obsessed with celebrities, but every once in a while I find myself stealing glances at the Life section of USA Today or sneaking a quick peak at who's dating whom on the AOL entertainment page. My words say one thing, my actions say something else. What about you? Do you say you're recovered but still sneak a drink once in a while? Do you say you're faithful to your wife, but just like to flirt a little? Right now, you are faithful, but you're pretending to be unfaithful. Will you eventually become what you're pretending to be? Will I?

On the other hand, if our actions are positive, we can use them to improve our attitude. As a runner, I know that even on days I don't feel like going out, often just a short 1/2 mile or mile jog will help improve my attitude to the point where I'm able to complete the entire workout. By pretending to be a runner that day, even if I don't feel like one, I can become one.

An old pastor friend of mine used to say it this way: Right thoughts follow right actions. At times, even when we don't feel like doing something positive, we can do it, and then we'll feel like it. So, here are some things that may aspire to. Maybe we should pretend to be them, so we will become them:

Want to be generous? Try giving.
Want to be loved? Try loving someone.
Want to be joyful? Try laughing.
Want to have a friend? Try being one.
Want to be forgiven? Try forgiving.

Peace.

Sunday, March 15, 2009

Race Report - DINO Eagle Creek 15k

So, we returned to the scene of the crime. I have been running events in the DINO trail running series for about four years now, but I'd never been in a race like March 8, 2008. The night before, we had gotten about an inch of ice, and the night before that, we had about 4-6 inches of snow. All this made for a nice, pretty, hard-packed, treacherous course- some of which ran along an off-camber path that dropped off to the reservoir. That, combined with single-digit temps and below zero wind chills made for my least favorite trail run ever.

Fast forward one year- the sun is shining and it is a relatively balmy 30 degrees at gun time. We got to Eagle Creek Park way early, and had over an hour to kill after registration. While I wasn't too keen on burning off energy, I felt like I'd need a good warmup to start the race well. In the past, these 15k trail runs have been endurance challenges for me, but since I'm now deep in the heart of training for the Madison Marathon, the distance was not a mental factor. That mindset would definitely affect my performance today.

I was there with my friend Tom. Over the past few years, he and I share a friendly rivalry that has been horribly one-sided in his favor (as a younger, singler, slimmer guy with no kids, he has the decided advantage). But this year, the marathon training has helped my early-season fitness, and his serious girlfriend has, I think, detracted from his. Tom and I took off for a brief warmup jog, about .3 miles from the car to the start line. He decided to head inside to the warming hut, while I thought about finding a place to leave my two Diet Cokes I drank before the race. As I ran around contemplating "bush or port-a-pot?" I put in another quarter mile or so. I settled on the long line at the port-a-john and barely finished in time for the gun.

At the line, the RD Brian announced that they had changed the course slightly from last year. While the 15k course would still be 3 loops of the 5k course, it was a tad bit shorter (right around 9 miles), and certainly would be less slippery- mostly dry with just a few mud spots. That was good, since it took me over 1:40 last year.

Right before the start, I noticed I was up too close to the front. My normal position (pack right, 10 feet off the line) was probably great for the normal DINO race with 80-100 people, but it was then I realized over 200 people had shown up for the 15k (I never remember the 15k being bigger than the 5k, but it was today). So, the siren sounded and we were off. Tom decided early on that he was going to run behind me as long as possible in his normal strategic attempt to pip me at the finish. So, I decided to push the pace. All of a sudden, this nice, cool run through the woods became a nine-mile tempo run. Never mind that I had never done a 9-mile tempo run before, nor that I had never done a tempo run on the trails. I was determined to lose Tom.

2 miles- I'm running a fast tempo pace, but Tom is still with me. He's started to fade a few times around corners, or as I power up short hills, but he manages to bungee back to me as I recover. Just short of 3 miles, as we come back around to close lap 1, I notice that I have gapped him. While I want to take it easy on the second lap, I decide I need to keep pushing. First lap: 22:53. WAIT! That can't be right. That's less than 7:40 miles, which is my treadmill tempo pace. Oh well, push on.

Lap 2, my "speed" if you can call it that, starts to catch up to me. By mile 4, a few people are passing me, but I'm not usually this far up in the pack, so it doesn't bother me too much. Still, not wanting to fade, I decide to ingest a gel at 4.5. I'd been drinking Powerade from my handheld bottle every 1/2 mile or so, and after the gel, I think the sugar starts to get to me. By mile 5.5 or so, I'm feeling a little queasy and my legs are very heavy from the short but steep hills. Still, I finish lap 2 in 46:30, so the second lap was a slower but respectable 23:37. Still under 8:00 miles.

Lap 3 begins, and at this point, I'm thinking three things: 1) If I can run another 23:30, I'll finish under 1:10 (my previous PR for one of these races was 1:18 and change). 2) I don't see Tom behind me anywhere. I must have put some more time into him this lap. And 3) My stomach is not any better yet. Still, I soldier on, through the grove of pine trees, across the road and down the rope hill, then back up the steepest climb on the trail. At the 7.5 mark, this thought crosses my mind: "How long would it take to puke? I mean, could I just get it all out before Tom catches me?" But, with not quite enough in my stomach to throw up, I just push on. At 8 miles, I feel intense desire to run faster, but find my legs to be unwilling participants. Climbing up the last long hill, I turn around and see Tom only about 90 seconds behind me at the bottom. Now, I turn it on.

I run across the last parking lot, through the two mudholes, past the playground and toward the finish line. Wow, there are a lot of people up in this part of the pack. When I run toward the back, I usually finish alone, but I'm passing and being passed all the way to the line. As I crest the last little rise, I can see the finish clock. Darn! It's already past 1:10. I relax a little and cruise in at 1:10:33, 83rd place out of 200. Certainly not spectactular, but an 8 minute PR for me, and two minutes ahead of my younger, fitter comrade.

It was a great day, a great run, and a terrific start to the season. In two weeks, we'll be at Mounds State Park in Anderson, IN for the next race. Hope to see you there!

Wednesday, March 11, 2009

Choose this day...

"...But if serving the LORD seems undesirable to you, then choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve, whether the gods your forefathers served beyond the River, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land you are living. But as for me and my household, we will serve the LORD." -Joshua 24:15

I have this stenciled in my living room, "As for me and my house, we will serve the Lord." And, for the most part, I have chosen that. I read my bible daily, go to church every Sunday, I'm involved in kids' lives, and really try to serve Him. So, why is it that I still need to choose each day whom I will serve? It seems like some days, I really want to serve my paycheck, or I want to serve my flesh, or I want to serve my stomach or my bank account. Usually, I really just want to serve ME!

I once heard someone say about marriage that you only have to choose to be faithful once, then you manage that decision daily. That way, you don't have to choose to be faithful each time you are tempted to stray. I've done a great job of that with my marriage. But maybe we need the same attitude for God. I chose one time to serve Him, now I will manage that decision daily. Then, I won't have to choose each day.

Friday, March 6, 2009

On forgiveness and prayer

Earlier this week, I was at lunch with a person and he asked to pray. As he closed his prayer, he asked forgiveness for his sins. It might as well have been a difibrillator for me. What's this? Forgiveness of sins? I had forgotten to pray for that. Believe it or not, I had learned to take this for granted.

How can someone get so used to the idea of grace that we take it for granted? That we forget about the sacrifice made for us. How could I be so arrogant as to just assume I was forgiven for what I did yesterday?

Well, I'm not forgetting now. Jesus said, "When you pray... pray like this: '...and forgive us our sins as we forgive those who sin against us.' If we pray together soon, please remind me.

Wednesday, March 4, 2009

Concerned about the economy? Maybe you should pray.

I was really moved and convicted by this prayer offered by Max Lucado about our national economy.




If my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then will I hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and will heal their land. -2 Chronicles 7:14

Monday, March 2, 2009

I'm thinking of calling it, "All work and no TV make Steve something something..."

Go crazy? Don't mind if I do!

So, I'm now at day 6 with no TV, and honestly, it's been generally easier than I thought. With minor exceptions. For instance, yesterday I get home after a long weekend, working mostly, and I just want to crash and watch the US Indoor track and field championships, or some other mind-numbing piece of drivel to unwind. No such luck- no TV for lent.

Instead, I'm getting lot's of reading done. Just finished Lauren Winner's book, Real Sex. Very interesting read about God's creation of and plan for sex. I'm also getting some running in, with 11 miles on Friday and 7 on Sunday.

Jury's still out on which is better... the me with TV or without.

Friday at NAHBS

So, I spent a good portion of my day last Friday at the North American Handbuilt Bicycle Show in Indianapolis. What a day! I went in with no particular agenda, nor any desire for a new bicycle, but I sure left with one. First, some highlights.

Of course, there were great looking bikes, like this Townie:



But, there were also things you don't see everyday, like this wild bamboo ride from Calfee Designs:



Most of the displays were bikes, but there were some components. Like these Rasta headsets from Chris King:



There were other, more practical ideas, too. Let's say you find yourself as the stoker on a tandem. You get thirsty, but you're not really the water type. Instead, you want something with a little kick. Well, CoMotion has you covered:



But my favorite, by far, was the fixie from Courage out of Portland. I talked to the owner, Aaron, for a while, and he was a great guy. Plus, he made beautiful bikes. Look at this:



I mean, look at the detail on this dropout:



Beautiful. Lots of fun. Now, if I just had $2,200. For the frame and fork only. Well, someday...