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They said the pool was open at 5am.  Sure, the workout room was open.  But the little red light from the pool door told me I was rejected.  Thankfully, Paula from the front desk was awake enough to find the maintenance key and let me in.  A great way to wake up.  But as I sit in the lobby now, refreshed and ready for day 2, some thoughts hit me from day 1.

We’re in the midst of attending our first “Chicago Homeschool Expo” as a couple.  Sarah attended last year, and returned very excited that I might come with her this year.  So glad it worked out.  This time, we even paid the extra money to attend the Thursday before the event begins, for “Homeschool 101”.  Intended for those just beginning.  My advice?  Definitely come early.  It’s great to get settled in.  But save that money for IKEA, and read some articles online instead.

The two women that presented were great people.  Lots of experience there.  But one of the 3 sessions even ended with the statement, “Oh, and don’t come to _______ (a seminar) tomorrow, what I just told you was the same thing.”  Really?  We paid quite a bit extra to hear what we could have heard tomorrow?

I’m discovering some interesting things in Homeschooling.  Primarily, that there are as many ways of doing it as there are homes.  Here are a couple (rephrased) quotes from yesterday:

“I believe in 7-up.  No children allowed out of their rooms until after 7am, so that the parents can have time to themselves before the day begins.  Before you start your school day, be sure to shower/dress as if your family were leaving the house.  It helps to separate school from home, and communicates what we’re doing here matters.”

(the other speaker) “Be sure to make sure your household chores are done before homeschooling.  Also, you may want to sleep in until 11am sometimes, that’s fine.  In fact, you may even want to just keep everyone’s pajamas on.  That’s just one of the many benefits of homeschooling!  Heck, you should probably just take the entire month of December off also, because it’ll be quite busy anyways.”

Wow.  I couldn’t believe it.  I can see the importance now of finding like-minded homeschooling families to rub shoulders with.  I can also understand what must go through some people’s minds when they discover we’re homeschooling our children.  Perhaps their experience has been either ridiculously conservative approaches, or the second quote from above.  I think we find ourselves connecting more with the first speaker quoted above, though I’m sure there will be more relaxed days.  I look forward to the family time this path will allow for our home.

There were some other great things I learned also.  One being simply, to be involved with my wife, because it is a decision WE have made, even if she’s the primary “teacher” (though I hope to be involved in what teaching I can also).  She needs to know I’m not only behind her 100%, but standing shoulder to shoulder with her in the education/development of our children.  I have also attained the title of “Principal” of our school.  Mrs. Anderson will have the children report to me if they become disruptive or unruly in class….(snicker).  Seriously though..thinking of myself in that role certainly communicates a more involved role in everything going on.  I like that.

Finally, the reminder that the decision to home school is made on a yearly basis.  It’s daunting when someone asks “Are you doing this through graduation from HS?” to answer them “Yup.”  Even though that is our goal at this point, we will decide annually, and re-evaluate in the summers.  One year at a time, making sure this is a healthy decision and beneficial for what God is doing in our family/home.  In fear and trembling..

All that to say….here we go….day 2..

You don’t have to look far these days, to find young adults & adults who were once involved in a Church community, and no longer see any need to be.  Many of these have also let go of any felt “need” for Christ/God/etc.  But some feel they’re satisfied Spiritually even without being involved in “the institutional church”.

Often it seems, we graduate teens who then look for an experience of church that is similar to the addictive product we’ve called “youth ministry”.  Instead of moving into adulthood, many times they leave their churches to find alternative “young adult” or “relevant” ministries.  Sometimes these are connected to larger churches, where relationships can occur.  But often, these are simply islands of ministry, offering to “serve” the unchurched, or de-churched.  It’s easy to point a finger.  It’s more humbling to realize what that means for the ministry/church I’m pouring my life into. 

Recently a book has been published, and documentary created (view it for free until Sept. 15th) that point out the problem with much of our modern Youth Ministry.  There are some extreme beliefs in the movie (haven’t read the book yet, it’s on its’ way), such as “not believing in literal 6 day creation = evil”.  But if you can keep watching past that, there is a great call to family/home/cross-generational/Christ-centered Church.  A calling to parents (although they focus on the men usually here – a subject for another blog) to reclaim their role as the primary source of discipleship for their children.  A calling to pastors to sound that call to parents, and become a champion for them.  A calling to the entire church body to become the family for those children/youth who need fathers, mothers, grandparents, etc…who will lead them towards Christ.

Both in ministry, and as a father of 3 little girls, I want to take these truths to heart and practice.  I want these young people that I love, to be drawn to the Family of Christ, both now and in a way that grows roots for a lifetime.  These are all things we’ve been praying/working toward as a pastoral staff, ever since before attending the D6 Conference last year in Texas.  To not create a “family/home ministry”, but to raise what we’ve built, and lay a renewed foundation throughout all we do.  A foundation connecting all that we do and are, that resources families/parents/homes to be the places of discipleship/growth.  As a youth pastor,  I want to come alongside parents and support them as they raise children and teens who look forward to continuing a life-long journey of being part of the “Family of God”, and raising their own children in the same vein, toward multi-generational faithfulness and global/local transformation/Kingdom of God proclaiming.

That may begin with a repentance of worshiping the gods of modern youth ministry.  It’s not about big events, being fun or hip or energetic.  It’s not about emotional worship.  It’s not even about being ambiguously “relevant/genuine”, as if that’s all people are thirsty for.  But it’s also not about denying all these things.  It’s about being the body of Christ. 

I’m a youth pastor.  But I am also a pastor.  I love the people of my family, nursery to nursing home.  I am called to serve all of them.  Called to figure out what changes may need to happen, as with any structure what you change the foundation of – certain things may break/fall.  That may mean a very small “youth group” at times.  But that might be a great place to start…

“What is love, but a word with a meaning?” – Agent Smith

A while back I purchased a book called “Shopping Malls and Other Sacred Spaces” by Jon Pahl. I was looking for a good book on spacial theology, and thought this might be one. By spacial theology, I simply mean the presence of God as located in space (opposed to simply time/events)…along similar lines as the Celtic belief in “thin places”. Where the veil between God’s space and ours is a bit more thin than usual.

The book ends up being a lot more of a man pointing out the places we manufacture as “sacred”, and why/what that looks like. Which leads also to some great words about how we “clothe” God, and even define “sacred”. Unfortunately, what we call “sacred” is often a bit further from the presence of God and His Spirit than the word might seem.

Pahl points out that “sacred” in our current popular usage carries a meaning of “not wanting anything else to mess with us while we’re there.” Building a protected space/experience, and digging our trenches or having others dig them for us so that while we’re living in “sacred” space, we will not be disturbed. He gives examples of our home life, our shopping malls, and our Disney Worlds. Places where a fabricated experience exists, often simply “assumed” to be sacred, even if sometimes it’s only in our minds.

I’ve not finished the book yet, mainly because it’s one that I’m only reading sporadically…but this first half gives plenty of food for thought. In reading Bishop Kendall’s blog this past week, he brings up a similar issue lamenting a reply he received from a congressman about his concern over the debt crisis.  Kendall says of the congressman’s response, “nothing was sacred—not even persons, if a crisis became severe enough.”

But there’s another definition of “sacred” that I’m searching for.  Not simply for my home/family, but for the space I invite others into – both as pastor and as follower of Christ.  So what would we consider “sacred” in our own lives? By this I do not mean “unalterable or protected” as the locations mentioned previously.  I mean, where in our lives (both time and space) is the presence of God so fully real/realized that it is palpable? 

I’ve probably not said what I wanted to say well, so I’ll offer a quick summary:  Are we defining “sacred” this week by how “controlled/unchangeable” our events/spaces are?  Or by being dedicated to/filled with the living presence of God and His Kingdom?

Because it seems that how we define/relate to “sacred” may be rubbing off on what we consider “Holy” as well…