The fastest growing "religious" group in America is...

Did you know that over 110 million Americans tuned in to watch the Baltimore Ravens defeat the San Francisco 49ers Sunday evening?   That means that 46.3% of all Americans were tuned in for the big show down.  Nielson reported that 71% of all television were tuned into CBS for the game.  That is impressive! 

Sports are a huge part of many peoples lives.  We play them, we watch them, we want to grow up to be a professional one and we look up to them. 

Trust me, I am no different.  I grew up with a picture of Cobi Jones in my bedroom and dreamed of one day being a professional soccer player.  Currently, I am a huge Titans and Tennessee Volunteers fan (notice all the orange in my newsletters?)  And I, along with about 30 other youth and volunteers gathered in the youth room this past Sunday to watch the great showdown between the brothers.

Now I wanted to state a few facts and statistics that I found…

So as stated before,

 46.3% of Americans Watched the Super Bowl.

Last year, 28% of American adults left the faith in which they were raised in

In adults aged 18-29, one-in-four do not claim any affiliation with a particular religion.

Less than 20% of Americans attend church regularly

In a survey done of children ages 6-12 spend their time and how much time per week was spent on each activity.  The results are as followed…

Activity	Age 6-8	Age 9-12
Sleeping	70 hrs, 44 minutes a week	67:34
School	33:54	33:50
Playing	11:26	8:44
Television	12:38	13:36
Eating	7:58	7:54
Personal care	7:58	7:54
Household work	5:05	6:06
Sports	4:38	5:14
Visiting	3:25	3:41
Other leisure	2:32	3:34
Studying	2:03	3:37
Church	1:21	1:28
Reading	1:14	1:16
Art activities	0:45	0:56
Family talks	0:32	0:28
Hobbies	0:04	0:09

In a study conducted by the Fuller Youth Institute, there are two places that a child or youth can develop their faith and learn in a way that can prepare them for all the obstacles that life will throw at them.  The first and most important one was family.  Having a strong relationship with your family and being able to communicate with them.  Nothing even compares to the effect being able to talk openly with your family about what is going on in your life or about your faith.

The second was the church.  Often times children look to their church children or youth groups as a place where they can connect with other people their age that can help them and talk with them about what is going on in their lives.

So now if we look back at the study, we have almost 2 hours a week that is spent on those 2 activities combined.

Now, I do not think anything can replace the importance of family.  But I do think that the church should also be a very important part of a children’s development.  It was why I am still involved with the church.  I was forced to be active when I was younger.  Yes.  I said it.  Forced.  But I guess somewhere along the way, I couldn’t help but go.

I understand the feeling of being tired on a Sunday morning.  I almost always wake up and think…“I just want to sleep in!”  If I didn’t have this job or teach a Sunday school class, in all honesty I would probably miss every now and then.  

But is that right?

Let’s look back at that list.  I feel that even adults can sub work for the school section and it still is pretty close to accurate.

Sleep.  Well it’s necessary to function.

School/ work. Mandatory.

Playing.  That’s just fun

Television.  Well, it’s normally on while I am doing something else or while I’m eating.

Eating.  Necessary for life.

Church.  Well, if I skip Sunday school I can still make it to church. 

Church.  I just went to sleep a few hours ago, I’m still tired.  I’ll go next week.

Church…I’ll make up an excuse and keep saying it until I believe it.

Why is that where we make the exception?  We will force and bend and flex our schedules around everything.  I must make it to that party.  I have to play at least 3 sports this season.  I need to be a part of this group at school so it looks good on my college applications.

Yes, that is great.  You should do all the things you want to.  If you like playing basketball, you should.  If you want to be a part of FCA or be Vice President of German Club, awesome! Do it! (Yes, I was VP of German Club in High School).

It is great to have those goals and great to have the ambition to go out and make it happen.  But then we are burned out and tired and just looking for a place to slack.  So we pick the church.  That place we know forgives us.  That’s kind of their thing, right?

We want to squeeze everything into our already over packed schedule and the things that normally get squeezed out are the two most important. 

If merely 2 hours are spent at church or talking with your family, where does a child learn about God?  Explore their faith. 

Why is it ok that we put the church on the backburner while we live our lives?

One last statistic,

The fastest growing “religious” group in America is…atheism.

Wonder if the two can be connected at all…

YOU are the Light of the World

Tuesday greetings!  I hope everyone is having a wonderful day. 

So today, I wanted to reflect on the Gospel reading from this past Sunday.  For those of you who do not remember it or where not there, no worries...here it is.

When he came to Nazareth, where he had been brought up, he went to the synagogue on the Sabbath day, as was his custom. He stood up to read, and the scroll of the prophet Isaiah was given to him. He unrolled the scroll and found the place where it was written: "The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he has anointed me to bring good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim release to the captives and recovery of sight to the blind, to let the oppressed go free, to proclaim the year of the Lord's favor." And he rolled up the scroll, gave it back to the attendant, and sat down. The eyes of all in the synagogue were fixed on him. Then he began to say to them, "Today this scripture has been fulfilled in your hearing."

Luke 4:16-21

So I am currently reading a book called Uncommon Youth Ministry, by Jim Burns.  In this book, he talks about how when youth grow up and become adults, and look back at their youth groups they were involved in, a trend emerged.  Adults do NOT remember the programs that their youth minister worked so hard to plan and organize.  But it was the people that and the experiences that stuck with them when they were there.  I think about that as I read this scripture from Luke.  When these people left the synagogue that Jesus had just read, do you think they remembered what he said? 

If I hadn't posted the scripture, would you be able to tell me what it said?  I know I probably wouldn't be able to do that without looking it up.

But I think that this people probably remember how Jesus read, remembered his presence.  How powerful of a presence must that have been?  This man who was sent he to teach, doing what he does, teaching!  Proclaiming that the "Spirit of the Lord is upon me!" 

 How would that not give you goose bumps!  Just imagine what it would have been like to be there!

Listening as Jesus begins his ministry in Nazareth.  Listening as he proclaims his mission.  God's mission.  Our mission.

No doubt about it.  Jesus was a very talented man.  His gifts helped him on his mission.  When you think of words that describe Jesus, teacher and healer might be two words that pop into your head.  What gifts do you think he had that helped him? 

Calm, patient, caring, understanding, the list can go on and on.

Now look at yourself. What gifts do you have?  What are your talents?  What are you good at? 

I am sure this list can go on and on too.  Writing, math, sports, singing, playing an instrument, dancing, running, golf, solving problems, staying calm, being a leader....honestly, take some time and think of these things.  What are your gifts?

I use the word gift because that is what it is, the ability to do something - creative, something useful. 

One of my favorite parables is the Parable of Salt and Light.  (Matthew 5:13-16)  In the parable Jesus explains how when you light a lamp, you do not hide the light or cover it up.  You place it up high and let it shine for all to see. 

Same with your gifts.  Do not hide them or try to shield them from others.  These are your gifts from God.  They were given specifically to you!  Do not hide them from others.  Let your light shine bright for all to see. Because these gifts come from God, who has in mind not only the individual, but everyone all together. 

Remember, YOU are the light of the world.

Freedom God, I know you are already working in the world. I want to join you! Thank you for giving your Spirit within me to guide me. Lead me in truth. Amen

May your gifts burn like a fire,  

bringing warmth to everyone you meet. 

May your gifts light the world 

and reveal the goodness of God.
May your gifts today be embraced
and expressed
with creativity,
making you useful in God's mercy.

Called to Serve

As you read this, I will be sitting in a room, waiting for my name to be called, so I can be asked some questions, to see if I will be selected to serve on a jury.  Exciting right!

When people hear this, I normally get a mix of reactions. 

Eww!

 That sucks!

 HAHA Have Fun! 

Lucky!  I want to be on a jury!

To be honest, I am both not happy yet excited about this experience.  I am sure about 10 minutes in, I will mostly be not happy.  However, it is our duty to do this.  To serve.  Thankfully I won't have to do this again for another 10 years though, which I will be ok with.

So as all of you may know, today is the Feast day of Vincent the Deacon.  Given where we are as a parish, I have a new found respect towards deacons, especially ours. 

Vincent served as the deacon under Bishop Valerius of Saragossa.  While serving as deacon, he was imprisoned for his beliefs and Bishop Valerius was exiled and Vincent was imprisoned.  Vincent was a very outspoken man and spoke with great confidence.  This was often seen as a presumptuous and despitous type of man. 

While in prison he was offered a chance to save himself.  He was asked to give up his beliefs and burn the sacraments, to perform a pagan sacrifice.

He refused.  As a result he was martyred under Emperor Diocletian. 

Hearing this reminds me of the story that came about after the tragedy at Columbine High School.  There was a girl who was asked if she believed in God.  Very confidently she stands and proclaims, "Yes."

A book came out after the tragedy called She Said Yes.  It is the story of Cassie Bernall.  A 17 year old girl who was not afraid to believe in God.

As I await my name to be announced while I am questioned to see if I will be called to serve.  I realize, I have already been called.  I have already been asked to serve.  It is up to me to answer.

How do I answer this calling? 

 Secretly?  

When it is convenient? 

Or at all times in all aspects of my life?

But that is so hard to do!  Duh.  It's not supposed to be.  Is anything that important and special really that easy?

So today, I was called to serve.  Will I be selected?  I don't know.  However, what I do know is that I have been called.  And it is up to me to serve.  We are all called to serve, but how will we answer?  Yes, but only if it fits in with my schedule?  Or yes, in all aspects of my life. 

I leave you with the lyrics to a song.  The words of this song speak volumes.  When thinking about how we are called to serve and how we will answer.  Try to think of these words.

Unashamed Love

Ten Shekel Shirt

You're calling me to lay aside the worries of my day 

To quiet down my busy mind and find a hiding place 

Worthy, Worthy

I open up my heart and let my spirit worship Yours
I open up my mouth and let a song of praise come forth

Worthy, You are worthy

Of a child-like faith
And of my honest praise
And of my unashamed love
Of a holy life
And of my sacrifice
And of my unashamed love

Icy Roads

Brrrrrrrrrrrrr!  Am I right?!  Seems like just the other day I was wearing shorts and working outside!  Wait…that was just a few days ago.  And now schools are closing early because the roads are icing over.  I guess that saying is true; if you don’t like the weather in Memphis, stick around.  Cause it’s going to change.  Probably pretty abruptly too.

So I have this friend, a mentor if you will.  I have known this person for some time now.  We do not talk all the time and there have been years where we have barely spoken more than a handful of times a year.  However, they always seem to be there to listen and to talk with me whenever something is going on.  One time we were talking about how sometimes it just seems that everything goes terribly wrong.  When it rains, it pours.  Not always one huge terrible thing but often times many many small things that make the small troubles feel big and the big troubles feel unbearable. 

The response I heard was not what I was expecting.  He said that when he looks back at the times that everything has gone wrong in his life, when things were just always going wrong; there was always one common denominator.  One thing that always seemed to connect all of his troubles through the years…him. 

He was always the one thing that connected all of his problems

Hmmm.  Well that is a very interesting way to look at it.  You could even call it depressing or self loathing.  However, once we talked more and I thought about it, it made more and more sense.

Think back to when something bad happened and you were having an already bad day?  That day probably sucked.

Now think of a time when something bad happened, but you thought, eh, it is what it is!

A lot of times we put so much pressure and stress on ourselves and beat ourselves up for no reason at all.  Today, especially.  A lot you are probably really happy because you got early for school!  YAY!  However, your parents probably are not too excited about having to drive on the icy roads.

In that one example, there are two reactions to the same problem.  Should we celebrate the fact the roads are icy?  No, that seems a little….weird.

Regardless, the roads are icy.  We cannot change that. 

Many times in our lives, we are faced with “icy roads”.  Obstacles in our way that slow us down or cause a detour, or trap us in a cabin in Arkansas, metaphorically speaking of course.

While in that moment, we feel angry and stuck and only want to fix the problem! But honestly, what can we do about it?  We can sit and we can gripe about it, but where is that going to get us.  It will probably just put us in a bad mood. 

Today, I leave you with two prayers.  Two prayers my mentor taught me a long time ago.  Two prayers that I hope you find as useful and calming as I have, especially when the roads are icy, and there is not a salt truck in sight.

The first prayer, a prayer I am sure most of you have heard the revised version.  But here, I wanted to share the full original prayer that is attributed to Reinhold Niebuhr:

God, give me grace to accept with serenity

the things that cannot be changed,

Courage to change the things

which should be changed,

and the Wisdom to distinguish

the one from the other.

Living one day at a time,

Enjoying one moment at a time,

Accepting hardship as a pathway to peace,

Taking, as Jesus did,

This sinful world as it is,

Not as I would have it,

Trusting that You will make all things right,

If I surrender to Your will,

So that I may be reasonably happy in this life,

And supremely happy with You forever in the next.

Amen.

The second pray, very easy to remember. 

All shall be well and all shall be well.  And all manner of things shall be well.

Drive safe on all the icy roads you encounter. And remember, all will be well.

Beacon of Christ

Tuesday and 2013 greetings!  It feels like a whole year has passed since the last issue came out.  Pun intended.

Well it is a new year.  That means this is the busiest month of the year for Gyms and personal trainers.  It is a time whenever tries to fix or change things that they may not like from the previous year.  Lose weight, study more, make better grades, read more books, watch less TV, what have you.   Personally, I have set some goals for myself too.  

As a youth group, I think we should do the same thing.  Together we are a community, a family.  As a whole, shouldn't we also make some New Year resolutions?  

Now, biased me can say stuff like, shouldn't we all agree to go to church more, be in Sunday School every Sunday, go to every EYC event even if I don't think it sounds like it will be fun (which you should never think cause it is always fun), come to CFT so I don't have to eat dinner alone on Wednesdays anymore, you know, stuff like that.  So I am not going to say that, even though they do sound like really great goals for the New Year.

I have actually been thinking about what are the goals that I want set for myself to accomplish here with the youth.  What is the whole point?  One word keeps popping in my head.  Beacon.  When I hear this word, I immediately imagine a lighthouse.  Lighthouses were built on coastlines to be a signal for ships to show them where the coast was.  Essentially, a lighthouse is a beacon.  If you are familiar with Thomas Kinkade, you may have heard of the Beacon of Hope lighthouse.  While his paintings may be referred to as kitsch art, it does demonstrate the concept of being a lighthouse being a beacon perfectly.

So what are we suppose to be a beacon of?  Hope?  Love? Compassion?  

This past Sunday was Epiphany.  During the service at Feast of Lights, a senior member from the DYC spoke about the light of Jesus.  She referred to Jesus as the sun.  He is the light.  Through him we are able to see all.  And we are the moon.  Alone we are dark.  We are there but we do not create our own light.  But when the sun light hits the moon, it reflects so much that it brightens the skies at night.  We are the moon.  Our job is to reflect the light of the Son.  

This year, my goal for myself and for what I want to be a joint effort throughout our youth group is to be a beacon.

To be a beacon, spreading the light of Christ to all those around us.

Be the Light

So, there is no doubt that this past weekend was not an easy one to watch the news.  School shooting in Sandy Hook, shooting in Memphis, school stabbings in China, shooting of women making polio-vaccinations in Pakistan, it is just depressing to read the news these days.  These events are not contained to the United States, they are worldwide. 

When tragic, terrible events like this happen, it always opens the door to questions.  What can we do about gun control to prevent this?  What about healthcare to help the mentally disabled, how can fix that?  How do we fight bullying in school?  Does the media cover these events the right way?  How? Why? What?

Always so many questions get asked.  Now, there is no way I am going to pretend that I could answer any of these questions.  Not even going to try. Instead I want to look at things in a different light.

When events like this happen, we think a lot about evil and all the darkness in the world.  We struggle to understand why and how so much darkness persists in the world.  Where is God?  Where is the light?

This past Sunday, these events were discussed in our 10^th-12^th grade Formation class.  And one question that came from our discussion was, “What can we do?” 

Below is a post from a mother who had a conversation like this with her daughter.  How can one person change the world? 

My daughter asked this the other day, as we walked along the bike path, the sea murmuring at our side, low bushes thick to the east and west. A small wren darted near our feet, its tail erect and bright blue. A new housing development sat squat on the headland, looking over a dense history of waves, of spirit, of sun and moon rise, and the endless calls of birds.

Here is where deep spirit lies, the local Aboriginals say. There is an indigenous tent embassy set up by the beach, by the water. People are still listening to the living, breathing land, here and elsewhere.

"How can one person change the world?" my daughter asked. "I'm just one person. Humans have done so much damage—it makes me sad. I can't change it."

"You already are changing it," I said. Her hand lay small and soft in mine. Her feet walked in time with mine, her eyes watching everything, noticing, listening. "You are changing it by living your truth," I said. Which sounded so very ambiguous and new agey but that's how we talk. We talk like hippies in our house, and idealists and impossible adventurers.

"But," she said, "I can't make a difference. One person can't."

"One person can, and does, all the time. Their voice speaks out, then it adds to another person's voice and another person's voice, and all of a sudden…"

People start to listen. It can begin with a single voice. Think of Gandhi, and Buddha, and Jesus, and Nelson Mandela, and Rosa Parks. Think of people camped in treetops trying to save old growth rain forests. Think of a girl baking cookies to raise money for the RSPCA. Think of an Israeli man posting a message of love to Iranian people on his Facebook page, and then it spreading, Iranians posting messages in return, a great sweep of peace rising. Think of a President speaking out for marriage equality.

Think of the small acts people do every day— smiling at others, including others, listening to others, sharing with others. Think of passionate people, creative people, questioning people, people who care so much about this planet and the living things on it that they can't help but speak out. They make a difference by living their truth, by spreading compassion, by loving others. It's a beautiful, beautiful thing.

http://respectlovelearning.blogspot.com/2012/05/how-can-one-person-change-world.html

Remember this the next time you feel surrounded by darkness.  All it takes it’s a single glimmer of light.  Be that light.

“Thousands of candles can be lit from a single candle, and the life of the candle will not be shortened.”

-The Buddha

What a mess!

So the other day, I ran across an interesting post online.  17 Captivating Fractals Found in Nature.   You may look at this and just think it looks cool but have no idea what a fractal is.  When I saw this post, it made me think of a book a read a few years back.  The Shack by Wm. Paul Young.  This article stood out to me for many reasons.  One, the pictures were just beautiful. The second, it reminded of this book.  It was the first time I had seen or heard that word since reading that book.  It is stood out to me so much that I was able to find notes I took about fractals.   

 

What is a fractal?    

 

They are defined as a geometric pattern that is repeated at ever smaller scales to produce irregular shapes and surfaces that cannot be represented by classical geometry. Fractals are used especially in computer modeling of irregular patterns and structures in nature.   

 

 In The Shack they are described as something considered simple and orderly that is actually composed of repeated patterns no matter how magnified.  Almost infinitely complex.  Young did his homework, because that description seems to be a pretty good definition, similar to what good ole Webster had to say about them.  

 

So in the book, The Shack, there is a man who gets the chance to meet with God, Jesus, and the Holy Spirit.  This man had been through a great loss in his life and had given up all hope.  Even to the point where he yells at Jesus, "I am NOT a Christian!"  

 

So much anger and hate, all built up inside that it comes pouring out and directed at the only person we can think of to blame.  Christ.  

 

If my prayers had been answered, this would have never happened.  Jesus, why did you let it get to this point!?  Imagine this scene in Bruce Almighty, where Jim Carrey let's out all of his anger at God.  Watch it for yourself here.

 

Watch video here

I am going to go out on a limb, and say that this feeling is a lot more common than we think.  But it is one of those things we don't talk about.  We are supposed to be strong!  We are supposed to be independent!  We can do anything if we just put our mind to it!   

 

Those are the standards we as a society place on ourselves.  Never mind what we talk about on Sunday about living for Christ.  Because that requires us to be dependent when we are taught to be independent.  Never mind, I can do anything through Christ who strengthens me.  Cause I got all I need inside me.  I just have to focus.  I can do it on my own.  

 

But when things don't work out.  Who do we blame?  I may be alone in this, but I have been called independent to a fault.  It is not a good thing.  And when I felt that my back was against the wall.  Whenever had gone wrong.  When there was no light at the end of the tunnel.  I had my "Send me a signal, send me a sign" moment.  I felt truly and utterly broken.  I was a mess.  

 

Similar to this clip from Bruce Almighty.  Only my hair was more curly, and fro-y.  And I was not as well dressed.  

 

But if I had to guess, I would assume that I am not alone in this feeling.  At one point or another, you may have felt the same way.  Maybe it is now.  Maybe it hasn't happened yet.  Hopefully it never happens.  But I am so sure in my thoughts that I am not alone in this, that I am willing to share it here.  

 

Ok, that makes sense, but why on earth were you talking about fractals?  Just look at some of these examples of fractals.  How can something so beautiful, so perfect, be just an accident?  Is that possible?   

 

We have these fractals.  That look like utter chaos.  Random.  Unorganized.  Just a total mess...  

 

It was at this point that Sarayu, the character of the Holy Spirit speaks up...  

 

"This mess is you! Together you and I, we have been working with purpose in your heart.  And it is wild and beautiful and perfectly in process.  To you it seems like a mess, but I see a perfect pattern emerging and growing and alive - a living fractal."                                                                                    

 -The Shack, Wm. Paul Young