Whiskerino 2009

CLAME means 'Click My Name.' If you see it, click that users name!

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  • posted: January 16 @ 10:10pm
I'm preaching tomorrow.

I hope that God moves through my clumsy words.

I also hope, though not as much, that they're okay with the beard in the pulpit AND that they dig the Whiskerino inspired title:

"Participation is Key."

Comments

Gavin says:
whiskerino inspired sermons are sure to be a hit.
Posted: Jan 16th, 2010 - 10:32pm -
jnonfiction says:
Heh. Whiskerino sermon illustrations would be the best.
Posted: Jan 17th, 2010 - 3:29am -
mattyc says:
didn't realize you were a preacher. I just retired from youth ministry. 5 year volunteer. NOw i'm taking vacation from church altogether. Getting too close to churches made me not like them at all. I feel for you.
Posted: Jan 19th, 2010 - 8:55pm -
Matty O says:
@mattyc
Monthly board meetings are zero fun for sure. For the most part I'm doing okay taking the awesome with the not so awesome because the people here are pretty solid. Not to say churches where you were weren't full of awesome...because I can totally see where you're coming from. I'm just incredibly thankful for my spot as a youth pastor here 85-90% of the time.
Posted: Jan 19th, 2010 - 8:58pm -
mattyc says:
For me it's just partly that I was called into YM at a church that is extremely theologically conservative. I am not. I'm mainline liberal in my theological undertandings/hermeneutics/interpretations etc. I love the people at the church individually but hat them as a corporate structure. All churches have 2 goals....1 being whatever it is their particular mission is....(ie are the into the great commission, are they into positively impacting their community, are they into feeding the poor..are they into "saving souls", etc etc). The second goal is to make money....they are a business. The church I was at was not honest about the fact that it was a business as well. THey'd put the God stamp on things like spending 100k on new fancy doodads and whatever and it would really irk me just seeing how much money would spend and pretend it was "god's will" The other part that drove me nuts was having to hide parts of myself from certain one's of them b/c they are soo fundamentalist. Like I wouldn't feel comfortable with cursing in front of them etc etc. I just wish there were more church communities that are really come as you are and they cut out all the bullshit and it's just people gathered together who have the same heart. No dirty looks if you dirink (which i don't....by personal choice having nothing to do with God...or Church or whatever). Church needs to change or it's going to die (unfortunately).
Posted: Jan 20th, 2010 - 7:22am -
Matty O says:
@mattyc
I just had a bummer day as far as church goes. So it's weird that we were talking about it already.
I have a few comments since this feels like a growing dialogue that I'm really thinking about a lot lately.
I would hope that the ministry here has one goal and that the goal isn't fractured into one specific thing (ie are the into the great commission, are they into positively impacting their community, are they into feeding the poor..are they into "saving souls", etc etc) but that it would include all of those things that you mentioned under the huge umbrella of "getting students to follow Christ with all that they've got." That might manifest itself into evangelism or social activism or just being a good friend. Maybe it's naive, but it's what I strive to do. Whether I communicate or do it well are two separate questions that are being asked of me right now, I think.
Then comes the money part. Money is so icky. I hope that churches don't spend money and then loosely try and connect it to God's will. For instance, I hope that whatever money we spend as a youth ministry we spend it with our one huge and overarching goal in mind: "Does this or will this help a student find and then follow Jesus with all that they've got?"
Next, there are things that I do that I think are just fine and I think are in accordance with what God would like me to, but I still might not share those with the church as a whole because it might cause someone to stumble. It sounds like a copout, but I hope that it isn't and that I'm truly mindful: the example I always here is that someone might struggle with alcohol so that fact that I have a beer on occasion might just make their head spin and question peripheral issues instead of focusing on Jesus and how to love and follow him in their own life. In fact, that sounds like a huge copout, but I'm still feeling okay about it.
Finally, the church as America does it or whatever might not make it; it might die. But the church that is the bride of Christ will never die. Our man made ideas of church will surely pass away, but I can't believe that the Body of Christ will ever be done for.

I hope this was an okay response and that you didn't see it and say, "Man, what a douche. I really didn't feel like talking about or listening to any of the stuff here." Because that would suck.

Anyhow, have a good day!
Posted: Jan 20th, 2010 - 1:15pm -
Site closed!
Whiskerino. fin.