Dan Roth - Pastor of Disaster

Okay, this is just too cool...
an audio Bible being recorded by some of the top African-American actors in the world.

http://www.inspiredby.com/BibleExperience.htm

Be sure to watch the "behind the scenes" video!

Will this (finally!) be an audio Bible I won't have to struggle to listen to?
I think so.

Last night I had one of those, "Oh,you dummy...." moments.

You know, the kind where you were obviously wrong, and the reason you were wrong is blazningly obvious, and yet it took a train wreck to get you to think about it logically?

About two months ago some of the young adult leaders in our church came to me with a majory issue, presenting itself in two facets. The main issue was that they were feeling worn out and stressed in their lives, and at least part of that was due to the ministry they are involved in.

The first facet was that they were feeling overwhelmed by time demands. The second facet was that they were feeling as if they weren't receiving adequate spiritual nourishment. Of course, what I heard was, "We're tired." My solution was to try to get them to cut back on the amount of ministry they were doing. When someone suggested me leading a weekly Bible study with them (an additional night's commitment to the many hours they are already giving), I begged off for awhile to wait until people had cut back the amount of hours and were (supposedly) then feeling less burdened.

before we get into the busyness of the week, I just want to remember what it's all about.

I took someone in crisis to their first 12-step meeting. Although I don't have the drug or alcohol addictions focused on in that meeting, I was impressed much more deeply than ever with how much of what was said is applicable to all of our lives.

Although I am thankful for what such groups have done in helping people over the years, and I've taken people to such meetings before, I have to confess that I've often missed much of the message because I was too busy worrying about what wasn't there.

Today my eyes were opened more than ever to the messages that 12-step groups get right, and which churches often miss.
* Admitting powerlessness is the start of a new life. An addict must admit powerlessness over the addiction before recovery can begin. We must admit powerlessness over sin before forgiveness and working out one's salvation can begin.
* There is greater rejoicing over the one lost one who returns than over the 99 already inside. In the 12-step group, when someone announced they had less than 24 hours sober, the whole meeting stopped as everyone rose to greet him, give him a hug, tell him how happy they were he was there, and tell them how much they hope he returned. When did so many of us stop doing this for people who are seeking to return to God?
* We need to be there for each other. 12-step groups call it having sponsors. That new person had people lining up to give a phone number and say, "If you ever need someone to talk to, just call me. 24-7, I'm there for you." How many of us care enough for those seeking grace to offer themselves up that way?
* We need to keep meeting together and we need to be honest. The folks at this meeting plainly laid out their struggles, their failures, and their pain. They rejoiced over each other's successes. I believe we're all called to meet together, encourage one another, and carry one another's burdens. It's to our own spiritual peril that we stop meeting together, stop opening up to one another, and stop caring for one another.

May God make us a little more like this each day.

Praying this morning, my heart was suddenly weighed down by the memories of those children who have been killed in our neighborhood.

Anybody who knows me, or who knows our church, knows the high value I place on youth and children. I do so because Jesus did the same thing. I also do it because they keep me young at heart, and makes life a lot more fun.

Yet today it wasn't those kids in our afterschool programs, nor the kids in our youth group, nor the kids in confirmation class, nor the kids in Sunday morning worship and Team Time which fell into my heart. It's those teens who have been murdered who weigh so heavily on me.

I've sometimes refused to state exactly what I believe, because often people look at statements of belief as something in which you say, "I'm better than you, because I believe these things and you don't."... even if you don't mean it that way at all. Likewise, other people look at statements of belief as something in which they can find a reason for division between us.

So even 'though I embrace the Apostles' Creed & the Nicene Creed & other creeds, I've usually preferred to say WHO I believe in.

However, surfing around the Youth Specialties website in remembrance of Yac's death, I found this statement of belief. It's YS's, but you can call it mine too. (Although, if I'm honest, I'd want to emphasize the Father & the Holy Spirit just a tiny bit more than this statement does... without reducing the emphasis on Jesus one bit!!!)

>>> Important Stuff YS Believes (a.k.a., Statement of Faith)

I'm never quite sure what I think of labels. Sure, it's easy to get into the whole "don't label people" groove, but you've already labelled them as "people". Sometimes labels help clarify, but sometimes they convey inaccurate information.

For instance, I'm equally comfortable (and uncomfortable) with many label pairs, including this small sample:
conservative/progressive
mainline/Evangelical
believer/skeptic
realist/dreamer

For the last several years, one label that has highly intrigued me is "Emergent". The "emergent church" is a phenomenon (or is it a philosophy? or are these just more meaningless labels? or are they meaningful labels?) which has fascinated me. In some ways it seems so promising... "We're gonna throw out the garbage which has weighed the church down, and just worry about God and people." However, it seems nobody quite agrees what that means.

Rosa Parks was a hero of mine. Here's a little explanation, copied from the message I posted on Fishtown.US:

Rosa Parks has long been a hero of mine. Now, I know it's easy to make a hero of a cultural icon. However, she did not become a hero to me when I learned what she did on the bus that day. I soon learned others had done the same before her. Rather, she became a hero to me when I learned how the life of faith and integrity she lived before she sat down made it possible for others to stand up with her. I pray my life will make it possible for others to stand up, should I ever find myself in a similar situation. God bless you, Miss Rosa.

Every once in awhile I make the mistake of thinking that life is about what you learn... specifically about what information you can gather. Especially if that information helps me do my job better. (I love being a pastor, and love doing a good job at it!)

However, at the National YouthWorkers Convention, I was once again reminded that it's about the people... old friends, new friends, red friends, blue friends... all brothers and sisters with differing gifts and graces. Just looking at yesterday's post started to remind me of that. Looking at the few photos that I remembered to take, I'm reminded of it even more.