I am so thankful for all of the colleagues and peers in ministry that I have the honor of knowing. Many of them have had such a powerful impact on shaping who I am today and who I continue to be. I have been blessed with many wonderful relationships and am so thankful to feel so spoiled by God in this way. I love talking with, praying with/for and listening to others who are in ministry. I realized this in a significant way with my DMIN cohort as we spent two weeks together. I am very thankful for them all and for the new relationships that are forming.
The past two days I have met with two other peers/colleagues in ministry and they have been great conversations. We really do need each other and our own life and ministries become more powerful as we are in relationship together. Beyond the relationship and learning from each other, I believe we can support and encourage each other. Taken another step further, we can also work together.
I am finally going to go ahead and get that youth pastor group started here in Colorado Springs, even if it is only a small group, I really look forward to finding a way to gather together as colleagues so that we can care for each other and make a difference in our city together.
Adding to the buffet that is my life (yes it is a buffet, as most might say they have a full plate, I say I have a full buffet) I am now going to be reviewing some books. I get the books free, and of course I love to read and always have an opinion! Watch for reviews in the coming months.
Scripture as Cure
By Rev. Marcus J Carlson
I find myself thinking about the nature and authority of Scripture constantly. Scripture has taken quite a beating over the past few decades in the world, and in the American church as well. Unfortunately, the Lutheran church has been no exception to this trend, which is unfortunate because the entire nature of our faith tradition is founded on the notion of “Word alone.” The American church seems not only to be softening its view on the Scriptures, but walking away from them altogether.
I have asserted for many years that if you walk away from the source, you will die. Our failure to embrace the authority of the Bible is one of a handful of factors contributing to the decline of the church in the United States today. Yet, ministries to children and youth have not been impacted as much as the larger church by the rejection of the Scriptures. In most church environments, there is still an expectation for the church to teach children and youth the Bible. Admittedly, in many cases this teaching has weakened significantly, but in general not as much as it has in the church at large.
While I am saddened by this shift in the church, I refuse to embrace it. I try to reverse this trend without holding to a literal or fundamentalist approach to the Scriptures. In recent years, Scripture has become even more central to my ministry, teaching and working with children, youth, parents and other adults.
In our attempt to become more relevant and to attract people to the church, we have become fearful of the Scriptures and have done a great disservice to ourselves and to the world. More important, we have done a great disservice to
the Gospel. Here is the secret: the Scriptures are relevant enough on their own. They do not need an apology or an explanation.
Contrary to what we might believe, people do not come to the church to hear the same thing that they can hear outside of the church—they come for something different. People come to the church, looking for the radical life change that comes from something bigger than themselves, not a watered-down version of the Word of God. They are not looking for “Jesus light” or a little bit of spirituality to sprinkle into their lives.
This is most profoundly true with children and youth. In fact, I have observed more passion, interest and curiosity around the Scriptures from children and youth than ever before in my career. They are hungry, and the church has not always done a good job of providing a hearty meal for them.
Parents too are becoming increasingly curious about the Scriptures. They often struggle with feelings of inadequacy about their own Bible knowledge or their ability to teach their children the Bible, let alone be the spiritual leaders of their children.
I have discussed these issues before, and the good news in the midst of this season of challenge for the church is that it is also an opportunity. It is an opportunity for the church to stop apologizing for itself, for God and for the Scriptures. We have the tools, the answers and the One in our midst already. The Bible speaks for itself and will always be relevant—and contrary to what we might think and what others might say—the people in our churches and in our communities want to engage with the Scriptures, especially our children and youth.
The Scriptures are the cure. They are the cure for the needs of our people and our ministries. The Scriptures are the cure for a world that is hurting and desperately needs to know the love of God. The Scriptures tell The Story, our story. We need to reclaim the use and the authority of the Scriptures; we need to rethink how we view the Scriptures as well. Without seeing the Scriptures as authoritative, they simplybecome a nice story or an idea, and eventually can lose all meaning and application for our lives.
The Scriptures are authoritative. They are infallible. They are the inspired Word of God. The words of the Scripture have power, meaning and authority. The Scriptures are a relational document that tell the story of God in the world, the story of salvation. The Scriptures point us to our salvation, to the Kingdom. The Scriptures show us the path to abundant life.
The Scriptures are also the cure to all that ails our children, youth, parents and families. Being a family united in Christ is no easy task in today’s world. The challenges are overwhelming, and the resources, dangers and temptations are many. While there are many issues facing children, youth, parents and families as a whole, there are three issues that I would like to address. I see these three issues as the greatest roadblocks to emotionally and spiritually healthy children, youth and adults. The three issues of narcissism, entitlement, and moralistic therapeutic deism are the greatest challenges to the spiritual formation and development of children and youth in the American church today.
Narcissism is simply selfishness to the extreme. Narcissism asserts that “it’s all about me,” and all that really matters are our own needs, wants, desires and feelings. Narcissists overreact to criticism and lack empathy. This selfishness rarely helps the narcissist and almost never helps anyone around them. It is a roadblock to an authentic relationship with God.
Entitlement is a growing mindset amongst teenagers and parents. It is more predominant in some areas of the country than in others, and is often more predominant in areas of higher income. Entitlement is simply the belief that we are entitled to the things we desire—on our terms and without consequence. Entitlement asserts that we deserve almost anything we want, and we should not have to wait to get it. It believes that we deserve to be catered to by individuals, groups and organizations. This can be seen in many educational and sports organizations and institutions.
The National Study of Youth and Religion, funded by the Lilly Endowment, resulted in some interesting findings published in 2005 in a book called Soul Searching: The Religious and Spiritual Lives of American Teenagers. The study and the book concluded that most Christian American teenagers and their parents are suffering from a view known as Moralistic Therapeutic Deism (MTD). This belief held by the vast majority of churched Christians in America is that God created the world and is no longer involved, active or at work in the world. God just wants people to be nice and
He wants them to be happy, and their main goal and God’s desire is for people to feel good about themselves and be happy. Those who hold to MTD only see a need for God in the midst of a crisis. This is a Biblical and theological problem with dire consequences in the long-term.
These three issues are connected to each other. The cure for each of these three issues is found in the Scriptures. In order to move beyond these challenges and others, we need to return to the Scriptures. We must give the Scriptures authority in our lives.
If we do not choose to submit to God and His Word, we will by default submit to something else—our feelings, our wants, our desires or our agendas. If we do not submit to the Scriptures, then we will continue to miss out on the abundant life promised us in the Gospel of John.
May God grant us the wisdom and the strength to submit to the Scriptures!
One of my closest friends, Tim Founds has been keeping a journal of ideas, dreams etc related to the church and what the church could be. He has started blogging them (you can follow him here) and I find that many of them are things that the church needs to hear. Some are new ideas to me, but beyond the ideas themselves, it is a great concept. What should we be dreaming for the church? What should the church be and become?
Here are some of Tim’s first entries:
1.Everyone is connected (every person is connected with multiple other people).
2.Every person serves in some tangible, consistent way.
3.We have classes (on Sundays, but also at other times) for adults where they not only interact, but actually learn. For example: a school of theology, a school of missions, a school of art and creativity.
4.Children are valued. We learn from them and let them lead us in worship. Children and youth are the church now, not the church of the future.
5.We have frequent cookouts and picnics for the surrounding neighborhoods.
6.We take two weeks off during the summer to road-trip as a church.
7.Art and creativity are stressed.
8.The congregation/community is intentionally intergenerational.
One of the many reasons I am glad to identify myself as a Lutheran, one being that we are supportive of women in ministry in the LCMC. I have thought carefully about this issue over the years and examined the various arguments about Scripture. I have always known that women are gifted and called to all aspects of ministry and I always want to be someone that encourages all people (regardless of gender) to pursue their dreams and the things that they are called to. In our class today, we talked a lot about this as there are a lot of different views represented in the class. While it is not devotional in nature and is a bit more humorous, I want to share with you something someone in the class shared with the rest of us. It hits at some key issues and things that we really need to think about when it comes to this topic.
Dr. David Scholer’s Top Ten Reasons That Men Should Not Be Ordained:
10. A man’s place is in the army.
9. For men who have children, their duties might distract them from the responsibility of being a parent.
8. Their physical build indicates that men are most suited to tasks such as chopping down trees and wrestling mountain lions. It would be “unnatural” for them to do other forms of work.
7. Man was created before woman, obviously as a prototype. Thus, they represent an experiment, rather than the crowing achievement of creation.
6. Men are too emotional to be priests or pastors. Their conduct at football games shows this.
5. Some men are handsome; thus they will distract women worshipers.
4. To be ordained as a pastor is to nurture the congregation. But this is not a traditional male role. Rather, throughout history, women have been considered to be not only more skilled than men at nurturing, but also more fervently attracted to it. This makes them the obvious choice for ordination.
3. Men are overly prone to violence. No really manly man wants to settle disputes otherwise than by fighting about it. Thus, they would be poor role models, as well as being dangerously unstable in positions of leadership.
2. Men can still be involved in church activities, even without being ordained. They can sweep paths, repair the church roof, and maybe even lead the singing on Father’s Day. By confining themselves to the traditional male roles, they can still be vitally important in the life of the Church.
1. In the New Testament account, the person who betrayed Jesus was a man. Thus, his lack of faith and ensuing punishment stands as a symbol of the subordinated position that all men should take.
Dr. David Scholer presented this list in 1998 at Fuller Follies. It was taken, with small modifications, from a November 24, 1997 e-mail communication from W. Ward and Laurel Gasque. It is not known whether they are the authors.
This past Sunday I was ordained. It was a culmination of an interesting journey, a journey that was well worth it. The service was very powerful and I am still reflecting on it in many ways. I felt so honored by the service as we all truly gathered and worshiped, 300 plus people. Ordination for me has been about the full use of my gifts and call and not much else. Certainly my own love for the sacraments has been a great motivator in taking this step.
Its interesting because while nothing has changed, everything has changed. I feel confidence, acceptance and a sense of the realization of another dream. 2010 was an amazing year for me, 2011 has started off even better. At the same time, things are different. I am not sure I will ever get used to people calling me Pastor Marcus, nor will I ever get used to calling myself that. I have let people know that I am ok with whatever they are comfortable with. Things are also different because I feel the weight of ordination. I guess I try to be a spiritual person and seek to understand what the Spirit is doing in all things. I feel the weight of this ordination and my new ordination ring from my family (which is big and heavy) serves as a regular reminder of this weight. A milestone has been reached, another moment in the journey that shall press me forward.
Amen.
This Sunday I will be ordained! Finally. I say finally because my journey in ministry towards this point has been a long and windy one. Most of the twists and turns have been my own creation and own indecision about ordination, but not all of them. In fact, 2008-2010 were three very difficult years of ministry. As I am three days away from ordination, I can say that all of these difficult times and all of the twists and turns have been worth it.
In some ways, nothing changes. SInce being called by God I have always been and functioned like a Pastor, it is who I am. My job only changed some, but that probably would have happened without the ordination. Of course my title and standing change some, but that really has nothing to do with the meat of ministry. I am a bit nervous as it approaches, not for any other reason than the power and significance of this moment. I have little to do in the service and even if I cry or fumble over my words, it would not be the end of the world. There is still much to do before the service, but I am excited for what could be a pretty amazing weekend.
I have been thinking a lot over the past several years about the concept of family ministry in the church. It has certainly been one of the hot topics in youth ministry discussion over the past decade and in recent years it has become a topic of discussion within children’s ministry. This next year I am moving into more of a family ministry role and while my primary work will still be youth ministry, I will continue to be a part of various aspects of the larger church as well as leading a ‘young adult’ ministry which is another ministry that has a variety of definitions. I will also oversee children’s ministry so that we can build a more comprehensive ministry to all families. I see this as programatic and organizational, but also primarily relational in nature. As I begin my doctorate in youth & family ministry I am sure I will have the opportunity to think, read, hear and discuss this topic a lot, but I am also struggling with what it really means to have and do family ministry. It could mean doing things to equip and strengthen families, it could mean to do actual family ministry programs, it could mean strengthening and connecting ministries to children, youth, and parents. There seems to be many, many ideas about this topic and no clear frontrunner and no specific church or ministry that is seen as a model for this kind of ministry. It could be that it is just an improvement and modification of our old and flawed youth and children’s ministry models, but for me I think and hope it is more than that because I have already really tried to move past this in my own career. I would be interested in others thoughts on this topic….
Marcus
Published in Connections Magazine (Jan/Feb 2011)
Learn about Connections here
Christ’s Village
By Rev. Marcus J Carlson
I wish I were a better parent. I have found myself thinking and saying this far more often than I would like. As I spend time working with children, youth and parents while raising my own children, I continue to grow far too aware of how difficult parenting is. The challenges of raising a healthy child physically, intellectually, emotionally and spiritually in our complicated world today can be overwhelming at times.
The quote “it takes a village to raise a child” has been used in many settings and in many books to discuss the challenges of caring for our children. This quote rings true today in every arena of the lives of children and their families. While this quote is not found in the Bible, it is a Biblical principle. Christianity is a communal faith, and the church is to be an expression of our faith in community. We were never meant to follow Christ alone. Even though our highly individualistic culture might tell us otherwise, our faith is meant to be lived out individually, in community and in the world. Perhaps a modern Biblical proverb might read “it takes a community of faith to raise a child who will follow Christ.”
Parents are looking to the church to help them raise their children, and not just spiritually. Many parents feel overwhelmed by the task of caring for and raising their children to be healthy in a world that can be very unsafe. One of the greatest sources of new members in many churches are young families who have children. These families are coming back to church again—or coming for the first time— because they want their children to grow up in the church, to learn about the Christian faith or to be raised as Christians. A survey three years ago in our church indicated that 35% of those who came to our church for the first time came so their children would be “exposed to Christianity.” It is my own personal belief that two parents are not enough in today’s world to raise a physically, intellectually, emotionally and spiritually healthy child. Many families do not even have the luxury of having two parents in the picture, often to no fault of the parents or the child.
In the American Church today, we have many ministries, opportunities and programs for your children and youth. These ministries seek to care for children and youth, but often become like silos or compartments, easily disconnected from the larger church. This model is beginning to be challenged, and even changed, as our culture seeks a church that cares for the whole family and is truly intergenerational. In our world of abundant resources and many means of communication, we have become more disconnected. We crave relationships and community (which is how God created us to be), and many families feel more distant from each other than ever before.
So, what are we as the church to do with this reality? What can we as the church and as parents do for our children so they have the best possible chance in life? How can we work as a community so our children and youth might experience the abundant life Jesus promised us in the Gospel of John? The good news is that the answer is found at the core of our faith: relationships. The great news is that we have the perfect model for relationships in Jesus Christ.
The church—the community of faith or “Christ’s Village”— is called to work together in the formation of our children and youth. Our children and youth need multiple Christian adult relationships to have the best chance for a healthy, full, Christ-centered life. As a church, we need to find ways to create community, enhance relationships and build up families. We need to make sure our ministries, while serving the different needs of each age and stage of life, are connected and support the nurture of our children, youth and families.
We have tried to address this in our own church as we look at our youth and children’s ministries. We are moving more toward a family ministry model where these ministries still care for children and youth, but also seek to work together in a comprehensive way. We are seeking ways to help children, youth and families grow and achieve the full and abundant life Christ desires for us. Additionally, we are trying to be more intentional about providing our children— and especially our youth—with multiple, positive, Christian adult relationships. We are seeking to design our ministry so that by the time our youth graduate, they have had many different relationships: pastors, ministry leaders, Sunday school teachers, older youth, confirmation leaders, small group leaders, youth group leaders, confirmation mentors, parents and other adults. These adults gain as much out of their relationships with youth as they give, if not more.
As Christians, we believe in and follow a relational God. Christianity is a relational faith. We have a relationship with the God of the universe. Jesus Christ came to earth to be in relationship with us. We know this as the incarnation. God in the flesh, here on earth, moved into the neighborhood. Jesus was on location and in relationship with humanity, and continues to be through the power of the Holy Spirit.
The Bible is a relational document, telling the story of God’s relationship with the world and our relationship with God, each other and the world. Relationships are what children, youth and families will remember, more than any event or lesson we ever have to offer. It is relationships that last and have the longest and most consistent impact. In a world that continues to grow in complexity and danger, our children, youth and families continue to be and feel alone— even with all of the resources, technology and opportunities the world has to offer. Children and youth crave community and meaningful relationships with adults. To bring about the Kingdom of God on earth, we need each other.
Jesus provides the perfect model for relationships. I like to summarize the relational ministry of Jesus this way:
oJesus was in relationship with everyone and anyone. Relationships matter most.
oJesus was on location. He was with people. Presence is powerful.
oJesus was intentional. He did things on purpose and with a purpose. Process and purpose matter more than results and performance.
If we come together as the church, we will not only raise healthy Christ followers, but we will also change our families, our community. We will bring about the Kingdom of God here on earth. It takes “Christ’s Village” to raise a child. Jesus Christ, God incarnate, came into our world to be in
relationship with us and to show us we can be in relationship with God, each other and the world.
May we seek to be the community of faith God has called us to be and experience the full and abundant life promised to us in every area—in our churches, families and lives.
Amen.
My counselor who I see from time to time for a check in, told me a joke this morning: A group of workers went golfing together. Later that day they came back and all of them looked very stressed, some crying. Another person asked how it went and they said it was awful. When asked why, they said that Ed had a heart attack on the 4th hole and died. There was much grieving. Another person mentioned that it must have felt awful, to which on employee replied ‘what was worse was having to drag Ed after each hole of the remaining 14 holes.’ There is a point to this terrible joke, see below.
Ministry is filled with failure, conflict, and pain. In being sinful people working with sinful people in a flawed community, these things are unavoidable. Sometimes you can learn and grow from these experiences even in the midst of pain. These things can always be used for the glory of God and are always redeemed by the author of all humanity. Sometimes these conflicts, failures, and experiences of pain can become dead bodies that we carry around in ministry, even after we move on to a new ministry. The joke is ridiculous and the notion that someone would do such a thing (yes, even for golf) is more ridiculous yet most pastors I know (myself included) have some dead bodies we are carrying. Let’s work together not only to preach the gospel of redemption and grace, but embrace it ourselves and leave the dead bodies at the 4th hole for THE PROFESSIONAL to deal with on our behalf.
Amen.