More humble to mumble?

I’ve come to learn that prayer is a discipline I am in need of appreciating more.

I’ve never been so much of a prayer warrior as a prayer jester.  I may perform it, but how much of it can be taken seriously?

How much of what I pray is a contrived attempt at gaining the favor of God?  Or worse, man?

What I have found though, is in moments of deep, intense anguish or pain, I always resort to praying.  Always.  Almost by accident even.

In those moments, my prayers are unintelligible and incoherent.  Much of what I say could not be understood by the ears of man, nor would I want them to attempt.  It’s rather embarrassing, even when one considers I’m completely alone when this happens.  It’s not speaking in tongues, but it could very well be mistaken for it.

What it is though, is an attempt to put into words that which is beyond my own scope of expression.  The language of humanity does a great disservice when uttered into the ears of the Almighty.  Words can rarely give full meaning to that which we are feeling and wish to convey.  This, perhaps, is the reason I mumble when praying.

And yet, I feel as if God accepts it all the same.

That through the rambling, incomprehensible babble I call “words”, He understands what I am saying.  He feels what I feel.

He gets it.

How shameful of me to think that I could ever pray in a different manner, one that would be loftier in its use of elegant prose and poetic imagery!  That to mumble the words of my heart before He who contains it would be far better than anything else is an almost preposterous notion to give in to, yet as followers of The Way we are given to preposterous thinking.

With these things in mind, I have some stuff I need to go mumble about.

Jar

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Prescription…

We all wish to have peace, and while I do not claim to have any special insight into how to achieve it, I can give you what has helped me in some of my most difficult of times.

I hope that if you are enduring those difficult moments that we tend to find ourselves in, some of this will help.  You are not alone, and you will see redemption at the end of your trials.

Blessings,

Jar

Step 1: turn down the lights

• Doing this can set a mood, and let’s face it, the Church today is very reliant upon its moods.  I wouldn’t say this is necessarily a bad thing, but just like all things in life, careful moderation and discernment in use is needed.  If your heart is weary/restless/tired/anxious/etc., then create an environment that will enable you to relax.  Lighting enhances the mood.  Be careful though to not let your emotions or feelings set the agenda.  Allow God to do that.

Step 2: sit/lay/kneel in silence

• Use this moment to take your mind off every distraction.  If you want a supernatural peace, be prepared to leave the natural world.  In order to do that, let nothing of man come between you and your God.  Media in all its forms, such as a computer, cell phone, magazines, books should be set aside.  All great things, but not pertinent for the moment you’re searching for.  Pray.  Speak.  But above all, listen.

Step 3: use music where needed

• “Wait, didn’t you just say to leave the natural world?  Wouldn’t this include music?”  Yes.  Yes, I did say that.  But sometimes music can do things for us nothing else can.  After all, God devoted an entire book of the Bible to it, so there must be some merit in making an exception.  Whatever it is you choose to have playing, let it be something that points you toward your Savior.  This is in stark contrast with what most of contemporary Christian music involves these days: a frighteningly massive amount of self-centered lyrics that only serve to feed our selfish feelings.   God is not emo, so Dashboard Confessional need not be on your holy playlist.

Step 4: allow yourself to be broken

• In your search for peace, you will no doubt encounter just the opposite.  When we are quiet in the presence of God, the Enemy becomes everything but.  In these moments, you will experience pain/sadness/discomfort/uncertainty.  This is a good thing.  But be careful who you listen to.  The admonitions of God lead us to seek change, while the accusations of Satan lead us to seek charity.  Seeking change is making sure you are ready and willing to do your part, while seeking charity is playing the pity card and begging for someone else to fix the problem.

Step 5: allow yourself to be healed

• In our unfortunate state of being, we have constrained ourselves to self-loathing and hatred.  This is not a “love yourself before you can love anyone else” kind of idea.  It is however, an “allow yourself to be loved” kind of idea.  It’s humbling and difficult to accept that in spite of your shortcomings, someone still has love for you.  How much more difficult is it when that Person is our Heavenly Father?  Whatever you have done, whatever you have allowed to fracture your relationship with God, it’s past.  Now it’s time to move forward.  It’s true that changes in your life will need to be made, but if you think there’s anything more you can and have to do in order to gain favor with God, you are terribly mistaken.  Make the needed changes, but more importantly, accept the needed love.

Youth Leader Fail…

I failed big time tonight. It happens. Right?

Tonight was the first evening youth event at North Manchester Congregational Christian Church (phew!) that I led completely. Suffice it to say, I did not bring the goods.

The game fell flat. Flatter than my face after the fall.

The lesson was discombobulated, as I was seemingly all over the place. But of course, that’s only because I was foolish enough to think I had the lesson committed to memory, only to quickly find out I did not, and subsequently could not find my place in the notes, thus furthering the discombobulation.

It was so bad that at one moment, a jr. high girl raised her hand and begged me to get to the point.

Bless her heart.

I wish I could say that I took it all in stride and just reminded myself that tonight was a learning experience. But the truth is that I didn’t come to accept that until many hours later, after a good talk with Heather’s dad. I tend to wallow when I screw up. I become like Eeyore and hang my head in depression. It’s a silly little process when I stop and think about it because it really gets me no where in the long run, but I still do it nonetheless.

I often think that I have to get things perfect. The reality though, is that I will NEVER get ANYTHING perfect. And neither will you. It’s absolutely foolish of me to think that I should even expect perfection from myself or anyone else in anything. It’s arrogant and ridiculous that I could even conceive of the possibility, for it’s a complete impossibility.

No matter what your career is, youth pastor or real estate agent, you will fail. Maybe not in a collective manner (at least I hope not, but if you do, there are plenty of membership cards for you to fill out), but on one task or another.

That’s life.

You just have to “roll with the punches”, “pick yourself up by your bootstraps” and any other inspirational cliche that involves parenthetical notation.

I wish I could say that I always have this kind of perspective, but I fail at that too.

Oh, and that picture? That was me back in 2006 when I used to work at County Line Church of God. I thought I knew everything there was to know about youth ministry then. And I was pretty sure I was one of the coolest youth leaders, as shown by my stupid beanie and hipster rugged jeans.

FAIL

Jar

Ministry is Inconvenient…

It’s true.

No matter what facet of ministry you are involved in, there is an element of inconvenience that will at one point ruin your day.  That’s the price we pay when engaging in ministry.

The problem for many, especially myself, is that we haven’t mastered the art of being inconvenienced. 

I can easily become frustrated, angered, and annoyed with changes in plans.  While I’m more a “fly by the seat of your pants” kind of guy, I still find great comfort and ease when there is a routine or expectatant action.  When obstacles come in the way of that routine or expectation, it’s difficult for me to relent on the things I want. 

That’s detrimental to ministry.

So if you’re working with squatter parks in Africa, or youth groups in Manchester, Indiana, be ready for the inconvenience of it all.  It’s going to happen.  Trust me. 

The real test is how we respond to it. 

Jar

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Recessions and credit and debt? Oh my!

Since Heather has been in South Africa, our conversations have been filled with discussion of the vast cultural differences of our respective countries of residence.  (Her  = South Africa; me = USA)

Though I wouldn’t say I’ve taken off the rose colored glasses, through these conversations I feel as if I’ve been given a new pair of eyes to view my surroundings with.

In South Africa, many people close down for the day around eight o’clock at night.  In America, I’m just now thinking about what I want for dinner at eight o’clock at night.

In South Africa, people take the time for tea breaks and rest during the day.  In America, you’re given a fifteen minute smoke break, then it’s back to work.

In South Africa, it’s not uncommon for the majority of people living there to only receive one meal per day.  In America, I more than likely eat double the food a South African eats in one day just for my lunch.

My point isn’t to make us feel bad if we’re Americans (of the Northern variety).  It’s more to help us see and understand the deep chasm that separates our way of life with that of the majority of the world.

While we’re in the middle of a recession, there is much panic and confusion about what’s going to happen next.  Will we have enough money to make payments on our leased BMW X5?  Will I still be able to afford Starbucks three times a day?  When will I be able to purchase that new 50 inch plasma T.V.?

We have been spoiled for so long, having been the recipients of the fastest growing technological advancements in the history of mankind, and now that we may have to scale back a little, it’s all just too overwhelming.

This isn’t to say that many people and their families don’t have a reason to worry a little.  I don’t have a family of my own at the moment, so I can’t possibly presume to understand the intense pressure and stress that times like this can create.  But being someone who has a slightly outside view into this moment in time, I think it a good thing to encourage a little perspective.

Be smart about your life.  That also means how you view it.

God knows I have some work to do in this area myself.

Jar

*steps down from soapbox*

25…

1.       I

2.       Will

3.       Not

4.       Do

5.       The

6.       25

7.       Random

8.       Things

9.       About

10.   Me

11.   List

12.   Because

13.   I

14.   Think

15.   It

16.   Is

17.   Stupid

18.   And

19.   A

20.   Complete

21.   Waste

22.   Of

23.   My

24.   Precious

25.   Time

GASP!

Oh no!

Are you telling me that we are in danger of no longer seeing oversized inflatable versions of Spongebob and Hello Kitty?!?!?!questionsmarkexclamationpoint

FOXNews deems it so…

If there is any inkling of truth to this, then we’re sadly letting the terrorists win…

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South Africa gains a beautiful new friend…

Tomorrow morning,  Heather Renee Stemen, the one I love, will be landing in  South Africa, where she will be a short term missionary for the next 6 1/2 months.

I will miss her greatly, so much that I can not begin to put into words the emotions in my heart.

But more than me missing her, I’m beaming with pride.  By embarking on this journey, she will be stepping out of everything familiar and experiencing a whole new world.  She has been to South Africa a couple of times already, but each trip was significantly shorter, never surpassing more than three weeks in duration.

This trip will be much different.

She will be stretched beyond imagination, but she will also be blessed beyond comprehension.

Please remember some of the following things in prayer for her:

• That her heart would be fully ready to experience the riches and wonders of Christ while away
• That her focus never deters from her mission, even when longing to be with her loved ones back home
• That the hearts of the people she will encounter will be ready for the harvest God will be sowing within them
• That she is safe at all times
• That when she is sick and lonely, the Lord will bring people into her life who can pour wisdom and encouragement upon her

There are a thousand requests I could give, but I think you’ve already gotten the picture.

To get a better idea of what she is doing, and how you can be praying, visit her blog: http://heatherstemeninafrica.blogspot.com

If you could, pray also for her family, friends, and myself as we give her our love and support from back home.  Pray that even though we will be missing her greatly, that we will be able continue diligently in the tasks God has set before us.  Pray that our communication with Heather be frequent, and when it is not frequent, that it is fruitful.  Pray that God will give us the wisdom and understanding to support and love Heather in the ways she will need it while away.  And above all us, pray that we will continually praise God and give Him the glory, for He has called Heather to a great and amazing task, and we are all privileged to testify to that fact.

Jar

Twitter: what you’re missing out on…

I’ve gotten the same look from many people when telling them about Twitter, one of my all-time favorite social networking sites.

The looks borderline indifference and incredulity, with a little bit of eye-rolling for good measure.

I’ll spare you any attempt to fully explain what Twitter is, and share with you a quick, yet annoyingly narrated video:

Other than being named for something sounding like a bodily function, Twitter has been a driving force amongst forward thinking types who are interested in social media.  Though you could say that I was late to the game, I like to think that I’m a member of the small, yet ever-growing group of people who understand the value of Twitter, or at least the services it offers.

If you’re a fan of Facebook status updates, whether updating your own or reading someone else’s, then Twitter is certainly for you.  But, like so many other people I’ve talked to, you’re probably wondering why Twitter is so cool if it’s basically just the same thing as a Facebook status.

Well, that’s because Twitter is pretty much Facebook status on steroids.  We’re talking Roger Clemens level steroids here.  Perhaps even Barry Bonds-like, though that has yet to be proven.

To give you an idea why I like Twitter, I’ll list some of my very real, famous friends that you may have heard of.  Friends like:

• Shaquille O’neal
• Leonard Sweet
• Lance Armstrong
• Anderson Cooper
• Common
• MC Hammer
• Jimmy Fallon
• Tina Fey
• Levar Burton (Reading Rainbow!)
• and some guy you probably know as, oh…President Barack O’freakingbama

Now, I’ve had small conversations-as in they literally acknowledged my existence-with most of the people listed above.  Only through the magical land of Twitter would this be possible.

What’s one of the best things about Twitter?  It’s easily accessible from virtually anywhere on the planet, even if you don’t have a computer at hand.  You can send and receive status updates via your mobile phone; and if you have a smartphone (iPhone, Blackberry, etc.), there is a litany of third party applications available to you for free.

I know that all of this may make me seem like a web 2.0 nerd, but honestly, we’re talking about the future here, and I don’t use hyperbole in describing that.

For example, many churches are now using Twitter to allow people to ask questions right in the middle of a service, and then they’ll answer them before the service is up.  I’ll overlook the obvious in this for the moment, if only to point out that if the Church is readily making use of Twitter, then you KNOW it has to be something big.

I wish I were qualified and able to fully lay out the possibilities, uses, and wonders of this awesome social tool for you, but I suppose that’s best left up to the pros.  If you have other questions about Twitter, or maybe I haven’t cleared up anything whatsoever for you, here are some useful links that could help:

• “What is Twitter” and many other common questions…
• 50 Ideas on Using Twitter (from a marketer/businessman’s perspective, but still some useful ideas)…
• Getting the most out of Twitter…
• Top 10 Twitter applications…

If you’re on Twitter, or are about to start using it, @me.  You’ll know what the means.

Jar

Believe it or not…

…there is beauty to be found in the dead of winter when you live in a midwestern state…

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