One More Camp
I'm headed off to the wonderfully steamy
Mtns. of Robber's Cave Park in Wilburton, OK. I will be at our middle school camp, High Point Ranch, all next week. Since there won't be much time (or internet access), I'll catch up with the blog in a week. The good news is I heard a cold front is suppose to come through on Tuesday dropping the temp. to a frigid 91 degrees. Better pack a sweatshirt!
This Is Just Sad
For those of you who haven't heard of this yet, here is the latest news on the term
"Bible Geek." It turns out that "Bible Geek" is tradmarked and the guy who has"ownership" of it is making a stink over a guy at ACU who was using the term as the title of his blog. The ACU guy has graciously ceased using the term and now goes by the name
Theolgian Guy. I think the whole thing stinks of commercialization and is really just sad.
Sleep with all the sheets off
bearing your mattress
bearing your soul.
And you're dying to look smooth with your tattoos
but you're searching just like everyone
could be anyone.
And the friends that you have are the best
impressing most of us as permanent
and I'd like to see you undone.
Youth's the most unfaithful mistress.
Still we forge ahead to miss her.
Rushing our moment to shine.
-from the Dashboard Confessional song, "Swiss Army Romance."
Last week I started re-reading Dr. M. Scott Peck's classic book,
The Road Less Traveled. I say re-reading, although the last time I read it was my freshman year in college when retention was at an all-time low. After only a few pages, I quickly understand why this book has received so much praise since it was first published in 1978. The first line of the book presents an assumptions that I think everyone must sooner or later come to accept - - - "Life is difficult." Peck masterfully speaks of things most, if not all, of us have already thought and felt.
My new friend from Seattle,
Justin Baeder , is a middle school teacher and church planter who has a blog. His blog is very thoughtful, and sometimes deeper than the Atlantic Ocean. I am glad I met Justin recently. I truly appreciate our connection in ministry to students. He gets the kids for seven hours a day on Monday thru Friday, and I get them for one hour on Sunday and one hour on Wednesday. Obviously, I get jeeped on the time, but he can get fired for leading his students in extended times of prayer and meditation on the Cross of Jesus Christ. I on the other hand, I get payed for such a thing. I guess it all evens out.
I saw
The Italian Job on Sunday night with some of the high school students in my youth group. Very cool. Very entertaining. One high school senior commented as we were leaving the theater that it was kinda funny that we were all cheering for the "thieves" to get away with it. When it's bad guys vs. bad guys, I guess you just end up rooting for the most likeable bad guys. As in
Ocean's Eleven (another great movie) the crooks become the heros. This sparked some limited conversation regarding morals and ethics and life. Maybe more conversation will flow later. Conclusion--- movies + teenagers + theological questions = youth ministry Bible class. Who knew?