I will be doing a few breakouts at the Shift Conference at Willow Creek Community Church this spring.

This is a helpful conference with some thoughtful people sharing their ideas on youth ministry. If you are looking for a Spring re-charge… this could do it for you.

Also, if you use the Promotional Code SMC950, you will get $50 off your registration! Just spreading the love…

Let me know if you’re headed to the Creek for this. Let’s grab coffee.

This was to be posted at Christmastime but I was having blog problems. So, I guess this is for all of us that feel like Christmastime was long, long ago.

Christmas Hopes and Fears

We’ve miss something if we equate Christmas Eve with a “silent night.” Jesus’ birth… any birth is hardly silent. Animals next to the feeding trough are hardly silent.

A packed town crammed with people is hardly silent.

Angels proclaiming an unbelievable message… no silent.

Shepherds barging in (did they bring their sheep?)…hardly silent.

Its fair to assume that the first Christmas was loud, confusing, stressful, surprising, unknown. Maybe similar to the way we might feel in the midst of Christmastime.

Some of these feelings are holiday-induced… but maybe more are also life-induced.

There are hopes and fears of jobs lost and found, the reality of friends moving closer and further away; the realization that family brings both joy and stress ; the pressure to give yet the reality of our own needs. All are present… back then, even now.

Maybe Jesus does meet us where hopes and fears of all the years are present.

The good news of the Christian story is that Jesus comes in our midst. Here. In the space of our hopes and fears. Christmas reminds us that God does not shout from heaven, but whispers in our present circumstances words of love and solidarity…

This advent I’ve been think about the arrival of Jesus. More specifically, his approaching. How close does God come?

Theology dictates that God, through Jesus comes very close.

• Politically close… calling for a new king, new government, new reign, a new way to lead.
• Perspectively close… Jesus’ mere presence causes kings to murder, astrologers to worship, shepherds to freak and rejoice, and new mothers to ponder.
• Humanly close… Jesus sets aside the eternally glorious persona, reducing himself to a language/image that is accessible to you, me, and the neighbor next to the manger.

Probably the only thing that limits God’s closeness… is us… not that God can’t break through… but somewhere there’s a respect for Gods’ creation. Sadly, we have this nasty habit of keeping others at distance.

• Have you ever wondered why the family gathering can’t get by the traditions into real conversation?
• Have you ever wondered why any serious talk about Advent often turns back to the weather, the price of gas, or the crowded malls?
• Have you ever wondered why the most wonderful time of the year can feel the most lonely?

There are no easy answers and I’m not going to pretend to prescribe reasons why other than to suggest that we all have experienced this at some level.

Getting closer is hard.

God comes closer.

I wonder if I’ll let it happen.

Will I sit still enough and not run away to the next “to do” on my list?

Will I reflect long enough to ponder my hopes and fears of all the years?

Will I reach out enough and admit I need to receive something that I dare not put on my wish list?

Will I embrace the moment or wish for the next?

It seems that God getting closer can strike as much fear in me as hope. Not fear of God as maybe fear of myself of what I really need, what I really feel, what I really want.

Maybe this Advent is about trusting that the God who comes close invites me closer. Here comes God… there is no need to run and hide.

Come, Lord Jesus.

I wrote this article for youth ministry types, but I think it can be extrapolated into many venues.

It captures some of the things I’ve been thinking about this Advent season.

I hope it might inspire some of your own Advent reflections.

Oh come let us adore him…

The next four Sundays celebrate Advent in the church calendar. Advent means “arrival” and one of the purposes of Advent is to anticipate Jesus’ arrival… both in the past and for the future.

Our Mars Hill community will be observing Advent through special gatherings that will be held on the Sunday nights at 6:00 PM and include teaching, reflection, and prayer.

The themes will center around…

• November 30          Hope
• December 7            Peace
• December 14          Joy
• December 21          Love

Readings are offered for those who may want to journey daily throughout Advent.

Also, there will be an Advent Blog, where those from the  community are invited contribute their Advent reflections through art and writing.

I have found that observation of Advent such a tremendous help for preparing our family to celebrate Christmas. If you have never observed Advent before, this might be a great first step.

I don’t want anyone to tell me to “be thankful” this Thanksgiving.

Telling someone to “be thankful” is like hearing from your parents to “be grateful” or your friends telling you to “be happy.”

We don’t take commands like that too well because, let’s face it, we’re not robots. We don’t turn on and off like that.

And honestly, if someone tells me to “be thankful”… I think I’m going to resist it, or not be very thankful for that person’s comment.

So… I’ll end up NOT be thankful, which is probably the wrong attitude during Thanksgiving.

So what if we all were to watch our souls this Thanksgiving weekend and catch a glimpses of our thankfulness as it sneaks up on us…

A meal… thanks.

A friend… thanks.

A conversation… thanks.

A kind word… thanks.

A day to live… thanks.

A breath to breathe… thanks.

A run in the snow… thanks.

A smiling child… thanks.

A content parent… thanks.

A pumpkin pie with too much whipping cream… thanks.

A phone call from far away… thanks.

Maybe “thanksgiving” isn’t a command as much as it is a deliberate awareness of our surroundings and of the common gifts we receive everywhere, all the time.

These gifts are from a generous God, who smiles when we stumble into thankfulness and whispers warmly… “You’re welcome.”

Happy Thanksgiving.

I have to confess that I didn’t make it to any session today, not that there weren’t good ones. Only that I had back-to-back-to-back meetings. Probably one of the joys an event like this is that you get to re-connect with people from all over the country. Conversations like these are precious.

I also got a taste of a Nashville treat… the Pancake Kitchen. You just know this is a good spot when there’s a line out the door for pancakes at noon. So, some of us went there and had everything from sweet potato pancakes to chocolate chip ones. It’s right by Vanderbilt University in a cool part of town.

The Pancake Pantry makes a promise that it’s the place you’re most likely to see a famous person. We didn’t see any country stars but… had a nice time with my good friend Michael Novelli. He just finished a book called Shaped by the Story. It explores the art of storytelling in our teaching and Mike has created some really helpful materials.

And… I ordered grits. A nice taste of Nashville before I flew out in the afternoon.

The convention goes through Monday. I wish everyone a safe trip back.

Peace.

Fun Snapshot

• Seeing college seniors wide-eyed and inspired by all the seminars and resources available at the conference.

Classic Snapshots

• Youthworkers giddy over the free stuff that was handed to them before the main Saturday evening session. 
• And yes, some didn’t like what they got… thus trading was happening instantaneously.
• The 4PM youthworker glazed over, zombie look from seminar overload.
• An eternal line in front of Starbucks.

Poser Snapshots

• Displays in the exhibit hall bigger than my house.
• Christian versions of, well, just about everything. 
• Youthworkers wearing shorts.

Centering Snapshots

• Meeting with some really great people yesterday.
• Thanks  Scott, Steve, Paul, Terry, Don, Jeanette, Shane, and our dinner crew.

Cultural Snapshots

• Cowboy hats.
• Country music.
• The Elvis statue.
• I think I’m starting to crave grits.

Sad Snapshot

• MSU’s loss to Penn State

Encouraging Snapshots

• Youthworkers talking with each other about current issues pertaining to church, culture, and adolescents.

Got into Nashville yesterday at noon and had a great chance to connect with old and new friends… and old and new youthworkers.

Met a dude on the plane named Scott. He was a … musician. Cool guy. We walked to baggage claim together and he gave me his CD. Welcome to Nashville!

I heard some great things about the super-seminars and the regular convention seemed to kick off without at hitch.

Last night a different format was tried where Shane Claiborne, Andrew Marin, and Tony Compolo each taked for 15ish minutes, there was 5 minutes for discussion, and then people could text follow up questions. I think it was an admirable attempt to bring dialogue into a convention venue.

From my observation, I’m not sure that people know how to dialogue with each other. Maybe it was the topics. Maybe people didn’t feel comfortable talking with strangers. Maybe people have a hard time finding their own voice. I’m going to have to ponder this one a while.

Planning on checking out a few session today and meeting with more people.

Speaking of meeting with people… Shane, our GRTS rep and student, Don and Jeanette (Cornerstone Youth Min profs) and I want to take youthworkers interested in theological equation for themselves or undergrad youth ministry of their student, out to diner tonight. Stop by Booth 919 at 5pm tonight and we’ll have a great meal together.

More later. Need to find a coffee, then its time to embrace today…

If you’re a rookie, EMBRACE that you are valued way before any youth ministry expert gives you advice.

If you’re a veteran, REMEMBER your first NYWC… and smile at the wide-eyed rookies.

SUPPRESS any cynicism that bubbles up.

RESIST talking about the size of your youth group.

WORSHIP… really worship. Don’t evaluate it.

LISTEN to the messages given … resist critiquing.

BUY someone a cup of coffee… spread the love.

RECYCLE…as much as possible.

JOURNAL… don’t just write down information… reflect on how you’re reacting to the information.

INVITE people to skip in front of you and take the seats you’re saving.

PLAN to give your freebees away.

Buy books… but put an EXPIRATION DATE in the book that declare when you’ll have this book read. If you don’t read it by this date… give it away.

Seek to UNDERSTAND the presenter before you disagree.

ATTEND a seminar that will challenge rather then reinforce your assumptions.

SHARE with someone back home your experience. If someone helped pay your way, share with them the fruit of their investment.

BLOG, FACEBOOK and TWITTER but don’t let it distract you from living in the moment.