Discipline

Woody Stevens asked the question, "Who are you discipling and who's discipling you?"  Despite the fact that my spellchecker doesn't like the word "discipling", it's a fair question.

In the Nazarene denomination, the vision statement is "making Christlike disciples in the nations".  Unquestionably a worthwhile goal.

Dr. Micheal Henderson points out, "By making disciples, we ensure Jesus' presence."  He said this while pointing to the great commission, Matthew 28:18-20.

Discipleship is important and we get that, but... how does it happen?  Let's momentarily pretend there's a right way and a wrong way in discipleship.  Here's some ways to contrast the two:

1. "We'll just do discipleship from this hour to that hour."  A disciple/mentor doesn't really get time off.  Does this mean that you're always on the clock?  Yes.  Does this mean you're always working? No.  Consider: a mother never stops being a mother, a  husband never stops being a husband, a brother never stops being a brother.  These are roles defined by the relationship (a brother cannot be a brother by himself), the relationship never rests. 
   In choosing to model/follow a way, there isn't room to pick it up and put it down.  Either we follow or we don't (Matt 12:30).  This becomes an issue of loyalty and priority.  In Christianity we do a great disservice in marketing discipleship as anything less than full life and schedule surrender.  To follow/lead in the way, we have to root it relationally, we can't place it as an item on our agenda.
2. "We'll just see where we end up." 
   A disciple-based relationship is one that is with intent and purpose.  Those who you are shaping and that are shaping you are connections that will build in intimacy or crash with apathy.  This is intimacy that is hinged not in sexual areas, but in the deepening trust that allows for vulnerability and correction.  If this isn't nourished, then the relationship stagnates. 
   The first subject to be broached is who is leading and to what end.  Without a clear definition of the mentoring task and goal, the permission will not be in place to accomplish the task.  This is why the first of the 12 steps is admitting there is a problem.  Essentially, if I don't see something about your way that I like better than my way and ask you to teach it to me, you won't have any sway over my thoughts and actions.
3. "We'll do this forever!"
   There has to be understood room for the dissolving of the mentoring relationship.  This doesn't mean the respect and intimacy are abandoned.  I'm not advocating the abandonment of what was learned.  Instead, the point is that there would be room to intently shape and form the disciple and then for the lessons learned to built on by others.
   Example: a youth pastor is expected to disciple the teens in their ministry.  As a teen graduates the ministry, someone else (college professor, boss, church elder) should look to disciple them in the next phase of their life. 
   Just as you wouldn't want a kindergarten teacher to lead the way into the marriage ceremony, other people are needed to shape and inform the life that Christ calls us into.  A more rounded community is needed than 2 people.  This encourages life-giving participation inside an inclusive body instead of small groups of people who grow stale by feeding off each other.

The greatest NFL commercial

For those who love their teams.

Thanks to my pal Kyle White for turning my attention this way.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=adG34woMVs4

A great way to do gross outs

We just got back from our fall retreat.  As such, one of my favorite elements is always the Saturday, late-night special.  It's the time when we do the wheel of torture!  We set it up somewhat like a game show, you could go all the way and get costumes and what not, but we just have two guys they interview the "contestant" up front and generally serve as the personality of the time.

I'm not sure who came up with this, but I first saw it at a Nazarene teen camp in New Mexico.  The idea is pretty simple, but loaded with fun.

1. Create a display wheel.
   I'd advise building one that is easily viewed by the audience, this would allow you to gauge the size you'd need to create.  Go for one that could be placed on a stand or tall table.  We had someone (thanks Alan Stewart!) make the wheel with three 5ft legs so that it stood eye-level.  Next you'll want to place nails or pegs into the wheel and a "ticker" to flick off each peg so that there's something to catch (create friction to stop) it.  Go ahead and mark the section of the wheel with lines.  We numbered it to 13 because it was for gross-outs and wanted to play off the unlucky thirteen.   
2. Find your content
   There are limitless sources for quick mini-games.  If you're in need, here's two easy ones:
   http://www.nbc.com/minute-to-win-it/how-to/
   http://www.thesource4ym.com/games/sick.asp
   There's always going mega-insane with stuff from NBC's Fear Factor.  I'm NOT recommending this as phone calls from disgruntled parents or their lawyers are never fun. 
3. Gather your supplies and set up crew
   Get your supplies well before you start!
   Don't put yourself or others in the position where you'll need to run to the other side of the building to grab something.  Pull it all together and organize it in advance.
   The "set up crew" is almost a no-brainer, but I figured mentioning it would save a youth leader or three.  If you're participating as the personality up front that is calling people forward (playing the game show host), then you'll have a hard time ALSO doing the set up and supply organization. 
4. Get rolling!
   At this point your ready to spin the wheel and let the good times roll... straight on to YouTube!  Just kidding... maybe... :)  We always mention right off the bat that this is completely voluntary, that no one is being forced to participate and that the results will be gross.
   We always do a sign up so as to make sure we have a list of willing participants.  We refuse to take someone's name just because someone else says it (Bobby can't sign up Frank, Frank comes up to volunteer or we don't put his name on the list).  This also eliminates the hassle of someone refusing to come forward.  They've agreed to it in advance, there's no forcing to be done
   They spin the wheel, land on the number and you tell them what they've won.  Repeat ad nausea!
5. Other thoughts and words of caution:

• the longer the set up and transitions the more you'll lose the audience interest.
• to intensify the night, you could have the different parties compete for points.  We did a battle of the sexes, worked great!
• consider busting these up to be a part of something larger, doing two maybe three at a time instead of the focus of a whole block of time.
• having a medical release for is always a good idea!  You never know what can happen.
• if pressed for assistance, you could drop some of the "set up crew".  It would take more up front work, just organize all the materials needed for the gross out that was spun and the participant could grab their own bag/box.  You'd still have to set it up, but some work would be done.
• follow the sage advice from my brother Derek Mitchell, "Always ask yourself; what I tell the police when they show up?"

Enjoy and please, feel free to share improvements to the idea!

Great quotes to (steal) live by

~Pablo Picasso

•  “Bad artists copy. Good artists steal.” 
• “Action is the foundational key to all success.”

~Mark Twain

• "Sincerity is the most important thing.  Once you can fake that, you got it made." 
• “Don't go around saying the world owes you a living; the world owes you nothing; it was here first” 
• “To succeed in life, you need two things: ignorance and confidence.”

~C. S. Lewis

• “There are two kinds of people: those who say to God, "Thy will be done," and those to whom God says, "All right, then, have it your way” 
• “You don't have a soul. You are a Soul. You have a body.” 
• “We are all fallen creatures and all very hard to live with”

Artwork created by WonderBros.  Find out more or buy your own at:
http://www.wonderbros.com/art/artwork-so-awesome-it-will-melt-your-face-off/

God Is Not...

In case you haven't seen this (and the counter says less than 200k of us have), you really should.

I saw a hero once

With Jack Bauer being used for national security policy and Dr. House being the man we want NOT holding our hand on the surgical table, it's hard work looking for heroes today.  Sure, there's the TV show, but even those guys start looking a little like villains (at least Sylar had vision!)

Good news: a tragic hero isn't anything new!  Heroes have always had a ruined side and nature.  Well before Tony Stark was a womanizer, Samson ruined things.  Bad news: civilization isn't where it could be.  But more on that in a minute.

Consider the system of Judges for a second; the people sinned then cried out, God raised up a judge, s/he rallied the people and drove out the oppressor, and a time of peace came as they followed God.  But the system keeps devolving; the people don't rally, the hero stops before deliverance becomes full, the peace isn't seen. 

This really is seen best in Samson's story.  He walks away from his Nazarite ways, he is opposed by Judah, he deals only moderate blows to the Phillistines, and talk of peace and freedom remains talk.  There never was a more (super)naturallly gifted judge than Samson, yet he did the least.  Go with the screaming contrast of Gideon "the whiner".  He followed beautifully, the result: 40 years of rest, a full cycle of peace for the people.  Samson's big result: a woman who got a payday while he got a hair cut and learned about structural engineering.

Good news: God gets involved and sets things right.  Bad news: we push our agenda forward and the cycle begins again.  So what marks the difference between the tragedy and the victory?  How do we keep following and stop leading? 

Simple: Matt 6:9-13

Ever sit back and wonder what it means for God's will to be done on Earth like Heaven?  Heaven is typified by it's peace; no more tears, no more goodbyes, no war... This is probably because Heaven (I haven't been there, but I hear it's nice) is where everyone follows God's will.  Follows, not leads.

I love CS Lewis often made point in The Screwtape Letters, faithfulness not success is our goal in being Christians.  I saw a hero once who did this.  He died and three days later he came back.  I like him a lot.