My current fav Mac Dashboard Widget is the YouTube Widget.

If you download the ut widget you just hit f-12 and your Dashboard appears and whoooosh you can view the latest YouTube vids without even loading your web browser. YouTube is a culture barometer and world class info source, it's worth keeping track of ...and it's filled with fun stupidity too.

Another nice widget with more eternal value is the Logos Bible Widget.

Today is my last day as a"professional" youth pastor. The last 24 years have been consumed with high school students and their world, it's been really fun!

This weekend I officiated at a wedding for one of my old students from 15 years ago. Much of that core group of old "kids" were there ( they are now all around their 30's), we reminisced for hours about the wonderful life and ministry we shared together years ago. Many of them are key volunteer ministers and a few are vocational ministers now, what a blessing. God provides just the right conclusions to life chapters. Thank you Jesus - life if GOOD!

Tomorrow starts a new chapter, Elevation. I'm on stoked.

Christianity as a religion continues to become less and less respected by the average person on the street. This article at the Barna Research Site confirms what many of us experience in our interactions with not yet Christians. Worth a read.

NOTE: the previously linked article was incorrect. My thanks to the amazingly vigilant Dan Kimball for catching the error! The article link is now correct. TKX Dan.

ht: Thud

Video-games are impacting our culture in huge ways... but are often outside the knowledge of many ministry leaders. Many church leaders go out of their way to keep up with current books and films but often are vaporous in the v-game knowledge department. The narratives of games like Halo and World of Warcraft are the frame of reference for many humans (and orcs and elves) in the emerging generation. Guess what, these players aren't just teenagers anymore.

In the midst of many of these games are stories of good vs evil, redemption, sacrifice and greed... sermon-food. For example...

More reason to buy a faster computer or console system as ministry research tools!

How do you "like to think of Jesus"?  It's vital that we see Him as He is and not as we wish He is- here's a great video clip for a sermon and some personal reflection.

I'm off to Lake Tahoe for our annual SCBC staff retreat tomorrow - fellowship Jetskis and fun.  It will be fun to get away with Andrea for a few days; we'll ride the Harley up and back which will make for a nice long ride together.  I love my wife and going riding together is a special time

I was in a couple of airports last week.  Airports are strange; if you travel alone, even though you are surrounded  by throngs of people there is a  certain loneliness.

Loneliness in a crowd is a sad thing. 

For many folks coming to church services or visiting a church is a "lonely in a crowd" experience, they come in sit alone, are un-recognized, un-embraced, alone  -in a crowd.  There is usually a cold empty seat or two between them and the other people in the room - the 14" gap of sadness.  

A friend of mine mentioned that she recently visited a new church and felt "like she had been invited to someone's home for a meal and was then completely ignored". 

Promotion minus hospitality = loneliness in the pews.

How could this be different?   ...begins with One

Jesus loves the poor.  In fact, Jesus was poor.

Ever hear a message that just sucked you in and made you ask yourself "how do I need to change - right NOW?" 

Tim Keller's stellar sermon "Doing Justice" is one of those messages you HAVE to hear, it's simply that good and that important.  Compassion and action are words that are vital to Elevation thinking.  It's vital that we continue to learn from the Word of God and evaluate our actions and thoughts from the Eternal Standard.

Listen to this message, it can be downloaded to your mp3 player or listened to directly on your computer.

Caution: if you listen to this before bed as I did your mind may be very awake for a while! 

Peter tells us in his first epistle " always be ready to give reason for the hope that is within you". 

Question , how many people have asked you about this lately? 

Maybe we need to develop deeper relationships so that people can see the hope and joy inside our lives and want to know where the well of such things is located... 

Ed Stetzer has some ideas on how to get started in these postmodern times.  Great thoughts on starting "spiritual discussions" - worth a read : HERE. 

Elevators, read this one.

We're back from Mexico - it was a great trip.  We found the best taco stand in the known universe - Taco's Arana..the holy Nirvana of taco stands (I am addicted to Mexican street food and have tested more than a few stands). They had a pepper at this place called a Chili Bomba, it is the hottest pepper I have come across - it nearly melted one of my students to his base elements.  His strong  reaction to the nuclear pepper provided great evening entertainment for the customers and restaurant staff.

One group of our students led a vacation bible school , women's bible study and sports ministry in a sprawling, graffiti-ed, trash-strewn condo complex in Tijuana - it was a blast and God was at work in and through the students. The Gospel was preached and incarnated.  If you were to show up you would have found skits, music, crafts, testimonies, bible stories, sweat and the occasional used hypodermic needle in the play area we lovingly call the "dustbowl".  2709 piggyback rides were given and 642 games of Futbol were played in the blazing heat, the American's lost most all of the games I think!

Some of our other kids built a brand new home for a family that had been living in an aging aluminum trailer.  Giving house keys to people who didn't have a house 5 days before is....powerful.  Jesus was on hand, sitting at the corner of the hot new roof, He was smiling. 

BEFORE -  

AFTER -      

The final group of our students ministered to and loved on kids at an AMAZING  orphanage, run by our friends the Palau's  they were blessed and a blessing.  One day we took about 20 of the children to the beach to play in the sand and the waves it was wonderful.  If you don't know about the Palau's work in Mexico check it out at the link in the last sentence, it is Christ-soaked - plug in with these people!

Well I'm home for about a week then off for a few days in Alabama with my dear friend Andy Wulff!

On the iPod: Audioslave - Out of Exile

Missional churches are very different than Seeker churches, the wonderful Tim Keller of Redeemer Presbyterian Church explains the difference.  Breath mission my friends.

Does anyone really need an item like this?   ...and don't miss the companion item, here...

In the GOODNEWS Section: The clock is ticking down to Ele-Vision this Tuesday Nite!

  ...yeah baby !!!!

On the iPod: Fall Out Boy - Infinity On High

Find Out About The Elevation Dream: keep THIS Tuesday evening August 7th free for Ele-Vision, a vision-cast, Q&A and prayer evening for Elevation. -6:30pm @ the Santa Cruz Bible Coffeehouse.  God is brewing something tasty for Santa Cruz and beyond, come find out if He is calling you to cook along with Him at Elevation.

LOGO UPDATE: A huge thanks to everyone who has been submitting Elevation logos, we have a bunch of nice candidates already!  If you'd like to join the fun and submit a logo for Elevation there's still time - we'll be taking submissions through the end of July!  Logo submissions details are found at THIS entry.  We'll pick one official logo and use the other entries over time for special events and the like.

On The iPod: Joe Walsh - So What  This album along with his amazing "The Smoker You Drink, The Player You Get"  are among the most soulful classic rock albums of all time.  They remind me of driving across snow covered West Virginia in my cousin's red Firebird when I was a young kid.  My cousin had both albums on 8 track and they were the soundtrack for the long snowy drive to my grandfather's funeral.

We have one more day here at the camp and then we hit the road to Copenhagen, to Paris to New York to Home.  Train to train to feet to plane to plane to plane to car to bed.  We tore the whole camp down today, circus tents, stages, flooring, trash, and bathrooms -we're tired  now.  Grand attendance event total was 3400 people - this was the largest and most powerful Christian event in Denmark this year.  People found Jesus, got equipped for ministry, trained and deeply encouraged. 

Yesterday I spend a couple of hot hours digging in the dirt.  The whole camp of over 2000 adults left the conference grounds, dispersed into the surrounding area and served the town of Odder at 600 different ministry sites.  It was great seeing cars filled with people leaving the conference to serve the local people with the love of Jesus.  It was fun jumping into cars with strangers to go to Danish people's homes not knowing if the driver or the people you were headed out to meet would speak English. My job was to go with a group of people to a woman's home to clear brush, dig out her garden from a mass of overgrowth, trim trees and get her yard in back in order.  She is an older single lady who really needed the help and appreciated it very much, she said it was all to much for her to upkeep - we preached the gospel of sweat, kindness and love with our hands.

While we were working I met a great young man named Martin, he is studying theology in Copenhagen.  As we worked we talked a bit about the need for churches globally to engage the culture of this new time.  Young leaders everywhere are feeling the need for the church to understand the cultures they live in and make the beautiful unchanging Gospel understandable to the people of this generation.

I mentioned some good books to Martin, so Martin, here are the names of those books.

The Shaping of things To Come - Frost and Hirsch

The Emerging Church - Dan Kimball

Here's a fun fact about our trip to Denmark; this place is CRAWLING with spiders.  They are all over us in our tents, the places we do ministry, everywhere...crawling on you...asleep and awake. All the arachnophobes are being cured during their stay here.  Fun.

If you'd like to see what our students are saying, thinking, feeling and learning check out the official trip blog for their blog entries.

The second phase of our trip is beginning, we have finally completed the festival set up.  This event is amazing there are huge meeting tents everywhere, and now bands, vendors and campers are arriving.   We will set up our small camping tents today and get ready or th onslaught of 3000 festival-goers.  This is exciting.  As you know there are very few Christ followers in Denmark and we are in the midst of the largest gathering of those people in this country.  Is it wonderful to see the small community of Christ-lovers God is calling together to pursue a fresh reformation here in Denmark --there is a prayer request in this.   It has become clear that our mission here is to encourage and serve the local leaders that God has raised up in this country - this is worth doing, something is afoot in this country!  The local church leaders know little about the Emerging Church but are doing emergent things by nature, they desire to reach this generation with fresh methods and Biblical faithfulness- I wish I could take some of these young leaders with me to start Elevation. 

Tomorrow the festival officially starts, half out team will be running a wild middle-schooler program the other half will be coming with me to lead a prayer ministry for the 15-25 year olds in another area of the festival grounds.  We will be laying hands on and praying for people that respond after the meetings.  They provided a nice how to pray "over people" training time for our sub team, the kids are feeling excited and challenged to be providing shepherding care and prayer for people face to face! 

So into the human fray we go for a week, then next week after the festival is over we will tear down the whole camp...that will probably be the most physically challenging event in the life of almost everyone here - weeeeee!!!

Yesterday was fun!  It rained on an off as we set up more circus tents for 11-12 hours - kids and staff saw exhaustion close up and personal.  There were about 8 tents put up, some were huge and some were just big.  It was a GREAT day serving and laughing and knowing that things were different at day's end then they were at day's start.  The group is doing great, everyone is pretty healthy, sleeping well , working very hard and enjoying themselves. 

...Heard around the breakfast table moments ago...

Michael Kaufman just said: "I've never been so sore in my life" -- Ben Fisher said: "The Danish food gives me gas"... Dani Z said: "Can I have my voice back?"...Daniel Halverson: "The Danes eat well, if you like Danish food", Chuckk said, " Wow am I dizzy, and I like it!",  Michael and Dani said " Eric just had a child and we named him Sebastian".

Everyone agrees the Danish custom of having bread with choclate on it for breakfast is from God.

We arrived safe and sound here is Odder Denmark after 36 hours of car, plane, train and foot travel.  The country is very beautiful and the people are a joy to serve with, these people have a great sense of humor and love life.  Today we spent 12 hours laying sections of flooring in an enormous muddy circus tent that will hold 2500 people in a few days, it was hard work and everyone is a bit sore and tired. 

One of the young Danes thanked us and said that when this tent is full of people praising God and learning about Him you will know that God used you.  Last year they had no American team to help with this event, it took the locals 3 full days to place the main tent flooring down - this year it was done in 12 (grueling) hours. We put up more tents and lay more flooring all day today and again tomorrow and begin to prepare for our direct ministry to junior and senior high age kids next week when the party starts.  This will be a BIG party -they expect over 3000 people.  Denmark is a country that is truly post Christian 98% are " members"  of the state church by birth and baptism but only 2% attend church, most of those who attend are elderly people, not young people...but there is a small exciting movement among some of the churches and some of the youth here.  Pray with me a new wave of Danish Christian youth, pray that our efforts here will serve the local church is starting a fresh uprising!  Last night I sat up till 1am with a couple of the young Danish leaders discussing the need for a new culturally relevant churches and sharing ideas abouts  incarnational ministry as a principal means of reaching not yet Christians.

More to come, off to pull up circus tents and lay wood flooring.  Pray for dry weather!

A fine looking crew... for a circus.  Off we go tomorrow, keep is in prayer.

#'z?

Here's an article of merit that addresses the ugly question --- how do you measure ministry success.  Is it bricks, bucks,  bodies in attendance or another "b" word like bullshitake? - (to quote the excellent Guy Kawasaki).

Sunday morning (July 8th) my oldest daughter Carly and I head for Odder, Denmark on a new mission,  Andrea and Jessi will be staying home as we fly off to the Chaos.

Denmark, along with much of the world is a truly post-Christian zone.  Most Danish people and especially younger people will never enter a church or engage Jesus.  Example: We had a Danish girl over last month who shared she wasn't sure why a young person would ever go into a church other than for a wedding.  We will serve the local church and Youth for Christ in helping to raise up a new generation of young Jesus- followers.

I will be traveling with 17 of my students and the amazing Chris Gudnason to help Youth For Christ Denmark put on a big sheeebang called Danish Oasis.  We will spend the first week setting up circus tents, building bridges, walkways and basically assist in building the encampment for the 2500-3000 Danish people that will attend the event.  The second week our team will lead ministry  for 250+ middle schoolers in one of the huge tents, the one parked waaaay out by the city sewer system - pandemonium will ensue.  I love pandemonium!

Youth for Christ has set up a website that will have pictures and updates throughout the trip - tune in and check up on the fun.  I will have internet access and will be updating this blog on Sacred Digital with my pictures, stories and impressions from Denmark as well.  Keep us in your prayers!

On the iPod:  Velvet Revolver - Libertad

 - For the record I like John Mayer; great guitarist, nice songs, cool voice. 

Touring bands use something called a rider which specifies what the concert promoter must provide for the band in order for them to do a show.  Some bands contracts calls for of the provision of certain types food, specific brands of condoms backstage, massage, fresh boxer shorts, no brown M&M's etc.  Here's a snippet from John Mayer's hospitality rider - fun reading.  To see the list of demands for other bands check this site out. 

This is a GREAT audio podcast regarding Understanding Culture as Christians and leaders.   It's from The 2006 Resurgence Conference, the speaker = Ed Stetzer.  If you are planning on being part of the Elevation launch listen to this podcast, it will give you a feel for my heart and equip you with some great vision and a mindset for reaching those outside the walls of church subculture!

You can listen to it online or download it to your iPod etc  from THIS site.  It is also available free at iTunes store in the podcast section.

On The iPod; Ryuchi Sakamoto - Insen - ambient, floating, brilliant...  This is the soundtrack I would choose for reading the book of Genesis

  -- The new iPhone is almost here and will be cooler than a penguin's pahtoot. Here is the official "check it all out" iPhone movie.  I will wait for a year or two till it comes out with a bigger hard drive and the bugs get worked out. 

In the meantime I just picked up the Treo 700p.  It does about everything the iPhone does like accesses the web, runs googlemaps, address book, calendar, YouTube, txt, phone, email etc etc.  In a cool turn of events I had enough phone upgrade mojo to get it free and even score a $50 store credit which was a double happiness.

This is a cool thing: if you have a bible program loaded onto your smart phone you can cut and paste verses from the Scriptures into a text message right on your phone and send them to folks you may be counseling, encouraging or interacting with in some way.  I just tried this last night, it was sweet!  It's a new way to quickly and directly input the life changing Word of God into a conversation with someone in real time.

On the iPod: Pink Floyd - Wish You Were Here :: WYWH was this year's album for our 4th annual "Pink Floyd Listening Party  Under The Stars" during our high school group's Wakefest Wakeboard Trip.  We are the only youth group I know with an annual Pink Floyd listening party - I love my kids, they too are cooler than a penguin's pahtoot.

It's great to be back after a week of hot sun and big fun houseboating with my students at Wakefest. 

We had a great week overall and an excellent opportunity for prayer because --> Wednesday evening one of my students went into a mega-asthma episode.  His meds wouldn't work and we were camping in a remote location far from the marina and even farther from a town and medical help.  His breathing became so fast and shallow that we picked him up and threw him into a speedboat and raced him to the docks.  The 10 minute boat ride felt like an eternity as he got worse and worse.  After the crazy breakneck boat-ride through the dark we arrived at the dock - his breathing was ultra fast and very shallow, and his pulse was racing.  Everyone remained calm but it was intense.  We prayed the prayer of desperate men, men in need of a great and merciful God. 

Then...

When we pulled in to the dock my student stopped breathing.  Just like that, he ...  just ...   stopped ...      breathing ... as the boat bobbed quietly in the darkness by the dockside. 

One of my staff guys is an emt and gave the boy mouth to mouth, no response for about a minute...  then a cough, a gasp and breath!  Soon a medical helicopter descended to rush him to the hospital.  In the air they administered meds and a breathing treatment.  I jumped into a car and headed down to the hospital. 

An hour later my kid was up text messaging his pals, smiling and joking with me in the emergency ward bed.  When I told him he had stopped breathing in the boat at one point he said  " I what?".  Wheeeeew.  We think he needs a cool special t-shirt that reads:  Wakefest 2007 : It'll Take Your Breath Away.

The punchline: in a fluke event we just happened to have a speedboat with us when he got sick, we normally have only a slow row boat with small motor at our camp, if God had not placed a speedboat at our disposal that evening this would likely have been a much different post.  God is worthy of praise.  Now for a 2 week rest before I head out to Denmark with my student mission crew - by then my adrenaline should be back down to a normal level.

For the record I'm breathing : highly missional in philosophy, more evangelical in theology (but not culturally) - and not fully reformed so maybe there's a fifth team MD.  Or a 5.1?

I decided to go follicle-optional for this week's houseboat trip as a little surprise for my students.  Andrea isn't a big fan :: I just learned this. I think it gives me a kinder gentler look, kinda like your friendly local pediatrician / vivisectionist.  Guess what else I learned, when you shave your head the fresh skin feels strangely like a dehydrated porpoise.

After I scraped my head free of that huge mop of hair I've been sporting I realized that painful cranial scorching may be a real  issue at the lake this year...

Who needs photoshop when there is a perfectly good Gillette razor in the bathroom drawer .   Off to the lake I go :: no email or cell or blog coverage 'till Friday night.

Next week I leave with 85 - 90 high schoolers and 25 + staff and boat drivers for a wild week of house boating, wakeboarding and tubing on Lake McClure: Wakefest 2007.  I feel a bad sunburn coming on and a lack of sleep in my future - summer is funner.  Life is good if you let it be.

Usual away-disclaimer: we have a dangerous, unstable, gun toting human staying at our home and the dog does have rabies and is in heat so burglars beware.

Elevation is the name of the new ministry and community that I will be leading and pastoring.  The name has a special soulful tingle for me personally.  Elevation was the name of the ministry my heart-brother Dan Snow was engineering at the time of his tragic and early death. 

So Dan, Elevation lives in your honor.

 In this aeon time and space matter less, yet our churches seem mired in time and space... Ten Challenges Facing the Church in Cyberspace is a great post that you should read.  How could you or your ministry better seize the ether?  Dream with me how we can touch people: locally, nationally and globally through technology and through the internet in particular.  Elevation will be seeking to leverage technology to love and serve the world in unique ways from it's inception, dream with me.

On The iPod: David Sylvian - Dead Bees on a Cake

The BIG news is this; after a couple of years of prayer and study and a year of serious God-wrestling I will be changing lanes from youth ministry to lead-pastoring a next generation church expression.  Andrea and I have been praying about planting a new church or starting an alternative ministry within a church and we have heard God's clear call to start a new expression of the church at Santa Cruz Bible.  It will be called Elevation and will feature a high energy Sunday night service and mission focused community.  Elevation will be for people of any age but will be focused towards people 18-35.  We're certain of God's powerful and clear leading and we are on fire with joy and fresh vision.  Keep an eye on this blog for regular updates and a journal of our journey in launching and leading a new expression of the church within an existing church.

As for youth ministry, after 23 years of ministry to high schoolers I'll still be helping out at high school group as a volunteer - probably for life : once a youth pastor always  a youth pastor.  In fact if I didn't have this clear leading form God I would do high school min for the rest of my life with great enthusiasm.   Our Senior Pastor and Executive Pastor are excited and very supportive and our Elder Board unanimously voted for us to begin this new expression.  The fuse has been lit, here we go!  Below is an excerpt from the proposal I presented our Elder Board: it will give you a bit of an overview of my thinking and heart.

I.        The Need

A.       Churches across America are seeing significant decline in 18-35 age range.  Surveys also show less young singles and families are returning to churches after “sowing their wild oats in college”.

B.       SCBC has seen a radical decline in the 18-35 age range.

C.       The American culture has changed and a smaller number people will likely seek out current church forms.

D.       Our community has only 3-4 churches primarily focused on the emerging generations.  The community has tens of thousands of people unreached in this age range.  We need more churches intentioned for unreached and postmodern people.

E.       Our church and the greater community would be well served by additional church expressions that are purposely shaped for emerging generations.

1.        1 Corinthians 9:22b I have become all things to all men so that by all possible means I might save some.

II.      I propose we start a “New Arm” of ministry at Santa Cruz Bible Church to address these needs

1.        Note: Definition of a “New Arm” follows.

B.       The Starfish Analogy

1.        A Starfish has a central “body” called the disk.  A starfish has multiple arms extending from the disk.  Each arm is connected to and is a vital part of the starfish’s body but articulates and expresses itself individually and differently.

a)       Some “arms” of our current ministry at SCBC include:

(1)       The Main Services

(2)       Celebrate Recovery

(3)       The Hispanic Ministry

(4)       Youth Ministries

C.       Definition: “New Arm of Ministry” = A new worship service and mission-focused community purposed to reach and grow the people who will be attracted and engaged by a different expression of the historic and biblical Christian faith.

D.       Points of connection to the “disk” of the SCBC starfish.

1.        A common doctrinal statement and mission statement

2.        A common Elder Board with representatives of the New Arm included in the future

3.        Common financial, people and property resources

4.        Common discipleship groups, children’s and youth ministries and other all church ministries.

III.    My Calling

A.       After much prayer, counsel, study and consideration I feel a clear Call to lead a fresh expression of Christ’s Church either as a New Arm within an existing church like SCBC or as a new autonomous plant.

IV.    Values

A.       Worship Gatherings

1.        Scripture-centric life-change focused teaching

2.        A ministry primarily shaped for 20-40 age group, but welcoming and embracing all generations

3.        Use of technology to communicate and spread the impact of the church

4.        Use of Multisensory / Multimedia teaching, learning and expression

5.        Variety: in music, environments, teaching / learning experiences, interaction and service order

6.        Use of interaction in services both verbal and technological

7.        Excellence in all things

8.        The utilization of more current forms of music for worship and audio environments

9.        Utilization of the arts

10.      Culturally current expressions that provide a strong attractional element to the gatherings

11.      A firm grasp on orthodox historic Christian theology

12.      A high value in joy, humor and encouragement

13.      Authentic, transparent teaching / learning

B.       Lifestyle of the Community

1.        I/A Approach:  Incarnational / Attractional

2.        Emphasis on Incarnation as the primary means of reaching people which are not yet Christian, as in Christ’s ministry.

a)       John 1:14 The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the One and Only, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth.

3.        A missional focus on less reached people groups and cultures in Santa Cruz .

4.        Hospitality in homes as a central practice

5.        Living a life others would desire to emulate

6.        Less is more: limiting programs, meetings, and subcultural events that separate the believer from the lost community too often.

7.        Studying, discipling, meeting and worshipping off-campus and out in the greater community whenever possible.

8.        A church characterized by loving the lost and living life regularly in their midst while still living holy lives.

a)       1 Peter 2:12 Live such good lives among the pagans that, though they accuse you of doing wrong, they may see your good deeds and glorify God on the day he visits us.

b)       Luke 7:34 The Son of Man came eating and drinking, and you say, 'Here is a glutton and a drunkard, a friend of tax collectors and "sinners."

9.        A community of both saved and unsaved people with a believing church at its core.

a)       Belong, Believe, Behave.

b)       Allow and invite not- yet-believers to take part in the life and works of the community.

10.      Mission as a lifestyle

a)       Challenging believers to engaging in deep ongoing friendships with not yet believers from the highest levels of leadership across the board.

b)       Regular, ongoing service to the poor and needy locally and globally.

(1)       Missions as more than mere trips and service as more than mere projects

C.       Technology Redeemed

1.        Design a Virtual Online Campus for those who are not able to or ready to visit.

2.        Intentionally use the Internet as the front door of the church.

3.        Use the Internet as a greater communication and equipping tool locally, regionally and globally

D.       Multiplication

1.        Explore Multisite church through future extension. Campuses.   

2.        Form intentional apprenticeships towards future plants

V.      What this New Arm is not:

A.       Not: Chuckk “moving up” to College Career Ministry

B.       Not: A generational ministry

C.       Not: a “Youth Service”

D.       Not: A start up church that would leave the main church but would remain part of the main church and plant other new churches

E.       Not: A deconstructionist reaction to 20^th century church models

VI.    Key Staff Positions

A.       Lead Pastor =Chuckk

B.       We will hire a full time Pastor of Worship

C.       We will hire a full time Administrative Assistant

VII.  Suggested Primary Service Setting

A.       Sunday evenings initially in the Student Center and moving to the Main Auditorium if / when it grows larger

B.       Begin team building and vision dreaming this fall

C.       Begin weekly full services in January, God willing.

VIII.            Leadership Culture of this New Arm of Santa Cruz Bible Church

A.       Behavior and lifestyle would be limited by all Scriptural mandates.

B.       Behavior and lifestyle would be not be limited by 20^th century Christian subcultural traditions.

C.       Christian freedoms must be practiced in wisdom and moderation.  Purity in lifestyle and witness is vital and must be guided by the Scriptures.

If you are a member of SCBC this stirs up lots of questions like what will the ministry look like , what will happen to our youth ministry etc - You can find some of the answers here at  the ELEVATION FAQ v1.0.  If you are a student or a parent of a student  the "Official Letter" is found here.  God is up to great things, pray.

Cheers, this will be epic.

Last month I was pondering the importance of authenticity in leadership.  I recently remembered an authentic pulpit event that deeply impacted me. 

I became a Christian when I was 21, I found Jesus at a large seeker sensitive church inSouthern California .  After I had been attending this great church for about a month when the Sainted Senior Pastor, Larry DeWitt (whom I thought was the most perfect man I had ever come across) began to preach about his wretched deep seated sinfulness.  He was teaching through Romans 7:21-25 and admitted that he still struggled with sin.  He told us how in his mind he was at times a fornicator and liar, covetous and jealous.

I was new at this church stuff but I knew in an instant someone better turn this guy over and baste him, he was done  - I was certain he had just lost his job in front of my very eyes.  What I didn’t know was this, I was totally mistaken.  He had simply spoken the authentic and total truth, we are imperfect people in need of a savior, in need of forgiveness and in need of grace.  His honesty descended on me like a stone from space - I was leveled. 

I had an epiphany… If God could use him in such great ways even though he was an imperfect creature I too could live the Christian life and maybe even be of use to God.  It was a true turning point for me, I knew that I too could make it as a Christian - it wasn't for perfect people only. 

Larry Dewitt was also the first person to tell me that God was going to call me to ministry, God bless you Larry.

As a pastor, father, husband and friend I want to be even more real, authentic and unguarded.  The key is in being willing for people to think less of me as a person and leader and in doing so be even more truthful with them and for them.  We Christians like to play at plastic holiness to keep people from seeing our reality, in doing this we lose honest authentic leadership.  We wonder if people would love, respect and follow us if they found out we have feet of clay extending all the way to our necks on a bad day.

Here are 3 Ideas:

- Don’t only tell stories that end with you as a hero, tell the stories where you end up as a chump.

- Real authenticity speaks the stories of our CURRENT failings, not just stumbles from the distant past.

- Read the Bible - it’s the only religious text on the planet that seems to major in disclosing the authentic, raw and real failures of its greatest leaders.  You'll feel better about yourself after you read how some of those cats blew it.

Disclaimer: The writer of this blog is still in the development phase of the fullness of his own transparency and claims no invulnerability in his vulnerability.

And no, I am not writing this because I fell into some kind of terrible sin.

Us big kids know you can't take posted media back once it's out there.  Youth workers: this video could be a good discussion starter or could be worth uploading to your youth group website.

On The iPod: Ryuichi Sakamoto - Alexei and the Spring

Last Saturday 25 of our ministry team members dressed up as pirates and kidnapped  32 of our incoming freshmen.  I love youth ministry.  Going the extra mile to help kids when they transition from one age / school grouping to another is one of the very best things you can invest time in as a youth worker at this time of year.  I also found out that I REALLY LIKE eye liner, I'm going to wear it all the time, or not.

Man I love Summer, it's just funner.  In the next 3 months I will "kidnap" a bunch of incoming freshmen dressed as a pirate, spend a week house boating and tubing with a hundred of my pals, get on a plane for Odder, Denmark and help a group of 17 of my students lead an outreach to 250-300 Danish middle-schoolers in a big white circus tent (a fitting facility for this gig), spend a glorious week camping in Mexico with 50-60 of our students and staff as we build a house for a needy family, love on children at an orphanage and conduct a VBS for a huge crowd of kids in Tijuana.  Summer is Funner.

On the iPod: Montrose - Montrose (the most under-rated classic rock album of all time, and the launch of Sammy Hagar's career) <---genuine 1974  Montrose video footage

)

There's a rumor floating around in emails that smells like an Urban Legend, but it is true.  There is a new strawberry flavored form of meth going around, it's called Strawberry Quick; it is Evil with a candy scent. 

Meth is a devilish drug that causes unimaginable pain and suffering and can even lead to permanent psychosis.  In my bad old days I used meth on several occasions and it was wicked. I once woke up after a night of extreme meth use and I still remember that morning -  I knew I had hurt myself badly and couldn't think clearly for days.  It's so good that those days are small reflections in the rear view mirror of my life.

The world keeps inventing new ways of bringing pain. Now there's a strawberry-delicious kid's version of meth, nice one  Satan - may God crank up the thermostat in your fiery lakeside retirement home for this one.  This is a sad truth, no urban legend. Read about it on Snopes.com, bad news for kids everywhere.

On The iPod: Jimmy Eat World - Jimmy Eat World

 --- Every now and again you read a book that is like a tall cool drink for the parched inner you.  Searching for God Knows What by Donald Miller is refreshing like that.  It makes you really love being a Christian and a friend of God.  Like every non-Biblical book I've read I don't agree with everything I read in this book but it is a cool drink for certain. 

Miller writes in an authentic, gentle and humorous way; Donald Miller makes you like him.  He also makes you like God.  If you read and enjoyed Blue like Jazz you'll like this book a lot too.  If you are suffering from a malady like spiritualfatigue or churchfatigue this book is a helpful perscription. 

Read an excerpt from Searching for God Knows What  HERE

On The iPod: Deathcab For Cutie - Plans

Last night on Lost I heard a redemption song (to use Bob Marley's words). 

Desmond is talking to Charlie on a lonely beach.  If you follow the show you'll know that Desmond gets glimpses of the future and usually they involve Charlie's death, Desmond uses these visions to save Charlie's life over and over again - a handy friend to have around ,no? 

In this case Desmond tells Charlie, "I see Claire, the woman you love boarding a helicopter and escaping this island that we are stranded on".  Charlie is relieved to know that the vision isn't another premonition of his horrendous death.  Desmond tells Charlie that for Claire and her baby to escape the island that Charlie must die in an underwater hatch to fulfill the vision. 

Desmond tells Charlie "unless you die Charlie, there can be no rescue". 

Redemption song.  The cost of Claire's rescue is the cost of Charlie's life and Charlie willingly chooses to give his life for Claire's rescue from the Island; to purchase her freedom.  The redemption song of Jesus is that Jesus gives his life to accomplish our rescue from the island called Earth, we are separated from eternal life by an ocean of sinful actions, thoughts and inclinations; He willingly buys our freedom at the cost of His life because of His great passion for us plane-crashed survivors of the Fall.

This might preach... if so go to download the clip from iTunes  you could show it as an illustration, it can be shown in the iTunes player on a video projector or on an iPod for a small group in a coffee shop or???.  You can also view last night's episode for free  HERE.

Culturally contextual redemption songs are playing all around us, exposing ourselves to them, recognizing them and utilizing them to tell the Old Old Story is missional.

OTHER: Today I'm on a plane to my old stompin' grounds: Southern California to do some ministry consulting.  Luckily LOST didn't show that gnarly plane crash scene last night, yikes!  I don't mind dying but the whole piss your pants screaming as the plane comes screaming out of the sky seems rather unpleasant.

On The iPod: Wilco -Sky Blue Sky - this is a great great album!

This Sunday we start a short 2 part series, Rise: The Resurrection of Jesus the Christ.  As a part of this Sunday's message I will be directing folks to this blog for links to some personal study on the veracity of the supposed "lost family tomb of Jesus'.  So here are the links for the lost tomb of some guy named Hey-soose.

A good simple synopsis is HERE

Some more good stuff is  OVER HERE

One written specifically for teenagers can be viewed  IN THIS PLACE (nice find Tiffynoodle!)

Smartguy stuff from Dallas Theological Seminary  can be viewed  YONDER

An interesting blog  from an atheist's perspective is  IN THIS NECK OF THE INTERNET WOODS

A friend of mine, Frank Johnson  of Strategic Digital Outreach just went public with a GREAT new missions website that he and some of his friends authored.  It's called MissionEquip.com.  Missionequip is like a one stop super shop of mission related resources. 

I've longed for a site like this for years; a single place where you can find downloadable music for the trip, packing lists, insurance info, worldwide internet access, global weather reports, currency converters, blogs of missionaries worldwide, discussion forums, excellent planning resources and MORE!   This site is a must see!   Check Out MissionEquip.

On The iPod - Various Mark Driscoll Podcasts :: Great Bible teaching with a tang of chili-sauce

Do you ever hear words and think "man, I don't know what  that means"?  What are crunk and hyphy?  Are they characters in a new video game where you save the princess from a massive green platypus?  Are they a trans-gender albino hip-hop duo from Amsterdam? 

Changes in slang zoom by faster than a tabby with gasoline up his tailpipe.  Here's a cool site to help you keep up with slang definitions. 

--> The Urban Dictionary.

Last week I was hanging out with a friend of mine on the porch of a tattoo studio in San Jose, we were talking about church and some of the reasons he finds it "not too engaging".  My friend is a Christian, he grew up in a great youth group, he loves Jesus but doesn't really love church gatherings and finds it a burden to attend them.  As we talked he shared that he and so many of the people he knows feel like when they do attend church the leaders aren't real.  My friend shared that so many times the pastors he hears don't share their own struggles and failures as they remind us weekly of all the things we need to do to be better Christians.  The term  authentic is the word that was spoken several times on that porch that afternoon.  In other conversations that very day two other Christians I know mentioned their desire for Christian  leaders to be more authentic and vulnerable, more real when they preach.

Today I was in a sushi bar on a date with my super-hot girlfriend (and wife) Andrea.  It was one of those sushi bars with a revolving sushi exhibition; you know, those little boats that go round and round filled with edible art tempting you to eat more and more...  NOTE:  overeating sushi is ill advised, flee the Tempter.  As the little boats sailed past I spied one of my least favorite items floating by; artificial crab meat rolled up in rice and nori. 

I have a particular disdain for fake crab meat; artificial, unappetizing, un-authentic. it's not something I desire to let into my person.  It pretends to be luscious rich crab but turns out to be falsely colored folded, spindled and mutilated fish by-products.  It 's the fish-equivalent of BsPastoralLeadership.

Authentic pastoral leadership is vital these days.  The importance of being leaders who share the reality of their struggles, weaknesses and slip ups is immeasurable in these postmodern times.  Pretending to be better than we are, covering our faults and sharing only our victories leaves a greasy artificial-crab flavor in the mouths of many churched, un-churched and de-churched people these days.  BTW: It goes beyond preaching and pastors to the whole Body of Jesus, we all  need to be real people if we hope to see others know Jesus and grow healthy. 

More to come on this subject in The Importance Of Authenticity Part 2

Disclaimer: The writer of this blog is still in the development phase of the fullness of his own transparency and claims no invulnerability in his vulnerability.

On The iPod: Deerhunter- Cryptograms <-----see a Deerhunter video at this link - fresh neo psych...

I Love iPod goodies and This is sweet!  --- if it just had a cable input...then I would begin a gadget-lust & repentance cycle.

One of my favorite bands, Porcupine Tree has just released a new album called Fear of A Blank Planet. 

The album 's theme revolves around a dark vision of paralyzed hyper-medicated youth brought into a state of consistent oblivion by the mood altering chemicals they are fed by doctors who diagnose them with all manner of hyperactivity, depression and a.d.d type disorders.   The album has a brooding sinister vibe that speaks of flaccid minds bored in front of the tv, stoned in the mall and verging on destruction.

As a person who has worked with teenagers for the last 23 years, I too fear a blank planet of young people zombie-fied more from legal mood-alteration prescriptions than from street X, Acid  or Weed.  We all know people who are truly needful of medication, but my experience tells me masses of young people are being misdiagnosed and medicated into a grey stupor.  Better living through chemicals is crap-think.

You can hear samples of the new album on P-tree's MySpace.

To balance out the dark audio - also on the iPod this week ---  Elvis Costello and Burt Bacharach - Painted from Memory - a great album of crooning.

The Anchor Bible Dictionary (3:328). New York: Doubleday.

If you are taking a short term mission trip this summer you might be interested in this site; it's called TravelPod.  TravelPod will host a mission trip blog where you can upload pictures and text about what's happening on your trip as it unfolds.  Guess what, it's free too. 

We did a mission trip blog last year from the Czech Republic and had GREAT response from parents, supporters and others who said it helped them to pray more effectively and helped them feel like they were really part of the mission effort.   If you are going somewhere that has 'net access this is worth doing. 

ht: Thud Gudnason

If you download my Sunday Morning Messages from my iTunes area you've probably noticed that there's been no new messages uploaded in a while.  We're having some probs uploading but we should have it all fixed very soon.  When we get it back up and running we have a two part series ready and waiting called One Life Revolution : a Christian response to poverty and the African aids crisis" and a three part series called "El Moola"  :a guilt -free look at managing the money our good God places in our wallets.  Sorry for the slowdown.

On The iPod: Porcupine Tree - Staircase Infinities

The Catholic Church has finally jettisoned the concept of Limbo.  In the past, Catholic Doctrine has stated that there was a place that unbaptized babies go if they die, this place was called Limbo.  This extra-biblical concept was held by the Catholic Church from medieval times to today. 

I imagine a steamy tropical locale with rockin Island music, swaggering babies holding shapely cocktail glasses with fruit on the rim and maybe even infant coconut bowling; perhaps Limbo wouldn't be so bad a place...

Limbo is now theological history  read about the new decision.  It is encouraging when theologians do good work to separate church traditions from true Biblical Theology.  What might be some of our  extra-biblical traditions?

On The iPod: Minus The Bear - Menos El Oso

=== Our server just got a holy blessing; Barracuda's spam filter.  It is an app from Heaven.  I was getting 150+ spams a day advertising such treasures as Viagra, fake Rolexes, Britney pix, and sketchy stock deals.  Barracuda has gotten me down to about 2 slices of spam a day.  If you are experiencing a daily spam-a-thon check Barracuda's service out!

On The iPod: NOT Sanjaya

"Sanjaya goodbya"

...perhaps tonight...  but then again, we do live in a fallen world...

God is doing great things at Grace Children's Home in Baja.  Big news: God is still in the miracle  Agua biz.

If you don't read the Palau's blog check it out!

On The iPod: The Cure - Greatest Hits

Before Marilyn Manson there was...Alice. 

Little known fact: when I was in high school my very favorite band was Alice Cooper.  I saw his live show several times, I owned all his albums (even the first 2) and had posters of him all over my room.  Here's a fascinating interview with the now Christ-following Alice.  Read the Alice Cooper Article Here  .... who woulda thunk it?  - Alice loves Jesus.

On The iPod: Pink Floyd- Animals

The David Crowder Band is back in the studio (actually I don't really listen to their music a lot but some of my friends love it).  DC is uploading short videos from their work in the studio to YouTube

So, anyway you'll never guess who is playing guitar on the upcoming Cd...  Ted Theodocious Atrocious Nugent, no lie bubble-eye.  This is the same guy I saw back in the mid 70's wearing only a loin cloth swinging from a rope high above the stage at Anaheim stadium yelling the words wango zee tango baby!  Worship music is getting very progressive these days.  Check the video.

See all the Crowder studio videos here

ht: Paul Sampson!

Thanks to my good friends Smittie and Machiko Smith at Tako Productions, I now have a permanent internet home for all my various projects.  - The New Sacred Digital Site has links to my Sunday morning messages at Santa Cruz Bible Church, my video podcast series, my beloved tattoo project: Sacred Ink, my bio, my email, a space for some upcoming music projects I'm recording and this blog.   --- Stop by and check it out sacreddigital.com  

LifeChurch is doing some wonderful things with multi-site church.  I have mentioned their work briefly before but wanted to bring them back to encourage you to think in terms of multiplying churches instead of just attending a church or even planting a church. LifeChurch is one church on ten campuses PLUS an internet campus. 

LifeChurch gives away an amazing amount of relevant and well made material such as videos, sermons, and graphics so that others can use they resources the produce ...free of charge. They are doing some great innovative things, I hope you'll take time to drop by their site and spend some time browsing!   

Here's a fun example of the some of a sermon illustration video they produce, use and give away...  What if Satan was teaching the sex-ed class for the kids at your local high school?  Go to the following link and click the PREVIEW button next to the video called Illustration Video #1 

Warning: the video is edgy and includes a satirical discussion of  things like  or*l  s*x   if you are easily offended , this video isn't  something you'd enjoy.

Again from the spacy Czech's who brought you Samorost... yet another unique online game Quest for the Rest

On The iPod: KT Tunstall - Eye To The Telescope

...Check out this kid's passion to end modern slavery. Youth gone wild...I love it!

...

I received a letter from a youth minister friend of mine who is going through a tough transition and is between youth ministries, here's an excerpt (printed here with his permission)

What the heck am I doing here! Okay that was a little over the top, but not too far from hitting the mark…. Now to the nitty-gritty of why I am screaming at the top of my lungs. I am struggling. No, I am struggling with what I am supposed to do and be in the grander scheme of things… What frustrates me, and this may be a result of “burn-out”, is what I see in every job description for a youth pastor. Maybe I am wrong but it looks like they want a gun slinging administrator with a charisma 2nd only to that of Jesus Himself. I don’t have both gift/skill sets. I got one. (Not that I consider my charisma 2nd to that of Christ . . . I may be down the line a few hundred . . . . Thousand names.) I want to minister but right now I feel shackled by my own failings. I don’t want to go into a new position and start well again only to be overrun by the details of programming. A lot of what I am writing is steeped in emotion. I have been on my knees like never before and digging into the word. Thanks for taking the time to read this. Your Friend.

I asked my friend if I could include my reply here on S digital to benefit other youth workers who read this site, he graciously accepted. I hope our email conversation might be a help to others in the process of Death by Youth Ministry.

You are snatched from your current church (or other current job) and put at a church in the suburbs where you have to start all over again. There are five kids there. Two are the senior pastor’s kids. There are three boys and two girls. Two are in High School and three are in Junior High. You are asked to build a ministry that will continue on after you leave. You have one year to do this. You have a limited budget. Where would you start? How would you grow this group numerically? How would you help it grow spiritually? Two even more important questions... -How would you make sure that what you did there would have a lasting impact on those students' lives? -How would you make sure you left a ministry that would last?

Reading Scott Aughtmon's new Ebook, Lasting Youth Ministry is akin to sitting 'round a table with a band of well-weathered youth ministry veterans as they share their various views on assembling a student ministry with real eternal impact. You'll find great insights through the steams of convergence and divergence in their thinking and praxis. The combined years of youth ministry experience of the ministers Scott pulled together is in the hundreds of years. These folks have more to share than just a really good crowd-breaker involving balloons, chocolate sauce and a live gecko!

.....

As many of you know, my friend Smittie of Tako Productions and I have been shooting some less conventional videos exploring faith and life. We call them Sacred Digital Videos.

We have an Online Vault where all 6 episodes we have shot so far reside in one place - They're also on YouTube, Google Videos, Yahoo Videos and iTunes (in lower resolution than the Vault versions). It's been a fun project allowing me to share from God's Word, compose, record and play some music and explore video.

Here's the location of the Sacred Digital Videos Vault . Remember, these videos are pretty big files shot and presented in high quality and they take a few minutes to download.

We'll be shooting onsite in an a funky moldering cemetery next month focusing on post death life - What happens after the big dirt nap?.

In the iPod - The Who: Live at Leeds...
...pure visceral rock and roll thrust from the past :: prepunk punk from Valhalla on high!

This is a great news story. Communicators, is there an illustration here?

If you know me you know I love Tacos and THIS IS A TACO Fo Sho!

On The iPod: Wolfmother - Wolfmother

Planting-Missional-Churches by Ed Stetzer is a must read tome. Every now and again you read a book that costs you the ink of one full pen because you make so many marks, underlines, margin notes and asterisks; this is one of those books.

This book has value for current church leaders who are exploring how their church might better engage the cultures of un-churched un-convinced people; it’s not just for those looking to plan new churches. It's a great read if you are wondering how the mission of the church could be reevaluated, revisited and enhanced or directionally changed.

Also on the book pile beside my big overstuffed chair - Eragon by Christopher Paolini and Hurt : Inside the World of Today's Teenagers by Chap Clark

On the iPod: John Mayer – Continuum

...

People enjoyed the game Samorost Two so well I went and found Samorost One for your holiday gaming pleasure. Have a great Christmas you cosmic travelers.

If you get stuck while you’re out in space, here is a place to find answers

On The iPod: Frank Sinatra -Various Christmas Songs

This Summer we're off to Odder Denmark on a little Mission from God. Here's the official city of Odder website

Yes, Guitar Hero is a dangerous video game addiction, everyone should quit playing before they are badly injured. This will give me time to get better and beat you all!

Proof that Guitar Hero is a dangerous videogame.

On The iPod: Moby - Ambient

This afternoon our staff / team selected 18 kids to come with me to Denmark this July. Calls are being made right now to alert everyone. Start praying for the mission now. This summer will be Epic!

Here's the Youth for Christ Project Serve official website

On the iPod: Steely Dan -Aja

The Gathering : 4.0 Viking Wars event we had last week was muy fun! Here's a shot from behind the Dodge Ball Death Arena fencing towards the Mexican Viking Sumo Wrestling area and in the back you can see the Eye Toy on the video screen. Oh what fun; a few swollen faces from dodgeball and one broken exit sign were the only casualties. Amazing, they actually will pay you to do this for a living if you're lucky.

Youth Ministry Idea: If you have a Playstation2 get the Eye Toy camera and have kids play it during an event. To create a fun room vibe focus a video camera on them and live feed the people (without the eye toy game video graphics) to a big video screen. It 's really funny seeing people jump around on the screen without seeing the video game graphics that the players are interacting with.

...

Away I go - I'm off to mount Hermon Camp for a weekend of speaking, fun and student hang time.

.....
I'll be away speaking at Mount Hermon Christian Camp this Friday Saturday and Sunday. It will be a fun time to share Jesus' excellence with a fresh bunch of high school students who I don't speak to weekly.

Camps are often special times in the spiritual journey of teenagers. If you are a person of prayer join me in praying for the students who will be attending this camp. Pray that in their time high above the wild static of their daily lives they'll hear His clear voice and be infected with His love and purpose.

On The iPod: Norah Jones - Come Away With Me

Beyond the curriculum there is GREAT application that could change the lives of many if you chose to jump in.

Tomorrow night we'll host our nonlinear high school fun event called The Gathering 4.0 : Viking Wars. The idea is there is NO schedule of what comes when - we provide all the funstuff and students come make the evening they choose.

If you missed my RAZZ multimedia announcement by the Mexican Vikings on MySpace... that’s probably a good thing.

ANYWAY

In the mix for the evening: big screen Guitar Hero II contest, introducing the indoor death cage dodge ball arena with strobes and smoke machines, 1 million video games, the unveiling of our new Living room and chillzone, Karaoke embarrassment, Viking sumo fights, DDR MAX Viking disco room, a professional race car driving simulator, night climbing on the 30’ outdoor rockclimbing wall, skate ramps, pool, foosball, air hockey, board gaming, Viking firepit and some totally unhealthy food.

When Christians talk to "not Christians" about Jesus it's often understood about this clearly...

Sometimes we don't understand what "not Christians" are saying to us Jesus-folk. Worse yet is the fact that the language of the Christian subculture is often indecipherable by those outside the subculture. Listen to this week's sermon at your local church and pretend you've never read the Bible or been in church before …notice all the words and phrases that we use that have no meaning to "not Christians" …“we're washed in the blood of the Lamb”.

Listen to the songs; what concepts are embedded in them that are unknowable to the uninitiated…”there is a fountain filled with blood” or “longing just to bring something that's of worth that will bless your heart” or my fav – “here I raise my Ebenezer”.

How do these terms and concepts become part of our DAILY secret language as we leave the church parking lot and talk to “not Christians” at school, work and the gym? How can we better use words to communicate meaning to those who aren’t part of our club?

Ever need free LEGAL music for a youth group video you’re editing? Ever want to find new bands and fresh musicians to listen to? Check out Jamendo. Jamendo allows you to find new bands, listen to their music, exchange and burn their tunes and USE their music in your projects free of charge. And it’s legal.

The latest Sacred Digital Video has just been released. This month’s installment was filmed in a dusty windblown junk yard in Tijuana, Mexico. We shot it guerilla style and got caught just after we got 1 full take in the can and were asked to leave. It is a wrecking-yard contemplation about how do to deal with the memories of your past wrongs towards others and the wrongs done you. See “Wreckage” exclusively at my iTunes video cathedral.

We also just released a past video called the Life of Brian (featuring sultry love god Brian Martin) on Google Videos, Yahoo Videos, YouTube this week. Google looks grainy - Yahoo and ITunes are the best looking. Roll Film.

On The iPod: Sarah McLachlin – Fumbling Toward Ecstasy

........

Sacred Ink our Internet-faith-art-story web site has just had it's 50,000th visit today. Sacred Ink has been visited from over 97 countries so far. It's been fun to watch the site minister to people all over the globe in unique ways.

The idea behind Sacred Ink is to allow people of a specific tribe (tattooed folk) tell the Jesus story through their tribal customs. There are many other tribes who could use the customs of their tribe to speak forth the Jesus story on the 'net : golfers, sailors, soccer moms, 12 steppers, 2 steppers, people who play World of Warcraft... How might you utilize YOUR tribal affiliations to speak Jesus globally thru the 'net?

COMING SOON : We're working on a new featured "blood spot" for Sacred Ink right now.

LISTENING to the Bible can allow you to get larger context and new insights into old news. I'm a believer in adding Bible listening to a rotation of personal Bible study, Bible memorization / meditation, Bible reading and Bible learning through gifted teachers. Redeem some of your iPod time, your car stereo, your commute or workout time with fresh wind.

In an earlier post I pointed you towards the Man in Black's reading of the Bible. In this post let me signpost you towards a fully dramatized audio extravaganza of the Word of Life. You gotta love any recording of the Bible that casts Samuel L. Jackson as the voice of God, Cuba Gooding Jr. as Judas and Denzel as Solomon - all voices in The Bible Experience are African American. BTW: Samuel L. Jackson does have experience with quoting God's Word from the film Pulp Fiction if I remember correctly...

Check out The Bible Experience

On The iPod: Arc Angels:Arc Angels This album is the Schnitzel, Texas Blues that sound like Jesus is in the band.

There's a NEW MySpace Instant Message program; it's a SEPARATE DOWNLOAD AND INSTALL. This one actually works, unlike the original IM feature that came with your MySpace program (that one was basically a Hoover upright)

The new IM program also alerts you when you have new mail, comments, friend requests etc - this is really helpful

I installed it: and talked to several friends today-- try it out and we can IM chat while on MySpace.

Here's where to get it : My Space's New Instant Messenger

Speak to me...

If you are part of mySCBC Youth Horde the parent / student info meeting will be happening this Sunday Nov. 19th from 1pm-2pm in the Student Center.

This will be an epic viking voyage. Stories will come of it and God loves stories!

Here's a video worthy of running before a youth group meeting. This is just unreal.

Posted By:x*N4T£*x

Get this video and more at MySpace.com

...and no I don't think this is really proof of evolution in general ... just that some French guys come from apes.

Video games are a major player on the culture field, they even draw crowds. Youth ministry needs to utilize video games beyond just having an Xbox in the youth room corner. If your church can handle it, consider hosting an all-county video game tournament. Give away a Wii as a prize?

...a street sign I spied in Ostrava, Czech Republic last July...

George Barna says:

The Baby Boomer generation placed its unique stamp on the nation, including its application of morality. But how is the subsequent adult generation – the Baby Busters – reshaping the nation’s norms regarding morality and sexuality? How does their lifestyle compare to biblical standards? The latest Barna Update examines the lifestyles and perspectives of adults who are in their twenties and thirties and provides challenging insights about the imprint Busters are putting on morality.

Read the Barna Report

Last July I took a group of my students to the Czech Republic on a mission adventure. Here is a short Quicktime movie one of the students from the team put together.

See the 2006 Czech Republic Mission Movie

Amish folk are now officially allowed to use mp3 players... as long as this is the one they use.

Surveys show most Amish are listening to NIne Inch Nails - The Downward Spiral and Marilyn Manson - Antichrist Superstar.

...check the Holy mp3 rig out at Engadget Espaniol

I now know where on this globe we're headed and what we'll be doing on our epic chaos discpleship mission journey known as Summer Mission '07. I'll be letting the cat out of the bag THIS Sunday. The image above is a hint...

World Race is one of the most exciting mission challenges ever. Check out the update HERE

On The iPod: Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan - Ecstacy

Guy Kawasaki just blogged about this brand new web 2.0 app called Razz. Being the cat who has to try everything I immediately tested it out. Razz lets you place voice audio files with drag and drop music and sound effects into a player that can be uploaded to MySpace or your blog.

Youth workers here's an application idea: you could make an AUDIO MySpace bulletin announcement for your crew. You could remind students of upcoming event registration deadlines, leave prayer reminders or personal intestinal distress updates. Here's an example of the way I used it on a MySpace bulletin to alert my students to this week's end of the series message. This audio test message only took about 5 minutes to complete -wiki wiki, yeah!

Make your own Razz!

Join the discussion at The Digital Sanctuary

My old friend Phil sent this over. Jamming a giant jet motor in your VW could greatly quicken your commute, and flame broil poodles and passers-by on the sidewalk as you zip along.

Tnkx Phil McKenna Check out Phil's other-worldly music at his site, (look under "hoots" for audio samples from his latest CD)

Louie Giglio has good things to say and he is a consummate speaker. Check out the bullet points of a message he gave at the Catalyst Conference recently. Here's couple of quotes from the message he gave.

God is sending us out to announce that the Kingdom of God is near, not that we have a cool church.

Let's change the conversation from the church let me down to Here's the way that God has empowered and inspired me to pick up the work of the church and carry it forward.

To see the rest of the bullet points click the word LouieGiglioHasANiceHamilton-esqueTanFerSure

HOT TIP: Check out Louie, Rob Bell, Donald Miller, Erwin McManus and other leaders on the Catalyst Podcast at iTunes. Catalyst features cutting edge leaders speaking their hearts and minds for a new generation.

On the iPod: The Mahavishnu Orchestra -The Inner Mounting Flame

Just after I typed "whats next an elvish Bible?" in my last post I searched the 'net and found THIS

File this under weird stinking cosmic outreach strategies: The Bible in Klingon. Abram Gomez, you must be doing backflips over this news.

See and hear the Bible in Klingon - HERE

What's next? The Bible in Tolkien's Elvish?

On the iPod: The Killers: Sams Town

Read this blog entry from George and Stacey Palau in Tijuana Mexico. They have some simple needs for the orphanage+ that they shepherd. This is a an example of how helping missionaries get a blog can help cause global warming.

What a fun way to use iPods for communal gathering; flash mobbing. I'd never heard of this before. My pal Smittie filled me in.

Hmmmm, how might this be used in a worship or prayer context? Ideas?

Thanks Smittie

We had more fun than a monkey with a bottle of tequila...little known fact monkeys love tequila.

Letting the students create their own loopy customized experiences was fun for all.

JumpingInFountains Skateboarding ArgentinianFood Oysters Chilidogs StarsHomes GumAllyInSanLuisObispo DancingAtTheModonnaInn ThreeLiveBandsInConcert HollywoodStarWalk GiantSandDune GuitarPlaying@TheGuitarCenter ComputerGamesEnMass MountianClimbing@Night EstateSale@ActorJohnRittersHouse CameraScavengerHunt HollywoodBowl Karaoke VeniceBeach LaBreaTarPitsDinosaurs Hollywoodsign Squid BeverlyHillsHotel PumpkinPatch ChineseTheater UniversalStudiosCityWalk GiantCementArtichoke FriendlyCrankCalls MuscleBeach SantaMonicaPier BurritosInTheBarrio BoardGames IndoorSkatepark StateStreetThriftShoping SantaBarbara Smiles IpodPlaylists DietCokeAndMentosExplosions FamousPeopleSightings PeopleReallyGotToKnowOneAnother

We slept both nights at Alpine in Ventura. The folks at Alpine were great hosts, they provided 3 live bands in concert, an indoor skate park, movies, karaoke madness and a 12 screen state of the art computer gaming facility for our late night enjoyment. They have a new coffee house and an insane rock climbing gym being installed right now too. They were beyond reasonable in price, Alpine rocks. If you are on a youth trip and need a place to play or even a place to stay in the Ventura area contact Alpine.

More photos, hit continue

I think blogging can be a tool of Heaven.

AN IDEA FOR GLOBAL WARMING: Start a blog for a missionary or two from your local church (ask first). When the blog is ready contact them tell them how to access the blog and encourage them to start blogging once a week about their life, their needs and their joys. Encourage the front line missionaries that if they contact their supporters and let them know where the blog is located they can have a weekly (or more frequent) touch with those who support the work. Obviously missionaries without internet access can�t blog but internet free zones are shrinking daily.

Blogs could save missionaries thousands of dollars in postage

Blogs save many hours in preparing mailers that often tossed in the trash along with credit card offer letters

Blogs can be built and maintained free, free is good like sushi-good

Blogs allow for color pictures - a picture speaks a 1000 blogs

Blogs can be a place to link to You Tube and other sites where missionaries can post video of their ministry. A video speaks a thousand pictures.

Blogs can have their own video and audio embedded directly with a little magic

Blogs don't have to take the place of mailings but can be an additional communication tool

Blogs allow people who do not know the missionary to find out about their work through the wonder of viral internet info spread

Blogs allow supporters to find out about needs for emergency prayer and materials immediately

Blogs (unlike emails) don�t get tossed out when people get stressed about the number of unread emails filling their box

Blogs allow missionaries to find each other and share story, resources and prayer worldwide

Many missionaries do not have the time or skills to create a blog space / you or someone in your church can do it in the time it takes to drink a Vente Cappuccino

Cynthia Ware has some other additional reasons to blog. She gives her 40 reasons to blog.

Start a blog for free HERE.

As quoted by Elie Wiesel, the Talmud says "God made man becuse He loves stories".

In a few hours about 60 of us will jump into a fleet of rental vans and roar south on our Los Angeles Road Trip. We'll try to create some stories to give God reason to smile. My daily desire is to make God to smile.

A publikk thank you goes to all the drivers, our house sitter, the "baby" sitter and especially Rachel Tanner for her hard work to pull all things together for the trip. Away we go, blogs to come of it.

On the iPod: Sarah McLachlan - Surfacing

Yoke is only available at my iTunes site - view it HERE. Still free and worth at least 3x as much as free.

We also uploaded a second Sacred Digital Video called the Amazing Blondin to YouTube, Google Videos and Yahoo Videos.

Thanks again to my friends at Tako Productions for working so hard to make the videos and web sites happen.

LOST season 3 started tonight. We're so hooked here at the Gerwig Compound. I'm blogging in real time during commercials as episode 1 unfolds.

WHAT'S UP with the suburban housing tract on the Island in the first scene? I expect a Starbucks to appear any minute. -----Great commercial ... the falcon swoops down hard into the top of the kayak on the jeep, nice boink sound.-----Flashback scene: Jack Shepherd needs to get a sport coat that fits if he ever wants to get his wife back from the other guy. The sleeves are too short.------Quote:"I want my clothes back"(Sarah) ... "we burned them"(Ben)... - It's a little hygiene hint, wash clothes once in a while Kate.------Make note to self, (Chuckk if you are ever LOST on an island don't let a blond woman shoot you in the neck with a dart gun, it looks like it stings... stay in cell and take the grilled cheese)-----development: AHHH!!! Julia didn't give Jack the sandwich, because she's a sand- witch! -----development: Sand-Witch has a nice right, Jack gets a blond driven nap time-----Dockers commercial, uh oh this show must be for folks who wear Dockers Slacks, maybe I'm watching the wrong show, I'm not so much a Dockers kind of guy...-----Quote " hey you got yourself a fishbit, it only took the bears 2 hours"-----Sharing question: Which cast member would you most like to see eaten by the polar bear?

What's going on with this show? Check out the LOST theories website.

Modern church events and services tend to be very LINEAR, highly programmed and carefully scheduled. Church related activities tend to have a fixed schedule of what will happen when, how and how long. The average worship service or church event allows for almost no choice on the part of the worshipper / attender; enter now, sing now, listen to talking guy now, drop money in the pan now, announcements of upcoming events now. It can be highly regimented; this is linear instead of loopy.

The incoming generation is less linear and more LOOPY; I believe ministry gatherings should take this into consideration and allow for more choice and more creativity on the part of the attender. People often get much more out of a service or event when they choose to pray, think, read and express their faith than when they are being �program-ed� from point A to point B in a linear minute by minute fashion.

One of the things I am doing to respond to the changing culture is providing people an increasing variety of options during events and worship gatherings � i.e. the attender chooses to do the things they desire to in the order they want. Not every worship service or event we do is nonlinear, but many are. Here are 2 examples of how it plays out for us.

Example#1 - Worship and Communion Mornings: Once a month we suspend our regular Sunday meeting pattern and have a less linear gathering. We provide time during these services for our people get up out of their seats and move about the room. There are usually 5-7 different worship stations that allow them to choose to worship in different ways; reading scripture out loud, praying with staff, writing words of affection for God on various things, drawing, painting, sculpture, journaling, blogging and the like. Students generally take part in several different worship stations in the order they choose and they don�t take part expressions that they don�t want to. The idea is that well cultivated variety allows people choice in the way they express themselves - they choose the when, the what and the how. This is not unique to our church, many churches are experimenting this way, but probably too few ministries are. I always feel uplifted when we have these special mornings; it�s wonderful to see people expressing heartfelt love for God in ways that leadership has not scripted.

Example #2 - Events: Historically most youth group events and many adult activities follow a strict schedule, sometimes this schedule is even charted on paper by what happens by the minute. This is linear like a Texas highway. For Generation Loopy this highly scheduled and ordered approach is often less engaging or attracting than it was when I started out working with youth 23 years ago (a more linear time). I now try to have multiple options and a high level of variety and choice involved in youth events whenever possible.

An example is our annual L.A. Road Trip. We take the students from the Cosmic Mother Ship here in Santa Cruz to Los Angeles and back for a weekend of chaotic fun and relational development. Instead of giving all the students a single linear experience that we carefully map out for them we let them design their own personal experiences. Even though we would normally move the large group in a bus or buses, we intentionally take rented vans. Each van�s leader is given a booklet of maps and directions and ideas for �fun stuff� to do in and around Los Angeles, each vanload of students chooses what they do, what they don�t do, and their trajectory. They come up with metric tons of new ideas on the fly as they travel - it is loopy.

At night all the groups come together to share their road stories and go to sleep (as if) in a common location. This event allows kids to get to know a staffer and each other in deeper ways because they have a smaller group that they journey with. The staff member is the voice of reason and safety on in the van. This means giving the staff good direction and being aware that they may make a decision that is less than perfect (taking kids to photograph themselves in front of Hugh Hefner�s Playboy Mansion wasn�t a great idea� but the staffer and kids survived it). Note; visiting the Playboy Mansion, touching the Hollywood Sign and playing with rotting manta rays named Mr. Zesty are now flagged as off limits on our Road Trips (don�t ask).

These thoughts apply to more than youth ministry. A meditation: If you are in ministry leadership are there events and gatherings that you can allow more choice and variety in? Are there ways that the activities of the church can be less programmed and more optioned and loopy?

I�m off this weekend to our 4th annual L.A. Road Trip, I�ll likely have stories for you on this blog early next week after some sleep deprivation, teenager overdose (I love teenager overdose) and creative chaos.

On The iPod: Van Morrison � Astral Weeks

Mark Batterson, gets it. Mark is utilizing both the internet and a brick and mortar church to reach people in relevant powerful ways. He is doing cool stuff at God iPod. Mark is also the Lead Pastor of National Community Church in Washington, DC. In his spare time he's written a book that looks really wonderful. It's called In a Pit with a Lion on a Snowy Day. I had the privilege of being sent the prerelease of the first chapter of the book to read and review here on Sacred Digital, it is excellent. Unlike so many Christian leaders, Batterson's cultural frame of reference is this time, right now - like I said Mark Batterson gets it. Mark writes in an unpretentious winsome way, you feel like you know him - like you're hearing from a friend. Best of all Mark has something important to say, don't miss it.

Here's the book description:

Your greatest regret at the end of your life will be the lions you didn't chase. You will regret the risks not taken, the opportunities not seized, and the dreams not pursued. Stopping running away from what scares you most and start chasing the God-ordained opportunities that cross your path. In a Pit with a Lion on a Snowy Day is inspired by one of the most obscure yet courageous acts recorded in Scripture (II Samuel 23:20-21):

Benaiah chased a lion down into a pit. Then, despite the snow and slippery ground, he caught the lion and killed it.

Unleash the lion chaser within!

The book is a call to chase down the powerful and often fearful opportunities that God provides for us to do something extraordinary. It's a war cry for boldness, courage, risk and impact. I resonate with his spirit and his words. I hope you'll buy the book you can find it on Amazon, Here Cheers Mark!

Apple Evangelist Guy Kawasaki recently moderated a panel discussion of teens regarding how they CURRENTLY utilize technology such as; cell phones, IM, computers, Tv and the web.

20th century methods of communicating to teens are fading fast,- next gen ministry types should be at the forefront of utilizing technology to reach youth. See the panel 's discussion video here.

Cool Widget: this video is tagged with a new technology called veotag which allows you to look for the sections you are interested in and go directly to those areas of the video - check it out.

On The Ipod:Chet Baker - My Funny Valentine

The new G 5.5 iPod is a treasure - I finally retired my old Creative Labs Zen and picked up the excellent new 80 gig iPod. The latest version of iTunes is a killer app to boot, and is a free download. The latest version of iTunes allows you to browse your collection by album art, play games like Zuma, download TV shows (like LOST, arghhh!), watch full length feature films, allows gapless playback and as always makes it easy to subscribe to and auto-download great Bible teaching from podcasts.

Currently on my iPod Podcasts

Mark Driscoll @ Mars Hill in Seattle

Ravi Zacharias

Chip Ingram

Erwin MC Manus @ Mosaic in L.A.

Tony Campolo

It's nearly impossible to receive too much inspiration and encouragement in this universe. Podcasts allow you to hear (and sometimes see) the most gifted SacredCommunicators on the Rock; regardless of your personal longitude and latitude - for free. So Jesus likes the new iPod because it's a cool good news delivery system. If you are looking for a sanctified excuse to buy an iPod...

If you work with youth you know that trends dictate much of their mindset. What they listen to, what, wear, say, think and access on the 'net is often deeply informed by trends in global youth culture. Marketing people know that teenagers are a cash cow for their milking, skinning and dining enjoyment - hey, this steak tastes like teen spirit...

I'm not advocating a marketing approach to youth ministry but I am advocating using the marketing folk's research to see even deeper into youth culture. If you are a youth worker or you lead young adults, climb aboard the trend express at Label Networks.com. I subscribe to their email update and as if by sorcery knowledge about youth culture materializes in my email inbox every now and again.

tnkx to Guy Kawasaki

On The iPod: Alice In Chains - Jar of Flies

I hate labels. Labels tend to reduce a concept, a movement or a philosophy or a human to the lowest common denominator; in the process labels tend to lose accuracy of description / definition. Am I an evangelical? an emergent? a protestant? a ______ fill in the blank?.

I've been asked, �what do you think about the emergent church� �are you emergent� etc. Since that label can be used for anything from BibleFreeTheoExplorers to FundyBaptistsWithCandles, I don't stick the "E" brand label on myself. The "E" has already lost clear definition.

Maybe some clarification of categories is in order. Ed Setzer wrote a great article about the three primary species of emergent church leaders. Read all about it.. If I have to put on a name tag, I'll say I'm defined as between his types called "Relevantist" and "Reconstructionist". I am not a theological Revisionist. I hope you'll read Mr. Setzer's article!

Mostly, when asked what I am I respond� Space Pope

On the iPod: Black Eyed Peas - Elephunk

...Some very unique 'net radio... you might like = Pandora

from ScottAughtmon

Join me in the Video Podcast Internet Transmission Mission
We just started uploading the Sacred Digital Videos to some more services online. You can now view them on Google Video and You Tube. They will still be on iTunes as the primary place to see the LATEST releases first. The quality on iTunes is way superior to Google and You Tube but we are starting to put the back episodes on these other services for people who don't like iTunes or want faster download times. This move will also spread the Jesus news to even more people globally through the internet.

The Clayman Video can be found at Google - Here and at You Tube HERE

You can now find Sacred Digital Videos on You Tube or Google Videos or iTunes by searching for "chuckk" (with 2 k's = spelled God's way)

Be part of the internet mission with us:

1. If you go to Google and You Tube and watch the video the rating will increase and more people will then tune in, that's the idea - reaching unchurched folks in a new way.

2. You can post this video to your My Space or your blog if you want: (You Tube makes it easy)- then people coming to your My Space or blog get exposed to the projects.

So if you want to help get the stuff out onto the highway for others to see - jump in and be part by posting , watching and telling folks.

We'll still upload a fresh episode the first week of each month to iTunes and then add an archived episode to Google and You Tube around the same time monthly. - Cheers.

If you have trouble insulting people in powerful "deer in the headlights level" ways, look no further than help from Old Testament characters to grow you in your ability to curse folks with power. The Biblical Insult Generator is found here

Ok, I don't like TV - I watch as little as possible� but something terrible has happened to me... Thud, you filthy monkeynugget, you have gotten me addicted to LOST by loaning me the first season on DVD. Please, someone from the show Intervention come and get in my face and tell Andrea to check into the Betty Ford Center too. Maybe methadone could help us� or a year away at one of those Utah wilderness "readjustment schools". Maybe I�m not addicted�I'll quit soon� yeah that�s the ticket� I promise� right after I find out why there was a polar bear on the island... and where that cable leads...

Some church gathering places feel like concert stadiums, some like grand cathedrals, or industrial warehouses, strip mall slots, friendly pubs or my least favorite vibe: Our Lady of the Musty Convalescent Home. Environment should be thought through and created / recreated to enhance and even communicate the message itself. I practice changing ambience regularly to keep things fresh and to communicate in multisensory ways.

Environment is beyond mere �look�: Here are 7 questions that could be asked about a space.

1. How does the meeting place smell? Are there smells that can be imported to communicate the message?

2. What do you see around the space, how can these visual elements and cues be modified for variety and communication of the current message(s)?

3. Will the people be stationary or are there places to go and activities to do in the space � what do you touch and feel in the space?

4. What happens audibly in the space beyond mere voice and music � how can sound be used to enhance the message?

5. How can light or lack of light be harnessed?

6. Does the environment you meet in pose a challenge to worship, relationships and learning / growth or is it an ally?

7. How does the environment feel to someone who is visiting your gathering for the first time?

Mark Batterson just wrote a great blog this morning speaking to the idea of ambience, I hope you�ll run over and read what he has to say.

The Book of Revelation Series Begins THIS Sunday - I can't wait!

Revelation 6:12 I watched as he opened the sixth seal. There was a great earthquake. The sun turned black like sackcloth made of goat hair, the whole moon turned blood red, 13 and the stars in the sky fell to earth, as late figs drop from a fig tree when shaken by a strong wind. 14 The sky receded like a scroll, rolling up, and every mountain and island was removed from its place

.

"Here Comes The End Of The World : The Book Of Revelation For Dummies" - This sunday begins Episode #1 of 6 messages. Audios will be available weekly (usually up by Thursdays) at my iTunes page.

YEAH! The Palau's (our friends who run a great orphanage+ in Tijuana Mexico) BLOG is working now and has updates - go find out how you can pray about robbers and water logged hands! Leave George and Stacey an encouragement in their comments!

Take me to Mexico to see what's up Mr. Wizard!

On the iPod: Shawn Colvin - These Four Walls (her latest album of prairie melancholy)

Once a month we have a morning of highly interactive prayer, worship and communion in place of our usual high school ministry service. This Sunday morning one of our high school ministry interns was the lead for our time together and he did something I enjoyed a lot. It's worth passing on. Tim the Intern was speaking about light - He blacked out the room and spoke in the light of two candles it drew the attention to his face well and the dancing shadows on the rear wall were interesting too. For application some of the students wrote out thoughts about being light in a dark world on cards and then attached them to this "web" of small christmas lights.

Some words just sound cool when you say them �they have vibe. The word relic is like that for me, I�ve always been enamored with the word. There was a Pink Floyd album named Relic (a moment of reverent silence please), but it�s the word relic itself that I love. The idea of an ancient artifact encrusted with dirt uncovered in some moldering tomb, giving testimony to the past � it�s a magical thought for me. I love the fantasy of uncovering a relic of a lost civilization; Mayan, or of Avalon or Atlantis. Some men never fully forsake the childhood that resides in their hearts.

A relic in the religious sense of the word speaks a different testimony to me. The very concept of a "religious relic" vacuums the magic right out of the term. Relics in the ancient church were (often but not always) actual body parts of dead saints kept in churches for the perceived benefit of worshippers. The idea was that the bodies of these dead Saints still held some power; common thought was that you could be blessed by viewing these sacred remains. Some wealthy people actually bought and collected relics at various times in history.

In Hungary this summer I viewed an ancient church relic; the severed hand of Saint Stephen, the first Christian king of Hungary. Steve�s funky old hand is seen here resting encased in its small golden shrine.

The tiny shrine of the hand is kept behind glass in a small room of Budapest�s St. Stephen�s Basilica. It is a truly strange item to behold. It�s inane to believe that the remains of people could hold miraculous power to heal, raise the dead, or impart blessing - but it was common thought in ages past and is still believed by some.

Why did people flock to view these relics? Maybe it was the longing for ocular evidence of the invisible God�s power. Possibly we humans long to see something of God to comfort us on the long walk. I want to see God and I am seeing God as He has revealed Himself in his Son. The Bible tells us that when you see Jesus clearly you have seen the invisible One.

Colossians 1:15 He (speaking of Jesus) is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation. NIV

Hebrews 1:3 The Son (Jesus) is the radiance of God's glory and the exact representation of his being. NIV

John 14:9-10 Jesus answered: "Don't you know me, Philip, even after I have been among you such a long time? Anyone who has seen me has seen the Father. How can you say, 'Show us the Father'? Don't you believe that I am in the Father, and that the Father is in me? NIV

The Book tells us if we want to know what God the Father is like, look at Jesus. I�m seeing Him as I read His story in the Gospels. Have you seen God lately? I hope you�ll look for Him in the excellent life of Jesus. The more I study His words and actions, the clearer the Father comes into focus.

The power of God won�t be found in the crusty palm of St. Stephen or any other relic, it will be found in the living body of Jesus.

More details about church relics can be found here.

The details about the next gen Nintendo called the Wii are now available. I will save you Zelda.

Some days us youth workers really want to quit and get a nice respectable job dipping processed meat at the Corndog On A Stick place at the mall.

If you are the Devil and you're reading my blog (many celestial beings do read blogs) I think I'll not quit today. Try again tomorrrow.

On the iPod: John Mayer: Continuum

Here's a thought: join a subscription music service like Rhapsody or Yahoo Music Unlimited. These services allow you to listen to everything in the known universe for a small monthly fee. There are even lists of what's hot on the charts so you can pick up on trends there or just ask your students, "what's on your iPod lately". You can also go to your kids' MYSpace and look for fav bands and give their tunes a listen. Listening to current music will provide you with metric tons of culture info and some good illustrations too. If you are totally broke (ask for a raise) but in the meantime you can pick out and watch videos for free on LaunchCast

On the iPod: Firewater: The Ponzi Scheme but NOT Panic at the Disco.

George Barna has an excellent (and accurate) new article on his site it's called- "Most Twentysomethings Put Christianity on the Shelf Following Spiritually Active Teen Years" It is worth reading and considering. I believe church institutions must morph methodologies, reexamine standards of evaluation and reconsider spiritual formation or see mass fallout in the years to come.

Tnkx: Brandon Johnson

The Left Behind Movie made me laugh - was it supposed to be funny? Anyway...This upcoming video game combines violence, gore and pretrib rapture theology. It should cause some funny conversations and the usual church controversy.

The game will be called Left Behind: Eternal Forces, it�s not yet ready for release. The makers see it as a new way to spread the gospel. See the trailer here. I don�t know how I feel about the game other than this - using the rocket launcher from Halo on the Antichrist would be a unique experience. There�s just too little opportunity for high powered weapons discharge on eschatological figures these days.

Question: Do you think violent videos games be used to spread the news about Jesus? What�s your 2 cents??

We just released yet another of our Sacred Digital Videocasts on iTunes yesterday. It�s fun doing these short films but if you�ve ever had to watch yourself on a home video imagine having to watch yourself on an internet video, Chuckk Tv� it�s weird times 10.

This episode called �Walking In The Dark� deals with an age old situation - �what do you do when you don�t know what to do next�. The Story of God contains hidden wisdom on how to proceed when life becomes unkind, unclear and unbearable. Walking in the Dark takes on this mystery with ancient wisdom from the prophet Isaiah.

As always, you need iTunes to view the video, iTunes is a free download. If you already have iTunes installed to view this month�s episode click HERE.

This game is a total waste of time, and it's fun.

I believe in short term missions and I love to blog. We did something new this summer during our annual high school short term mission trip, we team-blogged real time. Using a blog mid-mission to inform the supporters at home is a powerful way to expand the impact of your trip. The idea is this you announce that the team members will be blogging the mission in real time at your blog location. The blog address should be included in all the support raising letters, the church website, bulletins and the blog should note that a team mission blog will be coming. During the trip each night and/or morning you set out a laptop and ask team members to blog their experiences while they are still smoking fresh. Upload them to the blog right away, or if net connection is not available daily save a few up then upload them as often as possible.

Examples of what this year�s team wrote during the trip can be found HERE and in other posts on this blog with the title �News from the Crew�. You upload a couple of pictures from the ministry site(s) and presto, multimedia mission magic. Next year I hope to upload video too. We got great feedback from parents and other supporters who said they really felt connected to the mission and that they knew how to pray all the time. This also allows for the powerful witness of people speaking their hearts to all who read the blog, this could be a nuclear event for a non-yet-believing supporter.

Obviously his idea won�t work if you are in a far flung pre-Internet sector of the globe like the Amazon jungle, the Kalahari Desert or Bakersfield California (we were in the Czech Republic). This idea will work with a laptop computer, a blog and in places where internet is available. If you lead youth ministry mission trips or adult short term missions I really encourage you to give this a shot. If this is a good idea use it, if not the waste basket is in the upper left hand section of your desktop screen.

I removed a post from SD yesterday because a friend noticed that the cute little sitehas a link to a porn site on it, ...didn't know it was there. I hate pornography, it makes God's creation meat . If pornography is a powerful magnet in your life, get de-magnetized, get help.

Check out what these guys are up to. Interesting stuff. LIfe Church Could be a helpful resource for some ministries looking for free video teaching (see the Life Church Tv open link on their site).

Tnkx Mark Batterson

My unedited raw Sunday morning messages are available on iTunes, but in the last month we had some snafu's (snafu, that's such a cool looking word when you type it). Anyway, a new episode is now up - it's called Real Religion. To get to my itunes audio page click THIS LINK

We'll have a fresh one up almost every week. You can listen on your computer or iPod. Remember, on iTunes to hear a full length message you must click the "get episode " button on the right hand side of the screen or it plays only a short clip. If you need the iTunes player here it is for free.

An old student and dear friend of mine named Kevin once told me a terrifying tale about his Great Granny. I chatted with him on the phone the other day and asked him recount to the horrible experience to me and here it is recorded for your listening pleasure - or disgust. Just push play. (a shameless Aerosmith reference btw)

I used this audioclip in my message last sunday morning and I wanted to pass it on to you my friends for further mileage.

The Evoca audio player you just heard is a cool web 2.0 device. You can get it and use it on your blog for free.

Wayne Cordeiro is INTO passing on ministry, soul and life skills. His blog, called Mentoring at a Distance is worth frequenting. If you are a ministry leader how could you use your blog to mentor at a distance? If you are a young human how could you use your My Space to mentor, challenge or encourage your friends? There's also this new-fangled thing called email... hmmm...

Application Dare - Use technology to encourage or pass on a ministry / life skill to one or more person before you touch head to pillow tonight.

On The iPod: Silence

I love Louie Giglio from Passion Ministries, he is a wonderful and anointed speaker. I mentioned his DVD series called Indescribable here on SD a few months ago. To my surprise he mentioned the work we're doing at Sacred Ink in a recent message. A friend emailed me today and said, "hey Chuckk I heard your name and Sacred Ink mentioned in a Giglio sermon online today". I love the web, it allows a unique word of mouth spread of ministry projects like S. Ink.

1. Go to his Passion Site

2. Then look under " DELVE"

3. Then Look under "Watch Louie's Talks"

4. Then watch the message titled: Tattoo - Message #1 "Marked By The Cross" - Sacred Ink gets mentioned about 42 minutes into the mssg if you care about such stuff