Linkin Park - Numb

Linkin Park - Numb

What are some struggles that you face? Do you stuggle with becoming something that someone else wants you to be? What about becoming like Christ? Is it a task that is impossible? Can we actually be like the God son? Music is a great way to express yourself and your feelings, to explain yourself in a more creative way.

According to the PCUSA Study Catechism, we are told that the mission of the church is to bear witness to God's love for the world through Jesus Christ. To be out of tuned to God and the sotry he has began to write for your life, such identity the church calls us to have, one in Christ, may seem foreign and even scary. However, the more we are authentic with ourselves, realising what REALLY matters in our lives, we will indeed begin to experience the love of Christ for God has found us and wants us to realize that we are his beloved, that we are loved and nothing can eternally take that away, but we can ignore this and turn our back when we do not want to realize that our true identity does not lie in the hands of others, but in the caring and crafty hands of the creator. He is our belovedness, we are his belovedness. One whom we can actually hold tightly too and know that we won't loose control. Trials and valleys, but hope and joy comes in the end.

Peace, Rest and other Confusing Theological Conversations

Have you ever stopped and looked around at all that surrounds you? Looking at the people that make up your lives. Your parents, your teachers, your friends, your colleagues if you work, and other people that make up your life. Have you ever stopped and looked around to the ways your life is shaped around? Looking at the activities that you are a part of or the things in your life that makes up who you are? Is there ever an end to joining something, becoming a part of, signing up to, and the list goes on. Why is it that we continue to put ourselves through agony in respect to time?

Being busy twenty four hours a day is not a healthy lifestyle. Joining and attending and being apart of everything is not a healthy choice for us to make. But why is it that we continue to find ourselves longing to do "good" and be apart of something that is "good" when in the end, our spirits are broken by it. One of my favorite movies of all time is the movie Tomb Stone. There are many memorable quotes that come from this movie that is based in the days of the "wild west". It stars great actors such as Kurt Russel, Val Kilmer, Sam Elliot and others. I mention this movie because Kurt Russel's character is the famous Wyatt Earp. To get to my point without spoiling the movie, Wyatt Earp is this famous marshal to moves to Tombstone to retire but then gets himself into some trouble by taking on more and more responsibilities. None the less, by it is all said and done, he finds himself loosing many of his close friends, mainly his wife and few brothers. In fact, his brothers die due to Wyatt Earp's involvement with the law. A man of "honor" comes in to settle down, only to find himself not escaping the demands of his popularity and cries of society.

What about your? Where is that you can find peace and rest? Where is it that you can find a place to retire for a short while? Or have you been deceived by the culture of our day to be involved in so much that you simply cannot find time to find rest? When you do find time for rest, in what ways do you feel new life come to you? How is it that your body becomes resurrected? Does that Christ that is the Prince of Peace play apart in your life? Or is he simply a god that you come to sit in and listen to on Sunday mornings?

Our Christian faith is much about conversation. Community is key in the life of a church and one of the spiritual body. You see, everything about our faith is for community. We hear the famous Bible verse, John 3:16, but why do we limit Christ saving grace to just this verse that if you continue on with verse 17 that Christ did not come just to save YOU but rather to save the WORLD and not condemn it. But where does all of this play out in your life? Many people get turned off by the saying of, "my personal relationship with Christ" but I cannot help but to argue that this must be better in the sight of our Trinitiarian God than those who faithful to the building of church rather than the Body of Christ that is the Christ. Because you simply go to church does not make you a Christian, or a follower of Christ. Just like attending a St. Louis Cardinal Baseball game does not make you a St. Louis Cardinal. One simply is a spectator that has no say or control of the organization of the baseball team. Christ, God, Holy Spirit, it is not a organization but often times the way we approach God, we turn him into just that, a country club feeling.

In 1 Peter we receive words of encouragement from the writings of Peter while he explains that we are all indeed going to go through these times of fiery trials and rough patches. In verse five of chapter 1 we read in his letter that God and his mighty power will protect you until you receive this salvation, because you are trusting him. This is in response to the previous quote that our priceless inheritance is in heaven for us, pure and undefiled, waiting for us. So when we trust in the Lord our God, we will receive this salvation, the hope we have of the eternal life. Much discussion on theology can be had here as we bring up the issue of salvation, eternal life, etc. but my main point here is that we are to put our trust and our hope in Christ, the one who came to bring Hope, Peace, Love and Joy. if we find ourselves, molding our lives into something that can be tarnished, that can be defiled and that can be rotten, then where is the joy in life? Christ is not a genie, God is not like the genie from Aladdin, but he loves us more than we can ever know, and if we claim to love God but do not love our selves or others, then we are simply liars. If we claim to love the Lord our God with all our soul, strength, mind, but put our hope and joy in earthly things, then we are simply liars.

What we need in our lives is love. A love that can not be found in anyone or anything. A love that comes from a god that cannot be seen. Although we may not see him, we trust him, knowing His story and his demonstration of love for us. Christ my friends, meets us daily but we find ourselves too busy and living in a fear of being like "them" that we simply miss him. Find Christ, seeing Christ, and being Christ goes deeper than any social club or showing up on any particular day. Much is given and much is required.

Let us get away from hypocrisy, jealousy, coveting, and backstabbing this season, and begin to fulfill the longing that sits in our hearts with the love of God, that was made possible through Christ Jesus. May we follow in the footsteps and bask in the light of the one who suffered for us, only to find ourselves becoming last and not first, lowly rather than exalted and praying rather than complaining. In the words of the Apostle Paul in his letter to the Philippians, "No, dear brothers and sisters, I am still not all I should be, but I am focusing all my energies on this one thing: Forgetting the past and looking forward to what lies ahead. I strain to reach the end of the race and receive the prize for which God, through Christ Jesus, is calling us up to heaven." Live the life of Christ, don't just hear about it and pretend to do it. Love those who need love, lay aside all selfish ambitions and begin to discard everything so that you may have all of Christ.

Maybe A Little Out of Context

a psalm of David:
Psalm 15
Who may worship in your sanctuary, Lord?
Who may enter your presence on
your holy hill?
Those who lead blameless lives and do what is right,
speaking the truth from sincere hearts.
Those who refuse to gossip
or harm their neighbors
or speak evil of their friends.
Those who despise flagrant sinners,
and honor the faithful followers of the
Lord,
and keep their promises even when it hurts.
Those who lend money without charging
interest,
and who cannot be bribed to lie about
the innocent.
Such people will stand firm forever.

A prayer from David from the ancient prayer book of the bible, the Psalms. Dietrich Bonhoeffer once said, "Wherever the Psalter is abandoned, an incomparable treasure vanishes from the Christian church. With its recovery will come unsuspected power." Too often people turn to the Psalms as well as most Scripture seeking ways that they can apply its meaning to their lives, or they turn to them for answers, hoping that there would be a solution to a problem that they face. However, as I am discovering through an ongoing conversation with mentors such as Dietrich Bonhoeffer and Thomas Merton, the way back to the Psalms is the same way to the meaning of prayer. As I continue to wrestle with these I will be sharing with you insights and challenging you with ideas or questions. Are you consuming your life with holy things? May it be our prayer that we too recognize how it is those who are the faithful followers of the Lord that will truly experience, sanctuary.

We see in this Psalm David looks to be exclaiming out loud to the Lord a psalm about those who live a good lifestyle. We see David ask 2 questions from the get go about who may worship in God's sanctuary and holy hill. Then he goes on and answers himself by describing characteristics to those who would be able to do such a practice. I read this and I think to myself that this psalm is different. What is it that he is saying? Why is he describing this sort of person? How can this psalm become our prayer?

Recently I had the privilege to be at table with two people to talk about life and all that it entails. After down some Jo and hot chocolate we made our way to our spiritual lives. After some probing questions we found ourselves talking and wrestling with the lifestyle of a Christian. We talked briefly about what that entails and whether or not we should worry about certain aspects in our lives. Should we really worry about music that we listen to? I mean, it does not really affect us. I know when to call it quits, plus, I would never really think about carrying out the violence that those songs sing about. Or what about our movies? Yeah that movie was awesome, especially when that person's head got shot off. How cool was that? Again, after viewing such films my stand on justice and peace has not nor will it ever change. Yeah I take steroids to help me compete better, but it will help me out later in life, scholarships and what not.

We could go on and on about how we desensitise our self from society and reality by getting lost in that which is put on cd's and into movies for entertainment. But again, I ask the question, what does one who calls themselves a follower of Christ, lifestyle look like? In what way do we manipulate the message of Christ by justifying our actions by simply saying, "I can handle it." Maybe this is not a big deal. Maybe you simply do not think that such an issues is one you struggle with. However, I have a hard time in my own life entering into God's sanctuary after listening to the latest rap song or the latest movie that includes torture and death for no apparent reason but for the big $ sign.

As we read this psalm again we see there is a description for a person who can indeed worship in the house of the Lord. But this psalm is not a get to the sanctuary in 5 easy steps, quick fix. It is one though that we can approach with a heart recognizing where it is that we have just been. Bonhoeffer states that this psalm, along with many others, are psalms that lead us to the confession of guilt and direct our confidence to the forgiving grace of God. When we read and make this psalm our prayer, we are made aware of the faults that have consumed our lives and allow us to repent and turn from our guilt.

So I encourage you to stop and take a moment to look at yourself. Look back at the trail you just came from and ask yourself if you are worthy to worship in the house of the Lord?

Saving Me by Nickelback brought to you by YouTube

Continue to Save us, O' God

Again, we have the opportunity to be able to see prayers through the art of music. This time I have picked the song Saving Me from Nickelback. Let it be known that this is not a time of picking a part a song and trying to give psychological diagnosis to what it is they are singing about. Rather, it is a practice that we can begin to hear prayers through music and maybe even, use them in our own prayer lives.

So I invite you to listen to these words. Listen to the emotion that is put behind them. A man longing for direction and the one to lead him to make him a better man. We recognize that all we need is Him. That we often times find ourselves, in desperate situations, longing for his words, his touch & his love. Falling away, we realize that it is through His grace can we be rescued and put back on track. It is while we are leaning close to His heart, can we learn what is wrong and right, making us into people of our words, letting our yes's be yes's and our no's be no's and doing the work of goodness in His name.

Teach us O' God the creator. Do what you will so that we can hear your voice. Provide us the opportunities to redeem ourselves. Indeed we are your children, broken and tired, often times brought on by ourselves, we too have broken wings, we see you O' God. We see you reaching out to us and we ask, "Continue to rescue and save us, for it is you and only you that we need. Show uswhat is right!" Teach us to be like you, loving and serving those around us with love, say it to us so that we may learn. Say it to us because your words are words that save and change and we can change this life to honor you. Say it to us O'God if it will help us to save our lives, which requires us to lose them for the sake of your Kingdom. Hear our prayer O' Merciful God!

Sactus

Greetings brothers and sisters in Christ. This is a reminder that Wednesday, October 10th, 2007 @ 6:45 pm, we will be meeting again in the youth room for Sanctus.

This week we will be practicing the praying style of Lectio Divina an ancient prayer practice that allows time for silence and centering around God.

Hope to see you there and may the peace of Christ be with you until that day!

Shalom my friends.

A Speck and a Log

"Stop judging others, and you will not be judged. For others will treat you as you treat them. Whatever measure you use in judging others, it will be used to measure how you are judged. And why worry about a speck in your friend's eye when you have a log in your own? How can you think of saying, 'Let me help you get rid of that speck in your eye,' when you can't see past the log in your own eye? Hypocrite! First get rid of the log from your own eye; then perhaps you will see well enough to deal with the spec in in your friend's eye." Matthew 7.1-6 (NLT)

Judging others. A part of our lives that is difficult for all of us. How easy it is for us to look around to those around us and evaluate and question their lives and how easy it is for us to tell them they need to change. How easy it is for us to criticize what is that they are doing. How easy it is to be someone on the outside, judging those whom we encounter and pick apart all that they are and what they are doing.

I think we can compare it to a teacher in a sense. Let's think about it. We work hard on a paper. We pour hours upon hours into what it is that we have been assigned to write about and we do research, we interview people, we work hard on this paper. After hours of revision and pushing the spellcheck button a million times, we print off our good work, well in our own opinions we are handing in good work. We take our paper with a grin on our face and pass it forward, drop it in our instructors mailbox or we email it, nonetheless we hand it in with confidence. Now we wait in anticipation.

Days pass, we get busy doing other work and we simply forget about what it is that we handed in. Then the day comes and we get our papers back. Slowly our instructor hands out our papers, calling off the names and you wait with anticipation. The adrenaline begins to kick in more and those moths in your stomach turn into over sized monarchs. Then your name is read aloud. You walk up and the instructor hands your paper face down to you. You turn in over and then you feel sick. You see red marks and blue marks, this correction & that correction, this suggestion and that suggestion, and you look and you did not get what you thought or wanted. Immediately you may feel a variety of emotions. Confusion, despair, bitterness, anger, and hopelessness. You go through all of this all because of criticism on your paper. Of course, you come to realize that no one did well and your instructor schedules times for you to come in and discuss what it is that she expects, what you did not do and what you did great. Through this conversation you come to learn what it means to become a better writer or you learn how to handle criticism better.

Now this may or may not apply to what it is that Jesus is teaching about here. Again I only tell this story so that we could have an idea, an analogy of what it is like when we hear others criticize something of ours that means a lot to us. They may not know the full story, they may not understand all that we put into it, they may not know the importance of why we do/did what we do/did, but they take this piece of work and rip it apart, critiquing and looking at it with eyes that are looking for places we messed up. (Also again I realize I probably could have used a better analogy knowing that this is what instructors/professors/teachers are to do. We learn from them and lean on them for their knowledge. So imagine this teacher as being bogus. See we are already judging them and not knowing truthfully why they do what it is they do.)

What about those we are frustrated with in our lives? Those who do things that go against our own flow of life. Those who drive us nuts because their lifestyles are those that are not honoring to God. But h ow can we be angry or judgemental towards them if in our own lives we do not have "it all together". Often times we look at people and judge them for their actions because those same things that bother us are the same issues that we too are struggling with. Often times our bad habits or the traits that bother us in others are often the traits and habits that we have ourselves. Do you find it easy to magnify others' faults while excusing your own? If you are ready to go out and judge those whom you see not doing something you think they shouldn't be doing, ask the question, am I magnifying this person's mishaps only so mine do not seem so problematic?

If you want your friends or those whom you are judgemental towards to change their habits or to stop being so hypocritical, then we must take a step back, look and evaluate that log that is dwelling in our own eye and begin to take steps forward to working out our own issues before we can point out the speck in theirs. We must also understand that we are all created differently. So we must look past little petty things that separate us and cause frustrations in our relationships. But for those greater issues, again, may we be in prayer for them but also may we be in prayer for ourselves that we too may recognize the hypocrisy that we have stored up in our lives. Judge yourself first, and then lovingly forgive and help your neighbor.

Praise, honor and glory to God!

***Picture is from http://www.tonyboon.co.uk/imgs/images/logs.jpg***

Working at the Car Wash

This past Saturday the Jr. and Sr. high youth group got together for about 2 1/2 hours and had our first official fundraiser together. We washed cars, played a little football, sprayed each other with water, ate some apples, and had a great time. We made some good funds but made more memories than anything and that is what matters the most. Thank you for all the helped out and who came by with their dirty or not so dirty cars!

Our First Service Project

What a wonderful night Sunday, September 23rd was. We the youth of First Presbyterian Church in Owensboro, spent the good 1st hour of two, working hard cleaning up the river front of the Ohio that runs near English park in Owensboro. It is a quaint little park with swings, picnic area, walking path and a scenic view of the Ohio River.

With a combination of both Jr. and Sr. high students, we went down cleaned, picked up trash and disposed of the garbage properly. Before we ate we gave thanks and it was amazing, for me especially, to listen to you the youth give thanks for what it is that God has blessed you with. Everything from church, TV, nature, the river, music, the Internet, and the youth group, we gave thanks before we broke bread and dined with each other.

Here are some pictures of our night. Hope you enjoy!

TONIGHT!!!!

Geetings to you all! Just a reminder that Sanctus is tonight.

SANCTUS

FPC YOUTH ROOM

6:30 pm

BE THERE OR BE SOMEWHERE ELSE!!

So What Do You Think?

What do you think of this video?
At first when I had began to watch this video, I was upset that what I thought was going to be good was turned into a spiritual warfare skit. A skit that suggests that we have no power over what it is that we want or do. That there is some guy out there trying to get us, trying to trick us into falling away from our faith. But as I began to listen to the lyrics of this song by Lifehouse, I began to see it, I began to see the beauty that this video has to offer. Listen to what the lyrics are about. What does this song remind you of? Could it maybe be a prayer? Listen to what it is Lifehouse is singing about.

What is it that you hear? What is it that you see? I am sure you are probably getting tired of these questions but what did you feel or sense from this video? Your journey? The choices that you make? The choices that you will have to make?

With these questions asked (which I would love to get some sort of feedback) I refer you to Luke 15. This video is a beautiful example through our music and talents of this day to explain what it is this parable is saying in a round about way.

Do you even like Lifehouse? Do you even know who they are? Are you tired of questions? Who is God?

Green Day- Boulevard of Broken Dreams

What Road do You Walk On?

What would it be like if there were no roads? What would our days look like if there were no roads? No roads that connected us to school. No roads that connected us to work. Roads that we travel on now to go to soccer, swimming, church, what if these same roads were non-existent.



Fortunately, we do not have to worry about this problem. If I am not mistaken, and I very well could be, there are roughly 4 million miles of roads here in the United States. Each road connecting to each other. Maybe not directly but pretty close to it. Roads are indeed essential for making our lives more efficient. If we did not have roads, then we would indeed have to change our lifestyles. We would need more time to go to school, work, swimming, soccer and all the above.



What does your road look like? Not the one your house sits on or the one you take to come to school or church. But the road that you are walking on, spiritually speaking? I posted this Green Day video on here from you tube because of exactly what they are singing about, a road. What does your road look like? What signs are posted on your road? Right now, if you were to paint a picture of the road that you are walking on, would be picturesque or would be grotesque with an uninviting look to it?



As you take time to listen to this song, read it's lyrics, sing along with it (sorry for the cuss word) think about your road. What is it that is driving you to walk down this road. Are you happy with what it is you are doing? The signs that are posted, who are they from? What do they say? Has God put up a sign or two on your road that may catch your attention before it is too late to turn around, or avoid an unexpected bend.



More importantly about this road of life that you are on, the one that defines who you are. In fact, what is it that defines you? The real question to get to here and to the heart of the matter is, where is it that your road is leading you to? And more importantly, is God there with you or are you alone? Are you walking alone, with so much stress and other baggage that is preventing you to experience God's grace? Are you so busy, so focused, so distracted that your life seems empty, uneventful, or far from God's presence? Or are you on a road, leading to a feast with those whom you love and care for dearly, accompanied by a companion that your not sure it is yet?



May it be that you take time to look at the road that you are walking on. The road that is taking you through the bends and turns that we call life. If there are things that are keeping you down, in what ways do you see God in them? Do you hear the same thing that God said to Jeremiah when he was to tell the people that although may have sunk to the lowest possible level of sin in their lives, he still loved the people. Take delight in the Lord your God, the one whom has given you a pen to write what happens on this road. Listen to God. Be with God. Notice God.



Now we ask again, what road do you walk? Is it still lonely? Did I miss the point of the song? Are you still with me? What do you think? Feed back?

Upcoming Events!

Hello all! What a beautfiful day it is today. The sun is shining, birds are chirping, and it is as cool as a nice fall day. I love it and I hope that at some point you will be able to enjoy it too!

Here is a list of upcoming events for September:
15th-->Youth Council: Leave at 4:00 pm
16th-->Harvest Fest in Madisonville: Leave at 1:00 pm from church
23rd-->Service project down by the river: 5-7 pm
26th-->LYNC Youth Rally at the Sportscenter 6:30 pm
28th-->Faith in Film 9:00 pm @ the church
30th-->Jr. High Bible Study @ 5:00 pm
Dinner @ 6 pm
Sr. High Bible Study @ 6:30 pm-->Fireside chat with Jonathan and Wes
**Special Dates**
On September 28th, 29th, and 30th, Melissa Gilliland will be in her school play/drama. The times I believe (but I could be wrong) are 7:00 pm on Friday and Saturday nights and a matinee on Sunday. Tickets are to be purchased at the door!

I do hope that you plan on attending these nights. They will be indeed a great night of fun, study, play, and spiritual growth. Until next time, I'm outtie!

Adam

Mmmm...Pizza

Greetings again! This post is short and sweet. Here is some insight into what it is that we do. One of the most common events that we do here at FPC together is eat. We find ourselves gathered around a table eating and sharing stories with one another. On this particular night we made pizza from scratch. Ok, maybe not completely from scratch but we did have to add olive oil and water to the dough mix and then we had to cut up our own toppings and spread our own sauce and cheese. So I guess we came pretty close to making pizza from scratch. Anyway, I hope you enjoy!

Peace,

Adam

New Beginnings for Us All

Greetings to you all in the name of our risen Lord, Jesus Christ! I hope that this latest blog entry will find you in a time of peace and comfort.

It has been a while since there has been an updated blog written for the I AM youth blog. However, today, that changes.

As we all know and are experiencing now, the season of school, homework, exams and all the stress that comes along with that is upon us. Long nights of studying and reading seem to devour our lives as we try and slip in every ounce of energy to keep your eyes from getting to heavy to keep open. Eventually, our bodies win and lets your brain know that it has done all the work it could handle in a day. Finally, you get ready for bed and you go to sleep at 12, 1 or 2 a.m. only to wake up at 6 to start the exhausting routine again.

Now I do know that school is an exciting time and there are wonderful things that happen. Your brain gets stimulated and challenged to work and think in ways that will indeed make you a brighter person. You have the opportunity when you walk through those doors to control your own future, to be attentive and responsible with the work that is required or you can go to school to just be and seek no stimulation except the hands on the clock. Either way, when you are at school, your choices, decisions and responses to what the school/teachers offers makes or breaks your experience and essentially your future. How you make your experiences, how you work at your homework, how well or poorly you do on an exam is no one elses fault but our own for neglecting what it is we should have or need to do to prepare for such tasks. One could say the ball is in your court.

Take time to be who you are however it is you do that. School is important but nothing in our lives needs to consume it to a point where we have nothing else.

As we continue to move towards the end of Ordinary Time that marks an ending to our Christian calendar and prepare to enter into Advent, let us also begin to find ways that we can allow God to be more vocal in our lives. In what ways can this be done? In what ways are we neglecting that which ultimately sustains us, the Spirit? In what ways am I encountering God in those times I provide for it?

For those whom are reading this entry, I say all of this to prepare you for our Spiritual Journey here at First Presbyterian Church. As a group of young persons, we have the ability to see God in a variety of forms. We have such life and posses many talents and skills and abilities that can provide life to people in both the community whole and the church at FPC. So as I end my first of I hope many blogs, I ask this question to you, one that I hope you begin to ask as we enter into a new beginning here at FPC, I AM, youth group, Where is God moving in your life?
Peace, blessings, seek rest and joy in the Lord.
Adam

The New Monastics

Check out this piece from "Speaking of Faith" - a program on National Public Radio:

The New Monastics

Wes

Spider-man and Money

I wanted to follow up on the previous article about Spider-Man. Some of you may have heard that Spider-Man 3's box office draw was incredible for the first week ... somewhere beyond $300 million for one weekend. That breaks down to approximately $35,000 per theatre.

Wow!

It says a great deal about our culture these days when one weekend (four days at most) at the movies generates more money than most people will see for an entire year as a paycheck.

Here's a question: how can churches compete with the entertainment industry? Should churches try to compete?

What do you think?

Did you see Spider-Man 3 ... why was it better than being at church? What can church offer that movies cannot?

Carnations as a Sign of our Care

This Sunday is Mother's Day, and unless you come from some remote, as yet unknown and mysterious planet, you probably have one of those.

All youth are invited to help recognize the great gift Mother's are this Sunday by handing out carnations in worship. We do this as a sign of the many ways we are loved through them ... as we also heard from Jonathan in Presbynotes.

However, since it is Mother's Day, we will not be having any youth group activities this Sunday.

Next Sunday, however, there will be a game night for the jr. high youth followed by "Faith and Life" for the sr. high youth.

"Faith and Life" this month will be presented by Christine Coy as she will give space and time to the topic of Campus Life. Come hear from one who has recently experienced college and who can give fresh insight into how Christianity may affect the year's ahead of you.

Posture of Celebration

Over the past three weeks, some very kind, playful and (shall we say) mysterious visitors have dropped into my office on Sunday evenings - leaving behind remnants of their stay: post-it notes and such. They go by the name Evil Presby Trio ... actually that is their email address ... but I have some serious doubts that they are actually "evil."

In fact, every indication I've seen points to the contrary. These mysterious guests invariably leave behind joyful doodles and comments. But, most of all, I enjoy what they do with Art-dude.

Art-dude is an eight-inch miniken used by artists to help them create drawings, paintings, etc. Art-dude looks something like this:

As you can well imagine, Art-dude takes on almost any expression, but the Evil Presby Trio has decidely shaped him into postures of play and celebration - tell-tale evidence of their actual nature. I am thankful Art-dude has received such warm attention recently - more than I've given him in three years. Through Evil Presby Trio's care and time, Art-dude almost appears like this:
... except Art-dude is still made of wood, and is not multi-hued. That would be cool, though!

One of the great blessings that comes from being around young people is their tremendous desire to celebrate, play and be glad. It is a great reminder to all of us. And, I continue to be thankful for the way our youth bring out life's joy in every circumstance, situation and Art-dude.

Wes

p.s. - the name "Art-dude" was selected after deciding that "Woody" would violate some serious copyright laws and likely land me on the unfortunate end of a lawsuit between myself and Disney's Pixar.

Bocci Ball Breaks into Owensboro

While the grass was not quite ready for Lawn Bowling, we did enjoy some Bocci Ball in the rough terrain of the Kendall backyard. Seen below are some of the action photos of the evening ...

Who are Our Brothers and Sisters in Faith?

Here's a great link, which will give you a curious look into the Taize Community - a faith community in France that began in 1940:

http://www.taize.fr/

The Slow Hours of Fasting

Our 24 hour fast has begun for our Sr. High Youth Group, and we ask that you keep all the fast participants in your prayers: Meredith Bowers, Sarah Clancy, Katie Duncan, Melissa Gilliland, Courtney Harrison and Rachel Warren.

A big thank you goes to Creda Heffelfinger, Rachel Schroeder and Nancy Harrison for co-chaperoning the event. Also, please - if you are participating in the fast - make sure to bring the following: sleeping bag, pillow, towel, washcloth, toothpaste and toothbrush and any other toiletries you may need.

Over the 24 hour period, there will be occasions for fellowship, games (bowling and board), movies, some sleep, plenty of community service, painting for VBS, and lots and lots of juice breaks.

The 24 hours of fasting will also include an evening and morning prayer service and the 24 hours will conclude with a worship service and the celebration of the Lord's Supper.

Everyone is invited to participate in the Lord's Supper even if you have not participated in the fast - parents are also invited to join.

After we celebrate the Lord's Supper together, we will also eat together as a group.

I am so glad we have so many participating in this year's fast. While an individual spiritual act, it is good to do it in community and to remember together that we are supported by more than food ... we are nourished and supported by God.

Wes

Spider-Man and Jesus

"Spider-Man is my savior. There, I said it. And that comes from more than two decades’ worth of neon-highlighted scripture skimming, from a man whose blood runs deep with parables passed down from his preacher father and preacher grandfather. From them, I came to know God early on in church, school, Bible study, choir rehearsal and Christmas plays on Sundays. But as a kid, I found religion on Saturdays off a busy street near my house in a one-room shop called Stand-Up Comics. That is where I met Peter Parker, the man of the blue and red cloth."

Click here to read more.

A Word about the Youth Calendar

Several kind persons noted that they could not immediately access the youth calendar via the link on this blog. That is because you will need to sign up for a google account to access the web. Of course, there is no need to sign up for the google account since you can still get calendar information through the church bulletin and through Presbynotes. However, for those who wish to access the calendar through the blog, please create a google account, which should give you access to the youth calendar on the web.

Article on Youth and Youth Ministry

How Kids Are Changing and What It Means for Youth Workers
An Interview With Chap Clark

“The more things change, the more they stay the same.”

It’s a familiar saying, but have you ever wondered if it’s true when it comes to the kids you work with? Given the vast changes in youth culture, are kids still fundamentally the same? If they’ve changed, are the changes fairly minor or are they absolutely mega?

Dr. Chapman (“Chap”) Clark, Associate Professor of Youth, Family and Culture at Fuller Theological Seminary has recently authored a book, Hurt (Baker Books, 2004), that addresses some of these questions. In order to get beyond the surface, Chap conducted a broad survey of the most recent literature, both secular and faith-based, on adolescents. Not only that, but during his sabbatical from teaching, he spent several months doing “ethnographic” research at a local high school campus as a substitute teacher and at after-school events. The goal was to grasp the worldview of the students by observing, listening, and having conversations with them. In the following interview, Chap describes what he’s seeing in kids and how caring adults should consider responding.

What’s the number one thing you’re seeing in adolescents?

The biggest theme that emerged out of my study, and we’re hearing about in other research studies too, is that institutions that were originally designed for teens have dramatically changed. Now instead of being about caring for kids or what’s best for kids, they’re often more about what’s best for adults and keeping kids busy. I describe this as “systemic abandonment of the young” by the adults who are culturally charged with caring for kids. If kids don’t fit the pre-ordained boxes that adults control, they end up hurt, abused and left behind.

[to read more, click here.]

New Youth Calendar

Now you can track what's going on with the youth group through this blog. To the right, you'll notice a new section titled, "Youth Group Calendar." Simply clink on the link in that section, and you'll be able to see events occuring each day, week, and month as well as an overall agenda. Currently, the calendar is broken into two groups:

1. Summer Trips - in blue
2. Other events - in green

You can also see the calendar, by clicking here.

Are You Game?

Sr. High Game Night @ the Kendall's

Join us this Sunday evening from 6:00-7:30 pm at the Kendall's for an evening of splendid games and fine dining (provided by the Duncan's). Although the "lawn bowling" course has been severely restricted due to this spring's cold weather, there will be plenty of other games to enjoy and challenge you. Please feel free to bring your own game as well for the group to play ... both outdoor and indoor games.

Click here to see a map of where the Kendall's house is.

Jr. High Overnight - "May" it be

As a way to honor the jr. high students who had hoped to attend the spring retreat at Camp Kum Ba Ya, the youth group ministry is hoping to create a date in May for an overnight (or at least extended evening). The hope is to have the overnight either Friday, May 18th or Saturday, May 19th.

We are seeking some parents to help out by doing one of the following:

• hosting the overnight at your house
  
• serving as a volunteer or chaperone for the evening
• helping to prepare a meal for the evening or morning
  

The youth committee will provide a schedule for the evening - including time for games & recreation, worship, eating and sleeping.

While we will not be able to recreate the opportunity some of our baptized youth had hoped to experience at Camp Kum Ba Ya, this will give these jr. high students the chance to experience God's Word, community with one another and our care as those responsible for their spiritual maturation. It will also open up the opportunity for those who could not attend Kum Ba Ya because of other constraints.

I hope you will consider creating and supporting this evening of fun, fellowship and faith formation. If you can help in any way, please contact the church (churchoffice@firstpresbyterianowensboro.com / 684.1467) or by contacting myself (associatepastor@firstpresbyterianowensboro.com).

God's peace to you,

Wes

Bible Study: Inside and Out

Gifts

Jr. High Bible Study: 5-6 pm - The Todd

Join Creda Heffelfinger this Sunday as we dig into Paul's message about giftedness for the body of Christ (1 Corinathians 12). You'll read about and hear of an interesting dynamic: one body served by unique parts.

What gifts might you be equipped with to serve others? Why do we have different gifts? How can our gifts be used to serve the common body?

Believe it or not, people have always wrestled with the question: why am I different? Come hear a word from the Lord.

Dinner to follow.

The Bible

Sr. High Bible Study: 6:30-7:30 pm - The Todd

Maybe you think the Bible is something that only pastors read. Maybe you think it is a big paper weight. Maybe you think it is a holy book.

Regardless of what you think about it, it cannot be ignored. So what is it? Who wrote it? Why? What does it hope to say?

Join David Searles this Sunday evening to look behind, within and throughout the Bible! He'll help you understand how the Bible has shaped American culture and how it is a book that never goes away but is unique to every generation.

The Bible: the world's most published book, and for Christians .... the very word of God.

Dinner before.

Plugged In

Welcome to our new blog.

It's time to get plugged in.

What the blog is:

• a place to stay informed about events and activities for our youth group
• a way to keep in touch with your friends
  
• a place to read great articles about Christianity, faith, being a young adult, culture and life
• a place to see photos and other links related to your life and friends

What the blog is not:

• a substitute for true community ... community occurs when we gather face-to-face and find ourselves worshipping the Risen Lord
• the coolest, internet resource out there; but, hopefully, it's not too drab!
• as exciting as your grandmother's home-made pimento cheese
• a subtle way to promote the Presbyterian church ... (if it were, it would be something like this: click here to find the secret to living)
  

And, unfortunately, this blog does not include:

• A 24-hour live, feed of "The Todd" or the church balcony

Come on in. Stay awhile. And, if you're really serious, set this page as your homepage.

Sunrise Service and Breakfast

Join us this Easter Sunday at 6 am for our sunrise service. Then, help prepare a congregational breakfast.

Bring your bunny-face slippers, though, it's going to be cold!

24 Hour Fast - Experience Hunger, Experience God

Beginning Friday, April 27th, the Sr. High youth are invited to begin fasting at 1:00 pm and to go without food for 24 straight hours. Fasting is an ancient spiritual discipline, whereby a person comes to acknowledge a deep-seeded hunger and to also acknowledge that, ultimately, only God can fill that void. It helps develop an awareness that there is more to life than simply food and drink. It also helps develop compassion for others who find themselves frequently without food or clean water.

Fasting helps develop an awareness of ourselves, an awareness of others, and an awareness of God.

If you would like to participate in this year's fast, please do one of the following:

1. contact Wes Kendall at the church and notify him: 684.1467; associatepastor@firstpresbyterianchurch.com
2. post a comment to this article below by clicking on the comment icon

Although this year's fast will begin at 1:00 pm on Friday, we will not meet at the church until 6:00 pm that evening. So, you will need to keep yourself accountable for the first five hours of the fast.

Our fast will conclude with the Lord's Supper and with a shared lunch on Saturday, April 28th.

Finally, we are asking the congregation to support those of you who are fasting by either praying for you or by offering money for future acts of service.

Experience hunger. Experience the One who said he "is the bread of life."