Bikinis and Band Camp

By Steve Case

Every time a new “teen sex” movie comes out there will always be parents who are up in arms over how this generation is going down the tubes. Sometimes it’s helpful to take a step back and see the bigger picture. A few years ago people saw American Pie as proof of a generation of degenerates. The next time you have a parent or adult who feels the need to decry sexual content in movies or television, remind them of the days of wholesome entertainment when Frankie Avalon starred in classics like How To Stuff A Wild Bikini and Beach Blanket Bingo.  Sure, today’s youth may quote “This one time at band camp…” but their grandparents were throwing out lines like “I got ideas… and they’re all vile, baby!”  This is also an opportunity to launch a discussion with your youth about whether or not teenagers change significantly over the years.

Source: http://www.thejournalofstudentministries.com/

Legalism in Seven Movements: The Bone Collector

Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You are like whitewashed tombs, which look beautiful on the outside but on the inside are full of the bones of the dead and everything unclean. In the same way, on the outside you appear to people as righteous but on the inside you are full of hypocrisy and wickedness. (Matthew 23:27-28 TNIV)

This indictment against the Scribes and Pharisees is almost identical as the one that came before it. On the surface, it even looks like He is saying the same thing. In a way, Jesus is, but He is taking it a step further.

Visitation Weekend

The weekend was very relaxed.  We left on Thursday afternoon and had Friday to recoup from the 6 hour drive.  On Saturday morning, we were off to the church for a church-wide yard sale.  This was basically a time for me to meet in person the people who were in the room when I had the conference call and also interact with other church members.  We left there around 1:00.

On Sunday morning, I had an interview with 4 of the people on the committee.  They asked some of the same questions that I was asked on the phone to get some further clarification on them along with, I believe, one or two other questions about missions and the integration of the small group and large group youth meetings and how I would go about that.

All in all, it seemed to go well.  They have 3 people they are talking to, so I won’t hear anything for certain for 2 or 3 weeks.  So…now it is back to just waiting and praying.  Although, we both really hope this is where God wants us.  We really like this church and this seems like a wonderful opportunity.  Just keep us in prayer.

Details? and a thought…

I have been asked a couple of times for some details about the congregation and church that I am being considered as youth pastor for, and I have avoided doing so for quite a few reasons.  But, here are some things that may be of interest, although I am keeping it pretty vague until I have had a chance to make my visit.  The church is Presbyterian, evangelical, mid-sized, and interested in the lives of its youth, hence why they have been moving fairly quickly in securing someone to lead them.  That is all I will say for now.

On a completely different topic, Jenna Bush got married this week, which is cool and all.  But does it really matter that it was closed to the media?  Who really gives a rip as to what the ceremony looked like?  No offense to anyone, but…Jenna Bush is no different than any other 26year old young lady.  She wanted to get married, and did.  Big deal.  Could it be that she didn’t want to be a spectacle and that her father wanted to protect her from stalkers?  Gosh…such horrible things.

Callback

On Wednesday evening, I received a call back from the church.  I am headed there next weekend for a visit with them.  They have a busy weekend with a church-wide rummage sale and some special services in general, and so they thought that would be a good time for me to come and meet and greet.  There isn’t, at this point, a formal interview, but I was told the people would probably have a lot of questions for me.

Keep me in your prayers as it looks like this just might mean I am hired.

Conference Call

I just got off the phone with the church that I would really like to serve with. The conference call went smoothly. They asked a lot of tough questions, and I prayed to myself a lot (a lot of those little breath prayers) and answered as best I could. At the end of the interview, they asked me to think about when I could come down for a weekend and when I could start. The elder in charge of this stuff said he’d call me in a couple of days, at which time I find out if I move on to the next step, which is a visit weekend and then setting a start date. But it is possible that I will be going there for a weekend visit either this weekend or next weekend.

PLEASE pray! Pray hard with me!

Legalism in Seven Movements: Dirty Dishes

Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You clean the outside of the cup and dish, but inside they are full of Greed and self-indulgence. Blind Pharisees! First clean the inside of the cup and dish, and then the outside will also be clean. (Matthew 23:25-26 TNIV)

One of the most obvious consequences of legalism is hypocrisy. In the case of the passage quoted above, Jesus is dealing with a spiritual hypocrisy. These men look wonderful on the outside, but inside they are still full of sin. They don’t “do” anything bad, but everything they do is tainted by the fact that they are full of “greed” and “self-indulgence.”

Resumè madness…

If you have a moment, please pray for me.  I have been sending resumès to churches for months and I have had very few bites.  I have had a number of churches call me and set up phone interviews, but nothing more beyond that.  This is where I’m at presently.  A church opportunity that, admittedly, I would love to have has set up a phone interview with me for next Monday evening.  As I said, I would love this opportunity, but I also want to be doing what God wants and nothing else.  Pray for me and pray for the church as they seek to make this decision.

Legalism in Seven Movements: Jagged Little Pill

Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You give a tenth of your spices—mint, dill and cumin. But you have neglected the more important matters of the law—justice, mercy and faithfulness. You should have practiced the latter, without neglecting the former. You blind guides! You strain out a gnat but swallow a camel. (Matthew 23:23-24 TNIV)

Another dangerous aspect to legalism is that it truly does look like righteousness. Every letter of the Law is obeyed. Every ritual is preformed. The proper amount of money is given to the work of the church. The problem is, it only looks like righteousness, it isn’t really righteousness.

Legalism in Seven Movements: I Swear

Woe to you, blind guides! You say, “If anyone swears by the temple, it means nothing; but whoever swears by the gold of the temple is bound by the oath.” You blind fools! Which is greater: the gold, or the temple that makes the gold sacred? You also say, “If anyone swears by the altar, it means nothing; but whoever swears by the gift on the altar is bound by the oath.” You blind men! Which is greater: the gift, or the altar that makes the gift sacred? Therefore, anyone who swears by the altar swears by it and by everything on it. And anyone who swears by the temple swears by it and by the one who dwells in it. And anyone who swears by heaven swears by God’s throne and by the one who sits in it. (Matthew 23:16-22 TNIV)

This indictment by Jesus against the Pharisees echoes other comments made by Jesus elsewhere against the Pharisees. In Matthew 15, He told them,

And why do you break the command of God for the sake of your tradition? For God said, “Honor you father and mother” and “Anyone who curses their father or mother is to be put to death.” But you say that if anyone declares that what might have been used to help their father or mother is “devoted to God,” they are not to “honor their father or mother” with it. Thus you nullify the word of God for the sake of your tradition. (Matthew 15:3-6 TNIV)

What Jesus is getting at in both of these indictments is that they word their rules in such a manner that people are no longer bound by the commandments of God. In the first instance, they have made swearing by the money on the altar or the gold in the temple to have greater authority than swearing by the temple or altar itself. Most likely this was an excuse for the Pharisees to take public oaths and sound “Godly” but not be bound by those oaths later. It was a way for them to justify their sinful actions.