My history as a pray-er (a person that prays) has been rather odd. I have spent time praying in overwhelming heat, in bitter cold, on my knees, off my feet, center pew, in the shower, outside, inside, on a mountain, in the desert, with a hat on and without. Prayer is union with our God...a communique.
In so many cultures, communities, homes...even churches, "prayers" are said...not prayed. Understand that I am by no means an authority on prayer, its true importance, or its power. I am simply a man who has experienced powerful movement of the Holy Spirit through union with God. Prayer is powerful.
There is a fundamental difference between "saying our prayers" and truly creating space for the Spirit of God to move. Understand that I am not insinuating separation from God. Rather, being so in tune with His Spirit that we abandon ourselves to Him.
Miracles are not the barometer for "successful" prayers. I feel that we often pigeon-hole our prayer lives into asking and waiting...asking and waiting...leaving very little room for contemplative silence. Silence and solitude. These things are imperative (not simply "important"). Our time with the Lord cannot be spent solely in song and deed.
A story: A great friend of mine once stopped to fill his car with gas and met a kind man that seemed down on his luck. Typical of my friend's kind spirit, he graciously engaged the man in conversation and spoke with him about his life and his struggles. After a few minutes, the familiar "click" of the fuel pump indicated that time had come for the men to part ways. But, before he got into his car, my friend assured the man that he would be prayed for. At that point, the disheveled man kindly reached for both of my friends wrists and said, "Ok then...please go ahead." So my friend prayed for the man in a Shell parking lot.
Though it might sound overly enthusiastic, my reaction to that story is amazement. Isn't this the nature of Jesus? For a moment, my friend was the very face Christ to that man. I don't know about you...but in my experience with telling people that I will pray for them, they typically respond with a simple, "Thank you" and continue on their way.
My hope is that we will pray earnestly and honestly. Oh, and actually listen for a change.
--Brimas
Thursday, March 09, 2006
Thursday, February 23, 2006
Youth and the Exploration of Biblical Truth
The exploration of Biblical truth (and its implications on youth ministry) remains a consistent theme in my Christian journey. Life as a Christian brings with it far more purpose than vocational achievement. My own journey has transformed from an acceptance of the “status quo du jour” to a legitimate search for Truth. Questioning my faith, my obedience, and even (gasp!) my God continually leads me towards a greater understanding of the story of Christ.
Understandably, youth have a tendency to simply accept things that regularly permeate their environment. Issues in politics, education, popular culture, entertainment, and religion are prime examples of how ideas disseminate from youths’ parents and peers into their core of beliefs. The question I keep arriving at is, “Are we challenging our youth to actually believe what they are hearing?” Take a look at the disciples. They most certainly did not simply “accept” Jesus’ call to follow Him. A man does not literally drop what he is doing to follow a stranger under mere acceptance. The evidence for true belief is the way a person lives. Thus, our responsibility is to educate, motivate, and activate our youth in accordance with the truth of the Gospel.
Furthermore, an assumption that each youth participating in a particular ministry fully trusts in a measurable core of homogeneous beliefs is likely off base. The reality is, thirty different youth will almost certainly believe thirty different things. We must encourage our youth to truly explore the depths of their faith. Perhaps they are so preconditioned to agree with what’s being presented in school, at home, and in ministries that, as participants, we have fallen victim to a cyclical process in which ideas are presented and received with little opposition. Of course, we are heartened by the relative ease with which our ideas and programs are accepted. But, we should be diving headfirst into unclear issues of faith right alongside our youth.
Perhaps our mistake has been to underestimate the desire of our youth to truly explore the truth of the Gospel. If nothing else, our youth want to know the truth. We have tried so many ways to protect them from the Truth of the Gospel of Christ and I believe that they have fallen victim to this ministerial grey area. Have we tried to keep the story interesting enough to ensure that they continue to participate but light hearted enough to keep from driving them away? If so, how much longer can we continue this disservice? Certainly, we are not called to force belief upon anyone (nor should we want to for that matter). But, we have an obligation to give our youth the whole story…not simply enough to accept. Therefore, we must not merely speak the Gospel. We must live it.
--Brimas
Understandably, youth have a tendency to simply accept things that regularly permeate their environment. Issues in politics, education, popular culture, entertainment, and religion are prime examples of how ideas disseminate from youths’ parents and peers into their core of beliefs. The question I keep arriving at is, “Are we challenging our youth to actually believe what they are hearing?” Take a look at the disciples. They most certainly did not simply “accept” Jesus’ call to follow Him. A man does not literally drop what he is doing to follow a stranger under mere acceptance. The evidence for true belief is the way a person lives. Thus, our responsibility is to educate, motivate, and activate our youth in accordance with the truth of the Gospel.
Furthermore, an assumption that each youth participating in a particular ministry fully trusts in a measurable core of homogeneous beliefs is likely off base. The reality is, thirty different youth will almost certainly believe thirty different things. We must encourage our youth to truly explore the depths of their faith. Perhaps they are so preconditioned to agree with what’s being presented in school, at home, and in ministries that, as participants, we have fallen victim to a cyclical process in which ideas are presented and received with little opposition. Of course, we are heartened by the relative ease with which our ideas and programs are accepted. But, we should be diving headfirst into unclear issues of faith right alongside our youth.
Perhaps our mistake has been to underestimate the desire of our youth to truly explore the truth of the Gospel. If nothing else, our youth want to know the truth. We have tried so many ways to protect them from the Truth of the Gospel of Christ and I believe that they have fallen victim to this ministerial grey area. Have we tried to keep the story interesting enough to ensure that they continue to participate but light hearted enough to keep from driving them away? If so, how much longer can we continue this disservice? Certainly, we are not called to force belief upon anyone (nor should we want to for that matter). But, we have an obligation to give our youth the whole story…not simply enough to accept. Therefore, we must not merely speak the Gospel. We must live it.
--Brimas
Tuesday, February 07, 2006
The Clarity of Complication
As my journey towards Christ continues, I find that as one idea or struggle in my life slowly migrates towards clarification, it is inevitable that another is welcomed by complication. To be honest, my involvement in youth ministry has polarized the chasm between the clear and the confusing even further. However, while I am certainly not immune to spiritual pride and laziness, my circumstances render complacency impossible. In all honesty, if I woke up one morning to the silence of complete clarity, I would assume that I had arrived in heaven. The dichotomy between spiritual clarity and opacity continually challenges my thoughts and considerations as a Christian.
For example, participating in youth ministry has clarified my responsibilities as a disciple of Christ. However, it has complicated the cost involved therein. John MacArthur writes, “The call that Jesus gave was a call to follow Him, a call to submission, a call to obedience. It was never a plea to make some kind of momentary decision to acquire forgiveness and peace and heaven and then go on living anyway you wanted. The invitations of Jesus to the lost were always direct calls to a costly commitment.” Thus far, my experience with youth reveals the seemingly intangible cost of relational investment. Earning their trust far beyond the social atmosphere requires time spent in fellowship and conversation. Complication lies in living a truly counter-cultural lifestyle of selfless dedication to Christ. The subtle, yet significant difference between “counter-cultural” and “anti-cultural” resides in the difficulty between engaging culture and embracing it.
My involvement in youth ministry has also guided me towards the recognition of a true ministerial paradigm shift (more specifically within my own community) but has convoluted my thoughts on how to properly respond to the emerging changes in youth culture. We have an obligation to do far more than merely entertain our youth and present a culturally appealing Gospel. Our youth are more perceptive than that. What were once effective methods of reaching youth and sharing the Gospel have become somewhat outdated. I believe that simplicity should be the driving force behind embracing the shift. Yet, the simplicity of the Gospel lies beyond the complexity of the struggle to live it. Therein lies complication. Recognition of God’s call is no doubt a blessing. But, it is merely the beginning of a tremendous journey towards obedience and discipleship.
I am fortunate enough to spend time with amazing youth every day. And every day I am confidently reminded that my call was specific and clear. However, complete clarity remains a fleeting aspiration while complication seems to arrive on time and unannounced. Our hope lies in the notion that both will be temporary and neither will be absolute.
-- Brimas
For example, participating in youth ministry has clarified my responsibilities as a disciple of Christ. However, it has complicated the cost involved therein. John MacArthur writes, “The call that Jesus gave was a call to follow Him, a call to submission, a call to obedience. It was never a plea to make some kind of momentary decision to acquire forgiveness and peace and heaven and then go on living anyway you wanted. The invitations of Jesus to the lost were always direct calls to a costly commitment.” Thus far, my experience with youth reveals the seemingly intangible cost of relational investment. Earning their trust far beyond the social atmosphere requires time spent in fellowship and conversation. Complication lies in living a truly counter-cultural lifestyle of selfless dedication to Christ. The subtle, yet significant difference between “counter-cultural” and “anti-cultural” resides in the difficulty between engaging culture and embracing it.
My involvement in youth ministry has also guided me towards the recognition of a true ministerial paradigm shift (more specifically within my own community) but has convoluted my thoughts on how to properly respond to the emerging changes in youth culture. We have an obligation to do far more than merely entertain our youth and present a culturally appealing Gospel. Our youth are more perceptive than that. What were once effective methods of reaching youth and sharing the Gospel have become somewhat outdated. I believe that simplicity should be the driving force behind embracing the shift. Yet, the simplicity of the Gospel lies beyond the complexity of the struggle to live it. Therein lies complication. Recognition of God’s call is no doubt a blessing. But, it is merely the beginning of a tremendous journey towards obedience and discipleship.
I am fortunate enough to spend time with amazing youth every day. And every day I am confidently reminded that my call was specific and clear. However, complete clarity remains a fleeting aspiration while complication seems to arrive on time and unannounced. Our hope lies in the notion that both will be temporary and neither will be absolute.
-- Brimas
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