Faith-based Parks?

A brief note in the January 23 issue of The Christian Century alerted me to a new arena in the debate between creationists and those who follow the mainstream theories of geology and evolution.

It turns out that officials in the National Park Service, appointed by President Bush, are stirring up controversy by introducing a variety of religious elements into our national parks. According to a group called Public Employees for Environmental Responsibility (PEER), the NPS "has approved the display of religious symbols and Bible verses, as well as the sale of creationist books giving a biblical explanation for the Grand Canyon and other natural wonders." You can read about this controversy on PEER's website here, here, and here.

Reading about this reminded me of a trip Anna and I took to Arches National Park in Utah this past fall. On a ranger led hike through one of the most geologically interesting areas of the park, the ranger explained to us the geological theories about the creation of the park but had to preface it with a caveat that this was only one explanation, in order to not offend anyone who might maintain a creationist or "young earth" understanding of geologic history. I thought the need for such a preface was interesting, but didn't think much more about it until I read about this more widespread issue.

As a Christian pastor, theologian, and lover of the outdoors and our national parks, I find these developments disturbing. It bothers me that conservative Christians are using positions of power to push their beliefs on others at these natural treasures. I'm especially bothered because I find visiting these places to be deeply spiritual, not because they are evidence of a world-wide flood caused by God several thousand years ago (which has no real evidence at all), but because these wonders point to the magnificence of God's creation and to a God that is revealed through that creation.

When I hiked through the Grand Canyon a few years ago, I was indeed struck by how that experience raised many theological and spiritual questions for me. And I agree that there is a place for debates about the conflicts between a literal reading of the Bible and the theories of modern science. But the way that this has taken place in our national parks is not the way to do it.

And though I have a habit of buying a bunch of books at park bookstores when I visit, if this is the best we can do, I'd rather see the bookstores removed and let the parks speak for themselves.

Jesus Loves Osama

Last week, Sightings ran an incredible column called "Shock and Agape" about several Australian churches that have been hanging banners up that proclaim "Jesus Loves Osama". Yes, you read that right: "Jesus Love Osama". The rest of the text says, "Jesus said: 'Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you.'"

As you might imagine, these signs have been receiving a lot of criticism. Some see them as misleading, as if to suggest that Jesus supports terrorism--which is definitely not the intent of the message. Others find it offensive to the victims of terrorist attacks.

What do you think about this?

Personally, I think these signs are great. Just a few weeks ago at our Elevation Winter Retreat, we talked about Jesus' teaching to love our enemies. This is no doubt one of the most difficult teachings of our faith, but if we are to take Jesus seriously, it is one of the most important for Christians to follow.

It's not easy to love our enemies. We all know that. We've all had people in our lives that treat us poorly, pick on us, do things to us that are horrible. It's tough to love people like that.

But in a world where violence creates more violence, what would it look like if we returned hatred with love?

A month ago, I posted about two young people that lived out this message in their own lives. If you didn't read it before, read it now.

These are difficult and challenging times. I believe with all my heart that Jesus' message of love and non-violent resistance offers us a lot of hope. May God help us to live that message out in our own lives as well.

Waiting Is No Fun

I know that there are a lot of you out there waiting to find out about college or high school applications. I'm glad that part of my life is over, because I hated waiting for stuff like that.

In honor of you, I'm posting a devotion I wrote for Fourth Church's daily devotions a little while ago. Maybe it will lift you up a little.

Scripture Reading: Isaiah 40:25-31

Reflection
Though I’m usually very patient with many things, I sometimes have a low tolerance for waiting. I can sympathize with our high school seniors who are waiting to hear about their college applications—I couldn’t stand those weeks and months of uncertainty. My previous job involved long and boring commutes and it was all I could do to not go crazy as I waited in an endless and slow moving line of cars. And just ask my wife how I get when I wait for her—not my most shining moments as a husband.

But in this familiar passage from Isaiah 40, waiting is exactly what we’re counseled to do. In this chapter the prophet speaks words of hope and comfort to a people experiencing exile and doubt. In these concluding verses, the prophet’s audience is reminded that the God they serve is without equal and that their patience and trust will ultimately be rewarded because God is both powerful and faithful.

In our world of instant gratification, this message is difficult to hear. We are conditioned to want results and expect them quickly. The prophet’s advice to wait for the Lord feels impossible to bear when a loved one is ill, a marriage is falling apart, a job is lost, or we simply don’t know what the future will bring. But when we live by faith, the beautiful words of this poetic passage can become our own.

Prayer
Faithful God, when I am faint and weary, may I be renewed by the power of your love and have the patience to wait for your blessings. Amen.

Written by
John W. Vest, Associate Pastor for Youth Ministry
jvest@fourthchurch.org

Baby Got Book

While I was on YouTube admiring Jeff's mad skills, I thought I'd put a link to an oldie but goody...Baby Got Book! This is ridiculous...

YouTube Debut

Our very own Jeff stars in a trilogy of YouTube videos...

Once Again, Lost Boys and Child Soldiers

This issue of child soldiers keep popping up everywhere I look. This morning, while flipping through an old issue of Time Magazine, I ran across this article: "Pop Culture Finds Lost Boys".

In fact, the point of the article is that these child soldier and "lost boys" from Africa are showing up all over the place in pop culture. The article discusses Ishmael Bay's book that I mentioned yesterday and also points out that child soldiers are being featured in a whole host of recent movies.

One of the interesting questions raised by this article is whether or not this media saturation will really raise the profile of this problem or simply trivialize it as another plot element. The last paragraph sums it up well. You should read the rest of the article too.

Now that the celebrity-entertainment complex has its huge eyeball trained on the issue of child soldiers, the danger is that they will become trivialized--cheap, ubiquitous images, dropped in like clip art for a hit of emotion and danger. But with a memoir as vivid as Beah's, the clear-eyed tale of a child determinedly pursuing his own humanity against all odds, the spotlight may yet produce more than just titillation.

The Souper Bowl Challenge

The results are in for our Souper Bowl of Caring Challenge! There is good news and bad news.

First, if you don't know what this is all about, let me give you some background. The Souper Bowl of Caring is a national project that involves youth groups across the country raising money to fight hunger. We all like to eat big on Super Bowl Sunday, so the Souper Bowl of Caring encourages us to give big to help those who don't have food.

Things were especially exciting for us this year because the Bears were in the big game. To make things even more interesting, we were challenged by Second Presbyterian Church in Indianapolis to see who can raise the most money for the Souper Bowl.

Just like the underdog Bears, we had our work cut out for us. We orginally set our goal for this year at $4000, which I thought was pretty good. After learning that Second Pres typically raises about $10,000 a year for the Souper Bowl, we upped our goal to $10,000 as well.

The competition captured the imagination of the congregation and got everyone excited. The Lt. Governor of Illinois, Pat Quinn, was also excited and joined our cause. Lt. Governor Quinn is a big supporter of the Souper Bowl and invited me to speak at his press conference about our competition with Indianapolis.

On Super Bowl Sunday, we had dozens of Junior and Senior High youth all over the church raising money and collecting cans. It was an exciting morning...much more exciting, it turns out, than the game itself!

So, here's the good news: Both churches collected more for hunger than they ever have before. Here at Fourth Church, our total this year was over three times our best total from years past. I was truly amazed at how much we were able to raise this year.

When all was said and done, we collected $13,383 in cash and food donations. This is absolutely incredible!

Big thanks to all of you who helped collect and to all of you who made donations. The people who benefit from the food programs at the Elam Davies Social Service Center will truly be blessed by this work.

Now for the bad news. Unfortunately, we didn't fare much better in our competition than the Bears did. Second Presbyterian in Indianapolis raised $25,739 in cash and food donations. With the help of publicity from the fact that a certain Colts quarterback is a member of their congregation, they were able to be the #1 church in the nation. Congratulations to Second and all the hard work they did!

As payment for our wager, we'll be making a $500 donation in Second's name to Presbyterian Hunger Relief. And we're working on plans for John Buchanan to be dressed in Colts gear for some embarrassing situation. I'm glad he's been a good sport about all this...you should be too since you won't need to start looking for a new youth pastor!

Again, my deepest appreciation to all who helped in this incredible Souper Bowl Challenge. This was truly a competition in which everyone wins!

Lost is Back!

Last night was the second installment of a run of 16 uninterrupted episodes that will finish out the third season of my favorite TV show, Lost. If you're not up to speed on this incredible show, Wikipedia actually has some great entries about it. Of course, you'll never be completely up to speed. That's the point--this serial mystery always keeps you guessing and on the edge of your seat.

So why am I so obsessed about this show? Why have I been known to spend entire Saturdays watching episodes on DVD or on ABC's website?

First of all, I think this show is just plain good drama. Yes, it has some elements of a soap opera, but what good show doesn't? The cliffhangers at the end of every single episode keep you coming back. The characters are all interesting and the show gives you just enough about their back stories, a little bit at a time, to make you long for more.

But I also think that this show is the most theologically and philosophically compelling television show on the air, perhaps the best in this respect that there has ever been. The basic story arch deals with the interlocking concepts of fate, coincidence, and providence. By focusing on the interconnectedness of the characters--both before and after the crash--the show flirts with notions of communal destiny and the webs of relationships that bind us all together in a complex web of humanity. Cause and effect, actions and consequences all collide in a mind boggling plot that suggests that none of us are alone. The mysteries of the island that the survivors find themselves on point to both human experimentation and supernatural forces beyond human control.

One of these days I want to do something big with this show. There is so much potential for fascinating conversation and reflection. Plus, it's a whole lot of fun.

If you haven't been hooked by Lost, get on board. You can watch the first two seasons on DVD and the current season on ABC's website. Once you get caught up, shoot me a line and we'll have lots to talk about.

More on Child Soldiers

Just last night on Comedy Central's Daily Show, Jon Stewart interviewed a former child soldier named Ishmael Beah from Sierra Leone. Beah has written a book about his experiences called A Long Way Gone: Memoirs of a Boy Soldier. His interview was really great, opening eyes and breaking hearts. What a horrible tragedy this whole child soldier phenomenon is.

Fairness is Relative

This Family Circus cartoon is a couple of weeks old, but I've been waiting for it to come out online.

I laughed out loud when I read it because it is so true.

In my experience as a youth minister, kids are obsessed with fairness, especially Junior High kids. Almost every single time that we play a game or do an activity that involves rules, I hear at least one kid shout, "That's not fair!"

But I've also noticed that kids' definition of "fair" is quite relative. Mostly, it seems, "fair" means getting what you want, not what is truly fair to all that are involved.

That's why this cartoon is so dead on. How does Billy understand fairness here? Does this way of thinking sound familiar to you?

For kids of all ages, I think we need to think about what we consider fair and how we can live our lives in a way that truly is fair to everyone, including ourselves.

This is Scary

Two days ago, CNN posted a frightening story about child soldiers. According to this report, there are more than 250,000 kids fighting as soldiers around the world. Many of these children are kidnapped, brainwashed, and drugged before being forced to fight. There are several groups trying to put an end to this terrible practice, but there is still a long way to go.

What a horrific perversion of God's gift of children! I can think of few things worse than turning innocent and impressionable children into cold blooded killers.

I think this just goes to show how pervasive and corrupting humanity's preoccupation with violence is. We are so obsessed with war that we will use children to fight them.

The irony, of course, is that in the Bible children are symbols of peace not war. In ancient Israel, for example, the prophet Isaiah envisioned a time of peace for his embattled nation. One of the enduring images of this peaceful vision involves a child:

The wolf shall live with the lamb,
the leopard shall lie down with the kid,
the calf and the lion and the fatling together,
and a little child shall lead them.
(Isaiah 11:6)

Our world is a long way from this vision. May God help us act to save our children and work to bring about peace instead of war.

The Frozen Chosen

What do you get when you take 10 junior high youth, 4 adults, several inches of snow, and dump them all at Presbyterian Camps in Saugatuck, MI?

You get an amazing Elevation Winter Retreat!!!

We had an absolute blast at Saugatuck on January 26-28. The weather was perfect...not too cold and plenty of snow. The fellowship was great...lots of laughs, games, snowball fights, and sledding. The hot chocolate was in fact limitless. Our discussions were meaningful and deep and worship was inspiring. What more could we have asked for?

The theme for the weekend was Do Unto Others and dealt with how we treat other people in our lives. We had four incredible sessions on The Golden Rule, Love Your Neighbor as Yourself, Love Your Enemies, and Christian Unity. Through all of these we reflected on how our faith impacts our relationships with others.

This trip was so much fun, I can't wait until our next trip...Elevation WorkCamp at the Illinois Special Olympics, June 14-17. You won't want to miss it!

And now, some more pictures from the weekend:

What Happened?!

The past two weeks have been a blur...between recovering from the Elevation Winter Retreat and the Souper Bowl Challenge and the Bear's disheartening loss and being sick and visioning for the youth program, fourteen days somehow escaped me. I'll be doing some catching up today...

Walking Away From Jesus

This is a devotion I wrote for Fourth Church's daily devotions. It came out yesterday. This passage has haunted me for years...I'm sure you'll hear me talk about it again.

Scripture Reading: Mark 10:17–31

Reflection
This passage is one of the most disturbing in all of scripture for me. I find it disturbing not because I disagree with what Jesus is teaching, but because I see myself in this rich man. He’s done everything his religious tradition counsels him to do, yet he still feels like there is something missing in his life. In one of the most gut-wrenching scenes in the Bible, when Jesus tells him what it will take to make that next step, all he can do is turn around and walk away.

How easy it is for us to go through the motions of church life without ever having a truly transforming and life-changing encounter with God. How easy it is to be so involved yet still feel so empty. I often wonder if Bono had this story in mind when he wrote the lyrics to the classic U2 song “I Still Haven’t Found What I’m Looking For.”

This story reminds me that we all have things that we are unwilling to give up in order to follow God. Perhaps it is wealth, though I don’t think that the lesson of this story is limited to that alone. It could also be pride, success, fame, time, family, friendships, comfort, or a whole host of other stumbling blocks along the way to living the kind of life of service that Jesus modeled for us.

If we truly follow in Jesus’ footsteps, the gospel requires some degree of sacrifice. When I read this passage, this truth stares me square in the face, and I can’t escape the choice it lays before me. Will I be bold enough to follow Jesus, or will I too turn around and walk away?

Prayer
God, you challenge me today with this story of sincere longing and ultimate failure. Help me to not turn away in fear or pain, but to let these sacred words pull at my heart for a little while longer. Remind me that even though Jesus’ path is difficult, the destination is worth the struggle. Amen.

Written by
John Vest, Associate Pastor
jvest@fourthchurch.org