Don Miller posted some compelling thoughts on the importance of relapse in overcoming addictions. As you read, you'll see it's not the decision to repeat harmful/sinful behavior that's important, it's the way you're loved and forgiven by others and yourself that speaks to your process.
As I read and reflected on my own life, I also thought about implications for youth ministry. We may be tempted to balk at the seemingly endless "re-dedication" decision our students make on Thursday night of camp, but perhaps part of the process of their faith maturity is our willingness to model God's forgiveness and grace in our students' lives.
What do you think?
We've all been captivated at one time or another by a story that we didn't want to end. The hero/heroine, the villain, the conflict, the setting, the supporting characters, the climax, the resolution, the end. We were drawn in, and we didn't want to leave.
Who doesn't like a good story?
But what makes a good story a good story?
Check out some of Emma Coats' (a former story artist at Pixar) thoughts in "22 Rules of Storytelling by a Pixar Storyboard Artist." Here are a few of my favorites:
2. You gotta keep in mind what’s interesting to you as an audience, not what’s fun to do as a writer. They can be very different. ...
10. Pull apart the stories you like. What you like in them is a part of you; you’ve got to recognize it before you can use it. ...
14. Why must you tell THIS story? What’s the belief burning within you that your story feeds off of? That’s the heart of it. ...
I was compelled by Coats' thoughts for two reasons:
First, I enjoy writing. I'm not very good at the narrative side of things, but I want to be. Like many, I want to write a "great American novel." I've got a few ideas, and I think Coats' list will help me.
Second and more important, I view the gospel as a story. A rich, compelling, provocative, life-changing story. Sometimes we reduce the story of Jesus into a list of propositions that we must agree with, or a set of laws that we must submit to; you don't hear that language out of Jesus. Jesus invites each of us into a story -- into a relationship with Him.
As you read the article, dream a little about how you share the gospel. And about how you share other God-stories. Because everyone loves a good story.
What do you think?
Tasha and I spent last weekend with our people. By our people, I mean youth workers. To all the non-youth workers: I'm sorry, you just wouldn't understand :)
Anyway, the weekend in Indianapolis was amazing. Soul enriching. Battery recharging. Laughter inducing. Life changing.
God took me to school on a number of things -- I might share some thoughts after I unpack for a bit. But one of our highlights is the opportunity to spend time training other youth workers. (*** It's not that we're experts -- well, Tasha is an expert -- but we've learned lots of lessons in 20 years of youth minstry. ***) One of the workshops we taught was "Crisis Counseling Skills." It was the second year to teach it, and I think we made some solid strides forward in our content. We had a great time interacting with a packed room of people who pour their lives into students day-in and day-out. We learned a lot, cried a little, and walked out re-committed to God's calling on our lives to care for students.
As encouraging as the time was, we were extra-encouraged by a new friend, Nate Smith (twitter; blog), and his thoughts on the workshop. For those who are interested, you can download our notes here.
All this made me wonder why I'm not more connected with youth workers in my area? Do I really need to wait for a once-a-year opportunity? What can I do to network better with folks in my area? How do you do it?
What do you think?
