about that

Last night my roommate crushed me in racquetball ;(

Today was really good. My intro to Christ class was extremely interesting. The proff. showed "This is Solid State" in class. He showed us the Norma Jeane (spelling?) music video. They are a christian hard-core group. He did so to pose the question of todays apologetics (loosely translated into telling others about Christ) in a way that they will listen and understand. He asked us how far is to far. Is there a place for Christian death metal. Obviously starting a music debate wasn't his point, proffs are tricky like that. It was interesting to have answers ranging from 'Christian' bands shouldn't tour with secular bands or play at secular venues to more power too those that can reach people for Christ. The purpose of the music isn't to sell music to Christians but rather to bring others to Christ that normally wouldn't even listen. Lets face it MercyMe and Casting Crowns aren't really stepping out on a limb to reach todays teenage subcultures where as P.O.D., Norma Jeane, Underoath, Blindside and many others are.

I took a break from Donald Miller to muse over the following stuff as well as it was 54 degrees out and I spent time outside and walking around campus just because I know it is going to snow next week.

On the point how far is to far I thought about The Hub. It is my churches youth center. Walking into it on a Friday night (highschool open night) can be a very scary place. You will often see and hear things that have no place in a church. Our youth group was a whole lot different before The Hub. It was a smaller tight nit group of students who were in almost all aspects normal Christian kids. New people came and came to Christ but it wasn't a scary place for a Christian to be. It was more of a safe haven, comfortable place for a Christian student to go and be normal. It gave the Christians some place to hang out with each other. Now the mission field is the youth group. It is no longer that tight nit group of Christians who are normal and keep to themselves. Walking in on a typical night you find all kinds of people including ones wearing dog-collars and everything else. There are fights and things get vandalized (I would like to note there is adult leadership and security to keep everyone safe and they do a great job).

So which is more valuable--how far is to far

I have heard rumors and that is what they are rumors (I would like to clearly state that they are rumors and I did not get this from hanging out with the church staff and if they aren't true I am just using it to illustrate a point anyway) that some parents are afraid to send there kids to the Hub because of the people that hang out there. So good Christian parents don't want to there kids coming and other Christian students have fallen away. Are we missing the point? Isn't Christianity not only about living in relationship with Christ but also furthering his Kingdom. Didn't Christ eat with tax collectors and prostitutes. Paul before coming an apostle killed and persecuted people. Simon Peter was rejected by other Rabies but chosen by Jesus. What is the greatest commandment--the first is this Love the lord your God with all your heart and the second is love your neighbor as yourself.

My ultimate conclusion is that comfortable Christians all over the world (myself included) need to suck it up and get out there and show Christ with love, not in a condemning non-Christian way. I am the worst offender of this. All last year most friday nights I hid in my office. I was upset that there was no longer a visible core. I think a lot of the reason that happened is because no one in the group that called themselves true Christians caught the vision of the Hub and Christ. We failed. We should have been vivid ambassadors of Christ and should have been known as the ones who were accepting and loving of the people coming in. That is just my personal thought. I got so frustrated when that girl said Christian bands shouldn't tour with non-christian ones. Why wasn't I upset with myself all last year for being a scared weak Christian (if you could call me a Christian).

Conclusion: Someone needs to reach out to these people and ministries that do this may not appear to be the best from the outside. They key is what they do on the inside. Are kids coming to Christ? Do kids feel safe? Do they have people that love them? Do they feel accepted first?

Two really cool cutting edge ministries that are going places and furthering the missions field are Enemy Opposition and The Hub . The Hub link is on the right and EO can be found at www.enemyoppostion.com

"However, I consider my life worth nothing to me, if only I may finish the race and complete the task the Lord Jesus has given me--the task of testifying to the gospel of God's grace."