Sometimes, I just want to go to Grandma's house. I want a giant magnolia tree. A dirt driveway. Brown carpet. A dozen recliners. An abundance of food. Someone to ask, "What ya know, Miss Priss?" The soft hum of a refrigerator and/or a box fan. Her occasional snore. No computer. Wheel of Fortune and Jeopardy on a weeknight or a Sunday afternoon nap during a Braves game. To wake up just in time for the last out. Quiet. Peace.
One year ago today, she was buried. Grandma's house will never know such peace again. Not sure I will, either. Only in sweet memories.
-mo
Moville
Sunday, July 30, 2006
Friday, July 21, 2006
my wish
i really, really, really just wish i had a real friend, somebody to believe me and to believe in me, somebody to make loneliness not so lonely.
then again, i don't really know if that's what i want or not... i've never known what it's like to be part of a two-way friendship, one in which i am not the only one who cares. if i'd ever experienced friendship, maybe i'd have a better idea of what i want now.
-mo
Moville
then again, i don't really know if that's what i want or not... i've never known what it's like to be part of a two-way friendship, one in which i am not the only one who cares. if i'd ever experienced friendship, maybe i'd have a better idea of what i want now.
-mo
Moville
Thursday, July 13, 2006
Our second priority
Now that I am no longer in the youth department, I can write what I am about to write without being accused of self-centeredness.
How badly does a church need a minister of music? Out of tradition and habit, we have a tendency to believe that need is greater than it is. I love music. I believe it is an essential element of worship, the first purpose of the church. I love ministers of music (that’s you, Unc ;) ). But, having said those things, I believe a minister of music should be, at best, the third priority on a church’s list of paid staff. First, a church needs a pastor to shepherd the church in the direction of her Savior. After a pastor and before a minister of music, a church needs a man whose job is to minister to youth. In churches too small to hire three staff members, a youth minister is more important than a music minister. Moreover, the two jobs are too big in themselves to be combined into a single job description. The church as a whole benefits more from an on-fire youth group than from a perfectly tuned choir. A great choir special may have toes tapping or hearts worshipping for a moment, but a youth group sold out to Christ transforms a church and a community now and for generations to come.
The adults in my church do not seem to understand this concept as well as they should. My parents’ generation were some of the most fortunate youth in our church’s history. When they, themselves, were youth, they experienced the benefits that come with a minister wholly devoted to their discipleship. Their children, my generation, have seen the continued benefit; we have parents who were discipled. Unfortunately, we had to grow up only hearing about their youth minister. We heard about all the great experiences we were denied. Most of today’s youth, who are just a few years younger than I, have parents who are too young to be able to share those stories. Their parents were not discipled; therefore, the youth have not even known the second-generational benefits of a great youth minister. Why does my parents’ generation refuse to grant to their children the great opportunities for Christian growth that they themselves were afforded?
Our nominating committee is already seeing the results. We are growing whole generations of adults who have not been taught the joy of service. Even those who want to serve and/or who do serve, really do not know the Bible well enough to teach it to others. We are seeing the flipside of the statements I wrote above about the benefit to a church of a strong youth program. When we do not provide for the discipleship of our youth, our church dies.
So, my questions for small churches are as follows: what good is a music minister when a congregation is too dead to sing? What good is a music minister when a congregation fades away? Why are we willing to sit by and watch our youth fall victim to all the world’s enticing offers while we insist that we must hire someone to wave his arms behind a music stand?
Volunteer youth ministers certainly are blessings for which I am thankful, but I am sure those volunteers would be some of the first to admit that they simply cannot invest the time it takes to build a quality youth program. So, I say, let the volunteers pick the songs and wave their arms! If we rearrange our priorities such that youth come before music, I think there is a good chance that our church will grow enough that we will be able to afford a fabulous music program as well. We can sing with no one to lead, but in their most vital years of spiritual development, our youth need direction. Will we be faithful to see that their potential becomes reality? Will we teach them that whether or not we have a formal music program they have a real reason to sing? Will we fill in the cracks so they do not continue to fall through? Will we love them? What a difference we could make in our church, our community, our world if we would!
-mo
Moville
How badly does a church need a minister of music? Out of tradition and habit, we have a tendency to believe that need is greater than it is. I love music. I believe it is an essential element of worship, the first purpose of the church. I love ministers of music (that’s you, Unc ;) ). But, having said those things, I believe a minister of music should be, at best, the third priority on a church’s list of paid staff. First, a church needs a pastor to shepherd the church in the direction of her Savior. After a pastor and before a minister of music, a church needs a man whose job is to minister to youth. In churches too small to hire three staff members, a youth minister is more important than a music minister. Moreover, the two jobs are too big in themselves to be combined into a single job description. The church as a whole benefits more from an on-fire youth group than from a perfectly tuned choir. A great choir special may have toes tapping or hearts worshipping for a moment, but a youth group sold out to Christ transforms a church and a community now and for generations to come.
The adults in my church do not seem to understand this concept as well as they should. My parents’ generation were some of the most fortunate youth in our church’s history. When they, themselves, were youth, they experienced the benefits that come with a minister wholly devoted to their discipleship. Their children, my generation, have seen the continued benefit; we have parents who were discipled. Unfortunately, we had to grow up only hearing about their youth minister. We heard about all the great experiences we were denied. Most of today’s youth, who are just a few years younger than I, have parents who are too young to be able to share those stories. Their parents were not discipled; therefore, the youth have not even known the second-generational benefits of a great youth minister. Why does my parents’ generation refuse to grant to their children the great opportunities for Christian growth that they themselves were afforded?
Our nominating committee is already seeing the results. We are growing whole generations of adults who have not been taught the joy of service. Even those who want to serve and/or who do serve, really do not know the Bible well enough to teach it to others. We are seeing the flipside of the statements I wrote above about the benefit to a church of a strong youth program. When we do not provide for the discipleship of our youth, our church dies.
So, my questions for small churches are as follows: what good is a music minister when a congregation is too dead to sing? What good is a music minister when a congregation fades away? Why are we willing to sit by and watch our youth fall victim to all the world’s enticing offers while we insist that we must hire someone to wave his arms behind a music stand?
Volunteer youth ministers certainly are blessings for which I am thankful, but I am sure those volunteers would be some of the first to admit that they simply cannot invest the time it takes to build a quality youth program. So, I say, let the volunteers pick the songs and wave their arms! If we rearrange our priorities such that youth come before music, I think there is a good chance that our church will grow enough that we will be able to afford a fabulous music program as well. We can sing with no one to lead, but in their most vital years of spiritual development, our youth need direction. Will we be faithful to see that their potential becomes reality? Will we teach them that whether or not we have a formal music program they have a real reason to sing? Will we fill in the cracks so they do not continue to fall through? Will we love them? What a difference we could make in our church, our community, our world if we would!
-mo
Moville
Monday, July 10, 2006
"A Biblical Response...
...to the Pro-Gay Movement"
http://www.exodus.to/content/view/129/35/
from the website of Exodus International
-mo
Moville
http://www.exodus.to/content/view/129/35/
from the website of Exodus International
-mo
Moville
"The Hardest Thing I've Ever Done...
...is keep belivin' there's someone in this crazy world for me."
-Karen Carpenter, dittoed by mo
Moville
-Karen Carpenter, dittoed by mo
Moville
Friday, July 07, 2006
Vacation Pictures
Launch pictures: http://git.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2029283&l=b1018&id=12820171
Description: July 4, 2006. STS-121 Pre-launch and Post-launch pictures. During launch, all we have is video.
Location: Titusville, FL
Other vacation pictures: http://git.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2029160&l=4872c&id=12820171
Location: Florida
If you hold your mouse pointer over one of the names in the “In this photo” list, you will see a box around the person/thing you are pointing to. Enjoy!
-mo
Moville
Description: July 4, 2006. STS-121 Pre-launch and Post-launch pictures. During launch, all we have is video.
Location: Titusville, FL
Other vacation pictures: http://git.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2029160&l=4872c&id=12820171
Location: Florida
If you hold your mouse pointer over one of the names in the “In this photo” list, you will see a box around the person/thing you are pointing to. Enjoy!
-mo
Moville
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