Thursday, August 11, 2011
Nature vs Nurture vs Something Else
In nine hours I am leaving for Athens. For college. For a bittersweet combination of freedom and responsibility.
So many people have heard that I go to UGA and that I am in a fraternity. Their response is almost always "so it must get pretty crazy up there right?". This invariably leads to a semi-awkward denial as I try to explain to them that I really don't get into that whole side of things.
But as I sit here in the middle of the night, I begin to question why I didn't fall into the patterns of so many of my friends when I got to college freshman year. Am I just special? Am I just too cheap to go downtown (yes), or is there something more, something greater behind my difference?
I had a conversation with my dad a little while ago, in which he told me that he and my mom were scared when they let me go to Georgia because they weren't sure how I would change once I got there. He said that he had heard tons of stories of kids getting there and going off the reservation. So after applauding my resilience, he asked what made the difference.
In the Bible, it says to train up a child in the way they should go, and when they are old, they will not depart from it. My mom and dad did a fantastic job raising me and Austin. They took the time to make sure we understood not just what we should and shouldn't do, but also the morals and motivations behind it. Their love shaped my worldview, and it remains huge in my life.
But it can't just be them. The argument of nature vs nurture comes into play here. If it is up to the parents, why are so many kids from wonderful families going crazy, partying, dealing with depression and homosexuality? There has to be a factor outside of our upbringing that changes us. Maybe it is just genetic. Maybe some people are just born inherently wild. Maybe some people have a gene that dictates they will start drinking at 8, get pregnant at 20, and spiral out of control. Maybe this is it.
Now that sounds pretty hopeless. If it's genetic, some people are just screwed.
But maybe there is something greater. What if, just maybe, the love of Christ, which is offered to all man, comes in and changes us when we ask for it. The Apostle Paul says that when we accept Christ, we are "dead to sin, and alive in Christ Jesus". This means that Jesus changes our desires. So how do we keep it that way?
This is my challenge to myself as I move in. And to anyone who reads this blog. The Bible says in Romans 8:5 "For those who live according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those who live according to the Spirit set their minds on the things of the Spirit."
Fix your eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith. He knows what He is doing and he is willing and eager to sweep in an give you the strength to fight off temptation.
So thank you, Mom and dad, for forging in me the desire to press on in Christ, and to fix my eyes on him. I hope I make you proud this year.
Love,
Tyler
Wednesday, August 10, 2011
Is worship based on...
On praise and prayer
In today's church, especially among the youth, we place a Huge value on praise. Youth today love to sing, and we flock to new worship leaders like Chris Tomlin and Michael Gungor. We treat worship time as one of the most important parts of our faith. This is a great thing! We were created to worship our King with everything we have. I love seeing my friends go all-out worshiping God, and love it even more when I get to join in with them.
For the past seven years or so, I have served as lighting director at various ministries. I have used lighting kits that cost millions of dollars, and been to events centered around creating newer, more exciting, more entertaining worship displays. Again, this in itself is not wrong. But this summer, as I worked at the camp, I began to question my priorities. I had the opportunity to serve at the children's ministry at a local church one Sunday, and I expected to go and see what I was used to from a children's ministry. It had been advertised as a fun, engaging way of doing children's church. I expected to go in, sing a few songs, talk with the kids, and hear a bible story from the staff. This is what we all grew up with right? Juice boxes, animal crackers, and the flannel graph defined my personal children's church experience. So I walked in and the first thing I noticed was that the kids were totally zoned in on the tv screen playing sports bloopers. Given that this was before the service had technically started, I was totally ok with this. It was a good way to get the kids to sit down and be calm while we were waiting to start. But then the service started. This was a service catering to first-through-fifth graders. Lights started flashing, videos went up on the screen, and it was on. The service lasted for an hour or so, and the message was on one of the beattitudes, "blessed are the peacemakers...". Again, pretty cool right? A chance to use technology to bring these kids in on what God is doing. But I watched as they used several videos and such, and failed to mention scripture once outside of the original verse. They didn't talk about Jesus, they told the kids that this meant nothing more than "no fighting". Qthe end of the service came and I asked several kids what they had learned. None of them could tell me. But they could tell me whether they liked the flashing lights, videos, or skits better! (the videos were the clear winner).
Now to be clear, this is not an anti-technology rant. I love using tech in church. Nothing is more fun than getting a rockin worship service going and seeing my friends go for it (as I mentioned at the beginning). But this experience at this children's ministry gave me a check in my spirit. I began to realize that my priorities were off kilter. I had given too much weight to the style of worship, whether the lights were well run, and whether the singers had any real talent. In the midst of this, I had lost sight of the real purpose of worship and church in general. Just like those kids couldn't tell me anything about what was taught in the service, but could tell me everything about the service, I couldn't tell you the last time i had truly connected with God in worship but I can name the top 3 worship events I have been to (Passion 2011, Passion 2010, hillsong united A Cross//The Earth tour). I had spent tons of time going for it in "worship", spurred on by flashing lights, super talented leaders, and a big crowd. But I had missed out on the One we were there for.
If I cannot say that I am connected and focused on God when I sing, is it truly worship? Can I say I am entering his courts with praise, as it says in Psalm 100, if I am more concerned with how well the show goes?
So my challenge to you this year is this: whether you go to Passion City Church, North Point, Wesley Foundation, or a tiny church with a choir and hymns, don't get so caught up in the "worship" experience that you forget who you are worshipping. Make sure Christ is at the center of your adoration, and that He is at the root of your joy.
In today's church, especially among the youth, we place a Huge value on praise. Youth today love to sing, and we flock to new worship leaders like Chris Tomlin and Michael Gungor. We treat worship time as one of the most important parts of our faith. This is a great thing! We were created to worship our King with everything we have. I love seeing my friends go all-out worshiping God, and love it even more when I get to join in with them.
For the past seven years or so, I have served as lighting director at various ministries. I have used lighting kits that cost millions of dollars, and been to events centered around creating newer, more exciting, more entertaining worship displays. Again, this in itself is not wrong. But this summer, as I worked at the camp, I began to question my priorities. I had the opportunity to serve at the children's ministry at a local church one Sunday, and I expected to go and see what I was used to from a children's ministry. It had been advertised as a fun, engaging way of doing children's church. I expected to go in, sing a few songs, talk with the kids, and hear a bible story from the staff. This is what we all grew up with right? Juice boxes, animal crackers, and the flannel graph defined my personal children's church experience. So I walked in and the first thing I noticed was that the kids were totally zoned in on the tv screen playing sports bloopers. Given that this was before the service had technically started, I was totally ok with this. It was a good way to get the kids to sit down and be calm while we were waiting to start. But then the service started. This was a service catering to first-through-fifth graders. Lights started flashing, videos went up on the screen, and it was on. The service lasted for an hour or so, and the message was on one of the beattitudes, "blessed are the peacemakers...". Again, pretty cool right? A chance to use technology to bring these kids in on what God is doing. But I watched as they used several videos and such, and failed to mention scripture once outside of the original verse. They didn't talk about Jesus, they told the kids that this meant nothing more than "no fighting". Qthe end of the service came and I asked several kids what they had learned. None of them could tell me. But they could tell me whether they liked the flashing lights, videos, or skits better! (the videos were the clear winner).
Now to be clear, this is not an anti-technology rant. I love using tech in church. Nothing is more fun than getting a rockin worship service going and seeing my friends go for it (as I mentioned at the beginning). But this experience at this children's ministry gave me a check in my spirit. I began to realize that my priorities were off kilter. I had given too much weight to the style of worship, whether the lights were well run, and whether the singers had any real talent. In the midst of this, I had lost sight of the real purpose of worship and church in general. Just like those kids couldn't tell me anything about what was taught in the service, but could tell me everything about the service, I couldn't tell you the last time i had truly connected with God in worship but I can name the top 3 worship events I have been to (Passion 2011, Passion 2010, hillsong united A Cross//The Earth tour). I had spent tons of time going for it in "worship", spurred on by flashing lights, super talented leaders, and a big crowd. But I had missed out on the One we were there for.
If I cannot say that I am connected and focused on God when I sing, is it truly worship? Can I say I am entering his courts with praise, as it says in Psalm 100, if I am more concerned with how well the show goes?
So my challenge to you this year is this: whether you go to Passion City Church, North Point, Wesley Foundation, or a tiny church with a choir and hymns, don't get so caught up in the "worship" experience that you forget who you are worshipping. Make sure Christ is at the center of your adoration, and that He is at the root of your joy.
Wednesday, August 3, 2011
Joshua
I have been working at a sports camp this summer. Between the long hours, high heat, and overwhelming presence of yellow jackets, I tend to ignore the still, small voice of God. The reality is that He does speak, and does so on a regular basis.
Roughly four weeks ago, I had the privilege of teaching a young Indian boy named Joshua Abraham. Joshua is 8, possibly 9 years old. He is also one of the smartest people I have ever met.
At the beginning of each week, I tell my kids that Bible time is the most important time of the day, and even if hey don't pay attention to anything I say the rest of the day, they need to pay some attention during Bible time. now Joshua loves to ask questions. Sometimes I think had does it to see if he can confound the councilor. One day, as we were walking out to the pool, he looked up and said, "mr. Tyler, why do you always say that Bible time is the most important part of the day?" I looked down at him and proceeded to explain that Bible time was important because it was the one time during the day where I could teach him something about Jesus.
Naturally, this answer did not satisfy my young camper. He asked me why teaching them about Jesus was such a big deal to me. I paused, gathered my thoughts, and decided to tell him the typical Church answer: Because Jesus came and died for our sins, and that is kind of a big deal.
Thinking I had successfully dodged this line of questioning and that I could return to coasting through my day, I walked on.
If you are thinking that little Joshua would not be satisfied with this either, you are right. My charge looked a little annoyed as he asked why that was such a big deal to me personally.
Understanding now that he was smarter than the average camper, I told hi that it was important because it made all the difference in our eternal standing with God, and so I should treat it with respect and try to get across to the kids how big of an issue this was.
Joshua looked at me, smiled a little bit, and said he understood. He ran off and jumped into the pool.
I got home that night, and as I got ready for bed, the conversation earlier that day with Joshua came back to me. I realized that god was using this hyper-intelligent camper to challenge me and to bring into light my own apathy towards the issue of salvation. He used a 9 year old to trash me something that radically changed my perspective.
The Bible says to always be prepared to give a good account of our faith. I thought i was good at that. I love getting up and talking about what God has done in my life, how he has changed me, and how He has redeemed me. For the record, NONE OF THAT IS BAD. But I so often neglected to tell the story of what Jesus did for the world, and more importantly, the background to him doing it. The apostle Paul wrote to the Corinthians saying, " when I came to you, brothers, I did not come proclaiming to you the testimony of God with lofty speech or wisdom. 2 For I decided to know nothing among you except Jesus Christ and him crucified". Paul didn't swagger around telling about his Christian walk, even though he had all the works to back it up. Paul taught Christ for the sake of Heaven. He focused on the simple matter of eternal salvation. And most importantly, he was able to back it up.
That is what Joshua taught me. If I want to call myself a Christian, and say that I am following after Jesus the Messiah, then I need to treat His calling with the respect and fervor it deserves. In summary, I need to practice what I claim to believe, and live in light of what i believe.
So I challenge you, as Joshua challenged me that day. What is your most important issue? Is it THE most important issue? And can you back up you talk with how you walk? I couldn't, but God is teaching me how through the mouth of a 2nd grader.
Roughly four weeks ago, I had the privilege of teaching a young Indian boy named Joshua Abraham. Joshua is 8, possibly 9 years old. He is also one of the smartest people I have ever met.
At the beginning of each week, I tell my kids that Bible time is the most important time of the day, and even if hey don't pay attention to anything I say the rest of the day, they need to pay some attention during Bible time. now Joshua loves to ask questions. Sometimes I think had does it to see if he can confound the councilor. One day, as we were walking out to the pool, he looked up and said, "mr. Tyler, why do you always say that Bible time is the most important part of the day?" I looked down at him and proceeded to explain that Bible time was important because it was the one time during the day where I could teach him something about Jesus.
Naturally, this answer did not satisfy my young camper. He asked me why teaching them about Jesus was such a big deal to me. I paused, gathered my thoughts, and decided to tell him the typical Church answer: Because Jesus came and died for our sins, and that is kind of a big deal.
Thinking I had successfully dodged this line of questioning and that I could return to coasting through my day, I walked on.
If you are thinking that little Joshua would not be satisfied with this either, you are right. My charge looked a little annoyed as he asked why that was such a big deal to me personally.
Understanding now that he was smarter than the average camper, I told hi that it was important because it made all the difference in our eternal standing with God, and so I should treat it with respect and try to get across to the kids how big of an issue this was.
Joshua looked at me, smiled a little bit, and said he understood. He ran off and jumped into the pool.
I got home that night, and as I got ready for bed, the conversation earlier that day with Joshua came back to me. I realized that god was using this hyper-intelligent camper to challenge me and to bring into light my own apathy towards the issue of salvation. He used a 9 year old to trash me something that radically changed my perspective.
The Bible says to always be prepared to give a good account of our faith. I thought i was good at that. I love getting up and talking about what God has done in my life, how he has changed me, and how He has redeemed me. For the record, NONE OF THAT IS BAD. But I so often neglected to tell the story of what Jesus did for the world, and more importantly, the background to him doing it. The apostle Paul wrote to the Corinthians saying, " when I came to you, brothers, I did not come proclaiming to you the testimony of God with lofty speech or wisdom. 2 For I decided to know nothing among you except Jesus Christ and him crucified". Paul didn't swagger around telling about his Christian walk, even though he had all the works to back it up. Paul taught Christ for the sake of Heaven. He focused on the simple matter of eternal salvation. And most importantly, he was able to back it up.
That is what Joshua taught me. If I want to call myself a Christian, and say that I am following after Jesus the Messiah, then I need to treat His calling with the respect and fervor it deserves. In summary, I need to practice what I claim to believe, and live in light of what i believe.
So I challenge you, as Joshua challenged me that day. What is your most important issue? Is it THE most important issue? And can you back up you talk with how you walk? I couldn't, but God is teaching me how through the mouth of a 2nd grader.
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