Goin' Mercer…ramblings and rants!

I brought this term up at a lunch with a family that I am friends with here in Abilene. I have spoken before about youth today feeling entitled. That entitlement comes from a history of progress in America whereby the youth of today are receiving almost everything they want, because let’s face it, we can give it to them. Therefore the old term, “spoiled”, is coming back into play. This is happening in our churches rather rapidly as well.

Our students are necessarily growing up in the struggles of the church that we did. They don’t always understand the arguments regarding instrumental music, women’s role, one cup or many, kitchens in the building, clapping in worship, coat and tie, or only we can go to heaven. They have a better understanding of grace, service, missions, and spiritual formation. They haven’t had that tough conversation with the “head” elder about whether it is okay or not to wear shorts on Sunday evening. Most these days have youth ministers or youth groups and ministries. They travel around the world helping to minister abroad. They spend fruitful time in expressive worship. They soak in dynamic speakers with multimedia presentations. They quickly hand over the $30 to see the latest Christian Rock Band. In fact during the summer they have multiple choices of camps, retreats, mission trips, fun trips, adventure trips, service opportunities, Bible studies, and worship environments. They choose what works best in their schedule, pay their money, attend, and then come home and tell their parents it was fine, or okay, or fun!

WHAT? FINE? OKAY? FUN? What are we doing to our youth to help them think that Jesus walked through all that agony and pain for them to be fine, okay, or have fun! (Wait, back up the truck). Is it not okay to have fun or be fine, or be okay? Is it not great that our country can afford our children the opportunities to do all of these great things in the name of Jesus? Michael, are you going to be another one of those old geezers that is sticking it to our kids?

Well… hear me out! I love youth ministry and I am grateful for the fact that we have such a wonderful program to help form our students spiritually. But walk with me the next few blogs about our students and how we can better form them into students who will rise up with conviction of Jesus and lay down the selfishness and burdens of their heart to have one like his. My guess is that as I pray about this and meditate on these things I will be convicted myself of how spoiled I am in my Christian life.

No one wants anyone to say their child is spoiled. No one wants to be spoiled so much that gospel becomes something we do and not live out.

May God Bless my thoughts, your comments, and our journey through this thought!

-Michael

Well, Leah is at home and I am looking at a long list of things I need to do. None of them are tough and all NEED to be done. So before I start these wonderful task I just wanted to write and say that it is good to be here, but I would prefer our house sell. There is much to keep up with and it is tiring Leah, not to mention that when the grass begins to grow again in the next month or so I won’t be able to come home enough to keep it cut clean.

Maverick is following me everywhere and usually this would be quite annoying, but I have missed him so much that I find it entertaining and sweet. He hasn’t been acting himself since I left and I am sure that when I leave he will relapse again. Leah is teaching right now, so I am in this quiet house getting laundry done and stalling on this list.

Please pray for our house to sell. As much as we like it, we don’t want to keep it while we are in Abilene. I know God will be faithful whatever happens.

Well back to the list!

-Michael

Can you believe it! I am in Houston visiting my wife. What a treat this is! I got to see Zeke and Maverick as well. I know that my church family at Highland is praying for us and are excited about us being able to see one another during this transitional period. I really appreciate them for wanting us to see one another even if it does mean traveling. We are blessed!

Maverick is taking well to me again and I don’t think that Zeke even noticed my departure. I have a long honeydo list to take care of. Our house needs some major attention and that will be my day tomorrow. Also the girls conference is happening in Houston. So my co-youth minister is speaking at the event and Leah and I are hosting friends that have come into town for the event. Life is good! Of course, it always is when Leah and I are together.

Praise God for His wonderful blessings he has placed on us!

-Michael

Tonight is Faith Decisions and I am excited to reunite with my 8th graders that I got to know this past weekend. We are focusing on when we go wrong. Hard subject, but a much needed one. So, tonight we explore the depths of wrongness with students whose lives are full of wrongs, mishaps, and clumsy falls (physically and spiritually).

I go to see Leah tomorrow evening. That is certainly going to be a treat. Today was tough with missing her, however, I am greatly anticipating Thursday evening through Saturday afternoon.

We have quite a few things rolling with our ministry and I am just trying to keep up. Life is good and God is better than life, so all things will work to His Glory!

-Michael

My co-youth minister and myself have a great task ahead of us these next two weeks. We had a great time at Winterfest. Jeff Walling was good (as he always is) and our kids got it. We had quite a few take the walk to the front for prayer, baptism, and commitments. That evening we pulled them aside and let them know we were going to be talking with them the next two weeks to get their impression of the weekend and what was going on with them during that commitment time. Today we began the initial calls to parents to arrange a time to meet with their kids. Soon we will be following up with each one and getting their story and seeing what we can do to help them in this process and journey of faith.

Follow up is one of the toughest pieces of ministry. You have to help students walk through this event that is now in the past and help them process what was going on and not have the height of emotion to help it surface. Then once you have heard them, you pray and continue to build those relationships to continue to help them and work through their stuff. It is tough, but one of the most building and rewarding times in ministry for the minister and the student. Praise God for these students and the commitments and journey they are embarking on this year.

I went into this trip knowing very few names. By Sunday around 3:30 when we returned I knew over 80 and even more so had built some relationships already. God is good! I was full of joy when I remembered a name. I am full of joy now, just knowing what God has done to help me know this group better.

-Michael

Dribbling with great finesse, gliding through the air, precision shooting, and skillful avoidance of others on the court is not the images that come to mind after watching Middle School basketball. Finesse was replaced with awkwardness, gliding was in short supply, most shots seemed to end with Amen, and wherever the ball went dogpiles ensued. As I sat watching this one particular 8th grade game I turned to one of the dads and said, “It must be extremely difficult to not fall when you haven’t quite grown into your feet yet.” This dad, being one who knows adolescence well, chuckled and quickly agreed. Now I must confess that some of my illustrations are a bit exaggerated. It wasn’t like the whole game was a train wreck. In fact, the 7th grade game was pretty peaceful, but just like the 8th grade game there were those times when beyond the adolescent’s control they hammered or ran over another player.

You know I have been doing youth ministry for over six years full-time now. Every chance I get I try to instill the necessity of faith in my students. I am not sure why but I put faith on the court and expect these adolescents with great finesse to precisely and skillfully glide through the air depositing it in the spiritual bucket every time. It just doesn’t happen. And if I am truly honest with myself, my feet are too big and I stumble and fall with this faith thing to. Faith, just like those big feet will be something they grow in. So we listen, we coach, we put it in play and watch students learn to handle faith. It was extremely unlikely if not impossible to see NBAesque plays at a middle school game. It is unlikely to see students consistently handle faith seamlessly as well.

There were a few times in the game last night when the net swished with a 3 pointer, a diving defensive play gave them back the ball, a skilled point guard drove through all five defendants to put up the perfect layup, and one pretty gutsy turn around jumper. These would have made the highlight reel for last night. Just like those occasional plays we see students’ faith persevere through ridiculous circumstances, ask the tough questions, and blindly lead them to the cross. It is those highlights of faith that keep me in the game and keeps them in the game as well.

Give me a middle school basketball any time! Give me an adolescent faith and with the Spirit we will move a mountain.

Thanks boys for the lesson…and the entertainment!

-Michael

No not on an island, but at highland. Oasis is what they do on Wednesday nights for adults. However, I am really speaking of the Oasis meal they serve prior to the event. People from the surrounding neighborhood come to share a meal with the Highland members. The members in turn get to know them and concern themselves with their spiritual matters. There was a prayer corner. They had some playing music and singing praise. But the best was watching the members of this church sit with those who don’t attend from the neighborhood and share a meal, stories, greetings, prayers, and their families with one another.

Although I mostly observed the room last night I was greatly inspired and convicted that this is where Jesus would be and how church should be done.

It was interesting to witness that both parties were uncomfortable, yet ministry still ensued. It just goes to show the importance of a meal shared. Jesus had some of his most powerful ministry moments during a meal. We call the Lord’s supper sometimes the covenant meal. There is great Holy Spirit power in breaking bread together and celebrating what the Lord has done through Jesus Christ. The Holy Spirit brings both uncomfortable parties into a divine moment together. Walls fall, barriers broken down, and people leave their separate ways with a better understanding of Kingdom and the life of Christ!

I think Oasis is just the right name! Refreshment and life in the desert!

-Michael

Well trying to blog at the office just isn’t working these days. There is always some pressing issue that takes priority. So I decided to blog at my apartment instead. I just want to let people know that my new job is going well. We have our first trip this weekend. We are attending Winterfest in Arlington. I am excited, because I know this will be a great opportunity to build relationships. I get to pal around with my very own group of 8th grade guys. Our group is taking 92 students and around 18 adults. It is going to be a blast!

My wife is simply amazing. She came to see me this past weekend. She drove here on Saturday, stayed up late, got up early, and left on Monday afternoon. Then when she gets home she takes care of the dog, the cat, cleans the house, and gets up for work the next day. I am amazed by her energy and love for me. She has the majority of the responsibilities and still warrants time for us to talk on the phone. I am just amazed!

Last little note:

Please pray for my friend. He is a minister and his wife died today. He needs the comfort of God and the church. God knows who he is, just pray!

-Michael

I know I have only been here two weeks and one of those was in Nashville. So why would I already need a retreat? Well this is staff retreat. Once a month the staff goes to a quiet place outside Abilene for one day. They each take something to read. Usually your Bible and another Christian book. Each spends time in solitude reading and praying. Then we eat lunch and as a staff share together something about our experience. It is very intentional to not only keep the ministry staff healthy, but also allow all of us to grow closer to God and one another. There are currently 10 full-time ministers on staff and this week 8 will be attending. I am looking forward to reading, prayer, and meditation. I hope to spend some time reflecting on these past two weeks, this entire transition, and my place within God’s plan for Highland and its Youth Ministry. This is an awesome time for me to reflect. I know that God has some major plans for me and Leah here. I just pray today:

Speak O Lord and allow me to hear your gentle whisper!

-Michael

I read something today from C.S. Lewis as well as The Body Broken by Jack Reese. At the same time I had the KSBJ from Houston playing on my computer. All three came together in a quiet, yet powerful moment this morning. God’s love somewhat redefined for me. In the Body Broken I was reading chapter three. Reese does an excellent job speaking about Philippians 4 and the rift between Euodia and Syntyche. They needed to reconcile with a great healing. There is no doubt that Christ does not want His body divided. Not then, not now! While I was finishing the chapter the song Amazing Love can on the radio on KSBJ over my computer speakers (I love technology today). I then picked up my book of daily reading from C.S. Lewis (a great Christmas present from my loving wife) and the title was “Amazing Love, How Can it Be?” My ears perked up to the song and eyes bulged and heart attentive to the Spirit speaking.

I searched my heart to think of reconciliations of my own that should be made. I reflected on the importance of love. Then I read something that gave me a new outlook on love, especially God’s love and Christian love. Lewis uses the phrase “…but the consuming fire Himself…” (Full Quote Below)

I have many times if not always equaled love with niceness, meekness, gentleness, forgiveness, and a quiet prevalent joy. However, God is love and He is a consuming fire. Love is consuming. It brings us in and takes over if we allow. But a fire? YES A FIRE!!! Love isn’t just subtle and quiet and meek. Love is engaging, radical, exuberant, and rages on if we allow! Then I realized that Life in Christ is experiencing that type of love! I want a love that is consuming yes, but even more so I want a love that is FIRE! That is the kind of love that all the world will want to keep forever! I do not minimize the love I have always known as described above. There is a season for everything. However, a FIRE love will keep me searching and allow me to blaze for Christ!

A Consuming Fire type of love will bring fractured churches, fractured lives, and timid faith together to the Holy Spirit that can consume our world and revive our churches.

Amazing Love, How Can It Be?
“When Christianity says that God loves man, it means that God loves man: not that HE has some ‘disinterested’, because really indifferent, concern for our welfare, but that, in awful and surprising truth, we are the objects of His love. You asked for a loving God: you have one. The great spirit you so lightly invoked, the ‘lord of terrible aspect’, is present: not a senile benevolence that drowsily wishes you to be happy in your own way, not the cold philanthropy of a conscientious magistrate, nor the care of a host who feels responsible for the comfort of his guests, but the consuming fire Himself, the Love that mad the worlds, persistent as the artist’s love for his work and despotic as a man’s love for a dog, provident and venerable as a father’s love fro a child, jealous, inexorable, exacting as love between the sexes. How this should be, I do not know: it passes reason to explain why any creatures, not to say creatures such as we,; should have a value so prodigious in their Creator’s eyes. It is certainly a burden of glory not only beyond our deserts but also, except in rare moments of grace, beyond our desiring; we are inclined, like the maidens in the old play, to deprecate the love of Zeus. But the fact seems unquestionable.”

-From The Problem of Pain
A Year with C.S. Lewis Daily Readings from His Classic Works
C.S. Lewis
Zondervan 2003
Patricia S. Klein Ed.
Harper Collins Publishing: San Francisco

Preceding Reflection and thoughts by Michael Matthew Mercer

-Michael