Mike King

Isaiah 58:6-13

Isaiah 58:6-13
[6] “Is not this the kind of fasting I have chosen: to loose the chains of injustice and untie the cords of the yoke, to set the oppressed free and break every yoke? [7] Is it not to share your food with the hungry and to provide the poor wanderer with shelter— when you see the naked, to clothe him, and not to turn away from your own flesh and blood? [8] Then your light will break forth like the dawn, and your healing will quickly appear; then your righteousness will go before you, and the glory of the Lord will be your rear guard. [9] Then you will call, and the Lord will answer; you will cry for help, and he will say: Here am I. “If you do away with the yoke of oppression, with the pointing finger and malicious talk, [10] and if you spend yourselves in behalf of the hungry and satisfy the needs of the oppressed, then your light will rise in the darkness, and your night will become like the noonday. [11] The Lord will guide you always; he will satisfy your needs in a sun-scorched land and will strengthen your frame. You will be like a well-watered garden, like a spring whose waters never fail. [12] Your people will rebuild the ancient ruins and will raise up the age-old foundations; you will be called Repairer of Broken Walls, Restorer of Streets with Dwellings.

What the Heck is LaCygne?

 

If you are attending the National Youth Workers Convention in Dallas you will notice the lanyards with "LaCygne" on them.  You will probably overhear youthworkers talking about LaCygne.  So, what is LaCygne?  Great question, in fact below are links to frequently asked questions about LaCygne.

Please click any question below to see a detailed explanation.  

1) Who or what is LaCygne?

2) What is Youthfront?

3) What does a typical day look like at LaCygne?

4) What are the three daily prayer times?

5) Why are some of the summer sessions for such a wide age range?

6) Is this a good fit for someone as young as 14?

7) My child isn’t part of a group, can she/he still attend a session?

8) Can I bring a group to LaCygne and have our own meetings?

9) How long is a summer session?

10) How do I decide whether to stay in a cabin or camp outside?

11) Why is the price so low compared to other summer opportunities?

12) How does the community at LaCygne ensure the safety of the young people attending?

13) Is there some kind of service component?

14) Do I need spending money at LaCygne?

15) Who is invited to the family session?

If you cannot find what you are looking for, feel free to email us at lacygne@youthfront.com.

 

From Text to Speech

What is the future of Christian proclamation in a society increasingly driven by networked technologies and 140-character communications? What place does preaching to young people have in such a society, and what form might it take? How might we move from mere sermons and “youth talks” into affecting the lives of young hearers?

I'm excited to participate in this important Conference.  COME JOIN US.

MORE INFORMATION HERE

How Does Scripture Function?

In our Theology Track at the National Youth Workers Conventions this fall we are addressing the topic, "How do Scripture and Theology Interact?"

 “What is the point of reading the Bible?” What youth worker hasn’t heard that question? How that question gets answered depends on theology. Any answer we give suggests something about God, the church and discipleship. The Bible and theology are inexorably bound together, so this panel will engage broadly around the topic of their interaction. How do theological commitments impact how we interpret Scripture? How does culture shape our understanding of the Bible? What role do communities play in helping us read Scripture? What really is the point of reading the Bible? And, are we ever just reading the Bible? How do we help young people grapple with a Bible that is complex, ancient, enigmatic and yet normative and authoritative for our faith?  

One of our panelists is Dr. Dean Blevins.  Here is a guest blog post by Dr Blevins to help frame this topic.

I am looking forward participating in the Youth Theology panel discussions at the National Youth Workers Convention in San Diego and Dallas. The panels, sponsored by Immerse Journal, are designed to engage youth ministers theologically, encouraging a deeper reflection over the role of theology in the practice of ministry.

I am thankful Mike King invited me to address this issue with a really stellar panel of youth ministry specialists who share deep theological convictions. The challenge reminds me just how deeply theology shapes our reading of scripture alongside how scripture informs our theology. This may be a “chicken and egg” issue since we never come to scripture without some theological assumptions (a theological horizon) which influences our understanding of scripture. To be sure, we ought to be disciplined enough to attempt to take scripture seriously on its own merits. However, I really do not believe we can ever approach scripture without a theological framework. The challenge may be more accepting our assumptions first and then recognize how they may or may not hinder our interpretations.

However, I really wonder if our theology remains so deeply rooted that often it shapes our understanding of the very role of scripture. In short, what do we assume happens when we read, teach, discuss, and engage scripture? How does the Bible “function” in our ministry from the standpoint of how it informs actual participation in the Christian life? What actually “happens” when we read scripture and what does the Bible “do” for us as we read it?  

The question came home early in my ministry when I was engaged in a conversation with a really intelligent young adult finishing his doctoral program in American history. He was struggling with his faith journey and I was there to help him sort out his past with his vision for God’s salvation at work in and through his life. I asked if he read scripture and, if so, why? He frankly admitted he never read scripture anymore and saw no need. When pressed why, he merely replied “I already learned all the answers so why bother?” The response took me off guard. Much like passing a driver’s license exam, my friend was raised to see scripture as a deposit of data, a manual, with requisite data to be memorized, tested, and passed. He did admit that he might consult scripture when he “forgot” the guidelines for a particular way of living, much like checking for a long forgotten traffic law. The very source of life for some Christians had become a hurdle to overcome and nothing more. It was almost “been there, done that, bought the t-shirt” Bible study. Why?  READ THE REST OF THE POST HERE.

I Am A Recovering Ideologue

Ideology: a set of beliefs, especially religious, philosophical or political beliefs on which people, parties or countries base their actions.

Ideologue: a person who zealously advocates an ideology with an uncompromising and dogmatic manner. Ideologues often employ questionable tactics to advance their positions because they believe the end justifies the means. 

I am a recovering ideologue. Ideologues often colonize environments and justify the use of dubious means to accomplish results supporting their ideologies. Because of their passionate advocacy, they are willing to throw people under the bus to advance their causes. They are black and white in their thinking. You’re either with them or against them. There is no middle ground. They see categories, not people. They guard against looking into the faces of real people, knowing that might shed light on the hypocrisy of their ideological dogmas.

If you think I’m talking about someone you radically disagree with, you just might be an ideologue. Perhaps a little self-reflection is in order.

We must ask ourselves, In what ways am I willing to twist a theological position just to advance a cause I believe in? We must learn to read Scripture over and against ourselves instead of assuming the warnings are always directed at the other and not ourselves.

Having come out of a conservative background (both politically and theologically), Ironically, I find it hard not to be dismissive of the people who are like the person I used to be. My world is more expansive now. As my world of relationships has expanded, I naively assumed political and theological liberals would be kinder and more progressive. However, I’ve learned that all ideologues are the same. They want their way. They’re right; you’re wrong. If you think differently, you’re an enemy. They label and dismiss those who don’t agree with their positions.

Youth workers, don’t be ideologues! Our vocation is pastoral. See people as people, not issues. Be open to the Holy Spirit taking you places you assumed you would never go . I wonder if Jesus was initially uncomfortable hanging out with sinners. I wonder if Jesus was troubled with being constantly criticized by the religious elite for pushing against the prevailing positions of those ideologues. I wonder if we experience the same level of frustration he experienced when we shed our desire to be ideologues.

I’m not saying in any way that this means we should be wishy-washy or unconcerned with truth. I have no hesitation in saying I am Christian to the core, orthodox in the doctrines stated in our historic creeds. I believe Jesus Christ is fully God and fully man, born of the Virgin Mary, was crucified, died and was buried and that he arose, bodily, physically from the dead on the third day. For some, those beliefs make me an ideologue.

But I will not torch others. I do not feel the need to be the Holy Spirit and bring down judgment on those who have a different perspective than I do. I am committed to conversations and relationships with those I don’t agree with. I want to be open to learn from others. I seek first to understand. We can be people who disagree on important issues without demonizing one another. We can demonstrate theological, sociological and relational generosity to our students. I’m thrilled that more and more people are rejecting old categories like liberal and conservative or right and left and discovering new, more biblical ways to navigate difficult and complex issues. 

If you are prone to be an ideologue, as I am, please take a few minutes and read what Paul says here in Romans 12:14-18. Let it sink in. Meditate on these words from the Lord.

Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse. Rejoice with those who rejoice; mourn with those who mourn. Live in harmony with one another. Do not be proud, but be willing to associate with people of low position. Do not be conceited. Do not repay anyone evil for evil. Be careful to do what is right in the eyes of everyone. If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone.

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The Bible Doesn't Say That, Does It?

Immerse and Youthfront is a proud sponsor of the National Youth Worker Convention Theological Forums again this year.  Over the next months leading up to the conferences we will be having the various panelists that will be at the forums sharing some pre-cursory thoughts on some of the questions they will be asked.  This week our friend Amy Jacober is speaking briefly to her experience with interpreting scripture.  

 

I have had more than one conversation about a concern regarding me allegedly not taking scripture seriously enough. Ironically, it is because I have such a high view of scripture that I end up in such conversations. It is always a little uncomfortable for people when they learn they have aligned their lives around biblical beliefs that are, well…not biblical.

While I can think of several times this has been the case, early in my ministry career an incident took place that has become a theme in my life. Years ago I served as a Bible Study leader for my denominational camp. What this meant was that for 10 weeks that summer, new groups of churches would trust their youth to our staff and we got to lead them in Bible study, recreation and a whole host of other really fun and silly things. Relationships were formed and theological questions came up daily.

In my very first week of camp on the very first day of Bible study, a student asked if the Bible allowed drinking. I mustered every bit of wisdom my 21 year-old self had and said I didn’t want to speak out of turn and would do some research and return the following day with an answer. That night I checked with my roommate, our director and every translation of the Bible we had, not to mention a commentary or two. I came ready to share what I had learned. And what I learned was that drinking was not forbidden but drunkenness was (Ephesians 5:18). I also reminded the group that in this country, we are also called to obey the law of the land and the legal age for drinking was 21 so the issue of their drinking was not an option for any of them as high school students (Romans 13:1). I then shared that as believers, we sometimes are held to higher standards and that our entire staff had signed a contract promising to not drink throughout the entire summer. I was proud of all that I had shared, thought I had offered a solid response that under no circumstances should a high-schooler be drinking and backed it up with scripture! Recreation came next and lunch followed.

Before I could even finish getting my lunch there was a clearly ticked off woman making a beeline for me. She grabbed my arm and pulled me over to her table with a few other angry leaders waiting. She asked why I had told all her youth that it was OK to drink. Stunned, I listened to her vent for a few moments and then offered my explanation of what had happened. I pointed out my careful study of the passages and that I had said it was okay to drink but not get drunk, that we must also obey the law of the land and even go above that sometimes as Christians. She looked at me and said I had undermined all her church had been teaching. Slowly and calmly (and in a moment of clarity I still can’t explain) I asked her to show me which passage she had used in her teaching as I would love to follow suit if her teaching was based on something more than personal opinion. She simply said to me that I was wrong and that I clearly didn’t know what the Bible said. There was no reasoning with her at that point.  She asked for all of her students to be removed from the Bible study I was leading and called for me to be fired.

While I managed to maintain my job I was told, by my supervisor that it was better to share the opinions of the churches even when they seem to contradict scripture. That was the only time in my career that idea was instructed to me explicitly but over the last 20 years it has been implicitly communicated to me numerous times and in numerous ways. Including from inside some of the academic institutions where I was teaching.

To Read Full Article

Fixed Hour Prayer, an Oasis at Youthfront in LaCygne

Yesterday, I got out of the office and went to Youthfront in LaCygne.  I always try to make it in time for Midday prayer, a personal highlight for me.  The chapel was packed with high school youth.  As a Youthfront community, we practice four different “offices” of prayer  throughout the day. First, is Morning Prayer at 9 am, Midday Prayer at noon, Evening Prayer is at 9 pm, and  finally compline prayer when the campers go to bed. These times are an incredible space for young people to listen to the Holy Spirit, and center themselves in prayer throughout the day.  For me, these times are so peaceful and life-giving.

Bullying! How We Should Respond?

 “So in everything, do to others what you would have them do to you.” Jesus Christ

One of the most difficult things I’ve ever experienced in my four decades of youth ministry was to serve as a Pallbearer for the funeral of one of a 13-year-old boy in my youth group.  Paul was the victim of repeated bullying by a large group of peers that tragically left Paul with the mistaken conclusion that his reality was too unbearable and he chose to end his own life.  This happened nearly 30 years ago.  Unfortunately, bullying has gotten much worse in the last ten years.

Right now the movie documentary Bully, along with several highly publicized  cases involving tragic results because of bullying among teenagers, has created a heightened awareness of the frightening dynamic of this issue in our culture.

Working with adolescents, we regularly hear stories of young people who everyday have to deal with being bullied.  Everyday, hundreds of thousands of young people have to deal with the fear of attending school where they know they will be bullied.  It’s estimated that an average of more than 150,000 young people stay home from school everyday to avoid being bullied.  Most of the time this occurs without parents being aware that it’s happening to their child. 

Bullying involves acts of repetitive negative behavior of a person or persons toward another person or persons that is aggressive and intimidating in nature.  Bullying can take the forms of emotional, verbal, and/or physical abuse.  Bullying can be a one-on-one issue but most often it involves a collaborative group engaged in peer abuse directed at one or more individuals.

Research reveals that young people who are regularly bullied face an increased risk of mental health issues.  Depression, anxiety, lack of motivation, despair, helplessness, and suicidal thoughts prevail among those who are dealing with being perpetually bullied. In addition to thinking about harming themselves, some begin to fanaticize about hurting their tormenters.  According to a report by the Secret Service, two-thirds of students who participated in school shootings were victims of bullying at school that had reached the level of self-described “torment.”

Mona O’Moore of the Anti-Bullying Centre at Trinity College in Dublin, has written, "There is a growing body of research which indicates that individuals, whether child or adult, who are persistently subjected to abusive behavior are at risk of stress related illness which can sometimes lead to suicide."

In addition to aggressive and physical actions that intimidate and harm the victims of bullying there are new forms of bullying that have emerged through social media.  This type of Cyber-bullying attempts to socially isolate the victim by spreading rumors, name calling, threatening, criticizing, manipulating, ostracizing, etc. through a variety of social medias, including Facebook, Twitter, and whatever new social media tools emerged last week, along with those that will surface this week.

According to the Cyberbullying Research Center, One in five teenagers are harassed regularly online. Almost one-half of all teenagers have experienced some form of online harassment. More than one-third (37%) of teens admit to using social networking sites to victimize and harass their peers.

Before we, as adults, rest in the idea that we have moved beyond the ability to bully, let me suggest that we may not engage in the overt bullying actions of adolescents but we must ask ourselves if we have not just adopted more sophisticated forms of bullying – gossip, character assassination, ostracizing, sabotaging, and exclusionary behavior toward others.

When Jesus was asked what it means to truly be his follower he says, “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind; and, Love your neighbor as yourself” Luke 10:27.  He then tells one of the best-known stories called the parable of the Good Samaritan in order to explain and explore the heart of what it means to be a genuine follower of Christ.  In this parable Jesus commends the man who comes to the rescue and takes care of a victim of extreme bullying.  We must stand up for those who are being bullied. Christians must speak up.  We have to take action concerning this issue

What is Youthfront doing about this issue?

• Teaching young people to treat all people with respect and the love, grace and mercy of Jesus Christ.
• Teaching young people the Golden Rule taught by Jesus, “So in everything, do to others what you would have them do to you.” Matthew 7:12
• Teaching and mentoring young people the importance of defending and standing up for the marginalized victims of bullying.

What can parents do?

• Talk to your kids about bullying.
• Go see the movie Bully with your age appropriate kids.
• Educate yourself on your kid’s world, their friends and the social environments they spend time in.
• Be appropriately curious of your kid’s social media world.

I believe that we have a window of opportunity created by this movie Bully and the media’s attention on this issue to double down our effort to radically alter the reality of bullying in our culture.  This, I believe is something that the followers of Jesus and God’s church must passionately engage in.  We must do this for our kids.

Resources                                                                                                                                          The Center for Parent/Youth Understanding, www.cpyu.org                                                          Wikipedia

How About... Farewell to the Rapture?

In light of all the recent goofiness surrounding the long expected Rapture happening last weekend (it didn't happen did it?), I think it's time to say "Farewell Rapture."

Are there any serious New Testament Scholars out there who believe in the North American invention of RAPTURE?  NO?  I didn't think so...  The problem is - a lot of North American Christian believe in the idea of Rapture (a word not found in Scripture). 

The good thing that has come out of the Left Behind series and further fueled by the latest Harold Camping fiasco targeting May 21, is that the eschatological framework involving Rapture and the left behind script has moved into the realm of being caricatured which makes it more easy to dismiss as a non-biblical concept. 

N.T. Wright wrote an article entitled "Farewell to the Rapture" in 2001.  Wright writes rightly, "Little did Paul know how his colorful metaphors for Jesus’ second coming would be misunderstood two millennia later.  The American obsession with the second coming of Jesus — especially with distorted interpretations of it — continues unabated." 

Read article here.

 

Where are you staying?

Erik Leafblad, a fellow Youthfront staff member, spoke at Jacob's Well this morning.  As always, Erik did a great job of preaching.  The text was John 1:35-42.  This is a text that has powerfully shaped my life and it was wonderful to hear my friend Erik speak about this pericope.

I wrote about my experience with this text in Presence Centered Youth Ministry.  Here is an excerpt;

Looking back, it was a major crossroad in my life.  I needed to get away and hear from God.  During my week with Jesus I focused on a portion of scripture in John 1:35-39. 

"The next day John again was standing with two of his disciples, ³⁶and as he watched Jesus walk by, he exclaimed, “Look, here is the Lamb of God!”  ³⁷The two disciples heard him say this, and they followed Jesus. ³⁸When Jesus turned and saw them following, he said to them, “What are you looking for?” They said to him, “Rabbi” (which translated means Teacher), “where are you staying?” ³⁹He said to them, “Come and see.” They came and saw where he was staying, and they remained with him that day. It was about four o”clock in the afternoon."

I read this text practicing Lectio Divina several times a day.  I used phrases from it to center myself.  I meditated, contemplated and prayed with this amazing text.  Four days into my retreat I climbed up the side of a mountain, rolled out a blanket and used the Ignatian prayer exercise of imaginative prayer to interact with the words. 

I determined to imagine and pray through this text in real time.  I didn’t have to spend a lot of time imagining the geography, the smells, the sounds, because I have been to Israel twenty times, so I know approximately where this event took place.  I know what the Jordan River looks like near the Dead Sea, close to Jericho.  I know what the weather is like, how thick the vegetation is near the meandering banks of the Jordan River.  I was able to fixate on what may of happened when Jesus came over the bank and headed toward John the Baptist and his delegation. 

I imagined myself sitting around John’s breakfast fire with his disciples, listening as his disciples began to discuss the plans for another day of baptizing.  I imagined the personalities of these people who would follow the unconventional “baptizer” into this desolate area.  And then, Jesus came through the thick vegetation over the bank toward John’s camp next to the Jordan River.  John stopped mid-sentence and said, "Look, the Lamb of God!"  I saw John and his cousin Jesus embrace. 

Jesus and the few who were with him joined us around the fire.  I imagined what it would have been like to hear stories of Jesus and John’s boyhood visits to each other’s families.  I heard laughter along with serious discussions of God and the coming kingdom. 

And then Jesus abruptly rose to leave.  They said their goodbyes and Jesus and his few followers left.  The two disciples of John followed Jesus and I imagined myself right behind them, going along to see what would happen.  We hit a trail through the thicket heading into the desert.  As we came into a clearing Jesus turned around, seeing the two disciples of John following him. 

What happened next is just as real to me as if I was actually there in the text.  I have shared this experience about a dozen and a half times, never without tears because of how deeply this impacted me, even writing this now is very emotional. 

When Jesus turned around, the two disciples of John whom I was following parted like the Red Sea and Jesus came right up to me, face to face.  Jesus looked past my eyes into my heart and soul. 

“Mike, what do you want?” 

I fell at the feet of Jesus and wept, pouring my heart out, praying, confessing, and in the end my answer was the same as John’s disciples.  “Where are you staying?”  “Because that is right where I want to be.  I want you Jesus.  I want to remain with you.  To go where you go, to learn from you, to love you, to be with you.” 

For one year after that experience I meditated everyday on this text.  I have often used imaginative prayer since that experience.  Many times the Holy Spirit has met me and spoken to me.  Although, never with the intensity that I experienced God that day on the side of a mountain.  But that day changed me profoundly and is something I will have for the rest of my life, for Jesus said, “Come, and you will see.”1

1 Mike King, Presence Centered Youth Ministry: Guiding Students into Spiritual Formation (Downers Grove, Ill.: InterVarsity Press, 2006), pp. 183-85.

This account was originally published in Tony Jones, The Sacred Way: Spiritual Practices for Everyday Life (Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 2004), pp. 77-79