Mike King

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 [email protected].

 

Granddaughters, Part Two

Vicki and I have two granddaughters.  Lexi King is five years old and Teagan is eight days old.  Yesterday's post featured a video of Lexi reading The Night Before Kindergarten on the eve of her first day of Kindergarten.  Today video features the arrival of baby Teagan.

this is the day that teagan joined us from David Fiser on Vimeo.

Granddaughters, Part One

Vicki and I are so fortunate to have two wonderful Granddaughters.  Humor me, I have two videos starring our beautiful girls.  Lexi King is five years old and Teagan is seven days old.  Today was Lexi's first day of Kindergarten and is the star of this video (Teagan will be tomorrow's feature star).

This Ages Me...

I had so many highlights from the recent Wild Goose Festival. One of the most spiritual profound moments for me was on the eve of the festival. Ian Cron, Joy Wallis, Todd Fadel and Topher Philgreen were sitting in a circle engaged in conversation about the festival and the conversation turned to music that shaped us spiritually. Since we were all pretty much from the same era some blasts from the past emerged. One of the names that came up was Evie Tournquist. I know that ages me. We even had a little Evie sing-a-long. At that point, the night took a magical turn and reached a crescendo when we each picked a favorite hymn and together joined in singing it. Holy, Holy, Holy; I Love Him; I Come to the Garden Alone, and on... transcendent, enriching and worshipful. Todd Fadel oversees the music for Wild Goose and he is a wonderful man, follower of Jesus and has a sweet family. Todd just sent this Evie song to me and Joy (because we declared ourselves the Evie fan club). Maybe you had to be there but I think it is beautiful. Thanks Todd.

Christian Formation and Music

My friend Mike Crawford weighs in on Christian Formation and Music for Immerse: A Journal of Faith, Life and Youth Ministry.

Christian Formation and Music: Part One By: Mike Crawford Music is one of God's most powerful and creative forces, and it's played a huge role in my life and is certainly playing a large part in the lives of my kids. I've been reflecting on how I encountered music as a young person and also how I've fostered space in my kids' lives to make sure they encounter the beautiful partnership between God and man in both the listening to and creation of music. First, a couple quotes I found while reading a great book on calling by Ken Gire, called Windows of the Soul: "What can we do that makes us the gladdest, what can we do that leaves us with the strongest sense of sailing true north and of peace, which is much of what gladness is? Is it making things with our hands out of wood or stone or paint or canvas? Or is it making something we hope like truth out of words? Or is it making people laugh or weep in a way that cleanses their spirit? I believe that if it is a thing that makes us truly glad, then it is a good thing and it is our thing and it is the calling voice that we were made to answer with our lives."  -Frederick Buechner "There is always one moment in childhood when the door opens and lets in the future."    -Graham Greene, The Power and the Glory For me, the future started knocking on the door when I was in fifth grade. The specific day was August 16, 1977, the day Elvis died... Read More!

O Star-flinging God

O Star-flinging God,

whose light dances across eternity,

     dazzle us into your presence

     this new year.

 

Open our hearts to the mystery of your love.

 

Awaken us to your presence,

     knit to the ordinary.

Reveal to us what is possible, but not yet present.

Heal us, that we might be healers.

 

Reconcile us to you and to ourselves,

     that our living might be reconciling.

 

Stop us often, we pray

     with news that is good

     with hope that holds

     with truth that transforms with a Word

          tailored to this trail we're on.

 

May the word of your grace guide our steps

     like the sun by day

     and the north star by night,

     as we travel into the gift of a new year. Amen.

                                                     Glenn Mitchell

(from MINemergent 12-30-2011)

Joy to the World

600 shoppers break out in Praise...

A couple of weeks ago the Opera Company of Philadelphia, consisting of approximately 600 voices, spontaneously sang the "Hallelujah Chorus" during a busy shopping day at Macy's Center City in Philadelphia.   The famous Wanamaker Organ is housed in the Macy's Center City. The Wanamakr Organ was built by the Los Angeles Art Organ Company for the 1904 St. Louis World's Fair and was designed by renowned organ architect George Ashdown Audsley, author of The Art of Organ-Building. In 1909 it was moved to its present location.  The history of this organ is very interesting.

They called the event a "Random Act of Culture." It is extraordinary and left me in tears in a public coffee shop (I hate that, I think it scares people), nevertheless, this video is a glimpse of beauty and a wonderful Good News proclamation that is actually GOOD NEWS.  If you watched it, what was your reaction?

 

The best gift ever survived...

Here is a short TED talk by Stacey Kramer (only 3 minutes).  I've watched it twice and I'm still wiping away the tears... powerful.

 

The Beauty and Power of Snowflakes

While I'm fixiated on this wonderful Christmas snowstorm, here is a poem I wrote several years ago.

A snowflake so fragile. Alone, what can it do?

Then come two, now five, wait… nine, 

      all still seemingly quite benign.

A snowflake, so fragile what can it do?

Alone, not much except look pretty,

          yet together they can conquer a city.