Am I Wrong?

This weekend I got to speak on the adult stage at Montgomery Campus (I'm sworn to secrecy about how many times!) and it was a thrill for several reasons. First I have wanted to be able too for a long time. I have attended Montgomery Campus since it's inception back in March of 2002. When I look back over these last 7+ years it is a remarkable period in my life. I think if I were to find my own time traveling Delorean and go back I would hardly recognize my old self. This is not to suggest I have attained any significant maturity but I certainly have grown a lot. It is my home campus in so many way because I have taken so many steps there. I look forward to having the same memories at the Shorewood Campus. Who knows what lies ahead.

But back to the weekend. I got to speak to the adults about our current series - Suburban Legends. This is the second message in this series I have gotten to deliver. The series is about the social myths that we buy into that are not really true. The first one in the series and the first message I gave was on the legend that kids just need to be happy. I taught that one at Shorewood and I felt it went really well. I always feel hypocritical when it comes to talking about parenting because I think I was a bad parent for a really long time. Finally, I am starting to feel like my kids don't secretly hope I fall in a deep hole. This talk addressed permissive parenting which is probable the one area of parenting I don't feel like a total fraud. I enjoyed the opportunity immensely.

As the series continued we came to this weeks legend which was that all teenagers are rebellious. This is a topic near to my heart obviously being in student ministry. I loved the angle because it addressed the fact that so many adults think, communicate to, and treat these teenager years like something to be endured, a storm to be weathered. They inadvertently communicate that adolescence is nothing more than preparation for when your real life begins. I think this devalues teens and leads them to believe what they do whether good or bad doesn't matter. I of course believe students are the most powerful force on the planet when they embrace God's plan and purpose for their lives. I love seeing students engaged in the mission of the kingdom of God. It really is what makes it all worth it for me. Anyway the combination of that topic and being on my home stage really made it special. I almost felt like it was a guilty pleasure - is that wrong? Many thanks go out to all the people that lobbied for me to get the opportunity in it's various forms. My favortist moment was asking all the students in the audience to come forward and be prayed for "commissioning" them as ministers of the Gospel of Jesus Christ because they are the Church of Today. No matter where this crazy journey leads me, I will remember that moment for the rest of my life. I suppose if that is my guilty pleasure and I am wrong then I don't want to be right! It was a thrill.