I've Been Up For Days; I Finally Lost My Mind

I watched a lizard fall off the roof onto the banana plant this morning.
Butterflies danced from flower to flower.
A breeze did little to disturb the absolute silence of the backyard.
The Mexican coffee was strong and black and wonderfully necessary after only a few hours sleep.
It was near perfection.

This week was one of the most stressful I have encountered in my professional career. Youth ministry was difficult, but it always had the added benefit of the kids being able to lift me up with their laughter and amazing ability to always love. Trust me when I tell you that scientists do not have this same ability.

Yet as long as I give people a chance, they are still able to pull me out of a black mood. I couldn't do it yesterday--I was too beaten down to face even one person, much less a large group of them. But forcing myself to go to Cobra Starship with Amanda on Tuesday, and then sharing a "Time Bomb" (Ha...they really should call it that; it's the perfect description) in the shadow of the St Louis Cathedral while talking about all kinds of random stuff--that was one of the best nights in quite some time. Going to Taqueria Corona with Lauren and hearing about her European adventures made my Wednesday. Mary coming over and helping me make pasta with sesame broccoli and red peppers was a great finish to Thursday, and something that definitely needs to happen more often. And parents, you'll be happy to know that if I fall into a ditch, Emily is on it--I didn't even have my email open yesterday and so didn't answer her, and I got home to a text and a phone call. Even though I didn't have the energy for DQ/Scrabble, having someone that cares lifted me up.

I'm glad Mom is home and had an amazing experience in Romania. I missed her emails and being able to talk to her. I'm happy my dad knows how to text and that I have revived my Mariners interest (strange season for this to have happened) so that we can exchange random texts about that game. And I'm so excited that I'll be able to see my family in four weeks.

Yeah...I'm happy. Giddy even. Strange, I know. Amanda wondered where my cynicism went...until she realized I can still cleverly mock emo kids and shout essential advice at Texas drivers, and realized I have not completely lost my mind. I've only lost a piece of it--but it's definitely making me giddy.

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Now playing: Copeland - Choose the one who loves you more
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Just the Two of Us, a Silver Cross

It's been quite the stressful day at work. I feel the tension eating its way up my neck and spreading through my shoulders. I took a break to check out my newest guilty pleasure, www.foundmagazine.com. They collect and post notes, letters, postcards, pictures, etc that people find in various places. This one caught my eye today.

What DOES it mean when our average congregates are over 50? Are churches losing relevance, or are young people losing faith?

What amazes me so much about my church in New Orleans is that it shows that God is not irrelevant, and that we do not need to create fancy programs and eye-catching gimmicks to attract younger people to church. It is definitely the youngest congregation of which I've been a part, but we're not there for high-tech presentations, a crazy worship team, contemporary music, or a coffee cart (not that I'd mind a coffee cart...). In fact, it seems in some ways the opposite of what many claim young people enjoy in church, with its emphasis on liturgy and classical hymns.

So what is it about Redeemer that goes against this little note? I believe it's the mission-mindedness of the congregation. Most of the young adults that attend are recent comers to NOLA, and they're here to do their part to put the city back together. It's a tough job, so it's really no surprise that so many who come here permanently are doing it because they have a strong sense that God has called them here. I believe it is that shared mission that keeps the young people coming.

So what does it say when the average age in the church is over fifty? Maybe it's not God that's irrelevant...maybe it's the fact that the church has lost sight of its true mission. It may be expressed in many different ways or words, but if the congregation is not living out their faith in the world, maybe it's the church goers that are making the idea of church seem a little, well, pointless.

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Now playing: The Refreshments - Blue Collar Suicide
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