Amanda and I went with a few other fellow Trinity Youth workers (Jenni, Sam Sullins, Henry Everitt, and about 5 others along with Tony the Youth Minister) went up to Nashville for the Youth Specialties convention. This is the National Youth Workers convention. It has three stops each year. A lot of amazing stuff. All of you need to check out the David Crowder Band. Unbelievable. They led the worship music for the two general sessions on Saturday. Music that had 9000 people on their feet singing at the top of thier lungs. Definitley not your typical Christian music. During Saturday's noon session David Crowder Band was playing a 4 song set on one side of the stage. On the other was this large hunk of clay. As the band started, this guy walked out and started sculpting. After a song you could start to see a face, next song eyes/beard - obviously Jesus, next song hair and crown of thorns, the last song - big climax song stage lights going crazy, everyone singing/shouting at the top of their lungs, the sculpture guy breaks out red paint and starts steaking the scupture of the thorn crowned King. I can hardly talk about it. It was a demonstration on how absolutely powerful art can be.
Also went to a break out session on youth and pop culture. Great talk by Rich Mueller of the Mars Hill foundation. Excellent speaker (James, you need to check out his stuff on the site). Basically said we can't turn our head to the stuff teens are into today. We have to "swim in their soup" in order to understand them and ultimately minister to them. I can't even begin to summarize his 2.5 hour lecture. Very very good.
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3 comments:
Larry, it sounds like you had a very powerful experience this weekend. It comforts me to know that people like you and Amanda and Jenni are working with kids. You are such worthy and inspiring role models. Don't worry James, I appreciate your work as well. I was just being specific to Larry's post.
That's awesome stuff Larry. David Crowder Band is solid. I have downloaded some of their stuff. I bet they are awesome live. I couldn't agree more with what you said about not turning our heads on the things that teens and really all people are going through. In some ways I feel like we (or maybe just me) were raised to stay away from certain places or people. That's not how Jesus looked at this world. I know you and Amanda are an awesome influence for those youth. I'm thankful that you guys are there for Trinity. I know that God will do wonders through you both.
Kind of on this topic, I highly recommend the book, Blue Like Jazz. It gives a unique perspective on being a Christian in today's world. I'm not quite done, but I'm really liking it. Also, I read The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe in preparation for the movie. As a youth I didn't realize the comparisons it had to the Bible. It's pretty cool to read it now.
The author of Blue Like Jazz turned the book into a one-man play. He performed a 15 minute segment of the play over the weekend at Youth Specialties. It looked really good. He did the segment of dating a Budhist.
One of the messages I took away from the Walt Mueller break out session is there are two transformations that must occur for Christains, First we must be born from the world into Christ. Next we must be born back into the world with Christ. Most Christains stop short and don't follow through with the second part of the transformation.
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