10 things I've learnt in 2010

So 2011 is upon us and 2010 has flown by like a Pegasus on acepromazine. This means that it's time for the annual sum up of what has happened.

1. Don't say too much
2. Especially if your clan will use it against you
3. The church is almost missing a generation
4. Salvation is free so don't complain
5. God is sometimes treated like a banana
6. Blessings and hardships are not mutually exclusive
7. God shows his faithfulness
8. God deserves to be worshipped whether you're in the mood or not
9. God can whisper as well as shout
10. Never trust me with papier-mâché

Quick Questions

1. What lessons have you learnt in 2010?
2. What was the high point and low point of 2010?
3. What would you like to see in Yarns of a Youth Worker in 2011?

Storylines by Andy Croft and Mike Pilavachi

When I went to Soul Survivor I took the opportunity to browse the book stall and Storylines by Andy Croft and Mike Pilavachi was one of the titles I came away with. I really bought it with my youth group in mind as I'm trying to compile a list of books that they could read. So I sort of expected it to be a bit light on the old theology and just a compilation of funny anecdotes.

It was funny but it certainly wasn't light. It traced threads such as worship and salvation through both the Old and New Testament. When most people seem to treat the Old and New Testament like the 'before' and 'after' photos on adverts for beauty products it was really nice to read how the two are all part of the same story. It really bought home to me how Jesus' death wasn't a Plan B or an afterthought but how the need for it and hints of it's coming are seen throughout the Old Testament.

I found it really helpful to read and it talks about some complex ideas in a clear and understandable way. It's brilliant for both teenagers and the older Christian.

Quick Questions

1. What books did you read as a teenager?
2. What books are you reading at the moment?
3. Would you like to write a book review for Yarns of a Youth Worker?

Three reasons I may have to leave Mosaic

I mentioned in a previous post (this one to be precise) that I was in a clan called Mosaic. In the aforementioned post I said how excited I was about it . Since then things have taken a dramatic turn for the worse and I may have to leave the group. These are the three reasons:

They know too much
The group have managed to coerce certain information out of me that can be used against me. And used it is. There is a constant stream of teasing that flows in my direction. I get teased for my ineptitude at various things (Jenga, CoD, life) and my shamefully nerdy past (I used to read the dictionary as a child, okay?). I am a sensitive and delicate soul who would never think of teasing another person. I don't think I can take it for much longer.

The food
Mosaic seems to base itself around food. And don't get me wrong, the food is great. Really, really good. And that's the problem. Since we started meeting we have munched through mountains of pancakes, a pig's worth of bacon, our body weight in ice cream, colossal cakes, and a full-on Christmas dinner. I think it's killing me. I expect my GP will back me up on this one.

The conversation
There seems to be two things that currently define Mosaic: food and poo. One we eat and one we talk about (and hope to never mix it up). For some reason topic always seems to get onto talking about scatology. I don't know why it happens but I find the topic matter uncivilised and uncouth. Obviously, I never partake in such talk. We do sometimes talk about other things, such as the implications of being a community on our lives and how it affects they way we act out our vision. But we mostly talk about poo and farting.

Quick Questions:

1. Should I run for the hills?
2. If you're in a small group, what do you get up to?
3. What do you think is the purpose of a small group?

Ungrateful faith

Whenever I buy snacks for the youth group someone will complain. Someone won't like the drinks, the crisps or it wasn't served at 23.5 degrees celcius. My response is always the same: it's free so don't moan. Be a bit more grateful.

However, I used to moan about the way I came to know God. My testimony is the "I was brought up in a Christian family..." type and I always felt it to be boring. It affected my attitude to having a relationship with God. When I heard amazing faith stories involving bank robberies, years of drug use or car crashes I would get angry. Why would God give them such exciting stories and not me? Why did they see the awesome power of God in such an obvious way but I hadn't?

Then one day I read Matthew 20:1-6. I realised I was like the workers who had agreed to work for a denarius but was envious because of the landlord's generosity.

I have received salvation. It's amazing. It's free. Stop complaining.

Quick Questions

1. What flavour of crisps are most universally acceptable?
2. If you're a Christian how did you become one (keep it short!)?
3. How are you remembering your salvation during Christmas?