Naming The Wells

Abraham was a well digger.

So was his son Isaac. 

When Isaac grew up and became a man, he followed in his father's footsteps. Abraham was obviously a good example to his son. 

But more than that, Abraham TAUGHT his son. How do we know this? Because when Isaac dug and re-dug the wells, he named them the same things his father had named them. Had Abraham not TAUGHT his son the names, Isaac could've called them whatever he desired. Abraham was very specific in his teaching to Isaac. He didn't want his boy to grow up not knowing how the wells were dug, why the wells were dug, and the names of those wells.

Our responsibility as Youth Pastors is not to be vague in our teaching/preaching. "Let's pray through", "let's have revival", "keep sin out of your life." Those are all great things to teach, but what if those we are teaching have no idea what they mean? We need to be more specific, and to "name" some things so that there is no confusion, and so our students understand what we mean. 

Not only do we need to teach our students to "dig wells", but we need to name them and be specific about them. Jesus was very specific. Paul was very specific. If we don't address the issues at hand, who will?

One of the most detrimental things we can do is preach a pretty sermon that confuses the minds of young people more than before the service began. Our language at times can be so vague, that teenagers have no clue what we mean. If that happens, we may be doing more harm than good. 

Teach about sin, but call things out. Talk about praying through, but teach them HOW to do it. Preach revival, but let them know what revival is. Our students who have grown up in un-churched homes are at a disadvantage, because they don't know what we sometimes assume that they do know. Even our students who grow up in a Godly home can be unsure about our church lingo.

We have to be specific. Call out sin the way Jesus did. Address issues in the church like Paul did. Leave no question in the minds of your students about what you are referring to. If we create questions instead of conclusions, we are treading on dangerous ground.

Seeing Past the Mask

I'll always remember my "good friend" who wore a hideous, grotesque mask, and woke me up at 3am with it on. I don't think I was EVER so scared in all my life.

What a friend he was!!

Masks have been used for centuries for several different purposes, ranging from religious practices to deceitful tactics. The primary purpose for a mask is to hide the true identity of oneself. Most masks cover up what people would rather leave unseen, or to make someone else believe they are someone/something different than who they really are.

With a few years of youth ministry under my belt, I have come to realize that MOST teenagers wear masks. Whether it's a temporary mask while they deal with a particular situation, or a permanent mask to hide the pain and reality of their lives, at some point, students will probably put on a mask. Those students are the ones who sit in your youth services. They are the ones who rise the church van. They are the ones whose Mom and Dad attend church on a regular basis. They don't want people to know what's really underneath the smile, and the facade. They choose to hide their feelings and emotions with a fear of ridicule or even rejection. They choose isolation rather than transparency, and sometimes I feel that it is something WE unconsciously promote.

"Smile through the bad times." We preach it and teach it. It creates the thought process that no matter what I go through, I have to act like everything is okay. This kind of thinking is unhealthy in the long run.

We are putting band-aids on a situation that needs surgery.

What we really need to do is teach them to be vulnerable, and sensitive. Expose the reality and the pain, and let God heal them, rather than us just giving them a temporary fix. That's God's desire anyway, not just to temporarily heal, but to make them whole. To restore things to them that they have lost. Who are we to tell them to smile in spite of the pain? It's time we as Youth Pastors see past the masks and facades, see the reality, and lead them to the healer.