Year: 2010

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I Thought I Could Dance

I was introduced to So You Think You Can Dance (Australia) on a recent holiday. Up until that point, I thought I could dance. It’s not the first time I’ve deluded myself claiming sporting ability: when I was 11, I thought I was in the top 1000 tennis players in the world. My world came crashing down when I lost 6-0 in my first tournament. I was probably lucky to scrape into the top 1000 in my suburb!

My world, likewise, came crashing down when watching this exciting TV show. I now realise that the shopping trolley, sprinkler and big-fish-little-fish-cardboard-box don’t really cut it as dance moves. I’m a lame dancer. BUT it’s not all bad news! After watching So You Think You Can Dance, dancing has now gone up a notch in my books. It’s now on notch 1. Visually spectacular!

Although we don’t have a TV, I’ve recently discovered you can watch full episodes on the channel ten website. Check out the vid below. It’s incredible. Issi (my favourite) and Robbie dance a haunting number to Regina Spektor’s Samson:

ps – they film this sucker at my favourite cafe – The Carriageworks in Eveleigh

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Steph Lentz – The First One EP (Demo)

Bandcamp is a killer website that enables bands to get their music online. I’ve just set up a site for a friend, Steph Lentz. Bandcamp was really easy to use and the only cost is a small cut to Paypal for any cash transactions. Steph’s demo EP is called The First One. The 5 tracks are acousticy, folky, cool. It’s a really good EP – have a listen, then buy it!!

You can name your price (minimum $5) AND all money raised will go towards Compassion’s work with children in Bolivia. Check out this nifty embeddable player:

If you like, go buy it – then spread the word via your blog, email, facebook, twitter etc!

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Who has the most street cred with teenagers?

I’ve worked as a School Teacher. I’ve worked as a Youth Pastor. I’m currently working as a Youth Worker. School teaching is the most secure and structured of the three. Youth pastoring is the most exciting, being able to preach Jesus without holding back. Youth working is wild, unpredictable and sometimes dangerous. My recent observation: of the three roles, Youth Workers have the most street cred with teenagers.

Lots of the crew I work with as a Youth Worker are rough nuts. That means that, when they turn up to school, they are often getting in trouble from their teachers; in the unlikely scenario of them stumbling into a church, they may feel judged by the Youth Pastor; they have a passionate hatred and paranoia toward the Police. But Youth Workers? In between dropping f-bombs*, they show signs of great respect toward Youth Workers.

This was illustrated a few weeks ago during a conversation I was having with a 17 year-old. I was in a team of 3 youth workers and 2 security guards on a late night Street Work shift. In the conversation I found out that this guy had left school at age 14. I asked him if he had a job, but he lost it a couple of years ago. I then asked him what he gets up to during the day. He hesitated, but then confidently and with a smile said: “Ummm… oh, I can tell you, you’re a Youth Worker… I smoke bongs all day!”

While Youth Workers may have street cred, in the end, all local government Youth Work can offer hurting and broken teenagers is a band-aid. Ultimately, my hope is that broken teenagers will turn to Jesus knowing that he loves them.

I know there are plenty of Youth Pastors who read this blog – I’d love to chat to you sometime about how to reach some of these rough nut kids that rarely come to your programs.

*dropping f-bombs = swearing at you

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What we know about God shapes the way we think and live

[This is the 4th video from the last 5 posts. Back to original content tomorrow!] Josh Harris has recently released a new book, Dug Deep Down. I look forward to reading it! He held a short film contest to coincide with the book launch. Here is the winner:

See the rest of the videos here. I noticed in one of them the concept of ‘Humble Orthodoxy’. I’ve posted on Humble Orthodoxy before. I’ll be doing a series of talks on a similar topic later in the year, so you’ll be sure to hear more about it on this blog.

Peaceout.

(h/t Josh Harris)

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I will rejoice in the God of my salvation!

Since referring to Habakkuk in Thursday’s post, I’ve continued reflecting on the book. The ending of Habakkuk is stunning. The last 3 verses show an amazing joy in adversity. They’re quoted below. I actually quoted them a year ago. The photo in that post is of our then pretty much dead orange tree… ironically, I recently took to it with an ax!

Though the fig tree does not bud
and there is no fruit on the vines,
though the olive crop fails
and the fields produce no food,
though there are no sheep in the pen
and no cattle in the stalls,

yet I will triumph in the LORD;
I will rejoice in the God of my salvation!

Yahweh my Lord is my strength;
He makes my feet like those of a deer
and enables me to walk on mountain heights!

Habakkuk 3:17-19 (HCSB)