Parenting, Youth and the Kitchen Sink

Parenting, Youth and the kitchen Sink September 2016 From time to time, something will capture your attention, and take over your life. It may be a book. You begin reading, only to not be able to put it down until you finish. For some it could be a video game, like Minecraft. I can watch our kids be so engrossed in it day after day. For me, recently it was the Summer Olympics in Rio. I had no desire to have it consume me or even interest me at all, but then on a Saturday afternoon it was on and while I was toiling around the house, it caught my attention and I was engrossed in it! What is it about the Olympics that’s so engaging? Is it the unique sports, yes! Is it the amateur athletes who spend all their time working for this really brief moment for gold, yes! Is it the wall to wall coverage that kept me constantly engaged, yes! The Summer Olympics is a big stage for these athletes to be on. They have captured the attention of not only me but by many in our world including teenagers. Teens can really identify with these amateur athletes. After all, very few teens will ever compete and be successful on the professional stage. These events allow the teenagers to be willing to showcase abilities and gifts in a variety of sports rather than the sports considered to the “popular” or “main stream” sports. Also, and even more importantly, what are we to do, and especially those Christian athletes who have the type of forum that the Olympics provide? They have the opportunity to glorify God. I came across this article leading up to the games from “The Gospel Coalition” https://www.thegospelcoalition.org/article/6-christian-athletes-to-watch-at-rio-2016. I wish I would have read this a little sooner and been more focused on these athletes and their witness, but fortunately, I did not have to read this article beforehand to see and hear the witness of Christ take place. David Boudia was listed in the article above, but not his partner Steele Johnson. Fortunately, although Steele was not on the Christian radar, he certainly is now along with his diving partner. Here is what happened in Rio, http://religionnews.com/2016/08/07/steele-johnson-and-david-boudia-have-faith-in-their-diving/. Teens, all of us, have the opportunity to witness. Sometimes it is on a grand stage, sometimes it is with 25,000 others at the National Youth Gathering (NYG), sometimes it is in the back yard, at school, at home, in the car and there is always opportunity! The summer Olympics really captured my attention, but it was made even better when the witness of Christ was shared! God’s Blessings, Pastor Seabaugh

Parenting, Youth, the kitchen sink June 2016 Well, as the title suggests, be warned and be prepared! The next newsletters will focus on parents, youth, and the kitchen sink. As, I have pondered what to write about and what direction to go in, this one seems to be the most timely and needed! This journey will be challenging and at times filled with both sadness and joy! Obviously, I don’t have all the answers for everything that is taking place in the dynamic of parents, youth, and the kitchen sink, but like always, we will use God’s Word and other supplementary resources to guide us along the way! I do invite parents and youth, and the congregation to offer topic suggestions and/or questions that can be addressed here! I will also have an identical blog with this information so that you can access the topics and correspond with me that way also at http://gooshepyouthfuel.blogspot.com/. Let’s get started! I want to begin on a sad note from a group known as youth encounter ministries http://www.youthencounter.org/. While not a LCMS youth effort, they did provide some useful tools and useful events for youth. As a matter of fact, a few moons ago, we hosted a youth encounter event, but not well attended. In my previous stop at Redeemer in Pensacola we hosted a mission group on an annual basis. That be said, here is the news: Youth Encounter Closing its Doors Posted on February 29, 2016 by Meg Sawyer After 51 years of successful and fruitful ministry, Youth Encounter is shutting down operations and closing its doors at the end of April. Youth Encounter will finish its current event season on April 3, 2016 and then host two Feed the Need programs before ceasing operations. Several factors have contributed to this situation, including declining numbers of youth in the church, an increasingly competitive market for the attention of youth, and a challenging fundraising landscape. Youth Encounter has seen participation numbers and overall support decline for the past 10-15 years, creating debt and an unsustainable business model. Maybe this is a great place to start! After all, next month, 23 youth and adults from Good Shepherd will be hosted by our LCMS Youth Ministry at the National Youth Gathering http://www.lcmsgathering.com/ in New Orleans. Maybe this a great start since the LCMS has another youth endeavor known as http://higherthings.org/. Maybe this is a great start to realize that youth ministry is a challenge and joy, as most things are! Maybe this is another reminder that the “good ole days” are just that, and new models and accepting today’s realities is in order! This is a good start for much more discussion down the road! God’s Blessings! Pastor Seabaugh

Parents Devotion

Work for It The Bible is very clear about the difference between someone who is poor and someone who is merely lazy. Many people have nothing because they make no effort to help themselves. This is unacceptable. Yet, there are a lot of lazy people in our society. This issue often becomes political when it’s actually a Biblical issue. God expects us to work with all of our skills to provide for our family. Then we are to teach our family to provide for themselves, and that should continue into future generations. To instill this value in our children and help them appreciate the difference between laziness and hard work, it’s a good idea to work together as a family to accomplish chores and other projects around the house. Getting your children involved may slow down a task a bit or mean that something isn’t done exactly as you would have liked it. But remember, that’s okay because in the long run you are teaching them how to work. Focus on the big picture. That’s most important. Parenting Principle Give a child everything, and they will never stop taking. Teach a child to work, and they will never stop giving. Points to Ponder *How do you define a hard worker? *What age-appropriate chores are your children learning? *What is a way that you could work together more as a family? Taken from Once a Day Nurturing Great

National Sloopy Joe Day

On the day we serve sloppy joes for our Lent meal! NATIONAL SLOPPY JOE DAY National Sloppy Joe Day is celebrated each year on March 18th. One of America’s all-time favorite hot sandwiches is describes as the following: “A Sloppy Joe is an American dish of ground beef, onions, sweetened tomato sauce or ketchup and other seasonings, served on a hamburger bun.” (Wikipedia) It is believed by many that the Sloppy Joe was first served in Havannah, Cuba at the bar and café “Sloppy Joe’s” in the early 1900’s. The Sloppy Joe, also goes by the name barbecues. “Sloppy Joe’s” were mentioned in the movie It’s a Wonderful Life. In 1969, Hunt’s revolutionized the Sloppy Joe when it introduced its “Manwich” Sloppy Joe Sauce. In Sioux City, Iowa, a dish of this type is called a “loosemeat sandwich,” created in 1934 at Ye Olde Tavern Inn by Abraham and Bertha Kaled.” — (Encyclopedia of American Food & Drink, John F. Mariani [Lebhar-Friedman:New York] 1999 (p.297). There are many individual and regional variations on the dish we all know and love as a party, picnic, get-to-gather and potluck favorite. Various recipes for Sloppy Joe’s can be found in many recipe books and on the internet. To celebrate, enjoy one of the following “tried and true” recipes: http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/rachael-ray/super-sloppy-joes-recipe.html http://www.simplyrecipes.com/recipes/sloppy_joes/ http://southernfood.about.com/od/sloppyjoes/r/bl106c13.htm http://allrecipes.com/recipe/sloppy-joes-ii/ http://www.tasteofhome.com/recipes/gumbo-sloppy-joes http://www.food.com/recipe/sloppy-joes-with-chicken-gumbo-42822 HAPPY NATIONAL SLOPPY JOE DAY! NATIONAL SLOPPY JOE DAY HISTORY Our research was unable to find the origin or the creator of National Sloppy Joe Day an “unofficial” national holiday.

Exodus God's and Kings: Movie Review

Rated PG [Canada] and PG-13 [MPAA] for violence, including battle sequences and intense images; directed by Ridley Scott; stars Christian Bale, Joel Edgerton, Isaac Andrews, John Turturro, Ben Mendelsohn, Ben Kingsley, Maria Valverde; run time: 150 minutes.) Wrestling with God and Scripture By Ted Giese Darren Aronofsky’s “Noah” (2013) was an opinionated film chock full of dark, cryptic, extra-biblical mysticism and environmentalist concerns often feeling like propaganda for something. Ridley Scott’s “Exodus: Gods and Kings,” on the whole, is a much different film. His sword-and-sandal epic is surprisingly restrained, subdued and filled with a genuine wrestling with the biblical story of Moses. It is a reflection of Scott as a recovering atheist who is agnostically struggling with materialism and the possibility of the Divine. Christian Bale portrays Moses in the new Ridley Scott film, “Exodus: Gods and Kings.” Christian Bale portrays Moses in the new Ridley Scott film, “Exodus: Gods and Kings.” At first blush, the film seems to rest on the razor’s edge of mystery and coincidence; however, in the end, God wins. The key challenge presented by the film rests in the adage, “He cannot see the forest for the trees.” In Scott’s case, it appears he’s had a good glimpse of the “forest,” but it’s often the biblical details — the “trees” in the Exodus account — that suffer. Details “Exodus: Gods and Kings” provides no sweeping prologue. Rather, it opts to jump into the story of Moses (Christian Bale) as a grown man clearly instructed in all the wisdom of the Egyptians, mighty in his words and deeds (Acts 7:22). He is an Egyptian general beloved by the Pharaoh Seti (John Turturro), and he is the close confidant of the Pharaoh’s son, Ramses (Joel Edgerton). Even though Moses is not one of Pharaoh’s sons, Seti treats him as one and even privately favors Moses over Ramses, who he sees as poorly suited for leadership. Early in the film, before the Battle of Kadesh, Seti gives both men a sword with their names engraved on them, giving Moses’ sword to Ramses and Ramses’ sword to Moses, charging them to look after each other. The relationship between the two men becomes one of the major driving forces in the unfolding narrative as the director tells his story of God rescuing the Hebrews from Egyptian slavery. Scott’s foreshadowing in the first act of the film employs dramatic irony to great effect, thoughtfully setting up the tragic future demise of the brotherly relationship between Moses and Ramses. Details, details When screenwriters sit down to pen a movie about Moses and the Exodus, this brotherly relationship is an oft-repeated Hollywood theme. While it’s found in popular adaptations like Cecil B. DeMille’s “The Ten Commandments” (1956) and DreamWorks’ “The Prince of Egypt” (1998), it’s really a speculative invention. Scripture doesn’t name Moses’ adoptive Egyptian mother or her father, the Pharaoh. Nor does it name the Pharaoh to whom Moses eventually returns some 40 years after his flight to Midian. In fact, Scripture is silent both as to Moses’ family situation while growing up in Egypt and what impact it had, if any, on his returning to Egypt. Scott, like other filmmakers before him, includes this for dramatic purposes, but scripturally speaking it is a theme not explored in the Bible. However, the Book of Genesis does record other brotherly conflicts — Cain and Abel, Jacob and Esau, Joseph and his brothers — which makes it a recurring biblical theme. In other moments, “Exodus: Gods and Kings” seems to import biblical themes and character traits for dramatic effect. For example, Scott’s depiction of Moses contains echoes of Abraham (Gen. 18:22-33) and of Jacob, particularly in their personal wrestling with God in times of trial and danger. At one point, a corrupt Egyptian official (Ben Mendelsohn) complains about the Hebrew slaves, saying that even their name is combative. He notes that Israel means “he who fights with God,” to which Moses responds, “No, it means to wrestle with God.” This thread ties Scott’s Moses back to the patriarch Jacob, whose name God changed to “Israel” after Jacob literally wrestled with Him (Gen. 32:22-32). Details, details, details Moses, while instructed in all the wisdom of the Egyptians, is shown as “areligious” — a man who knows about the religious beliefs of the Egyptians and of the Hebrew slaves, whom he’s destined to save, but who doesn’t believe in any of them. Rather, Moses values the modern virtue of “believing in yourself.” This changes after he suffers an accident on the side of a mountain while shepherding a flock of sheep. In the accident, Moses acquires a head injury and, from that point, he sees a messenger of God in the form of a young shepherd boy (Isaac Andrews). It’s important to remember that Scripture doesn’t attribute Moses’ relationship with God to a head injury! Is there a burning bush in Scott’s film? Yes, but Scott’s Moses receives no staff from God with which to work wonders, and no clear direction of exactly what he is expected to do upon returning to Egypt. The burning-bush scene, a seminal scene in the movie, contains the largest number of departures from the biblical narrative. The burning-bush encounter in DreamWorks’ “The Prince of Egypt” has a higher degree of biblical fidelity, while still allowing for some rather successful artistic interpretation of the text. Some viewers may mistake the mysterious shepherd boy for God, but Scott envisions him as a messenger intended to be a sort of angel God uses to speak directly to Moses and whom Moses alone can see. Moses’ relationship to this messenger begins in fear, moves to antagonism, and eventually appears to be one of camaraderie. This eventually affable relationship may draw to mind Exodus 33:1, which says, “The Lord used to speak to Moses face to face, as a man speaks to his friend,” or Abraham’s interaction with the Lord at the beginning of Genesis, Chapter 18. This approach to Moses’ relationship with God through a mediating angel also may explain some of Christian Bales’ comments about the character of Moses he plays. Prior to the film’s release, Bale said, “I think [Moses] was likely schizophrenic.” While it certainly sounds as though Bale is speaking of his character’s motivations from a purely materialistic modern viewpoint, filmgoers will want to ask, “What does the film, on the whole, end up saying?” Viewed as a whole, it becomes apparent the events unfolding in the film can’t be explained by one man’s delusion. For example, Scott depicts the ninth plague (darkness) and the 10th plague (death of the Egyptian first-born and sparing the Israelite first-born) as events with no naturalistic explanation. Details, details, details, details When Moses returns to Egypt and Pharaoh refuses to let the Hebrew slaves go, all 10 plagues are shown in vivid detail. However, while he wrestles with how to depict this, Scott often provides an initial materialist explanation: The blood in the Nile begins with an onslaught of crocodiles, which the Egyptians blame for setting off a chain reaction of terrible plagues. That said, what is clear is that the Nile River, which the Egyptians worship as a source of life, becomes, by the hand of the Hebrew God, a fountain of death to the embarrassment of Pharaoh and his advisers and the “gods” they serve, who are proven to be mere idols. Scripturally speaking, the Egyptian magicians recognize “the finger of God” at work (Ex. 8:18-19), while in the film they, and the rest of Pharaoh’s advisers, remain in denial. A careful look at this part of the film provides this insight: Scott has made the plagues into a series of events in which God works through means. There is real blood in the water, real flies, frogs and boils. None of it is “spiritualized,” and by the end of the plagues, it’s clear God is in command of it all. In fact, when Moses first returns, Scott has him trying to rescue the people by guerrilla warfare echoing the sentiments of Acts 7, where Scripture says Moses “supposed that his brothers would understand that God was giving them salvation by his hand, but they did not understand” (Acts 7:25). In Scott’s film, Moses learns this lesson alongside the people: Their rescue would ultimately come from the hand of God, not by human ingenuity, persuasion or unguided, random-naturalistic coincidence. If viewers want to look for discrepancies with Scripture, the list goes on and on. For instance, Moses doesn’t spend 40 years away from Egypt, and Moses’ wife, Zipporah (Maria Valverde), and their son, Gershom, don’t accompany him back to Egypt. As a result, Moses doesn’t appear to be 80 years old when he returns. To identify the Pharaoh as Ramses II, Scott places the narrative on the backdrop of the 13th century B.C., which conflicts with the traditional date of the 15th century B.C., an earlier date arrived at by internal biblical evidence. What are Christians to make of this film? The film is essentially Ridley Scott’s character study of Moses — a man moving reluctantly from being areligious to becoming a man of faith. In the film’s first act, Joshua’s father, Nun (Ben Kingsley), asks Moses, “Do you believe in coincidence?,” to which Moses answers, “As much as I believe in anything else.” Nun replies, “I don’t believe in coincidence.” God in Scott’s film is initially rationalized away as a powerful and compelling delusion. However, at the film’s apex, the death of the Egyptian first-born, Scott presents God as a divine being completely outside Moses, something beyond what Moses could conjure up in his mind as the result of a head injury. In one of the film’s most powerful moments, both Ramses and Moses recognize there was no coincidence in the fact that none of the Israelite children died in the last plague, and God was diligently rescuing Israel, His “first-born son,” out of slavery (Ex. 4:21-23). In spite of all the film’s adjustments to the biblical account, the fact that Scott so powerfully and faithfully depicts this crucial part of the scriptural narrative can be applauded. It is also telling of his personal move from outspoken atheism to open agnosticism. To put the best construction on the film and its production, Scott seems to be “a bruised reed” by the banks of the Nile River, and while the film doesn’t burn with the light of a pillar of fire by night (Ex. 13:21), the “faintly burning wick” (Is. 42:3) of hope Scott presents requires some thoughtful consideration by Christian viewers, who may want to think about the people in their own lives who are precariously beginning to seek God where He may be found. In this case, in making “Exodus: Gods and Kings,” Scott grasped hold of the Lord and wrestled with Him. Pray this wrestling match will be as successful for Scott as it was for the Old Testament patriarch Jacob. In an interview with Variety, Scott said, “I always try to place myself in the position of the central character, and try to come at it from my own logic.” Moses, like Jacob, “wrestled” with God, and it appears Scott in making this film has made a genuine attempt to “walk a mile” in their sandals. In the end, with its many deviations from Scripture, Scott’s “Exodus: Gods and Kings” can’t be recommended as a “devotional” film. It is, however, a superior film to Aronofsky’s “Noah” and may serve as fertile ground for conversing with others about the nature of faith, God and redemption. If the plan is to sit down together as a family to watch a movie about the Exodus, the best bets may still be DreamWorks’ “The Prince of Egypt” or Cecil B. DeMille’s “The Ten Commandments.” Be warned, however: These films also take liberty with the Scriptural text and likewise indulge in creative licence. For a true encounter with Moses and God’s liberation of the children of Israel from their slavery in Egypt, read the biblical book of Exodus; the Acts of the Apostles, Chapter 7; and Hebrews, Chapter 11. As always, when watching any of these films, it is recommended to go back to read again what Scripture teaches and not take what the film presents as “gospel truth” regardless how beloved the film may be personally or by the culture at-large. The Rev. Ted Giese is associate pastor of Mount Olive Lutheran Church, Regina, Saskatchewan, Canada; a contributor to “Reformation Rush Hour” on KFUO-AM Radio, The Canadian Lutheran and Reporter; and movie reviewer for the “Issues, Etc.” radio program. Follow Giese on Twitter: @RevTedGiese. Posted Dec. 19, 2014

College Prices up and up!

By KIMBERLY HEFLING AP Education Writer WASHINGTON (AP) - Time to stock up on the ramen noodles. The average cost of attending college crept up again this year, the College Board said Thursday. The average sticker price, with room and board included, for undergraduate students attending a four-year college or university in their home state was $18,943. Out-of-state students at those schools paid, on average, $32,762. At two-year public schools, in-state students paid an average $11,052. The cost to attend a private, four-year nonprofit college: $42,419, on average, including housing and meal plan. For-profit schools cost about $15,230, but housing figures weren't available. Books and transportation costs can add more than $2,000 to the cost of attending college, and that rises even more for commuters. The highest rate of increase of 3.7 percent was among private, nonprofit colleges. And even though the increases across higher education outpaced inflation, the rates of increase were lower than those students saw five, 10 or 30 years ago, the College Board said. When adjusted for inflation, students are paying more than triple what students paid 30 years ago to attend a public, four-year institution and about 2.5 times more to attend a private nonprofit or two-year public one. "The price increases are actually quite moderate this year, but still, what people are paying, and this is before financial aid, is the accumulation of many years of price increases," said Sandy Baum, a co-author of the nonprofit College Board's annual college pricing report. "So, if the price goes up just a little bit this year, people aren't really going to breathe a sigh of relief because the price is already high from their perspective." Baum said during tough economic times, college costs tend to go up because public institutions receive less in state dollars and private ones see a decrease in endowments and in giving. Other contributing factors are wide ranging from the increasing costs of technology to health insurance for university employees. Only the wealthiest of Americans are seeing their incomes rise, so most students feel the tuition upticks more, Baum said. The number of full--time undergraduate students increased by 16 percent in the three years leading up to fall 2010 to 13.7 million, but then declined to 13 million in fall 2013. The number of students taking out student loans and the amount taken out, on average, by students has been declining, the College Board said. It said about 60 percent of students who earned a bachelor's degree in 2012-2013 from public or private, nonprofit schools from which they began their studies graduated with debt, borrowing an average of $27,300. The breakdown in pricing: -Sticker prices, on average, for in-state tuition and fees at public four-year schools increased to $9,139 this school year - a 2.9 percent increase over the 2013-2014 school year. The average out-of-state price tag was $22,958, an increase of 3.3 percent increase. Room and board was $9,804. -Public two-year schools had a $3,347 published price on average for tuition and fees- an increase of 3.3 percent. Room and board was $7,705. -Tuition and fees at private, nonprofit schools rose 3.7 percent to an average of $31,231. Room and board was $11,188. -For-profit schools saw a 1.3 percent increase in tuition and fees. Published prices don't necessarily reflect what students actually pay because they don't include grant dollars provided by institutions or government aid such as Pell Grants, the GI Bill and tax credits. This school year, full-time students received an average of about $6,110 in aid at public four-year schools, $5,090 at public two-year ones, and $18,870 at private colleges. The average in-state prices at four-year schools ranged from $4,646 in Wyoming to $14,712 in New Hampshire. For out-of-state students, the most affordable tuition of $9,910 was in South Dakota. On the other end, the most expensive was $34,331 in Vermont. _____ Online: College Board: http://www.collegeboard.org _____ Follow Kimberly Hefling on Twitter: http://twitter.com/khefling Copyright 2014 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Just a thought on how great it would be to have helicopter parents and Church

http://www.wbay.com/story/27371230/2014/11/12/target-2-helicopter-parents-on-the-rise-in-youth-sports We've heard the stories and seen the video multiple times all over the country of parents getting into brawls with other parents, and even coaches, at their kids' sports events Just last month near Seattle at a junior league football game for nine and ten year olds, parents from opposite sides-- start arguing-- and then start of full on brawl. The stands emptied and the melee ensued. All the while a child was lying on the field with a broken arm. Target 2 dug into a new study done at St. Norbert College that shows parents behavior is hurting high school sports. We found it's leading more and more coaches to step away from the game It's an electric atmosphere only high school sports can create for student athletes around Wisconsin. But sometimes proud and passionate moms and dads cross the line. "Being in broadcasting all the years I was in broadcasting, and at several sporting events I witnessed a lot of things, I saw parents go after coaches, I remember being at one high school game where I saw a parent be ejected by a game official," said St. Norbert College Director of Media Relations Mike Counter. "I actually had some friends who actually just quit coaching because it was too much pressure and too much stress." To assist with his master's thesis on parental involvement in high school athletics, Counter turned to the Strategic Research Institute at St. Norbert College. Researchers say not only did the issue of helicopter parents become apparent, but it's a problem in all sports in schools big and small. "Small school districts with not large school systems, they're experiencing the same thing as those larger schools districts are with many more students and that was a bit of a surprise, we really though going in that might be more of a problem in some of the larger school districts," said St. Norbert College Strategic Research Institute Executive Director Dave Wegge. "How many times do we hear about the little league dad that runs out on the field and pounds this 17 year old umpire, or the soccer mom that misbehaves." said St. Norbert College Dean of Business and Economics Kevin Quinn. "It's nice to have some systematic study about things that we all know." Considered a leading expert on sports and society, Quinn says helicopter parenting has become a fact of life and goes beyond sports. "What we see here in sports is just a mirror reflection of what's happening everywhere else and it looks to me that coaches and AD's don't like it any more or less than anybody else who deals with children and their parents." said Quinn. "It's Dance Moms, it's Here Comes Honey Boo Boo and all this pageant stuff, I mean this is the same thing that's happening here." Counter says his research points to a couple of main reasons why helicopter parents are a growing problem. The first is unrealistic expectations. "There's so much media attention with athletics and sports and there's social media with twitter and facebook, you hear about the big plays, you see videos of high school athletes, there's so much out there, I think parents get excited and their son or daughter may get some press clippings and get some attention and I think they start seeing, hey maybe there's potential there, but actually when you look at the statistics and the data, there are 7 million high school athletes that participate, only 2-percent of those get full ride scholarships, 2-percent," said Counter. The study also found social media is fueling the fire as it allows upset parents to immediately fire off text messages or emails and then hide behind them.

Come join us for the Packer vs Eagles game at 3:25 on November 16th. Please bring $2.00 for pizza and $1.00 for soda from the machine! We will provide the snacks! Friends welcome to come! NYG kids will sell candy in the neighborhood at 3:00 p.m. to promote Thrivent caring communities.

Taste of Sem

January 18-20, 2014

 Taste of the Sem is an opportunity for high school men to spend a weekend at the Seminary to study theology, pray, worship, meet and talk with Seminary students and professors. Participants will spend time with one Seminary student at his field education congregation on Sunday morning and attend classes with him on Monday morning.

The event is designed to provide a sense of Seminary life for those who think God might be directing them toward the pastoral ministry. The main goals of Taste of the Sem are to help participants gain a better understanding of what we confess when we say, ”Faith alone, Scripture alone, Grace alone,” discover the significant historical impact of the Lutheran reformation on the church and world; and study the Scriptures with Seminary professors to find out why we believe in justification by grace through faith. Throughout the weekend, visitors can also participate in sports tournaments for volleyball, basketball, foosball, and ping-pong.

Here is the link: http://www.csl.edu/admissions/visit-us/visitation-events/taste-of-the-sem/

Contact Pastor Seabaugh for more information at tseabaugh@gslchurch.net

The Importance of Media Julianna Shults

Maybe you noticed, and maybe you didn't, that I took a small hiatus from blogging the last few months. Last fall I went back to school to work on a Master's degree, and combined with my already busy schedule at church, the intense workload became too overwhelming for me. I stopped reading the blogs, websites, magazines and news articles that keep me up to date on popular culture. Before I knew it, I felt completely out of touch. My youth were mentioning songs, events and stories I didn't know, to both their surprise and mine. As passionate as I am about the intersection of youth ministry, pop culture and media, there just did not seem to be the time in the day to proactively find the open doors for faith conversations or to consider in advance the best way to articulate godly perspectives of the world around them. I was responding to their prompting, but it felt delayed and incomplete. I considered that maybe it was time to take a more permanent break from writing about pop culture and youth ministry. Then in one of my last weeks of teaching contemporary issues in eighth grade Religion class, we were discussing the impact of music and media on our thoughts, hearts and values. I asked the class, "What is the purpose of movies, YouTube and TV?" One student quickly responded, "Mindless entertainment." The rest of the class nodded in approval. Internally, I did a facepalm. Had I taught them nothing? "So, music and media are just things to be used for fun? You don't think they have any messages or something they are trying to sell you?" I responded in the kind of tone that tells them they might need to rethink the answer. Their responses were quick in coming and they didn't change their minds. No, they were convinced that media and music was simple fun, mind-numbing amusement, something for their enjoyment and nothing more. No message, no value and nothing that could influence them. I took a different approach. "So what's your favorite band?" I asked. Silence. No one was willing to admit they listened to the likes of Nicki Minaj or Drake. One student offered up what seemed like a safe answer, Johnny Cash, with Michael Buble and Journey coming in shortly after. I waited a beat more and heard, "Smashing Pumpkins". "And you want me to believe that Smashing Pumpkins doesn't have a message in their music? You think their music is mindless, thoughtless entertainment? Because I think they would fervently disagree." Suddenly, they were singing a different tune. We spent time looking over lyrics from recent Top 40 hits and watched clips from YouTube and TV. For each piece we worked together to compare their messages to God's Word. What was true, noble, right, pure, lovely and admirable for us to think about as God commands in Philippians 4? Did the words we listened to over and over encourage us to follow God's law or did it belittle what God wants for us to strive for with the help of the Spirit? Did it encourage us to give and receive grace and forgiveness so freely given to us through Jesus' death on the cross? Slowly, they began to see the messages where once their minds had been numb, and to perceive the words of our culture that had slowly crowded out the Word, the cross and the Gospel. As I left the classroom, I was filled with a new enthusiasm for helping my teens navigate the complicated world around them in a God-pleasing way. In a world where everything is commercialized, designed for entertainment and split into 30-second sound bites, there can be no escaping the messages or the sly sales pitches of media. I may lose touch with what's new in our culture, but I can cling to the fact that God does not lose touch with me. God does not change and He does not go silent. He does not leave us on our own to navigate the complicated world with its competing messages, but rather He gives us Himself and His Word to help us navigate. Popular culture is something to be ignored only at our own peril, and we can only be grateful God continues to send His message of forgiveness and hope through Jesus. After a couple of months away from this blog, I am reminded anew of just how important it is to help our teens see the media-driven culture around them through the lenses of faith and the cross. If we don't, the messages and the values they pick up through exposure will take root and leave us with a much more difficult battle to fight. I hope that you, too, are encouraged as Christ works through us, strengthening and encouraging us, to help teens live and grow in faith fed by Scripture and not by Top 40 hits or reality TV. I hope that we can work together to be prepared, not waiting for them to come to us with questions, but with all the tools we need to walk alongside them with the Gospel through our world today.

Julianna Shults is a DCE currently serving in children and youth ministry at St. Paul Lutheran in Chicago. She has been a speaker at the 2007 National LCMS Youth Gathering, 2007 and 2011 National LEA Convocation as well as district Jr. and Sr. High gatherings. She drinks entirely too much coffee, only does her dishes when absolutelynecessary, knits, writes, and is unapologetically nerdy. You can find her on Facebook or Twitter @dutchnotgerman.

Youth poll results surface bright spots, concerns | LCMS News & Articles

Youth poll results surface bright spots, concerns | LCMS News & Articles

http://jwinters.com/post/59395539726/miley-cyrus-freshmen-and-the-college-experience

Miley Cyrus, Freshmen, and the “College Experience”

Anyone who was surprised watching Hannah Montana metamorphosize into a meth-addled low-rent strip club hoodrat at the MTV awards has forgotten the vicarious shame that people on every college campus on the planet experience when they see freshman act like they know what college is all about.  This year I joined the “2017 FSU Freshman” group on Facebook (because yes, I am just THAT sketchy and curious about what people think and do) and saw plenty of naive freshman put on their best faces.  

Just like Miley, girls and boys who had barely stepped out of prom couture hinted at how they were going to be out of control when they got to campus. References to “molly” showed up, as did questionable invitations from girls for guys to give them rides to places late at night, and let’s not forget one of my favorites from a FSU freshman girl, “I admit it, I like to drink, so boys hit me up.” 

There are three responses to this kind of behavior.  The first is predatory.  It’s the guy licking his chops and wondering just exactly how “out of control” things can get so that he can have even more control.  The second is fraternal, a “lol’ing” acceptance and resonance with the appeal of the behavior.  The last is concern and shame over a campus culture that we have created that makes freshman think that “the college experience” is about being out of control rather than about being fun and social.

Theologically, these three responses are often our three responses to seeing sin in other people.  When we see other people sinning, we can respond in a way that is predatory, we can act in a way that is fraternal, and we can act in a way that expresses simultaneous concern and shame.  

Unfortunately, there is a fourth response that many Christians default to, which is the response of so-called “righteous indignation”.  I don’t know about your social media feeds, but mine was filled with that last night.  It was the same thing I first experienced at a Christian conference early on in my campus ministry career when I told people that we did some great evangelistic work in bars - the person said, “Oh, I guess that’s great if you want THOSE people.”  Yeah, we do. We want the Miley Cyruses too.  Not because they are making awesome life decisions, but because Jesus made a life decision for them - the decision to end His so they could have theirs.

Since we’re sinners, the best that we can do when we’re confronted with a twerking almost naked Miley Cyrus or a vomiting freshman at 3am is understand that we share in their shame as sinners, and that we share in the responsibility for caring for them and speaking the Gospel to them.  

The Gospel is “the college experience” if only you don’t reject it.  It is the process of realizing that you need saving, and recognizing your savior. For many freshmen, this is going to involve running from one false savior to another, just as appears to be the case for Miley.  It’s a love that transcends our prodigal sinfulness and calls us “son”, and calls us “daughter”.  It is what we need on college campuses and on the VMA’s, and it is what we need everywhere else.

Are You Ready to Defend Your Faith?
If someone asked you why you were a Christian, what would
you say? Would you say you’re a Christian because you were raised
that way, or would you say you’re a Christian because you “just
believe it”? Wouldn’t that answer fit a person of another faith—
perhaps a Muslim or a Hindu? When you give these responses
to the question, you reveal a pretty weak rationale for believing
Christianity. Do you have a good defense for why you believe what
you do?
There is a better answer to the question of why you are a
Christian. You are a Christian because Christianity is true. How
can you defend that statement? That’s the purpose of this book. So
welcome to the wonderful world of apologetics.
Apologetics is, by definition, a defense of your actions or beliefs.
It is explaining why you believe what you believe. We can find this
concept in the Bible in 1 Peter 3:15–16.
But in your hearts honor Christ the Lord as holy,
always being prepared to make a defense to
anyone who asks you for a reason for the hope that
is in you; yet do it with gentleness and respect,
having a good conscience, so that, when you are
slandered, those who revile your good behavior in
Christ may be put to shame.
We are always to be ready to gently and respectfully share the
reason for the hope we have—why we believe in Jesus as the Savior
who rescued us from our sinful condition and will grant us eternal
life in heaven one day.

Apologetics is defending the faith.

As we defend our faith, explaining why we believe in Jesus as
Savior, what we say is important—the content of our apologetics
must be solid. We must know the facts and be armed with
knowledge. However, that’s just one part of the defense of our faith.
The other part of the defense is how we say it—the delivery of those
facts and knowledge. Peter instructed us to use “gentleness and
respect” in explaining our hope that we have in Christ. Paul, by the
inspiration of the Spirit, says a similar thing in 2 Timothy 2:24–26.
And the Lord’s servant must not be quarrelsome
but kind to everyone, able to teach, patiently
enduring evil, correcting his opponents with
gentleness. God may perhaps grant them
repentance leading to a knowledge of the truth,
and they may come to their senses and escape
from the snare of the devil, after being captured by
him to do his will.
People need to hear the truth, and how you share that will make
a big difference. Being a know-it-all or acting in a condescending
manner is not appropriate—being kind in instructing others is what
God calls us to do.What we say (content and how we say it
(delivery) is important.
Paul brings up another important aspect of apologetics.
Remember that God saves people, not you. Yes, we need to know
information and how to share it well—the “what and how” of
apologetics. But our knowledge and instruction will not change
anyone’s sinful heart—only God the Holy Spirit can do that. He
will convict the sinner of his or her condition through the Law
and reveal the remedy for his or her sinful condition through the
Gospel.
Reasons People Reject Christ

Even as we share the Gospel and practice apologetics, some
people may not believe what we have to say. In the book The New
Evidence That Demands a Verdict, Josh McDowell explains.6
 Some will not believe since they are in a “snare of the devil, after being
captured by him to do his will” (2 Timothy 2:26). Spiritual warfare
is a real thing. When Jesus told the parable of the sower and the
seed, He said some seed falls on paths and is eaten by birds before it
can take root. Jesus explained what He meant in Luke 8:11–12:
Now the parable is this: The seed is the word
of God. The ones along the path are those who
have heard; then the devil comes and takes away
the word from their hearts, so that they may not
believe and be saved.  You can defend the faith, handling both areas of content and
delivery well, but some won’t believe because they are under satanic
attack.

Some won’t believe due to  spiritual warfare.
Another reason some may not be converted to Christianity after
you explain why you believe what you do is that people stubbornly
refuse to admit they are wrong. Jesus faced a similar attitude in
John 5:39–40. “You search the Scriptures because you think that
in them you have eternal life; and it is they that bear witness about
Me, yet you refuse to come to Me that you may have life.” The
religious leaders of Jesus’ day would not come to Jesus, even though
He fulfilled the Old Testament prophecies. In light of this prideful
rejection of the truth, we can see why we are called to practice
apologetics with “gentleness and respect.” It will be easy to get mad
at people, but that won’t help your witness.
Some won’t believe due to their prideful refusal to  admit they’re wrong!

A third reason some people reject faith is that becoming a
Christian means leaving a lifestyle of sin. Jesus explained this in
John 3:20 when He said, “For everyone who does wicked things
hates the light and does not come to the light, lest his works should
be exposed.” You can say the right thing in the right way when
defending the faith, but some will choose to stay in their sin rather
than receive the Savior. They may feel that they’re not that bad, or
that they will convert later.Some won’t believe due  to their unwillingness to  change their lifestyle.

Knowing the three reasons why some reject the Christian
message helps us diagnose why people aren’t converted. We must
realize that even if others reject faith, we did not waste our time
because God’s Word is effective.
For as the rain and the snow come down from
heaven and do not return there but water the
earth, making it bring forth and sprout, giving
seed to the sower and bread to the eater, so shall
My word be that goes out from My mouth; it shall
not return to Me empty, but it shall accomplish
that which I purpose, and shall succeed in the
thing for which I sent it. Isaiah 55:10–11
Furthermore, later someone else may add to what we shared,
and ultimately the Holy Spirit changes people, as Paul said in
1 Corinthians 3:6–7: “I planted, Apollos watered, but God gave the
growth. So neither he who plants nor he who waters is anything,
but only God who gives the growth.” Apologetics isn’t easy, but it is
definitely worth it!
C

It is fun getting this back going!

YOUTH EVENTS AND NEWS FOR MAY AND JUNE!!!!!

May 31^st: Youth at Badger: 6:30-8:30 p.m. We begin at Badger sports at 6:30 p.m. Cost of this event is $11.00 which includes unlimited golf and batting cages, 1 go kart, and 1 laser tag. The youth will cover the pizza cost. Bring $1 for soda at church. We will meet a badger and your parents will pick you up following badger!
June 5^th: Youth: 5:30-7:30 Cram Sesson/Movie in
June 12^th: No Youth VBS
June 19^th: Senior Cook out and board meeting Pastor’s House: 5:30. Please bring a dish to share; we will provide brats and hot dogs and the fixings. RSVP by June 12^th!

June 24^th: Youth at Noah’s Ark: Noah’s Ark Day! Greetings Youth, our annual Noah’s Ark North Wisconsin District day is here! The date is June 24^th! The total cost to attend is $47.50 which includes round trip coach bus accommodations from Faith Lutheran on Glendale, buffet lunch at Noah’s Ark and your ticket. We are limiting this trip to the first 20 to sign up! We will leave 7:30 a.m. and return around 9:00 p.m. You will have to pay for supper on your way home and money for a locker at Noah’s Ark. Please RSVP no later than May 26^th by signing up on the youth board or via email at tseabaugh@gslchurch.net. Your payment total payment will be due on May 26^th!

June 24th : Final NYG meeting: after late service. in Room 3

Youth News

Come join us for the variety of youth events upcoming! Friend are always welcome to come!