We Have Room for Everyone on this Boat

One of the perks of getting a new car is now having satellite radio. Programmed #1 is Catholic Radio, for many reasons, hopefully some of them obvious. One of the many things I enjoy about Catholic Radio is even the commercials between shows teach something.
I believe it was Mark Hart who gave a very brief explanation of how the ark... aka a big boat, was an early symbol of Christianity. He explained how all are welcome on the boat, just as Noah brought all kinds onto the boat.

I think this is a perfect way to look at the Church today. We have Tradition and the Bible, the building blocks of our faith. They make up the structure of the ark of the Catholic Church.
Trying to steer the boat through a sea of death and destruction is the Magisterium.
On the boat, diligently working for all those aboard are the faithful priests, with a great deal of support from the faithful nuns and brothers.
As passengers are all the faithful laity. We are on the ship, with the support of the religious, floating on the one stable boat in an ocean of death and misery.
Clinging to lifelines are many women religious and priests. They want to be on the ship but for some reason can't quite pull themselves up onto the safety of the deck where they could stand and stretch. Instead the chose to keep floating out in the sea, clinging to rope but letting it slip through their hands day by day.
There are other boats out there, floating ever so slightly above the water, yet gradually filling with water.
Many loan souls are adrift, gasping for air. Some are looking for help while others are content to keep drowning for fear of what might be required should they find the ark and be pulled on.
As a youth minister I feel like a lonely deck hand who is trying very hard to throw out lifesavers to youth and families who are adrift on the sea. Many have in their arms the life saving flotation devices, and I am trying to pull them in, but the currents of the sea of death keep pulling against me.
The story of Noah's ark doesn't say much of the sea it was adrift in. My mind wonders what it looked like though. It had to have been riddled with death. Dead bodies of animals, humans, plants and debris. Very similar the how I see the world is today, a culture of death.
I will continue to pull on those lifelines and throw many more out to those in need. My greatest fear though is ever saying or doing anything that might cause someone to just ship.
Lord, please don't ever allow me to cause anyone to jump from your life giving ark.

Peace all

Need Prayers and Guidance from the Holy Spirit

My middle school youth group was going pretty well. I shared the story of the most recent eucharistic miracle and a decent discussion followed. For a group of middle schoolers this group I have wears me out every week. I wasn't prepared for what happened at the end of our discussion though.
A hand shoots up, with only 5 minutes left until I had to start greeting high schoolers as they were supposed to be coming in. For the next 8 minutes I felt like I was taking body shots and blows to the head.

"Why does the church hate gay people?" was the question I got. It wasn't asked in a nice way... there was a good deal of attitude and general middle school snarkyness in the question.

I didn't have a good feeling about what was about to happen but I tried to do my best. What followed was a glimpse into the understanding of our modern day middle school kids. It was clear right away that the current societal view of "do whatever makes you happy and feels good" dominates their understanding. Politics came up, gay marriage and dating... it wouldn't end. The questions eventually stopped and blatant statements beginning with "I don't think the Church..." started flowing and all I could do was... I don't know.

It came down to "well, this is something we can talk about next week" and we left it at that.

So what do I do now? I have a week to come up with a way to try to help my youth understand one of the most misunderstood teachings of the Catholic Church.

I need a lot of prayers.

Crappy Super Bowl, Blah Ads and Downhill Skiing

The game sucked and the only funny commercial's were the ketchup and the dorito's ads.

Okay, onto something more important. 

I haven't written anything in a while. Been busy, what can I say. There were a few times in the past few weeks when an idea popped into my head to write about, but I didn't follow through. Again, this blog is for me because I think maybe only 1 or 2 other people actually read it. All the other hits I get are from random google searches I believe.

Anyway... I have discovered a new sport.

Okay, it's not a new sport, but it is to me. 

Downhill skiing.

Fun? Oh yes!

Expensive? Oh yes!

Worth it? I think so...

It's great getting up on mountain, breathing the cold air, and even face-planting into the snow a few times isn't that bad.

Downhill skiing is kinda like my life. I would say God is like my skis. There are moments of complete fun when I let go and let the skis take me. Working with them, never forcing turns... that's when things are great. When I don't trust them and try to control them I face plant. 

When I make it down the hill, all I can do is get on the lift and take the slow ride back up to the top, anticipating the next run down the mountain. 

Ups and downs, falls and fails, exhilaration and excitement, fast moments and painfully slow moments. That's life and also downhill skiing.

Until I write again...

Peace all