2010 Sucked. . . Or Did It? . . .

I'm not a big fan of the word, but I think it might be appropriate here. Over the years it's morphed into a slang term meaning things like "stinks," "lousy," "repellent," and "disgusting." When I was recovering from my bike accident I had more than one person request a description of what happened, which they then chose to respond to emphatically with "that sucks!" Most of those people were under the age of 40. Ah, the times!

So I've had the privilege and gift of living 54 years on earth. A very small portion of those years - if I'm counting I'd have to say a total of four - have had days and weeks that flavored the entire year with difficulty, leaving me to say that the year could have been better. And relatively speaking as compared to the rest of my life, the stuff that was part of this year made this one of the worst. The sense of trouble that coursed through my mind and body the moment I looked down to see my front wheel stuck in that railroad track. . . well. . . I had a feeling things were going to be different for me for at least a couple of days! That - and then some - was very quickly confirmed. So, based purely on the relative nature of this year to the other years of my life, I guess you could say -according to commonly held standards - that it sucked.

But I have to be honest. . . it's really been anything but bad. Sure, it hurt worse than any other year I've experienced. But just like the pain and beauty of childbirth that none of us men know or understand but our mother-friends do, there's great joy that follows great suffering and difficulty. On the night before He died the most excruciating death a human could die, Jesus told His disciples, "In this world you will have trouble." Then, he went on to say, "BUT, take heart! I have overcome the world." The Scriptures and too many of to count offer testimony to the fact that God brings great good out of those things we know to be bad. Sadly, many are bent on blaming God as cause rather than seeing God as the one who redeems. I love how Joseph explains that kind of perspective as he addresses his brothers who more or less threw him under the bus. . . or into the well and years of slavery: "You intended to harm me, but God intended it for good. . . " Yes, the Lord delivers and saves.

A man named Clark came to visit me in the hospital. A few years before, Clark had fallen out of tree and broken his neck. It's been a long road back. But what impressed me about the things Clark told me was that he never really focused on the fall out of the tree, the pain he experienced, or the heartache of his long and difficult road back to health. Rather, he talked about his life "BT" and his life "AT." "Before Tree," he described his faith in ways that were somewhat mechanistic. "After Tree," his faith came to life and the Scriptures were so much more real. He's very grateful for his "AT" life. . . which means he's grateful for the "T." Before leaving my room, Clark told me that my life would now be divided into two parts, "Before Bike" (BB) and "After Bike" (AB). It's true. . . and I'm just getting started.

So, 2010 hasn't sucked, stunk, been lousy, repellent, or even disgusting. Oh, it hurt! But it's been a good year. Among other things, God's asked me to depend on Him more and more. He's provided ample opportunities to do just that. He's reminded me that my wife is awesome and deeply committed to Him and to me. He's shown me just how wonderful and caring my children are. He's given me a new daughter-in-law who is amazing. He's opened my eyes to the complexities and wonders of the human body, how He's made it, and how He's made it to heal. He's shown me that our staff here at CPYU is willing, able, gifted, and competent to carry the ball. He's reminded me that I'm not indispensable. He's given me time to learn how to do Sudoku puzzles (had to throw that in!). He's shown me what friendship looks like through a network of friends who have prayed and given beyond what I deserve. I could go on and on. Maybe it's been my best year ever.

There's a small group of people I've been praying for who like me, experienced what doctors call "multiple traumas" during 2010. Gary Parrett is a friend who was in a bus that fell 30 feet off an overpass in Seoul, Korea. He just came home after six months in a hospital. Terrie Long is my buddy Tic's wife, and just a couple of weeks ago she flipped her car while driving on California's wet roads. She's been through two spine surgeries since then and is still in the hospital. Wes Evans is a 19-year-old son of a youth pastor who skied headfirst into a tree back in November. His difficult journey through rehab is only beginning in a Denver hospital. And Mitch Blackburn is the brother-in-law of a college friend. Mitch and I have exchanged messages as he is weeks into rehab from injuries that far-exceeded my own after getting thrown from a boat into a channel marker. Besides sharing various degrees of trauma in 2010, all of us share a common faith in our maker. So far, it's been amazing for me to sit back, listen, and be ministered to as each of these stories unfolds to the Glory of God. I know that when all is said and done, these folks will have some interesting stories to tell about what God has done in their lives during 2010.

"I sought the Lord and he answered me; he delivered me from all my fears. Those who look to him are radiant; their faces are never covered with shame. This poor man called, and the Lord heard him; he saved him out of all his troubles. The angel of the Lord encamps around those who fear him, and he delivers them." (Psalm 34:4-7).

Soli Deo Gloria!

I Resolve. . . .

I've probably blabbered on and on about this before. . . but I don't really understand all the hype over celebrating the New Year. I think my worldview forces me to question why we get so excited about saying "goodbye" to the old, while looking with great anticipation towards the new. The reason for this is that we were just doing this a year ago, weren't we? And weren't we looking with great anticipation and expectation towards the 365 days that we're now happily bidding "adieu"?

I suppose it's that innate sense common to all humanity that something is deeply wrong with the world and the expectation that in days ahead, it will be fixed. It's that longing for ultimate redemption. And when that ultimate redemption isn't experienced through the endless parade of "redeemers" we embrace for naught. . . well. . . we wind up looking forward to next year.

For me, the shift to a new calendar (Lighthouses this year!)is more about wondering. I tend to ask questions regarding what surprises the Lord might have in store for me in the coming year. It's the knowledge that His sovereign plan will most likely include a mix of what we humanly call "good" and "bad," which in the scheme of God's grand design is all ultimately used for good. . . yes, even the hurt, pain, brokenness, and suffering. Last year I wondered about these things. The answers to my twelve-month-ago wondering lie in a variety of things, including the ongoing reminders of a sore shoulder and some still-messed-up ribs. The answers are also found in some amazing lessons learned and what I hope is a deeper and more mature faith that has me yielding more and more to Christ and His Kingdom. . . I hope. It's all good because in hindsight I see that I'd be losing alot of good stuff if I were to trade in the bad stuff.

This year I've been prompted to try something new as the New Year approaches. In my experience, most resolutions made by myself and others tend to be negative. In other words, they start with things like "This year I will stop. . . " or "This year I won't. . . " That's not necessarily a bad thing. But this year I've decided to be more positive and consider what pursuits and endeavors I might embark upon for the 365 days that follow the stroke of midnight tomorrow night. I've decided to work for the next twelve months on filling two voids.

First, there's a personal issue. God seems to have been pounding away at me for the last couple of years on the incomplete nature of my faith, particularly in relation to my understanding and practice of His heart for justice and the poor. Our trip to Africa with Compassion International was a great catalyst. It's changed the way I see the world - both near and far - and the way that I see the Scriptures. I realize it's all for naught unless it changes the way I live. So, I've decided to start the practice of starting each year with a new statement. . . "This year I will. . . " The sentence will be completed with a topic or theme that I will study, read about, pursue. So, this year - 2011 - I will embark on a focused quest to understand more about the heart of God when it comes to justice and the poor. Can you recommend any good books I should read?

Second, there's a professional void that needs to be filled. We've been making scattershot attempts at filling the void here at CPYU, but it's about to get more focused. I want to be more organized, succinct, and helpful at sharing what we know about kids and digital media with parents, youth workers, pastors, educators, and kids themselves. I'm afraid we as followers of Christ have jumped on the train without taking the time to consider the safest and most God-glorifying ways to go for the ride through this brave new world. I'll let you know more as this develops.

What about you? I'd love to hear what God is provoking you to do this coming year.

Good, Good News! . . . .

Last summer, I spent some time blogging updates and prayer requests for a friend who had been in a horrific accident. Dr. Gary Parrett, a professor at Gordon-Conwell Seminary, was in a bus that fell off an overpass while he was teaching in South Korea. Half of the people on the bus died. Gary was in very bad shape in a Seoul Hospital. Gary's family faithfully posted updates on Gary's condition on the Caring Bridge site over the next few weeks. Eventually, Gary was flown back to the U.S. via air ambulance to the Spaulding Rehab Hospital in Boston, where he's been for the last several months.

It's been a long and difficult road for Gary. Still, in the midst of the pain and heartache, every communication has been a testimony to God's grace and glory. His wife Holly and daughter Alisa have ministered to me and many others through their regular postings and updates. The story is rather miraculous. That's why I want to pass on the latest post on Gary's miracle. Here it is. . . and I'm looking forward to visiting with Gary at his home sometime during January. I've also posted a picture of Gary and his family. . . . he looks awesome! Thanks to all of you who have been praying for Gary.

For a long time, we had been hoping that Gary would be out of the hospital in time for Christmas, but recently it looked like we would only be able to have him at home for a couple days around the holiday before having to return to Spaulding. In a quick turn of events, though, we were able to get the ball rolling on his discharge and it turns out that he will be coming home for good, Lord willing, on the morning of Christmas eve! It's been a bit of a whirlwind with the quick decision, upcoming holidays, and wintry weather, but the hospital staff has been working in order to make sure that this Friday's discharge can happen. Gary's attending physician, Dr. Chae (who has been a continual blessing to all of us), has even volunteered to drive him home from the hospital.

We are very excited to go home and be together, but we are also scared about all the unknowns and whether or not we will be able to transition well. Tonight, all three of us are staying at the functional living apartment in the hospital to see how we will do without help from the nursing or medical staff. There will be a lot of changes to deal with, including home care and therapy. The home therapy that we are trying to set up for Gary will not be available until mid-January, so until then, Gary will be commuting back to Spaulding three times a week to receive outpatient therapy. Gary will have somebody to drive him back and forth from Boston, paid for by insurance.

Please pray with us as we transition to the house. This is the beginning of a new phase in Gary's recovery process, and it is by no means the end of the journey. Even so, this is a moment that we have dreamed and prayed about, but we had often despaired, doubting that it could actually happen so soon. We are so thankful for God's provision and, although we are apprehensive about the changes that are in store, we are so thankful for this Christmas blessing of being able to bring Gary home.

Much love from the Parrett family in this Christmas season! We pray that God will pour out his richest blessings upon you and yours through the rest of this year and the coming new one!

This Is Why He Came. . .

This morning I saw a short feature on the year in pictures that was posted by the folks at The Today Show. A handful of the photos were what you might call inspiring and heartwarming. But the overwhelming majority captured images of hurt, brokenness, suffering, and pain. When you look at these photos there's no denying that our world is horribly messed up and desperately in need of repair. We look at the images, shake our heads, and know that things are not the way they are supposed to be. I grabbed a few of them and posted them here. . . .










But we don't have to be locked in hopelessness and despair. Jesus Christ came into the world to undo what we have done and cannot undo by ourselves. He came to redeem all things and make all things new. That includes the crowning point of His creation. . . broken humanity.

As you ponder these images from 2010, think about these words from the Scriptures. First, the words Jesus spoke at the outset of his earthly ministry:

"The Spirit of the Lord is on me, because he has anointed me to preach good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners and recovery of sight for the blind, to release the oppressed, to proclaim the year of the Lord's favor" (Luke 4:18&19).

And then, the words of great hope that we find in John 1:12:

"To all who received him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God"

This is why he came.

Sad, True, and Very Funny. . . Oh Those Extended Adolescents. . .

So a friend who works on a university campus sent us this video featuring some avatars "acting out" how a growing number of young adults act out in real life. . . especially when they are being held accountable for their actions. The video captures how the perfect storm of today's cultural forces (anti-authoritarianism, moral relativism, party-culture, narcissism, over-indulgent parenting, etc)combine in the life of young adults to yield a return of immaturity of epic proportions.

The video is absolutely ridiculous. . . yet absolutely true. Like a great SNL skit, this one throws a window on ourselves that we need to not only be looking through, but talking about.

Christmas Retail At Its Best. . . .

Yesterday I indulged my annual pre-Christmas tradition of trekking from here in Etown down to Dallastown and the Hearts and Minds bookstore owned by my old friend Byron Borger. It's a place I find very hard to describe. It's a place you have to experience to understand.

I love books and I value reading. . . especially reading widely. That's why my office is now getting close to overflowing with books. The shelves were filled years ago. Now there are piles of books and piles of boxes of books all over the place. Why am I telling you this? Because Hearts and Minds is a place run by people who love books. . . and it looks a lot like my office.

The store is attached to Byron and Beth's house on a residential street. Parking isn't easy if the little four space lot at the rear of the store is full. But that never seems to keep a steady flow of dedicated customers away. They come because Byron and his staff live out an amazing vision described on their website as this. . . What distinguishes us most is our enthusiasm for the development of a uniquely Christian worldview where Christ’s Lordship is honored and lived out in relevant ways in the midst of our highly secularized, post-modern culture. We offer quality books for the sake of faithful Christian living. We serve business folk, scientists, artists, college students, moms, dads (and kids!), pastors, poets and politicos. We believe Biblical faith leads to "thinking Christianly" about every area of life. Hearts and Minds is not your mother's Christian bookstore!

But here's the best part. . . Byron and his staff love Jesus, they love thinking Christianly about all of life, they love books, and they love people. I think that's the way it's supposed to be. Every single person who walks through the door gets special attention. Yesterday, while I was looking through a pile of books that sat on the floor in front of the "biography" section of the store, an older gentleman came through the door in search of a specific type of Christmas gift for his wife. He was looking for - as he described it - a book that tells people about places in the Bible. Byron then led this dear, sweet, little old man into a part of the store where there are piles and shelves full of Bible reference books. With his trade-marked passion and pastoral tone, Byron then explained to the man what he was looking for - a Bible Atlas, along with a descriptor of several options and some great recommendations. I spend alot of time in bookstores, and I never see that happen anywhere else. Byron then offered to have the book wrapped. As the man was leaving with his find in hand, Byron told him that if it wasn't what his wife wanted, just bring it on back! It was beautiful. I think I got one more glimpse of what the bookstore in Heaven is going to be like.

It's this kind of knowledge, passion, and service that has gained Byron and his store great respect far beyond central Pennsylvania. Many of you have probably run into Byron and his famous book tables at conferences all around the country. Authors, researchers, publishers, and customers from around the world keep the phone lines at Hearts and Minds busy all day. People who have questions that start with things like "I'm looking for a book that. . . " or "What is the best book on. . . " go first to Byron. . . and for good reason.

Those of you who have never heard of Hearts and Minds should check out the store's website, paying special attention to Byron's "Booknotes Blog," reviews, and "recent site updates." Since Christmas is only a week away, Byron's got some amazing posts on a variety of gift ideas ranging from academic to children's books. Here's a little hint - pour yourself a cup of coffee before going to Byron's blog. It's not a quick read. Neither is it boring! Byron's personal enthusiasm for all things books (you understand what I'm talkng about if you know Byron) oozes over into his blogs and reviews. He will tell you about books you never imagined even existed. That's why I make the trek to the store. I also know that Byron's got some nice discounts going for his blog readers just in time for Christmas.

I'll take Hearts and Minds over the mall any day!

Girls Behaving Badly. . . .

What they see is who they become. That little seven-word sentence just might capture the realities of adolescent identity formation in today's world. Think about it. . . kids are looking for guidance and direction as they experience the powerful push and pull of the wrestling match that's all part of forming their definition of themselves and how they choose to present themselves to the world. And because we all know that example is one of the most powerful educators, it makes sense - sadly - that in today's media-saturated world kids are most likely to be most influenced by what they see and hear in the media. It's not rocket science. Which is why many of us who are older often find ourselves uttering things like "I can't believe that girl's dressed like that!!"

This week, the Parents Television Council (PTC) released a report entitled "Sexualized Teen Girls: Tinseltown's New Target." The study looks at the sexualization of female teenagers in prime-time television. The report's Executive Summary recalls a highly publicized 2007 report from the American Psychological Association that I referenced when it first came out. That report said that the sexualization of girls in the media both reflects and shapes current attitudes. It's both cause and effect.

Now, the PTC has conducted an analysis of all scripted programs within the Neilsen ranking of the top 25 prime-time shows among viewers ages 12 to 17 during the 2009-2010 season. According to the PTC, here are the main findings:

• Underage female characters are shown participating in a higher percentage of sexual depictions compared to adults (47% and 29% respectively).
• Only 5% of the underage female characters communicated any form of dislike for being sexualized (excluding scenes depicting healthy sexuality).
• Out of all the sexualized female characters depicted in the underage and young adult category for the entire database, 86% were presented as only being of high school age.
• Seventy-five percent of shows that included sexualized underage female characters were shows that did not have an “S” descriptor to warn parents about the sexual content.
• Based upon a definition established by the American Psychological Association of “healthy” vs. “unhealthy” sexuality, the study findings show that 93% of the sexual incidents involving underage female characters occurred within a context that qualified as “unhealthy.”
• The data revealed that 98% of the sexual incidents involving underage female characters occurred outside of any form of a committed relationship.
• The data show that 73% of the underage sexualized incidents were presented in a humorous manner or as a punch line to a joke.

And so our kids watch. . . learn. . . and become. Now is the time for parents, youth workers, educators, and the church to join together to save our kids from this kind of stuff. . . and even themselves. It's time to talk about finding our identity as one made in the image of God, about finding our identity in Christ, and about living a Biblical sexual ethic that leads to deep and lasting freedom. It's about re-shaping the answer to the question, "What in the world are we doing to our kids?!?"

With Gratitude to the Doctor. . . .

Yesterday I received word that Dr. Roger Nicole died on Saturday afternoon. I had the privilege of having Dr. Nicole as one of my theology professors at Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary back in the early 1980s. He was a fascinating and brilliant man who loved the Lord with great enthusiasm, loved God's Word, loved teaching, and loved his students. In fact, he oozed all those loves. Dr. Nicole brought theology to life for me. When he died, he was 95 years old and still sharp as a tack. Along with my great memories of his teaching in the classroom, there are two other memories of Dr. Nicole that I will never forget.

There was the first time I ever met him. It was early March of 1981 and I was doing campus ministry with the Coalition for Christian Outreach. Our annual Jubilee Conference was going on in Pittsburgh. Like many other CCO staffers, I had been asked to host one of the Jubilee speakers for the weekend. I had requested Dr. Nicole as I had heard so much about this wonderful man. On Saturday, Dr. Nicole and I went with my wife-to-be, Lisa, to have lunch in a small deli in Pittsburgh. While we were sitting and talking, the TV up in the corner reported that Chet Bitterman, a Wycliffe missionary who had been kidnapped weeks before in Columbia, had been found dead. Our conversation stopped as we stared at the television. I remember feeling a huge hole in my gut at hearing the news. In the midst of our silence, Dr. Nicole spoke up with that deep voice of his that was marked by his French-accent. He looked at us and said, "The blood of martyrs is the seed of the church." As a young man, I had never heard anyone say that before. I now know that those words were not original to Dr. Nicole, nor did he ever claim that they were. He was simply doing what he had used his words to do his entire life. . . tell the truth. I remember sensing great hope in those words as the Bitterman story was now couched for me in the bigger picture of the sovereignty of God. That moment left an enduring impression on me.

When I arrived on Gordon-Conwell's campus a little over a year later, I was thrilled to be able to plug into classes with Dr. Nicole. In fact, it was from one of his classes that I was plucked by a security guard to meet my wife at the doctor's office as she had gone into labor with our first child. Near the end of one semester, I had handed in a theology paper that I had labored on for quite some time. Later that night, I was at home reading my copy of the paper when I realized that I had accidentally flipped a couple of footnotes around into the wrong order. I went to my friend Mark Dever, who was Dr. Nicole's Byington Teaching Fellow at the time, to see if I could get the paper back to make the correction. Mark and I wandered into Dr. Nicole's corner office in the basement of the library. . . an office that I remember was stacked and cluttered with all sorts of books, papers, etc. . . the sign of a brilliant mind, I guess. The room was dark. We walked over to Dr. Nicole's desk to find my paper in a large stack, when we were startled by a loud noise behind us. We looked at each other and laughed. There on the couch, sound asleep and snoring, was Dr. Nicole taking an afternoon nap. He was in such a deep sleep that we could have been elephants and he would have never woken up. That experience made a man who was already human to me that much more human.

I haven't seen Dr. Nicole for years. But the words penned by Don Sweeting, President of Reformed Theological Seminary in Orlando, in a blog post about his visit with Dr. Nicole just a few weeks ago, are not at all surprising. . . .

"Dr. Nicole spoke of his own retrenchment, not with deep complaint, but with a proper sense of realism and lament that comes from any loss. There was melancholy in his voice as he reminisced about days gone by and noted what he no longer had. But then he paused in the conversation. And with all the vigor of his French accented English emphatically exclaimed—“but I have joy.” And this, he said, could not be taken away! Not only that, but Dr. Nicole clearly understood that his present retrenchment is a season as well.

We ended our visit by opening up the Scriptures and reading together from Psalm 16. That great psalm begin—“Keep me safe, O God, for in you I take refuge. . . . I said to the LORD, ‘You are my LORD, apart from you I have no good thing. . . . You have assigned me my portion and my cup. . . . Therefore my heart is glad and my tongue rejoices.’”

It was with particular eagerness that Dr. Nicole recited from memory as I read the last part of the psalm. “My body also will rest secure, because you will not abandon me to the grave, nor will you let your Holy One see decay. . . . You have made known to me the path of life; you will fill me with joy in your presence, with eternal pleasures at your right hand.”

Seeing beyond our seasons of accumulation and retrenchment, Dr. Nicole clearly had his eye on yet another season, which for him, seemed just around the corner."

Dr. Nicole lived well and died well. I hope I can do the same.

For those who might enjoy hearing Dr. Nicole teach on the cross, click here

Dangerous. . . .

Last Friday I spent a chunk of the day sitting in the waiting room at a local doctor's office. I had taken a family member to the gastroenterologist for a check-up that included a preventive procedure. Knowing I'd be sitting in that waiting room for quite some time, I took along a new book by Mark Labberton, The Dangerous Act of Loving Your Neighbor:Seeing Others Through the Eyes of Jesus. Throughout the morning, a slew of people came and went, something I became consciously aware of as I read the chapter titled "Paying Attention to Paying Attention."

Here I was, reading about Jesus's heart for justice and the poor, and I decided to follow the chapter title's instructions by paying a little more attention to my immediate surroundings in light of the world's great need. These days, when I think of the poor, I think first about 14-year-old Ibrahim, our Compassion child who lives in the Mathare slum in Nairobi. I've smelled, touched, heard, seen, and tasted where Ibrahim lives. . . if only for a few hours. Ibrahim, however, has the poverty of the place filling his young senses 24/7.

And so my mind wandered back and forth between Ibrahim's Mathare and the place where I sat. It was cold and rainy in my part of the world. But I sat warm and dry in a nice soft waiting room chair. I thought about the fact that I was there because I had the ability to travel by car, I had the luxury of insurance coverage that paid for a very expensive preventive procedure, and I had the time to give because I wasn't constantly consumed with securing my next bite of food or bucket of water to sustain my family. Across from me sat a water cooler filled with clean water. . . available at the push of a button. On the table in front of me sat a variety of magazines, including this year's edition of the Sears Wishbook. . . a catalog filled from cover to cover with the latest toys. As I listened to the many discussions taking place in the room, I was struck by what people were talking about. One man was telling his wife about his need for a new pair of bowling shoes. His old ones were worn out. A teenager complained to her mother about the fact that she had already gone 9 hours without food in preparation for her procedure. A pair of women sitting behind were commenting on the raspberry cheesecake and German chocolate cakes pictured in a magazine. Another family talked about their plans to go out and get ice cream once dad was done with his procedure.

I was blown away by what I was hearing as I held that book on justice in my hands. It was all normal everyday stuff. In fact, it was the stuff of my own normal everyday conversations.

And then I thought. . . I really do have a lot. Reality is, 98 percent of the people in the world are worse off than me. . . . something I quickly forget in my quest to pay attention to meeting the needs of me, myself, and I. That reality means that I've got some God-given responsibilities.

And so I continue to wrestle with some of these important questions. I wonder where it will lead. Wherever it leads, I know that if God is in it, the destination is going to be a pretty great place. I'm learning that the world beyond my OK world isn't as OK as I'd like to think. I'm learning that living in my OK world means that there's some divine responsibility on me regarding how I relate to those who have less, little, or nothing.

I'm looking forward to learning more about seeing the world through the eyes of Jesus.

John Lennon And The Musical Career I Could Have Had. . .

It was 30 years ago today that Mark David Chapman murdered John Lennon. Ironically, it was sportscaster Howard Cosell who broke the story on Monday Night Football while standing next to Dandy Don Meredith - who died earlier this week - in the MNF broadcast booth. The little clip of Cosell's delivery of the news lets those of you who weren't around back then know just how big this news was. . . .



Lennon's death was one of those events that served as a marker during my life's early years. As with most kids, many of my life's markers were pop culture events, more proof that pop culture serves some powerful roles in our lives. I was only seven-years-old when the Beatles made it big. . . but I remember it. When they came to America for the first time in early 1964, we talked about it in school and in our neighborhood. It was huge. And I will never forget the morning that I was standing at the school bus stop a block from our home when John King showed up and told us that the Beatles had broken up. It was appropriate that John was the bearer of the shocking news as he and his younger brother both wore their hair like the Beatles, a fitting look for a couple of guys from the neighborhood who already had musical talent and a pretty good little band.

I wrote about John Lennon, his wife Yoko Ono, and markers in my book Engaging the Soul of Youth Culture. The strange, eccentric, and avant-garde duo left quite an impression on my young mind. In hindsight, their unusual antics and art marked the beginning of postmodernism's obvious influence on pop culture. In 1968, the Rock & Roll Circus concert film was released. It featured some outrageous footage of Ono performing in an all-star band. Her performance included some shrill screaming and rolling around in a black sack. Interesting, or at the very least, weird. Then there was the week's worth of broadcasts of The Mike Douglas Show featuring Lennon and Ono as cohosts.

Thanks to YouTube, this morning I was able to rewind back to that week and found a great little clip of Chuck Berry and John Lennon performing Berry's famous song "Maybelline." It was a great moment with two icons of Rock & Roll sharing the stage. And then comes Ono. . . . . It's a clip you need to watch to not only get a sense of the times, but to get a good laugh.



As I watched, I realized that my opportunity to have a moment in rock and roll history had passed and I had missed it. Here, all along I've been thinking that I lacked the talent to make it in the music industry. But in this little clip, Ono proves my thinking wrong. After all, I can keep time with my hand on a drum, and I'm certainly at least OK when it comes to yacking away like a monkey.

Anybody got an opening in their band for a 54-year-old one-handed bongo drummer who can make funny noises????

100,000. . . and 1

The other day I received a letter in the mail that was both encouraging and discouraging. The letter came to our home from our friends at Compassion International. It was an unapologetic "ask" for gifts towards Compassion's Unsponsored Children's Fund. The encouraging part is that Compassion is standing ready with over 100,000 unsponsored children in need of sponsors. I love Compassion. The discouraging part is that while Compassion stands ready, over 100,000 kids are still in need of sponsors. I'm committed to doing whatever I can to "connect the dots" between a potential sponsor and an unsponsored child. You can click on the Compassion banner ad at the left of this blog if you believe God is calling you to become a Compassion Child Sponsor.

But I would be remiss if I stopped there. This past weekend Lisa and I had the privilege of traveling to Toronto to spend time with our Canadian friends at the Canadian Youth Workers Convention. We had a blast doing ministry and being ministered to. One of the absolute highlights was meeting a young man who had set up a modest booth in the convention exhibit hall. Jared Henriques is 18-years-old. He was selling some T-shirts he had designed. . . some pretty cool T-shirts I might add. I asked Jared about his little company - Pocket Change Apparel - and he went to on to explain to me that all - that's right, ALL - the proceeds from the sales of his T-shirts go to support Compassion's Unsponsored Children's fund. 18-years-old. I was blown away. Jared's stated goal for Pocket Change Apparel is to "share love, transform lives, and foster generosity."

This morning as I unpacked my things I found Jared's card. As I thought about Jared I was reminded of the words God spoke to his people through the prophet Amos. . . "Let justice roll on like a river. . . "

Thanks Jared, for being 1 who's spurring the rest of us on to make a difference in the lives of 100,000!

The Death of Me, Myself, and I. . . .

Bad news for people who are all about having all eyes on them. According to this morning's paper, the psychiatric community has decided to stop paying attention. It seems that Narcissistic Personality Disorder has been dropped as a diagnosis from the latest edition of the DSM - the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders. Added to the DSM thirty years ago, the disorder is defined as "a pattern of traits and behaviours which signify infatuation and obsession with one's self to the exclusion of all others and the egotistic and ruthless pursuit of one's gratification, dominance and ambition."

Fact is, we do apply the labels "syndrome" and "disorder" in ways that extend the legitimate use of those words so that we can blame others or environment for our own sin and poor choices. So maybe it's a good thing the diagnosis has been tanked. But I'm led to wonder if maybe this Narcissism stuff is so widespread, that it's now normal to be self-centered. . . so normal in fact that the next addition to the DSM might be something related to other-centeredness. Just a thought.

Tweeting the God Who "Do Me". . . .

I wasn't anywhere near the TV when Steve Johnson of the underdog Buffalo Bills dropped the game-winner in the endzone during OT of the Bills game against the Pittsburgh Steelers. About an hour into the Eagles game, the network cut in for the update and I saw the play. My "sports self" and inner fan was greatly disappointed as I root for the Eagles and for whoever is playing Dallas, the Giants, or Pittsburgh. I know. . . it's a bad habit that needs to be broken for the simple reason that it matters not! I felt especially bad for Johnson and all the Bills fans I know. After all, they haven't had much to cheer about lately.

What really caught my attention was Johnson's post-game tweet: "I PRAISE YOU 24/7!!!!!! AND THIS HOW YOU DO ME!!!!!YOU EXPECT ME TO LEARN FROM THIS??? HOW???!!! ILL NEVER FORGET THIS!! EVER!!! THX THO..."


I know we need to take into account the fact that Johnson was bearing the weight of his teammates and Bills fans on his shoulders and his emotions were most likely running wild. But let's think about what Johnson tweeted and what that tells us about our world.

First, it's another reminder of social media gone wild. Children and teens are impulsive by nature. Their brains aren't fully formed yet and their resulting immaturity and lack of filters means that sometimes they need others to step in and protect them from themselves. That's why we make rules. That's why we must constantly be talking to our kids about what they put out there for the world to see. We're seeing more and more adults indulging impulsivity and blurting out impulsive first reactions, knee-jerk comebacks, and meaningless self-centered blabber via social media. I'm afraid we're rapidly forgetting that there are times - times defined as "usually" or "most always" - where it's best to just keep quiet.

Second, Johnson's tweet serves as a reminder of something else. . . that the mouth is a window into the heart and soul. The things we say and how we say them show the world who we really are. I don't know anything about Steve Johnson. . . nothing except that he's really no different than any of the rest us (he accidentally dropped a pass), and that he's blaming his dropped pass on God. Really??? To be honest, I don't think God really cares about who wins an NFL game. What I believe he does care about is how NFL players play and to whose glory it is that they play to.

Third, Johnson offers a window into pop theology. I guess we can call it pop theology because it's widespread and spreading, and because when it's submitted to the scrutiny of God's revelation of Himself, it explodes like a thin-skinned balloon. This is the kind of fruit we see ripening after years of poor ministry and teaching. We need to go deep.

Finally, we need perspective. Maybe Johnson's a victim of a sports culture that places eternal significance on stuff that really shouldn't matter. He knows that his dropped pass is way too significant for some Bills fans. He struggles to walk away from it because they can't. I guess we'll find out. But this is where we need perspective as we're all guilty of getting stuff out of whack. In a world filled with people dealing with deep pain and brokenness, a dropped pass hardly registers on the scale of pain and brokenness.

This is a story worth watching and talking about. I've got a hunch that all the chatter generated by this story is leaving Steve Johnson to think more deeply about that pass and that tweet. And someday soon he's going to offer some clarification and explanation. I think - or at the very least hope - too, that we're going to hear some wonderful words from Johnson on perspective. After all, this isn't the end of the world.

Pray for Wes Evans. . . .

One of the first things Rich Van Pelt said to me last week when I saw him in Nashville was this - "Pray for Wes Evans." I don't know Wes, but I'm praying for him along with his father Jon, mother Jo, and sister Shelby. I want to ask you to pray for Wes and his family in this hour of deep, deep need.

Wes is a 19-year-old who spent last summer working at Noah's Ark Rafting in Colorado. Many of you are familiar with this great organization. Currently, Wes is a student at Colorado Mountain College in Breckenridge, Colorado. He loves the outdoors and is majoring in Outdoor Education. On Friday, November 19, Wes was in a serious skiing accident, hitting a tree with his head. This last Friday, Wes's doctor told him parents that Wes is "the sickest person in Colorado."

Like I said, I never met Wes or his family. I feel a tie because of Rich, and because they are brothers and sisters in Christ. I feel a tie because I am a father. I feel a tie because his father, Jon, is one of us. . . a youth pastor. I feel a tie because Jon is the youth pastor at the church my wife served as a secretary when we were in Seminary almost 30 years ago. . . First Presbyterian Church Northshore in Ipswich, Massachusetts.

None of us can even begin to imagine the immense burden the Evans family is carrying right now. But each of us can pray for the family and for Wes's healing. One of the latest updates posted by the family on their CarePage Site is that Wes - who is in an induced coma - lifted his arms today.

I want to encourage you to visit the CarePage that's been set up for Wes. You will meet a family that has gone deep in the things of God. . . and is going deeper - I'm sure - through this experience. Keep them in your prayers.

The Greatest Reason to Give Thanks. . .

"And you were dead in the trespasses and sins in which you once walked, following the course of this world, following the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that is now at work in the sons of disobedience - among whom we all all once lived in the passions of our flesh, carrying out the desires of the body and the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, like the rest of mankind. But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us, even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ - by grace you have been saved - and raised us up with him and seated us with him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, so that in the coming ages he might show the immeasurable riches of his grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus. For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast. For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them."
-Ephesians 2:1-10

Ted Haggard And The Youthworkers. . . .

This is a difficult blog to pen. . . difficult because I want to be very careful about what I say and how I say it. That also happens to be the stimulus for my thoughts today. . . the issue of being very careful about what we say and how we say it. That issue was also the catalyst for some heated conversation over the weekend at the National Youthworkers Convention in Nashville. That conversation was widespread, and I'm still sorting out the many questions I was asked by attendees along with my own response. So, here goes. . .

If you weren't there, you missed Ted Haggard and his wife Gayle sharing some of their story with interviewer Tic Long on the main stage Sunday morning. Just to clarify, I was not in the room, but catching bits and pieces on the live feed. I say that because context is important and if I botch anything in my response/reaction regarding the facts of the morning, I will need to be corrected. But I caught enough from the feed and from those who were there and that's what I want to comment on today. In addition, I've watched and listened to Haggard and his wife enough - especially in recent years - to struggle to respect his views, conclusions, and demeanor. . . even though I feel very, very badly about any victimization he suffered at the hands of others when he was young enough to be manipulated. Whenever I watch Haggard, I feel like I watch pride eclipse remorse, narcissism eclipse the beauty of discipline and accountability, and a man who needs to humbly walk with his head held low cheapen grace by holding his head high while sometimes making the mistake of extending the necessary words "I was wrong. . ." to include a series of "buts. . ." followed by excuses and explanations that frame himself as a victim. To be honest, it reminds me of dealing with a middle-schooler who just got caught. I felt that way once again when I heard him speak on Sunday morning. . . which was really driven home by his off-the-cuff and inappropriate racist remark in response to the noisy military flyover.

And so, some of the thoughts that have been spinning through my head since Sunday morning. . .

First, I know that Haggard's racial comment DOES NOT in any way, shape, or form represent Youth Specialties, parent-company YouthWorks, or any of us who ever speak at the National Youthworkers Conventions. Everyone I talked to was stunned and bothered. Still, many are questioning why Haggard was even invited in the first place. YS has always been known to want to stir up the pot from the main stage and start a little discussion. While many of us would have a main stage philosophy that might differ, the pot was stirred and there is a buzz. In the immediate aftermath, the convention planners and up-front folks from YW and YS handled the situation extremely well.

Second, we should respond by hoping that the redeeming moment will come in the discussions that follow Haggard's time on stage. It's especially important for those present Sunday morning who are older and wiser, to process and sort out the Haggard story for those who are young and perhaps more green.

Third, let's use the time to see what we can learn about ourselves and the need for scrutiny. Many would defend Haggard saying that we shouldn't judge him, criticize him, or question him at all. Haggard himself sometimes leaves the impression that he might be in the front of that line. But here's the deal and we all know it - when we make a choice to enter the spotlight, stand in front of a crowd, lead people, teach seminars, write books or blog, we invite scrutiny and we should welcome it. People will interact with us, our stuff, and our stories. None of us are above it. And by all means, part of what we should be using our platform for is to encourage those who listen to us to ask the right questions, evaluate things in light of the Scriptures, and use Godly discernment. And, when necessary, we should encourage them to speak up in response to things that just aren't the way they're supposed to be.

Fourth, we need filters. In other words, we need to think carefully about what we say before a watching world. And when our filters fail either one time or consistently, we need people to call us out on it. I wonder if Ted Haggard has anyone like that in his life.

Fifth, Haggard's story continues to bring to mind the opening line of Dietrich Bonhoeffer's classic book, The Cost of Discipleship. Bonhoeffer wrote, "Cheap grace is the deadly enemy of our Church. We are fighting today for costly grace."

Sixth, Ted Haggard provides me with a host of living lessons I want to teach my kids. The biggest lesson of all. . . I tell them that not one of us is a better person than Ted Haggard. If we don't have a healthy understanding of human depravity (especially our own!) and the fact that we're all just one bad decision away from the place Ted Haggard found himself in 2006 and beyond, then we're really in trouble. In fact, in the days after Haggard's 2006 exposure, I sat down our CPYU staff and my kids to talk about Gordon MacDonald's wonderful yet sobering article in response to Haggard's sin and the reminder that there's an asassin that lives inside us all. Ted Haggard's story should humble us. Sadly - and I truly wish it wasn't this way - I also feel the need to use Ted Haggard as a "don't be like him" example not only in regards to his secret life before he was found out, but in his response to discipline and accountability in the years since he was found out.

Finally, what happened at The National Youthworkers Convention on Sunday morning has served to remind me of a hot ministry topic I remember hearing discussed years ago. It was at the time when a series of high profile athletes, musicians, and celebrities were coming to faith in Christ and being thrust into the spotlight to speak at all kinds of Christian events. Some of these new evangelical heroes were pushed in front of the mike before they even had a chance to grow enough to have even a limited understanding of the faith or something of substance to say. Some quickly fizzled and denounced their faith either verbally or through their actions, leaving those who put them in front of the mike in the first place with egg on their faces. Perhaps we should also be sure that when a brother or sister falls, the best favor we can do for them and the rest of the body is to surround them with grace, prayer, guidance and accountability, rather than an audience. Healing takes time. And sometimes when we think we are all healed up, we really aren't. . . and we need people to remind us of that. Far too many of us in the church are quick to grace-lessly crucify fallen brothers and sisters. That's not right. But we must also do all we can to grace-fully keep them from crucifying themselves.

And for those who weren't at the convention this year. . . you missed a great time of being encouraged and equipped.

Killing Us Softly. . . .

A short head's up this morning about something new that's a revision of something worth watching. Advertising critic Jean Kilbourne continues her four-decade look at the role advertising plays in shaping us, particularly our concept of women. The fourth edition of Kilbourne's DVD, "Killing Us Softly" is out and worth a look. You can watch the trailer below. You can view a full low-res version of the entire presentation at the Killing Us Softly 4 website.



And while we're at it, you might want to set the DVR for the premiere episode of TBS's highly publicized new series about college life, "Glory Daze." The comedy about campus life in the mid-80s looks to offer kids a peek into what so many kids - sadly - think that college life should be like. The show just might offer some good talking points for those of us who want to prepare our kids to experience college to the glory of God.

What Hollywood Does To Us. . . .

I got an email from our associate staffer Paul Robertson yesterday asking me about a song that popped onto his computer through his internet radio station. I hadn't heard the song before but the lyrics from Angus and Julia Stone's "Hollywood" shook me up with their clear, straightforward, and truthful message.

Hollywood

I blame you Hollywood, for showing me things you never should show a young girl, In a cruel world. Because life’s not a happy ending, I’m sure there is some, like Johnny and June, and maybe other people too. They all would have been killed in the sound of music, they would have found out that Pinocchio could never tell the truth. She never would have made it to shore, the little mermaid. He would have married a whore from a wealthy family, after all he was royalty. Cinderella would have scrubbed those floors till her hands grew old and tired, and nobody would look away, that’s the way it goes today. I blame you Hollywood, for showing me things you never should show a young girl, In this cruel world. Because life’s not a happy ending, I’m sure there is some like Johnny and June, and maybe other people too. And maybe other people too (x5) Like me and you

Interesting that I should run across this song a few days after picking up a book called The Marketing of Evil recommended to me earlier this year by Kelly Monroe Khulberg, of the Veritas Forum and author of Finding God At Harvard - and a few days before speaking at The National Youthworkers Convention on the role media plays in the lives of our kids. Simply stated, media shapes our concept of reality. . . what the world is like and the way the world should be.

That's why I'm fascinated by the song and video from Angus and Julia Stone. I thought I would pass it on to you as it's definitely something worth watching and discussing with your kids. The things we face in life don't always have a happy ending. Life is not a fairy tale. The rain falls on the just and the unjust. Truth is sometimes really, really ugly. That's what I like about this song. While life on this earth may be filled with pain, I'm elated that there's a bigger story that I've been invited and brought in to. . . . and that that story's end is full of glory.


Angus & Julia Stone - Hollywood
Uploaded by EMI_Music. - Music videos, artist interviews, concerts and more.

Jesus Didn't Come to Make Us Christian. . . .

The pile of books "to be read" in my office just keeps getting bigger and bigger. . . frustratingly big in fact! Every once in a while a new book darkens the doorway that I allow to jump to the front of the line, or top of the pile as it were. A couple of weeks ago one of those books showed up and I devoured it quickly. It never even made it to the pile. . . I just took it home and started reading.

It's a book by Dick Staub, a friend whose past books (Too Christian and Too Pagan, and The Culturally Savvy Christian)I've made required reading for students in classes I've taught. The feedback is pretty consistent - things like "thanks for making me read that book" and "that book was a life-changer for me." Staub's latest offering, About You - Fully Human Fully Alive, is good reading I'm "assigning" to anyone who reads this blog. It's good reading because it's filled with good writing that shatters some of the myths we've come to believe about God and ourselves, while offering a clear corrective regarding the ways things are and ought to be.

The book's cover is sure to attract attention from both Christians who think they know what being a Christian is all about, and non-believers who know Christians who have erroneously communicated what being a Christian is all about. Those facts hit readers when they spot this thought-provoking quote on the cover: "Jesus didn't come to make us Christian; Jesus came to make us fully human," words penned by Hans Rookmaker, a hero of the faith Staub and I share. Those words capture a reality that's so much bigger and better than what we've come to accept.

Rooted in the context of the unfolding Biblical drama of Creation, Fall, and Redemption, About You takes readers on a journey to discover what it means to be fully human, fully alive, and how to get there. This isn't a book about getting saved. This is a book about rediscovering the purpose, meaning, and shalom of life in the Garden. . . the echo of which haunts us all in our brokenness. About You engages both the saved and the seeker, leading them down the path to understanding one's self and all of life in the role we've been made to play in that great drama. It's a book about restoration that will open your eyes to who you were made to be and how to get there once again.

Thanks Dick, for making this all so clear and compelling.

Well Said. . . So, What Do We Do Now? . . .

Kudos to NBC for running a series on The Today Show on the decline of civility. I missed this part of the series the other day, but Lisa gave me a heads-up and I found it online. It's worth passing on because it relates to our families, our parenting, our youth ministries, and what we do here at CPYU. Give it a look. . .



So what do we do now? What do YOU do now? Any changes needed in the way you live? Parent? Minister? Use social media?

That's Us. . . On TV! . . . .

There were a couple of commercials that I saw this weekend. . . several times each. . . that caught my eye. They caught my eye because they are not only creative, but because they caught the rest of me as well. The "rest of me" meaning aspects of who I/we've become in our culture, how we live in our culture, and what living in this culture has been doing to us.

The first is one of the ads for the new Windows Phone 7. . . .



I think this ad not only captures the sad reality of how technology has enslaved us, but how over time - a very short period of time relatively speaking - we've allowed that technology to hijack us out of deep and meaningful face-to-face relationships. How many times have you been with someone and they've been paying too much attention to the technology in their hand, and not enough attention to you. I've been on both the giving and receiving end of that one. . . both perpetrator and victim. I've been thinking in recent weeks about how important it is for us to put it down. Sure, we should still use it, but not in the way we have been using it. When you're talking to me and I'm talking to you. . . don't tweet it, post it, etc. Wait until later. And when later comes, use some discretion.

There is one way this ad gets it wrong. . . way wrong. It's at the end. We don't need to be saved from our phones. It's not our phones. It's us. We need to be saved from ourselves and the ways we've gotten locked into living our lives this way. It's not the phone's fault. And by the way, a new-fangled phone's not going to do the saving.

The second commercial is one in a new series of ads for the Toyota Highlander. . .



Watching it reminded me of how automobile manufacturers actually peddle their wares to people who aren't even close in age to having a driver's license. They target kids because in today's world, 65% of the automobile purchases made by parents of children are influenced by those children. Maybe Pontiac. . .who closed down officially today. . . should have taken a cue from Toyota's strategy in this series of ads. I don't like the smart kid/stupid parent theme. But it does work. While it's a stretch, the stretch the ad takes in the direction of the hip kid/lame parent does ring somewhat true when it comes to being media savvy. The kid's right when he claims to be more knowledgeable of this stuff than his parents, which should serve as a wake-up call for us older folks. But I'm afraid this is one ad that fuels entitlement, materialism, and narcissism. . . all trends that are already firmly entrenched in the soil of today's youth culture. What messages do kids get when they see this ad?

You've heard me say it before. . . culture is a map and a mirror. These ads map out life for viewers, telling them this is the way things are and the way things ought to be. The ads mirror our world to us if we are willing to watch critically with discerning eyes. Hopefully, they'll spur us on to know what to say, who to say it to, and how to say it when it comes to proclaiming the Kingdom of God and the way things really ought to be.

Old Made New. . . With A Great Message. . . .

Gary has been doing all he can these last couple of weeks to exercise the memory portion of my brain. He's a college buddy who's been spending time posting some pretty incredible music memories on his Facebook page. One of the things that I love about music is that it serves me like that souped up Delorean Marty McFly used to transport himself instantaneously from one place to another. A lot of the stuff Gary's been posting has taken me back and put a smile on my face.

After I commented to Gary on some of his selections, he dug into YouTube's music archives to find something distinctively Philly-sounding that we often heard playing in the college dining hall back in 1976. Then, he posted the video on his Facebook page as a little gift to me. I love it!

Listening to Harold Melvin and the Blue Note's "Wake Up Everybody" some thirty-plus years later reminded just how important and powerful the prophetic voice can be. In a day and age when music and its messages can be frustrating and even frightening - a fact fresh in my mind as just yesterday I wrote a 3(D) review of Miley Cyrus's "Who Owns My Heart?" for our next edition of ENGAGE - this is one song worth listening to and even talking about with your kids.

So just for fun. . . take a few minutes and listen to the original. . . .



And then watch and listen to the newly released version of the song from John Legend and The Roots. . .



And if you've got even more time, check out this live version from John Legend and The Roots. Why? Well, it's worth seeing a sousaphone on stage in the mix. . .

Four Loko - Canned Cocaine?

On October 8th, nine 17 to 19-year-old Central Washington University Students attending the same party had to be hospitalized with blood-alcohol levels of 0.12 percent to 0.35 percent. When the story first broke, officials were puzzled, wondering if the students had willingly or unwillingly consumed drugs, perhaps even date rape drugs. But toxicology tests for drugs were negative. Just two weeks later, officials released their findings. The common thread for the nine – one of whom almost died – was that they had consumed a sweet, highly-caffeinated, alcoholic energy drink called Four Loko. Sadly, this incident is not isolated, but increasingly common.

It’s no secret that the alcohol and tobacco industries need to cultivate new drinkers and smokers to stay alive, generate revenue, and grow. While there have been many times when they’ve denied it, those charged with creating marketing campaigns know that today’s underage drinkers and smokers are both the now and future tobacco and alcohol market. And while there are numerous regulations in place to prohibit them from creating and marketing products to teens, there are ways around that.

In recent years, the alcohol industry has created and peddled lots of new colorful and fruity products that blur the packaging and content line between kid-stuff like juices and soft-drinks, and adult stuff like highly caffeinated energy drinks, wine coolers, and even beer.


Now, the canned beverage known as Four Loko - from Chicago-based Phusion Projects Inc. - is flooding youth culture from young adults down to curious and young thrill-seeking kids. The brightly-packaged 23.5 ounce cans contain a caffeinated, 12% alcohol malt beverage that generates a dangerous buzz that is potent and fast-acting. The alcohol content is three times that of a beer. One can of Four Loko is equivalent to a six-pack of beer in alcohol content. Both users and health-care officials have likened Four Loko to cocaine in a can. Like soda, Four Loko contains sugar, artificial flavors (Grape, Blue Raspberry, Orange, Watermelon, Fruit Punch, Lemonade, Cranberry, and Cranberry Lemonade) and carbonation. It also includes taurine, guarana, caffeine, and wormwood (the active ingredient in absinthe), the four ingredients developers used as a basis for the drink’s name.

Four Loko’s rapid rise in popularity has administrators and healthcare officials on college campuses working hard to raise awareness among students as to the very real dangers associate with the drink. The fact that a growing number of cases of alcohol-poisoning related to Four Loko consumption and binging are being reported in hospital emergency rooms has officials concerned as well. This trend is sure to continue as Four Loko drinkers endeavor to down three or fan cans in quick succession in an effort to get the full effect of a quicker high.

Why is Four Loko gaining popularity among young adults and teens? There are many reasons.

First, kids are by nature risk-takers who have a sense of invulnerability that feeds the sense that “nothing bad will ever happen to me.” Not only that, but kids are looking to have a good time, and Four Loko is associated with fun.

Second, Four Loko offers a cheap high. At around $2.50 a can, it’s affordable. As a result more and more kids are going to drink it.

Third, Four Loko is marketed and sold in ways that attract the attention of younger and underage drinkers. For example the cans give off a “fun feel” through the use of bright colors that catch the eye. In some stores, Four Loko isn’t found on the shelves near beer and other alcoholic beverages. Instead, Four Loko is shelf-stocked near the non-alcoholic energy drinks popular among kids. In addition, the drink’s fruity flavors are attractive to young consumers who have been raised on fruit juice.

Fourth, the drink is marketed as being both fun and sexy. A visit to the Four Loko homepage features shadowy silhouettes of a couple of young, naked women standing seductively in the shadows, a marketing ploy that not only draws in the male audience, but promises alcohol-infused sex-appeal to female drinkers. In fact, many of the many Four Loko songs that are popping up on YouTube tout the drink’s ability to make those who are ugly, sexually attractive in the eyes of Four Loko drinkers.

Fifth, there’s the viral element that’s been fueled by the world of social media. Four Loko’s growing Facebook Fan Page features testimonials and drinking suggestions from satisfied Four Loko drinkers. The page includes this poetic descriptor of the drink’s effects: “Corny?!...Four loko: big sizes which make you do surprizes...Tastey and makes you wastey...If you dont like it, you're a sucker cause four loko makes you f____ her...
It has a deliscious flavor but the memories you cant savor...”

Sixth, there’s the pop culture element, particularly the growing number of Rap videos – many of them claiming to be “official” – that are posted on YouTube. A quick YouTube search of the term “Four Loko” provides perhaps the best street-level education on the drink that’s available.

Finally, there’s word-of-mouth. Kids are drinking it, then telling their friends. Once that happens, word is out and the power of peer pressure kicks in full-tilt.

What can we do in response? Here are a few quick suggestions. As with any alcohol-consumption issue that involves underage drinking, binge drinking, or the immoral aspect and irresponsibility of drunkenness and the many resulting spiritual, physical, and emotional risks, the rising popularity and abuse of Four Loko requires diligence on the part of all adults. Parents should warn their kids about the potency and dangers of Four Loko. They should also set and enforce strict behavioral parameters when it comes to substance abuse. Parents and youth workers should present a united front by providing a Biblical perspective on drinking. In addition, they should discover and address any underlying issues that are driving kids to self-medicate through substance abuse. And finally, community members should unite to establish policies that regulate the marketing, distribution, and sale of Four Loko to kids.

You've Got To Be Kidding! . . . .

For years I've been relying on the world of advertising to help me explain youth culture. . . what it is, where it has come from, where it's going, and what it can tell us about kids. Those of us committed to "listening twice" - to the Word and the world - are always looking for and deconstructing the latest ad.

If you've been around when I've talked about the world of advertising and the way it has evolved over the years, you've probably seen some of the old ads that even though they were once cutting-edge and relevant, are now absolutely ridiculous. . . or even downright scary!

The other day, Derek Melleby forwarded to me an email that featured some of these old ads that "we will NEVER see again." I've included some in my presentations over the years. . . . but this is a great collection! So just for fun. . . . enjoy. . . .