I've Got Something Exciting To Tell You! . . . .

Last week I was on Facebook and instant-messaging with a friend from Canada. I'm not sure how we got there, but one thing led to another and I told him that I was soon going to make an announcement that I thought might make him very happy. He's a big fan of CPYU and he utilizes our stuff regularly.

In the midst of our virtual conversation, I told him that "something old from CPYU" was about to be "something new." He excitedly asked, "Are you bringing back ENGAGE?!?!?" Nice guess Garth! You got it. And you're not the only one who's been wondering when and if ENGAGE would ever reappear. It's back!

Here's the deal. . . Let me start with a little explanation for those of you who aren't familiar with ENGAGE. . . and for those of you who may have forgotten. ENGAGE was our 24 to 28 page quarterly journal on youth culture. For several years, it was in print and we sent it free to everyone on our mailing list. It got so costly that we had to cut the free deal, and sent it out to those who made a donation to our ministry. I never really liked that part. It started as a freebie, and I wanted it to stay a freebie. So, we decided to go paperless, save a few forests, and deliver ENGAGE as a free pdf - still the same length with the same in-depth information and analysis that we endeavor to deliver to you here at CPYU. Then, one thing led to another we wound up letting ENGAGE lay dormant. . . . until now!

In the coming days, ENGAGE will be revived in a new format. We've talked to several of you, and you've given us some great ideas. What we've landed on is this. . . ENGAGE will no longer be quarterly. It will be monthly! ENGAGE will no longer be delivered to you in one large pdf. Instead, each article/component will be available in its own pdf, thereby making it possible for you to download, email, and/or print out the articles you like for distribution, rather than having to print out the entire pdf. Included will be articles on youth culture trends, articles for parents, reviews, our very popular 3(D) media reviews (in a more timely manner!), articles on College Transition, and a whole lot more.

Now, here's how you can ensure that you'll be receiving the first and all subsequent monthly editions of ENGAGE. . . . and it's all really simply and totally free! Those of you who are already subscribed to our weekly Youth Culture e-Update. . . you don't have to do a thing, as ENGAGE will be delivered to you via email automatically. For those of you who are not already receiving our weekly Youth Culture e-Update in your email box, simply go to our CPYU home page and click on the CPYU Youth Culture e-Update button on the left side, or simply click here to be directed to the Youth Culture e-Update signup page.

I'm excited about our relaunch of ENGAGE. Be sure to signup, and once you get it, you have our permission to forward, print out, and distribute every little nook and cranny of ENGAGE without limit!

The Chilean Miners. . . . Difficult Days Ahead? . . . .

This will sound like a crazy. . . absolutely crazy. . . question. But I've been wondering - are the most difficult days ahead for the 33 rescued Chilean miners? It's difficult to imagine anything more horrifying than the 69 days these guys endured together, especially the first 17 of those days. But after all those days spent organizing, cooperating, and surviving life underground, it's possible that their once-more-simple lives will now be filled with a complex web of temptations.

The day after all the miners had been rescued, I was thinking about their futures by trying to put myself in their place and wondering how I would handle it all. I did the same thing several times while they were down in that mine. Then, I jotted down these words: "Great adversity can bring out the best in us - we work together. Great prosperity can bring out the worst in us - we work against each other." I know that because I've read history, I've watched people, and more than anything else. . . I know myself.

Everyone of these 33 men are about to get very, very rich. They knew that as time passed underground and their rescue was imminent. That's why they made a pact to share any wealth that would come from telling their story amongst themselves equally. But the temptations that come with material abundance - as much as we think they can be very very good - can be very very bad. In a Puritan prayer about our human weaknessess the Lord is asked, "Preserve me from the intoxication that comes of prosperity; Sober me when I am glad with a joy that comes not from thee."

Let's keep watching the story and keep praying for these guys.

And one more thing. . . did you catch that brilliant thread in the story that was a wonderful marketing move by Oakley????

Miley Cyrus. . . Have You Been Listening? . . . .

I won't say much on this one. It's a chance to see who's been listening. . . to the world of pop music. . . to the way things go in the world of pop music. . . to the development of Miley Cyrus and her short yet prolific career. . . to her messages. . . and to what we've been working to teach at CPYU about exegeting the culture.

So. . . give the 17-year-olds' new video a look. . .



Discussion? . . . .

Freeing the 33. . . .

Early last August, shortly after returning home from my hospital stay, I reestablished my morning ritual that has always included a cup of coffee and the newspaper. One of the first news stories that caught my eye also grabbed at my heart. I had been thinking a lot about and praying for people who have it far worse so that I would maintain perspective on my own condition. That morning, I read about the 33 Chilean miners who had been victimized by a collapse. From time to time over the next few days I'd read a small story on efforts to find the men and the hope that they were still alive. Then, later in August, word came that a drill had reached the chamber where the men were, and they were still alive.

I started to imagine what it must be like to be trapped a half mile under the ground with no way out. I believe I would have gone crazy pretty fast. But stories emerged from that place in the ground about a chain of command that had been obeyed, food that had been carefully rationed, and how the men had taken care of one another during the time when they were lost with no idea at all if they'd ever be found. I thought about their families and the sliver of hope this new discovery had brought.

Then came the mobilization of a country's resources to work to get these men out of the ground. Plans were made and I read that it might take until Christmas or some other time near the end of the year if all went well. Again, I thought about and prayed for them and their families.

Now, we're hours away from the first miner being brought to the surface, and it's October 12. According to what I've read today, experts say that the trip up the shaft will be fraught with risk and danger. One expert says it will be the most harrowing part of the ordeal for each of the miners. I've been thinking about and praying for them again today, imagining yet not even coming close to knowing what these hours must be like for everyone involved. If all goes well, the euphoria felt by all in a day or two will be unmeasurable.

The contrasts in this story are unbelievable. Moving from almost certain death to the very real hope for continued life. Thinking you'll never see your family again. . . and then being reunited. Moving from deep darkness into bright light. Then, there's the stuff they've done to survive. The cooperation. The care for each other. Even the arguing over who will be the last one up. . . each one saying that's the place in line he wants to take.

There's far more to this story that we'll learn. I'm sure some publisher and screenwriter is standing by that hole in the ground with contracts and pens in hand. But to this point, the whole thing has been rather amazing to me. Even reading the accounts of the brilliant and talented people who have engineered the complex rescue effort screams out "Glory to God!" for the creative gifts reflected in the image of God each of these people was born with and has developed.

No, it's not a story about youth ministry, kids, or culture. But it is a story about bringing "shalom" in the midst of terrible stuff - that universal flourishing and rightness that filled every nook and cranny of God's good world before we decided we had a better plan for it all. In that respect, it's a story that reflects what everyone of us, young and old alike, longs for every minute of every day. In a way, it's a story about the hope we all have for our ultimate rescue.

Let's pray that all goes well over the next few hours.

Feeding Young Materialists. . . .

A fish out of water. . . that's exactly what I felt like six years ago when I joined a group of about 300 highly-energized and motivated young adults (most of them twenty-something) who had gathered for a few days in central Florida to learn and share their secrets regarding how to sell anything and everything to kids, aged 2 to 12. These were some of the most creative folks I had ever met. They knew the culture, were constantly living on their toes, and were doing anything and everything to get into the pocketbooks of kids and their parents with a single-minded commitment to pursuing that end and justifying any means on the road to get there. My deepest suspicions were confirmed, and it was very depressing. I liken the experience to having watched a marionnette show, when suddenly, the top curtain fell, revealing the people who were doing all the pulling and manipulating on the puppets' strings.

The competition for the hearts, minds, money, and life-long allegiance of the youngest of our young hasn't subsided. In fact, it continues to snowball in its intensity and reach. The other day I ran across a great little article from the Orlando Sentinel's Sandra Pedicini, "Teen clothiers targeting pre-teen market." She writes, "Clothing stores aimed at teenagers and twentysomethings are expanding their reach, trying to hook customers barely out of kindergarten with their own teen lines." With age aspiration and age compression leading pre-schoolers to want to be seen, perceived, and treated like they're in elementary school - and elementary-aged kids wanting to be at middle-school age, it's a logical strategy. Add to that the $13.4 billion spent annually on teen clothing, and it makes even more sense. For example, there's Aeropostale and their P.S. store for kids ages 7 to 12. Visit the P.S. website and you'll see three happy and fulfilled young Aeropostale billboards. Visit Forever 21's homepage for their HTG81 brand for children 6 to 14, and you see happy kids sporting the brand.

Marketing works. It's worked for years. Today's marketing experts are bearing the fruit of the successful efforts of past generations of product evangelists. It's ingrained in the very fabric of who we are. Pedicini quotes branding-strategist Eli Portnoy: "Little kids are so status-conscious about clothing now, more than ever. It was a natural evolution for young college, teenage brands - Why not go after them younger and get them hooked into your brands?"

Contemporary Christians may pride themselves on the fact that there are no literal golden calves sitting in our midst. But the subtle draw of idolatry weaves itself in and through us without us ever knowing it. . . and we might not see it until we catch ourselves leafing longingly through the piles and piles of consumer catalogs that fill our mailboxes, feeling good when we're going to or at the mall, or when we allow our young to wear t-shirts emblazoned with "SHOPPING RULES!" or "BORN TO SHOP."

C.S. Lewis got it right when he wrote, "If I find in myself a desire which no experience in this world can satisfy, the most probable explanation is that I was made for another world." That's where we need to live. It's where we must spend everything we have and everything we are.

Hey Kids. . . Your Dance Has Been Cancelled. . . .

Man oh man are things going to heat up here in Lancaster County. The front page of today's paper sports this headline: "Lewd dancing roils schools." The article reports on the trend among several area school districts to cancel the homecoming dance. The cancellation cause isn't bad weather, a flu epidemic, or even threats of violence. Nope. It's the unwillingness of kids to heed warning upon warning to cease and desist when it comes to freaking, grinding, and dirty dancing on the dance floor.

Out in the dark regarding this youth culture trend? You can get caught up by chatting with any secondary school teacher who's served as a dance chaperon over the last few years. Earlier this year, a teacher in another state approached me to tell me about what he was seeing (sadly) when he served as a chaperon at the high school's dances. He told me that not only do the girls wear short skirts, but they were removing their underwear, heading out to the dance floor, hiking up their skirts, and then dancing (in a variety of ways) up against the guys.

Back in 2001 I wrote an article on the dirty dancing trend entitled "Freaking Out On The Dance Floor." In that article, I listed several things that were fueling the trend. Here's what I wrote:

First, in today's cultural climate, why shouldn't kids freak-dance? After all, this emerging generation of kids has grown up in a culture that encourages free sexual expression without bounds. To them, it's normal behavior.

Second, the mainstream media has taught them how to freak-dance and encouraged the practice. In a classic case of life imitating art, kids who've been raised by MTV are only mimicking the visual and lyrical messages of song's like Sir Mix-a-lot's "Baby Got Back," Sisqo's "Thong Song," and Mystikal's "Shake Ya Ass".

Third, kids say freak-dancing is a way to express themselves and have fun. Teenagers have always stretched the edge beyond the comfort zone of previous generations in an effort to do something new, unusual, unique, and rebellious. Freak-dancing certainly fits the bill.

Fourth, we live in a postmodern culture that values limitless freedom of expression. Kids say that freak-dancing is an enjoyable way to express themselves. It's not surprising that efforts to limit or prohibit the practice have been met with youthful resistance.

Fifth, freak-dancing is seen as a non-threatening way to socialize. Teenagers are social beings who long for intimacy, relationship, acceptance, and connections. Because it is often done with anonymous partners, freak-dancing fosters what kids see as "closeness."

And finally, kids who freak-dance argue there's nothing indecent about it because "it's not sex." Even though most kids say freak-dancing is somewhat arousing, they increasingly see "sex" as the act of vaginal intercourse and nothing less. Add to that the postmodern belief that there are no moral absolutes, and who can say that freak-dancing is wrong?

Nine years have passed and these values along with others are even more rooted in the fabric of youth culture, who kids are, what they believe, and how those beliefs inform their behavior.

While I know there will be many parents and kids who protest the decision as an intrusion on the right of free expression among kids, sometimes we need to step in and protect our kids from themselves. That's the problem with declining morals. Once we lose our ability to police ourselves, anything goes and in order to prevent all out anarchy, external constraints and limits must be imposed. Or, we could just let nature take its course.

Over the course of the last decade we've seen the world of youth culture become more infected with the viruses of objectification, sexual violence, body-image pressure, and the results of these things that victims have to deal with both now and for the rest of their lives. Did it all start on the dance floor? No. But what's happening on the dance floor both maps out proper behavior for kids and mirrors society's widely-held standards.

What I wrote back in 2001 stills holds true today: "The envelope's been stretched again. What was once on the fringe is now mainstream. One can only wonder what lies ahead out there on the attitudinal and behavioral edge of youth culture. We've got our work cut out for us. We need to talk to our kids about standards of Godly behavior, decency, modesty, and morality. We should set rules and tell them that freak-dancing is wrong. Why? Because it corrupts God's standards for His wonderful gift of sexuality. We should monitor what they watch and what they listen to as media outlets continue to gain influence on young values, attitudes, and behaviors. Freak-dancing is another wake-up call for diligent parenting and aggressive ministry to children and teens."

Perspective On Suffering. . . .

A friend recently told me I should have seen it coming. "Go back and read what you've been writing for the last couple of years, particularly on your blog. It's almost spooky!" I had been pondering and reading about suffering, pain, and heartache. . . whether physical, emotional, or relational. Circumstances that under God's sovereignty had visited my life were forcing me to reckon with the place of difficulty in our lives. I now know that much of that journey was preparation for the physical challenges I've had to face oveer the last 9 weeks.

Several days spent in the hospital being surrounded by suffering far worse than my own forced me to ponder these things anew. I soon realized that I had been telling parents and youth workers to "pray for difficulty" to come in their kids' lives. Why? Because difficulty strips away the idols of our times so that we can seek, see, and embrace Jesus as we have been created to seek, see, and embrace Him.

Last Friday, I woke up and decided to go to our local Panera Bread in order to do some work in preparation for my first post-accident speaking engagement this week. It wasn't long before I realized that my trip to Panera was less about my preparation, and more about running into a couple of grieving women I know. One lost her husband to cancer just a couple of months ago. She teared up as we talked, all the while affirming God's work in her life in the midst of her pain. She ministered to me.

The other woman is the wife of a retired missionary. He's a Godly man who even in the midst of his suffering with debilitating Parkinson's Disease, would still pick up the phone and call me to encourage me in my work with CPYU. A few days before, I had been thinking it was time for me to visit this man whose body has been increasingly failing him for years. When I asked his wife how he was doing, she informed me that he was most likely hours or days away from passing into eternity. I went to see him that afternoon. It was difficult.

Both were reminders of the fleeting nature of life. . . a life that sometimes hurts deeply, and always ends in physical death.

How thankful I was for Joni Ereckson Tada's words in the most recent edition of Christianity Today Magazine. Most people are familiar with Tada's story of a teenage diving accident that left her paralyzed when she was only 17. Now 60 years old, Tada is 10 years into a battle with chronic pain and a few months into a breast cancer diagnosis. She's released a book I want to read, A Place of Healing: Wrestling with the Mysteries of Suffering, Pain, and God's Sovereignty.

The interview is powerful. Perhaps these words from Joni Eareckson Tada will challenge you as they have challenged me: "I keep thinking about I Peter 2:21: 'To these hardships you were called because Christ suffered for you, leaving you an example that you should follow in his steps.' Those steps most often lead Christians nto to miraculous, divine interventions but direclty into the fellowship of suffering. In a way, I've been drawn closer to the Savior, even with this breast cancer. There are things about his character that I wasn't seeing a year ago or even six months ago. That tells me that I'm still growing and being transformed. I Peter 2:21 is a good rule of thumb for any Christian struggling to understand God's purposes in hardship."