Tuesday, May 31, 2005
the "just to let you know… thanks" e-mail went out today
It read: You may or may not have already heard, but I wanted to take a moment and let you know…
   I have accepted the position of Coordinator for Adolescent Faith Formation for the Division of Youth and Young Adult Ministry of the Archdiocese of Baltimore.  This new ministry will start in four weeks’ time.  My last day with the NFCYM offices will be Friday, June 24, 2005.
   This is a very exciting time, ripe with possibility, for adolescent catechesis.  We have much to both learn and celebrate regarding what the National Directory for Catechesis has to say about adolescent catechesis and youth ministry.  I believe that this is one of those “tipping points” moments for our field and that I might best serve encouraging the formation of young disciples in a more local venue.  Returning to the Archdiocese of Baltimore allows me to minister within a familiar setting with highly competent folks – it is certainly the “premier” diocese in the country – and I am proud to re-associate myself with them.
   My last six years with the NFCYM have been wonderful.  They have taken me both to the humblest of shacks in the Palestinian Territories and to the lawn of the White House.  I have had the pleasure of seeing six years’ worth of New Diocesan Director Institute participants become active members of the NFCYM- task group participants, management committee chairs, and board members.  I have sat with the field of Catholic Youth Ministry at NCCYMs while the late Michael Yaconelli reminded us that we are called to be spiritual people no matter how messy we might be or while Brian Johnson reminded us in song that “over our heads, there is music in the air- – - there must be a God somewhere!”
   We, who are a part of this membership organization known as the NFCYM, need to remember how blessed we are to have this organization and each other. There is a quote from Eric Hoffer that I have recently used as part of my e-mail signature: The hardest arithmetic to master is that which enables us to count our blessings. Please know that I have been blessed countless times throughout my service with the NFCYM and you. Thank you.
   While I have greatly enjoyed and been challenged during my six years on staff with the National Federation for Catholic Youth Ministry, I do look forward to returning to that most highly valued role within our organization- that of an active member.
   Thanks for your support, prayer, and patience with me during my time with the NFCYM offices.  Please keep the NFCYM in your thoughts and prayers, as I will, as they prepare for this transition.  << Work Day >>
god- a pop culture superstar
Popular culture has become much more diverse than ever before, and this means that there is a much broader variety of messages available to young people, as well as a proliferation of vangelically-oriented materials.  read the article here << Youth Ministry Stuff >>
BLOGGING MACHINE
I do believe that I have gotten into a rhythm of blogging.  April and May are my largest monthly files, with every day entries- sometime multiple daily entries on seemingly light days like yesterday.  We shall see what summer and transitions bring! <<Blogging>>

  Monday, May 30, 2005 (Memorial Day)
FREEDOM
Honoring the sacrifices of those who have gone before us, I dined and danced on Friday, did college laundry and took the son 6-1; 6-2 in tennis on Saturday, went to church for the baccalaureate mass and continued with the stacking and repacking of college move-in on Sunday, and Monday was cookie baking in the morning, 6-3; 6-1 in the afternnon, and the week’s worth of on-line homework throughout the day. (Only four more weeks left.)  All in all, I am rested for the final Federation fortnights.  << Work Day >>
M*A*S*H
Caught a rerun of the movie on AMC this afternoon, again enjoying a sacrilegious reenactment of Michelangelo’s Last Supper with the tune "Suicide is Painless" in the background. It was a gentle respite for a tennis weary body. << Culture >>
Young People must feel loved by church, says pope
VATICAN CITY, MAY 30, 2005 (Zenit.org).- To be able to accept the demanding message of the Gospel, young people must feel loved by the Church, especially by bishops and priests, says Benedict XVI. In an address today to the general assembly of the Italian bishops’ conference, the Pope dedicated a key passage to the evangelization of youth, "the hope of the Church."
   After acknowledging the expectations he places on World Youth Day in Germany, the Holy Father said that young people are in danger of being tossed about by the waves of every new idea that comes along.
"Therefore, they need to be helped to grow and mature in the faith," he told the Italian bishops gathered at the Vatican. "This is the first service they must receive from the Church, and especially from us bishops and from our priests."
   Benedict XVI added that "many of them are unable to understand and accept immediately all the teaching of the Church, but precisely for this reason it is important to awaken in them the intention to believe with the Church, and to have the confidence that this Church, animated and guided by the Spirit, is the true subject of faith, and that entering in it, we enter and participate in the communion of the faith." To achieve this objective, the Pope explained that "young people must feel loved by the Church, loved specifically by us, bishops and priests."
   "In this way, they will be able to experience in the Church the friendship and love that the Lord has for them," he said. "They will understand that in Christ truth coincides with love, and they will learn in turn to love the Lord and to have confidence in his body, which is the Church."  For Benedict XVI, this is "the central point of the great challenge of the transmission of the faith to young generations." << Pope >>

  Sunday, May 29, 2005
Ten Ways to Build Your Youth Ministry’s Profile in the Church
See the article here. << Youth Ministry Stuff >>

  Saturday, May 28, 2005
ON BEING LEGAL
It is a tech sort of day today.  I am celebrating and awaiting yesterday’s online purchase of a digital camera. (Woot, baby! Watch for more pictures posted on a blog near you!) Then, Comcast showed up at 12:54pm for their 9am-1pm appointment.  I paid to be legal in for that which I had previously already obtained. Oh, well, son Clark has encrypted us all up and we are surfing the net from the nefarious sofa once more. And, blogging as well! <<Blogging>>

  Friday, May 27, 2005
TO BE HOLY
   Someone once told me: "If you don’t want to change, then don’t pray.”  Prayer teaches us to dream, to imagine the impossible. Prayer works against time, noise, language, pragmatism, inability. It begins with the appraisal of what we are and where we find ourselves and then moves on to changing the situation and ourselves.  
   We pray and change is inevitable.  If you don’t want to change, then don’t pray… (If you don’t want to change, then don’t pray.) For prayer is the start of a motion, a continuing transformation and upheaval.  Things are never quite the same as before and there is no going back.
   Change means letting go, dying and rising. It is the continual paradox of death and resurrection which is experienced in prayer.  For prayer is a longing to change.  It is asking that we become what God dreams us to be. If you don’t want to change, then don’t pray.
   To live is to change.  To be holy is to have changed often.  Megan McKenna << Youth Ministry Stuff >>
THREE WISHES
Mikey’s Funnies, again!   A woman was out golfing one day when she hit the ball into the woods. She went in to to look for it and found a frog in a trap. The frog said to her, "If you release me from this trap, I will grant you three wishes."
   The woman freed the frog, and the frog said, "Thank you, but I failed to mention that there was a condition to your wishes. Whatever you wish for, your husband will get times ten."  The woman said, "That’s okay." and for her first wish, she wanted to be the most beautiful woman in the world. The frog warned her, "You do realize that this wish will also make your husband the most handsome man in the world, an Adonis whom women will flock to. " The woman replied, "That’s okay, because I will be the most beautiful woman and he will have eyes only for me." So, KAZAM! she’s the most beautiful woman in the world.
   For her second wish, she wanted to be the richest woman in the world. The frog said, "That will make your husband the richest man in the world and he will be ten times richer than you." The woman said, "That’s okay, because what’s mine is his and what’s his is mine." So, KAZAM! she’s the richest woman in the world.
   PUNCHLINE #1: The frog then inquired about her third wish, and she answered, "I’d like a mild heart attack."
   BONUS PUNCHLINE: The man actually had a heart attack ten times MILDER than his wife.  <<Funny Business>>
Keeler on stem cells
USA Today featured an editorial by Cardinal Keeler on Monday regarding the ongoing stem cell debate  Read it here. <<Church>>
THIS WEEK IN WASHINGTON
I have decided to utilize the "nuclear option" and post this "inside the beltway" commentary.  Click on the picture to enlarge. << Culture >>

  Thursday, May 26, 2005
Sister of Mercy refuses to ‘bear arms’ in becoming U.S. citizen
(CNS) — When she arrived at the federal building in downtown Baltimore, Mercy Sister Aine O’Connor, who is Irish through and through, was nonetheless looking forward to taking the oath of allegiance that is the final act in becoming a U.S. citizen. There was just one thing, though. There was a part of the oath to which the assistant to the president of Mercy Medical Center in Baltimore could not and would not agree. It was the section about swearing to "bear arms" on behalf of the United States when required by law. She said she could not reconcile the call to arms with her religious training, personal belief and her order’s mission "to reverence the dignity of each person and pursue integrity of word and deed in my life." Before she went to the May 4 swearing-in ceremony, she had requested permission to take the oath without the bearing arms requirement. After checking its legality, a federal officer told her that when she took the oath, "you don’t have to say that piece of it." <<Church>>
BISHOPS BLOGGING
(Zenit.org).- Philippine bishops are using every tool at their disposal to reach the faithful, including the Internet and blogs. From the Web site of the bishops’ conference, Internet users can access three blogs — a kind of hybrid Web site-diary — managed by three prelates who talk about a variety of issues such as catechesis, today’s society and Christian life. Bishop Jose Manguiran of Dipolong manages The Meaning (bpmanguiran.blogspot.com), whose subtitle is "Life is meaningful only when it begins and ends with Christ." Viewpoints (ovc.blogspot.com) is the diary of Archbishop Oscar Cruz of Lingayen-Dagupan. Then there is Tidbits (medroso.blogspot.com) by Bishop Leonardo Medroso of Borongan. <<Blogging>>

Wednesday, May 25, 2005
Act Like You’ve Been There Before
The usual standard in college and professional football (end zone dances notwithstanding) is that upon scoring a touchdown, you act as if you have been there before.  It is probably part of the genetic mix from my father that has me move into a cooler stance after the fact than the excited passion that I can exhibit before the fact, I don’t know. Nonetheless, MAJOR NEWS broke out yesterday afternoon and I, while internally quite excited and having a difficult time keeping my seat, still projected, at least I think, a casual approach to the whole think.  Whatever.., if you know, you know… If you don’t, you’ll read it soon enough.  The blog entry’s title is clue enough! <<Friends + Family>>

  Tuesday, May 24, 2005
TRANSITIONS
Consult not your fears,
But your hopes and dreams,
Think not about your frustrations,
But about you unfilled potential.
Concern yourself not with what you tried and failed in
But with what it is still possible for you to do.
Pope John XXIII  << Pope >>
In a Grim Corner of Baltimore, a High School Offers a Haven
The New York Times is offering a profile on St. Francis Academy.  See the article, here. <<Church>>
24
Jack is "dead," walking down the railroad tracks ala "David Banner" from the old Incredible Hulk series, rejected by the society that he continues to save in his own little violent way. This show is all about hard decisions.  An ex-President advocating for the pardoning of a terrorist that attempted to assassinate him. A minor character flunkie squealing on his own to assure that he will be with his family.  A "’true believer" attempting to cut the hand that is holding him back from death fall. Love was lost and love was found amidst the strain of professional choices that impacted the personal. Honestly, I watched the first ten minutes of the last hour and thought that 40 minutes had passed as so much action had occurred. Jack is dead…  see you in January, buddy. << Culture >>

  Monday, May 23, 2005
ONLINE ON THE ROAD
Went to the local library for an on-line connection tonight… Mostly to do homework for my last Master’s class.  therefore, today’s blog is short but sweet.  Spent the most significant part of the day on the Chesapeake Bay around Annapolis celebrating an NFCYM staff fun day.  Brief historical cruise, a nice lunch, a brief day.  All good. << Work Day >>

  Sunday, May 22, 2005
O’s Lose to PhiLlIes
The Orioles dropped a 7-2 decision to the visiting Phillies, extending Baltimore’s Interleague woes. The Orioles are 57-85 (.404) in Interleague Play since Major League Baseball matched up American League teams against their National League counterparts, the worst mark in the Major Leagues. <<Friends + Family>>
ROCK STARTS AS PROPHETS
Relevant magazine recently ran an interview with Moby.  Here’s a quick snippet... Maybe it’s time for another Martin Luther.” Moby suggests, “Martin Luther said, ‘The selling of indulgences is not something the Roman Catholic Church should be involved in.’ So maybe it’s time for a new Martin Luther, who’s gonna come along and say, ‘Live how you want to live, do what you want to do. But if you’re going to call yourself a Christian, at least know the teachings of Christ. And at least understand the character of Christ.’ I ask Moby if he would be a viable candidate for the position of 21st century reformer. His answer is at once diplomatic and pragmatic. “What would make me qualified to occupy that role is my love of Christ and my love of the teachings of Christ and my belief that contemporary Christianity has gone deeply astray. What disqualifies me is that I’m a very secular person, as well. I mean, I’m a rich New Yorker. So I’d feel very uncomfortable pointing the finger at everyone else, on that level.” << Culture >>

  Saturday, May 21, 2005
Mister Rogers’ Theology of ‘Neighbor’
(From beliefnet.com) Sometimes the word "simple" is confused with the word "simplistic," and it wasn’t. His philosophy of life is not simplistic, but it’s simple in that there are some basic tenets to it that seem simple but are so profound and so hard to live out on a daily basis. Read the Interview << Culture >>

Friday, May 20, 2005
EIGHTH GRADE GRADUATE
Look out high school.  Here comes the youngest daughter (wearing silly hats!) <<Friends + Family>>
five tips for helping busy people reprioritize their lives
(From simplyyouthministry.com)  Handling Stress does not mean that you have to plow up your "Field of Dreams." See the Article << Youth Ministry Stuff >>
Disciples Now Trippin’ with Trio
Disciples Now is launching a new promotion for summer 2005 called Trippin’ With Trio. This project takes its inspiration from projects like "Where in the World is Carmen, San Diego?" and "The Flat Stanley Project." Young people in middle and high school are invited to download a color image of Trio (the Disciples Now mascot) and to take Trio with them on all their summer adventures–family vacations, youth group trips, camps, and so on. Participants are offered the opportunity to take pictures with Trio wherever they go and to send their story in for possible publication on the Disciples Now Web site. << Youth Ministry Stuff >>

  Thursday, May 19, 2005
HOW KIDS ARE CHANGING
A Youth Specialties interview with Chap Clark. Have you ever wondered if it’s true when it comes to the kids you work with? Given the vast changes in youth culture, are kids still fundamentally the same? If they’ve changed, are the changes fairly minor or are they absolutely mega? See the Article << Youth Ministry Stuff >>
a blogging resolution- have you hugged your blogger today?
As part of the blog spring housecleaning (see May 17), I have come to realize that the Youth Ministry Stuff category is rather on the light side.  Recognizing that other stuff is still related, I am, nonetheless, resolving to improve on filling the youth ministry stuff category. << Blogging >>
HOW TO DEAL WITH STRESS
from www.mikeysFunnies.com
~ When someone says, "Have a nice day," tell them you have other plans.
~ Make a list of things to do that you have already done.
~ Go shopping. Buy everything. Sweat in it. Return it the next day.
~ Start a nasty rumor about yourself and see if you recognize it when it comes back to you.
~ Write a short story using alphabet soup.
~ Stare at people through the tines of a fork and pretend they’re in jail.  <<Funny Business>>

  Wednesday, May 18, 2005
Hammonds drives in game-winner in ninth
WASHINGTON — Starting in right field for the resting Jose Guillen, Jeffrey Hammonds singled home Brad Wilkerson with one out in the bottom of the ninth off Mike Adams to give the Nationals a 1-0 victory over the Brewers before 29,216 at Robert F. Kennedy Stadium.
Brad Wilkerson was hit by a pitch to lead off the bottom of the ninth and was moved to second base by a Jamey Carroll sacrifice bunt. He reached third on a dribbler by Vinny Castilla that third baseman Russell Branyan could not handle. <<Friends + Family>>
‘Sith’: The Promise Fulfilled
By Stephen Hunter; Washington Post Staff Writer
"Star Wars: Episode III — Revenge of the Sith" answers The Question. Not the question "What are the Sith?," which it actually never gets around to, but the other question.
You know the one I’m talking about. It’s a great question, the very hardest and the most important. Others have tried to answer it before, like Melville and Dostoyevsky and Shakespeare, though they could never agree on the answer. Which suggests that the answer may not be as important as the asking and, further, that it’s a shame it doesn’t get asked much any more.
The Question is: What makes man evil?  <<Culture>>
IT IS A WEST WING WORLD
I received an e-mail this morning where a friend signed off that she was supporting "Matt Santos for President!" I felt obligated to correct the error of her ways and affirm my support for Hawkeye Pierce for President.  Of course, Korean War vets would play key roles in the administration: Trapper John for Surgeon General, Radar O’Reilly for Secretary of Homeland Security, and Corporal Klinger for First Lady!!! (Added later: Margaret as Chair of the Joint Chiefs, Father John Francis Patrick Mulcahy as Cardinal Archbishop of Washington, Sergeant Zelmo Zale as Chief of Staff, and, of course, Captain Jonathan S. Tuttle as the VP. Still later: Col. Flagg as National Security Advisor.) <<Culture>>

  Tuesday, May 17, 2005
DANCE FEVER
Elsewhere in this intrepid blog, I made comment about my reputation on the dance floor.  Now within the last eight hours, I have seemingly lead others to believe that I do not enjoy a tango or twist while yet other friends from Iowa confirm, uncharitable though they may be, that they WOULD pay money for pictorial evidence.  When did this all become public game???  Oh, yea, I blogged about it!
Meanwhile, I know somebody more profound first said this but I’ll always remember that it was Mr. Miyagi of the Next Karate Kid who said, "Never trust spiritual leader who cannot dance." <<Blogging>>
PARDON OUR DUST
The blog will be under repair for a few days as our valiant and courageous internet team attempts to achieve and categorize the many entries. If anything else, this should keep me off the dance floor for a few days. <<Blogging>>

  Monday, May 16, 2005
LIFE IN WASHINGTON DC
Last week, a small two seater aircraft got suspiciously close to the no-fly zone over the nation’s capitol.  Comedian Jon Stewart’s reaction:  "We’ve made tremendous progress in dealing with these situations. A new strategy has been implemented, and it worked to perfection today. It’s called ‘Run for Your Lives!’" <<Funny Business>>
POPE HUMOR
Due to a German now being pope, there seems to be changes in our liturgy about to come!  Good News:  This should appeal to the young adult "Theology on Tap" crowd!  (Click on thumbnail image for larger picture!) <<Funny Business>>
US CATHOLICS DONATE $150 MILLION IN TSUNAMI AID
(Zenit.org).- Catholics donated over $150 million to the tsunami relief effort, making it possibly the most successful appeal ever of the Church in the United States. Catholic Relief Services, the U.S. bishops’ international relief agency, said that they received the donations through parishes, individuals and organizations. Reporting diocese by diocese, the relief agency noted that 13 different dioceses donated more than $1 million each. Bishop William Skylstad of Spokane, Washington, president of the bishops’ conference stated: "I am proud of the generosity of our people." "American Catholics are unlimited in their generosity to people in need," he added. The donations will be used to support the recovery and rebuilding process of the areas struck hardest in Southeast Asia Dec. 26, including Sri Lanka, India, Indonesia and Thailand, for the next 5 to 7 years.  <<Church>>

  Sunday, May 15, 2005
AYM’S END
I went to AYM yesterday afternoon and was not really needed.  This was not a terrible thing.  I was tired- having offered a three day confirmation retreat that had ended but two hours previous. Plans that had been made months ago, while forgotten on my end, came to fruition anyway.  I sat back, participated as best as possible, thanked fellow volunteers, and left with a slice of pizza- – - all in all, a good afternoon!  <<Parish>>
GRADUATION RESOURCES
Need some resources for celebrating Graduates?? Check this out.  <<Youth Ministry Stuff>>

Saturday, May 14, 2005
THE MAD MAGAZINE OF CHRISTIANITY
is the Wittenburgh Door.  They kid because they love.  It is, however, impossible to find in either mainstream bookshops or in Christian books stores.  I can occasionally scoop up a copy at the Waldenbooks in Union Station in DC. <<Funny Business>>
CREATING BALANCE
<< written by Jayne Zeller for The Saint Mary’s Press Weekly E-news  >>
If technology has created more efficient ways of doing things, then why is it that people seem more stressed and exhausted than ever? Balancing work, family, church, and other pursuits has become an important health issue today, as the quality of people’s lives suffers from increased work loads and decreased time relaxing with family and friends. God wants to have first place in our hearts and in our lives, so creating a balanced schedule that allows for time spent praying and seeking God, time spent relating to family members, serving the church, and earning a living, is essential to our overall well-being.
Free time is something that most of us want desperately. We look forward to our once-a-year vacations so we can "get away from it all." Yet, God gives us opportunities each and every day to "get away" from the hectic pace of life. Today, take a moment to sit on that porch swing (without the cell phone) and simply spend some quiet time alone or with a good friend or family member. Then, sit and let the peace of God wash over you as you create greater balance in your life.  <<Youth Ministry Stuff>>

  Friday, May 13, 2005
LUKE, I AM YOUR FATHER
"Star Wars: Episode III — Revenge of the Sith" opens next Thursday.  It has been interesting to see the various characters in more marketing tie-in commercials than we have with the other five movies.  By all indications, I am looking forward to seeing Chewbacca (as in "Let the Wookiee win.") again… it has been too long since we have last been together. While the movie has been described as very dark, I will be seeking the light and redemption that all mythic folk-lore should be about.  Maybe later next week I’ll watch it with college-aged finals-focused (hopefully) kids. <<Culture>>

  Thursday, May 12, 2005
RE-WALKING EMMAUS
Perhaps it is time to re-consider the Emmaus Walk (Luke 24: 13-35) as a model for ministry.  We have previously characterized the moments of the walk as "hearts-broken, heartburn, and Hearts Burning."  We have looked towards various elements to justify the head, hearts, hands concept of catechesis. 
But, I do believe that an element has not been fully explored and that element occurs at the moment of the breaking of the bread.  (The Hearts Burning re-cognition is an after-effect)  It speaks to the soul of the person (as in contrast to the heads, hearts, hands.)  It speaks of the spiritual connection, the dependence, the need of God to impact faith.  Faith is not a self-construct operation. 
In the book draft, I took at shot in re-telling the Emmaus Walk from the following four C’s (in order of the story told):
   * Context (this is the story of one person’s life)
   * Content (this is the faith story of all our lives)
   * Communion (this is the God connection that impacts our lives, that brings us into intimate connection)
   * Conspiracy (this brings us into collaboration with God’s life plan for and with us) <<Youth Ministry Stuff>>
567 MORE DAYS
Guess who was working on the National Conference on Catholic Youth Ministry today? Viva Las Vegas!  <<Youth Ministry Stuff>>
GRADUATION DAY
Kristin Witte graduates this evening with her third master’s degree and begins, later this month, her first doctoral program. Beyond the fact that I contend that she is one of the brighter minds in the field (not the lack of mention of age or gender), I am especially proud to call her a friend. <<Friends + Family>>

  Wednesday, May 11, 2005
CLOSING THOUGHT OF THE DAY
is…. this cartoon >>>
<<Funny Business>>
MARS NEEDS WOMEN
Have recently called the attention of my ya-ya minded friends to www.ymwomen.com  and this article regarding mentoring relationships: www.ymwomen.com/downloads/Mar05_article.pdf  (Adobe needed) That is all from the ya-ya with testosterone (which I usually affirm as better than a testy ya-ya!)<<Youth Ministry Stuff>>
WHAT?!?!?  IT’S WEDNESDAY, ALREADY???
Not to share thoughts already shared elsewhere, but… arrived home last night…  fixed myself a very light meal… and promptly crashed. I believe I was asleep on my nefarious sofa before 7:30. Woke up around 12:45 am with my body thankful for a standard night’s sleep (unfortunately.)  But after watching Monday’s “24,” which I had taped, I was (thank god) asleep again with a late night 90 minutes of awake time. I was promptly asleep until 7:00 am – a luxurious sleep-in for me. The adrenaline of the past days, nights, and weeks has clearly ebbed off.  I’ve woken up with a sniffly head cold and feel, while not attempting to sound like some of my drama queen friends, as if I have hit an emotional and physical wall. 
Quiet, rest, orange juice are the prescription of the day.  This weekend is a retreat with some confirmation kids…  think I’ll work this weekend on taking my own advice.  <<Work Day>>

  Tuesday, May 10, 2005
ARCHBALT GETS NEW AUXILIARY
Bishop-elect Denis Madden of Baltimore is seemingly the first US bishop named by the new Pope. <<Pope>>
ANOTHER SELF-REFERENTIAL BLOG ABOUT BLOGGING
For this web-site, I walked the extra mile to get the March Catholic Review article finally posted.  In a suit, I walked what I thought was going to be five blocks and what became eleven blocks… in a suit … on a warm, sunny day…. all up hill (of course)  … both ways!  Furthermore, I know that I have been writing in code to document stuff for myself that is not just ripe for public consumption.  If it helps any, I was perplexed by the code of another’s blog this week as well.  Probably not, but for what it is worth! <<Blogging>>

  Monday, May 9, 2005
STUFF YOU JUST DON’T BLOG ABOUT
There is just some stuff that you do not blog about.  Today and yesterday were a few of those days.  (And it is not just all about me, either!) <<Blogging>>

  Sunday, May 8, 2005
BUSY
doing many things that only have importance and consequence for me this day. (Working on the book a little- it passed its first hurdle of a three hurdle process. . . whatever, that means.  Thus far, I have refused to understand, equating knowledge of the process to sausage- I like it, just do not want to know how it is made.) It is a slow-blog day. <<Blogging>>

  Saturday, May 7, 2005
A "CHICK FLICK" ABOUT MEN
The youngest daughter was in this weekend.  The youngest daughter was tired this weekend (slept eleven hours last night).  This equates to a dvd sort of weekend-  usually involving the dreaded chick flick and/or Hillary Duff movies.  This weekend, the feature was "Shall we Dance?"

Now, I have friends from Iowa who, uncharitably, would pay money to hear tales or see pictures of me on a dance floor.  So, ballroom dancing does not hold massive appeal- – - JLo ballroom dancing, well, maybe.

But the film is about learning new steps, renewed life, and passion.  The women in the story are but a mere part of the story- Susan Sarandon is confident but confused, JLo is distant and unattainable. But this is a film that guys can get and understand.  And the reality is that for us non-Richard Gere types, we are more attractive when we are pursuing our passions.  Dance on… <<Culture>>

  Friday, May 6, 2005
BLOGGING ABOUT BLOGGING
Offered a presentation (2153 KB) on blogging last night.  A few notes:
** Blogging is self-serving in many ways.  But it also can be a vehicle for sharing.  I really am, most days, either sharing "my view from my corner of the field" or just some general optimism about life, world, or culture.  Granted, every now and then, I will go off on a complaint or issue (May 3, April 15), but believe me, the blog is not my first or only outlet for that.  Also, there is much in my life that is not being shared or deemed worthy of public consumption.  If you know me, you might been able to read between the lines on some stuff, but this is meant, again most days, as a professional blog rather than a person one.
** It reminded me that I have left other areas of this website unattended. So, updates have been made to almost all the other pages and I am resolved to continue to be better about this- especially the home page. And, I need new and better pictures, dontcha think?
** The handout for the presentation came from this MSNBC article.  Other resources included Safety Net, a Parent-Child Agreement, Safe Surfing Tips, and this fascinating presentation on the future of news, the internet, and culture.
** It is wonderful to sit and visit with a parish pastoral team.  If I lived near St. Mark’s, I’d have to think about joining. <<Blogging>>

  Thursday, May 5, 2005
PAPAL HANGOVER
Still another quote of interest…  "But the Catholic Church, it is worth recalling, is not a one-man show. All the media focus on Rome when a new pope is elected distorts the nature of the church itself. The problems and opportunities facing Catholics around the world cannot be solved by papal fiat or pontifical programs. Bishops and priests can help. But what the church needs most are Catholics who want to be Catholics, who know what that means, and who seek the grace to become true disciples of Christ. That they must do themselves." from Kenneth Woodward in an editorial in the Wall Street Journal Online posted Wednesday, April 20, 2005 12:01 a.m. EDT. Mr. Woodward is a contributing editor at Newsweek, where he served as Religion Editor for 38 years. <<Pope>>

  Wednesday, May 4, 2005
ENVIRONMENTAL JUSTICE CONFERENCE POSTSCRIPT
Meanwhile, the environmentalists of yesterday were enamored with this quote: "(We) must be inspired by Christ’s holy zeal: for him it is not a matter of indifference that so many people are living in the desert. And there are so many kinds of desert. There is the desert of poverty, the desert of hunger and thirst, the desert of abandonment, of loneliness, of destroyed love. There is the desert of God’s darkness, the emptiness of souls no longer aware of their dignity or the goal of human life. The external deserts in the world are growing, because the internal deserts have become so vast. Therefore the earth’s treasures no longer serve to build God’s garden for all to live in, but they have been made to serve the powers of exploitation and destruction. The Church as a whole and (we, individually), like Christ, must set out to lead people out of the desert, towards the place of life, towards friendship with the Son of God, towards the One who gives us life, and life in abundance."  Where did this wacky environmental quote come from….?  Pope Benedict XVI from his inaugural homily. <<Pope>>

Tuesday, May 3, 2005
ENVIRONMENTAL JUSTICE CONFERENCE DAY 2
This seeming has turned into another "You show me yours" conference (See April 15).  There were more catholic players here, but it was a conference that was off task, off schedule, and off my attention span multiple times throughout the day.  Oh well. <<Work Day>>

  Monday, May 2, 2005
ENVIRONMENTAL JUSTICE CONFERENCE DAY 1
Two things-
* This evening’s prayer included a beautiful choir and pipe organ at the Presbyterian National Church.  It reminded me how much I love classical choir music.  It was truly beautiful.
*Sitting at the dinner table, I was was a spectator for a fifteen minute conversation on the risks of nanotechnology. At one point, this guy says that he had just come back from a nanotechnology conference.  I piped up and said, "Bet it was at a small hotel."  No one laughed… <<Work Day>>

  Sunday, May 1, 2005
COOPER RAY
was at the parish this weekend for an AYM family concert.  It is refreshing to hear a young, talented voice before he hits the "Big(ger) Time" than our little parish.   It was a very pleasant afternoon with good humor, stories, faith shared, and song. <<Friends + Family>>

Originally published in the NFCYM Connections, Spring 2005

The NDC: Right Living, Right Believing:
Discipleship—Right Time

by D. Scott Miller, NFCYM

Man asks of religion, "What is it for?"
Religion asks of man, "What are you for?"
–––Keiji Nishitani

The National Directory for Catechesis (NDC), approved by the U.S. bishops in 2003, has been awarded its recognitio (approval) by Rome. The anticipated publication is May 2005. The NDC provides guidelines for the content, methodology, and organization of catechesis. It has much to say for those of us in pastoral work with youth and provides a new opportunity for the field of youth ministry. Now is the moment to reclaim our collaborative role in adolescent catechesis and renew our commitment to passing on the full history, tradition, and faith of the Catholic Church to our young disciples.

An Opportune Moment

This is an opportunity to reconsider and re-evaluate: to take a more critical look and assess what is working well in passing on the faith, and what is not. The field of youth ministry has a wealth of foundational documents that guide and shape us in living out the vision and passing on the faith. Each of us must ask, how well are we living up to this heritage and the challenge of apprenticing young people in the faith?

Naming the Challenges

In outlining the history that led to the new NDC, Bishop Leonard Blair of Toledo commented on some recent trends in catechesis. A shift occurred, he suggested, to “what might be called a theology of human works.” Where this shift might have been deficient was in the lack of adequate “attention to the primacy of the triune God’s self-revelation in Christ, reflected in the truths of faith that are to be believed as a part of the communion of faith.” Our challenge, Blair suggests, is to equally emphasize “orthopraxis—right living—as well as orthodoxy—right believing—so that they might become intertwining parts of the one symphony of Christian life.”

This complements the conclusions of Dr. Christian Smith as he published his results from the National Study of Youth and Religion (NSYR) in his recently released book Soul Searching: The Religious and Spiritual Lives of American Teenagers. In this book, he describes what appears to be a major transformation of faith in the U.S., away from the substance of historical religious traditions and toward a civil religion, which he calls "Moralistic Therapeutic Deism." This is a style of faith that believes that God has “got our back” without placing expectations in our face. This is a faith that “provides mental, psychological, emotional, and social benefits that teens find useful and valuable" but fails to provide “life-transformative, transcendent truth.”

Bishop Blair suggests that to train one in the language of faith, which can be formal and abstract, without guiding one in the experience and skills of faith, is ineffectual. He further challenges religious educators and the adult faith community with regard to the apparent lack of knowledge often demonstrated by today’s young people. So too, Dr. Smith characterizes youth as, “incredibly inarticulate about their faith, their religious beliefs, and practices." Smith goes on to challenge us, "In our culture, the language of faith is becoming more and more a second language, a foreign language."

As the NDC is published and utilized throughout the church and the fields of catechesis and youth ministry, we can be delighted that we have been “getting it” or understanding the complex issues of adolescent catechesis. The NDC, when speaking of adolescent catechesis, makes considerable use of “our” document, Renewing the Vision: A Framework for Catholic Youth Ministry. Nonetheless, we cannot point to this reference as a complete affirmation of our present work. The NDC both invites and challenges us to have another look at our present efforts.

A Vision for Adolescent Catechesis

A consistent vision regarding adolescent catechesis has emerged over the past decades. Signs of this vision are found in the teachings of Pope John Paul II with young people. Through his many encounters with young people, especially during the World Youth Day events, he called young people towards discipleship based on a personal relationship with Jesus Christ. In his visit to St. Louis, he told young people, “Each of you has a special mission in life, and you are each called to be a disciple of Christ.” The General Directory for Catechesis echoes this emphasis on discipleship when it states, “the definitive aim of catechesis is to put people not only in touch, but also in community and intimacy, with Jesus Christ.” (GDC, 80)

The U.S. bishops both affirm and emphasize discipleship within their own documents as well. In Our Hearts Were Burning within Us: A Pastoral Plan for the Adult Faith Formation in the United States, the bishops remind us of “Pope John Paul II’s apostolic exhortation on the laity, Christifideles Laici, and [their] own reflections in Called and Gifted for the Third Millennium [where they] envision a laity who are living witnesses [disciples] to Christ: well-formed in faith, enthusiastic, capable of leadership in the Church and in society, filled with compassion, and working for justice.” (Hearts, 30). Finally, in Renewing the Vision: A Framework for Catholic Youth Ministry, they identify the goal “to empower young people to live as disciples of Jesus Christ in our world today.”
The original Vision of Youth Ministry offered the model of the Emmaus story where Jesus linked the truth of the faith with the truth of the disciples’ experiences. Renewing the Vision added a goal for Catholic youth ministry “To empower young people to live as disciples of Jesus Christ today.” In Renewing the Vision, it is because “all ministry with adolescents must be directed toward presenting young people with the Good News of Jesus Christ and inviting and challenging them to become his disciples,” that the bishops emphasize “catechesis is an essential component of youth ministry and one that needs renewed emphasis.”

In The Challenge for Adolescent Catechesis (NFCYM, 1986), we are reminded “the Good News of Jesus and the dynamics of Christian discipleship are the energizing core of catechesis.” The Challenge of Catholic Youth Evangelization (NFCYM, 1993) states that, “Evangelization calls young people to live daily as disciples of Jesus.” Moreover, in From Age to Age: The Challenge of Worship with Adolescents (NFCYM, 1997), young disciples are invited “to add their faith experiences to the unbroken tradition and unchanging faith of the church.”
Our challenge has been and remains: to courageously and unabashedly engage both the head and hearts of our adolescents so they commit their whole being to Christ. In responding to Christ, they in turn will extend and dedicate their hands to the building of God’s reign. If we engage the heart, but fail to inform the head, we have little hope for the committed use of their hands for the kingdom, or hope that their feet might grace our church doorways in the future. Bishop Blair called for a symphonic approach, bringing together the sweet sounds of faith from many corners and instruments into one full and rich harmonic effort.

Adolescent catechesis requires our collaboration with each other and the Holy Spirit in the lifelong formation of right living and right believing disciples. The publication of the NDC provides us with the right time to get down to the business of building upon our rich heritage and framework for Catholic youth ministry.