Eric and Annie Camden have seven kids and a dog.  He is a pastor of a church.  One of his daughters is a youth minister – the only one on television. Rev. Camden lives in the fictional world of Oakdale on the CW series, Seventh Heaven.

I’m pretty sure that he is Christian.  But, I can’t get a handle much beyond that. On the rare occasions that a story takes us inside church or the pastor’s office, there are few religious symbols or icons to offer hints to the creed of the church of the Camdens. On a recent special episode, the Camden family discussed their concern regarding the genocide in Darfur.  They talked about aid agencies such as Catholic Relief Services and American Jewish World Service.  Not many clues there.

What denomination is Eric Camden?

And does it really matter?

I recently attended a second in a series of meetings of church professionals on the “faith identity” of their organization.  When they were pressed to discuss what they were doing well related to this area, they discussed:
> How their mission statements reflect faith,
> The predominance of “values” within their systems,
> Their commitment to service,
> Their efforts at transmitting faith,
> Their role within the greater community, among other issues

Being a polite guest, I did not directly confront them at that moment.  But, in all their talk of faith identity, here were words that were not used in the conversation
> God, Jesus, Spirit, Creator, Lord.
> Church, Catholic, Pope, Eucharist
> Catholic Social Teaching
> Paschal Mystery, Beatitudes, Sacraments
> Parish, Community

Not, I am not suggesting that the entire list should have been exhausted in our brief discussion. But, I was disappointed that not even one of these phrases seemed to be within the participants’ vocabulary of “faith identity.” 

Is there anything wrong with mission statements, values, and service?  Certainly not!  Am I judging harshly the loyalty of affiliation of a fictional character on television? Yea, I probably need a hobby.  Nonetheless, I think we all need to recognize that the homogenization of faith traditions leads to a bland flavor of belief.

In the 1960’s, black militant Malcolm X suggested, “If you don’t stand for something you will fall for anything.”  If we stand for something, the words and actions we choose should reflect our identity.

Wednesday, February 28, 2007
OFF SCHEDULE
  Tomorrow’s blog entry is coming later in the day.  We are off on a staff overnight starting today.  (And, yes, we are packing duct tape and tranquilizers.) [work day]
THANK YOU
  WOW!  What a month this has been. Thanks to all those who read, hyperlinked, or passed along word about the blog.  Despite being the shortest month of the year, this has been the month of greatest activity on the blog, so THANKS! . . . and, now, forward March!  [blogging]
MARK PACIONE IS "INSIDE THE YOUTH MINISTERS’ STUDIO"
<<Enter the studio here.>>  I know, I know, in nine weeks this has become an international, ecumenical series of podcasts and now . . . I interview the guy in the office next to mine – - who happens to also sign my time sheets.  What a total suck-up, right?  All right, everyone got that out of their systems?  Good.  Mark won the National Catholic Youth Ministry Award seven years ago, so he is not necessarily new to having a voice worth a good listen.  We can credit that to his leadership in the diocese, with the NFCYM, on the topic of adolescent catechesis, with the programming of papal visits to Denver for World Youth Day and in Baltimore, and that he hires talented staff. (Well, the last one is from my viewpoint.) Without a doubt, it’s an honor to have such a professional leader, and a friend, visit the Studio.  [studio]

Tuesday, February 27, 2007
TO BE A DISCIPLE: A SOUTH AMERICAN PERSPECTIVE
"It’s not that people leave the Catholic Church because they oppose it, but in seeking a relationship with God and seeking the Gospel, and having lost a livelier contact with Catholic communities, they go to other pastors who are talking about Jesus Christ," said Cardinal Errazuriz, of Santiago, Chile, who is president of the Latin American bishops’ council, or CELAM. The conference’s dual emphasis on discipleship and missionary commitment is meant to spur an awakening so that "every Catholic feels called by Jesus Christ to be a disciple and to be sent out to change the world in accordance with the Gospel," he said. Read more here. [church]
TO BE A DISCIPLE: A PERSPECTIVE FROM ENGLAND
In a recent pastoral letter, Patrick O’Donoghue, Bishop of Lancaster, speaks of his belief that the church is "tantalisingly near to great new beginnings" and calls on people to consider the church’s role in society. He adds: "What you will not find here is a great programme – rather it is a summons to radical change in each one of us, our parish and diocese, making us all more open to the Lord."  Read more here. [church]

Monday, February 26, 2007
THE MEDIA OF THE NEXT GENERATION
  This is the beginning of "the end of television as we know it" and the future will only favor those who prepare today.  Today, audiences are becoming increasingly fragmented, splicing their time among myriad media choices, channels and platforms. For the last few decades, consumers have migrated to more specialized, niche content via cable and multichannel offerings.  Read more here. [youth ministry]
NEXT GENERATION MEDIA
Saint Mary’s Press began operations of an internal POD (Print-on-Demand) center this past fall after months of study. According to John Vitek, president of Saint Mary’s Press, "We are putting in place a whole new way of thinking about and approaching inventory management." He adds, "The technology has gotten to a point, both in terms of capabilities and economics, that it is a smart decision for a publisher of our size and with our product mix."  Read more here. [youth ministry]
A PERSONAL THOUGHT FROM OSCAR NIGHT
Cameron Diaz, please marry me. Or, at least, let’s go out for a burger and a beer. Call…  [blogging]

Sunday, February 25, 2007
HOW SWEET THE SOUND
Amazing Grace opened this weekend, and I would like to again and again encourage you to go see it. Guaranteed -  You’ll be using the DVD next year in your programming.  Meanwhile:
> The USCCB Office of Film and Broadcasting notes that "With an audience-friendly script by Steven Knight, its full-throttle emotional conclusion and overall handsome production design by Charles Wood, director Michael Apted’s film is especially admirable for its unabashed portrait of a passionate man of God, a rarity today."
> The Wall Street Journal‘s Charlotte Allen is frustrated that the film only nods occasionally in the direction of granting a role to faith in social reform.
> Christianity Today celebrates that "Similar to Chariots of Fire and Shadowlands in tone, Amazing Grace balances faith and filmmaking in a historical drama that depicts an ordinary Christian doing extraordinary things because of his beliefs."
> The New York Observer Andrew Sarris claims the movie "turns out to be blessed with inspirational nobility and comic eccentricity—the former provided by an edifying narrative, and the latter by a colorful cast of characters—to bring it to emotional fruition."
> Finally, Newsweek acknowledges that "The movie is, by most accounts, problematical entertainment: it’s a worthy but lengthy costume drama about parliamentary politics—centered on a Tory most Americans have never heard of. One executive who worked closely on the film calls it ‘more interesting than good.’" It does look at the political impact of this movie as "It shows a deep understanding of the new life being breathed into the evangelical community by Bono, Rick Warren and others—people who are making social causes (Africa, poverty, HIV/AIDS) the centerpiece of their faith." Yet, they wonder if "enough of those people will pay to watch a movie about a white man making speeches."  [culture]

Saturday, February 24, 2007
THE PRIORITY OF OUR PASTORAL WORK
  Last Thursday, on the feast of the Chair of St. Peter, Pope Benedict XVI conducted an audience with the Roman clergy in the Hall of Blessings.  Responding to a question on youth, the Pope said that "young people must truly be the priority of our pastoral work, as they live in a world removed from God." He noted that "To find room in our cultural context for the encounter with Christ, with Christian life and with the life of faith is very difficult. Then the Holy Father added that young people are in great need of support "to really be able to find this path."  Read more here. [pope]
BEING PASTORAL IN PRIORITIZING WORK
The ArchBalt webpage has now added links to the Pilgrimage promotion video which is on YouTube.  Cool! [work day]
THE WORK OF OUR PASTORAL PRIORITIES – NOT SO MUCH . . .
  It’s a rare entry that does not have a hyperlink.  About a week ago, in a continuing effort to polish up the page, the crack team of web-designers began to offer yellow highlights to each hyperlink.  An e-mail came in today stating "I don’t like the yellow highlights on your web page."   Hmmmm, so whadda ya’ think? Keep or lose the yellow highlights – -  e-mail your preferences here.  UPDATE: It was a sweep! They are gone!   [blogging]

Friday, February 23, 2007
BREAKING NEWS: CALL SUPER CHICKEN
  On Wednesday,  I got a "Breaking News" e-mail from the National Catholic Reporter. As I don’t get that many from them, I thought, "Hmmm, who died?" Nope, the story was: Armed with the words of Pope Benedict XVI, People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) is calling on a South Carolina Trappist monastery to shut down its egg production facility because, the group claims, the monks mistreat the monastery’s 38,000 hens. Not exactly worthy of the heading breaking news. If you read the whole story here, it might be considered beaking news.  [funny stuff]
BOYCOTT TRAPPIST CHICKEN,
EAT PAPAL ENDORSED FISH SNACKERS
Just in time for Lent, the Kentucky Fried Chicken restaurant chain folks are offering fish for the first time nationally with the introduction of the new Fish Snacker. The company has asked the Pope himself for his blessing, with KFC President Gregg Dedrick sending a personal letter to the Vatican. No joke, it’s all right here. [funny stuff}

Thursday, February 22, 2007
LENT: CONVERSION AND JOY
As Ash Wednesday is nonetheless a Wednesday, we were in the Studio yesterday as Lent began. Here's some excerpts from the Pope: “We return to our Baptism in order to rediscover it and experience it more profoundly. ... It is an occasion to go back to being Christian via a constant process of interior transformation, and of progress in the knowledge and love of Christ. . . .  Conversion is a process, ... a journey, ... that cannot be limited to a specific period but must embrace all existence.. . .  In this light, Lent is an appropriate spiritual moment to train ourselves more earnestly to seek God, opening our hearts to Christ.” Meanwhile, Father Martin reminds us that, when is comes to religion, joy has a lousy reputation. [pope]
THE PUBLIC LIFE OF JESUS CHRIST
The Catholic Review and Why Catholic goddess Sharon picked up and published my article today regarding the contrast between YOU as Time’s Person of the Year and Jesus as the Person of all times.  Check it from here.   [blogging]

Wednesday, February 21, 2007
MARK OESTREICHER IS "INSIDE THE YOUTH MINISTERS’ STUDIO"
<<Enter the studio here.>>  Marko, I do believe, is a little jazzed about being considered a "Catholic Youth Ministry expert" as he becomes the latest addition to the pod-cast series.  Of course, we Catholics understand "the word ‘catholic’ means ‘universal,’ in the sense of ‘according to the totality’ or ‘in keeping with the whole." (Catechism of the Catholic Church, #830) Further, "those who believe in Christ and have been properly baptized are put in a certain, although imperfect, communion with the Catholic Church"  (CCC 838) Soooo, recognizing we ALL have lots of work to do in addressing imperfections on all sides to get closer towards this totality stuff, It’s a honor to have Marko in the studio.  Why?  Youth Specialties and Marko believe in CHURCH- yours, mine, ours. They would acknowledge that "it’s flawed, inconsistent, institutional, bureaucratic, even embarrassing sometimes. Yet it is also incredibly heroic at other times. Whether we like it or not, want to attend it or not, we’re stuck with it." So, Marko, keep on doing that catholic thing of yours. . . because we’re stuck with it, we love the kids, and we all know that the Spirit and young disciples have the possibilities of making heroic differences within them. [studio]

Tuesday, February 20, 2007
CATHOLIC IDENTITY
This kind of all embracing, integrated educational vision and mission can only be worked into the mission and lived experience of an academic community by the kinds of Catholic leaders, be they Principals, headmasters, or Presidents, who themselves believe it, and live it. In the oft quoted line of Groucho Marx “Sincerity is the hardest thing to fake.”  Read more here. [church]
BEING MORE "CATHOLIC"
  "Catholicism is defined by so much more than outward appearances – it is a way of life. This way of life is generally characterized by the following: a sense of sacramentality, a commitment to community, respect for the dignity of human life and commitment to justice, a reverence for Tradition, and a disposition to faith and hope, and not despair."  Read more here. [church]
THE NEXT "CATHOLIC" SCANDAL
  TIME magazine address embezzlement.  A good time to continue working on our "disposition to faith and hope, and not despair."   Read more here. [church]

Monday, February 19, 2007 {President’s Day}
FAITH OF OUR FOUNDING FATHERS’
  "Not surprisingly, modern culture warriors have painted George Washington as one of their own. To conservatives, he’s a veritable Disciple in a powdered wig. According to conservative minister D.  James Kennedy, Washington had a "fervent evangelical faith."   Secularists, on the other hand, prefer to think of Washington as the first member of the ACLU and a Deist at best. "Religion seems to have played a remarkably small role in his own life," writes Brooke Allen."  Read more here. [culture]
Lincoln’s concern
  "My concern is not whether God is on our side; my great concern is to be on God’s side, for God is always right."  Find a prayer here. [culture]

Sunday, February 18, 2007
ONE DAY TO LIVE
  This remixed trailer basically asks, "What if you only had one more day to live? Would you take the day off?" Click on Ferris’ face to activate (Taken off Marko’s site: Heads up! He’s Inside the YM Studio this Wednesday!!) [blogging]
GIRLS GONE WILD II
A follow-up to last Monday’s (Feb 12) entry.  Brittney did what??? [culture]

Saturday, February 17, 2007
The Cost of Discipleship or
Y’know, perhaps there might be some risk involved
  "I want to be like Gandhi and Martin Luther King and John Lennon — but I want to stay alive."  — Madonna, during an interview Wednesday on Sirius Satellite Radio. [culture]
ON BEING a Disciple or
LESSONS BETWEEN FATHER AND SON
  Son Clark called at 5am this morning, sick sick sick while helping to lead a social justice training/retreat.  Being a disciple means that you need to depend on the rest of the Church (and even the Spirit) to carry on even when you are not able. Please offer prayers and thoughts for healing and assistance this weekend.  [family and friends]
ADOLESCENT CATECHESIS PARTS THREE & FOUR
Training slides are now posted here. [blogging]

Friday, February 16, 2007
UNDERSTANDING EVANGELIZATION
  "Some thirty years and more after On Evangelization in the Modern World, we Catholics have not developed a clear and convincing image of ourselves to put forward. We have relied on largely under-funded parishes to mount what turn out to be very rare and spasmodic invitations to others. We have contented ourselves with what trickles in through a very under-publicized catechumenate process. Instead of suffering what should be an annual embarrassment, we congratulate ourselves that 62 million Catholics managed to bring well under 200,000 adults into our Church each year; one new Catholic for every 620 of us at best!"  Read more here. [church]
UNDERSTANDING CRITICAL THINKING AND DISCIPLESHIP
  "As we teach critical thinking skills to young people, we’re giving them tools to help them be salt and light in the world rather than just being an indistinguishable part of it. This is how students learn to follow Jesus with all of their hearts, minds, souls, and strength."   Read more here. [youth ministry]

Thursday, February 15, 2007
SPIRIT: Wilson is Not Enough
  "A solitary volleyball would never be enough for her.  She stated that she would have had to have given names and personalities to not only Wilson the Volleyball."  This article and others are available in the bi-weekly newsletter to which you can subscribe from this page. [blogging]
WAYS TO MAINTAIN A HEALTHY LEVEL OF INSANITY
1. At Lunch Time, Sit In Your Parked Car With Sunglasses on and point A Hair Dryer At Passing Cars. See If They Slow Down.
2. Page Yourself Over The Intercom. Don’t Disguise Your Voice.
3. Every Time Someone Asks You To Do Something, Ask If They Want Fries with that.
4. Put Your Garbage Can On Your Desk And Label It "In."
5. Five Days In Advance, Tell Your Friends You Can’t Attend Their Party Because You’re Not In The Mood.
6. Finish All Your sentences with "In Accordance With The Prophecy."
7. As Often As Possible, Skip Rather Than Walk.
8. Order a Diet Water whenever you go out to eat, with a serious face.
9. Specify That Your Drive-through Order Is "To Go."
10. When The Money Comes Out The ATM, Scream "I Won!, I Won!"  [funny stuff]

Wednesday, February 14, 2007 ©© Valentine’s Day  ©©
SR. EILEEN MC CANN IS
INSIDE THE YOUTH MINISTERS’ STUDIO
<<Enter the studio here.>>  Now that we ran last week’s Aussie out of the studio, we opted to go a little National here and invite the youth and young adult ministry contact for the US Bishops.  Now, everyone sit up a little straighter, Sister is speaking!!!  [studio]
VALENTINE’S SNOW DAY
The ice storm has hit and it’s official.  The office is closed and the area has hunkered down against the weather.  [work day]

Tuesday, February 13, 2007
PATIENCE
A follow-up to the 02/04 Amazing Grace entry: William Wilberforce took the long view—and nothing less would stop slavery.  Read more here. (UPDATE: Marko has a blog entry on the Amazing Grace movie here.) [culture]
SLAVERY THEN: RUNNING WITH THE POPE AND AMERICAN BISHOPS
  "Pope Gregory XVI’s intent could not be mistaken. He was not just getting on the bandwagon; rather, he begins by recounting multiple papal condemnations of the slave trade, and denounces the practice as inhuman and based solely upon greed."  Read more here.  [church]
SLAVERY TODAY: RUNNING THE NUMBERS
> 27,000,000: Number of people in modern-day slavery across the world. (Sourced by the UN, New York Times, Amnesty International, The Christian Science Monitor, and Free The Slaves, among others.)
> 800,000: Number of persons trafficked across international borders each year. (Sourced by the US State Department, International Justice Mission, and Antislavery.org, among others.)
>  Warlords are forcing children in conflicts around the world to become killing machines — nothing more than what one child advocate calls "cannon fodder." Some children are kidnapped from their schools or their beds, some are recruited after seeing their parents slaughtered, some may even choose to join the militias as their best hope for survival in war-torn countries from Colombia, and across Africa and the Middle East, to south Asia. Once recruited, many are brainwashed, trained, given drugs and then sent into battle with orders to kill. Read more here.  [culture]

  Monday, February 12, 2007
GIRLS GONE WILD
(no, this is NOT the ubiquitous blog acknowledgment of the death of Anna Nicole Smith) "Like never before, our kids are being bombarded by images of oversexed, underdressed celebrities who can’t seem to step out of a car without displaying their well-waxed private parts to photographers . . . Are we raising a generation of what one L.A. mom calls "prosti-tots," young girls who dress like tarts, live for Dolce & Gabbana purses and can neither spell nor define such words as "adequate"? Or does the rise of the bad girl signal something more profound, a coarsening of the culture and a devaluation of sex, love and lasting commitment?" Read more here. (Note that today’s top Yahoo searches include 1-Anna Nicole; 4-Britney; 5-Paris; and 6-Lindsay.) [culture]
A MAN-IFESTO
Mark Batterson has a bright young mind and I check his blog daily.  He has a manifesto which I have enlarged and posted over my desk. Check it out. [blogging]

     Sunday, February 11, 2007
RECLAMATION
Yea, last week was a good week for the website.  The banner at the left celebrates that. [blogging]
THE POPE AND YOUNG PEOPLE AND RECLAMATION OF THE CHURCH
Pope Benedict XVI is visiting Brazil for five days in May.  Following his predecessor’s model, he will meet with young people in Sao Paulo’s Pacaembu soccer stadium, which holds 37,500 people.  Read more here. [pope]
THE DECLINE AND RECLAMATION OF CHURCHES
"About 10 percent of England’s churches have been formally declared redundant by the Church of England. And the English have recognized the new reality: if church buildings are to survive, new uses must be found. While a handful serve as mosques or Sikh temples, many more have found roles as cafés, concert halls, warehouses or chic apartments. The pious may fret but pragmatism will often prevail." Read more here.  Of course, this is happening in the States as well.  It’s how St. John the Baptist Church of Pittsburgh became the Church Brew Works. (and, yes, been there and got the baseball cap!)  [church]

    Saturday, February 10, 2007
WOULD JESUS BE IN MYSPACE?
Just published in the NACYML News – an article about blogging written by a blogger you just might know. Find the article here. [blogging]
ADOLESCENT CATECHESIS PARTS ONE & TWO
Training slides are now posted here. update: all links are as intended.  [blogging]
INFLUENCE
Forty years ago this morning, we awoke to discussions about the Beatles on the Ed Sullivan show last night.   [culture]
THE INFLUENCE OF BLOGGING 
I blog . . . therefore, I am?  Not so sure about that, but blogging does force me to be intentional about keeping up on the latest news and thinking about how it might affect me and/or the field of youth ministry.  Mike St. Pierre started me on this whole track of thought (and thanks, Mike, for the hyperlink nod).  Michael Hyatt, of Thomas Nelson Publishing, gave a defense of the blogging experience that also seems to resonate with my own understanding of why I blog. He suggests that blogging "essentially ‘flattens’" the field "and puts us all on an equal footing."  Yea, that’s it.   [blogging]
THE INFLUENCE OF POST-MODERNISM
The old model of church is "killing the West," Dr. Leonard Sweet said. The out-dated model is "attractional, propositional and colonial." It must become missional, relational and incarnational, he said. Read more here. [church]

   Friday, February 9, 2007
THE INFLUENCE OF CATHOLICISM
  Young adult Catholics have a strong Catholic identity but do not feel much of a commitment to the institutional church or its moral teachings, two sociologists said Feb. 6 in Washington. The "millennial generation" has deep differences from previous generations of Catholics — differences that are unlikely to disappear when they marry and have children. "There’s a disconnect between them and the institutional church," said James A. Davidson of Purdue University. "And when they get older, they are not going to be like the Catholics of previous generations. They are going to be the Catholics they are now." Read more  here. [church]
THE INFLUENCE OF RELIGION II
  Americans are divided in their opinions about the current level of influence displayed by organized religion in America today. Thirty-two percent would like organized religion to have less influence "in this nation," 27% would like it to have more, and 39% say that the current amount of influence should be kept as is.  Read more here. [culture]
THE INFLUENCE OF RELIGION I
"The church offered me a second insight: that faith doesn’t mean that you don’t have doubts. You need to come to church precisely because you are of this world, not apart from it; you need to embrace Christ precisely because you have sins to wash away – because you are human and need an ally in your difficult journey.
  It was because of these newfound understandings that I was finally able to walk down the aisle of Trinity United Church of Christ one day and affirm my Christian faith. It came about as a choice, and not an epiphany; the questions I had did not magically disappear. But kneeling beneath that cross on the South Side of Chicago, I felt I heard God’s spirit beckoning me. I submitted myself to His will, and dedicated myself to discovering His truth," – senator Barack Obama.  [culture]

   Thursday, February 8, 2007
E-PROMOTION OF NCYC PROMO ON YOUTUBE
  If you are preparing, like our office is, for travels to Columbus for NCYC, the promo video is now available on YouTube. (by the by, OUR Bishop Malooly is in it at 0:31; 3:04, and 3:10. Cool for us!) Please see here: www.youtube.com/watch?v=yIZ-I9kYLGw.  Also note Steve Angrisano’s mini-homily which starts at 5:44; it still makes my eyes well in tears because it is so damn AUTHENTIC and REAL. [youth ministry]
E-CATECHESIS FROM WORLD YOUTH DAY
  The monthly newsletter preparing young people for Sydney’s World Youth Day ’08 focuses on sexuality in its January issue. On the front page of this month’s E-pilgrimage, Sydney Auxiliary Bishop Anthony Fisher asks, "Is sex just a recreational activity? Is the body just a product to be bought and sold? Do I have to be sexually active in order to be really happy? What is the meaning of this kind of ‘body language’?"  [church]

   Wednesday, February 7, 2007
MICHAEL HART IS INSIDE THE YOUTH MINISTERS’ STUDIO
<<Enter the studio here.>>  The studio project has been blessed to have a variety of voices thus far. . . From National folks to parish folks to . . . now, an international voice.  Today’s guest is Michael Hart who hails from "down under" in Brisbane, Australia. In this edition we make mention of a little thing called World Youth Day and the jopys  of working in youth ministry.  (and how Bob and Maggie McCarty are secretly known internationally as pushers of coffee addictions.)   [studio]

Tuesday, February 6, 2007
POPE’S WORLD YOUTH DAY LETTER RELEASED
   An excerpt: "My dear young friends, I want to invite you to ‘dare to love’. Do not desire anything less for your life than a love that is strong and beautiful and that is capable of making the whole of your existence a joyful undertaking of giving yourselves as a gift to God and your brothers and sisters, in imitation of the One who vanquished hatred and death forever through love. Love is the only force capable of changing the heart of the human person and of all humanity, by making fruitful the relations between men and women, between rich and poor, between cultures and civilizations."  The whole letter can be found here. [pope]

Monday, February 5, 2007
IN THE NEWS
   If you got a newsletter notification this morning about the site. . . Welcome!  Pass the word along! [blogging]
GIVE A LITTLE LOVE
   And so, the Super Bowl was a wet and stormy night for the Colts. And Prince was both strange and wonderful which is more than can be said for Billy Joel’s anthem.  But, my highlight was the commercials, especially this one from Coke. This is a happy little take-off of the Grand Theft Auto world reminding us that, even in virtual environments, we should do unto others as we would have them do unto ourselves. [culture]

Sunday, February 4, 2007
AMAZING GRACE
   Last Tuesday morning, I had the opportunity to view a pre-screening of the movie Amazing Grace. I found it to be a really good movie; it might actually become a long-time favorite of mine. Unfortunately, it also has all the elements that won’t make for a box-office hit – - – the story is moved by dialogue and not action, violence, or sex; the cast is British and unknown with the possible exception of Albert Finney; and the story is of 18^th century English politics.
   All that being said, please find time to WATCH THIS MOVIE in the theaters.  You’ll be using it during the next school year. (Anticipated DVD release will be August, 2007)
   Amazing Grace is the story of antislavery pioneer William Wilberforce, who, as a Member of Parliament, navigated the world of 18th Century backroom politics to end the slave trade in the British Empire. Elected to the House of Commons at the age of 21, and on his way to a successful political career, Wilberforce, over the course of two decades, took on the English establishment and persuaded those in power to end the inhumane trade of slavery.
  Yet, the story of Amazing Grace is something more, so much more.
   The story has implications about today’s world politics.  It talks about Great Britain’s global influence then as the sole superpower.  There is discussion between the differences between appeasement and surrender as an occupying force. “It’s a matter of time and a matter of young lives.”  Both personally and as a nation we must be able to “distinguish between force and justice."
    On the something more front, it is a reminder that with power (or maturity) comes responsibility, not only to others to to a sense of fidelity and integrity to self. "It is a sad fate for a man to die too well known to everybody else, and still unknown to himself."
   But, on the so much more front, Amazing Grace is tale told of DISCIPLESHIP and a life lived abundantly. “It not that I found God, sir. I think he found me.  So you have any bloody idea how incorrect that is?”   The story opens as Wilberforce confronts the challenge of living his faith out both vertically and horizontally. He finds that “the principles of Christianity lead to action as well as mediation.”
   Throughout the month of February, this blog will keep you updated on the anticipation of the release of this movie, but more importantly on the issues of slavery and exploitation that the movie examines.  In a free moment, the ArchBalt office might release resources as well.
   Want a second opinion of the movie?  Read here what the pre-screening’s site host had to say. [culture]

   Saturday, February 3, 2007
NFCYM’S ANNUAL MEMBERSHIP MEETING – SO LONG, FAREWELL
  (7:40 pm mountain) The NFCYM membership did the usual closed of business stuff- reports, where we’ll meet again, honors and thanks.  Then it was off to Mass and we were sent.  (and spent.) [work day]
NFCYM’S ANNUAL MEMBERSHIP MEETING – A VISION FOR DIOCESAN YOUTH MINISTRY
  (11:20 pm mountain) Today, we took a shot at the visioning and dreaming for which there was a call two days ago.  Small table discussions led into a discussion of trends and underlying factors impacting the future of our ministry.  Tom East and Susan Dorfmeister led a free-wheeling wide-ranging discussion.   If  we adjust our plan for youth ministry, what are the different roles involved? [work day]

   Friday, February 2, 2007
NFCYM’S ANNUAL MEMBERSHIP MEETING – NIGHTLIFE
  (11:00 pm mountain) The ArchBalt staff went out to a warm and lovely dinner- – - we really do have our moments of being a little urban family, even when on the road. Others?  A region went out to a dinner and a bishop picked up the tab.  Another region was likewise feted by a generous collaborating member. A third hit the Melting Pot and found the rules of fondue to be as complicated as the by-laws of the NFCYM. Yet, still another went for Italian.  Other small groups listened to jazz while having heart-to-heart conversations in the lobby. Some hit local drinking establishments while others hunkered down in hotel rooms and shared fine wines. 
   The NFCYM not only works hard at these gatherings, we celebrate  pretty hard as well.  [work day]
NFCYM’S ANNUAL MEMBERSHIP MEETING – HOW BILLS BECOME LAWS . . . OR NOT
  (6:15 pm mountain) Following management committee meetings, we had some voting this afternoon-  We voted in new collaborating members, including the Australian Diocesan Directors’ Network.  The ANDYMC was represented by Michael Hart of Brisbane who will be Inside the Youth Ministers’ Studio next Wednesday!
   We looked at a by-law addition regarding the legal stuff of "service centers." It was a wild conversation eventually tabled which left many scratching their heads.  We’ll likely see it again tomorrow.  The were other reports as well as more historic stories retold as our organization continues its 25th anniversary celebration.   [work day]
NFCYM’S ANNUAL MEMBERSHIP MEETING – CULTURAL MYTHOLOGY
  (10:50 am mountain) After some of the usual business of the organization, including a report from the episcopal liaison, Bishop Jaime Soto. Ron Landfair took the opportunity to in-service the membership and remind us of the cultural context of the church. He discussed how we mis-define culture by the context of the person.  The reality is that we are more alike, we share more in common. Culture is everything.  Conflict can occur when we move beyond our own identity.  What are your cultural myths?  Do blondes really have more fun?  While that’s a "humorous" example, there are some dangerous, even poisonous connections that we have in our cultural mythologies.  
   Being culturally competent means being aware of our own prejudices when viewing different groups or individuals, i.e., “the mysterious other.”  Cultural conflict, like an iceberg, is harmful about what occurs below the surface, what’s beyond our awareness level. Cultures are like an octopus; like love- a many tentacled thing.  We align our cultural groups in the same way, it depend upon what are of the of the octopus you are using. When we deal only within our cultural mythologies, we are culturally-centrist and that such a tendency obscures the gifts of talents of all. [work day]

   Thursday, February 1, 2007
NFCYM’S ANNUAL MEMBERSHIP MEETING – THE WORK OF THE NFCYM
  (8:40 Pm mountain) It’s been busy, I have spent a significant portion of the day on Adolescent Catechesis as well as the NSYR.  Others have worked on conferences, publications, and loads and loads of stuff. Whew!   [work day]
NFCYM’S ANNUAL MEMBERSHIP MEETING – LIVING OUT THE DREAM
  (10:50 am mountain) This morning there was a wide-ranging discussion regarding how our structure serves or impedes us organizationally living out our vision. As the group that was presenting identified themselves as code-named the "Lube Job" group, part of our discussion was looking at how we are built for speed.  Also, is there any room at the NFCYM table for visionaries and dreamers, is there space anywhere that possibilities are allowed to fester.  It is a sign of a mature organization where we can have this sort of challenging dialogue regarding how we collaborate with one another.  [work day]

Wednesday, January 31, 2007 
NFCYM’S ANNUAL MEMBERSHIP MEETING – OPENING SESSION
  (10:00 pm mountain) The opening session was called to order (is it really possible to call youth ministry types to order by Chair of the Board of Directors Carol Goodwin of Louisville.  After a brief prayer, Carol offered her reflections on the past year and the growth of the NFCYM. 
   Executive Director Bob McCarty followed along the same themes talking about the 25 years of the organization.  He reminded all how key it was in the naming of the organization was in that in it was also determined our mission and scope.  He shared how he views the NFCYM as a podium for the filed of youth ministry. Finally, he identified three elements necessary for any ministry national, diocesan, local) to develop:
   > VISION: This includes the continuing work of updating and implementing a strategic plan>
   > STRUCTURE:  This is what "enfleshing" our vision.
   > LEADERSHIP
   Bob identified these three as real blessings within our organization.  Bob closed by reminding us that "Hope is hearing the melody of the future and that Faith is dancing to it today."  The NFCYM operates from a faith stance. [work day]
NFCYM’S ANNUAL MEMBERSHIP MEETING – GREETINGS FROM COLORADO SPRINGS
  (2:54 pm mountain) Here goes – -  the blog will be updating sporadically throughout this long weekend – chronicling the Annual Membership Meeting of the National Federation for Catholic Youth Ministry.  The hotel has wireless, so this should be fun.   Opps, got to go-  off to the New Participants’ Orientation which is always fun.  (The leaders are dressed in Air Force uniforms in honor of the AF Academy.) 

(taped by phone 01/20/07)

BIO: Mark Pacione has been the Director for the Division of Youth and Young Adult Ministries in the Archdiocese of Baltimore for over two decades. Beyond an office staff of six, he also watches over college campus ministry and the Msgr. O’Dwyer Reatreat House.

QUOTE TO NOTE: Young people are my “holy door” always.  They are the door to what is holy. They are the door to my Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. They are the door to my faith. 

OBSCURE FACTOID: Mark is an excellent cook. Like many other productions in which Mark has been involved, his creativity and passions are multi-tasked until the final product is plated before you. . . always delicious, filling, and warm.

BEHIND THE SCENES:  Still learning as I’m playing along.  When this was taped, I only knew how to mic up the phone conference call, and did not trust the mic holding/ passing.  I’ve since done that twice, so the fact that this was taped while we were separated by our office walls now seems silly,

BLOG REFLECTION: can be read here for Feb. 28.

(taped by phone 01/13/07)

BIO: Mark Oestreicher (Marko) is the president of Youth Specialties. For over 30 years Youth Specialties has worked alongside Christian youth workers of just about every denomination and youth-serving organization by providing publications, training, and leadership. Marko has a thoughtful, well-hyperlinked, funny/rude, personal blog which is found at www.ysmarko.com.

QUOTE TO NOTE: This is an area where a lot of youth workers and churches, in general, go wrong in terms of discipleship and that’s they just treat it (discipleship) as a program or a component of their youth ministry rather than the goal of the ministry. The command of Christ is that we go into the world and create disciples. And that’s what the whole point of youth ministry is about.  . . . Discipleship is what we should be all about.

OBSCURE FACTOID: During the conversation, Marko talks about the challenges of “attractional” ministry.  Since the taping, he expanded on these thoughts in this blog entry.   Days later, Dr. Leonard Sweet also addressed this theme at Baylor.  This line of discussion should NOT be obscure in any youth ministry field, let alone Catholic youth ministry.

BEHIND THE SCENES:  Ahhh, an editing confession – When this was taped, my Baltimore Ravens and Marko’s home team, the San Diego Chargers, both looked as if they were might be NFL playoff rivals. Therefore, the call started off with some trash talk, mostly on my part. Unfortunately, both teams lost their home games during next weekend.

BLOG REFLECTION: can be read here for Feb. 21.

Recently, a friend shared a self-revelation.  If trapped alone on a deserted island, not unlike Tom Hanks in Castaway, a solitary volleyball would never be enough for her.  She stated that she would have had to have given names and personalities to not only Wilson the Volleyball, but also Raphael the FedEx package with wings, and Rocky I, II, and III to the larger stones on the beach.  And that would have been just for starters.
We are social beings and we need community.  In a world were so often we can choose to go it alone, we intrinsically are aware that it is better for us to cooperate and collaborate.

In Ecclesiastes, we are reminded that "Two are better than one . . . If the one falls, the other will lift up his companion. Woe to the solitary man! For if he should fall, he has no one to lift him up." (4: 9-10)

Take time this day to recognize the value of your circles of family and friends, relationships with co-
workers, community members, and acquaintances. Acknowledge the benefits that flow from the trust,
reciprocity, information, and cooperation associated  with social networks.

Celebrate those who enliven your solitary days.  Offer prayers of gratitude for those who would lift you
up if you should fall.  And keep close all the Wilsons of your life.

(taped on phone 01/20/07)

BIO: Eileen McCann is a Sister of Saint Joseph of Carondelet.  She is presently the Coordinator for Youth and Young Adult Ministry for the Secretariat for Family, Laity, Woman, and Youth for the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops.

QUOTE TO NOTE: (Discipleship is about transmitting) the message that we are both Good Friday and resurrection people. Sometimes when we use that word, discipleship, we get sucked into that Good Friday image – the notion that we need to suffer, that we need to do the hard stuff which is certainly a part of it  – but there is also a joy that come with that. . . . But, the big thing to teach young people is that Good Friday and Easter Sunday are one event and without Good Friday, there would be no Easter Sunday. And without Easter Sunday, Good Friday does not make any sense. . . There is Alleluia that goes along with (our faith.)

OBSCURE FACTOID: Sr. Eileen has played along in an NCAA March Madness basketball pool for the past few years.  What any fellow player can confirm for you is that, for certain, Sr. Eileen is a staunch defender of her home team, the Syracuse Orange.  For those watching, they are 17-8 overall, 6-5 in the Big East and are nowere to be found on the AP Top 25.

BEHIND THE SCENES:  This was part of a series of three tapings in one day.  There is some minor mic adjusting at the beginning, but, beyond that, no real tech glitches.  I think this may have been the most conversational of the interviews thus far.

BLOG REFLECTION: can be read here for Feb. 14.

Published NACYML News February 9, 2007

There is this new guy on-line seeking to make friends. He’s 33, single, and a Capricorn. He has many interests including drinking
wine, volunteer care of the sick and poor, and leaving his footprints in the sand along the beach. His home town is Nazareth. His favorite song is Joan Osbourne’s What if God was
One of Us? He seems like a nice guy. Is he someone the young people with whom you serve might be interested in be-friend-ing?

Young people are making these sorts of choices every day on “social networking” pages such as MySpace, Facebook, and other web sites. They post their pictures, their music, and their thoughts on “blogs.”

A blog is a website where journal style entries are made and often displayed in a reverse chronological order. Blogs often provide commentary or news on a particular subject, such as food, politics, or local news. (I know- I have one at www.dscottmiller.com) For teens, however, most of their blogs function as personal online diaries.

There seems to be much clamor regarding the risks of blogs for young people. NBC Dateline regularly profiles their efforts To Catch a Predator. Taunting and preying on vulnerable classmates has moved, in part, from the playground and into the realm of cyber-bulleying.

What are we to do? As Catholic Youth Ministers, our first task is to work in partnership with the very same parents who provide young people with the technology and internet access to go on-line. We should remind both parents and young people of the Cardinal Virtues and their relationship to internet use.

• Prudence is the virtue that disposes practical reason to discern our true good in every circumstance and to choose the right means of achieving it. Therefore, we are concerned for the protection of self and family, including the risks towards credit, viruses, and personal safety. Young people should be encouraged to use discretion in what is personally shared and to consider the consequences of public broadcast of opinion.

• Justice towards one another disposes one to respect the rights of each and to establish in human relationships the harmony that promotes equity with regard to persons and to the common good. So, young people should be encouraged to remain respectful and take care to protect others on the internet as well.

• Fortitude is the moral virtue that ensures firmness in difficulties and constancy in the pursuit of the good. Parents and young people need to check in with one another regularly regarding internet use. Safety is better ensured if a young person is “surfing the net” within the thoroughfare of the family home and not locked behind bedroom doors. Young people need to remain skeptical regarding “anonymous friends.”

• Temperance is the moral virtue that moderates the attraction of pleasures and provides balance in the use of created goods. Despite a sense of anonymity on the internet, young people need to take care to maintain modesty as well as a set of limits and boundaries regarding their own use of it.

As a youth minister, what should we be doing about our own use of MySpace? Again, prudence is demanded here. It might serve as an effective vehicle to communicate with young people, keeping them up to date on future events and tapping into a young person’s cyber-relationships.

We should be temperate regarding young people’s disclosures on-line however. At a youth retreat, would you willingly open a young person’s journal or diary. . . just because it was left out and open? If you are scanning the internet for updates on your young people, it begs the question: Why are you not speaking with them personally instead of only relating to them virtually?

Rethink the role that you are playing in the lives of the young people you serve. Please continue to be aware of the critical distinction between the role of the church’s youth ministry contact and the parent. As a parish or school leader, we should be serving parents who are the leaders of their own domestic church found within the family of the young people.

Back in the days of Walter Cronkite, we would watch to evening news to learn about the world outside our own local environs. USA Today, then, brought us “news that we could use” is brief, manageable snippets. On-line blogs have moved us into a world of “I am the news.”

The “I am the news” philosophy conflicts with the message of the single, 33-year old Capricorn from Nazareth who is “the Way, the Truth, and the Life.” The internet offers many wonderful possibilities in assisting us with the responsibility to share the “Good News.” Our call to discipleship demands that we must work towards transforming the “MySpaces” of our lives into “HisSpace.”

(taped in person in Colorado Springs 02/03/07)

BIO: As you’ll hear in the interview, Michael has taken on new responsibilities with coordination of the Australian Archdiocese of Brisbane’s celebration of World Youth Day. He has worked with the Youth and Children’s Ministry (YCM) team assists deaneries and parishes to nurture Catholic Christian spirituality in young people from sacramental initiation to early twenties.

QUOTE TO NOTE: What we learned about the Vision of Youth Ministry: “We don’t have one solid vision for ministry with young people.  But, for the last two decades, we’ve look to the United States and particularly that statement as out guiding principles. The (Australian) bishops have offered different pastorals and a number of statement along the way but not as significant as a Vision of Youth Ministry and Renewing the Vision.

BEHIND THE SCENES:  This was taped at the NFCYM’s annual membership meeting in Colorado Springs.  It was my first face-to-face interview which offered me my first  opportunity to set up, pass a mic back and forth, and be hospitable.  (I got Michael a glass of water before the interview.)  We were in a hotel conference hallway so we also were in stop-and-go mode and various people and the ambient cell-phone conversations passed by.

BLOG REFLECTION: can be read here for Feb. 7.