Minor Depression

I have told people that youth ministry is the greatest job in the world with bouts of depression.  And, this has been my experience thus far.  I get to work with some of the most exciting and excitable people in the world.  I get to work by planning activities and trips to fun places with fun people.  I get to watch 65 students learn more and more about Jesus.  I get to watch literal and figurative growth.  I get to laugh.  I am surrounded by a generation of students who are not satisfied with hearing about God; they want to experience Him.  (Since this is me too, I grow in the meantime.)  I am partnered with my favorite person in the world (Melissa) in this work.  I have minions.  I have fun.

But, ministry is not always a bed of roses.  There are nights that reap no sleep.  There are moments that continually haunt.  There are statements that still sting.  There are confrontations that remain awkward.  There are people that frustrate.  There are stumbling blocks that act more like linebackers than rocks.  There are times when I rely too much on myself rather than on God.  There are times when I forget that there is only one Messiah (and I am not him.)  There are days that get away.  There are weeks where I pray for people my own age.  Almost all the time, I miss my friends.  I long to be fed and not feed.  I long to get and not give.  I desire validation.  There are times when Satan seems present precisely because God is working.  

Overall, ministry is awesome.  I have a community of friends and fellow ministers who are more than a support.  I have students who seem to grow more and more every day.  I love it.  And, yes, it gives me bouts of depression.  There is nothing I would rather do.

Silent Night?

I recently saw a manger scene that was priced at $99.99 at LifeWay Christian Stores. The dolls were beautiful porcelain, the stables were clean, and everyone was older than 35 (other than little baby Jesus.) I must confess that I have a fear. My fear is that capitalism and marketing have blinded us, as Western Christians, to the sheer insanity and audacity of Jesus' birth.

First, stables are the cultural equivalent of a parking garage. It is where the people park their donkeys for the night while they stay in the inn. It was probably not clean or sanitized. The animals were probably making "deposits" as Mary and Joseph walked in and as Mary gave birth.

Second, Mary is probably 16, and Joseph is probably 23-25 years old, and they were Middle Eastern (not Swedish blonds.) Joseph is the cultural equivalent of a construction worker. And, the family has just walked over 60 miles from Nazareth to Bethlehem. Donkeys were status symbols - like a BMW, so it is unlikely that the full-term pregnant wife of a construction worker had a ride of that kind. On top of that, the couple has not consummated the marriage yet. (I do not care who you are... after 9 months of marriage, that will weigh on you.) And, they could not get in to the inn (reservations and planning.) Even after angels convince him otherwise, Joseph has already tried to divorce Mary "quietly" once.

Third, shepherds are normally pre-adolescent girls and boys in Middle Eastern culture. They are the youngest of the family because it is considered a terrible job with stupid animals. If there was an adult in the mix who came to baby-Jesus, it would be one of the fathers of the kids. However, it is far more likely that the shepherds who came were young 9-10 year olds.

Last, it was a birth. God chose to come to earth as a man. And, Mary had the birth pains associated with pregnancy and birth. There was no epidural or midwife helping her along. It was just Joseph. The birth was like every other birth- loud, messy, bloody, and exhausting. Jesus came out screaming (otherwise he would be dead.) Mary and Joseph wrapped him in strips of cloth and laid him in a water/feeding trough (manger.)

The Prince of Peace, the Wonderful Counselor, the King of Kings, and God came into the world. Jesus' birth fulfilled every prophecy, but it shattered every expectation. And, this is the story of his life. In his birth, Jesus shows how far he will go to relate to man. He brings beauty in the midst of mess. He brings love in the midst of war. He brings meaning to the seemingly meaningless. And, he brings life from death. The night was not silent, it was not pretty, and it was not marketable. It was God's, and this makes it holy.