Graduation Season

It's one of the most bittersweet times of the year for a youth pastor. In one sense, you are excited for the students that you have spent the better part of their high school experience mentoring. On the other hand, there is a part of you that wants to hold on and say, "Hey, wait! I'm just getting to know you. I've loved sharing your life with you. Can't you just stop growing up now. Don't go!"

It's graduation time again. And that means our ministry, like thousands of others across the country will be saying, "Good bye," to our senior class. It's going to be hard to let them go.

Last night we held our annual baccalaureate service. Here is what I shared with our students and parents.

When he was the President of the United States, George Bush, Sr. began the Thousand Points of Light Foundation. It was an organization whose purpose was to increase the level of volunteerism in America. President Bush believed that people getting involved in the service of others would have a positive effect on them, and the people they served, thus making America a stronger nation.

It was about that time that President Bush came to the university that I attended to deliver the commencement speech for the graduating class that preceeded mine. Like most students I was excited at the prospect of President Bush visiting our university. I'll never forget a line that the President gave in his commencement address. He said, "Here at Liberty, you've shown how a 1000 points of light can become a galaxy of stars working to make a difference in your own backyard. And now, let America follow your lead."

Jesus liked to talk about light too. And when He referred to light, He was talking about you! In His Sermon on the Mount in Matthew 5:14-16, Jesus said, "You are the light of the world. A city on a hill cannot be hidden. Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven."

Here at Wooddale, Pastor Anderson is fond of telling us, five or six times a year to, "make God look good." You, class of 2006, are the Light of the World. You have a responsibility as such to make God look good. I like what President Bush said, but I like what Jesus said better. In fact, I'd like nothing more than this to be said about you. "Here at Wooddale you've shown how dozens of young men and women with the light of Christ shining through them can make a difference. You have shone brightly. You have been used by God to draw hundreds of people to His son. And now, let our church, and the world around us, follow your lead!"

So, as you leave, leave as men and women committed to changing your world, by being image bearers of Christ to the world around you.

While in high school, I've shared with you the nine values of world changers on multiple occasions. These are the values that those who are committed to be light in this world will embrace.

Value number one is the everything principle. It's the idea that Christ is preeminent above all else. The wisest man to ever live said in Ecclesiastes 12:13, "Now all has been heard; here is the conclusion of the matter: Fear God and keep His commandments, for this is the whole duty of man." Solomon knew that nothing in life is as important as God. So, whether you leave here to study medicine, law, accounting, music, art, education, ministry, or serve in the armed forces, keep God number one. You do what you do because of Him and for Him.

Value number two is excellence. God is honored when we do our best. Many of you have talked about the "senior slide." Some have even lamented that you senior slide began your sophomore year of high school. Don't let your senior slide be the excuse that you give for not giving it your best. In Genesis 1:31 it says, "God saw all that He had made, and it was very good. (Incidentally, God's very good is better than our excellent). And there was morning and there was evening - the sixth day."

Value number three is that we become people who are "each other focused." That means that we care more about others than we do about ourselves. It is the antithises of the way that the world operates. In His Great Commandment, Jesus said, "Love your neihbor as yourself." Jesus cares about how we love the world around us.

Value number four is endurance. There will be many a time that you feel like chucking it all and giving up. May we be like the Apostle Paul who wrote, "I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. Now there is in store for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will award to me on that day - and not only to me, but also all who have longed for His appearing." (2 Timothy 4:6-8).

Value number five is education. Many of you are moving on to institutions of higher education. And while that education is valuable, the principle of which I speak is the principle of being a lifelong learner. It is becoming one who is a student of the Word of God. When the Apostle Paul wrote to his young protege, Timothy, he wrote, "Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a workman who does not need to be ashamed and who correctly handles the word of truth" (2 Timothy 2:15). May we be students of the timeless truths of the Word of God.

Value number six is enterprise. That is, the ability to take risks. Sometimes God will call us to take incredible risks for Him. We need to be willing to do this even if the rest of the world scoffs. God is worth it. In Luke 17:6 Jesus said, "If you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you can say to this mulberry tree, 'Be uprooted and planted in the sea,' and it will obey you." Maybe the reason we don't see God work sometimes is because we are afraid to trust Him.

Value number seven is exercise. And, I'm not just talking about physical exercise. While God cares about our physical bodies, He cares too about our spiritual body. He wants us to take care of the bodies that Christ has given to us, and to the Body, which Christ has given to us. That means we are to exercise our spiritual gifts -- to use the gifts that God has given us to be a blessing to the overall body of Christ. I've told you all on multiple occasions that each one of you is special, with a unique gift from God to offer this church. As you go from here, do not leave Christ's church. Use your gifts in a local church setting wherever you go. You are so valuable.

Value number eight is ethics. Nothing will ruin your opportunity to be a light to the world as quickly as compromise. The spiritual road we walk is littered with the corpses of so many who have said, "I'll never compromise in my spiritual walk," only to find themselves and their names totally destroyed because of a series of wrong choices. There will be so many opportunities for you to make those mistakes in college, the work force, or wherever life's journey takes you. Don't let your name be one that is forever marred because of compromise. Proverbs 22:1 says, "A good name is more desirable than great riches; to be esteemed is better than silver or gold."

Our final value is evangelism. Nothing rings so dear to the heart of God as evangelism. He is absolutely passionate about it. Since the time you've been in Wooddale Senior High, close to 150 of your friends have become Christians. There are very few people that Scripture calls wise, but Proverbs 11:30 says this, "The fruit of the righteouls is a tree of life, and he who wins souls is wise."

And now, Class of 2006, may you let your light so shine before men, that they might see your good deeds, and praise your Father in heaven.

Mother's Day

It was 4:15 a.m. and the giggles had started. This morning, Breanna and Chrisopher decided to surprise Mom. Breanna had purchased 50 balloons and three rolls of crepe paper. In order for their mom to be taken by surprise, they decided that the 4 o'clock in the morning time frame would be the best time decorate the house. Dad was in on the gig. They had been planning it for days. When they went to bed last night, they made sure that their alarms were set and even went so far as to make sure that the dog was in her kennel with a blanket over it so that they would not wake her up. The plan was foolproof, except that they did not take into account their own propensity to giggle, and the propensity of balloons to make noise when placing them in a bedroom with sleeping people.

I heard them first. For fifteen minutes I layed as still as possible while they giggled, took multiple trips up and down the steps to gather more balloons, shined thier flashlight in our room, and whispered. It was great! And then, mom heard. And she too was still as the kids kept working. We finally got out of bed at about 4:45. The kids ran as fast as they could and hid in a corner of our living room.

Most nights I hate being awoken in the middle of a deep sleep. Not last night. Last night was a display of pure, unadulterated love for their mom. And, she's worth it!

I am truly blessed. I have the best wife, the best kids, and God has given me more than I'll ever need. Thanks God, for Cyndi. Thanks for my mom, and the role model that she was and is to me. Thanks for Cyndi's mom. She is a great mother-in-law. No, she's a great mom. God, help those families that are going through their first Mother's Day without a mom, and those who have never known what it means to have a mom.

If Napolean Met Chuck Norris

My friend Greg Stier is now blogging. You've got to check out this video from his Dare 2 Share Conferences in 2005-06. It's pretty funny.

http://www.gregstier.org/conferences/if-napoleon-met-chuck-norris

Has There Ever Been A Better Web Site Than This?

You've got to check out my new favorite website. It's http://www.grapheine.com/bombaytv/index_uk.php. You can create subtitles to movies and send them to friends. I know it sounds corny, but try it. You'll love it!

Breanna and Chris to Appear in Drama

Breanna and Chris will be appearing in a drama together on Mother's Day weekend at Wooddale Church. They play a brother and sister. You can catch them at all six weekend services.

Shield A Badge

I found out about the coolest program today. It's called "Shield A Badge." As many of you know, I serve as a police chaplain for the Eden Prairie Police Department. I love this position because it gives me an opportunity to know the police officers and firemen in our community. They are some great people who have a dangerous job.

Shield A Badge is a program where every police officer in the Eden Prairie Police Department is given a prayer partner. The prayer partner is given the officers name and badge number and encouraged to pray for the officer throughout the year. You are allowed to write the officer on two occasions during the year, so long as you do not try to witness to the officer.

Most officers really appreciate and value this program. It means a lot to the to know that someone is praying. Would you consider being a part of this program? If you are interested, e-mail me at brian.schulenburg@wooddale.org and I'll let you know how you can get involved. This involves a commitment to pray for an officer every day for an entire year. Make sure that you are willing to make that type of commitment before e-mailing me.

I'm on Ebay

Today is a strange day. You can now purchase something with my name in the title on ebay. Check this out, and bid on it: http://cgi.ebay.com/Choose-Your-Top-3-by-Brian-Schulenburg-2006_W0QQitemZ4633862595QQcategoryZ378QQssPageNameZWD1VQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem

There are only 3 left!

Reflections on The Awakening

Today marked the final day of Mission Impossible. For the past two weeks anywhere between five and 23 of us have been gathering together at 6:00 in the morning to watch a Rob Bell video, but more importantly to beg God to begin a spiritual awakeing inside of us that will spread throughout Wooddale Senior High, Wooddale Church, our area, our city, churches across the world, our nation and the world.

Here are some observations that I have:

1. Students continue to blow me away, even after fifteen years of youth ministry. I love the passion that they have to change their world, and to see God work through them.

2. Students can be prayer warriors. I have never heard such sweet and passionate prayers.

3. Students like sacrifice. They enjoyed waking up at 6:00 in the morning, because it was among other things a tangible way to show their love and devotion to God.

4. Prayer really does make an impact. We saw so many prayer requests answered in the ten days that we me.

5. This is important. We probably need to try to do this at least once a week throughout the year.

6. People need Jesus. They really do. That was shown again and again as we met. And, I need to be more grateful for what Jesus has done for me.

7. God will never say, "No," to a person asking for spiritual awakening in their own life. Jesus is moving in the lives of those who gathered.

8. I'm part of something really special here. I really do have one of the most incredible jobs in the world.

9. We have a great volunteer staff. So many of them came out at least once to pray, seek God's face, and encourage students.

10. Students today have it tough. They really do. It's not just a copout when they are making wrong choices. It's tougher to grow up today than ever before.

Will you join us in praying for a spiritual awakening?

Did You Hear About The One About The Farmer . . .

My mother-in-law sent me this story. Did you hear about the farmer in Australia that was losing his sheep? True story, he could not figure out why, but he had sheep that were disappearing every night from his pasture. So, he decided to put up electric fencing. The snake above is what he found. The huge snake had been eating his sheep.

Scooter

Okay, I'm serious. I'm really thinking about doing it. Have you seen the gas prices? I paid $2.89/gallon yesterday. It's time for the economical solution. It's time for a scooter.

Did you know that most scooters get between 60-80 miles to the gallon? Did you know if a scooter is 49cc or below you don't need a special license to get one? Did you know that you can drive a 150cc scooter anywhere you want as long as you have a motorocycle certification on your drivers license?

So, yesterday I got the motorcycle book to study what I need to do to pass the test so that I can purchase a scooter. There is a little scooter shop that I've been to three times in the past two weeks. It's called Scooters Plus and it's located at 9060 Excelsior Blvd. in Hopkins. They let you test drive the little 49cc scooters and it's a blast.

I need your help, faithful blog readers. I'm between a few models of scooter. Which one do you like best. I'm leaning towards the Wasp. You can just describe the scooter in the comment section of the blog. The two sites on the internet where I am looking into scooters is www.tngscooters.com. These are the ones they sell in Hopkins. Or, www.gsmotorworks.com, where you can purchase a scooter, tax and delivery included, for as little as $899. You can't beat that!

Rachel Patil to Give Faith Story

Rachel Patil, a Wooddale Senior, will be giving her faith story in all of the services this weekend at Wooddale Church. Make sure you come out and support Rachel as she speaks. And, keep Rachel in your prayers. This is a big deal. It's not easy to speak in front of thousands of people. Pray that God will speak through Rachel in a powerful way, and that He will use her faith story to make an impact on tons of people.

Choose Your Top 3 Interview

There is an interview with me about my new book Choose Your Top 3 at http://www.zondervan.com/Cultures/en-US/Product/ProductDetail.htm?ProdID=com.zondervan.9780310267461&QuerySiteString=Zondervan&QueryStringSite=Zondervan. When you go to the site look for author interview and click the link. It plays in Windows Media Player.

Freeset Bags

Imagine that you were a young woman growing up in India. Your life was hard. It was difficult for your family to make ends meet. Just having enough money to put food on the table was a daily struggle. And then, some men come to your home. They promise you a job that is lucrative enough to support your family. It's an honest business. You'll be treated well.

The offer sounds too good to be true, but how can you say, "No." So, you go. And, the job isn't what you were promised at all. It's not honest money. You are treated like dirt. You are no longer free. You are a slave in the sex trade. You are one of Calcutta's 6,000 prostitutes. Your life will never be the same. And, your family? They'll still struggle every day to make ends meet. And now, there is a hole in their hearts as they miss you.

Sounds awful, doesn't it? But, it's a reality that is lived out every day in the red light district of Calcutta. I was recently made aware of a minsitry that is taking a bold stance to free women from the bondage of prostitution. The ministry is called Freeset Bags. It's a company that literally frees prostitutes, allowing former prostitutes to work for higher wages than they would earn in prostitution. These women are taught a trade, become co-owners in the business, and most become Christians. You can learn more about this tremendous ministry, and how you can purchase their products at www.freesetbags.com.

Check it out. Using their products is one more way that we can be Christ in this world.

New Favorite Blog

Have you checked out the 268 blog? It's the official blog of the Passion movement, Louie Giglio, and the 268 generation. They put some great stuff on it last week in preparation for Easter. I loved reading the posts tonight after a busy Easter weekend. How great to continue to focus on Christ's extravagant gift to us.

You can link to the 268 blog here: http://www.268blog.blogspot.com.

A Hero's Visit

No film has ever moved me as much as much as Hotel Rwanda. In it, Don Cheadle marvelously plays the role of Paul Rusesabaginato, a hotel manager in Kigali, Rwanda, who through his bravery and conviction saved the lives of over 1,000 Rwandans during the Rwandan genocide of 1994. If you haven't seen the film yet, do it. It's on DVD. You can visit the official web site of the film here: http://www.hotelrwanda.com/intro.html

Since viewing this film, Paul Rusesabaginato has become one of my heroes. He's going to be in the Twin Cities this Wednesday night at the Barnes and Noble Book Store, 3225 West 69th Street,in The Galleria Shopping Center in Edina at 7:30 p.m. I won't be able to catch him, but I'd highly recommend you going to see him if you get the chance. He's an inspiration to me and has a powerful message that deals with how we can make an impact in areas like the Sudan and other hot spots around the world. I hope you'll check it out. He's also just publilshed a book entitled An Ordinary Man that I intend on reading in the very near future.

A Movement For Spiritual Renewal

The alarm went off at 4:55 this morning. I rolled over, hoping to catch a few more minutes of sleep. And then, at 5:05, I awoke.

Yesterday was Easter. Our Senior Pastor, Leith Anderson, preached a sermon called Easter Changes Everything. It was powerful. And, I wonder, will Easter change everything this year?

Two months ago I announced to our Senior Highers that we were going to go on a spiritual journey together the two weeks following Easter. That began today. Every school day, for the next two weeks, any student who desires is welcome to come to Wooddale at 6:00 a.m. to pray for spiritual renewal in their life, the lives of their friends, in our student ministry, in our church, and in our world. I prayed that we'd have two students show up today. (We've done minimal advertising on this one, and come on, these are high schoolers, are they really going to wake up that early to meet with God?)

I saw the first students at 5:55. By 6:05 there were twelve of them. Twelve students gathered for the purpose of praying for spiritual renewal. Twelve students ready to go on a spiritual adventure. Twelve students ready to discuss the deeper issues in life.

It's 10:08 p.m. I wonder what tomorrow will bring. I wonder what will happen a week from Friday when this is all over.

Twelve students. Isn't that what Jesus changed the world with? I wonder. Jesus, do it again!

Lord, these next two weeks are the start. Let our lives be all about You! Give us the courage to go where You call us to go. Help us to let go of the things that hinder our relationship with You. Use us for Your renown. You, and You alone are worthy of our praise. Your heart is what we long to see. Your eyes are what we long to see the world with. Do it again, Lord. Do it again.

Prayer Request

Chad and Christine Erlenborn are some of Cyndi's and my best friends in the world. Chad serves on Wooddale's pastoral staff with me. He is our Young Adults Pastor. This week they found out that their four year old daughter, Mikayla has leukemia. They were in Los Angeles on a family vacation when Christine began to notice abnormal bruising on Mikayla's legs. They took her to the emergency room, and after testing it was determined that she has leukemia. She is in Children's Hospital in Minneapolis right now. Please pray that God will heal. That God will bring understanding. That God will comfort. The Erlenborns have been making plans to move to Nairobi, Kenya in January of 2007, and their plans were made public in Wooddale's newsletter this weekend. These are difficult things to go through under normal circumstances, let alone when you have been planning for major life change. We're trusting God for a miracle. Join us in praying.

Via Dolorosa

Holy Week begins tomorrow. We'll remember the triumphant entry of our Lord, Jesus Christ. We'll remember the events of the week that led up to Calvary. We'll remember the Last Supper, and the Garden prayers. We'll remember the mock trials, the scourging, the abuse. We'll remember the walk to the cross and the when God turned His back on God. We'll remember the words, "It is finished!" And, we'll remember Joseph of Arimathea. We'll remember stunned soldiers and gleaming angels. And we'll remember why our faith is true. Because, if Jesus Christ is God, and He is, the resurrection is true. And, it's the most significant point in the history of the world.

This week, I preached a sermon at Wooddale's Lenten Lunch service. It's called Via Dolorosa, and I thought I'd post it here:


VIA DOLOROSA

My family and I just returned from a road trip to Colorado. It was wonderful! There is nothing like the crisp mountain air on a spring morning to make you appreciate the creative power of God. I found myself wondering a lot on this trip. I wondered at the vastness of Pike’s Peak. I wondered at the beauty of a herd of antelope on the eastern plains. I wondered at the majestic sunsets over the Rocky Mountain range. I wondered at the God who created all that I saw -- the God whom we celebrate this Lenten season.

As I drove the thousands of miles and stared at the beauty surrounding me I thought about this message. And as I wondered I was reminded of the carol that we sing at Christmas, I Wonder As I Wander. For as I wandered Colorado, Kansas, Nebraska and Iowa highways I had a lot of time to think, to reflect, and to wonder at just what our God did on that sacred day, 2000 years ago.

It’s what we’ve been doing for these past several weeks of Lent. Chad Erlenborn has taken us on a journey. We’ve experienced the Last Supper, and the Garden prayer, the mock trials, and the Roman scourging. We’ve moved through the evening that changed the course of history forever. And this afternoon, we come to the Via Dolorosa -- the way of suffering that our Savior took from the scene of his trial to a hill called Golgotha.

The Via Dolorosa is a street in the Old City of Jerusalem. Over the years speculation has developed as to just what happened as Jesus moved along the streets of Jerusalem, from his trial to Golgotha. It wasn’t until the 19th century that the current route with the fourteen stations of the cross began to be taught. Most of the Via Dolorosa route is speculation. For instance, we have no evidence from Scripture that Jesus ever fell with the cross. There is no evidence that Jesus stopped to talk with his mother on the route. There is no evidence that a woman named Veronica met Jesus on the route to Calvary. But, Jesus did take a walk with His cross. And it makes me wonder.

I wonder what it was like for Jesus. The day had been unlike any other. For, it was today that the Son of God would usher in a new covenant. Did He have second thoughts? Did He want to tell his disciples more as He dined with them in the upper room? Did He want to pull Judas aside and ask, “Are you sure you want to do this?” Did He hurt when Judas betrayed him? Did He wish that Peter wouldn’t deny Him? Was it his omniscience clashing with his humanity that made him sweat drops of blood in the Garden? Did he have a conversation with the angels that came to minister to Him in the Garden? Did He, in his omniscience think about you and me personally when he prayed in the Garden? Did He have second thoughts about those He chose to be his disciples? How could He have loved Pilate and Herod and the religious leaders, the soldiers, and Judas, and Peter and me? And, that’s just the start!

You see, I became a Christian when I was four years old. It was Easter Sunday. Sitting on my backyard swing set, I wondered. I wondered about the mystery of the resurrection. I wondered about the love that Jesus demonstrated when He died for you and for me. I wondered about forgiveness. And, I believed. But, I haven’t stopped wondering. Isn’t it amazing that even after years of following Christ, and the way that so many of us are familiar with the story, the Passion of Jesus can still make us wonder.

Jesus began down the Via Dolorosa immediately following a mocking from soldiers that was cruel and ugly. Mark 15:16-20 records the event:

“The soldiers led Jesus away into the palace (that is, the Praetorium) and called together the whole company of soldiers. They put a purple robe on him, then twisted together a crown of thorns and set it on him. And they began to call out to him, "Hail, king of the Jews!" Again and again they struck him on the head with a staff and spit on him. Falling on their knees, they paid homage to him. And when they had mocked him, they took off the purple robe and put his own clothes on him. Then they led him out to crucify him.”

Chuck Swindoll writing about this event said, "But the suffering would not end here. Cruel soldiers, who have circled around Christ's bloody body like vultures, move in to pick at the remains. In raucous sport, they place a robe on Jesus. But not a long, flowing robe. The Greek term used is chlamus, a short cloak worn over the shoulders. Standing there, naked from the waist down, Jesus becomes the object of their vulgar remarks. Each tries to top the other's joke. Each takes his turn, spitting on Him. . . cursing His name. . . slapping Him with the reed. . . punching His raw chest with their fists. Him, upon whom God would soon bestow a name that was above every other. Him, at whose name every knee would someday bow, of those who are in heaven, and on the earth, and under the earth. Him, before whom every tongue would someday confess that He is Lord (Phil. 2:9-11). But for now, humanity offers this king only spit. . . expletives. . . and fists."

This is what we know of Jesus walk. He began by carrying the cross. John, the only disciple to be present at the foot of the cross writes in John 19:17, “Carrying his own cross, he went out to the place of the Skull (which in Aramaic is called Golgotha).”

Matthew, Mark and Luke all record that not long after Jesus began walking with his cross He was relieved of that duty. We’ll go back to Mark’s Gospel in chapter 15, verse 21, which says, “A certain man from Cyrene, Simon, the father of Alexander and Rufus, was passing by on his way in from the country, and they forced him to carry the cross.”

This has led to speculation over the years that Jesus collapsed under the weight of His cross. That, He, being beaten perhaps more than any man in the history of the world, could not physically carry His cross. You’ll remember that Chad Erlenborn spoke of the scourging that Jesus received. His back had been torn open. Jesus organs would have been exposed. The abuse that the soldiers placed upon Jesus after His execution sentence had been handed down was awful. They put the robe on his bleeding back and then tore it back off. Any of us who have had open wounds can imagine that pain that this must have inflicted. And then, Jesus was forced to carry his cross. History tells us that Roman crucifixions required the prisoner to carry the cross beam. The upright beam was generally kept in the ground where the crucifixion would take place. The crossbeam weighed about 110 pounds. No wonder the soldiers needed to look for someone else to carry Christ’s cross.

And that makes me wonder.

I wonder what it was like for Simon of Cyrene.

Matthew, Mark and Luke all speak of Simon. But, Mark speaks of him with a certain air of familiarity. Mark knew that his readers would recognize Simon. He was after all the father of Alexander and Rufus. Which makes scholars conclude that Alexander and Rufus were leaders in the early church.

Simon was from Cyrene, which is modern day Tripoli, Lebanon, in North Africa. He was in Jerusalem to celebrate Passover. It wasn’t very often that a Jew from another region of the world could make the trek to Israel to celebrate Passover in the Holy City. It was expensive and an honor that happened perhaps once in a lifetime. So, this was no doubt a very special trip for Simon and his children.

It’s possible that Simon had heard about Jesus. Word was spreading throughout the ancient near east world of this teacher or prophet or miracle worker. And, if Simon had been anywhere near the vicinity of the Via Dolorosa in the past few hours he may have heard the chants as the crowd shouted, “Crucify Him! Crucify Him!” The city would have been abuzz at all that was happening.

I wonder if Simon had caught Jesus’ eye as Jesus was walking past him. He certainly caught the eye of a soldier who was looking for someone to carry the cross of Jesus. There is speculation that Simon would have stuck out because of his dark skin. The soldier would have been looking for someone who was not Jewish, because asking a Jewish person to carry the cross of this criminal would have escalated an already tense situation.

Simon, a practicing Jew living in Africa, was an easy target.

I wonder what Simon was thinking. I wonder if his boys were worried. I wonder if Simon and Jesus spoke as Simon carried the cross of Jesus. I wonder.

All who knew Jesus knew of His love for children. I wonder if Jesus shuddered at the thought of children being on that road. I wonder if Jesus spoke to the children as He walked. I wonder if Jesus offered them assurance that everything was going to be alright – that this must happen. Alexander and Rufus were Roman names. Names of great Roman military leaders. Names that carried a lot of expectation. I wonder if Jesus thought about how this day would change Alexander and Rufus forever. If he thought about how these boys would live up to their names in ways that their parents never dreamed of.

This day changed them. It marked their life forever. They would forever be known as the boys of the man who carried the cross of Majesty. Within forty years they were leaders in a movement that has literally transformed the earth. They were leaders in Christ’s church. Scholars believe that Acts 11 and 13 speak of Simon and his leadership in the church at Antioch. In Romans 16:13, the Apostle Paul writes, “Greet Rufus, chosen in the Lord, and his mother, who has been a mother to me, too.”

I wonder what it was like for the women who were mourning. They are really the only other people mentioned in the four gospels. You’ll read their story in Luke 23:27-31. “A large number of people followed him, including women who mourned and wailed for him. Jesus turned and said to them, "Daughters of Jerusalem, do not weep for me; weep for yourselves and for your children. For the time will come when you will say, 'Blessed are the barren women, the wombs that never bore and the breasts that never nursed!' Then they will say to the mountains, "Fall on us!" and to the hills, "Cover us!" 'For if men do these things when the tree is green, what will happen when it is dry?"

Perhaps it is because they had never seen a man beaten to the extent that Jesus was. Perhaps it was because they were embarrassed at what their fellow countrymen had done. Perhaps they were true followers of Jesus, and it saddened them to see Jesus in this state. Whatever the reason, Jesus addresses them. And, he puts the entire scenario into perspective. It wasn’t really Jesus who needed pity at all. It was us. Dawson McAlister writes, “He understood that He was facing the cross in love, dignity, and honor, and in just a few short days would rise triumphantly from the dead. The people who really needed pity were those who had rejected Him and were responsible for this cruel event. Jesus predicted the horrible things that would befall the Jews because of their rebellion against God. God’s judgment upon Israel would be so severe that childless women would be glad they were childless because they would have one less sorrow to bear. Jesus pointed out that people would be in such agony that they would cry for the mountains to fall on them.”

Jesus was right. Within a generation Jerusalem was overthrown in one of the worst massacres in history.

The women must have found Jesus’ words strange. Even in the shadow of the cross, Jesus’ heart was all about others.

There’s one more group I wonder about. I wonder about us. I wonder if we’ve caught the significance of the Via Dolorosa. I wonder if in the days following the resurrection, when the disciples pondered all of the events of the past three years, if they remembered the words that Jesus spoke to them at the beginning of their ministry. The interaction is found in Luke 9:23-24. “Then he said to them all: "If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me. For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for me will save it.”

Isn’t it interesting that Jesus calls us to do the same thing that He did? You want to follow Christ? Then we are to deny ourselves and take up our cross daily and follow Him. Those who followed Jesus had hardship. All but one of Jesus disciples was martyred for his faith. The persecution of the early church is well documented. But, all of it was worth it. Why? Because, life with Jesus is far better than life without Him.

Many of us look for the easiest path. We want what’s best for us. Here’s the secret. Your best life is follow Christ, wherever He may lead you. It’s not always the easiest path, but it’s the best.

The Via Dolorosa is called the way of suffering. May we believe that when Jesus calls us to take up our cross and follow Him it’s worth it; for there is no one more worthy of our trust!

Integrity Online

I did it. I broke down. I joined the myspace revolution.

Why? Because we probably have about 150 of our students at Wooddale on the sight. Myspace can be a dark place. I'm blown away as I read the things that our students put on the internet for anyone to read. At our Student Ministries staff meeting on Monday we decided that all of the pastoral and program staff would enter the myspace world by April 5.

I can see why myspace world is so addicting to students. In the span of about 12 hours I've had 53 people add me as "friends." Talk about affirmation! I found an old friend from college that I haven't talked with in 15 years and got caught up on his life. It's pretty cool. But, parts of myspace reek of inauthenticity. And the desire to continually go back and check your page to see who has added you as a friend, or who has left a comment, or who said something about your picture is a genuine trip down ego lane.

My wife and I talked before I entered myspace land, and agreed that there was something else that I'd better finally do too. If I was going to spend time in myspace world, I'd better have a better system of online accountability. So, today I signed up for Integrity Online. It's a free program offered by www.xxxchurch.com. Now, while I'm searching online, Integrity Online is discretely recording every web site I visit. If there is any chance that a web site has objectionable content, that site is recorded in the computer's program. Then about every two weeks, my wife will receive an e-mail. That e-mail tells her any potentially objectionable sites that my computer has gone to. Talk about accountability. I'm pretty excited. And, unlike many other similar programs, this program is free.

There is no excuse for men who want to live a life above reproach to not install this software on our computers. I hope you'll give it a try.

Prayer Request

I rarely put a prayer request up to ask for healing, but our family has just been hammered over the past month. Everyone has been sick. Breanna, Cyndi, Chris and I have been throwing up this week. Zach has congestion that won't go away. Jeremy has been our trooper -- staying well for most of this time.

Would you please pray for healing for us. This illness is just dragging on and on. We are scheduled to go to Colorado next week for spring break, and it would be great to be feeling completely healed by then.

Thanks!

Churches Starting Churches

I'll be a part of Wooddale Center's Churches Starting Churches seminar this weekend. It's a great event. If your church is thinking about starting a church, check out this seminar. It's offered regularly through the Center. You can find out information about the event at http://www.wooddalecenter.org.

If God Is For Us

When you go to war against your enemies and see horses and chariots and an army greater than yours, do not be afraid of them, because the LORD your God, who brought you up out of Egypt, will be with you.

Deuteronomy 20:1

And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose. For those God foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the likeness of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brothers. And those he predestined, he also called; those he called, he also justified; those he justified, he also glorified. What, then, shall we say in response to this? If God is for us, who can be against us? He who did not spare his own Son, but gave him up for us all—how will he not also, along with him, graciously give us all things? Who will bring any charge against those whom God has chosen? It is God who justifies. Who is he that condemns? Christ Jesus, who died—more than that, who was raised to life—is at the right hand of God and is also interceding for us. Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall trouble or hardship or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword? As it is written: "For your sake we face death all day long; we are considered as sheep to be slaughtered." No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Romans 8:28-39

Then Jesus came to them and said, "All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age."

Matthew 28:18-20

I was reading a passage in the book of Deuteronomy the other day and came upon a verse that I had never noticed before. It is tucked away in the first verse of the twentieth chapter. God, speaking to Moses says, "When you go to war against your enemies and see horses and chariots and an army greater than yours, do not be afraid of them, because the LORD your God, who brought you out of Egypt, will be with you."

Can you imagine how encouraging those words must have been to Moses? God was guaranteeing victory for the army of Israel. It didn't matter who the foe was -- Israel was going to win. The army is bigger than yours? Don't worry, I've got it handled. The army has more weapons than you do? No sweat! I'm God, remember. The army has more intelligent leaders than you do? Who's really in charge in here anyway, Moses? Moses had nothing to fear, because God was with him.

Do you realize that God is with us too? If we are God's children, we truly do have nothing to fear. Knowing our propensity to fear, God offered some reassurance to New Testament believers in Romans 8. It's one of the most powerful statements of God's love for those He has called to be a part of His family. The Apostle Paul, speaking through the inspiration of God, describes the predestined sons and daughters of God, and then asks, "If God is for us, who can be against us?" Think your enemy is enough to separate you from God's love? Think again. Think that hard time you're going through is God's rejection of you? Think again. Think God's taking the devil's accuasations against you sitting down? Think again. Think that if you lost everything you have in this life that God hasn't blessed you? Think again. There is nothing that this world can throw at you that can separate you from God's love. If God is for you, who can be against you?

A couple weeks ago, our Operation Central America team had their prep retreat. It's something we do to help them prepare for what they will face this summer in Guatemala and Honduras. On Friday night, we told the students that in one hour they would be traveling to the heart of Minneapolis. They had two assignments. The first was to find a complete stranger, talk with them, and through their communication to find a practical need that they could meet in that stranger. I wish you could have seen the students' faces! They were scared. Most of them didn't make it a habit to talk with strangers, let alone find a way to meet their needs.

The second assignment was to find a stranger and have a spiritual conversation with them. Now they were really squirming! It's one thing to meet a physical need, it's quite another to have a spiritual conversation with someone.

When I finished giving them their assignments, I read them Jesus' words from Matthew 28:18-20. It's his admonition to His followers to make disciples. Do you remember God's promise tucked away at the end of verse 20? He says, "And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age."

The students were a little hesitant about their assignments. They talked at their tables, and then on their bus about how they would accomplish their tasks. When we arrived in Minneapolis, something wonderful happened. God, Who is always there, showed His power. He was with a group that talked with an older woman and helped her with a purchase. He was with another group that shared Christ's love with a Russian imigrant over a meal of tacos. He was with another group as they prayed with a man going through multiple issues.

So, here's the deal. God has promised us that He is with us. We are His. Nothing in the world will ever separate us from His love. I find that Christians are more afraid of evangelism than just about anything else. We are afraid of offending. We are afraid that we'll say the wrong thing. We are afraid that people will think we are pushy. We are afraid that we just won't be effective. We think that we don't deserve to share the good news of Jesus Christ because we are hypocritical. We think that we are too ignorant of our faith. We think that there is someone else who could do a better job than us. We think ourselves into spiritual lethargy!

There's an old Nike slogan that said, "Just do it!" It's time for us to start believing that God is who God says He is. That He is with us. It's time to just do it! After all, "If God is for us, who can be against us?"

Podcast Help

We've recorded the first two episodes of the Wooddale Senior High Podcast! They're really good! We are so excited about how God is going to use this tool in our ministry. But, we're having a little bit of trouble. How do we get this thing up on the net so that iTunes can read it? If you have any idea on how to do this please get in touch with me.

Pass the Salt Listed on The Ooze

The Ooze, one of the Internet's leading blogs on the emerging church has just put Pass the Salt on their links of blogs. This is way cool!

You can find Pass the Salt on The Ooze Blog's personal blog listings, right here: http://www.theooze.com/se/dir/Community/Blogs/Personal_Blogs/. There are a lot of voices in the emerging church dialogue, and I'm honored to be one of them. Pass the Salt can also now be linked to at www.zoecarnate.com. This is a really special honor as well. It's a list of 4,000 eclectic, off the beaten track, Christian web sites.

She Did It Again!

My daughter keeps blowing me away! She has created a number of poems this week. And, she started a new blog spot for you to check them out at. Check out Breanna's greatest works at http://gwbre.blogspot.com!

Silent Hero

My daughter wrote the most beautiful tribute tonight to our nation's soldiers. It is so amazing that I had to share it with you all.

Silent Hero

By Breanna Schulenburg

In ten seconds you're a military man

In eight seconds more you're a kid's number one fan

Then just a minute later you're fighting left and right

And there's no time to think about your personal plight

When the guy next to you falls down

And there's no one else around

You slowly take a stand

For your life and this man's

Then one hour later

You just want to go on home

But your duty is calling

And you fell so all alone

The ground that you walk on

Seems to sink under your feet

And you're following orders

Even when you're tired and beat

But you're doing your duty in the darkness of the night

And even when you're lonely

You won't give up your fight

And you stand up

For liberty and justice

You take the fall

And for one nation under God

You risk it all

And then a couple years later

When the war is over and done

All that's left are stories of the battles you fought in and won

And then two seconds later

Duty calls again

And then you lay it all on the line

To be your country's friend

A secret silent hero

That few might know about

But in the end you show them

What courage is about

Wanna See Something Really Cool?

Check out this post on my sister's blog http://comethirstytogod.blogspot.com/2006/02/written-in-sky.html.

The Five Fingered Prayer

I saw this on someone else's blog and cut and paste it here. It's really kind of cool.

Five Finger Prayer
Written by Laura Welch

1. Your thumb is nearest you. So begin your prayers bypraying for those closest to you. They are the easiest to remember. To pray for our loved ones is, as C. S.Lewis once said, a "sweet duty."

2. The next finger is the pointing finger. Pray for those who teach, instruct and heal. This includesteachers, doctors, and ministers. They need support and wisdom in pointing others in the right direction.Keep them in your prayers.

3. The next finger is the tallest finger. It reminds us of our leaders. Pray for the president, leaders in business and industry, and administrators. These people shape our nation and guide public opinion. They need God's guidance.

4. The fourth finger is our ring finger. Surprising to many is the fact that this is our weakest finger; as any piano teacher will testify. It should remind us to pray for those who are weak, in trouble or in pain.They need your prayers day and night. You cannot pray too much for them.

5. And lastly comes our little finger; the smallest finger of all which is where we should place ourselves in relation to God and others. As the Bible says, "The least shall be the greatest among you." Your pinkie should remind you to pray for yourself. By the time you have prayed for the other four groups, your own needs will be put into proper perspective and you will be able to pray for yourself more effectively."

Myspace Alternative

I was on my sister's blog today and noticed that she had joined an alternative to myspace. It's called www.mypraize.com, and doesn't have a lot of the objectionable stuff that sometimes comes with myspace. It's worth checking out. I was actually pretty impressed with what I saw.

Google Picture Post

So, I've been home sick for the past few days, and I'm getting a bit stir crazy. I ran across another person's blog where they did a Google Picture Post. I thought I'd give it a try. If you want to do the same thing, go to Google and do a Google picture seach on the following things. See what you come up with.

1. The City and State you grew up in, no quotation marks.












2. The City and State you now live in, no quotation marks.











3. Your name, first and last, no quotation marks.





4. Your Grandfather's name, first and last, no quotation marks.





5. Your favorite food.












6. Your favorite scent.






7. Your favorite vacation spot.















8. Where you vacationed growing up.












9. Favorite Sports Team










10. The college you attended.


















11. Favorite activity to do with your kids.















12. Another Grandparent's Name, First and Last, no quotation marks.







13. Favorite Drink.























14. Favorite Motion Picture




















15. Favorite Mode of Transportation

Two Amazing Stories

This week I ran across two amazing stories of high school athletes who have faught agianst tremendous odds to accomplish great things. Their stories are so inspiring that I felt compelled to put them on this blog. The first is the story of Jason McElwain. Jason is a young man who happens to be autistic. He has been the water boy and team manager for his high school's basketball team for the past couple of years. This week he got to play in his first and only basketball game. You won't believe what happened when he came in with four minutes left to play. Go to this link, and check it out: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UBYPaNc57Ik&search=autistic%20basketball%20playe.

The second story comes from ESPN.com's web site. It's the story of A.J. Detwiler, a star high school wrestler from Pennsylvania. A.J. has a real chance to become the state champion at his weight class. But, A.J. lives with pain every day. Not pain from wrestling, but pain from the loss of a mother and a father. You see, last summer, A.J.'s dad murdered his mother, then A.J.'s younger brother shot and killed his dad in an act of self defense. This is one tear jerking story, but a beautiful example of forgiveness. Check it out right here: http://sports.espn.go.com/espn/page2/story?page=santoliquito/060222.

Go Paris!

Okay, so I'm not the biggest American Idol fan in the world. But, I am excited, because Paris Bennett, one of the students that I had when I guest taught at Edina High School is one of the final 24 contestants on this season's edition of the show. You can see her interview tape for American Idol right here: http://www.idolonfox.com/videos/?vid=166. Paris is one of the sweetest students that I ever taught. Every time I would walk into Edina High School and she would see me, she'd run up to me, ask how things were going, and tell me about the latest play that she was in, movie that she was into, or about her singing. She is a sweetheart.

What's The Deal With . . .

Zondervan sent me a contract today for my second book. It will be called What's The Deal With . . . and it focuses on the top 500 theological questions that students are asking today. The first half of the book is the story of Pizza and God Talk. It will be released in August of 2007.

You can now pre-order my first book Choose Your Top 3 at Amazon.com by following this link: http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0310267463/qid=1140066508/sr=1-1/ref=sr_1_1/103-7827834-5462237?s=books&v=glance&n=283155.

Solomon's Porch on Front Page of Star Tribune

Solomon's Porch Chuch and Pastor Doug Pagitt are featured on the front page of the Minneapolis Star Tribune today. The article is entitled Young, Hip Reverent - Emerging Churches, Emphasizing Small Worship Groups, Have Struck a Chord With Young Christians. It's a fascinating read about the emerging church. You can read a copy of the story by following this link: http://www.startribune.com/614/story/235020.html. Doug Pagitt, used to be the Senior High Pastor at Wooddale. I taught his daughter Michon at Edina High School today. After class, Michon, Kara Doten, the daughter of Brian Doten, who preceded Doug as Senior High Pastor at Wooddale, and myself had lunch. It was this special bond of three families who have all shared in the lives of Wooddale Senior Highers. We had a delightful time.

A Christian Response to Global Warming

Leith Anderson, Wooddale's Senior Pastor has been in the news a couple of times this week on the issue of Christian Environmentalism, particularly in the area of global warming. I think this is an important issue for Christians to take a look at and am proud of the stance that Leith, and several Christian leaders have taken on the topic. You can watch Leith's appearance on NBC Nightly News with Brian Williams by following this link:
http://video.msn.com/v/us/msnbc.htm?g=218269a9-9218-43a7-ac95-07d06c709474&f=00. You can read about and listen to an interview with Leith on Public Radio by following this link: http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=5194527.

What A Day!

It's 11:06 p.m. and I'm sitting here in a bit of a daze. I can't believe the events that I have been a part of today. It was about 30 minutes ago that I pulled into my driveway after a fourteen hour work day. The day has brought a wide range of emotions -- from stress to delight; from inadequacy to euphoria; from passion to discouragement: it's all been there.

I was Wooddale's pastor on call today. I really do love these days. When you are pastor on call, you respond to any phone call, drop-in visit, or crisis that may emerge throughout the day. Today, a woman came into the building who had never been to Wooddale. She had been through a major crisis in the past month, and didn't know why, but felt drawn to the building. After spending about an hour with this woman, and going through many pieces of tissue, God got through. After ten years of running from God, this woman accepted Christ. Her story was heartbreaking, and she has much ahead of her, but she is His. She'll someday reach the spot where she never has to go through pain again. She'll be spending eternity with Jesus, and God let me be a part of that process!

A few minutes after this woman left, my friend and fellow youth pastor, Heather, found out that her Dad had been diagnosed with cancer. I hurt for Heather. She loves her Dad. He is one of her heroes. She has spent many hours with him on the road in his semi. She even had a chance to spend time with him on a sabbatical last year. Three other pastors and I prayed with Heather in her office. Heather's family will meet with a doctor on Friday to discuss the prognosis.

This evening was our second week in our Sex In The Suburbs series at The Garage. I spoke passionately on The Naked Truth About Sex. When the lesson ended I talked with several students about their personal battles in this area. It was tough to listen to them, and my heart broke for so many who are struggling in this area.

The night ended with Pizza and God Talk, our ministry to students where they can ask any question they want about God, the Bible, religion, etc. I spoke to a lot of students about a lot of tought things. I was reminded once again of how tough it is to grow up today.

I'm home now. I've snuck a look at each of my kids. I've prayed for them as they sleep. I wonder what their struggles will be like. I pray that they will be spared a lot of the pain that I've heard about tonight. And, I'm reminded of the lyrics from an old Michael W. Smith song that say, "Into Every Life A Little Rain Must Fall."

Lord, I won't always be there to protect my children. I can't shield them from everything that will happen in their life. They will be hurt. Sometimes, I'll be the one that says something, or doesn't say something, or looks the wrong way, or works too much, or . . . or . . . or. Thank You that You will never fail them. If . . . no, when . . . they feel like running from you, pursue them. Run after them. May they always know that You love them, that I love them, that Cyndi loves them. May they see Your love reflected in us. And, when the rain falls, bring the rainbow. Bring the rainbow. Amen.

Dana Jorgensen, Jason Barthelemy and Snow

A lot of people have been asking me about who our musician for Snow Camp is. His name is Dana Jorgensen, and you can visit his web site at www.danalive.com. He's got some great songs on his site that you can download for 99 cents a piece. We're looking forward to having him with us all the way from Nashville, TN this weekend.

On that note, please be in prayer for Snow Camp. This is always an amazing event. Our Senior Class plans Snow Camp every year. This year's camp is built around the theme of "Woodstock." It's kind of far fetched, but the idea is that Woodstock was a three day festival where people came together for music. We're coming together for three days of experiencing God together. Jason Barthelemy, a youth pastor from Iowa who used to be on staff at Wooddale will be our guest speaker. His sessions look awesome. We can't wait to see how God uses the weekend. We'll have about 130 people with us for the weekend.

Super Bowl Outreach

Thank you to all of you who helped with the Super Bowl Outreach this weekend. The Holy Spirit worked and 16 students became Christians last night. What an exciting night! Please be praying for these new Christ followers as they begin their walk with Him.

I can't tell you how awesome it was to read through the cards of each student who came to faith and read about the friends that brought them. I am so proud of our students for taking a risk and inviting their friends to this life changing event.

Did You Catch Bono At The National Prayer Breakfast?

Bono addressed the National Prayer Breakfast in Washington D.C. last week. You need to watch this video: http://www.cnn.com/video/player/player.html?url=/video/us/2006/02/02/bono.speaks.cnn&wm=native_mac. If you haven't seen it yet, set aside 20 minutes to watch this. It is well worth your time. God is doing some amazing things around the world, but there is still such a huge need for more to be done.

When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, he will sit on his throne in heavenly glory. All the nations will be gathered before him, and he will separate the people one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. He will put the sheep on his right and the goats on his left.
"Then the King will say to those on his right, 'Come, you who are blessed by my Father; take your inheritance, the kingdom prepared for you since the creation of the world. For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.'
"Then the righteous will answer him, 'Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink? When did we see you a stranger and invite you in, or needing clothes and clothe you? When did we see you sick or in prison and go to visit you?'
"The King will reply, 'I tell you the truth, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me.'
"Then he will say to those on his left, 'Depart from me, you who are cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels. For I was hungry and you gave me nothing to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me nothing to drink, I was a stranger and you did not invite me in, I needed clothes and you did not clothe me, I was sick and in prison and you did not look after me.'
"They also will answer, 'Lord, when did we see you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or needing clothes or sick or in prison, and did not help you?'
"He will reply, 'I tell you the truth, whatever you did not do for one of the least of these, you did not do for me.'
"Then they will go away to eternal punishment, but the righteous to eternal life."

Matthew 25:31-46

End of the Spear

Have you seen End of the Spear yet? You don't want to miss this movie. It's showing at movie theaters all over the Twin Cities and is the story of Steve Saint, son of martyred missionary Nate Saint. Imagine, being a missionary's kid, watching your dad fly off one day to minister to a tribe of people known as the most violent people on the face of the earth. You dad never comes back because he and four other missionaries have been killed. Then imagine going back and living with the tribe that killed your father. You befriend the man who killed your father. That is radicall love. That is the story. You can view the trailer at www.endofthespear.com.

Off to Central America

I'm heading out to Central America tomorrow with three leaders from our Operation Guatemala/El Salvador team. This is our scouting trip for the 2006 trip that takes place June 11-25, 2006. It looks like we'll have a large team with 52 people signed up to go so far.

This prep trip is always such an exciting time as we meet with pastors, missionaries, and church members in a variety of settings. The days of this next week will be long, often times working up to 18 hours a day. We leave for the airport at 3:45 a.m. and arrive in Guatemala City at about 1:00 p.m. From there, we'll drive four hours to a ministry location, where we'll meet with pastors to talk about how the OGES team can assist their church in accomplishing their purposes.

Going into this prep trip, we're already sure that we'll be working in the communities of Campur, in the rainforest region of Guatemala, and San Marcos, on the western side of the country, high up in the mountains. On this trip we'll be scouting two new possible ministry locations. One of those spots is in El Salvador, and another is in Honduras. This will be my first trip ever to the country of Honduras. I'm excited to see what is happening in this country.

I'd appreciate your prayers as we seek God's wisdon and discernment for which communties we should minister in this summer. Pray for our missionary, Jaime Lopez, who will be driving us over 1000 miles in the five days we are in Central America, interpreting for us in our communication with nationals, and giving us his input on where the needs are highest.

Drop Dead Sledfest

The Drop Dead Sledfest scheduled for today has now become the Drop Dead Pizza Party due to the lack of snow at Staring Lake Park. We're still meeting at Greta's house from 6:30-9:00 for pizza, music, and more. Don't miss it! If you need directions to Greta's you can e-mail me at brian.schulenburg@wooddale.org.

Super Bowl Outreach

Wooddale Senior High is going to host the mother of all Super Bowl Parties on Sunday, February 5. Our hope is to have over 200 students, most of them not Wooddalers. We're praying that the party, which is designed to be evangelisitic, will draw dozens to faith in Christ. Tony Dungy, the coach of the Indianapolis Colts, who tragically lost his son earlier this year, will be our halftime speaker. His talk was recorded prior to his son's death and will be shown on a powerful video. You can order a Super Bowl Outreach kit for your home, church, or youth ministry at: http://www.sportsspectrum.com/powertowin.

We're going to be giving out a ton of incredible prizes at our party, in hopes of seeing students who might spend the night somewhere else, spending with us. Prizes include an X-BOX 360, a video Ipod, Spa Gift Certificate, Portable DVD Player, AMC Movie Gift Cards, CD's, Movie Passes, and more.

The room will be divided into two sections, representing each team playing in the game. Bleachers will be set up for the hard core fans in front of the two giant screens that are displayig the game. And, we'll have between 500-750 hot dogs, nachos, pop, cookies, and more. If you a high school student in the Twin Cities, don't miss this party. It's going to be in stinkin' credible.

Jesus and The Da Vinci Code

We're talking about Jesus and The Da Vinci Code tonight at The Garage. I'll be using a sermon that John Ortberg preached on the subject a couple years ago as my base for the lesson. I don't normally do that, but this sermon is so good. If you're struggling with issues about the Christian faith in the Dan Brown's book, I'd recommend you read this sermon by Ortberg. You can find it at: http://www.mppc.org/e_sermons/esermon_2003/dec_03/12_7_03.html.

Significant Conference for Evangelical Free Church Starts Today

I'm ordained as a pastor in the Evangelical Free Church of America. The church I presently serves is not a Free Church, so as part of my requirements to keep my ordination active, I am required to attend a Free Church conference every other year. I'll be going to the Evangelical Free Church Midwinter Ministerial over the next three days. It's nice because it takes place really close to my home, at South Suburban Free Church in Apple Valley, Minnesota.

This conference is very significant for the denomination. We are taking a look at the Evangelical Free Church Doctrinal Statement, a statement which has not been updated in years, and refreshing it. That word may sound scary to some, but it is really quite interesting. The most significant change comes in the area of eschatology. If you're interested, you can check out information on the conference at: http://www.efca.org/pastoralcare/media/2006_Midwinter_brochure.pdf.

Questions for the New Year

The long running soap opera Days of Our Lives begins with these words, "Like sands through the hourglass, so are the days of our lives." It's that time of year again. In just two days, 2005 comes to a close, and 2006 begins. It hardly seems possible that another year has come and gone. The sands in that hourglass are precious, and I want to begin the New Year with a resolution to live 2006 more proactively, with more purpose, passion, conviction, and risk than ever before.

What did you do in 2005? Do you remember the resolutions that you made at the beginning of the year? Did you keep them? Are you proud of what you accomplished? What will you remember most about 2005? What will you wish that you could forget? Who did you meet? Who did you reestablish a relationship with? Who did you help? Who impacted you? Who did you impact? Who changed you? Who did you change? What did you learn about God? How did He surprise you? How did you delight Him? Where is your life going as you begin 2006? How is that different than where you were last year? How has your family changed? How much time did you spend with them? How was that time spent/ How would you like that to look different next year? How did you spend your time this year? What brings you the most joy? What brings your family the most joy?

"There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under heaven:"

Ecclesiastes 3:1

Walnut Memories

It's amazing how the smallest thing can sometimes bring back the most vivid memories. Memories long ago forgotten come back with a trigger that comes out of left field. That happened to me this morning.

I was home for an hour while my wife was at a doctor's appointment. My youngest son, Zachary was with me. He said, "Dad, can I have some of those nuts?"

"What nuts?'

"Those ones. Up there."

I didn't see them, so he marched up to the island in our kitchen and pulled down a plastic bag full of nuts. The bag contained walnuts, filberts, pecans and almonds. All of the nuts were in their shell. We never have nuts like this in our home. So, when I saw them I said, "Honey, we need a nutcracker to open these. I'm not sure that we have one." And, that's when the memory came.

When I was growing up I used to spend a lot of time at my Grandpa Art and Grandma Helen's home. Grandpa loved nuts, especially walnuts. Every time I went to their home there was a bag of walnuts sitting on the kitchen table. And, if you opened Grandma's cabinet drawer, there were two well worn silver nutcrackers. My Grandpa and I would sit at the table. We'd crack open walnuts, eat the nuts, and Grandpa would tell stories.

The stories were great. There was the adventure that Grandpa took on a train to a carnival nearby, where a carnival barker was furious with him for continually winning the carnival game and threw him out. There were the countless stories of what it was like growing up as a boy on Michigan farmland. There were the stories he'd tell me about what my mom was like as a little girl.

I am so blessed that the memories that I have of my growing up years are positive.

As a youth pastor I am continually reminded of just how blessed I am. Unfortunately, many of the students that I work with don't have pleasant memories of their homes, their relatives, or their childhood.

If God has blessed you with great memories, thank Him today. If not, resolve to give good memories to the people in your life.

Zachary and I managed to get one of those walnuts open. I'm glad. It's going to be a good memory for him someday.

"The LORD bless you and keep you; the LORD make his face shine upon you and be gracious to you; the LORD turn his face toward you and give you peace."

Numbers 6:24-26

Choose Your Top 3 Book Link Is Now Live

A lot of you have been asking me about my book that will be released in August of 2006.

Zondervan has now put an author link and book link on their web site.

The author link can be accessed at http://www.zondervan.com/books/profile.asp?BioID=SchulenburgB

The book link is here: http://www.zondervan.com/Books/Detail.asp?ISBN=0310267463

I'd appreciate your prayers that God will use this project to be a blessing in the lives of others.

Advance Tickets To See Narnia

How would you like a chance to see Disney's new movie, Narnia - The Lion, The Witch and the Wardrobe, before all of your friends?

Wooddale Church has secured 1,000 advance tickets for the movie. You'll get a chance to view the movie before everyone else does -- at 6:45 the day before it comes out. That means you'll see the movie on Thursday, December 8. Everybody else has to wait until Friday, December 9. Tickets go on sale at Wooddale this Sunday.

Tickets are for the AMC Theaters - Eden Prairie Mall. Cost is $9/ticket.

If you've never read C. S. Lewis' masterpiece Narnia series, start with the book The Lion, The Witch and the Wardrobe. It's a phenomenal story, and the spritual parallels are remarkable. I'd recommend reading the book, seeing the movie, and then having a spiritual conversation with a seeking friend after you've seen the movie together.

Wooddale will be having a C. S. Lewis book club starting shortly after the film releases.

Consider it.

"The wolf will live with the lamb, the leopard will lie down with the goat, the calf and the lion and the yearling together; and a little child will lead them."

Isaiah 11:6

26 Young Men

I was with 26 young men this past weekend in Wisconsin Dells, Wisconsin for The Emerge Conference. It was a conference that we created for the purpose of helping high school guys understand God's unique purpose for men.

What an incredible weekend! We spent time discussing the church, it's relevancy for today, the unique challenges that men face, and spiritual leadership. I was encouraged as these guys talked about their passion to be a part of God's redemptive work on planet earth.

There are several humorous moments that occur on a weekend retreat where there are no women around, and guys are free to just be guys.

Here are a few of them:

1) I have never smelled a worse smelling vehicle than our bus. A pungent odor was with us the entire weekend. It was our constant companion.

2) Guys who can hold their bladders for countless hours when women are around become wusses when no women are around. Just when one guy was feeling great, another would have to use the facilities.

3) Belching is expected, and sometimes confused as a spiritual gift.

4) Guys can flat out eat. $75 worth of junk food can evaporate in a matter of minutes.

5) Guys will still spend $5 to make back .50 in the quarter game that I used to play at county fairs as a little kid.

All The Time

When I lived in the South, pastors would often march up to the pulpit and pronounce, "GOD IS GOOD ALL THE TIME AND ALL THE TIME . . ."

Then with a gleam in their eyes they would look at the congregation and await their response. The congregation would respond, "GOD IS GOOD!"

As hokey as the ritual was, it was true. God is good, all the time.

All the time.

Recently, I have had several students question God's goodness with me. The questions have ranged from, "If God is so good, then why do bad things happen to good people?" to "I just don't get God. Why did he let this or that tragedy happen?" to "I don't feel like God has been good in my life."

Life is hard. There are difficult things that we will face throughout our lives. But, God's goodness does not depend upon our circumstances. Good is a descriptor of God. It's one of the reasons that we have to thank Him. 1 Chronicles 16:34 says, "Give thanks to the LORD, for He is good; His love endures forever."

Sometimes we need help remembering just how good God is.

Here are five ways that God has demonstrated his goodness to us:

1. He hasn't given us what we deserve.
Who among us is worthy of God's mercy? If you answer that you are, you, my friend, struggle with self righteousness. Romans 6:23 tells us that what we deserve for the sin in our life is eternal separation from God. But, that God has offered us eternal life through His Son, Jesus Christ. We deserve death, but He offers us life.

2. He has given us today.
The air that you breathed when you woke up this morning was a gift from Almighty God. He loves you. He has given you an opportunity to make the most of today. He hasn't promised us tomorrow, but we have right now. No matter what your circumstance, our good God can use today to shape the rest of your life. Let Him have complete control over your day. Ask Him to give you divine moments. Look for the small things that He brings your way. Try to view every interaction with others as a moment that God has designed from before you were born. Those interactions with others are sacred moments.

3. He gave us Jesus.
The greatest gift ever given to this world is the gift of Jesus Christ. Romans 5:8 says that, "God demonstrated His love for us in that while we were yet sinners Christ died for us." Only He, who is ultimate good, would do something so sacrificial.

4. He ultimately desires the best for us.
The problem is, so many of us think that we know what is best for us better than God does. Ask the average American, and they'll tell you that the best for us would be a big house, nice car, good family. God's best has nothing to do with that, and everything to do with desiring Him. God, in His goodness, wants us to experience and love Him.

5. He loves like no other.
Some of the most beautiful passages in Scripture are the ones that describe the expressions of love that Jesus showed to those who rejected him.

Of a rich young ruler, who would ultimately reject Jesus, we read that, "Jesus looked at him and loved him." (Mark 10:21a)

Of a crowd that desperately needed the touch of a Savior we read, "When Jesus landed and saw a large crowd, he had compassion on them, because they were like sheep without a shepherd." (Mark 6:34)

To the disciple that was in the midst of betraying Him, Jesus said, "Friend, do what you came for." (Matthew 26:50)

I don't know what you're going through this week. But, I hope you'll remember God's goodness. He loves you so much.

An old children's song sums it up well . . .

God is so good

God is so good

God is so good

He's so good to me.

God loves me so

God loves me so

God loves me so

He's so good to me.

He cares for me

He cares for me

He cares for me

He's so good to me.

He died for me

He died for me

He died for me

He's so good to me.

He lives for me

He lives for me

He lives for me

He's so good to me.

"I Need A Sign," "I Just Don't Feel God," and Other Tough Questions Students Ask

We call it Pizza and God Talk.

Of all of the ministries that Wooddale Senior High does, nothing is changing hearts as much as this one.

Every other week 40-80 students meet at a Uno's Restaurant in Edina, Minnesota to discuss what questions they have on their mind. If you want to read about the amazing history of Pizza and God Talk check out this link: http://www.wooddale.org/PDF/Week/ThisWeek051023.pdf. You'll find an article about it on the Children and Youth page.

Last night's Pizza and God Talk brought up a couple questions that I hear often. They are important questions that students deal with all of the time. Because these qustions are so important I wanted to devote a bit of space to openly discuss these questions here.

Here are the questions in paraphrase form:

1) Brian, I have given up so much to follow God. And, I feel like God is silent. I just feel like I need God to give me some sign to show me that He's real. Why doesn't God do that?

2) Brian, I have been a Christian for a long time now. I have read through the entire Bible. I have read lots of Christian books. I just feel distant from God now. What do I need to do to feel God's presence in my life?

The rule at Pizza and God Talk is that students have to take turns answering the questions first, and then if they can't answer it, an adult takes a stab at it.

These types of questions are the toughest to answer. Why? Because we've all been there. We've all had times where God seems distant, where our faith grows cold, and where our spiritual lives seem more like monotany than vibrant relationship with God. But, let me suggest something that would be good for all of us to remember when we have these questions.

What is the common denominator behind these questions? It's that they view God through the lens of self rather than viewing self through the lens of God. We Christians are quick to foget just how much God has done for us. We're quick to forget the lessons that He has taught us. We want God to work like a supercomputer, giving us the answers to our prayers in lightning quick speed. We want Him to give us what we want, not what He knows we need. We want a the lessons that God is going to take a lifetime to teach us to be learned in a moment.

That's not how God works. He never has.

When it comes to asking God for signs, we're off base. It was only on a very few occassions in Scripture that God revealed Himself or His will through signs. Hebrews 11 is one of the greatest chapters in Scripture. It is the record of those who followed God by faith. Most of these characters never received a sign from God telling them exactly what God wanted.

Here's what God has given us. He gave us the Bible. His will for how we are to live our lives is recorded there. But, He also gave us more. He's not a cold hearted God who said, "Here, read, find out my will in a book."

John 1 tells us that, "In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God and the Word was God. And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us." God gave us God. The student who asked for a sign did so because he felt like he had given up so much. He wondered what God had done for him. The student had given up a lot. He had left behind a life that had held him captive for so long. There was a battle going on within the student that made him feel like maybe it wasn't worth it to have given up so much to follow God. But, it was. The student, viewing God from the lens of self, thought of all that he had to give up, and forgot all that God had to give up in order for the student to be forgiven. When reminded of God's supreme sacrifice, the student's need for a sign began to vanish. God had already given him everything he needed.

The next step for the student in finding the contenment that God wants him to experience is for him to begin to live his life the way that God designed him to live it -- to discover the unique purpose for which he was created. I began to share with the student the strengths that I see in him -- the natural and spiritual gifts that I believe that he has. And, I challenged him to use those gifts. He will never be fulfilled until he is living for his unique purpose. He needs something to take the place of that which he left behind when he followed Christ. He needs to live for what he was created for.

The student who followed Christ for so many years, read the Bible, etc. but felt distant from God also needed to discover his unique purpose. God has a great purpose for each one of us. This student grew up in a Christian home. He's been going to church since he was in his mother's womb. He knows so much about God. I told him that until he begins serving God in a purposeful way, he is going to be like the baseball player, who practices with his team every week, but never gets in the game. He sits on the bench, waiting for a chance to hit, but never has a chance to make an impact on the game. We're not going to feel God if we don't use the gifts that God has given us, and if we dont' take God up on God's challenge to us. Remember what Jesus said before he ascended into heaven?

"Then Jesus came to them and said, "All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age." (Matthew 28:18-20)

When will we feel Christ's presence? When He is working in us to accomplish his purposes.

Want to feel Christ? Go out on a limb. Ask Him to use you to accomplish what you cannot accomplish on your own apart from Him. Then there will be no question as to whether or not God is really there.

Here are some of the other tough questions that students regularly ask at Pizza and God Talk.

- How do we know that Christianity is true and other religions aren't?

- Why do Christians act like jerks to homosexuals, people who have abortions, and people who don't agree with their political agenda?

- Why did God allow my (friend, parent, sibling, etc.) to die?

- Are the recent hurricanes God's judgement for the sin of those cities? (Incidentally I thought Diane Sawyer of ABC news answered that question well, when with another questions she said, "If Hurricane Katrina was God's judgement on New Orleans, then why was the French Quarter the only area of the city that was spared?")

- Is my (friend, relative, etc.) who wasn't a Christian burning in hell right now?

"And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age."

Matthew 28:20b

Happy Birthday Jeremy!

"Brian, I want you to look at me. We are not having this baby today! I may be in labor, but I can wait to deliver."

That's right, Jeremy. Your Mom wanted you to have your own special birthday.

Your sister Breanna had just celebrated her sixth birthday, and your brother Chris had just celebrated his fourth when you were born.

Oh, what a bundle of joy you were. I think you've had a smile on your face since the day you were born!

Jeremy, we love you so much.

Happy Seventh Birthday!!

It's been fun watching you grow up, and to see how much you love Jesus and others. We absolutely love your heart. Dad and Mom are proud of you.

But the LORD said to Samuel, "Do not consider his appearance or his height, for I have rejected him. The LORD does not look at the things man looks at. Man looks at the outward appearance, but the LORD looks at the heart."

1 Samuel 16:7

Happy Birthday Breanna!

I'm trying. I really am. But, it's hard.

Okay, here goes.

Today, my daughter Breanna is a ttt

Just a second.

I know I can do it.

Today, my daughter Breanna is a ttteenager.

Okay. I did it. I said it.

Breanna is a teenager.

Breanna, where have the years gone? It seems like yesterday that Mom and I were anxiously awaiting the arrival of our first child. We didn't know if you were going to be a girl or a boy. We were both just so excited that God had suprised us with a pregnancy. For nine months all we could talk about was this little child that God was going to bring into our family.

When you arrived -- WOW! Our world changed. Forever.

I didn't want to let you out of my arms. I would hold you from the moment I woke up in the morning until the moment I left for work. When I arrived back from the office, I'd rush to hold you in my arms again.

This morning, I held you again. You're a teenager now. There, that wasn't so hard to write that time. A teenager. I hugged a young woman who I am so proud of. You are a joy to parent. I constantly learn lessons from you. You challenge Mom and me with the love that you have for others, for God, and with your zest for life.

I love you, Breanna.

Happy Birthday. And, may you forever know, that your birth day made every day to follow so much better than the days that preceded it for your Mom and Dad.

I couldn't be more proud of a daughter than I am of you.

I have no greater joy than to hear that my children are walking in the truth.

3 John 1:4