Published on Fuller Seminary’s Burner Blog for Pastors and Leaders.

Read the Article here

by Marcus J. Carlson

I am very effective at lying to myself.

As hard as I can be on myself and as much as I expect of myself, I have come to recognize I am also very good at lying to myself. Recently I have been wrestling quite a bit with self-deception and denial. It started from a situation when I watched a leader I know, respect and have worked with engage in some very dangerous and concerning self-deception and denial. At first I was angry at the impact it had on me, then I found myself hurting for this leader, and now I have moved to mourn the organization hurt in the midst of the situation. There is not much I can do about the situation. I cannot fix it, nor can I control it. I also know I cannot fully understand it. In any situation, especially negative ones, it is critical to look for God’s redemptive work so that you can move forward in hope. In this case, part of God’s redemptive work in my own life is to deal with my own self-deception and denial.

In a recent Fuller Doctor of Ministry course, Scott Cormode noted “we judge ourselves by our intentions and we judge others by their actions.” I continue to ponder and wrestle with this concept. If I am honest, much of my self-deception comes from looking at my own intentions rather than my actions and how they are perceived. Additionally, my self-deception grows when I choose to judge their actions and the impact they have and fail to look for the possible good intentions in others. We all tell ourselves a story, and there is certainly something healthy about it. It is essential to our own mental health and it is certainly critical to our effectiveness and even survival as leaders. The problem lies in our unwillingness to evaluate the story we tell ourselves as well as our fear of allowing others to evaluate that same story. Self-deception is often fed by defensiveness, a lack of teachability, insecurity and ego as well as an unwillingness to embrace transparency, authenticity and accountability.

As a part of my own attempt to wrestle with these issues, I read a book called Change or Die by Alan Deutschman, a fascinating book that takes a serious and difficult look at the true nature of change. He offers the following words about denial I found especially challenging: “It rarely does any good to tell someone, “Dude, you’re in denial.” The facts won’t set them free. Knowledge isn’t power when the facts are too much to bear. Then knowledge is anxiety. “Pre-contemplators” don’t need someone to tell them the truth. They can’t handle the truth. That’s why they are in denial.” Denial is a difficult beast to battle, in others and in ourselves. Denial is self-perpetuating and is often fed by the lies we tell ourselves as well as our own defense mechanisms. It resists truth and more significantly damages the powerful story that God is trying to create in our lives. Denial requires constant effort, great discernment and a significant openness to change. Deutschman also notes, “if you practice change, if you keep up your ability to change, if you use it rather than lose it, then you’ll be ready to change whenever you have to.”

The problem with self-deception and denial is that when you are engaging in it, especially when it becomes something that you swim in, you cannot hear anything around you. Denial and self-deception can crowd out the whispers of the Holy Spirit that every leader needs to lead effectively. Good, healthy, Christ-centered leadership requires a daily effort to resist, fight and overcome self-deception and denial at every turn.

Published on Fuller Seminary’s Burner Blog for Pastors and Leaders.

Read the Article here

by Marcus J. Carlson

Oz Leadership

The Wizard of Oz was one of my favorite movies as a kid and I see its reemergence as something worth noting. Recently I found myself reflecting on three of the characters from the original movie and realized each has something to teach us about leadership. While the scarecrow without the brain, the tin man without the heart and the lion without courage are all endearing characters we find ourselves rooting, hoping for, and valuing in spite of their perceived lacking, they point to some great leadership dangers, especially in the church.

Scarecrow Leadership-leading without a brain:

Leading without a brain is dangerous not only because it is reactive and lacks thought, but also because it is hurtful to those you serve and lead. The scarecrow leader is disorganized, aloof, chaotic and forgetful. The scarecrow leader is always scattered, forgetting names, details, meetings, conversations and other important things. The scarecrow leader may be deeply relational, but they do not always seem present and aware. The Scarecrow leader is gentle and endearing, but also frustrating. The Scarecrow will often tell themselves relationship matters more than details and if people feel loved, nothing else will really matter.

Tin Man Leadership-leading without a heart:

Leading without heart is painful, destructive, demeaning and deeply damaging to everyone who works with the heartless leader. The tin man can be aggressive, demeaning, discouraging and demoralizing. The Tin Man leader needs to be in control and manages well, but is rarely if ever encouraging. The Tin Man leader is characterized by insensitivity and lacks compassion and tact and is often distant. The Tin Man leader may be very professional, effective, organized and outgoing, but they do not always demonstrate care. The Tin Man leader builds systems and teams well and provides great support, but often struggles to offer genuine encouragement to those around them. The Tin Man will often tell his or herself that accountability is most important and people will need to learn to understand that their toughness is love.

Cowardly Lion Leadership-leading without courage:

Leading without courage is deeply destructive to the organization and people the leader serves. Cowardly Lion leadership is reactive, inconsistent, fearful and lacks the trust required for effective leadership and growth. The Cowardly Lion leader is frequently anxious (perhaps internally and/or externally), has a high need for control and planning, and often assumes the worst in the midst of negative information or conflict.  The Cowardly Lion leader is gentle and humble, liked by many, but known well by few. They are often effective managers and maintain general ministry health well while struggling to lead significant change. The Cowardly Lion leader will often compensate for their leadership style by telling themselves that they are trying to be pastoral and caring and believe they are helping those they lead by minimizing or eliminating conflict. Due to their own exhaustion from conflict, they assume those they lead cannot or should not face too much conflict, lest they be exhausted too.

If we are honest, we are tempted from time to time to fall into one these categories, perhaps even leading completely out of one of these models. While we cannot avoid errors that could be categorized as lacking thought, heart or courage, we need to take these temptations seriously to avoid becoming a brainless, heartless or cowardly leader to those we are seeking to lead and serve.

Published in Connections Magazine (Mar/Apr 2013)

Learn about Connections here

Lessons From Newtown

by Marcus J. Carlson

There are a few moments in my lifetime I will never forget. Many of them are personal; some of them are communal. I will never forget my wedding day. I can still envision the moment each of my children was born. I will not likely forget my ordination or many other important events in my life.

I will also never forget the day the shuttle Challenger exploded or the Berlin Wall came down. I will always remember where I was on September 11, 2001, when I heard the news. Living in Colorado Springs, I will never, ever forget the Waldo Canyon fire that devastated our community. I won’t soon forget the shootings that have plagued Colorado—the shooting at Columbine and the Aurora theatre shootings. I will also never forget the very moment I learned of the shooting in Connecticut.

In the wake of the tragedy in Newtown, Connecticut, we all find ourselves impacted. Those of us who have been given the great gift and call of being parents have another reaction as well. As I watched the news, I thought first of my own children,—my son Micah who is in second grade and my daughter Abigail who is in kindergarten. I thought especially of Abby’s class and the joy of volunteering in the room of over 20 joyful young children. I could not help imagining and thinking, “What if?”

I wanted to go and get my kids from school right away—not to rescue them, but just to be with them. I cannot say I have ever hugged my children as hard as I did that night. I won’t soon forget the conversation I had with them both about the tragedy, or watching the news with my son as we processed this tragic event.

I know Jesus mourns with us, and there are more questions than answers.

I wonder what kind of emotions struck the disciples as Jesus went to the cross. I begin to feel their pain, our pain and my pain once again. We do not live in the most encouraging of times. Life often feels a lot more like Good Friday than Easter. While it seems

that everything has changed, some things will never change. Suffering is a reality of life that will exist until we are either called home or Jesus comes again to reclaim all of creation. Reacting against suffering is natural; it is not something we need apologize for.

Yet, there is a dramatic difference between reacting against suffering and being destroyed by it. While reacting is normal, very few reactions are healthy in the long term. As I listened to and read the news, and watched the debates regarding the cause of this tragedy unfold in coffee shops and social media, I, too, was tempted to get caught up in the debate. After some careful reflection, I realized the debate was moot. I cannot imagine parents who have lost a child in such a painful way wanting to argue about gun control or video games as they try to muddle through the first Christmas without their precious son or daughter.

Herein lies one of the major faults of our society today: we choose blame and fear over hope and redemption. Blame and fear have nothing to do with the Easter story, the Gospel message or the Kingdom narrative. We all know Good Friday is not the end of the story, and neither is the tragedy in Newtown.

While searching for answers and seeking someone or something to blame may provide some relief in the short run, it is not the answer. It is not what will bring health and restoration, nor is it at all consistent with the Easter story. While blame might feel good and seem productive, it only serves two ends: to create more fear and division, and to relieve us of any ownership or personal responsibility in the situation. Blaming guns, video games, parents, gay marriage or any other object or issue will not change our culture and will not bring health and healing. Blame does not help us to see and experience God’s redemption.

Additionally, living in blame is an abdication of responsibility; it prevents us from coming together and finding healing. We cannot look to the government or any other institution to solve our problems. Not only is that not going to work, it is not what we want and need. While answers may provide some level of comfort, answers alone cannot solve the problem.

If we as Christ followers continued to spend every Easter blaming Judas, we would miss the joy and hope of the resurrection. Likewise, our blame does not bring hope or healing to the parents or communities that need it the most.

The first lesson from Newtown as we journey to Easter: focus on God’s redeeming power instead of on blame.

When I think about what has changed in the world over my lifetime, I have many observations. Certainly one of the most passionate is that many adults are no longer invested in the lives of our children and youth.

Another important observation is we have become a fear- based culture and society. Everything from politics to gas prices has become about fear. When I think of the Newtown tragedy, I cannot help thinking of the resulting fearful comments, reactions and behavior. The problems of living in fear and being a culture and society focused entirely on fear are too many to name here in this article. It certainly is not healthy, does not bring healing and is not at all what God intended for us.

In Scripture, when someone encountered God, the phrase “do not be afraid” was one of the first statements uttered. From Moses to Mary, God reminds us to not be afraid. Living in fear does not leave much room for hope. If we lived as if the soldiers were still looking for Jesus, we would never be able to rejoice in Easter.

Easter is about many things, chiefly hope. We cannot live in fear; we must live in hope. We know that even in the midst of great tragedy, there is hope—and it will always be more powerful and life-giving than fear.

The second lesson from Newtown: hope will always trump fear, but we must choose hope.

The band Mumford and Sons accurately points out in the song Awake my Soul that “where you invest your love, you invest your life.” I believe the only answer is investing our lives in people around us—and not just our family and friends, but our neighbors, churches, schools, communities and the world that God created out of love.

If we want things to be different in this world, then we have to be different. Unless we choose to live in hope, seek to build relationships and look for God’s redemptive work, then nothing will change for the better.

Each one of us must choose to make a difference in the lives of everyone we encounter to prevent another young man from growing up to be a murderer of innocent children. It is going to take the community of faith, living out the Gospel daily, to write a better Kingdom story in the lives of our children. Only then can they live in hope instead of fear.

As the precious, innocent children lost in Newtown join with Jesus, I know they would tell us to not be afraid and to live in hope and redemption instead of fear and blame.

Published at Youthworker Journal

Review:

The Book of Revelation  by Fr. Mark Avery

The Book of Revelation is a Biblical graphic novel that includes the complete text from the book of Revelation based on the original Greek. It includes all verses and is rich with images, which dominate the text. The book is organized by chapters and provides a dramatic presentation of the book of Revelation. The images correspond with the text very well and the quality of this book, especially the images, is superb. It is very engaging and presents a vivid picture of John’s writing throughout though the all black background is a little distracting and dark.  It is a very creative way to approach the scripture, especially a complicated and image rich book such as Revelation. I am concerned about this medium for scripture, as it may create an approach to scripture that is more consumer based. Yet it also makes the scripture more approachable and could help it come alive for others. The danger would be if a tool like this is used in isolation. Revelation is poetic literature, and an image-based treatment such as this one may cause the reader to take Revelation literally, which I do not believe is the intent of this particular book of the Bible. As a pastor who works with children and youth, I could see older elementary youth as well as middle school youth enjoying this book. I am not sure high school youth would enjoy it as much. In teaching middle school youth, Revelation dominates many of their questions. This book could be a helpful tool for children and youth who have interest in Revelation or find meaning in image rich presentations of story.

Rev. Marcus J Carlson has worked with children and youth for over 14 years and is a spiritual director. He current serves as Associate Pastor at Bethel Lutheran Church in Colorado Springs, CO. (marcusjcarlson.com)

Published at Youthworker Online (A part of Youthworker Journal)

Read the online article here

The Problem with Confirmation

Confirmation is one of those interesting programs we seem to struggle both to discuss and implement well in our churches. Most mainline traditions still have some form of confirmation at least in Presbyterian, Methodist, Lutheran, Episcopalian, and Catholic traditions. The spectrum of its importance ranges from the symbolic to the required. As a Lutheran pastor, most churches in my tradition hold confirmation in rather high esteem. The makeup of the program varies from one church to another, both in length (1, 2 or 3 years) and content.

While confirmation is seen as important, rarely is it done well, consistently, with passion, or with the youth participating in mind. While we see it as important, there is a part of it that feels forced or dated to many people, and so it is often assigned a rather low priority.

Here is the problem: if it is important, it should be a priority. It should be done well, with thoughtfulness and theological reflection and should be meaningful. I am not suggesting that I have all the answers or even know the best way to do confirmation. One thing I am certain of is that if your church has confirmation, and it is important, then how you do it can make or break your youth ministry. More students are lost after confirmation than are retained in our churches and youth ministries. This means that whatever we are doing is causing youth to leave the church rather than connect with it in a deeper and more meaningful way. The answer is not to get rid of confirmation; rather the answer is to find a way to do it well. Doing confirmation well is not as much about the curriculum or entertainment value as much as it is about the structure and focus of confirmation. Confirmation does not have to be fun or entertaining, but it should be meaningful and effective. Youth workers are notorious for re-thinking things. We are known for our ability to think outside of the box and yet we have failed to use these gifts and ignored this critical ministry opportunity. Confirmation is that rare opportunity where you have a more committed audience of both parents and youth and it should not be wasted. The word confirmation means ‘to strengthen.’ What would our youth ministries and churches look like if we were to take confirmation and reform it in a way that strengthened our students and parents relationships with both Jesus and his church?

Rev. Marcus J Carlson has worked with children and youth for over 14 years and is a spiritual director. He current serves as Associate Pastor at Bethel Lutheran Church in Colorado Springs, CO. (marcusjcarlson.com).

Published at Youthworker Online (A part of Youthworker Journal)

Read the online article here

An Afternoon with David Wraight

In December, David Wraight the President for Youth for Christ International came to speak to our Colorado Springs area youth workers group. What he shared was passionate and helpful, especially as I reflect on his visit both as a youth worker and a younger pastor. The Link is a group of youth workers who have been meeting for the past year and a half in the Colorado Springs area. I have the privilege of serving on the leadership team for The Link, and it has been a very life giving experience for me both as a Christ follower and a youth worker. The group includes youth workers from various denominations and traditions, para-church and youth focused non-profit ministries, part-time, full-time and volunteer youth workers. There are youth workers from small churches, medium churches, and mega churches that participate. The group represents a wide range of experience, theological perspectives and ministry philosophies. The Link consists of three pieces: a large group gathering with speakers every other month, regional small groups that meet for lunch or coffee and one-on-one connections and relationships. In a city that has many churches and religious organizations, unity is much harder than one might suspect. The Holy Spirit has been in the midst of this endeavor as we seek to focus on building up youth workers through these various aspects while setting program and competition aside.

What David shared with us that December day was powerful. The main focus of his message was the power of young people. It would seem like this message would be lost on a group like this (we call it preaching to the choir), yet it was something  I believe we all needed to hear. As David spoke of ‘young people’ it was clear that he was not only speaking of students, but also to youth workers. I don’t think he was just speaking to those youth workers in their twenties, either. If we questioned the potential of youth, we would probably not be youth workers, at least not for long anyway. We are dealing with dramatic and rapid change in our world and this generation is very different than the proceeding generations. Having served in youth ministry only 14 years, I can see a dramatic difference both in youth and youth workers (myself included) between my early years and today.

While we cannot expect our students to be adults, we also must be aware of their potential. It is our young people who will lead the church back to its core mission. As David shared some of the struggles of YFC and his own journey as a leader, I could not help but notice that the struggles he shared mirrored the struggles of the church. The church has lost its identity, its evangelical heart. We have lost sight of prayer as our foundation and the sharing of the ministry amongst all generations. David believes God is speaking most clearly to our young people, as they are bold and willing to live out the vision. Before this gathering, I realized that I too had lost sight of vision. I had become comfortable as a professional pastor. I had lost my boldness as I feared conflict and enjoyed comfort. If I have learned anything in the past month, it is that both the world and the church are headed in the wrong direction and we are all responsible. It is this new generation that will change the church and the world. They are not competing with other generations; rather they want to be in relationship with people from each and every generation.  Not only do we need to invest in the ‘young people’ in our churches and community, we need to re-engage in relationships with them, not only for their sake, but for ours as well. In our desire to lead vision and mission, we have fought for control rather than sought discernment. It will be the current generation of youth and those after them that will need to lead us in mission and vision. This was the core message of David’s talk that day. While I would not agree with everything he said, it has become clear to me that we expect students to lead in the wrong way (be mini-adults) and have not allowed them to use their passion and vision to lead in the right ways. Our students are broken. Our churches are broken. Our communities are broken. Only Jesus can heal, and he wants to heal the world through his church, the whole church.

One of the practical pieces from this session was what David called the four responses to this generation.

4 responses to this emerging generation:

Institutional response-it is a list of things they have to do and be. We seek to recreate them in our image.

Organizational response-our program defines what we want them to be and who we are.

Abandonment response-give ministry over to them to do (because we are tired). This rejects an intergenerational response and connection (it also contributes to the abandonment of our children and youth in general).

Empowerment response-we believe in you and we think you are valid to lead us now.

We are in this together. We need each other, and we need to let each other lead. The very nature of discipleship is trust. Trust and control are like oil and water. We must come alongside our children, youth and young leaders and hear their vision. We must walk together as they give us more than a needed perspective. If we are to build leaders both for the present and the future, we must walk together.

Rev. Marcus J Carlson has worked with children and youth for over 14 years and is a spiritual director. He current serves as Associate Pastor at Bethel Lutheran Church in Colorado Springs, CO. (marcusjcarlson.com).

Published at Youthworker Journal

The Way: Mark Oestreicher-editor

The Way is in the New Living Translation and is geared towards youth. This Bible includes a wide variety of tools from a long list of thoughtful contributors. Most of the contributors are youth workers or those who teach youth workers. The tools included with this Bible are introductions to the various books of the Bible, a topic and verse finder, a helpful index of the tools and great and unique photos. Also included in this Bible are devotions, justice and service moments, testimonies and challenge sections that help the reader apply Biblical truth. The tools and resources offered in this Bible are very well done. They are practical, accessible and reasonably sound theologically. There is a great diversity of tools offered in this Bible and great diversity within the individual tools. The photos are very interesting and add a depth to this Bible. I think the combinations of tools work very well together and that this Bible is a great asset, especially to adolescents, parents and youth workers. It is very missional in nature and would be a great tool or gift as a part of a mission trip or mission team. It is probably best suited for high school youth, especially those who desire depth and have a passion for service. It would be a great Bible to use as a part of a high school or college age small group or Bible study. Its more missional tone is especially relevant to a postmodern culture. Its depth and its discipleship tone could help the Bible come alive for many teenagers and young adults. It is clear that a lot of thought and effort went into the tools offered here. Youth workers may benefit from using some of the tools in their own lesson planning and study. I would consider using this most in preparing some of the lessons for youth mission teams. My only disappointment is that this Bible is only offered in the New Living Translation. I would love to see a Bible like this in other translations, especially the NIV.

Deep Blue Kids Bible

This children’s Bible is in the Common English Translation, which is often used for children’s Bibles. It’s colorful, easy to read and very kid friendly without being childish. This Bible is geared primarily for children age 8-12 and after reviewing it, I would say this age range is accurate although it would be most helpful to children ages 7-11, depending on their reading level. This Bible includes devotions, cool facts, memory verse suggestions, key faith concepts, challenges for the readers based on the scriptures, key points and themes as well as key Biblical traits and other helpful information for children. It is very attractive and offers great introductions to each book of the Bible. While the translation is often used for children’s Bibles, it is not as helpful, approachable, readable, accurate or child-friendly as other translations. The simplicity of the tools in this Bible is especially helpful, especially for children, parents and families. It could be a good Bible to give to children grades 3-5 if that is a part of your church’s tradition or practice. This Bible could be used in Sunday School classes, although the translation may be a challenge for some of the children in the younger range of the age target. It’s a solid Bible with solid tools worth having in your library. It would best be used by families that have children age 12 and under for family devotionals, reading and discussion. There are some great tools and information pieces in this Bible that would create great family conversation at the dinner table, in the car or as a part of a family devotional time. The tools included in this Bible could help parents to talk about the scriptures with their children and give them the confidence and tools to discuss God’s word as a family.

One Impact Bible

The NIV One Impact Bible by Zondervan is more than a Bible as it offers a variety of tools for its users. This Bible includes various elements at the start of each book of the Bible rather than spreading these pieces throughout the text. I found this to be helpful and certainly less distracting than many of the in-text pieces found in other Bibles. The elements offered as an introduction to each book of the Bible vary by the book, but I found each to be helpful. Some of the elements include verse highlights from the book, a devotion, prayers and introductions to the book that included some background information and history. Each of these elements are helpful, easy to read and thoughtful.  Throughout the Bible there are also mini-devotionals that include some of the same elements found at the start of the books of the Bible at a page in length. Again these include history, background, prayers, scriptures and a devotional. There are not an overwhelming number of these mini-devotionals, which is helpful. There is simplicity to this Bible that is very accessible, as it is not overdone like many Bibles that include devotionals. This extra material is well done, thoughtful and theologically sound. I would recommend this Bible more for personal use and personal devotion than anything else. In a ministry setting, this Bible is a good resource to have on your shelf as it does have some good ideas and thoughts that could be used in a lesson. The devotionals could be used in a variety of contexts as well. It could be a good Bible to give youth who are looking to read through the Bible and have some extra information as they go.

NIV Quick View Bible

The NIV Quick View Bible looks much like a bright, bold newspaper or magazine. This Bible has very easy to read text, is colorful and visually appealing. It includes a lot of full color graphics that are not for appearance; rather it offers great information including main points, highlights, facts and other interesting information. These information pieces provide great information and would be a very helpful resource when preparing a lesson. This Bible could also serve as a great additional study tool for the information that it provides. In a ministry setting, this might best be used with middle school youth as a classroom set for Sunday School or for a confirmation group because it does provide some interesting information and is easy to read. There are many good Bibles available today, and this would be a good resource to have in your library.

Rev. Marcus J Carlson has worked with children and youth for over 14 years and is a spiritual director. He current serves as Associate Pastor at Bethel Lutheran Church in Colorado Springs, CO. (marcusjcarlson.com)

Published in Connections Magazine (Jan/Feb 2013)

Learn about Connections here

The Return of Adult Relationships: A Simple but Revolutionary Resolution

by Marcus J. Carlson

I have always struggled with New Year’s resolutions. My struggle is not so much the decision to make a resolution for the New Year, nor is it a struggle to keep the resolutions I have made (I think it goes without saying that all struggle with this). My frustration with making resolutions on January 1 each year is not rooted in how crowded the health club is every January and February. It is not an issue of the superficial and selfish nature of many of the resolutions we make. It lies in the nature of discipleship and what it means to be a follow of Jesus Christ.

As followers of Christ, we recognize that until we come face to face with Jesus, we have not yet arrived. Our journey of growth is not finished; God has more for us than can be found in our present reality. To be a disciple means to be one who learns and follows, and requires a willingness to grow and to change. It is my belief that as disciples we should be a people who make resolutions to change, rooted in Christ and not our own desires. If there is something in our lives we believe God is calling us to change, then we should begin our work right away—and not be dictated by the calendar.

Though I recognize that resolutions can have their place in our lives as we seek redemption and transformation in Jesus Christ, I also believe resolutions can be a communal act not limited to individuals. Communities, churches and families can make resolutions to be more like Christ as well. In 2013, I would like to offer a suggestion for a resolution you can begin right now.

The world around us continues to experience dramatic change. The world is perhaps more complex than it has ever been—and in many ways, everything is different. Yet some things have not changed since the beginning of time. While the problems of the world are complicated, I would argue that most of the solutions to these new problems are not new at all, nor are they complicated. However, they certainly are difficult in application.

Recently I was asked to identify the most significant problem our children and youth are facing today. Without hesitation, I said, “the lack of significant, invested, authentic, Christ- following adults in their lives.” The greatest challenge facing our children and youth today is not any of the hot buttons we target to solve our problems and address our fears, such as the economy, the media, the national debt, the lack of prayer in school, divorce, video games, social media, or gay marriage. Yes, the world has changed—and in many ways our children live in a significantly more broken world than those before them.

While the world is a very different place today than it even was in 2000, there is something that has not and will not ever change: the Gospel. In a time where everything is new, nothing has changed. Since the beginning of the world we were created to be in relationship with God, with each other and with the world. The Great Commandment still applies: our greatest call is to love God, love others and love ourselves. This one simple yet difficult call covers every problem, challenge, culture and generation.

Our children and youth do not need a culture war. They do not need more technology. The solution to their (and our) brokenness is not found in government, political parties, personal freedom, capitalism or consumerism. What our children and youth need are more adults in their lives. Not just any adults either, but adults who love them, accept them and seek the needs of the children and youth above their own.

As adults, we have abdicated our responsibility to the children and youth in our homes, churches and communities. The only reason our culture is raising our children is that we have allowed it. We do not have to be more entertaining, relevant or attractive than popular culture. We already have access to a much better story—the Gospel—than the story the world is telling our children and youth. As human beings we are always attracted to the better story, and so the great news is we do not have to tell a new story. Rather we need to get back to telling the oldest and best story that has and ever will exist: God’s story.

The biggest difference between American culture now (as opposed to the past) is that adults are no longer invested in the lives of the children and youth in our homes, churches and communities. At a time when our children and youth are exposed to more harmful realities—and during an age where the world expects more, offers less and crushes our children and youth—we as adults have walked away from our responsibility to care for, walk with and be in relationship with the children and youth around us.

My doctoral supervisor, Dr. Chap Clark, states we need to reverse the ratio of youth to adults. For many years, youth ministries have utilized a ratio of one adult for every five youth in our youth ministries. Chap suggests we need to reverse this and every youth (and child) needs to have at least five Christ-following adults in their lives besides their parents.

In fact, there are even intentional movements and ideas to put this structure into place. The church I currently serve has decided to engage with this initiative. We are working on casting the vision, supporting parents in this endeavor and thinking about how best to live in this vision in our church and community. Perhaps now more than ever, our children and youth need adults in their lives who love them in the name of Jesus.

Rather than set another New Year’s resolution to lose weight that we will abandon before Valentineʼs Day, let us make a resolution to commit to rise up and be the church God has called us to be. Let us see that every child and every youth in our families, our churches and our communities has at least five adults besides their parents investing in their lives. What would our families, our churches and our communities begin to look like if this were a reality? Instead of embracing a new ministry or church program or finding the best new Christian book for a great new sermon series, why don’t we commit once again to facilitating Christ-centered relationships?

Perhaps instead of leaving the ministry to children and youth to parents, young adults and those who can help our children “behave,” why don’t we as the church commit to investing in the lives of children and youth? Doing so would not only change the lives of our children and youth, it would change our lives, the church and the world.

It is a simple resolution to understand, and yet very difficult to live. If we want things to be different in this world, if we want our children and youth to have the abundant life that God has promised them, then we must be different. May we choose this year—and every year after— to return to investing our adult lives in the children and youth around us so that we may live out this simple and revolutionary resolution that will change the world.

Marcus J. Carlson

is a pastor and spiritual director who has worked in youth and children’s ministry for over 13 years. He serves as Associate Pastor of Bethel Lutheran Church, Colorado Springs, CO. Marcus and his wife, Jessica, have two children.

Published in Connections Magazine (Nov/Dec 2012)

Learn about Connections here

An Orange Christmas

by Marcus J. Carlson

Orange is not the first color you think of during the Christmas season. Sure, it’s a great color for fall and even for the pumpkin pie at Thanksgiving Dinner, but orange at Christmas?

Let me start by confessing that orange is my favorite color— to the point of a mild obsession. My car is orange, and my laptop keyboard, cover, bag and iPad case are orange. I have several orange shoes and orange shirts (including some orange clergy shirts), and sundry other orange items. I also love all things pumpkin, especially those things that have both pumpkin and caffeine. Living in Colorado, youʼre almost expected to like orange, at least if you are a football fan. As someone who has a ton of Christmas decorations, I cannot say that any are actually orange. So why orange for Christmas?

Recently in our church we have begun an important conversation we hope will shift our church community and culture. There is a movement that started out of a church in the South called think orange. The concept is pretty simple, but the application is challenging and varies widely.

If you remember back to elementary school, you may recall combining the colors yellow and red to create orange. Red represents the heart, which is the family. We know that what constitutes family varies widely, but we are all aware of who we know to be our family. Yellow represents the light, that Jesus is the light of the world, and his bride—the church—is to be a light to the world. Yellow represents the church, both

the church universal and our local church communities. The two forces often operate separately, sometimes overlapping or interacting. However, when the two forces come together, they create a new, more powerful (and rather bright) force— orange.

In our church we are seeking to think and be orange. We want to look at how the church and the family come together as one, and also to consider how the various generations in our congregation come together. We have created great division in our church between the generations—partially through specialized ministries—at a time when we desperately need each other. For the first time in the history of the church, we have at least six generations coexisting together. Thinking orange for our church also means building much needed intergenerational connections. Our hope is to rethink how we operate and to examine our current and future ministries in light of this idea of thinking orange.

In an increasingly complex, isolated, fast-paced and broken world, we are in need of radical change—not only in culture, but in the church as well. We have become complacent, seeking our own comfort instead of transformation. This is understandable because for many individuals and families, life is such a constant struggle that we are just trying to find a way to survive. While this is understandable, Jesus did not go to the cross so that we may be comfortable. Christ desires more for our life than survival; instead, the desire of the heart of God is that we would have abundant life.

As I listen to individuals from each generation, I am discovering that while each generation is very different from the others, we have much in common. As I listen to children, teenagers, those in middle age and our seniors, I hear some of the same challenges. Each generation feels isolated, ignored, misunderstood, lonely and overwhelmed. As I talk with families I find that so many children, youth and parents are feeling overwhelmed, insecure, and alone.

While these challenges are great, we already have the answer and it’s not hard to understand. We need each other. The church and the family (whatever your family looks like) must come together. We need each other. People from every generation, from the greatest generation to those just entering the world, need each other. We do not need another worship service, small group, ministry program or event to attend. We do not need to try to overthrow government or culture; we need individual transformation. Whether the challenges are economic, relational, emotional, physical or spiritual, we are facing immense challenges as individuals, families and communities. The amount of pain, anger, worry, fear and hatred that exists around us and in us today may be the most significant that it has ever been. It is time for transformation.

I believe that while our challenges are great, the fruit is ripe for the harvest. In this time of great need, there is great potential. As we come to the end of this calendar year and as our families gather in the midst of chaos to celebrate Thanksgiving and Christmas, I believe that something new, something amazing, something miraculous can begin.

As we reflect on the birth of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, this tiny Christ Child who entered the world under such surprising circumstances, I believe that through the power and grace of God, Christ can surprise us once again. It is time for the church of Jesus Christ to think and to live differently, to think and live orange. It is time for each of us as individuals and in our own families to join together with the Church of Jesus Christ, each and every generation, and lead the world. Transformation starts with each of us, and as we are transformed once again by the love and grace of Jesus Christ, we can be made new.

As we celebrate Christmas, we can be reborn once again. We can renew our trust in Jesus Christ—not only for our salvation, but for new and abundant life. The church cannot see the family as an entity to be entertained, and the family cannot see the church as another activity to participate in. We must see each other as partners in a greater mission, a big, beautiful, simple and difficult mission that can transform the world.

Each week in our church service as we pray the Lord’s prayer, we utter the phrases “thy kingdom come” and “for thine is the kingdom and the power and the glory, forever and ever amen.” As this hectic Christmas season draws near, as the Christ Child comes to us once again, perhaps these words can be more than something we utter each Sunday.

Perhaps they can become the primary thoughts of our minds, the deepest desire of our hearts and the focus of our lives.

May our families and the church come together this Christmas season and think, live and be different. May we come together and become one, experiencing transformation as we think orange. May each and every generation join together so that the church of Jesus Christ may be all that it was created to be. As a result, perhaps this new, big, bold thing that we create may bring about the change in the world that is so desperately needed. This Christmas, I invite you to think orange.

May we all find new life in the Christ Child this Christmas.

Marcus J. Carlson

is a pastor and spiritual director who has worked in youth and children’s ministry for over 13 years. He serves as Associate Pastor of Bethel Lutheran Church, Colorado Springs, CO. Marcus and his wife, Jessica, have two children.