Holy Week 2012

I've decided.

I have been more or less absent from my blog since the end of November. Since then I have only managed a few sporadic posts. Far less then the once every Monday and Wednesday I had been blogging. I have made no secrete that some things have changed for me lately, and that it has been somewhat difficult sorting through how I feel about them.

Our Mr Mom Who Art In Heaven

Over the past few weeks I have read two articles that talk about Christianity and masculinity.While each article has its own idiosyncrasies the main message of both is that only the hyper-macho, jock type masculinity is of true value to the church. All other types of men, and women are by default of lesser importance. This has bothered me quite a lot. I cannot help but hear echoes of locker room bullying in these pieces.

I am not sure if it is my past experiences (hearing someone basically pointing and laughing at me for not being 'man enough') or my current situation as a 'sort of' stay at home dad (as if I were not struggling enough with the gender role stereotypes of breadwinner and homemaker) that has set me on edge.

But I would like to respond in an altogether different vein . One that is a little more theological.

Good-Bye Quest Youth

As I sit down to write this I have roughly 5 hours left as your youth pastor. By the time I post it, be that tonight or tomorrow that time will have come to a conclusion. I have wrestled with what I wanted to do and say for the past three months. It is not easy to say goodbye and I have been saying goodbye a lot lately.

Tonight I will/I did offer you the last devotion that I will have a chance to. I want to reiterate some of that here.