NextGenKent

THE GLORY SHINE –or- SON-TANNED ON the 10 th of September, we remember Moses’ descent from Mt. Sinai.  What once came with glory, a glory that was displayed on Moses’ face--a radiance that disabled people from looking Moses in the eye--not only came to an end but was drained of its glory because something better was to come along: the permanent ministry of the Holy Spirit in working righteousness. Let’s not forget why Moses’ face shone = because he had spoken to the LORD. The people could not look intently into Moses’ face so he put a veil over his face so people would not be afraid to come near him; but when he spoke with God he would take the veil away. In  Exodus 34:28-35, we read that Moses wasn't even aware that his face had become "radiant" ["horned" = to push with horns, so there was a radiant quality that pushed]. And so it is with us. We can hope in this "pushy glory" because it is eternal yet present with us—we are experiencing som...

REACTION TO:  Chap Clark, Hurt 2.0: Inside the World of Today’s Teenagers   (Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Academic, 2011) 264pp.                 I resonated with so much that is in this book—personally and professionally. It isn’t hard to want to take to heart the challenge to be a youth advocate once reading Clark’s findings about today’s youth. Adults who want to be effective in reaching out to this generation need to consider Clark’s presuppositions—today, not many are “getting it”—not the church, the schools, youth workers or parents. What IS going on inside the world of today’s teenagers? I am still in the process of re-wiring my mental thought processes to Clark’s ‘underworld’ schemata but frankly it is taking a while—he states in his update to his first edition, “It isn’t getting any better,” and that is the ‘why’ for this second edition.         ...

Reaction to: Shane Hipps, Flickering Pixels: How Technology Shapes Your Faith, 2009. This book really preaches. It is one of those books that doesn’t just tell you how to do it—it is doing it while it is telling you how! If we look at our computer screens and refocus we can actually see our own reflection on the screen (or the outline of our reflection)—this reminds us of who we are and that we are not our computers (and our computers are not us). This “magic eye” methodology—the training of the eye to see what is there but normally overlooked—is how we need to approach the technological advances of today as well as how we live our lives as the Church in the world. We must walk the line however fine it may be between observing the 2nd Commandment of not making for ourselves graven images and using images to convey a message. The methods we chose speak a message themselves as Marshall McLuhan was quoted, “the medium is the message” (25). Even the television screen is a part of th...

A reaction to Walt Mueller's, The Space Between: A Parents’ Guide to Teenage Development, 2009. This book was an easy read—straight forward and well laid out. The book has footnotes with regards to research, but doesn’t seem to be written to be a textbook with substantial research supporting the claims that are being made. My comments will be with regards to having additional material in certain sections and clarifying remarks in others. “Some view adolescence as something to survive. Rather we should see it as a God-given opportunity to depend on God for guidance and wisdom that would not only help us point our kids to the cross and spiritual maturity, but take us there as well” (p10). I read these same words in another book several years ago and have continued to hold on to them. It helps to hear them again. In several cases parents have set their teens up for ungodly attitudes reminding them, “When you are 18 you can move out and do what you want then!” Parents need to ma...