NALOPKT

NALOPKT: Do you have any idea what that means?  Don't worry, you're not alone.  It is in fact text lingo for "not a lot of people know this."  If you don't believe me, you can click here for proof that I didn't make it up.  It was also the theme for Restore 2010 this past weekend in Myrtle Beach.  The overarching idea of the weekend is that we as Christians have important knowledge that very few people know.  As the latest Pew Research poll results have made the rounds on the news, it has become clear that even many professed Christians don't know the real truth behind Jesus.  To get a better idea about Jesus, we talked about the 7 statements made by Jesus while he was on the cross, or as David Skidmore, the weekend's speaker put it, "the seven messages made by the man in the middle"

They were:
fthr 4giv them, 4 they don't no what they're doing.
i tell u the truth, 2day u will be w/ me n pradise
wman, bhold ur son, son bhold ur mother
omg, omg, y have u 4saken me?
i thirst
it is finished
fthr, in2 ur hands i commit my spirit

The teens were encouraged to text message these to themselves rather than take traditional notes.  On the first night, they also were encouraged to send a text message to a friend who they knew to be struggling with their faith, and to stand up if a response was received.  By the time worship ended, there were dozens of students standing as they had text conversations with their friend about what they were doing in Myrtle Beach.  The teens were given a scriptural view of our Redeemer in the 7 messages of the cross.  A savior who was obedient, even when he didn't understand.  A savior who would not return evil for evil.  A savior who even in the midst of the worst suffering one could imagine, thought about the well being of others.  This, I believe is the Savior the world needs to see in our lives and in the lives of the students in our ministry.  It is not always easy to see God at work in our world, but he can be found.  At one point, David compared finding God to the art of Chinese artist, Liu Bo Lin (you may have to look closely at some of the pictures to see what I'm talking about).  It is possible to see God in the world around us, but some times it takes slowing down enough to look.  It is our job as Christians to make God more visible in the world around us.  Every act of righteousness, every act of kindness, generosity, love, that we do in the name of Jesus helps us point the world to Creator of the Earth and the heavens. 

One of the things I loved about this weekend was the challenge for teens to engage in meaningful conversations not just with the people on the retreat (we had great devotionals in each room every night where we did just that) but also with those who were not on the retreat for whatever reason.  I'm not sure what it is about us, but there seems always be a part of us that fears a changing world.  We worry about kids having instant access to each other all the time through their phones, and it's a valid concern, but I think we need to have the vision to see the good that can come through new resources.  Near the end of the weekend, one of the teens from our group told me that since Friday night she had been engaged in an ongoing conversation with a friend about her friend's doubts about God.  While she was telling me about the conversation, she kind of smiled and said, "Greg, I am going to have to really step up how I live my faith if I am going to be the right kind of example for my friend."  Such a statement made me so extremely proud and grateful that God let me be a part of what went on in Myrtle Beach last weekend.