A WAKE-UP CALL FOR YOUNG PEOPLE!

There’s a personal story that I have shared on occasion with younger people who are still in their formative years.

While studying for my Masters of Divinity degree at Pittsburgh Theological Seminary [a three-year course that I managed to complete in eleven years as a part-time commuter], I heard about a dual degree option with the University of Pittsburgh that would merge coursework and allow me to also attain a Master of Social Work degree [which would have been a door-opener for me into the world of counseling]. 

I applied and was not accepted.  I appealed the decision and was told that they had MANY applications that particular year and they had to go back to high school records to make final decisions.  They then reported that although all of my graduate and post-graduate work was excellent, I had received twenty-eight C’s during my high school career!  That eliminated me from consideration. 

I had not been highly motivated in high school.  My parents didn’t place high demands on me; they were happy with C’s.  Obviously, I was capable of much better grades, but I had no sense of purpose in making the investment to receive higher evaluations.

Very few high school students are aware of the impact their high school performance might have on their future. 

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For several hours yesterday, I sat and watched the broadcast of a Senate subcommittee in the process of questioning [and lecturing] Pete Hegseth – President-elect Trump’s candidate for the Secretary of Defense.

It was difficult to listen to.  For the most part, the Republican Senators complimented him on his qualifications and passion, while their Democratic counterparts literally took Hegseth apart in many areas.  It should be noted that this is standard procedure for Senators in this process. 

At one point or another during this process, Mr. Hegseth was accused openly of the following:

·         repeated public incidents of being extremely drunk

·         being in his third marriage

·         admitting to having immoral sexual relationships while in his first marriage

·         having an immoral sexual relationship outside of his second marriage that ended in a pregnancy [and his third marriage]

·         making public comments about women not having a place in the military

·         drinking on the job while a host on the Fox News Channel

·         inappropriate behavior with female employees

·         poor management of several organizations that he previously led that reportedly saw a significant drop in contributions during his leadership

He was repeatedly accused of having a lack of integrity and being extremely unqualified for the level of leadership that he was nominated for. 

He consistently defended his record and withstood the onslaught of accusations and allegations.  He frequently referred to “having been cleared of all wrongdoing” or by openly denying the reality of the Senator’s reports.

Although I am a Trump supporter, I have no vested interest in the outcome of this process.  I am not particularly a fan of Pete Hegseth.  I don’t have sufficient background information to be capable of deciding whether or not he should serve in this role at such a high level of our government.  I will leave the outcome of this process to those who do have the information and the power.

My interest in this painful and embarrassing saga is the education of our youth!

Here’s a man who clearly has struggled with alcohol abuse.  His insistence that he will NOT drink if appointed as the Secretary of Defense is hard to believe. 

Here’s a man who has had repeated marriages and has a record of infidelity.

Here’s a man who has failed to garner respect from his fellow employees.

Here’s a man who is reported to have treated women in a demeaning manner.

Here’s a man whose past statements have the potential to prevent him from holding a highly privileged and extremely powerful position.

Here also is a man who claims to have had a spiritual awakening within the last thirty days – since he was nominated by President-elect Trump for the position of Secretary of Defense! 

THESE ARE HEAVY CONSDERATIONS THAT OUR SENATORS ARE CONSIDERING!

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Suddenly – in a totally unforeseen manner – Pete Hegseth discovered that he had been noticed by the President-elect! 

In a turn of events that most would never have imagined, Pete Hegseth is seriously being considered for an extremely important leadership role in the future development of our country!

Here’s the question for young people to consider:  If Pete had seen this coming, might he have changed his behavior in the past?  Having lived in an apparently reckless manner, does he now look back with regrets?  Does he wish he would have worked harder on his marriages?  Do the fleeting rewards of sexual irresponsibility now seem foolish?  If he could, wouldn’t he like to purge numerous areas of his life from public knowledge? 

Our youth are not known for great wisdom.  They are inexperienced and curious.  They want to experiment and discover things for themselves. 

They need guidance and parameters!  That’s why God gave them a parent from each gender to advise and protect them throughout their development. 

Wise parents might take the ‘Pete Hegseth’ episode and talk about it with their youth.  Some starting points might be:

·         Do you think Pete has regrets about his past behavior?

·         You need to be careful about your daily activity.  It may affect your future! Life is a progression. The things you say and do today may have an impact on your future.

·         What are your goals for the future?  What are some behaviors and decisions that could totally destroy your hopes?

·         In light of your hopes and dreams, what kind of behavior today will develop character and integrity in you that will facilitate your dreams coming to reality?

Parents have the potential and opportunity to have these kind of vital conversations with their young people.  Wise parents will take full advantage of modern-day examples to help their children develop with wisdom and integrity!

And while you’re talking with them, why not also pray with them about their future!  Let them hear you voice your concerns to God on their behalf! 

TAKE YOUR KIDS TO CHURCH!

I’m glad my parents took me to church! At the time, I wasn’t always delighted that we went there so much, but I benefitted in ways that I didn’t see then.

The church’s children’s ministry helped me by teaching me the many Bible stories of the Old and New Testaments. The youth group gave me a camaraderie of friends who were learning to share the values of the Christian faith. I was provided lots of older role models in those a stage or two ahead of me! Many of the adults engaged me regularly and encouraged me. I participated in rich worship times that moved me deeply inside! I was challenged by the many testimonies that were shared in the church culture that I grew up in. My parents taught me to tithe from my TV Guide route. My dad asked the treasurer for a book of envelopes so that I could use them for my two dimes. I was deeply moved while watching people respond to the altar for prayer and seeing others – who cared for them – join them there.

I can’t put a value on this experience! In my developmental years [after the nursery class], I had one female teacher [Betty Paugh – who made the Bible stories come alive for me!] and a long list of male teachers who impacted my life on Sundays and Tuesdays [at Christian Youth Crusaders]: Neil Castilucci, Joe Douglas, Paul Funkhouser, Carl Geissinger, Bob Curtiss, Jim Rudolph, Udele Gallagher, Gordon Aiken and probably a few others. They made an impact on me. I admired and respected them! I wanted to be like them!

Parents: take your kids to church! Give them the chance to experience this rich, godly fellowship! This is an environment that will impact them and provide them with lots of examples to emulate! You may not see the impact, but it will be there!
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Thank You so much, Lord, for the New Brighton Free Methodist Church! It wasn’t perfect. There were tensions and problems. But it did a lot of things right and provided a rich environment for families! That fellowship nurtured me and helped to determine and direct my path! I learned to respect adults. I saw the extremely high value placed on God’s Word! I saw generosity and kindness acted out regularly. I am largely who I am today because of the impact of this fellowship of believers!

May it continue to be so today! May children and youth be valued, instructed and guided by the people they engage with and observe at church. As adults, help us to notice and interact with these in the formative stages of life! Prompt us to notice them, speak to them, encourage them, applaud them, and pray for them! We CAN make a difference! Remind us today – and every Lord’s Day – that we are making a difference in the lives of those we worship with! Thanks be to God! Amen.

I GO FOR YOU!

When I was in high school, I began to date.  One of the first girls I dated regularly was from my home church in New Brighton.  Her name was Jeannie.  After awhile, I decided to get her a gift, so I went to a jewelry store and bought a nice charm bracelet.  I also purchased a round, silver medallion for the bracelet that was engraved with the words:  I Go For You!

Jeannie loved it.

Then a little later, Debbie and I began to date.  For a brief while, I was actually dating both girls.  Then, gradually, Debbie and I became closer and closer.  So, again I thought it would be nice to get her a gift.  Well, since Jeannie had appreciated the bracelet so much - I got one for Debbie too!  Plus, I couldn't resist it - I also got her the round, silver medallion that said, I Go For You!

Debbie loved it, too!

Then in the summer of 1968, we started having some stress in our relationship.  Time for Family Camp arrived.  By now, I was dating another girl named Beth.  The path was well worn at this point, so I headed for the jewelry store again.  You guessed it:  got a charm bracelet and another round, silver medallion that read:  I Go For You!

Beth loved it, too!

When the first day of camp arrived, I pulled onto the campground.  A short time before my arrival, Jeannie and Debbie had been talking and noticed one another's bracelets - and figured things out.  When I climbed out of my car, I turned and saw Debbie - halfway across the campground - with her hands on her hips screaming at the top of her lungs:  "I HATE YOU, HAROLD HAIRE!"

Later in the camp, I brought Beth down for an evening service and they felt inclined to tell her that she was dating a two-timing cheat.  That's when they discovered that she had one too!

It was a long, lonely, miserable camp for me.  I was the dish-washer that year.  I came in to work one afternoon to find a huge, yellow balloon sitting on the sink;  uh-huh - printed on it were the words:  I Go For You!   

Debbie doesn't have that bracelet anymore.  It's probably in the high grass somewhere behind the cottages!

WHAT CAN A KID DO?

I just read yesterday about Thomas Edison.  He gave us more than a thousand inventions which are integral and essential to modern life.  Yet he was deaf from age twelve, and such a poor student he was unacceptable to the school, and had to educate himself.

Hmmmmm.

Stephen and Alex Kendrick, in their book The Resolution For Men write:

Alex and Brett Harris, authors (at age nineteen) of Do Hard Things, tell how history abounds with examples of young men who rose to the occasion after being given great responsibilities.  At twelve, David Farragut, the U.S. Navy's first admiral, took command of his first ship by sailing a captured vessel back to America.  George Washington began mastering geometry, trigonometry, and surveying at the same age as a modern fifth or sixth grader.  At sixteen he became a county surveyor.  At twenty-one he owned 2,300 acres of land.  (p.62)

Dr. Wes Stafford, President and CEO of Compassion International, is one of the world's greatest advocates for children.  He tells of the responsibility he and the other children had in their African village.  They contributed to the food supply by "harvesting a delicacy, the huge...fruit doves...as big as a chicken and just as tasty."  They also protected the fields from marauding gorillas and monkeys by using their sling-shots to pelt them with rocks!

He writes (in Too Small To Ignore):

Kids want more than entertainment;  they want the chance to make a difference...We simply must learn to engage our children and walk with them day by day to foster their dreams and make them come true...Children are more than we think they are;  they can do more than we think they can do.  All they need is a vote of confidence from grown-ups, whom they will ultimately replace anyway.  Their dreams will become the realities of tomorrow.  (pp.43,50-51)

The Kendricks write:  "When a young man is passive and irresponsible, he greatly limits his freedoms, opportunities, and successes.  Whereas responsibility builds up a man and everything around him, the lack of it only weakens and destroys.  Irresponsible men are dangerous to whatever they touch."  (p.62)

Unfortunately, in American culture we have created a relatively new view called adolescence.  This view establishes a moratorium on responsibility and prolongs childhood indefinitely - sometimes through the twenties and into the thirties!

It's time to wake up! 

CELEBRATION IN THE BACK PEW

It was Sunday night church.  I was probably fifteen years old.  There were about five guys in the back pew and another six or seven girls in the pew in front of us.

We were no different than other youth - passing notes, whispering, and making fun of the names of hymns.

Then came prayer time.  We always knelt to pray.  Several people would lead out in prayer.  It usually was about fifteen minutes long;  unbearable for us!

Then Wilbert started praying.  We loved it when Wilbert prayed.  He was very animated and loud!  Two of the kids in our pews belonged to him.  He repeatedly used the term "O Lord", when he prayed. 

All of us excitedly kept count of how many times he said it.  It was the best part of Sunday night for us! 

This night, he hit thirty and was still going strong.  Then forty!  We could hardly believe it - he'd only gotten this high a few times before.  Would this be the night Wilbert would pray his way to fifty?

Forty-five, but we could tell he was winding down.  Forty-six.  Forty-seven.  Forty-eight.  The excitement and anticipation in the last two pews was higher than it had ever been before!  We literally trembled with excitement!

Forty-nine!  We could hardly believe it!  Then as Wilbert closed his prayer, he stuck one more "O Lord" in - and every young person in the last two pews shouted and laughed with excitement and joy! 

As we rose from prayer, all eyes were on the youth in the last two pews.  I suppose everyone else, like me, got a stern talking to on the way home that night.  But it didn't really matter!  The high we'd experienced would never be reached again!

It was a prayer that truly blessed the youth group!  Plus, it's one of the few Sunday night services that I actually remember!