A Review of: Practicing Passion – Part 4

Practicing Passion: Youth And The Quest For A Passionate Church by Kenda Creasy Dean was a great read for me because it helped me remember that youth ministry and ministry in general is about relating with real live people who have emotions. Anyone who seeks to minister to youth must constantly strive to remember what it is like to be young. Dean’s book is rooted in theological truths and provides helpful encouragement for youth workers to strive to live a life of passion. Youth ministry must work to capture the passion of teenagers and turn their passion over to go to be used for his glory. However, youth ministry must resist the temptation to woo youth into their programs by appealing only to their passion for fun, food and community. These passions are the easiest to access, because teenagers’ lives are usually overly packed with frenetic activity.

Youth ministry must engage teens in a way that teaches them of something to die for. It is difficult to capture the passions of youth, yet Dean offers theological truths that back up her call for ministry to work toward that end. Dean speaks to the heart of youth by realizing their needs for fidelity and communion. One of the major reasons that motivate me to do ministry is to teach of God’s everlasting fidelity and model God’s commitment to Christians, even though my model cannot nor should try to be a substitution for God’s perfection. It is important for youth to experience deep relationships within the church so that they are assured of the safety within the church to be who they are and to become more Christ-like.

Everyone desires this safety and intimacy of relationships, especially teens who are seeking to find their identity. It is the youth minister’s privilege to introduce them to Jesus Christ as the model for that identity. Hopefully youth can see Jesus within the body of their church, living and active, so that they can have a model that is still today incarnated who will walk beside them along the journey of faith. The ministers who take to heart the message of Practicing Passion will have a better understanding of the relationships that teens seek and need. All Christians’ lives’ are better when they are full of a passionate love for Jesus. Passion for God fills the holes in the life of teens. I agree with Dean that youth ministry must strive to be a place that produces teens who are adept at practicing passion.


Dean, Kenda Creasy, Practicing Passion: Youth And The Quest For A Passionate Church. Grand Rapids, Michigan: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Co., 2004.

A Review of: Practicing Passion – Part 3

In Practicing Passion: Youth And The Quest For A Passionate Church, Kenda Creasy Dean addresses an integral part of youth ministry that tends to be over looked. Dean communicates a new way of participating in youth ministry by establishing the dimensions of Passion. She asserts that the core longings within youth for passion are seen in their longing for fidelity, transcendence and communion and they can find these this perfectly in God as well as being part of a community of faith who strives to imitate these traits. Dean asserts that a church without passion is like an amputee with the phantom pains of passionate suffering which motivates us to service.


Dean dispels that youth ministry’s primary purpose is to ensure the church of tomorrow. Instead it must create a place where passion is transferred from those who possess a passionate and vibrant faith to those who seek it. Dean asserts that “the passions of young people serve as signs of a deeper, human longing for love that is most fully addressed by the Passion of the Christ”. (15) Dean admonishes the church to serve as a community of disciples that display Christian disciplines and practices which act as scaffolding for the new faith that is being formed within youth. Adult Christians who display passion within their lives serve as living evidence of a life redeemed and become messengers who embody the message of grace.

By being consistently present in the lives of youth, adult leaders teach their students about the fidelity of God within the Christina life. Passion can be taught to youth thru avenues that relate to their world such as play, sabbath, and worship. Youth can quench their thirst for intimacy only within the passionate life found within love received and given to God. Youth realize innately that our creator knows the recesses of the youthful heart better that anyone else.

By teaching youth the paradox of the transcendence of God and that God still maintains imminence with the church leaders can instill a sense of awe within youth that will provide fuel necessary for a full passionate Christian life. The Church bears the responsibility to teach and display lives that display the power of the cross. Their influence can incite fervor within new believers that will lead youth to proclaim the grace they received. Passionate youth are vibrant witnesses of Christian faith who obsessively seek to carry on the tradition of practicing passion.

Dean, Kenda Creasy, Practicing Passion: Youth And The Quest For A Passionate Church. Grand Rapids, Michigan: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Co., 2004.

A Review of: Practicing Passion - Part 2

Practicing Passion: Youth And The Quest For A Passionate Church by Kenda Creasy Dean stresses that teens must be able to witness the passion of church members from all ages in order for their maturation process to be holistic. Youth ministry that is separated from the body of the church (like the Mickey Mouse ear) will ultimately be incomplete and thus be more prone to minister burn out and frustration. Youth ministry that involves the entire community of faith in forming the spiritual lives of youth by incorporating them into the passionate story of faith will be able to survive the tests of the world and live within the fidelity of the Church. The world constantly tempts youth to find solace in passions of the flesh which contradict the passions of the spirit which are found in the body of faith.

Dean continually reminds the church that youth are inherently filled with passion and so ministry to youth must acknowledge that passion and seek to fill it with the passionate story of Christ. Teenagers must have something positive to fill their passions with because in there development into adulthood they are seeking a life of love, being loved and loving. Youth actively seek out passionate experiences. The Christian life is one which can be full of passion that is directed toward a life of discipleship following after the example of Jesus. Churches that have the passion of Christ at their core will be more apt to incorporate this passion into the youth within it. Such a life of passionate faith will not only resonate to youth in today’s culture, but will also inspire adults who live within our postmodern age who seek emotive responses to faith as well as rational. Adults within the church are sure to be interested in what Dean portraits as passionate faith relationship which is intimately connected to the passion and ministry of Jesus.

Dean does an excellent job of expressing that adolescents are formed by being involved and included within a passionate community of faithful believers. Dean rightly notes that youth seek the company of people who live bold lives full of passion. Youth within a church will take notice when its church body puts a strong emphasis on a passionate life in relationship with Jesus. Teens will see this passion expressed in the daily lives and action of the church body. However teens will also be acutely aware if passion is only given lip service to and never attained.
Youth have a sense about them for honesty and if they sense the church is in any way false or simply blasé in their faith claims, they will seek to fulfill their hunger for a passionate life elsewhere. Youth inherently seek out faith which desires to live in deep relationship with a community and with Jesus. This heightens the importance of the church body for the spiritual formation of the youth within their church by including them in the body and thus supplying them with the identity inherent to the church. By finding their identity within the passionate church this will in turn help to fan their flame of faith and enable them to ignite a passionate, faithful life.

Dean expresses the ideal situation within the book which may intimidate some ministers who feel they themselves have lost a bit of their once youthful passion. However it is encouraging to all ministers who seek to work with youth to be ever vigilant in seeking out ways to understand, engage and contextualize the pre-existing passions of youth so that they can be used to help form their faith, rather than serve as a detriment to faith building.

Dean, Kenda Creasy, Practicing Passion: Youth And The Quest For A Passionate Church. Grand Rapids, Michigan: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Co., 2004.

A Review of: Practicing Passion - Part 1

Practicing Passion: Youth And The Quest For A Passionate Church by Kenda Creasy Dean is a refreshing view of youth ministry that inspires readers to search out passion in ministry. Kenda Creasy Dean asserts that passion is a key component of adolescence. She sees passion as an important way for youth to relate to Christianity as a whole as well as to a church’s congregational life. Dean roots her preaching of passion in theology by observing that “passion is the point at which adolescent experience and Christian theology intersect (56).” Typically there is a negative assessment of passion in relation to youth culture, where sowing wild oats is looked down upon. However, Dean believes that this passion can be rerouted, harnessed and then be a used as a valuable tool for youth ministry.

Teens have trouble connecting to Christianity because they view it as nice hobby rather than a passion that stirs our emotions and deserves a radical response. Dean wants church members and leaders to lead teens into valuable experiences to teach them that Christianity is about a relationship with Jesus and this relationship is one which is worth dying for. This relationship of getting to know Jesus Christ as Lord and sharing in his passion will in turn lead teens to life a passionate life. Dean stresses that adults must also be engaged and allow themselves to experience a passionate life. Youth will see the passion within their leaders’ lives and want to share in that meaningful experience.

Dean seeks to teach church leadership to be agents of God to help form the spiritual lives of the youth within the church. The youth minister should be involved in the process but should not be the lone worker seeking to shape the lives of the youth in the congregation. The whole community of Christians must join in to shape the spiritual lives of the youth within a church. Dean asserts that the youth should know that they are an integral part of the church rather than a separate entity that will one day graduate into being a part of the church.

In order to encouraging churches to show fidelity to youth by being there for them and with them, Dean urges churches to avoid the “one eared Mickey Mouse Model of Ministry” where the youth group is attached to the church only on the peripheries. However, perhaps unintentionally, that particular model seems to be the one that most churches gravitate toward. The “one eared Mickey Mouse Model of Ministry” is a picture with two circles, one big (like Mickey’s head) and a smaller one on the periphery (Mickey’s ear). The big circle represents the church body, or adult church; while the small circle represents the youth group. The representation serves the purpose of drawing attention to how many churches seek to allow their youth ministry and church body as separate and apart from each other. Regrettably many churches unwittingly engage in this model of youth ministry which robs the youth of the church from valuable formation from being incorporated into the church body as a whole.

Dean, Kenda Creasy, Practicing Passion: Youth And The Quest For A Passionate Church. Grand Rapids, Michigan: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Co., 2004.

Why Are Teens Becoming "Fake" Christians?

http://kendadean.com/almost-christian/

Response to a CNN.com article
Author: More teens becoming 'fake' Christians  By John Blake, CNN August 27, 2010 8:57 a.m. EDT

This CNN article speaks to a very real area of concern for Churches and parents of Christian youth. The reality in Kenda Creasy Dean’s research from Almost Christian showing that American Christian teens adhere to a “watered-down faith that portrays God as a ‘divine therapist’” is somewhat depressing however not difficult to believe. We all know that youth are filled with the capacity for great passion, and it is not a surprise that youth tend to find outlets for their passions outside of their faith. The church, that is the actual people that surround the youth with their community of faith, must display radical shows of faith in order to give youth examples of true discipleship and passionate lives for God. The trick here is that the adult leaders and parents must first have passionate faithful lives. You cannot teach what you don’t know.

My youth ministry professor from Harding Dr. Daniel Stockstill always preached, “What you win them with is what you win them to.” That being true, it is convicting that if Christian teens are ending up with a “fake” faith then the message being taught must be a false shell of true Christianity. The Church should be the first place young and old Christians turn to change the world. The Church’s mission is far greater than simply making Christians feel warm and fuzzy about our prospect of the afterlife. The church should always be a champion of heaven and profess bold confidence in looking forward to life eternal, yet not at the cost of boring, dull, apathetic, passion-less lives of faith that simply wait for heaven to come down at the end of time. Dean is saying that youth can’t hang on to that kind of faith very well. God’s kingdom is breaking in here and now and also will be realized fully when Christ returns. Christ left the church a responsibility to be his hands and feet everywhere we go. Christ called the church to do great things in the world through the power of God’s Holy Spirit. Youth need to see that Christian disciples take this call seriously and are living it our daily in the plain choices we make.

One problem churches will run into is when the teens begin asking hard faith questions. Do we soften difficult answers? Do we, as the article suggests, give youth cake answers when they are seeking meat and potatoes answers? Are Christian leaders and parents at peace enough with deep questions of faith that stir up tough questions of faith? The “gospel of niceness” is prevalent in churches because leaders and parents too often feel they must always have cut and dry answers to all of the mysteries of life. Faith is faith for a reason. Faith implies that we believe rather than scientifically know or prove. True faith cannot survive without passion. Parents and youth leaders must admit that we do not have every answer but we do have a passionate faith and follow God who does. Our Lord reigns on the throne of heaven and we must teach youth that a passionate Christian life with God provides a peace that passes all understanding.

Do churches encourage parents to get radical with their own faith? Youth ministry should coach parents to not only live passionately for Christ but make the next step by connecting the dots for their kids as to why they bother to perform radical acts inspired by their faith. I love how the article ends with the story of Anne Havard and her words confronting the doubts she had after her Father and close friend died from cancer.

She says God spoke the most to her when she felt alone – as Jesus must have felt on the cross. ‘When Jesus was on the cross crying out, ‘My God, why have you forsaken me?’ Jesus was part of God,’ she says. ‘Then God knows what it means to doubt. It’s OK to be in a storm, to be in a doubt,’ she says, ‘because God was there, too.”

Do churches allow youth leaders and parent the safety “to be in storm, to be in a doubt?” Church leaders and parents must work together to first live passionate lives as a result of a radical faith in Jesus then teach youth why we are crazy. Youth will follow and be impacted by passionate lives that seek to serve God before all else. Youth are magnetically drawn to authentic passionate people of faith. Most people, young and old alike, are seeking a power to stir them in the depths of their hearts and souls. However I believe that desire for passionate emotion is even more acute in youth. Church leaders and parents must first be followers that are passionate and then change will spread like a fire into the hearts of the youth.

Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God. Matthew 5:8

At church Sunday, Josh taught on Matthew 5:8 “Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God. Our physical heart serves as the engine for our body by circulating life thru us. The physical make up of our heart is so amazing that when I pause to think about the intricacies of its form and function I am immediately thankful to God for the miracle of life. Josh told a wonderful story about how Dr. Bill Frist, a heart surgeon, would travel the county in order to perform heart transplants and the when the transplanted heart would be put into place the heart would begin to beat once again. Dr. Frist said that the heart would remember what it was meant to do. A healthy human heart is a must for our body perform properly, so to a pure heart is necessary if one is to see God.

Think about the people you know who you would consider to have a “pure heart.” Do you remember what it was like to have the heart of a child? If you ever were forced to take a wellness class as a freshman you probably remember the emphasis put on cardio exercises in order to keep your heart healthy. The purity of our spiritual hearts must also be exercised. Our spiritual hearts will not remain pure if we leave them unguarded and unexercised. “Keep your heart with all vigilance for from it flow the springs of life -Proverbs 4:23.” We need to guard our hearts from becoming evil yet not insulate our hearts from raw feelings anger, pain, and sadness when we encounter injustice or sin in the world around us.

As disciples of Christ we must keep our hearts open to feel for the world and exercise our spiritual hearts but reaching out in the same ways that Jesus would if he were living in Nashville. In my experience if we allow ourselves a few minutes of pause to quite our minds, I am confident that if invited the Holy Spirit will rouse the burden that already rests within our hearts. In Josh’s sermon he made it clear that disciples cannot earn our way to God, but life with God is a give and that we are to love with hearts wide open. Josh said that “Jesus believes that our inward roots are connected to our outward fruits.” So, where are my roots? Are the roots of my heart grounded in a love for self or in a love for God and neighbor?

When asked about commandments Jesus said in Mark 12:29-31 The most one, answered Jesus is this: Hear, O Israel, the Lord our God, the Lord is one. Love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind, and with all your strength. The second is this: Love your neighbor as yourself. There is no commandment greater than these.”

May God continue to create in us clean hearts so we can see God.

Blessed are the merciful for they will receive mercy. Matthew 5:7

The simplicity in Matthew 5:7 often masked the depth and boldness of this verse. As David Fleer challenged me at Otter Creek this past Sunday with this text I resonated with his message that mercy does not come naturally, we have to learn it. I can think back to many times in my life where I have acted out of self preservation rather than mercy.

Usually people are not cruel simply because they enjoy watching those they are oppressing squirm; rather cruel treatment seems to stem from an inner narcissism that is oblivious to the other person’s point of view. Mercy steps in and not only stops cruelty but entering into the situation by empathizing with the one who is need of mercy. Whenever mercy is given the giver of mercy chooses to accept less than what the world around them says they have coming to them. The mercy giver, having been wronged willingly chooses to not get even in order to stop the escalation of the conflict. Matthew 5:7 Blesses are the merciful for they will receive mercy, is a counter point to the “an eye for an eye” principle.

One of the most challenging parts of Fleer’s sermon to me was the idea that sometimes oppressive policies need to be overturned in order to allow mercy to reign. What does Jesus say about political policies that are intended to show mercy to those that need it? We need to challenge ourselves to think like Jesus in all areas, especially outside the church doors. Christian disciples have the obligation cry out for the world where his heart would cry out. Christians have to continually sit at the feet of Jesus and learn what it means to live a life of mercy. How often do I even have opportunity to show mercy? In order to show mercy I must allow myself to be put in a position where I may be apt to retaliate.

We should continue to grow us in the way we show mercy to others. Personally, I know that I am in need of God’s mercy to wash away my sins, for if God wanted retaliation against me for my sins there would be no way for me to repay the debt I owed. I am thankful there is no “eye for an eye” bargain between God and me. I stand eternally grateful for having received God’s mercy thru Jesus and the indwelling of the Holy Spirit. We have obligation to not hoard the mercy that has been given to us so freely, but since we have so greatly receive, so must we so greatly give. God help us learn mercy.

http://ottercreek.podomatic.com/entry/index/2011-02-06T21_57_32-08_00