One of my more popular posts has been my review of Acquire the Fire. I continue to get feedback arguing with my opinion of the event. So instead of continuing to defend my stance that youth ministry should be more pursing Christ than a wicked-awesome (pronounce with thick Bostonian accent) entertainment extravaganza, I’ll let Mr. Mike Yaconelli speak for me:

“If I witness one more Jesus cheer, if I hear one more “let’s have a hand/round of applause/praise offering Jesus,” if I have to endure one more pep rally for Jesus, I’m returning my youth ministry I.D. card. Because as much as we criticize and complain about our media-ravaged society, as much as we rant about the evils of MTV and pop culture, we’ve imitated them by rushing to create the world’s biggest youth event.

At these events we parade around and glorify all things “beautiful” - the dazzling musicians, the laser shows, the foxes and studs for Jesus. At these events we mesmerize young people with how “cool” Jesus is. These pep rallies give teens the illusion that God is cool, that God is winning, that God is the majority - and that their ministries and youth leaders are cool, too. But what these don’t dare say that the even cool, dazzling, “beautiful” youth workers are screwed up, broken and consistently in need of God’s grace.

So rather than cheering our young people into the kingdom, maybe we should point them to the broken, inconsistent, uncool followers of Jesus found in the Bible. Maybe we need to stop pressuring our young people to cheer long enough to prepare them for a world in which the real heroes are powerless, tiny, and considered insignificant. - Mike Yaconelli

Amen.

It first started back at Acquire the Fire. Then I saw it on Youth Specialties. Then the mailings came. For some reason, the Christian $$ Bandwagon has really jumped aboard the ark of Evan Almighty. It’s being pushed as if it was the second coming of Christ. It’s being pushed by Christians hard and endorsed by most Christian organizations as well. For some reason it doesn’t sit well with me.

Does it have vague biblical themes? Yes. Is it rated PG? Yes. Well there you have it. Let’s call up Tim LaHaye so we can ride the next wave of meaningless, hollow Christian consumerism. What does this have to do with our faith? Nothing. I don’t care if it’s a movie about doing good. We’re not called to be merely good!?! Why are we so eager and easily brainwashed by this crap?

I’m sure it will be a funny movie and I’ll wet my pants because it’s so biblically hilarious. BUT that’s not the point. How easily do we as Christians whore ourselves (and our money) out because things look vaguely Christian? Here’s the stick we should measure these things by as Christians:

How will this (or anything) either draw us closer to Christ or help us to point others to Him?

My answer is… Evan Almighty doesn’t. Sure we can rationalize and twist things into some self pleasing justification, but you can rationalize just about anything! We are so eager to follow something that seems to embody goodness, but unwilling to follow Christ. Why? Because it’s safer and we can eat popcorn while doing it.

For further fuel to the fire on missing the point here is a blog from John Cooper of Skillet. He’s defending the fact that Skillet is supporting (meaning: getting paid to show the preview at concerts) Evan Almighty.

I wanted to send a note responding to the overwhelming amount of messages we have received about the ‘Evan Almighty’ movie promotion that we have done. The messages I am referring to are generally about how Skillet should not be supporting a movie that is a mockery of the Bible. This has been a big surprise to me because I cannot see where these opinions are coming from. We were approached by the company (a Christian company) that did the promotion for Narnia and Passion of the Christ about us helping to get the word out about the movie. We felt that it was an opportunity to stand for a movie that was wholesome, a family movie, and against the grain of what Hollywood typically stands for. We were also told that organizations like Youth Specialties, Willow Creek Church, Teen Mania, Christian radio and festivals, etc. were supporting this endeavor as well.

The movie is based on the idea that God tells a man named Evan to build an ark because there is a flood coming, and Evan has to decide if it’s for real or not. Secondly, man, including his own family, thinks he is going crazy. In the movie, God is real, His word becomes real, and it’s just based on the idea of “what would it be like if the flood happened today instead of thousands of years ago?” It is a family movie, directed by a Christian (Tom Shadyac, who CCM magazine profiled a few years ago) is rated pg and IS also being supported by numerous well-known and respected Christian organizations and pastors (see below comments from such). I honestly cannot see how this movie is a mockery, and though I have not seen the entire film (as none of you have not either) I don’t see why this movie would be sacrilegious, offensive, or negative for Christianity. It’s a lighthearted, family movie where the God of the Bible is real, tells a man that something as unlikely as a flood is coming, it actually happens, and even though everyone else in the world thinks the man is crazy he builds it anyway because he knows what he believes and that God’s word becomes true. Is it really that different than a veggie tales movie about Jonah? Is it sacrilegious to compare Jonah from the Bible to a cucumber? You decide. But whatever you do choose to think on this subject, I ask you to remember an important thing called grace; and how those of us who have been given so much of it seldom give it to others.

I like Skillet, but I think Johnny Boy is missing the point here. Mockery is not the heart of the matter. The movie isn’t the heart either. My beef is why the heck are we all so willing to follow some movement, this or any other, (need I mention, 40 days of whatever anybody?) and but not so eager to follow God?

Any thoughts?

Combine Christianity with Politics and what do you get? A bunch of mixed messages.

This is an excellent video on the Acquire the Fire: Battle Cry movement. It’s very even handed and brings up some good points.

My favorite moment: watch Ron Luce squirm as he’s asked about telling kids not to sell out on culture and ATF cashing in on it with their own merchandising. The funny thing is, I actually like Ron Luce. I just think that things have gotten off track.

Here’s my main beef:

The Battle Cry becomes an agenda to push Christian values and less about following Christ. This is where the danger lies. They are teaching the kids to strike out against the world because it’s immoral. I’m not arguing this fact. The world has always been immoral, that’s what sin is all about. This immorality is nothing new.

Why aren’t we teaching the youth to change the world through the power of Christ. Christ is the one who changes lives, not agendas or protesting. We’re becoming more militant and less loving. As we walk down this road, we become less and less like Christ.

Are we in a battle? Yes, but it isn’t against flesh and blood (Eph 6:12). If this is true, then why fight against flesh and blood? Where is pursuit of the Lord? Where is prayer? Christianity isn’t about morality, it’s about a revolutionary, all-encompassing, life change. Christ came to free, liberate and ransom the hurting and lost - not to condemn them.

In this video, are we any step closer to sharing Christ with the people who are protesting against the Battle Cry kiddos? News flash: we’re all sinners and no better than anyone else. Christ came to save us all, and some of us have stumbled upon His grace and live in it. It’s not about anything we did, it was a free gift for all. Some are in the light and some aren’t. It’s our job to love those who aren’t in the light, to share with them what Christ has done for them. That is it.

Our battle cry? Follow Jesus with every ounce of your being. Fight out the battle within ourselves versus our flesh. Love others. Love God. Share Christ. If we want a movement to change things, this is the only recipe. Otherwise we’re just angry and ranting with sweet Christian rock music playing.

Just got back from taking 48 kids to Acquire the Fire, a two day conference mixed with speakers and bands. Here’s my review from a perspective as a youth worker and from the reactions from the youth.

I wasn’t impressed. I felt it was overall half baked.

What was good? Skillet. Skillet. Skillet. Man did those guys put on a good show. Some bands put out good Cd’s, but stink live (worst I’ve heard: Smashmouth - absolutely putrid). They had a great stage presence, engaged the audience well, and sounded amazing. They were my highlight and moved themselves just below U2 in my best performers I’ve experienced live. WOW is all I can say. They made everything worth it.

Other than that, it wasn’t very good. The overall theme was not very defined: you need Jesus and culture is bad. I love it when people preach that advertisers and the cultural machine only want your money, then you see concert promoters selling t-shirts for 25-30 bucks! And this really got me. I’ve already paid $55 bucks for the concert, then they send around the offering plates! If you need money for scholarships to ATF next year - take it out of my ticket price (and I sure don’t remember being offered these scholarships for our kids - we raised our own money)!

I love these types of events and I hate them as well. I cringe when I hear “You want to rock it for Jesus!” No, I don’t. We took non-churched kids to this and it’s a weird cultural experience. They feel weirded out and I feel ashamed that I’m surrounded by “Christians.” The funny thing is they act this way, all amped up and sold out for Jesus, but walk outside and drop F-bombs. At least my kids drop them consistently. Our kids felt the hypocrisy in the room - and it was thick.

But I don’t want to sound all bitter about the event. All of this really lead to great discussions with some of our guys. Some of them made commitments that weekend. And I firmly believe that any time you spend more than a couple of hours with kids, good things happen. It was time well invested, we laughed, we shared and we cried. God moved… just not in the way I expected.

Sometimes I walk into these events hoping they they will be a “magic pill” that will revolutionize these kids. And it doesn’t. It’s the time we spend with them, not the lights and entertainment that change them. Investment and time will lead to opportunities to speak into them that no concert or event can do.

ATF: 2.5 out of 5 (without Skillet 1.5 out of 5)

For more on Ron Luce and ATF go here.

I’m gone this weekend to ATF.

We’ve partnered with a local church and are bringing 60+ students to Acquire the Fire - 2 days filled with concerts and speakers. Bands like Skillet and Leeland will be headlining. I’m pumped and will give you a report when we get back!