January is Poverty in America Awareness Month

Are you informed about poverty in our nation...?

Check out this online quiz:
http://www.usccb.org/cchd/povertyusa/povquiz.shtml

Think you have tough choices in YOUR life?
Here's a glimpse at the financial choices a family living below the poverty line must make:
http://www.usccb.org/cchd/povertyusa/tour.htm

11/2/08 - MSYG Discussion Questions

Here's what we covered today in middle school youth group:

Upon Arrival: Lunch & Discussion ...

• What are your favorite things about living in America?
• How does it feel to cast a vote?
• Why is voting so important for Americans?

Game: "Truth or Deception"...

• How does it feel to be searching for something while blindfolded?
• How this similar to knowing truth from deception in our daily lives?
• What can you count on for help?
• Is there such a thing as absolute truth? (If no, why is that a logical fallacy?)

Topic Introduction: “Catholic AND American”...

• Someday you'll have the privilege to vote in our country. What knowledge will be necessary in order to do it responsibly?
• How will you make decisions? How can you be sure to find the truth and follow it?
• What are some important issues for American Catholic voters?

Small Group Work: Discover More...

Group # 1 - Conscience [1]

• What is it and where do we get it?
• How should we use it? How can we form/inform it?
• What role does it play in our daily lives? In voting?

Group # 2 - The Common Good [2]

• What is it? What is our role in contributing to the common good?
• Give an example of this principle at work in nature.
• Give examples of how our small, daily actions can effect it.
• Give examples of how big, political actions can effect it.

Group #3 - Non-Negotiable Issues [3]

• What five political issues are against the Church's moral teachings?
• Briefly explain why each of these are wrong.

[1]
Catechism of the Catholic Church – glossary, #1706, #1732, #1776 -1785, #1795-1802
Catholic Faith Handbook – p. 209, 233-235, 405
http://www.caaction.com/PDF/Voters-Guide-Catholic-English-1p.PDF

[2]
Catechism of the Catholic Church – #1738, #1898, #1905-1912, #1924-1927, #2237-2240
Catholic Faith Handbook – p. 219-221, 280, 404
1 Peter 2:13-17

[3]
http://www.caaction.com/PDF/Voters-Guide-Catholic-English-1p.PDF

See also:
http://www.ewtn.com/vote/brief_catechism.htm
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pSEaDov37R0

New widget!

Thanks to "More Than Dodgeball" youth pastor blogger, Joshua Griffin, I discovered the new FREE application that allows people to send me a text message directly from our youth group web page...

I wonder if anybody will actually try it??

Hope so! :)

(You can get the widget for yourself here: http://3jam.com)

What you missed...The Great Adventure, Sessions 1 & 2

Our high school and middle school youth groups have started a series of sessions called "The Great Adventure".

To get a sense of what we've been discussing, check out the questions we've covered, below:

SESSION #1

• Do you ever catch yourself wishing you could be a certain character or that your life could be like your favorite movie?
• What are some characters that represent what your life is like NOW?
• Is the clip about Napoleon kind of like a typical day in YOUR life? The best plan you’ve got is playing with an action figure while you ride the bus to school?
• What characters/movies do you WISH your life could be like?
• What are the common elements of a great story/film? Common archetypes of characters?
• If you could plan and direct your life like a movie (or wake up in your favorite movie), what would it be like? What role would you play?
• What would the “plot” look like? Who would be involved? Where would you go?
• Does life sometimes feel like a movie you’ve walked into 40 minutes after it’s started? How so? Do you think life sometimes feels like a movie, or vice versa? Why?
• Where does this formula for a good story come from? Where does our culture get it’s love for stories?
• The world is involved in a cosmic story, and we’re part of it, whether we recognize it or not! If we look at salvation history, we see the exact same elements in that story. How do all stories begin?

SESSION #2

• Last time we talked about good movies. Let’s start today with some good songs. What are some popular songs that are part of our American pop culture?
• If what we create reveals something about ourselves, how would you categorize each of these songs according to what “desire of the heart” they express?
• If we look at technology or nature, can we see examples of how the instincts or “drives” of something point toward that thing’s purpose?
• What are the “drives” we see in our own selves? Why are WE so motivated to fall in love, etc.?
• Where do these deep desires of every person come from? How do our deepest desires, especially for love and belonging, point toward our purpose AND our origin?
• One of the deepest human longing is to be chosen, to be invited in (because we echo the Trinity in our desire for relationships). If people feel this longing but can’t recognize it’s source, what are some of the ways they try to satisfy it?

Related Scriptures - We refered to a verse or passages from Genesis 1, John 1, John 4, and Revelation 19.

TOP TEN REASONS TO TRY YOUTH GROUP:

10. Football games don’t start that early, right? (MSYG meets at noon on Sundays)
9. After being home on Saturday, there’s no food left in your house by noon on Sunday.
8. You’re already here for the 11:00 Mass.
7. Homework is like Purgatory: why go there before you absolutely have to?
6. Positive spiritual activity in the lives of youth often leads to positive spiritual activity in the lives of their parents.
5. You’re still not sure whether Adam & Eve had belly buttons.
4. Rumor has it you can earn extra points from Mrs. Prevot for attending.
3. You haven’t discovered yet how to pray while simultaneously playing charades.
2. As Bishop Conley would say, “If you want to go to Heaven, why walk when you can take the bus?!”
1. We will be really glad to see you!

How is God working in YOUR life this week?

From a young adult who volunteers her time at All Souls:

God got my Mom and I home safe from Europe this week and looked after us while we were away. We had many trials on this pilgrimage but since God was so prevalent in our group, we were able to make the best of the situation.

Has EWTN joined the 21st Century? :)

To be honest, I usually only watch EWTN when I'm trying to fall asleep, since the voices, music, and graphics on their channel are usually either nondescript, soothing, boring, or some combination of the three... (with the exception being Fr. Corapi, who has a voice created to preach).

Anyway, I just caught a quick clip from their latest creation, "Crossing the Goal", a show about masculine spirituality based on a sports desk/talk show concept. The good news: it actually looks like somebody put away their 1990's floppy disk with "Catholic Clip Art for Classy Bulletins" and handed the concept/design over to a legit graphic artist.

You can check it out here:
http://www.crossingthegoal.com/video

I'll have to try watching a whole episode to see if it's engaging. I wonder if they'll feature "player profiles" or "sideline commentary"...instead of just hanging out in their fancy studio sound stage.

In Case You Missed It:

Here are the youtube clips from our "Jaywalking" session (we used a smaller segment of each).





And here are the related discussion questions for families to consider at home:

1. If you saw a Jay Leno walking toward you on the street, would you talk to him if he stopped you to ask questions for his “Jaywalking” segment?
2. How would you respond if he asked, “Why do you attend youth group?”
3. What if he asked you, “Who do you say Jesus is?”
4. Why does it matter who we say Jesus is?
5. Would knowing—really knowing—your answer to this question change anything in your life?
6. If we’re not sure how to answer this question, how can we discover WHO he is? Where can we look?
7. What are some examples of “Fake Jesus” we see in pop culture?
8. Who is Jesus NOT?
9. Refer to Matt 16:13-17

A walk in the park...

While I'm looking forward to the golden aspens of autumn, a few lucky office workers will still be appreciating a "walk" through lush, green grass with these grass-growing flip-flops that Krispy Kreme passed out in the UK. (The grass allegedly lasts four months! That's well into blizzard season here in Colorado...) :)

What do grass-growing flip-flops have to do with youth ministry?

Well, since I can relate just about any two apparently incongruous topics, let me tell you!

I just returned from a wonderful retreat in Vail, CO. It's a three day/two night retreat opportunity offered annually for youth ministers in the Archdiocese of Denver. In addition to praying and worshipping together, we learn from a guest speaker, and share ideas on topics like mission trips, volunteer appreciation, and peer ministry training. The best part, though, is the chance to hang out with each other. It was so great to spend time together on the ride up, over meals, on walks, while playing "Battle of the Sexes", and in our rooms at night, chatting before falling asleep in the big, comfortable beds, piled high with feather pillows and down comforters. (And no, we obviously weren't "roughing it"! I called it a retreat--not a pilgrimage or a mission!)

What's that have to do with odd, grassy flip-flops? I kinda think both offer an opportunity to "step" out of the ordinary. While the flip-flops might remind us of a carefree romp through a green, grassy meadow, a retreat reminds us of our God-given purpose and our calling to our True Home...Heaven. There's something about a retreat that puts our ordinary lives in perspective and arms us for returning to the battle of daily life. And I firmly believe that retreat experiences are essential to the life of any practicing Christian. After all, Jesus modeled it for us! He spent 40 days in the dessert before he entered into his work on earth as prophet, priest, and king. Who are WE to insist we don't need a similar time of prayer, reflection and formation?!

When was the last time you experienced a retreat opportunity? Have you ever?? We'll have both fall and spring retreat trips for both junior and senior high youth. Consider joining us. (And if you're a parent, we can help you find opportunities for grown-ups, too!)

Oh, by the way, Vail was beautiful.

We were awed and blessed by the chance to spend a few days there!

Who's YOUR prayer ninja??

I just ran across this awesome blog:

"Stuff Christians Like" (http://stufffchristianslike.blogspot.com/) - it's mostly a tongue-in-cheek commentary on all things stereotypically Christian (i.e., especially regarding "Christian"as it applies to American Evangelical Protestants).   

And I thought this post on "prayer ninjas" was classic:

http://stufffchristianslike.blogspot.com/2008/08/373-prayer-ninja.html

So what do you think?  Do you know any?  If not, maybe you should embark upon a personal journey to BECOME one...  

Because who knows?  Maybe they'll make a movie about you someday.  They could call it "Karate Kid, Part XVI: The Catholic-Ninja-Prayer-Warrior".  :) 

A good, good day!

I just have to share what an awesome day we just had!

A few All Souls adult leaders and I spent today [Saturday] at St. Mary's parish for the archdiocesan youth leadership conference, "EQUIPP".  There were dozens of other youth ministers and adult volunteers in attendance, in addition to some fantastic, nationally recognized youth speakers and musicians.

Those who spoke were totally on fire with the Holy Spirit.  Here's a few quotes from my notebook:

"If you knew the cure to cancer, would you tell someone about it?!  Of course!  Well, we have something just as amazing and valuable: we have the cure to a broken heart!  We have Christ--and we're being called to offer him as a cure to others." ~ Tammy Evevard

"God is NOT going to stop pursuing you!" ~ Jim Beckman

"Pray for the virtue to desire heaven, because that which we desire we pursue." ~ Matthew Pinto

"When people ask me how to pray, I say, 'Just think about your life! Think about how you haven't talked to your brother in years or how your spouse doesn't pray or how you're worried about how to pay your bills.'  YOUR LIFE is like a bouquet of brokenness you can offer to God." ~ Matt Maher (pictured above)

I guess it goes without saying: with Matt Maher in attendance, the music was fantastic.  So prayerful.  And sacred and powerful. 

Oh, plus, an awesome vigil Mass with Bishop Conley, who shared the story of his college spring break in France, where he saw a monk walk on water (obviously a perfect anecdote to share in connection with this weekend's Gospel!).

Ahhhh.  Like soul candy, huh?  :) 

TOP TEN REASONS TO SIGN UP FOR THE ROAD TRIP:

10. You haven’t had the opportunity to sing “99 bottles” yet this summer.
9. Your little brother/sister isn’t allowed to come.
8. It’s not hot enough in Colorado.
7. Mexican food always tastes better in New Mexico.
6. We haven’t established a 2008 Eye Spy Champion, yet.
5. You never miss an opportunity to signal a truck driver to let out a honk.
4. Truck stop snacks are good for your figure. Oh, wait.
3. Trash-bag-sledding on giant hills of sand is a must before you graduate.
2. Your mom can’t make you do any chores if you’re in another state. (Probably.)
1. You’ve always wanted to paint “Santa Fe or BUST!” on a minivan.

Saturday in the Park

As you'll see below, we had a great time on our June 7th "fun day"; it included the Walk for Alternatives in downtown Denver (along the S. Platte River), then hanging out at the skate park (also downtown)--which apparently can still be enjoyed without any sort of skating apparatus--followed by lunch at Noodels & Co., and finally the latest Narnia movie, Prince Caspian. Lighthearted enjoyment was had by all.

Look! So great!

Check out the extended quotation from Msgr. Conley's homily from this evening's vespers @ Christ the King. 

I don't recall ever hearing him talk about his time in France, when he first started discerning his call to the priesthood, so the story about the crucifix he found while traveling there was a new to me. 

If he's our auxiliary bishop, that means he won't get to stay in Denver for long right? Is it understood that he'll soon be moved to his own episcopal see? Such a sad thought on such a happy occasion...

All Souls' Summer VBS Program

I just saw what we'll be using for our elem. summer VBS program. It looks really fun!

It's published by Group, so I'm sure it will be a great resource.

The program is supposed to replicate first century Jerusalem and includes spunky cartoon illustrations, in which Jesus looks like a super cool dude.  Makes me want to invite him over for a round of dreidel spinning and a healthy snack of hard boiled eggs and parsley.  

Summer in the city...Saturday in the park!

Name those songs! (The 2 in the post title...)

Here's an upcoming event I'm really looking forward to:

WHO: All Youth (family and friends welcome!)
WHAT: Walk in a downtown park, go to lunch, see a movie
WHEN: Saturday, June 7th (8am until approximately 3pm)
WHERE: Drop off and pick up at All Souls Parish parking lot
WHY: Get out of the house and enjoy Denver in the summer!
HOW: RSVP to Haley by Thursday, June 5th (permission slip required)

Plus, Narnia movies are gorgeous...



Can you believe it's been 3 years since the last one was released?!

According to the USCCB review, Prince Caspian is a "less emotionally absorbing follow-up" to The Lion, the Witch, & the Wardrobe. Apparently, "[t]his is in keeping with the bellicose second volume in C.S. Lewis' seven-part series, which has a thinner plot and affords less opportunity for character and thematic development."

The reviewer at LifeTeen would blame this on puberty:

There's a story about growing up, keeping your faith, and trusting your friends in this movie, but it's a story that doesn't get going until the second half. The story, much like it's actors, has a kind of awkward puberty; the first half kind of stumbles around without any particular grace or flair before it gets to blossom. The Telmarine world is much like our own - no special effects any everyone is human. This land of men has no room for Aslan, and neither does this part of the story. We want armor and sword fighting! We want magic! We want Aslan! (Whew, got a little carried away). It's true. Everyone is waiting for Aslan, and when he shows up, we really get cooking. It's a good thing the movie's over 2 hours, because there's a whole lot of action packed into the second half of Prince Caspian...

Regardless, I'm really excited to see it for myself! Aslan has always been a favorite literary character of mine... (I wonder if perhaps I shouldn't be ok with an animalistic allegorical representation of our Heavenly Father, but it works so well, I can't find the heart to object!)

Song of the Week

I am completely smitten with the Shaun McDonald song that's been playing on 89.7 WAY-FM this month:

"Captivated"

as found on his latest album, "Roots".

You can listen here or here.

High School is Tough

Just like Chuck Norris.



Are you ready for it??

Join us for Freshmen Survival Nights - coming this summer!

Beginning Wednesday, June 4th
Continuing every other Wednesday
7:30pm-8:30pm in the youth house
RSVP to Haley (permission slip required)
Friends and classmates welcome!

Latest Jack Johnson Album

I haven't heard this yet, so I stopped to read a review.

Did you know he's a Hawaiian native? (Apparently, my sister has known this for ages and I've been living under a rock--or is that an 8-track?)

Blind Bowler Rolls Perfect Game

I saw this shortly after the 8th grade bowling party last week...made me smile!

Check out the full article here (www.stormlake.com/topstory.htm).

Have you laughed yet today?

Springtime of the Soul

Did you notice the beautiful spring blooms on many of the trees in the neighborhood last week?  There was an amazingly pink, fluffy looking tree right next to the youth house, but it was only pink and fluffy looking for a matter of days.  Then it was gone.  

Now I'm glad I appreciated the bloomy goodness while it lasted, because I can't help but wish the colors of spring would last just a few weeks longer.  But maybe that's like wishing a birthday cake would last a little longer.  Who would want to eat a crusty two-week old slice of cake?  And eat it again the next day.  And the next. 

This reminded me of a talk I recently heard about our spiritual lives.  One of the points that struck me was how to deal with dryness in your prayer life by remembering times of more fruitful prayer and spiritual sustenance.  In other words, when we don't feel close to God, we should find hope and promise in the memory of a time when we did, for if we experienced consolation in the past, there's reason to hope we'll have it again--at some point--in the future.  

So here's to anticipating next year's blooms and birthday cake...and whatever/whenever the next spiritual blessing will be.  For just as all good things do, they will come from the benevolent hand of our Heavenly Father, in whom we place our hope. 

A Slice of Abandon

by Steve Case

Abandonment is to give up that part of ourselves that is primarily concerned with ourselves. When the biblical David (the giant killer, poet, street musician, warrior, voyeur, adulterer, sage) returned to his city with the Ark of the Covenant, he danced at the front of the parade. He danced with joy and abandon and...pretty much naked. His wife berated him not for his exuberant dancing but for his exuberant dancing in front of the help. To her, his dancing was unseemly.
I admit I'd love to see who gets the freebie from the change I put back in the vending machine. Bit I take my cues from the mystery pie-buyer [mentioned earlier in the article] and leave. Abandonment is being able to live without acknowledgement, without the approval of the rest of the world. Jesus talked about those who prayed loudly in public simply so that others could see them pray. Jesus' suggestion? Pray in your closet.
So [we are encouraged] to...

• pray alone in [our] bedrooms,
• give without expectation,
• study the Bible only to get to know God--not to make life easier or happier,
• serve without thought of including it on [] college applications,
• praise a classmate for no reason, and
• make the coffee in the morning so Mom doesn't have to.

When we start to live without waiting for our thanks or acknowledgement, we free ourselves from the scratch-yours-scratch-mine mentality.

__________________
Group Magazine, vol. 34, no. 4, p. 58

In case you missed it:

Some of us went to the movies last Sunday and REALLY ENJOYED this Ben Stein documentary.  It was really interesting, went deeper than I expected (emotionally/sociologically), and even had a few funny parts.  Good idea for a date-night-with-your-mom-or-dad-flick. 

Cut (it out)

This was my first attempt at making a welcome video for our websites.  My sister said the pauses sounded canned.  I swore I wasn't reading from a script, but she didn't believe me, so we decided it was best I try again.  (But the thought of such self-torture might be too much to endure--again!)  :)