Fiction Fridays

Posted on September 1, 2009 by

Today, September 1, 2009, marks the first day of a new chapter of my life. It’s very sad to move on from TFC, but I’m very excited for things to come. I’m working Mon-Thur programming and am able to devote all day Friday to working on fiction. It’s gonna be awesome. Expect great things!

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Skillet’s Awake

Posted on August 31, 2009 by

This blog is devoted to Unashamed Studios — and there are exciting things happening in that realm — but I can’t help but inject my take on the beautiful Skillet Awake t-shirt and CD that were patiently waiting for me to get back from vacation:

First, I’m no fan of the CD cover-art (sorry, John – you have a nice face, but the mummy thing looks a bit cheesy), but the t-shirt sports some dark and edgy art instead.

By far, my favorite two songs are Monster and Sometimes, which are brutally honest. Monster: “stay away from me / the beast is ugly / i feel the rage and i just can’t hold it / it’s scratching on the walls / in the closet, in the halls / it comes awake and i can’t control it”. Sometimes: “Sometimes I find it hard to believe / there’s someone else who could be / just as messed up as me”.

Lucy comes in just under those two, a slow ballad which I’m guessing is about an aborted baby: “I left a dozen roses on your grave today … I’ve gotta live with the choices I made / and I can’t live with myself today … I’ll see you in another life / in heaven where we never say goodbye / Here we are, now you’re in my arms / here we are for a brand new start”.

On the next tier are Hero, Awake & Alive and Forgiven. All solid songs with good themes, cool strings and guitars, standard Skillet fare – but now we’ve got Jen Ledger doing some female vocals which add an awesome, piercing dimension. Lyrically, there is a definite leaning towards our ability and responsibility to change the world and make a difference (which would make sense, given that I’ve heard Skillet is Amillennial/”let’s-usher-in-the-kingdom”). I had too much “you can change the world” kool-aid in high school, but I actually find it refreshing now – a much-needed balance of perspective, since I now run in circles that often over-emphasize the Sovereignty of God.

The six songs above are definitely worth the price of the album.

Never Surrender (Make Me Feel Better) and One Day Too Late are ok I guess, but Never Surrender feels a bit overly emotion-driven and content-less – and One Day Too Late is a great message, but it seems like it’s been said on almost every CD I own and I wish Skillet had worked harder on saying it differently or more creatively…

It’s Not Me It’s You is musically good and heavy, but lyrically… the only one I feel comfortable singing this song to is the devil – and it’s appropriate for him, as our accuser – but the verses make it clear it’s directed to a person: “So here we go again / the same fight we’re always in / i don’t care so why pretend / wake me when your lecture ends / you tried to make me small / make me fall and it’s all your fault / with the pain you put me through / and now I know that it’s not me it’s you”. The heavy dose of blame is very similar to Collide’s Open Wounds; I’m sure it strikes a chord with hurting and abused teens, but doesn’t seem exemplary. I much prefer the way Plumb relates to the same audience, but turns it in an exemplary direction with the song Damaged (Redemption extended version).

Don’t Wake Me, Should’ve When You Could’ve and Believe are my least favorite songs on the album. John Cooper mentioned in an interview that the sentiment in Don’t Wake Me is juvenile/high school. I feel that way about all three songs. I realize that Skillet’s working to reach secular high school students and that I’m definitely not in that target audience. These songs authentically explore the various sides of immature high-school relationships. My hope is that high school students – even immature ones – appreciate older people shedding some mature light on their experiences, helping them understand, interpret and react to them — unfortunately, Skillet doesn’t seem to go beyond the experiences themselves in these three songs.

Don’t get me wrong — Skillet is still one of my favorite bands and some of these songs are incredible. I can’t imagine the pressures of success, working with Howard Benson and trying to reach a secular audience. It is admittedly a bit of a bummer for a single Skillet CD to have three songs I don’t like. Now for a bit of a pipe-dream: what if Skillet pulled away from nu-metal a bit and tried blending in a little gothic metal (Lacuna Coil) or new-wave electronic (The Faint)? What if Skillet mixed in richer theology (Lecrae’s Rebel) or poetic cosmic truth (Project 86′s Picket Fence Cartel)? One can always dream… :-)

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Stepping Down from Teens For Christ NW

Posted on July 25, 2009 by

Stepping down

On August 1st, 2009, I resigned as Executive Director. I will continue through August 31st, training the new Executive Director, Adam Borries.

Why?! Isn’t this rather sudden?

I decided to resign in mid-May, but the factors motivating the change started last fall. In October, I came to the conclusion that it was healthier and more Biblically sound to disciple teens in a church body, instead of a non-profit organization. I planned to discontinue our youth group and instead support local youth groups by doing youth conferences and magazines.

However, as I began to develop a clearer vision of what I wanted to do, I realized that in the long term it wouldn’t be compatible with Teens For Christ NW. TFC has an broad doctrinal statement and a Board of Directors with a variety of theological viewpoints. In contrast, my vision was very theologically specific. While it’s possible to launch a ministry with a different doctrinal statement and philosophy of ministry under TFC’s banner, it’s wiser and safer to launch it independently.

So… what’s next for TFC?

Thankfully, we’ve got this awesome guy ready to take over. Two years ago I asked Adam Borries to direct our Bible Quizzing program. He’s done very well with it and is still passionate about promoting & growing it. He is also an alumni of the youth group and is passionate about reviving it and training new student leaders.

One big challenge for Adam will be balancing his ambitions for TFC with the priorities and needs of his new marriage. Please ask God to give him wisdom and self-control in this.

What’s next for you?

I am on the leadership team of a new downtown church-plant, Grace Church Bellingham and am super-excited to lead & shepherd in a church. I’m also continuing to develop a magazine and Christ-glorifying fiction.

Won’t you miss us?

Yes. Most emphatically, definitely, yes. You have been a huge part of my life for four years. You’ve been extremely gracious, even when I was angry, proud or frustrating. I know I’ll miss you, but if God doesn’t allow us to keep in touch, we’ll catch up with each other when the Son rises on a new Day.

– your brother, Peter Rust

Executive Director, Teens For Christ

Sept. 2005 – Aug. 2009

For more details, read the longer version: http://www.tfcnw.org/youth-group/PetersGoodbyeLetter.pdf

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Jesus’ Return

Posted on July 11, 2009 by

Some more really awesome stuff from the email survey of Mark:

Watchfulness in Tribulation and Triumph

Part 2 (13:24-37)

I already covered most of this in the last email, because these sections are so interconnected, but there are a couple more cool things I’d like to bring out.

I like this quote from Edwards:

It is equally important to note what this glorious vision of the future does not affirm. There is no mention of a millennium, no new Jerusalem, no rebuilt temple, no restoration of Israel or the State of Israel, no battle of Armageddon, and no hints how and when Christ will return. About all these things, the text is silent. All these incidentals yield to the preeminent truth of the power and glory of Jesus’ future coming and the promise that His elect will be gathered to Him. This preview of the future ought not lure us to calculate when Christ will return, nor to fear what will happen, but to know that He will come to claim His own. His coming is His promise, and the gathering of believers to Him is our hope.

“you know that summer is near” … “you know that He is near, at the very gates”

“Summer” and “gate” or “door” are very positive words – while Jesus’ return is set in the middle of an apocalypse (v24-25: the sun/moon/stars blacking out and “heavenly powers being shaken”), it is set as a beautiful, positive thing – something we eagerly wait for and yearn for.

Expectancy and Vigilance

While the disciples are asking for a sign, so they can know when these things will happen, Jesus Himself is content that even He does not know. He is content to leave it in the hands of the Father alone – as we should be – and live “awake”, expecting it at any time.

Jesus’ return – seeing Him again and being with Him – was such a big deal for Peter, as we learn from tradition as well as his letters – and such a big deal for Christians in the 1st century. It’s a shame to see it neglected as it is today and consumed with insubstantial quarrels about times and dates. Jesus is coming back! I can’t wait. I love how this yearning is brought out in The Sands of Time are Sinking, one of my favorite hymns:

The sands of time are sinking

the dawn of heaven breaks

the summer morn I’ve sighed for

that fair, sweet morn awakes


Dark, dark, has been the midnight

But day-spring is at hand

And glory, glory, dwelleth

In Immanuel’s land


The bride eyes not her garment

But her dear Bridegroom’s face

I will not gaze at glory

But on my King of Grace

Dear Jesus, come back soon! Thank You for Your promise; teach us to treasure it and hold it close when we’re suffering and waiting. Please rip our minds and hearts from the things of this world, the petty things that charm me like shiny new software and new movies. You know my heart is prone to wander, please bring my attention back to You, help me to live today in the awareness of Your presence, Your compassion for me and Your imminent return. Yet with the same breath, I ask You for patience, that more might be saved. I want to see a remnant brought in from the gothic and indie electronica/dance subcultures. May Your Word go out and may many more be brought into Your amazing salvation!

– peter

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Two-thirds through Mark

Posted on July 8, 2009 by

I can’t believe there are only 9 days left in our 29-day study of Mark. Of course, we’ve taken a few breaks in the past month and will likely take a couple more before it’s all finished, but still – I’ve never studied so immersively before, it’s awesome!

Here are the most recent five links, which I just posted to the main outline. There’s tons of good stuff here and I’ve been getting better about being concise. Enjoy!

Mere Discipleship (9:30-50) 21 verses

“On the way” through Judea (10:1-52) 52 verses

The Barren Temple (11:1-25) 25 verses

Jesus and the Sanhedrin (11:27-12:44) 51 verses

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Mark: Removing the Veil, part 1

Posted on June 27, 2009 by

As you (hopefully) know, I’ve been working through a quick survey of the Gospel of Mark this month with my wife, a few students and staff. I normally won’t post these as blog posts, but this one was just too good. I am posting them online as HTML pages and linking them to the outline, as well as sending them out in email form each morning (let me know if you want me to add you to the email list).

Credit: the outline and many of the thoughts are from James R. Edwards’ excellent commentary on Mark.

This is starting to get really exciting, hold on to your britches.

Removing the Veil

Part 1 (8:10-30)

Here we reach Peter’s confession that Jesus is the Christ, which divides Mark in two like the Rocky Mountains. Before the confession, Jesus was criss-crossing the Sea of Galilee doing ministry, afterwards He’s heading resolutely to Jerusalem. Before the confession He was working with the masses, after He’s privately teaching His disciples. After the confession, He solemnly says “I tell you the truth” a dozen times – something He’d only said before once (3:28). Before the confession, He’s casting out demons and telling people to be quiet and not tell anyone who He is – we see none of this afterwards.

A Sign of Disbelief (8:10-13)

Jesus goes in the boat to Dalmanutha, a region probably on the Westernmost shore of the Sea of Galilee, just below the cliffs of Arbel. The Pharisees “come out” against Him, asking Him for a “sign from heaven”. This is different from the word for miracle – Jesus has been doing lots of miracles, but what they’re asking for is “a sign from heaven,” proof that God Himself is cool with what Jesus has been doing. Jesus response, though it doesn’t come across so much in English, is total dismay or despair, groaning in His spirit, signifying that He’s being pushed to the limit. His response of “no sign will be given to this generation” is literally a Jewish idiom that is the equivalent of “over my dead body” (Edwards: “if a sign shall be given to this generation, may I die”).

Right away, Jesus gets back in the boat and takes off. He has so had it with the Pharisees; their hardness of heart and total unbelief has pushed Him to the edge. They want “proof positive”. He’s been doing crazy-awesome miracles all along – He doesn’t require blind faith – but He does require some faith.

The Enemy Within (8:14-21)

In the boat on the way back, Jesus encounters more unbelief – but this time from His own disciples! He uses a riddle involving yeast to warn them to watch out for the hypocrisy and traps of the Pharisees and Herod and they think “yeast?! Oh no, we forgot bread!!” As if their unbelieving response to Jesus request “You give them something to eat” wasn’t bad enough (“Shall we go out and buy 200 days’ wages worth of bread?!”), now they’re freaking out because they forgot to bring the bread.

It’s interesting that Jesus doesn’t simple chew the disciples out for having no faith, but He points to the root of their lack of faith: not seeing or understanding. Genuine, saving faith isn’t blind faith, it’s faith based on hearing, seeing and understanding – paying attention to the miracles that Jesus has done for us.

The Touch that Gives Sight (8:22-26)

I’ve always been confused with this miracles – why Jesus does it in stages, making the man’s vision blurry and asking him if he sees – and the guy seeing things blurry “I see men, but they look like trees walking around”. I was like “What?! Why not just heal him all the way, the first time?”

But I never put it in context. It occurs right after Jesus chews the disciples out for not seeing, not understanding – “do you not yet perceive? … having eyes do you not see?” This miracles is all about sight – in the English several of the words for sight are the same, but the original Greek has eight different words for the nine instances of “seeing” in 8:23-25!

The man’s blurry vision at the beginning – “I see men, but they look like trees” – is parallel to the disciples after Jesus confession of the Christ. They recognize that Jesus is the One – the Messiah – but they (like everyone else) are expecting a military campaign and a reigning king. Their vision is still blurred. It’s not until after the resurrection that they will be able to see clearly, like the man at the end of the healing.

Peter’s Declaration of Jesus’ Messiahship (8:27-30)

I really like how Jesus asks “who do others say I am?” and “how about you, who do you say I am?” as two distinct questions, forcing the disciples to think for themselves and venture into the open with their own beliefs on the matter. I also love the question – it’s not about what Jesus has done, it’s about who He is. Who do you say Jesus is? I need to ask this question more often of teens who respect Jesus and Christianity, but haven’t taken the plunge. Who do you say Jesus is? Is He the Christ, the very Son of God?

Jesus, we honor You as the Son of God, the Judge of all, the coming King. We swear loyalty to You, yet we’re acutely aware of our own weakness and faithlessness. Please teach us to see, to hear, to pay better attention to You and all You’ve said and done for us, that our faith may grow and our lives be changed, in order that You may be exalted on earth, like You are in heaven.

– peter

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Gospel of Mark Notes

Posted on June 25, 2009 by

As mentioned in the previous post, I’m doing a 29-day walk-through of the Gospel of Mark with eight TFCers, reading about half a chapter each day and emailing study notes and devotional thoughts each day. At Jared’s request, I’m posting the notes here.

I’ll try to link each day’s notes as I complete them, starting with today’s (Mark 7:1-23) as well as gradually going back and posting and linking older notes. I’m not posting each set of notes as a separate blog entry because that would be too much traffic (I try to keep the blog to a max of 2 posts a week).

Credits: Up until Chapter 4, I was just using Scrogge’s Guide to the Gospels and a single-volume commentary by William MacDonald. For Chapter 4 and later, I borrowed Mark Lind’s Pillar commentary by James R. Edwards (edited by D. A. Carson), which has been excellent.

The Gospel Appears in Person (1:1-13) 13 verses

  • The Key to Mark & John the Baptizer: Forerunner of Jesus, The Baptism of Jesus & God’s Son meets God’s Adversaries (1:1-13)

 

Beginnings of the Galilean Ministry (1:14-45) 32 verses

  • The Gospel in a Nutshell, Calling the First Disciples & the Authority of Jesus (1:14-28)
  • A Day in the Life of Jesus, Journey Inward/Journey Outward & Jesus Trades Places with a Leper (1:29-45)

 

Trouble with the Authorities (2:1-3:12) 40 verses

  • The Authority of the Son of Man, The Scandal of Grace & Fasting and Feasting (2:1-22)
  • Lord of the Sabbath, A Question of Life and Death & The Open-Air Preacher (2:23-3:12)

 

Insiders and Outsiders (3:13-4:34) 57 verses

  • The New Israel, The Binder of the Strong Man & The Parable of the Sower and the Mystery of the Kingdom (3:13-4:20)
  • Hiddenness that Reveals & From the Insignificant to the Incomprehensible (4:21-34)

 

“Who then is this?” (4:35-6:6a) 56 verses

 

Witness to Jews (6:6b-7:23) 74 verses

 

Witness to Gentiles (7:24-8:9) 23 verses

 

Removing the Veil (8:10-9:29) 58 verses

 

Mere Discipleship (9:30-50) 21 verses

 

“On the way” through Judea (10:1-52) 52 verses

 

The Barren Temple (11:1-25) 25 verses

 

Jesus and the Sanhedrin (11:27-12:44) 51 verses

 

Watchfulness in Tribulation and Triumph (13:1-37) 37 verses

 

The Abandonment of Jesus (14:1-72) 72 verses

  • The Sacrifice of Faith, Preparation for the Passover & Oblation and Obduracy (14:1-31)
  • Gethsemane: Prelude to the Cross & the Arrest: Judas and Jesus (14:32-52)
  • True versus False Witness (14:53-72)

 

The Cross and the Empty Tomb (15:1-16:8) 55 verses

  • Pilate and Jesus & Scourge and Scorn (15:1-20a)
  • Crucifixion, the Son of God, Faithfulness versus Fearfulness (15:20b-16:8)

 

The Longer Ending of Mark (16:9-20) 12 verses

  • An Early Christian Resurrection Mosaic (16:9-20)
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