As I wrote about yesterday, this week our church is hosting its annual VBS. I love hanging out with all of the little kids, but my favorite part is seeing all of our students serving. A large number of our high school and junior high students serve at VBS. I love seeing our youth making a difference in the lives of children.
Here are some nerdy youngsters who also made a difference.
Anakin Skywalker
Earlier this year Minor League Baseball’s Toledo Mud Hens paid homage to the Force by hosting a Star Wars night. Instead of just having Darth Vader throw out the first pitch or playing John Williams’s score throughout the night, the Mud Hens went all out by having their players wear Chewbacca jerseys. I love that Star Wars is popular enough to warrant baseball teams dedicating entire nights to it. I love the Chewbacca jerseys but here are some other nerdy jerseys I would like to see. Read more »
Memorial Day is in our rearview mirror, which means we have finally made it to the summer. Summer is a magical time in which we remember long days spent swimming, playing with friends and enjoying a vacation from school. Unfortunately, as we get older, summer just becomes the months when our commutes to work are hotter and we have to cover for more people as they take vacations.
As a youth pastor I still get some of the childlike feelings of summer. With our students out of school our ministry becomes more event-oriented with summer camps, pool parties and trips to amusement parks. I still have to work during the summer but most days I prefer riding roller coasters and watching baseball games to sitting under fluorescent lights in my office.
Even though I like my summers now, I still get nostalgic for some of my favorite, nerdiest summers. Check mine out below and hopefully they’ll jog your memory for some of your nerdiest summer experiences.
The Summer of 1999
As I wrote about yesterday I was on a retreat this week. I had a great time getting away, spending time in solitude and connecting with God. The setting was very conducive to the retreat as we were tucked away in the foothills at a beautiful Catholic retreat center. I can only imagine that things would have gone much worse had we gone to one of these nerdy settings.
Mustafar
While we may not know that much about Episode 7, Disney did announce yesterday the direction of the animated Star Wars universe. Star Wars Rebels will be an all-new animated Star Wars series that focuses on the era between Episode 3 and Episode 4. Check out the announcement video below for some more details.
I never watched The Clone Wars but I’m really excited for Rebels. As a child of the original trilogy I’m a much bigger fan of that era than of the prequels. It’ll be great to see how the nascent Rebellion grows into a movement that eventually topples the Empire.
Here are some things I’m hoping to see in Rebels. Read more »
When I was younger Return of the Jedi was my favorite movie. I loved almost everything about the movie.
I love the fight on Tatooine.
I loved the fight on Endor.
I loved the fight in space.
I loved the fight between Darth Vader and Luke.
I guess I just really liked all the fighting and action in Jedi. As a seven-year-old boy, though, what’s not to like about lasers, lightsabers and lightning fingers? However, I didn’t like the long boring lull in the middle. I almost fell asleep every time after the battle at the Sarlacc pit and didn’t really wake up again until the speeder bikes on Endor. All of the talking with Yoda, Ben, Mon Mothma and General Madine was the worst; it was so boring.
The Bible tells an amazing story about God’s love for humanity. Like Return of the Jedi, though, it has some really boring parts. Below are some boring Bible stories. Read more »
And we’re back.
I took a week off from blogging because I’m going through a trying season right now. Nothing too terrible but it was nice to take some time off. I’m still not completely through my season but there are some exciting things happening at TheChristianNerd this week, of which you’ll be made aware on Friday. In order to get ready for those exciting things I thought I’d get back to blogging.
One of the best parts about my current season is the people who have encouraged me. I have a tremendous wife as well as tremendous friends and family who have supported me, loved me and encouraged me. They have set an amazing example of what it means to be encouraging. If I needed more examples, though, I could look to these nerdy encouragers.
Chewbacca
Alycia and I have been married for a little over two and a half years. Even though we’ve only lived in apartments, over that time we have been building our home together. For us that has meant learning each other’s rhythms of rest and activity, figuring out how to best share a meal together and watching a lot of Netflix.
Building our home together has been one of the best parts about being married. God tells Adam that he will leave the home of his father in order to be with his wife. When I was younger I thought that leaving the rent-free comfort of my parents’ home would be a tragic experience. While I miss a fridge full of groceries I didn’t purchase, I have to say God knew what he was doing. Leaving my parents’ home to build a home of my own with Alycia is one of the truest blessings my life has never known.
Our home together could be even more blessed, though, with some of these nerdy additions.
R2-D2 Trash Can
I enjoy spending time with God. For me that mostly means reading God’s word, going through liturgical prayers and spending time in silence. For Alycia, though, that means spending time with God in nature. She likes reading the Bible and praying but she really gets a lot out of nature. So yesterday we went on a hike together.
Here are some nerdy environments through which I would like to take a hike.
Forest Moon of Endor
The Chicago Cubs kicked off their 2013 season yesterday. I’ve been a fan of the Cubs since I was a child even though they’ve brought me more heartache than joy. I don’t have much hope for this season but, as always, hope springs eternal.
Here are some of the most hopeful moments in nerdom.
The Empire Strikes Back
