Hi, my name is Kevin Young.  And I have Psoriasis.

There, I’ve said it.

Psoriasis is probably one of the longest known illnesses of humans and simultaneously one of the most misunderstood.  Some scholars believe psoriasis to have been included among the skin conditions called tzaraat in the Bible. In more recent times psoriasis has been frequently described as a variety of leprosy (though it not). The Greeks used the term lepra (λεπρα) for scaly skin conditions. They used the term psora to describe itchy skin conditions.  Psoriasis is a non-contagious disorder which affects the skin and joints by causing itchy red, scaly patches which rapidly accumulate.  It is chronic and recurring… and most often, lifelong.

So why am I telling you all of this, many of whom I do not know and will never meet?

Society tells us we should hide the ups and downs of our personal lives, or at least the downs.  So we try to hide our problems in order to fool those around us.  Why?  Perhaps we wish to be seen as strong and viral - something more than human.  Or perhaps we don’t want the attention.  Often, I am afraid, we don’t want the stares and concern - the misunderstanding that comes from lack of knowledge.

Sally and I are pregnant with our second child.  In a recent discussion about Downs Syndrome we both agreed that we would not mind for a moment having a child with it… but the hard part was thinking about the way others would look at us, most likely with pity.  Perhaps that is why our culture seeks to hide and avoid any physical abnormality.

My psoriasis IS a physical abnormality.  But I do not wish to hide it.  Of course, it would be easier to do so, but in so doing I would be hiding a part of who I am and for better or worse it IS a part of who I am.

Surely, some look at me with pity.  And surely I have looked with pity at others who are unable to hide their abnormality.  But that must not keep me from being honest and open.

I sit writing these thoughts from the Waiting Room of a doctor’s office.  I’ve spent a lot of time in this room over the last three years.  My treatments began with topical creams and solutions.  They progressed through UV Light-ray therapy that is not unlike standing in a tanning bed.  Eventually I moved to a much scarier regimen of oral medicine that could only be taken for a short period due its destructive effect on the liver and digestive system.  We chose this one over lesser treatments because of our desire to get pregnant.  A few months later we found out Libbie was on the way and we knew that we’d made the right decision, and that life goes on.

After I was forced to come off the oral treatments I went to a new therapy that required self-administered shots on a weekly basis.  That treatment had few side effects, but unfortunately did not adequately control the disease.

Now I’ve progressed to a more long-term, but no less scary, treatment called a biologic therapy.  It is basically chemotherapy, a drug used to treat autoimmune disorders.  While it is a drug originally approved to treat severe arthritis, one of its side effects is immune system suppression, which in turn helps Psoriasis.  So every 6 weeks I go to a treatment center and relax for several hours as the drug is administered through IV infusion.

It all sounds scarier than it really is.

The cause of Psoriasis is unknown and there is no cure.  One doesn’t die from it, but probably will die withit.  Since the treatments generally all suppress the immune system, there is a higher risk for cancer, heart disease, and lots of other terrifying problems.  But life is unsure for all of us and out of all the ‘crosses’ I could be required to bear, I do not think this one comes close to ones that many others are required to carry.

So I survive, and I thrive.

It is now a part of who I am, and to know me know means you should also know this part of me.  It changes who I am on the outside as well as on the inside.

Now you may begin to understand my desire to maintain a healthy bodyweight and active lifestyle.  By so doing, I help minimize the effects of my disorder and perhaps even one day overcome it. 

The phrase “the heartbreak of psoriasis” is often used both seriously and ironically to describe the emotional impact of the disease.  The term can be found in various advertisements treatments; conversely, it has been used to mock the tendency of advertisers to exaggerate (or even fabricate) aspects of a malady for financial gain.

Be assured.  There is no heartbreak here.  Sure, it’s not something I would choose to battle… but this world is not my home, I’m just passing through.  This too shall pass.

www.stophiding.org

That desire for growth is at the heart of what can go wrong for many companies. Growth is the by-product of doing things right. But in itself, it is not a worthy goal. In fact, growth is the culprit behind impossible goals.

People do damaging things to force unnecessary growth.

This also applies to churches. Great attendance is the by-product of doing things right. Your goal is your God-given mission. When attendance becomes your goal, you risk doing damaging things for growth’s sake.

Remember, God cares about changed lives not accumulated lives. As long as you are focused on your mission and continually getting better at fulfilling it, you should be content with the by-product of doing things right.

And if your church has been thrust into the spotlight because of your attendance, methods, or pastor, be extra careful that you do not swap your God-given mission with the pursuit of growth. Jack Trout continues:

Did you ever wonder why very successful, privately held companies, such as Milliken or Gore-Tex, rarely show up in the press? It’s because no one is staring at their numbers quarter after quarter. All they have to worry about is their business. And if they are happy with it, that’s all that matters.

When people start staring at your ministry to see what you do next, it can be tempting to do things to please them rather than to please God. It can be tempting to make the newspaper, the blog posts, and the “cool” church lists. But if you are being a good steward of your God-given calling, that’s all that matters. Do not be concerned what anyone but God thinks.

[originally posted on Church Relevance]

Which made me think… Boy, I’m sure glad America’s churches aren’t run like the state of Illinois. Seriously. Otherwise we’d have a ton of churches and pastors giving preferential treatment and bending over backward for people in the church who give the most money.

Oh, snap!

. . . .

[originally posted at Monday Morning Insight]

By a nearly 2-to-1 ratio over any other option, unchurched Americans prefer churches that look more like a medieval cathedral than what most think of as a more contemporary church building.  The survey found that while billions are being spent on church buildings, overall church attendance is declining.

The article rightly implies that the unchurched prefer the more aesthetically pleasing look of gothic cathedrals because it speaks to a connectedness with the past.  The younger the person, the more they prefer the gothic to the contemporary.  “I don’t like modern churches, they seem cold,” said one survey respondent who chose the Gothic design. “I like the smell of candles burning, stained-glass windows, [and] an intimacy that’s transcendent.”

I’m finding that the ’seeker’ of today is not the seeker of decades past.  For years we’ve built and programmed our churches on the philosophy that the ‘unchurched’ don’t really want a traditional church experience.  And in some respects, that is still true.  They don’t want the trappings of a church that is judgemental, lifeless, condescending, and more concerned with themselves and their tradition than those in need who need the love and life of Christ.  What they DO want is connectedness, unity, and a sense of something beyond themselves.  The ‘tradition’ of being involved in a church that has deep roots, a rich history, and is connected to the life of Christ through a vibrant community is very inviting.

As I am preaching, writing, teaching, design media, editing video, or programming services, these thoughts are always on my mind.  How can I help those around me connect with God on a level that is deeper, richer, and more connected with the world around them.

Stained glass, sculpture, art, hymn, call and response, and other traditional elements might just be what the churched AND unchurched are longing for.  I wonder where my clerical collar is…

RALEIGH, N.C. — What was supposed to be an honor — a cover story about a group of successful women pastors — has instead been tarnished for a Durham non-denominational church leader.

Sheryl Brady, the 48-year-old pastor of The River Church, was featured among four other women pastors on the cover of Gospel Today, a Christian lifestyle publication based in Atlanta. The article, titled “Women Pastors: Breaking the Glass Ceiling,” was pulled from the shelves of LifeWay Christian stores because it upset the owner — the Southern Baptist Convention.

The convention believes the position of pastor is reserved for men. “I respect the theological debate about women in leadership and the Southern Baptist Convention’s decision to disagree, but to deny Gospel Today the right to freedom of the press to cover it and discuss it is alarming,” said Brady, who preaches in the Pentecostal tradition of prophesy, healing and speaking in tongues.

The Detroit native and her husband, Bishop Joby Brady, travel widely on the Christian conference and seminar circuit and grabbed the attention of Gospel Today founder and publisher Teresa Hairston.

Hairston said she was impressed with Brady’s dynamism.

“I was absolutely shocked,” said Hairston, when she learned last month that LifeWay and its 150 stores nationwide was pulling the September/October edition.

The chain is a major distributor, but the magazine is still widely available elsewhere.

A spokesman for LifeWay Christian Resources based in Nashville, Tenn., said the magazine story was contrary to the Southern Baptist denomination’s statement of faith and therefore stores were asked not to promote it. Customers may ask for a copy of it at the counter, said spokesman Rob Phillips.

Having been a member of a SBC congregation in Texas, as well as having been ordained in the denomination, this story is interesting to me.  I do know where I stand on women in the senior pastorate… but I am not sure where I stand on censorship.  Or, perhaps I do.  Do you?

I assumed that the press and blogosphere would be abuzz over this social gaffe.  Not so.

Last night, Senator Biden employed the same tactic multiple times in reference to McCain.  One can only assume that the democratic advisors assumed that if it worked once, it would work again.  And work it did, serving to demean McCain.

I never liked it when my republican counterparts referred to President Clinton as simply “Clinton” or just “Bill” during his term in office and I don’t like it now.

Come on people, let’s show some respect.

How do you measure, measure a year?

In daylights, in sunsets, in midnights
In cups of coffee
In inches, in miles, in laughter, in strife.

In five hundred twenty-five thousand
Six hundred minutes
How do you measure
A year in the life?

A year ago we began planning and working towards a new online presence for Mountaintop Community Church, the progressive church where I serve as Minister of Creative Media.  We occasionally measured the year-long journey in miles and laughter.  But typically, it was inches and strife.

We had thought the process would take a couple of months.  We were grossly naive.  Fall turned to Winter and we had rejected our first round of designs from the vendor.  Winter turned to Spring and we’d passed rounds two and three.  As Spring gave way to Summer we’d said no to a fourth round and all communication had broken down. 

Seeing no light at the end of the tunnel, we took the bull by the horns (as they say in Texas) and set out to design the site ourselves.  I became the design firm and my pastor became the client.  During a week of hashing out the design during a retreat to the mountains (about which I care not to speak), we finally came to the design you see today.  If we had tried to do the design ourselves a year ago, I don’t believe we would have ended up with as good a design as we did.

Now, as Summer turns again to Autumn, the site is live and we are moving on with finishing smaller elements of the site such as podcasting, video archives, live streaming, an online store, etc.

Some things I’ve learned:

1. Make sure you are comfortable with both the back-end updating software and the front-end design capabilities your vendor is offering.
2. Find great examples of great work from other great designers and churches.  It will help you communicate your ideas.
3. Form follows function.  While the design needs to be eye-catching and engaging, the ultimate test is functionality.  Is it usable and easily navigable?
4. Everyone that sees a ‘design comp’ will have an opinion, and every opinion will be markedly different.  While they are all important, the job of the designer or project manager is to communicate well using excellent design principles.
5. Opinions will change. As the project drew out, our goals and aesthetic preferences changed several times.  Keep good notes and document everything.
6. Bring your staff and congregation along throughout the process.  Keep them updated well and often.
7. No matter how much time you have, it’s never enough. 
8. A project is never finished, only abandoned.
9. There are worse projects to spend a year of your life doing.

COLUMBUS, OH — Mixed feelings. That’s the best way to describe how people feel about a controversial church sign that was seen in Blacklick this past week. For 24 hours, the message board outside Havens Corners Church, 6696 Havens Corner Rd., read, “I kissed a girl and I liked it, then I went to Hell.” The message refers to the chart-topping song by pop artist Katy Perry “I Kissed A Girl.”

Pastor David Allison said he didn’t put up the sign to draw attention to the church. “We didn’t intend to get into all this, but it’s become a bigger thing,” Allison said. He was just very concerned about the implications of the song for teenagers and what he called a music video so suggestive it borders on pornography. “If anyone’s seen the video and understands how lewd and suggestive the video is for this song, that is not something young people should go toward,” Allison said. He thought the message would be a loving way to remind teenagers that the Bible denounces homosexuality.

Taking a look at the other side of this story, some people can’t believe the church displayed that message so publically. A viewer sent us a picture of the sign with the subject title “Worst Church Sign Ever.” The sign was removed Thursday. Pastor Allison said it was not due to outrage. He said he received volumes of support from throughout the state. Instead, he said, it was confusing to many people who called in or e-mailed because they didn’t know to what he was referring. They were unaware of the song.

Equality Ohio said their “jaw dropped” when they saw a picture of the sign. “It was a little jaw-dropping. But it happens and we want people to know there are more than 300 welcoming and affirming churches across Ohio,” said Kim Welter, of Equality Ohio. They maintain while the church is free to air their opinion on a reader board, members of the gay, lesbian and transgender community will find more than 300 welcoming churches throughout Ohio.

Allison said they do welcome the GLBT community but believe they are engaged in sin.

I’m not really sure that I need to comment any further on this.  The terrible theology concerning what condemns one to hell notwithstanding, I see both side of the issue… I suppose.  I just wish the church could find ways to get press coverage in more positive ways.  I’m not sure the shock factor really helps much…. perhaps I am wrong.

In the ensuing years, many have moved on to other ministries, other churches.

I have as well.

But here, at a going-away party, a snapshot tells a story that words cannot.  Perhaps my smile gives more insight than mere words are able.  What does it say?…

Here is a group of people that I loved. 

They are the threads that wove through the tapestry of my time at Prestonwood.  A time that, overall, I greatly enjoyed.

The picture tells a truth about that time, that moment in which it was taken in, but it also lulls me into false perception that nothing has changed since then.  And yet, as I recall the stories of these volunteers’ trials over the year’s since the photo, I know that much has changed.

But that is the beauty of the picture.  It remains. It remains forever, unchanging.  I can look at it and remember the good times, forgetting the bad.  And there were many, many good times.

And in that moment I am there again with them.

The Prestonwood Media Team