So, maybe I need to lay off the books for a little while (yeah, right).  Last night at church, during “Cross-Examination” (a nifty title I came up with for a discussion group where we examine cultural phenomena in light of the gospel), I simply could not talk.  Well, it’s not that I couldn’t talk, but that the words that were running through my head were words that most of our kids don’t know.  So I would start to say something and be like, “uhhh, what’s that word? Oh yeah, ‘agree’.”  It happened constantly throughout the night.  I was the laughing-stock of my high school students.

Random coincidence: Scot McKight posted a few days ago about academics writing for the church.  Basically, he says that it does no good for acadmics to write books only in the academic genre.  Instead, their study and reflection should be for the edification of the church; therefore, much of their writing, while being founded upon quality research, should be readable by the majority of believers.  I agreed.

In my case, I need to be able to talk so that my kids can be edified.  I enjoy reading Wright, Vanhoozer, and others, but if I can’t allow their insights to transform the way I minister with teens (or worse yet, if they hinder my ministry with teens), then a solution must be found. 

As fun as it is to use big words, kids aren’t impressed; they just get bored and confused.  And I don’t want to be boring and confusing.