Afro-Bobby

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As most of you know Paul Dillick is now the Life Teen Coordinator. He is great at doing it, we have had a few meetings about my role is going to be. So far it is web master, help with teaching small group, retreats, podcaster, and be Queen of Heaven's Afro Greg, aka 

Afro-Bobby. I add the dash just for fun. So I am going to share the story on how all this came about. when I graduated Life Teen, I left knowing I was going to be on core some day, I had felt the call. It seemed important to take a year and breathe realize what I would have to do in college and get some other stuff together. Then in the middle of February I was talking to Mike Boyea and his awesome family after a Life Teen mass. Mike asked if I would like to be his assistant during the retreat, learn the ends and outs of what goes on. Help him, take  some pressure off of him.  I of course said yes, not knowing what I was in for. After I heard the call, and it seemed to be noticed that I had heard the call.

After the open house Paul and I had some great discussion and started on the web site. We also talked about podcasting and having Life night teachings, movie, book, and CD reviews. And that is how Afro-Bobby was born. I am really embracing this, with the Afro, and the personality it is really just a character that will have a media friendly program, things that Fr. Thom always thought would be good but we didn't have the people that had the time. 

I am very excited for this year in Life Teen things are changing, and I love the family that we have on core. It is going to be a great year!

~Bobby 

I Shall Be Healed

Like the last post showed I am a big BR fan, I have almost everything he has ever recorded and happen to be waiting for Back yard Galaxy- Drive-Thru Jesus, I ordered it and it is taking forever (OK it has been a week). I should say it feels like it is taking forever. I got Bob's most recent CD I Shall Be Healed for my birthday, it came out a week before and had to buy it via digstation.com. But I was stoked, for a few reasons

1. I had been waiting for this album all year long. 

2. It was all recorded during my last Steubanville (as a teen)

3. It is Bob Rice

4. I previewed every song like 10 times before I even got the CD

This CD is Bob's lighter side. If you want a rocking' you can play it with your non religious friends or like I did in the Weight Room then this is not your CD, Shining Like the Son is that kind of CD, Any way it is 8 tracks of  Adoration type Music, all but 1 song Bob wrote, and it just has a great feel. The lyrics are just amazing and catchy. Every one who I have given a copy to have loved it not just because it is Bob Rice, but because you can feel the real presence of God on this album.. It shows it isn't all about jumping up and down and being crazy. I knew before this conference that Bob would be soon putting out a new album, and it might be live, i think via his website. He recorded probably 30 songs the entire weekend, so really this is just a show of things to come aka an EP but it is still great. I hope he comes out with some thing soon that is a longer CD that has more of the upbeat craziness that is Bob Rice.  

I think it would be some what ostentatious for me to review the Album, because you know I will say every song is amazing and that Bob Rice is the King of All Catholic Music. I will just say that there will be a QofH Life Teen Podcast that will have a great review by me and hopefully some other people. I can tell you right now that this is one of Bob Rice's best.  

Bob-Rice

If you really know me you probably would discribe me in 4 short lines:
1. Catholic who is very passionate
2 Some who really LOVES is  girlfriend 
3. A good musician but terrible singer
4. A Bob Rice Super Fan 


If you are reading this and don't know who Bob Rice is then check out his web site Bob-Rice.com: 


In the Past few Hours I have been reading old blog posts of his. Laughing, smiling, and really learning. When I started this Blog the thought was a blog for teens by a teen but as I have posted it is going to change. I wasn't sure how I could teach the faith, like I would for a Life Night, Retreat, or a just a Talk. So while I was learning I came across a Part of a post that Calls us, as Catholics. Most of the time people who are Catholic Listen to Christen Protestant music (Chris Tomlin, David Crowder, Barlow Girl..ect) They read Protestant Books, and they Watch Protestant Preachers. We say things like "yeah, that church band is OK, but they are nothing like at the super church down the road." Or Yeah Fr. ____ is a good guy but his homilies are terrible and I would rather listen to Adam Romans, now he is entertaining and very engaging I saw him at Giant Eagle he said hi to me I only went to his church one time and he remember me". In this Post Bob Calls us to excellence, and to be engaging:


~Bobby 

...If we’re going to engage the culture (which is what the Church calls us to do), then there is one simple way- we have to be great.  Our music has to be excellent.  Our books have to be engaging.  Our acting needs to be real.  We shouldn’t use the word “Christian” or “Catholic” like a golf handicap.

A great example of this is Matt Maher.  If you don’t know him, he’s easily the most popular Catholic musician out there right now.  His song, “Your Grace Is Enough” was covered by Chris Tomlin and sold umpty million... I don’t know.  But he’s the thing right now.  

Why is he so popular?  Because he is spiritual?  Well, I know Matt personally and he really is very prayerful and spiritual.  But he’s also an amazing musician.  In fact, he’s one of the best musicians I’ve ever played with.  He is sensational at piano as well as guitar, notates music, studied theory, etc.  This isn’t someone who just picked up a guitar, learned four chords and started praising the Lord.  He is devoted, not just to God, but to his craft.  We can all learn from his example.

As Catholics, I feel we need to strive more for excellence.  We allow poor music at liturgies (isn’t it nice for them to volunteer their time?), lame homilies from priests (but he is really a nice man when you get to know him), poor writing in books (but doesn’t it have a nice theme?), bad acting in movies... the list goes on.  As a musician/writer/teacher/author I am making this challenge as much to myself as to anyone.  Have I been the jack of all trades and master of none?  To some extent, yes.  I’ve skimmed the surface of some of my talents and moved on to others instead of digging deeper and doing the work to find the living water underneath.  

It’s hard to do, and I’m not rallying against the lack of success (I’ve tried and failed many times) but the seeming lack of effort.  Preaching to the choir is easy because the choir has very low standards.  Yes, the choir needs attention- but so does the world.

And maybe that’s what gets me.  People seem content to stay in the bubble.  But the Church has never acquiesced to such laxity.  John Paul II wrote, “Involvement in the mass media, however, is not meant merely to strengthen the preaching of the Gospel. There is a deeper reality involved here: since the very evangelization of modern culture depends to a great extent on the influence of the media,  it is not enough to use the media simply to spread the Christian message and the Church's authentic teaching. It is also necessary to integrate that message into the "new  culture" created by modern communications.”  (Redemptoris Missio 37)  

EWTN does great ministry (will it ever air the “backstage” episode I recorded for them in February of 07?!?), but the Christian message also needs to be in NBC sitcoms, CBS dramas, the major radio stations, and the local cineplex.  We don’t always need to tie it up in a Catholic bow, like the Mormon commercials that used to end with, “This message was brought to you by the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints” (Though I wish Catholics had an add campaign of ANY kind.  Speaking of that, want to see a killer Catholic commercial?  Click here, then give them money so it can be seen on TV.)  

What is good?  What is evil?  How does evil effect us?  What is our purpose in life?  Is there more than just material things?  What is beauty?  These are the kind of questions that every human heart asks.  God has answers.  Catholic artists should use their gifts to express them.  I hope I do.

We live in a culture that thinks it can just pick up a microphone and be famous on American Idol.  Let’s not fall into that trap, but keep working on our natural talents to build up the supernatural kingdom.  As my dad was fond of saying, “The magic is... there is no magic.  Just hard work.”  Let’s be excellent, yet not rely on our excellence but God’s grace.  Jesus can do a lot with a little.  A boy gave a few loaves and some fish to Jesus and he fed thousands of men, women, and children.  

But the trick is that he gave ALL he had.

Do we?

PS.  I hope you noticed not one, but two triple-score vocabulary words in one sentence: acquiesced and laxity.  I was going to also use the word ubitquous (one of my favorite new words), but I thought that would be over the top.  Besides, I don’t know what “ubitquous” means, nor do I want to.  Because the mystery of it makes it sound so... ubitquous.  Don’t you think?

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Song

If you have not read the blog on written prayer then check it out
 (http://x-tremeforjesus.blogspot.com/2010_07_01_archive.html ).
 This is going to be a very worship fiilled blog because that is what it is about. 
St. Augstine said . Singing is praying. When one sings one prays twice  


So sing some worship:

Easy! right!


~Bobby 
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Now if that is all you think i would talk about then you are very wrong. 
When we sing our praises to God it doesn't matter how you sing. weather you are way flat, or sharp, and if you sing perfectly awesome. That is my faviort thing. is that it doesn't matter God loves your voice he loves everything about you that is why you are you.


I am reminded of a Jars of Clay Song 





All worship songs have some verse tied to them or some group of verses or atleast are just a thought. We are completely in touch with God all our emotions and the emotions of the song,  in the deepest parts of our heart we sing from. I know I have had songs where I just get lost eyes closed and I am just in touch with who I am a beloved son of Christ.  

The Catechism says: The musical tradition of the universal church is a treasure of inestimable value, greater even than that of any other art...The Church continues and develops this tradition: "Address...one another in psalms and hymms and spiritual songs, singing and making melody to the lord with all your heart." "He who sings prays twice." (CCC 1156, Eph 5:19, St. Augustine Confessions)

Though singing is praying twice this doesn't mean that all we do is sing we still have to pray, with out singing, my best advice is to get a great balance. Maybe pray the rosary on the way to school. Then on your way home put your favorite worship CD in, a few of my favorite if you are looking for something are Bob Rice I Shall Be Healed & Bob Rice You Came To Me (anything Rice). Matt Maher Alive Again is also a great one, or Empty and Beautiful The End and The Beginning . Chris Padgett has some great CD's also Impact is my favorite of his, Tom Booth I like The Best Of Tom Booth   The best part about any of these CD's is there is at least 1 Core Member with one of these CD's Mike Boyea has all things Matt Maher, I have all things Rice and most things Maher, Ben Sweigret has Impact. Just ask and they will be burned and you will have it soon enough. If you want some great other worship or you want some Catholic rapping I have that to (Just ask). You can also listen to other artists like Skillet, David Crowder, Chris Tomlin, Robin Mark, Darrell Evans, Jars of Clay. Find some thing and sing the songs for Christ For God, and For Our Lady :) (like the Hail Mary).  
The Catch with worship is that some times it is the most humbling way to pray to say words like you alpha Omega and I am just a man. You some times really have to say I am not perfect I am a sinner, not every song is Days of Elijah or Trading my Sorrows, Your Grace is Enough (pump up awesome songs). Some times you have to Lay it all down at his feet. 







~Bobby 

Prayer

There are many different ways to pray.
But I like to break it down into 3 simple ways
1. Written Prayer
2. Worship
3. Reflective (praying off the cuff, fasting)
I am going to spend 3 blogs on 3 different ways to pray.

The 1st is Written Prayer, 2 of the 1st prayers I remember praying are:
Bless us o Lord and these thy gifts which we are about to receive for thy bounty though Christ our lord amen & angel of God my guardian dear to whom his love commits me here ever this night be at my side to light to guard to rule and guide, amen. Of course I prayed the Hail Mary, and Our Father before bed every night of my childhood.
Now in the bible Christ teaches us how to pray in Matthew 6 he says:

5"And when you pray, do not be like the hypocrites, for they love to pray standing in the synagogues and on the street corners to be seen by men. I tell you the truth, they have received their reward in full. 6But when you pray, go into your room, close the door and pray to your Father, who is unseen. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you. 7And when you pray, do not keep on babbling like pagans, for they think they will be heard because of their many words. 8Do not be like them, for your Father knows what you need before you ask him.
9"This, then, is how you should pray:
" 'Our Father in heaven,
hallowed be your name,
10your kingdom come,
your will be done
on earth as it is in heaven.
11Give us today our daily bread.
12Forgive us our debts,
as we also have forgiven our debtors.
13And lead us not into temptation,
but deliver us from the evil one. 14 For if you forgive men when they sin against you, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. 15But if you do not forgive men their sins, your Father will not forgive your sins.

This is a lot to digest, i know. It is simple though:
Our Father who art in heaven,
hallowed be thy name.
Thy kingdom come.
Thy will be done
on earth as it is in heaven.
Give us this day our daily bread,
and forgive us our trespasses,
as we forgive those who trespass against us,
and lead us not into temptation,
but deliver us from evil. AMEN

Jesus gives us this prayer in scripture, he teaches us a way to pray and tells us do not do it like these people, or those people. When he says pagans he is talking about pagans for a bit of a history lesson their prayer goes like this:

Healing Chant
Deep in my Bone
the Goddess is alive
Deep in my cells and blood
the Life Force is
Deep in my heart and spirit
I believe I will heal
I feel the Goddess at my core
filling me with faith and health
Abundant Life Forces of the Universe
flow in me, and banish all disease
My blood, my bones, my cells and my body
are healing now, are healing now
The Goddess force is in me
and healing me now

that is what Christ means by babbling praying to false God's that can't fix it, but they think their God's will Hear because of all the words they can say.

How powerful is that prayer that Christ Gave us and Knowing that Christ is God, the Father is God and The Holy spirit is God. God Gave us this Prayer! and It is simple

Then the Hail Mary, which is a combination of the greetings between the angel Gabriel, and St. Elizabeth.

There are other devotionals that Mary has come and given people like St. Dominic and the rosary. She appeared to him in a church and told him to pray it, he developed the Dominicans and it is apart of their daily devotions. The Church has prayed it ever since. I could spend a whole blog just on this topic.

There are also prayers like the Creed which is just a listing of our Catholic beliefs
we say it at every mass, and instead of babbling it because it is just a part of mass truly say it, and feel the power of just that prayer.

There are so many prayers to be said, I can't possibly go over all of them. This is where you go and you start researching start looking and start praying, in your room as Christ calls us to do. Not just as an act; even if you mean it. Like Christ says you will get it in full but that is not how you pray!

~Bobby

Coming Next Song.

Driving

I have had my drivers license for a 8 months now, and I have learned a few things,
1. watch your speed
2. Look were you are going
3. Most people Can't drive that well
4. make sure you know where you are going
5. make sure you have money for gas

Prayer has a lot of the same this to learn
1. Watch your speed, some times when we pray it is like you just don't have time and you are trying to just get in a pray quota.
2. Look were you are going, in the bible it says not to ramble like the pagans (Matthew 6:7)
3. Mosts people don't know "how" to pray, there are many ways to pray it is up to you which one you can use (songs, written pray, and reflective pray)< check back later for another blog on this.
4. This is the same as 2.
5. Make sure you have the time, and if not FIND the time to pray, that is the important thing. You have to pray, prayer is like a conversation with a great friend, you can't lose track of your best friend!

~Bobby

Catechetics

Now first let me open by saying this isn't the typical blog, the blog is going to be changing. Like I have changed in the past year, and even the past few months. This will become more catechetical, and more greared also to teen, as now I am a CORE member at queen of heaven this also be used to minster to teens. Some post will be general here is what is going on in my life today maybe some thing cool I got to do. Others will be based off a Life Night or more of an indepth talk from a retreat (those will be for the teens), Then there will be general teaching that has also been the purpose of this blog.

Your Brother in Christ
~Bobby