I seem to have been talking about our young people a fair amount lately, but I suppose it's because I figure we should celebrate their gifts and importance within congregational life.
On Sunday morning one of our 17-year-old's was at the church at 9:30 along with the gang of Junior Choir members. Nancy was leading choir in Allanah's absence and on Saturday evening gave Christopher a call to ask if he would accompany the practice. He is not only a good keyboard player, he sight reads well, and agreed to come. What a talented and committed guy! Later he and several other young people took on various responsibilities during worship, everything from reading scripture to projection and video.
After the service another of our teens approached me about the sermon I had just preached. I was speaking about the covenant with Abraham and Sarah as an opportunity for interfaith dialogue amongst the three great monotheistic religions. She is in a religious studies course at school and the discussion has been spirited about who is "in" and who is "out." Kerry thanked me for my message and we talked for a few minutes. She is quite thoughtful about it all, and it was the most involved conversation I had about that message.
I've said it before, but our children and youth are not some commodity which we are investing in for our future. They are intelligent, spiritual persons who are in relationship with God, right now. They are also a gift of God to our community. We can learn from their commitment and thoughtfulness.
Does it encourage you to hear about our young people? Any other thoughts or comments?
On Sunday morning one of our 17-year-old's was at the church at 9:30 along with the gang of Junior Choir members. Nancy was leading choir in Allanah's absence and on Saturday evening gave Christopher a call to ask if he would accompany the practice. He is not only a good keyboard player, he sight reads well, and agreed to come. What a talented and committed guy! Later he and several other young people took on various responsibilities during worship, everything from reading scripture to projection and video.
After the service another of our teens approached me about the sermon I had just preached. I was speaking about the covenant with Abraham and Sarah as an opportunity for interfaith dialogue amongst the three great monotheistic religions. She is in a religious studies course at school and the discussion has been spirited about who is "in" and who is "out." Kerry thanked me for my message and we talked for a few minutes. She is quite thoughtful about it all, and it was the most involved conversation I had about that message.
I've said it before, but our children and youth are not some commodity which we are investing in for our future. They are intelligent, spiritual persons who are in relationship with God, right now. They are also a gift of God to our community. We can learn from their commitment and thoughtfulness.
Does it encourage you to hear about our young people? Any other thoughts or comments?
3 comments:
On Sunday evening as our older teen group met, we were gently teasing one of our members who has been absent from church a bit lately. Her life is full of community events, school, church programs etc and that Sunday morning had been a catch up time lately. Even though her time was well used, I encouraged her not to steer away from "regular church" on Sunday mornings. She sheepishly agreed and her gang of friends, 2 in particular, encouraged her on, telling her what a good sermon David had preached that morning.
It was service Sunday for our teens, so they either help out around the church or worship in the service with the congregation that Sunday each month. It occurred to me that they were "getting it" as they conversed about what they heard that morning.
I found it encouraging, as we had been exploring in Sunday school with our younger kids that very morning, the "cross we need to take up" for Jesus...that church was about more than just about making us happy and about the friends we like to spend Sundays with...
Friends are a wonderful fringe benefit for these kids, seeing them encourage each other into deeper commitment, and hearing their thoughtful questions each week are truly gifts for my journey.
Love the cartoon!
I have been lucky enough in the past to talk with a couple of these teens, and I am almost certain the Kerry you refer to was one of them. It was quite a while ago, but I found it encouraging that there are still young people willing to experience faith as a genuine and worthwhile pursuit. It has also, on the flip side, made me wish I had had the same leadership and encouragement in my own teens [too long ago now Laura, you probably will have to give up on me at this point and just resign yourself to the fact that at least I am not a bank robber or an arsonist]
Post a Comment