Last night at EYC (youth group), Matt did a devotion using Exodus 3’s excerpt on Moses’ call / the burning bush! Matt talked to the youth about how we can be so much like Moses. When God calls us to do something and we feel like we can’t or we don’t want to, we tell God “no” and make up excuses as to why we can’t. Those excuses are like being tied up with chains … they paralyze us!
To help the 6th-12th graders understand this Scripture and its applicability to their lives, we did some things at youth group that involved stretching possibilities beyond what seemed impossible. In one game, the youth were challenged to fit as many people as they could into the middle of a bike inner-tube. Believe it or not, one middle school group fit over 40 people inside by stretching the tube and working together. In another game, youth were given a challenge to complete a relay that involved running through cones, jumping over a table and through a hula hoop, throwing a tennis ball, and tying someone’s shoes. That seems pretty easily accomplished (though tedious) but each youth was also given a specific way to complete the task. For example, some youth could not bend their knees, some youth had to hop on one foot all the way through the relay, some had to go backwards or with another person on their back, and so on.
Moses, in Exodus 3, comes up with all sorts of excuses and reasons as to why he can’t do what God wants. Namely:
1. Who and I to go and talk to Pharaoh and be a leader?
2. I don’t know what to say when they ask who you are!
3. No one will believe what I say!
4. I am NOT a good public speaker, I stutter!
5. What can’t somebody else do this?
These excuses paralyze Moses and he seems unable to move forward. Moses’ uncertainty, self-doubt, and fear tie him up! He has paralyzed himself by focusing on what other people think, what he sees as his own weaknesses, and by not wanting to look foolish. These are not from God, but devices and stumbling blocks planted by Satan. And, they can happen to us all!
God, I just can’t study for this test, I am going to fail anyways so what is the point? There’s no way I can wear that, I am never going to be as pretty as ____(insert name)_____. I couldn’t ask her to prom, she wouldn’t go with me anyways. I can’t apply to that college, I am not as smart as ____(insert name)_____. Try out for that team … yeah, not happening because I’m not good at that sport. Serving at the soup kitchen sounds so lame and besides, I would have to wake up early. Attend Bible study or Sunday school every week … not so much, it would be boring and I’m never going to be good enough anyways.
But God doesn’t leave Moses (or us) paralyzed and all tied up. In fact, if God left Moses tied up like that we would have a very DIFFERENT Bible. But, God does not. For every one of Moses’ excuses why he can’t do what God is calling him to do, God provides answers and creates ways for Moses to overcome these objections. Namely:
1. You are the person I picked, you are a leader, and I am with you.
2. When they ask who I am, tell them I am who I am.
3. If they don’t believe you, I will enable you to prove it to them. Hint, hint - you have a very powerful staff that will turn into snakes if you throw it on the group and when you pick it up it will be a staff again.
4. You will be a great public speaker because I will give you the words. But, hey take Aaron and he can talk for you some, too.
5. Sorry, you have to do this but again … take your brother Aaron so you have a partner to help you be successful.
To add to what Matt said last night, like with Moses, when God calls us God does create a way for us and answers our excuses, too! We just have to be able to take off our shoes and be on holy ground with our Holy God! That basically is a big, fancy, metaphorical way of saying that eventually we get to a place in our spiritual growth and relationship with Jesus where not only can we can hear God speak BUT God gets through to us, breaking those chains that Satan places around us. Finding those holy ground moments in our weeks (more than just Sunday) is so key in our spiritual journeys, even as youth.
Monday, August 29, 2011
Tuesday, August 23, 2011
We Were Created for Change!
Here is the message I shared at EYC kick-off! The topic was CHANGE! It's written sort of as I would speak it ... it is totally not gramatically correct and I am sure there are typos! So I hope you can get through the reading of it! :) Also, you'll miss some of the pics and slideshow I did but you get the idea and I'll inlucde a few here!
Hi! My name is Jillianne and I am the new assistant youth minister here! And, I hate change! Okay, I’m not sure that I really HATE change but I’ve been dealing with a lot of changes in my life recently and I’m kinda ready to be done with change for a while …
So the first big change in my life is the fact that my husband and I got married this past Christmas Eve. It was both of our second wedding and we both have children – his children live in OH (Connor, 15 and Carley, 12) and my son lives with me (Blaine, 6). So that’s been a HUGE change in my life.
Also, I just moved to Charlotte in June after living in South Carolina all my life and that is a BIG change too! I really LOVE my old friends, my old house! My old bathroom … it was the size of mine and Matt’s office on the third floor and it was FABULOUS. The little townhouse where we are living now … my bathroom there is about the size of the closet in mine and Matt’s office! That is a real change ... trust me.
So, needless to say, I’ve been thinking about and dealing with “change” a lot recently. And so, I thought we might think together about change tonight!
I am wondering - by a show of hands … who here likes change?
Not many people do in general. Well … except maybe a baby in a diaper. Get it? Change the diaper! (that was my attempt at humor)
And so I started wondering … are there things in our lives that don’t change?
Can you think of anything? You might be feeling like … my parent’s rules will never change, my friends will always be the same, and you are probably right for now … but the truth is eventually they will change!!
So, here’s some of the things I thought of that change. These are really random examples, sorry:
*trees change – they lose their leaves, stay that way for a while and then
get really pretty flowers or new leaves.
*we change – right? Our physical appearance! I must say – I could go
without the gray hair. I mean, come on! I’m only 34. My little boy is always changing – his teeth – he looks like a different person depending on what tooth has fallen out / which is growing in. And he’s a cutie! Just watch some of his dance moves:
And, do he’s changing every day and I don’t even want to think about 10 years from now how much he will have changed ….
*And what about outer space – that’s always changing and moving. One day Pluto is a planet and the next it is not. There’s water on Mars or some other planet now. It’s incredible!
*school changes – you go from elementary to middle to high school. The people in class with you change. The things you are learning change. The people who teach you change.
*animals change – they get bigger, shed their skin, change colors based on
where they are standing, and so on.
*I don’t know about you …. but …. our taste in food changes – now when you get to know me, you will discover that I tend to be a pretty picky eater but I LOVE iced coffee and Mexican food. Like I just discovered that I LOVE guacamole. 34 years … who knew. And when I was pregnant, I couldn’t even look at an egg or I would throw up.
*our friends change – sometimes for good, sometimes for bad, sometimes permanently, sometimes just when certain people are around.
*the ocean – goes in and out and erodes the sand around it, washes in new
shells.
*technology – when I was in high school, I thought I was the coolest kid because of my BAG phone, Internet existed but we didn’t really use it. Now - computers, kindles, iPads, Android cell phones (I remember fondly my bag phone from high school). Pretty soon you guys won’t even need backpacks … everything will be on your laptop or kindle! And so, technology, has certainly CHANGED society and our ability for instant communication.
*how about EYC / this youth group – the people in it change every year (I am sure that some of you are probably missing some of last year’s seniors and there are lots of new faces … which is a good thing), sometimes there are new crew leaders or Sunday school teachers or assistant youth ministers!!
I’ve been thinking a lot about you guys and the EYC program here and some of the CHANGES happening. One of the most obvious changes really cool changes is this new 6:20pm Eucharist. I think it is going to be a really great experience and will be a worship service that anyone can come to but that is designed just with YOU GUYS in mind and by some of you. And, the fact that we’re going to have a theme for the year this year. And each crew has created a logo idea – and we will get to sharing those in a minute. Bottom line - that is a change for us!
So I couldn’t really think of much that doesn’t change. And then it hit me … (so click on the video below) watch this!
http://sermonspice.com/product/28699/change
Something we don’t have to question is the fact that God is with us and God loves us! There is absolutely NOTHING we can do to change that. And, God, is NEVER going to change that!
So – God being with us = God loving us - that is the one constant, never changing fact about our lives! If you don’t believe me … you can find this fact all over the Bible! Just turn to the book of Psalms – about half or more talk about God and love!
*You all know – John 3:16 – For God so ______ the world (who is the world? Us!) so much that he sent ….
*There’s this book / letter / epistle in the NT called 1 John and in it we read something crazy about God’s love for us …
1 John 4:16b says: "God is love!"
In fact, this whole section of 1 John talks about God’s love! Picture this … this year is 100, maybe 110. This John guy … probably the same man who wrote the Gospel of John is really old. There are people going around saying that Jesus didn’t really become flesh (who know what that is called – Incarnation). Jesus was just a “spirit.” And so John felt like he needed to write this book (only 5 chapters) to talk about the fact that Jesus was God as a human and to teach Christians who would later read it how to discern a true teachers (ethics, love, etc.)
So God loves us and that never changes. But check this out … as long as we have God’s love (which is how long?? FOREVER). So as long as we have God’s love, we can be pretty beast at dealing with change, even if we don’t like it!
Because here is the really cool part about us - we were created for change! Let me explain … would you agree that 1. We are creature? 2. We are part of God’s creation?
Think about it. In the creation story in Genesis, who remembers the very FIRST thing God created?
ON day 1 – God created the day that CHANGED into _______ (night).
On the 4th day God created the seasons and the years … things that CHANGE!
And what about Jesus?! Jesus very frequently CHANGED his location. Several times in Scripture we read that Jesus left one good experience/location/place he was doing good to go to another and change his location.
But going to a new place isn’t always easy! Is it? High school students … who remembers the first day of 9th grade? For some of you that is going to be in a couple of days. And anyone who’s is not a 6th grader … who remembers your first time coming to EYC? I can remember being in college or better yet when I was in seminary and having a baby at the same time … and staying up all night studying sometimes … that wasn’t easy.
And here is good news in dealing with change … it is a 100% guarantee. Sometimes the things in life that are the hardest to overcome (i.e. change of most any kind) can produce the greatest results! Kinda like a man dying a horrendous death (nails piercing His body). But think about all that has become, all that we have because of that. We wouldn’t be sitting together right now if Jesus hadn’t of loved us enough to get through that change in his life. It’s kinda like getting through the first day / first year of high school or middle school or the first day of EYC.
So I think that this year is going to be tremendous. I am really looking forward to the CHANGES and getting to know you and all the great things we have planned to do, like our fall retreats, our Wednesday night Bibles studies, our Urban Ministries soup kitchen/5th Saturday, winter retreat, spring break mission trip, Costa Rica, and EVERYTHING!
Amen?!
Hi! My name is Jillianne and I am the new assistant youth minister here! And, I hate change! Okay, I’m not sure that I really HATE change but I’ve been dealing with a lot of changes in my life recently and I’m kinda ready to be done with change for a while …
So the first big change in my life is the fact that my husband and I got married this past Christmas Eve. It was both of our second wedding and we both have children – his children live in OH (Connor, 15 and Carley, 12) and my son lives with me (Blaine, 6). So that’s been a HUGE change in my life.
Also, I just moved to Charlotte in June after living in South Carolina all my life and that is a BIG change too! I really LOVE my old friends, my old house! My old bathroom … it was the size of mine and Matt’s office on the third floor and it was FABULOUS. The little townhouse where we are living now … my bathroom there is about the size of the closet in mine and Matt’s office! That is a real change ... trust me.
So, needless to say, I’ve been thinking about and dealing with “change” a lot recently. And so, I thought we might think together about change tonight!
I am wondering - by a show of hands … who here likes change?
Not many people do in general. Well … except maybe a baby in a diaper. Get it? Change the diaper! (that was my attempt at humor)
And so I started wondering … are there things in our lives that don’t change?
Can you think of anything? You might be feeling like … my parent’s rules will never change, my friends will always be the same, and you are probably right for now … but the truth is eventually they will change!!
So, here’s some of the things I thought of that change. These are really random examples, sorry:
*trees change – they lose their leaves, stay that way for a while and then
get really pretty flowers or new leaves.
*we change – right? Our physical appearance! I must say – I could go
without the gray hair. I mean, come on! I’m only 34. My little boy is always changing – his teeth – he looks like a different person depending on what tooth has fallen out / which is growing in. And he’s a cutie! Just watch some of his dance moves:
And, do he’s changing every day and I don’t even want to think about 10 years from now how much he will have changed ….
*And what about outer space – that’s always changing and moving. One day Pluto is a planet and the next it is not. There’s water on Mars or some other planet now. It’s incredible!
*school changes – you go from elementary to middle to high school. The people in class with you change. The things you are learning change. The people who teach you change.
*animals change – they get bigger, shed their skin, change colors based on
where they are standing, and so on.
*I don’t know about you …. but …. our taste in food changes – now when you get to know me, you will discover that I tend to be a pretty picky eater but I LOVE iced coffee and Mexican food. Like I just discovered that I LOVE guacamole. 34 years … who knew. And when I was pregnant, I couldn’t even look at an egg or I would throw up.
*our friends change – sometimes for good, sometimes for bad, sometimes permanently, sometimes just when certain people are around.
*the ocean – goes in and out and erodes the sand around it, washes in new
shells.
*technology – when I was in high school, I thought I was the coolest kid because of my BAG phone, Internet existed but we didn’t really use it. Now - computers, kindles, iPads, Android cell phones (I remember fondly my bag phone from high school). Pretty soon you guys won’t even need backpacks … everything will be on your laptop or kindle! And so, technology, has certainly CHANGED society and our ability for instant communication.
*how about EYC / this youth group – the people in it change every year (I am sure that some of you are probably missing some of last year’s seniors and there are lots of new faces … which is a good thing), sometimes there are new crew leaders or Sunday school teachers or assistant youth ministers!!
I’ve been thinking a lot about you guys and the EYC program here and some of the CHANGES happening. One of the most obvious changes really cool changes is this new 6:20pm Eucharist. I think it is going to be a really great experience and will be a worship service that anyone can come to but that is designed just with YOU GUYS in mind and by some of you. And, the fact that we’re going to have a theme for the year this year. And each crew has created a logo idea – and we will get to sharing those in a minute. Bottom line - that is a change for us!
So I couldn’t really think of much that doesn’t change. And then it hit me … (so click on the video below) watch this!
http://sermonspice.com/product/28699/change
Something we don’t have to question is the fact that God is with us and God loves us! There is absolutely NOTHING we can do to change that. And, God, is NEVER going to change that!
So – God being with us = God loving us - that is the one constant, never changing fact about our lives! If you don’t believe me … you can find this fact all over the Bible! Just turn to the book of Psalms – about half or more talk about God and love!
*You all know – John 3:16 – For God so ______ the world (who is the world? Us!) so much that he sent ….
*There’s this book / letter / epistle in the NT called 1 John and in it we read something crazy about God’s love for us …
1 John 4:16b says: "God is love!"
In fact, this whole section of 1 John talks about God’s love! Picture this … this year is 100, maybe 110. This John guy … probably the same man who wrote the Gospel of John is really old. There are people going around saying that Jesus didn’t really become flesh (who know what that is called – Incarnation). Jesus was just a “spirit.” And so John felt like he needed to write this book (only 5 chapters) to talk about the fact that Jesus was God as a human and to teach Christians who would later read it how to discern a true teachers (ethics, love, etc.)
So God loves us and that never changes. But check this out … as long as we have God’s love (which is how long?? FOREVER). So as long as we have God’s love, we can be pretty beast at dealing with change, even if we don’t like it!
Because here is the really cool part about us - we were created for change! Let me explain … would you agree that 1. We are creature? 2. We are part of God’s creation?
Think about it. In the creation story in Genesis, who remembers the very FIRST thing God created?
ON day 1 – God created the day that CHANGED into _______ (night).
On the 4th day God created the seasons and the years … things that CHANGE!
And what about Jesus?! Jesus very frequently CHANGED his location. Several times in Scripture we read that Jesus left one good experience/location/place he was doing good to go to another and change his location.
But going to a new place isn’t always easy! Is it? High school students … who remembers the first day of 9th grade? For some of you that is going to be in a couple of days. And anyone who’s is not a 6th grader … who remembers your first time coming to EYC? I can remember being in college or better yet when I was in seminary and having a baby at the same time … and staying up all night studying sometimes … that wasn’t easy.
And here is good news in dealing with change … it is a 100% guarantee. Sometimes the things in life that are the hardest to overcome (i.e. change of most any kind) can produce the greatest results! Kinda like a man dying a horrendous death (nails piercing His body). But think about all that has become, all that we have because of that. We wouldn’t be sitting together right now if Jesus hadn’t of loved us enough to get through that change in his life. It’s kinda like getting through the first day / first year of high school or middle school or the first day of EYC.
So I think that this year is going to be tremendous. I am really looking forward to the CHANGES and getting to know you and all the great things we have planned to do, like our fall retreats, our Wednesday night Bibles studies, our Urban Ministries soup kitchen/5th Saturday, winter retreat, spring break mission trip, Costa Rica, and EVERYTHING!
Amen?!
Tuesday, August 16, 2011
Are you ready to get messy?
"Sometimes we get so caught up in the words of Jesus or in what he doesn't say that we miss the point."
"Less Talk ... More Walk!"
These were two inspiring statements that I heard over the past couple of days!
They go together so well! The first was a point that Father Michael made in his sermon this past Sunday. He was referencing the stories of Matthew 15! And the second was a youth group "theme" that I heard one of my former youth groups was going to use this year!
Based on these two inspiring statements, and this blog post of mine from a couple of weeks ago (where I was basically making the point that I believe “church” is more than just a place we go on Sunday mornings) … I’ve been in a tailspin trying to hear the Holy Spirit! Even though I usually do my blog update on Mondays, I had to get my thoughts together and post today.
So, today I ask, what if “church” was less about Sunday and more about other days of the week. And even more, how is this relevant for youth today?
Now, DO NOT get me wrong. Sunday is absolutely VITAL in the life of a Christian and is absolutely IMEASUREABLE in regards to what it does for our relationship with Jesus, the Christ. We all must do a better job at attending regularly and having Sunday activities be a priority in our lives and in the lives of our families! Sunday morning Christian education for youth, children, parents and church members is key. Worshipping God should be a priority. Fellowshipping with other Christians is essential. Sunday night youth group / Wednesday Bible study is significant. Sunday / Wednesday cannot be replaced.
But what are we all doing the other 6 days of the week to enhance, build, grow, and most importantly SHARE our relationship with God? There are so many other important things that compete for a teen’s time … soccer, football, volleyball or other team practices, our friends and social life, family time, shopping, video games, media, Facebook, and so much more! Current studies confirm that this generation is the busiest … EVER!
Now, I’m not a teenager, but I know at my house, we don’t usually stop during the school year from sun up to sun down and well after some nights! For me and for many families today, I would guess it’s like a puzzle trying to fit together who needs to be where when and for how long. And God forbid that one of our cars break down or get a flat tire … or that one of us get sick or something. We’re like a well-oiled machine …
Or are we?
Where does that piece of the puzzle … called God … fit on a daily basis in our lives? In other words, WE MISS THE POINT, if all we do is come on Sunday (or think we don’t have to) but don’t apply what happens and what we learn on Sunday to Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, and Saturday.
Seriously … it is a valid and challenging question: how sincere are we in our devotion to Christ?
We were created for so much more! But so many times we (all) get caught up in the business of life. We get ‘stopped in our tracks angry at God’ because of the things in life that break us. But Jesus was here and Jesus got messy …. right in the middle of people’s broken, busy lives. And Jesus calls us to the same!
This is a great video that illustrates this point well:
So St. John’s EYC … are you ready to get messy?? I’ll see you at EYC kick-off this Sunday!
"Less Talk ... More Walk!"
These were two inspiring statements that I heard over the past couple of days!
They go together so well! The first was a point that Father Michael made in his sermon this past Sunday. He was referencing the stories of Matthew 15! And the second was a youth group "theme" that I heard one of my former youth groups was going to use this year!
Based on these two inspiring statements, and this blog post of mine from a couple of weeks ago (where I was basically making the point that I believe “church” is more than just a place we go on Sunday mornings) … I’ve been in a tailspin trying to hear the Holy Spirit! Even though I usually do my blog update on Mondays, I had to get my thoughts together and post today.
So, today I ask, what if “church” was less about Sunday and more about other days of the week. And even more, how is this relevant for youth today?
Now, DO NOT get me wrong. Sunday is absolutely VITAL in the life of a Christian and is absolutely IMEASUREABLE in regards to what it does for our relationship with Jesus, the Christ. We all must do a better job at attending regularly and having Sunday activities be a priority in our lives and in the lives of our families! Sunday morning Christian education for youth, children, parents and church members is key. Worshipping God should be a priority. Fellowshipping with other Christians is essential. Sunday night youth group / Wednesday Bible study is significant. Sunday / Wednesday cannot be replaced.
But what are we all doing the other 6 days of the week to enhance, build, grow, and most importantly SHARE our relationship with God? There are so many other important things that compete for a teen’s time … soccer, football, volleyball or other team practices, our friends and social life, family time, shopping, video games, media, Facebook, and so much more! Current studies confirm that this generation is the busiest … EVER!
Now, I’m not a teenager, but I know at my house, we don’t usually stop during the school year from sun up to sun down and well after some nights! For me and for many families today, I would guess it’s like a puzzle trying to fit together who needs to be where when and for how long. And God forbid that one of our cars break down or get a flat tire … or that one of us get sick or something. We’re like a well-oiled machine …
Or are we?
Where does that piece of the puzzle … called God … fit on a daily basis in our lives? In other words, WE MISS THE POINT, if all we do is come on Sunday (or think we don’t have to) but don’t apply what happens and what we learn on Sunday to Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, and Saturday.
Seriously … it is a valid and challenging question: how sincere are we in our devotion to Christ?
We were created for so much more! But so many times we (all) get caught up in the business of life. We get ‘stopped in our tracks angry at God’ because of the things in life that break us. But Jesus was here and Jesus got messy …. right in the middle of people’s broken, busy lives. And Jesus calls us to the same!
This is a great video that illustrates this point well:
Change The World
So St. John’s EYC … are you ready to get messy?? I’ll see you at EYC kick-off this Sunday!
Monday, August 8, 2011
Finding My Comfy Seat ...
The wonderfully inspiring Gospel lesson of Jesus and Peter walking on the water. If you didn't get to worship yesterday, this was the Gospel lesson. I have loved this story since I was a little girl. My son is fascinated with the lesson too ... even getting excited and whispering to me in worship yesterday, "Mom, I know how this story ends!!" Also, just this last May, at the last church where I served, my students chose to use this Scripture on youth Sunday. Our youth group president preached a great sermon about having to step out of the boat, sometimes, because that is where the blessings in our lives might just be.
Yesterday, Father Paul encouraged the attendees at the contemporary service to remember that this is a particular reason that Jesus puts us in the boat.
Safety.
Fr. Paul also encouraged us to remember the context of the fact that Peter was able to walk on the water (even if it was ever so briefly). Jesus was "testing" Peter and “calling” him for a particular job.
Starting the church.
This is a great point and these are two facts are phenomenally important for us to remember! And I think these are two important facts for youth today to remember, too! Sometimes we do need the “safety” of the “boat” in our lives. And thank God, Jesus puts us IN THE BOAT. It is good to have a comfort zone; after all, everyone does, right?
And, part of being a youth is:
*discovering our comfort zones (as a pre-teen)
*living into our own comfort zones and not necessarily our those of our parent’s (as
a teen)
*pushing the limits and expanding our zones (as a young adult/college)
Those whom I have gotten to share in ministry in the past know that I’ve always been a huge encourager of stepping out of one’s comfort zone. I know my youth in the past have gotten tired of hearing me say it!! :) And, I purposely try to plan many activities in youth group, Sunday school, on youth group trips, etc. to give teens the chance to do so! For example, there’s nothing like a great mission trip week full of “Out of Your Comfort Zone Dinners.” On that particular trip, at each dinner on our trip, the students were given a challenge! These challenges included things like (get ready SJ EYC, I’m sure you’ll be doing these soon):
*Here’s $50 and a van/driver … go figure out how to feed your whole group.
*Everybody tie this connected string to your arm (thus the whole group gets
connected)... okay now go eat at this fabulous cookout on the beach!
*No fork, knife, or spoon night … go to the kitchen an find something else you can
use to eat your spaghetti!
*You can’t serve or feed yourself tonight! Enjoy the tacos …
A really silly / fun to watch activity? Yes. Pointless? Absolutely not. On that trip, the youth were “forced” to work together to get through the meals. They interacted and got to know and trust one another on a deeper level; and, the group really bonded that week causing an easy flow together over the next year. These things might not have happened otherwise.
Stepping out of our comfort zones doesn’t have to be as outlandish as those activities! For teenagers today, it might include things like stopping or standing up for someone who is being bullied at school, asking someone who is sitting alone at lunch at school to come over and sit with a group, walking away from a group who is gossiping or talking bad about someone, or making church and youth group a priority in our life despite the many competitions of our social, athletic opportunities. Those are really hard things to do! I know because they were really hard things for me to do when I was a teenager. And, it is not really likely that any of us would do them without having Jesus in our sights and as the encourager to “Come!” walk on the water (out of our comfort zone).
I am convinced that when we step out of our comfort zones, growth happens, our faith matures, and really great things can happen. Is it challenging? Do we sink sometimes? Would it be easier to stay in the comfort of the boat? Absolutely. But, thankfully, Jesus is there to walk every step with us; we just have to be intentional to look for Him and be aware of what He is “testing” us for and “calling” us to do! Obviously Jesus isn’t “calling” us to be Peter and start the church. But, I assure you He is calling us each to something. Being intentional about hearing and understanding this call means doing things like praying, reading Scripture, having quiet time, talking to friends or mentors about what you are feeling, participating in service opportunities or mission trips, coming to worship and Sunday school and whatever else helps you to recognize Jesus in your every day!
I’m so excited to be in the boat with you SJ EYC-ers and I can’t wait to find a comfy seat so I can watch you walking on the water!
Yesterday, Father Paul encouraged the attendees at the contemporary service to remember that this is a particular reason that Jesus puts us in the boat.
Safety.
Fr. Paul also encouraged us to remember the context of the fact that Peter was able to walk on the water (even if it was ever so briefly). Jesus was "testing" Peter and “calling” him for a particular job.
Starting the church.
This is a great point and these are two facts are phenomenally important for us to remember! And I think these are two important facts for youth today to remember, too! Sometimes we do need the “safety” of the “boat” in our lives. And thank God, Jesus puts us IN THE BOAT. It is good to have a comfort zone; after all, everyone does, right?
And, part of being a youth is:
*discovering our comfort zones (as a pre-teen)
*living into our own comfort zones and not necessarily our those of our parent’s (as
a teen)
*pushing the limits and expanding our zones (as a young adult/college)
Those whom I have gotten to share in ministry in the past know that I’ve always been a huge encourager of stepping out of one’s comfort zone. I know my youth in the past have gotten tired of hearing me say it!! :) And, I purposely try to plan many activities in youth group, Sunday school, on youth group trips, etc. to give teens the chance to do so! For example, there’s nothing like a great mission trip week full of “Out of Your Comfort Zone Dinners.” On that particular trip, at each dinner on our trip, the students were given a challenge! These challenges included things like (get ready SJ EYC, I’m sure you’ll be doing these soon):
*Here’s $50 and a van/driver … go figure out how to feed your whole group.
*Everybody tie this connected string to your arm (thus the whole group gets
connected)... okay now go eat at this fabulous cookout on the beach!
*No fork, knife, or spoon night … go to the kitchen an find something else you can
use to eat your spaghetti!
*You can’t serve or feed yourself tonight! Enjoy the tacos …
A really silly / fun to watch activity? Yes. Pointless? Absolutely not. On that trip, the youth were “forced” to work together to get through the meals. They interacted and got to know and trust one another on a deeper level; and, the group really bonded that week causing an easy flow together over the next year. These things might not have happened otherwise.
Stepping out of our comfort zones doesn’t have to be as outlandish as those activities! For teenagers today, it might include things like stopping or standing up for someone who is being bullied at school, asking someone who is sitting alone at lunch at school to come over and sit with a group, walking away from a group who is gossiping or talking bad about someone, or making church and youth group a priority in our life despite the many competitions of our social, athletic opportunities. Those are really hard things to do! I know because they were really hard things for me to do when I was a teenager. And, it is not really likely that any of us would do them without having Jesus in our sights and as the encourager to “Come!” walk on the water (out of our comfort zone).
I am convinced that when we step out of our comfort zones, growth happens, our faith matures, and really great things can happen. Is it challenging? Do we sink sometimes? Would it be easier to stay in the comfort of the boat? Absolutely. But, thankfully, Jesus is there to walk every step with us; we just have to be intentional to look for Him and be aware of what He is “testing” us for and “calling” us to do! Obviously Jesus isn’t “calling” us to be Peter and start the church. But, I assure you He is calling us each to something. Being intentional about hearing and understanding this call means doing things like praying, reading Scripture, having quiet time, talking to friends or mentors about what you are feeling, participating in service opportunities or mission trips, coming to worship and Sunday school and whatever else helps you to recognize Jesus in your every day!
I’m so excited to be in the boat with you SJ EYC-ers and I can’t wait to find a comfy seat so I can watch you walking on the water!
Tuesday, August 2, 2011
You Really Love Me Like You Say You Do
Last week and this week, I’ve been working on a fun project for the fall! At St. John’s our children, youth, and adult Sunday school classes will all be focusing on lessons based on the lectionary! Hopefully, this will facilitate thought and discussion beyond Sunday morning amongst the families that attend Sunday school and worship at St. John’s! In fact, the staff has chosen a particular passage from the lectionary to focus on in worship and Sunday school each week so that we are all on the same page! So, I am creating high school Sunday school lessons based on those lectionary choices.
One of the lesson’s we will be studying in September comes from Exodus 17:1-7. In this piece of Scripture, the Israelites are in the desert under the leadership of the Moses. They are constantly moving and wandering around when God orders them to do so. And, it seems to me that when God orders them to move, they do, but they sure are grumpy about it! Eventually, they come to camp at a place called Rephidim. But, upon arrival there, they discover a problem. There is no water and they are thirsty!
Naturally, they go to their leader, Moses, and do the complaing! But, they do more than complain. It seems to me, they test God and even take it as far as threatening to stone Moses if he doesn’t get them some water. Rephidim, was likely one of their last stops on the journey to the Promised Land, so maybe the Israelistes were extra grumpy because they were sick of being in the wilderness and were ready to be settled in one place. Nonetheless, how could they threaten to kill Moses?!
So, poor Moses is at his wits end, I can imagine! He prays and God sends him (and some leaders) ahead of the group to “the rock” at Mt. Sinai. God tells Moses to strike the rock with a stick and water will pour out. Well guess what! When Moses goes ahead, struck the rock with his stick, water poured out and the people drank.
The message seems pretty simple to me. The Israelites don’t trust God enough to be confident that God will provide for their need. They take matters into their own hands and don’t care what they have to do to “fix” the situation (even if it means stoning Moses to death).
In reading other passages from Exodus, it is like the Israelites are on this journey in the desert and when God orders them to move to a new place they go … albeit complaining the whole way. And then they get caught up in their misery and forget that God loves them, is in control and has greater purpose and reason for taking them places on the journey ... even if those places are miserable!
Aren’t we like that too? We sometimes tend to not trust in God’s greater plan for our lives just because things get a little uncomfortable (i.e. we get thirsty). Or, maybe you are like me, I pray and “give it to God” (whatever my issue is) but then I take it back from God when God doesn’t move fast enough for me to make my issue better.
Why do we constantly test God and require God to prove Gods-self to us? When are our blessings enough? When will we open our eyes and hearts to God’s purpose and plan and keep them open even if it takes some time to see the reasons?
On the other hand, God is patient and it is good to know that time after time, God shows up and answers our tests! It’s just like with the Israelites. Right after this passage from chapter 7, the Israelites have to fight the Amalekites. In the end, God provided and they won the battle. It seems to me that God was screaming, loudly – TRUST IN ME – throughout the whole battle! You see, whenever Moses would invoke God’s presence (by raising his arms and the stick that he struck the rock with for water), the Israelites got ahead in the battle and did well. But when Moses would lower his arms, they would begin to be defeated. If that is not God reminding us God is large and in charge, I don’t know what is!
The Israelites test God over and over while they are in the wilderness and God shows up time after time. We test God over and over in our lives and God shows up time after time … whether we catch it or not!
The stick that these passages reference seems to be a clear metaphor for the power of God and a reminder that God is in control! So many times as teens and even as adults, we miss the awesomeness of the moments to enjoy God‘s power and might AND ability to be in control. This is because we are so busy testing God, complaining, and/or being grumpy about being thirsty (our trying situations). We forget how much God loves us. So, it seems pretty simple to me. All we have to do is to learn to stop testing God and abide in that love.
I think this Paul Colman song really speaks to how we can learn to stop testing God and questioning. It requires us to whole-heartedly know that God is truly the one thing we can depend on and that we don’t have to question. Praise God! “You really love me like You say You do!” (My favorite line from the song)
One of the lesson’s we will be studying in September comes from Exodus 17:1-7. In this piece of Scripture, the Israelites are in the desert under the leadership of the Moses. They are constantly moving and wandering around when God orders them to do so. And, it seems to me that when God orders them to move, they do, but they sure are grumpy about it! Eventually, they come to camp at a place called Rephidim. But, upon arrival there, they discover a problem. There is no water and they are thirsty!
Naturally, they go to their leader, Moses, and do the complaing! But, they do more than complain. It seems to me, they test God and even take it as far as threatening to stone Moses if he doesn’t get them some water. Rephidim, was likely one of their last stops on the journey to the Promised Land, so maybe the Israelistes were extra grumpy because they were sick of being in the wilderness and were ready to be settled in one place. Nonetheless, how could they threaten to kill Moses?!
So, poor Moses is at his wits end, I can imagine! He prays and God sends him (and some leaders) ahead of the group to “the rock” at Mt. Sinai. God tells Moses to strike the rock with a stick and water will pour out. Well guess what! When Moses goes ahead, struck the rock with his stick, water poured out and the people drank.
The message seems pretty simple to me. The Israelites don’t trust God enough to be confident that God will provide for their need. They take matters into their own hands and don’t care what they have to do to “fix” the situation (even if it means stoning Moses to death).
In reading other passages from Exodus, it is like the Israelites are on this journey in the desert and when God orders them to move to a new place they go … albeit complaining the whole way. And then they get caught up in their misery and forget that God loves them, is in control and has greater purpose and reason for taking them places on the journey ... even if those places are miserable!
Aren’t we like that too? We sometimes tend to not trust in God’s greater plan for our lives just because things get a little uncomfortable (i.e. we get thirsty). Or, maybe you are like me, I pray and “give it to God” (whatever my issue is) but then I take it back from God when God doesn’t move fast enough for me to make my issue better.
Why do we constantly test God and require God to prove Gods-self to us? When are our blessings enough? When will we open our eyes and hearts to God’s purpose and plan and keep them open even if it takes some time to see the reasons?
On the other hand, God is patient and it is good to know that time after time, God shows up and answers our tests! It’s just like with the Israelites. Right after this passage from chapter 7, the Israelites have to fight the Amalekites. In the end, God provided and they won the battle. It seems to me that God was screaming, loudly – TRUST IN ME – throughout the whole battle! You see, whenever Moses would invoke God’s presence (by raising his arms and the stick that he struck the rock with for water), the Israelites got ahead in the battle and did well. But when Moses would lower his arms, they would begin to be defeated. If that is not God reminding us God is large and in charge, I don’t know what is!
The Israelites test God over and over while they are in the wilderness and God shows up time after time. We test God over and over in our lives and God shows up time after time … whether we catch it or not!
The stick that these passages reference seems to be a clear metaphor for the power of God and a reminder that God is in control! So many times as teens and even as adults, we miss the awesomeness of the moments to enjoy God‘s power and might AND ability to be in control. This is because we are so busy testing God, complaining, and/or being grumpy about being thirsty (our trying situations). We forget how much God loves us. So, it seems pretty simple to me. All we have to do is to learn to stop testing God and abide in that love.
I think this Paul Colman song really speaks to how we can learn to stop testing God and questioning. It requires us to whole-heartedly know that God is truly the one thing we can depend on and that we don’t have to question. Praise God! “You really love me like You say You do!” (My favorite line from the song)
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