Children are a heritage from the Lord.
I love it when I get a really good piece of Scripture when I come for a visit like this. I like the translation in the Message version of the Bible as well:
Don't you see that children are God's best gift?
Oh, how blessed are you parents, with your quivers full of children!
Oh Blessed are you congregations that have children for you will blessed again and again and again for many years to come.
Not surprisingly I'm a big fan of young people in church. I like it because it is wonderful to share the message of the Gospel with young people. They keep me on my toes, they force me to consider and re-consider answers that I thought I had finally nailed. When the Spirit catches fire in them it burns so wonderfully bright. I love it because I know how good it is for the congregation too. That the Spirit of God is lifted up that little extra bit, that the energy of a faith community goes up and that the life of the congregation itself is strengthened.
My calling, my job, my duty as your youth missioner is to help all that happen to the very best of my ability.
Over the last 9 years that's I've served our diocese in this role I've come to realize that there are three basic reports on the youth ministry of the diocese to be made. There's the simple status update of the programs. If you were at Convention a week ago you heard me give exactly that report as I do each year. This many campers, that many at Bishop's Ball. The second kind of report is the one where I ask/tell you how you can support those programs. I've done that one a lot over the years too. I'll probably slide a little of that one in before I'm done but the story I really want to tell you is one we overlook sometimes. In part because it can seem kind of uncomfortable for the church. I call the “What's in it for us?” report. You see what the bottom line comes down to very often for congregations is that while they may agree that diocesan youth ministry is quite probably a very good idea it's not as if you don't have enough on your plates already. In a time of strained resources across much of our church and nation I think the question of what's in it for you is perfectly reasonable. And it deserves a response.
I'll offer my answer in two parts. The benefits for the members of the congregation – youth, parents, folks in the pews, and the benefits for the congregation as a whole.
This generation of young people has two particular, historic distinctions. They are the busiest generation and they just may be the most stressed generation of young people ever in the history of the world. Certainly they are busy. When I talk with them I commonly hear stories of days that start early with chores, practice or homework first thing in the morning, followed by school all day, then more practices, extra curricular activities, outside classes in music or dance or whatever, a quick dinner then sports, rehearsals, tutoring and homework often literally right up to bed time. When I was in high school the idea that I might need a Day Planner would have been laughable. Today many schools hand out personal calendars at the start of every year.
As for stress if that lifestyle wasn't stressful enough our young people worry about the financial situation of their family, possible job loss by their parents, divorce, school related social stress, plus all the stress of just having your body work it's way through all the things that are going on during this time of life – social, physical and mental changes.
Against all that is what your diocesan youth ministry can offer them and their parents. A time away from all of that stuff, a time to be cared for, a time for worship and spiritual reflection appropriate to their age and development, a time of calm, of quiet and of decompression. The word you hear most often these days is Sabbath. Not just our weekly sabbath here in church together but a sabbath that extends beyond this place and time.
During this Sabbath time the young people get the chance to explore faith beyond their Sunday community. This is a faith community that they share with their parents. In my own life the church where I grew up was in fact “my parent's church”. I have seen, even in my own household, the effect of experiencing a faith community that is wholly their own. My daughter attends her church, St. Luke's in Jamestown. Her parents just happen to attend there as well. The difference in her experience of church and mine I believe to be profound. This time away gives young people a chance to explore and develop as leaders. In fact this past summer saw the Senior High Conference we began to improve our ability to offer those leadership roles. During the course of the week young people worked along side members of the staff to help make decisions for the conference community. They worked with me as camp director, recorded the events of the day, worked with the clergy on worship, cared for one another and the place we stayed. Youth Commission plans to expand the leadership training down into the Junior High age group over the next couple years. Our youth are given the chance to extend that leadership through Youth Commission, Happening Board and as delegates to Diocesan Convention where they have both seat and voice. Out of these experiences we can help our younger brothers and sisters in Christ, the young people of this congregation find a deeper relationship with God and help them discover and explore the gifts that God has given them.
For the congregation the benefits flow from all of that. Our goal is to return to this community of faith young people who are a little father along their journey of faith, who are more excited about that journey and who are looking for ways to express that faith life in this the wider community. You receive youth back who are headed now towards greater engagement as members, who bring with them a better feel for taking on roles within the Body, who bring that incredible energy of young people into everything you do with them. And last but certainly not least don't forget that this generation also has a fair handle on discretionary funds either in themselves or through their influence with their parents. Young people invested in their home congregation are far more likely to want to return that investment.
That I believe is the best answer that I can give to the question of “What's in it for us?”. Our programs, Sleep Away camp for elementary age, Junior High, Senior High, Happening, Youth Commission, the Bishop's Ball, plus special events like mission trips and the national Episcopal Youth Event, known as EYE, offer you and your youth a wonderful array of experiences. A quiet time to grow faith. Most especially a time away, a time to re-consider the order of priorities, a time to draw nearer to God. Sabbath time.
I warned you that I would be sneaking in just a little of how you can support those programs. They can not exist without a connection between them and you.
First and foremost I always ask you to to pray for us. Pray for the young people we hope to serve, pray for those of us who answer that call to service, remember us when these events are under way. This coming weekend is Happening weekend number 25, when a team of over 20 youth and adults will gather together to offer a special spiritual retreat for teens led entirely by teens. It will be my great privilege and honor to work for the weekend's rector Matthew Seufert as the Head Pop.
Second, please make sure you youth know that you notice them, that you care about them. Remember that they are not a junior auxiliary of the church but brothers and sisters, baptized members of the Body of Christ. When we do not overtly recognize their place in the body we run a terrible gamble for them and for ourselves.
Speaking of those kids, Third, send us your kids. The best program never gets off the ground if we have no one to participate in it. I've told this story over and over that the very first time we wanted send my daughter Rachel to camp, it would have been Junior High, she absolutely didn't want to go. She wouldn't know anyone, she wouldn't have any fun, she knew they had a dance which she considered to be the most horrible thing imaginable. We sent her anyway. At the end of the week as we drove away from camp she turned to me and said “When does camp start again?”. If you believe that your child, or that the children of this congregation need that sabbath time, that they would benefit from this experience it is vital that you urge them in the strongest terms to go at least once. I will admit that camp isn't for everyone. If they come and don't enjoy themselves we will return them with our blessing. I'm happy to say the number that don't enjoy themselves is very small.
Fourthly I would ask you to consider how you may be able to support the programs in other ways. Our budget is tight just like everyone else's. But amazingly small amounts of money can make a difference. One of the things we do to keep the cost of Happening down for instance is to ask congregations to take a “shopping list” made up of about 15 simple items, cereal, napkins,things like that and donate them to the weekend. That way more of the money can go to the program itself. There are always specific items to be covered – the nurse's golf cart at Junior High. The camp at Dunkirk is quite large and to insure that our nurse can get from one end to the other in an emergency we rent a golf cart. Pizza for the beginning of Senior High, snacks for that pesky dance at junior high. There's an amazing list that starts as low as 25 dollars or so but which can make a real difference. Finally I would note that several groups in the diocese just send us a check to be used as it's needed best.
In the end if you can pray for us and send us some young people it's more than enough. If you can find a way to help us a little more than we will be able to better help you.
There is one final part of the diocesan youth ministry that I have glossed over so far. I will mention it now only quickly. That is the office and person of the diocesan youth missioner. You know, me. I am always available to come out and work with congregations as they work on their home grown youth ministries too. There's no cost, the dioceses covers it all. I enjoy driving and really enjoy working with both young people and adults. I hope that you will free to call upon me as often as you need.
Let us never forget that our children are a gift and heritage of God in our midst. Let us care for that heritage together.
Amen.
St. Mark's Episcopal Orchard Park NY
Showing posts with label sermons. Show all posts
Showing posts with label sermons. Show all posts
Monday, November 09, 2009
Monday, October 27, 2008
Sermon on Youth Minister
This past Sunday I was asked by my home parish to talk about the concept of a paid youth minister. We are thinking and praying about whether this is the next step for us. At times our youth ministry has been outstanding and at times it barely exists. So we are in the discernment process and I was asked to help.
I tried to lay out why youth ministry is important and why at a certain point getting a full time person is important.
This is the audio recording from the video we shoot of our 10 AM service. We're having a little trouble with levels so it buzzes when the audio signal peaks. My apologies, I'm still working on the problem. There is no print version because I was working from notes and speaking largely off the top of my head.
A couple notes about things you'll hear but may not understand:
First, I begin with "Can you hear me now?". My wireless mike had a dead battery. This is embarrassing because I'm actually kind of in charge of the sound system!
Second, you'll hear noise in the background when I say that the most important place for youth ministry is right here. That's me hitting a pew with my hand for emphasis.
Third, I take a little dig at Fr. Earle King. I want it known that I have the greatest respect and affection for Fr. King. He is a delightful priest and person and my comment is meant entirely in the spirit of brotherly teasing.
The sermon runs very long for me, just a fraction over 20 minutes.
10-26-08sermon.mp3
I tried to lay out why youth ministry is important and why at a certain point getting a full time person is important.
This is the audio recording from the video we shoot of our 10 AM service. We're having a little trouble with levels so it buzzes when the audio signal peaks. My apologies, I'm still working on the problem. There is no print version because I was working from notes and speaking largely off the top of my head.
A couple notes about things you'll hear but may not understand:
First, I begin with "Can you hear me now?". My wireless mike had a dead battery. This is embarrassing because I'm actually kind of in charge of the sound system!
Second, you'll hear noise in the background when I say that the most important place for youth ministry is right here. That's me hitting a pew with my hand for emphasis.
Third, I take a little dig at Fr. Earle King. I want it known that I have the greatest respect and affection for Fr. King. He is a delightful priest and person and my comment is meant entirely in the spirit of brotherly teasing.
The sermon runs very long for me, just a fraction over 20 minutes.
10-26-08sermon.mp3
Tuesday, March 18, 2008
Thoughts on the Cart and the Horse
Periodically I'm invited to preach/speak at the time of the sermon. It's something I truly enjoy and for which I believe God has given me some gifts. The challenging part is that I'm restricted to a single subject - youth ministry. Finding a way to connect the readings to the subject is sometimes difficult!
I've never shared a sermon before because I'm not sure how interested anyone would be in what a diocesan youth missioner in a small diocese has to say. I've recorded several of them mostly as a check on how I did just like the old days on the radio.
With this one from earlier this month I think I pulled together some ideas that have been rattling around for some time. The worst that can happen is that no one listens (and unless you tell me I'll never know). My hope is that folks will feel free to let me know what they think so I can continue to refine my thoughts and ideas. This one is a little long by my standards. I try to keep in the 12-15 minute range and this one is just shy of 20.
I'm trained as an actor and have 19.5 years experience as a radio personality so I'm fairly confident in telling you that I'm not a bad speaker by most standards. Whether or not I know what I'm talking about is something else.
Listen to sermon
If you'd prefer to read the copy it can be found here.
Peace
I've never shared a sermon before because I'm not sure how interested anyone would be in what a diocesan youth missioner in a small diocese has to say. I've recorded several of them mostly as a check on how I did just like the old days on the radio.
With this one from earlier this month I think I pulled together some ideas that have been rattling around for some time. The worst that can happen is that no one listens (and unless you tell me I'll never know). My hope is that folks will feel free to let me know what they think so I can continue to refine my thoughts and ideas. This one is a little long by my standards. I try to keep in the 12-15 minute range and this one is just shy of 20.
I'm trained as an actor and have 19.5 years experience as a radio personality so I'm fairly confident in telling you that I'm not a bad speaker by most standards. Whether or not I know what I'm talking about is something else.
Listen to sermon
If you'd prefer to read the copy it can be found here.
Peace
Thursday, March 06, 2008
Some catching up
I'll toot my own horn and recommend that you check out the next post down too. I think it's one of my better ones.
Busy, busy, busy.
I had the chance to preach again last Sunday. I must admit I enjoy the chances I get (with a background in theater and radio I guess that's hardly surprising). Based on the reactions I get I'm not too bad at it. I don't usually post the scripts (I write out the full sermon. It's helpful in shaping exactly what I want to say. Then I go over it several times till I'm very familiar with the copy. I do NOT read the script. I've tried other ways and I'm just not happy with them. I try to be a bit of a "wordsmith" and that great phrase of two days ago too often slips my mind on Sunday)but I did a digital recording of this one. I think the message is important enough that I may post the file. Still debating on that one.
My weight loss contest is kind of stuck but in a good place. For the first time in probably close to 20 years I looked down at the scale and it did NOT tell me I weighed 200 some pounds! There was a 1 leading the way. Very nice. Add in an absolutely great workout today (I swam 750 yards, 30 25 yard lengths - a new personal record) and I'm feeling pretty good.
Oh yes and then a plug for the world's two best brothers (your siblings are probably wonderful people but I got the best). Tomorrow I cash in my Christmas present from the other "boys" a pair of tix to see Bruce Springsteen! This is going to be just amazing!
Peace
Busy, busy, busy.
I had the chance to preach again last Sunday. I must admit I enjoy the chances I get (with a background in theater and radio I guess that's hardly surprising). Based on the reactions I get I'm not too bad at it. I don't usually post the scripts (I write out the full sermon. It's helpful in shaping exactly what I want to say. Then I go over it several times till I'm very familiar with the copy. I do NOT read the script. I've tried other ways and I'm just not happy with them. I try to be a bit of a "wordsmith" and that great phrase of two days ago too often slips my mind on Sunday)but I did a digital recording of this one. I think the message is important enough that I may post the file. Still debating on that one.
My weight loss contest is kind of stuck but in a good place. For the first time in probably close to 20 years I looked down at the scale and it did NOT tell me I weighed 200 some pounds! There was a 1 leading the way. Very nice. Add in an absolutely great workout today (I swam 750 yards, 30 25 yard lengths - a new personal record) and I'm feeling pretty good.
Oh yes and then a plug for the world's two best brothers (your siblings are probably wonderful people but I got the best). Tomorrow I cash in my Christmas present from the other "boys" a pair of tix to see Bruce Springsteen! This is going to be just amazing!
Peace
Thursday, February 21, 2008
Some serious if conflicted thoughts
I am seriously conflicted about this post.
You see I was raised to be a nice Episcopal boy. We don't say bad things about other people. You just put a strained smile on your face and make sure never to invite them over for drinks or dinner again.
It's the Episcopal form of shunning.
At the same time I am just so disturbed by this that I need to comment. And for you to understand you probably need to see at least some of the video. So here it is.
This is a Baptist preacher doing what he believes is right. He believes his congregation needs to hear this word. It is important for him to spend the time to preach on this passage and to share this conclusion. That's clearly what he believes in his heart of hearts. And I'm sure that he believes that the Holy Spirit is moving him to do it.
And I believe he's wrong.
I don't believe this is an important portion of scripture that needs to be brought before the church. Beyond that I believe the conclusion he draws is (sigh, this is SO un-Episcopalian) ridiculous. This is a waste of his skills, his intellect and his faith. I can't believe that his congregation sat there without thinking "Pastor's slipped a cog".
In the end it did get me thinking. It got me thinking that THIS is EXACTLY the reason why we need to spend more time teaching our kids what the Bible is all about.
Because if we don't they'll think that this kind of thinking IS what the Bible's all about. That's there's nothing more important for us as people of faith to worry about than this kind of silly rule making.
I do NOT want our kids thinking that God particularly cares about whether a guy takes a wee standing or sitting.
I do NOT want our kids presented with this kind of preaching and teaching and not have it challenged clearly and compassionately.
I DO want our kids to know and love the Bible for the wonderful gift and resource that it is.
I DO want our kids to be able to think clearly about their faith and its basis. And to know when someone is wasting their time with nonsense.
So I have no choice. I have to write this post. I have to say that I believe this brother in Christ is seriously off base. And I'd like to say the following as well to all my brothers and sisters in faith, young and old:
Spend some time reading your Bible. Do yourself a favor and get more than one translation. Compare how they interpret the ancient languages in which Scripture was originally written. Think about what it says. Be prepared to be challenged by what you read. That means some of it is going to sound wrong, funny, strange, troubling. Some of it is going to say things you don't like. Good. You need to read all of it, not just the bits that you like. Learn it so people can't twist and distort it for their own ends. Some people are trying to con you with the Bible. If you don't know it then you make it easy for them. Ask questions. If the answers aren't clear or don't make sense keep asking questions. Don't let anyone make you feel "dumb". The disciples had to have Jesus repeat things to them too.
The Bible carries God's message to all of us. It's a message about love and hope and caring for one another. It's a message of peace and joy and being welcomed home. If you hear people telling you it's a message of anger and violence of any kind (mental, physical or spiritual) they're leading you astray.
Let me say this in clear, un-Episcopal fashion:
They're wrong. They're lying to you. They're wasting your time. They are dishonoring God.
Peace
You see I was raised to be a nice Episcopal boy. We don't say bad things about other people. You just put a strained smile on your face and make sure never to invite them over for drinks or dinner again.
It's the Episcopal form of shunning.
At the same time I am just so disturbed by this that I need to comment. And for you to understand you probably need to see at least some of the video. So here it is.
This is a Baptist preacher doing what he believes is right. He believes his congregation needs to hear this word. It is important for him to spend the time to preach on this passage and to share this conclusion. That's clearly what he believes in his heart of hearts. And I'm sure that he believes that the Holy Spirit is moving him to do it.
And I believe he's wrong.
I don't believe this is an important portion of scripture that needs to be brought before the church. Beyond that I believe the conclusion he draws is (sigh, this is SO un-Episcopalian) ridiculous. This is a waste of his skills, his intellect and his faith. I can't believe that his congregation sat there without thinking "Pastor's slipped a cog".
In the end it did get me thinking. It got me thinking that THIS is EXACTLY the reason why we need to spend more time teaching our kids what the Bible is all about.
Because if we don't they'll think that this kind of thinking IS what the Bible's all about. That's there's nothing more important for us as people of faith to worry about than this kind of silly rule making.
I do NOT want our kids thinking that God particularly cares about whether a guy takes a wee standing or sitting.
I do NOT want our kids presented with this kind of preaching and teaching and not have it challenged clearly and compassionately.
I DO want our kids to know and love the Bible for the wonderful gift and resource that it is.
I DO want our kids to be able to think clearly about their faith and its basis. And to know when someone is wasting their time with nonsense.
So I have no choice. I have to write this post. I have to say that I believe this brother in Christ is seriously off base. And I'd like to say the following as well to all my brothers and sisters in faith, young and old:
Spend some time reading your Bible. Do yourself a favor and get more than one translation. Compare how they interpret the ancient languages in which Scripture was originally written. Think about what it says. Be prepared to be challenged by what you read. That means some of it is going to sound wrong, funny, strange, troubling. Some of it is going to say things you don't like. Good. You need to read all of it, not just the bits that you like. Learn it so people can't twist and distort it for their own ends. Some people are trying to con you with the Bible. If you don't know it then you make it easy for them. Ask questions. If the answers aren't clear or don't make sense keep asking questions. Don't let anyone make you feel "dumb". The disciples had to have Jesus repeat things to them too.
The Bible carries God's message to all of us. It's a message about love and hope and caring for one another. It's a message of peace and joy and being welcomed home. If you hear people telling you it's a message of anger and violence of any kind (mental, physical or spiritual) they're leading you astray.
Let me say this in clear, un-Episcopal fashion:
They're wrong. They're lying to you. They're wasting your time. They are dishonoring God.
Peace
Monday, January 29, 2007
One from my pocket
I wrote this as a sermon. Turns out I never used it. So here it is with some minor modifications.
Why Youth Ministry?
I must admit that I struggled more with that question than I ever expected to. For me personally there can be no such question as to the why of youth ministry. It was about 15 years ago that I heard my own personal call to work with young people and I've never looked back. It's where I fit, it's where I belong, it is where I have found great joy and inspiration over the years that I worked with my home congregation and with our diocesan programs and beyond. Yet as I sat staring at the blank computer monitor with that maddening little cursor blinking at me as if challenging me to fill those pages I thought "Well that's fine for you Jay but what about the larger question? Why youth ministry? Why youth ministry at our congregations and youth ministry in the Episcopal diocese of WNY?"
So I owe all of you here a debt of gratitude for pushing me to think deeper about these questions.
These are the answers that came to me as I thought: Why do youth ministry?
Because the faith of Jesus Christ as expressed in our Anglican tradition is not ours to keep. We are called upon to share it, to give it away, freely and to all peoples. And how can we say that it is for all the world but not for our own flesh and blood? In the gospels of Matthew Jesus asks the question if a child asks their parent for bread will they be given a stone ? If our children look to us for wisdom and knowledge and all the things they need to live and thrive in the world will we choose to keep this faith from them? What kind of parents would that make us?
And knowing the kind of world that is waiting for our children how can we not give them all the tools they need? In a world where Greed is good and sex is casual, and drugs are recreational the can only be one answer to the question of Why Youth Ministry. That answer is that if we do not minister to our children we will have failed.
Think on this as well, not only will we have failed our children but we will have failed our church. We come here, I hope, because we have found comfort here, strength here, courage here, solace here. This expression of Christian life and worship is something that works, that gives strength to the members. Surely this too is an inheritance we are expected to pass along. Surely we WANT this place to go on . And surely we want our flesh and blood to be part of that. What does it say about the life lived here if we invite the stranger in but are comfortable that our families are not here? Our inheritance is a great river that stretches from the past into the future. We do not create the river we merely stand in one part. A church without youth ministry is one that has decided to dam that river, and keep the waters for itself. Such a river will eventually drown everything in its path until the ground absorbs it and it is gone.
As I thought I came across yet another reason why youth ministry. Because God has seen fit to call and use young people over and over and over again. If it's good enough for God how can we say no? Look at the young people God has called. David, so young that when his elders gave him armor to go and fight Goliath it was so huge on him that he couldn't move in it. Mary, the mother of Jesus, a very young woman asked to do an amazing and impossible thing. Jeremiah who is quite up front with God. I am just a boy. Paul reminded Timothy that his youth was not a hindrance in God's work. Jesus sets up a child's faith as one of the models we should look to for ourselves. Surely it is our calling to bring the little ones to him.
In the end the answer to the question is that we MUST do youth ministry. There is no alternative. Our faith requires it and our God has modeled if for us. Let us never forget that our children and grandchildren and nieces and nephews and all the children of this community are our younger brothers and sisters in Christ. They need what we have, or are in the process of obtaining. There is more than enough to go around. This is a gift that multiplies the more it is divided.
So the next question becomes how best can we do this. Let me begin by telling you that I believe the most important answer to this question isn't about what program, or Sunday school curriculum you should be using. There are lots of good ones and many great ones. Program alone is generally not a successful formula. How do we bring the teachings of the first century in the middle east to the 21st Century in middle America? As I talk with youth ministers from around our denomination and in other denominations I think I see a pattern. A pattern of how to bring that message of faith to our younger brothers and sisters, how to make it something of importance and relevance in their lives.
I feel compelled to add a warning here. What I am about to say is not a magic formula, it is not a magic bullet or magic box. It does not come with a guarantee. Most importantly it's not a quick fix.
The pattern is simply this: Our ministry must be about relationship. Because if you look at the stories in the Gospels and the other books of the NT you'll see they are stories of relationship. You see some things have not changed since the first century. Love is about relationship. Relationship is real. In youth ministry especially we sometimes lose sight of that. We get caught up in trying to be cool, or flashy, we get caught in tradition and program instead of focusing on the real. Real is life, all of life. Not just Sunday school or youth group time but every time, all the time. Don't think you can condense the phrase "real is life" down to "real life" because that phrase means something very different "out there" in the world. Out there real life is about individuality, personal gain and survival of the fittest. It's a jersey poppin, just win baby cuz winning isn't everything it's the only thing. A life where Greed is good, sex is casual and drugs are recreational. That "real life" truly isn't real, because the only relationship there is one of domination and conquest. That's not the real we come to know in a community of faith.
But the question today is how do we teach that real? How do we give our younger brothers and sisters a different kind of real, a different way of approaching what is waiting for them out there? I have come to believe in one teaching method above all others. And when I look at those places that have shown the greatest positives in their ministry to one another you find this method over and over and over again. The great thing about it is that it can be used with any program, at any age, in any size congregation. And it can be employed, in fact is most effectively employed, by everyone. Not just the clergy or the designated teachers or ministers, but by everyone in every pew.
It is quite simply, story. Your story, and my story and the stories of the 3 year olds and the stories of the 83 year olds. There is no greater glue for a community than to share your stories, there is no greater teaching tool than to give one another the examples of our own lives. Personal stories aren't some abstract teaching concept, they are real examples of things that went right, things that went wrong, things that were changed. Stories make us real to one another because we can no longer look across the aisle and see just some kid or some old person. Now they are young William who has been struggling with algebra, or Mrs. Wilberforce who actually rafted down the Amazon river. Stories are sources of great wisdom and sometimes great reassurance. For many young people there is no greater comfort than knowing that other folks have been down those same paths before them, and it's normal to think and feel these things.
Stories will not, and in some cases should not, simply come pouring out. Our story is one of the most personal things we possess. It can be very uncomfortable for us to place that precious part of ourselves out there for others to see. Perhaps you already do this, either as an intentional process or just simply out of the normal development of your community. If so I encourage you to continue and to grow. Find new ways to share those stories and to tie them to the teachings of scripture. If it is not a part of your lives I recommend it strongly to you. We live in age of increasing alone-ness. We spend more time with ipods shutting out the sound of those around us and computer screens or TV screens standing between us and the face of our fellows. Story brings us together.
Out of story rises understanding, out of understanding rises trust, out of trust rises love. And that we are reminded is the greatest thing of all.
I would point out one other thing that I have seen in this pattern. That the sharing of story is not something only for the leaders of the ministry. Especially in youth ministry our young people need to hear the stories of other youth and adults and senior citizens. They need to hear the stories of our successes and our failures. They need to hear the stories of what happened and then what happened next. They need to hear all our stories.
Why do youth ministry? To pass along our inheritance, and to follow in the footsteps of God. How to do youth ministry? Share your story. Share how God has worked in your life, share the understanding that you have found. And along the way listen to their stories. Help them to grow their stories by inspiring them, challenging them, empowering them. That can be the only answer.
Why Youth Ministry?
I must admit that I struggled more with that question than I ever expected to. For me personally there can be no such question as to the why of youth ministry. It was about 15 years ago that I heard my own personal call to work with young people and I've never looked back. It's where I fit, it's where I belong, it is where I have found great joy and inspiration over the years that I worked with my home congregation and with our diocesan programs and beyond. Yet as I sat staring at the blank computer monitor with that maddening little cursor blinking at me as if challenging me to fill those pages I thought "Well that's fine for you Jay but what about the larger question? Why youth ministry? Why youth ministry at our congregations and youth ministry in the Episcopal diocese of WNY?"
So I owe all of you here a debt of gratitude for pushing me to think deeper about these questions.
These are the answers that came to me as I thought: Why do youth ministry?
Because the faith of Jesus Christ as expressed in our Anglican tradition is not ours to keep. We are called upon to share it, to give it away, freely and to all peoples. And how can we say that it is for all the world but not for our own flesh and blood? In the gospels of Matthew Jesus asks the question if a child asks their parent for bread will they be given a stone ? If our children look to us for wisdom and knowledge and all the things they need to live and thrive in the world will we choose to keep this faith from them? What kind of parents would that make us?
And knowing the kind of world that is waiting for our children how can we not give them all the tools they need? In a world where Greed is good and sex is casual, and drugs are recreational the can only be one answer to the question of Why Youth Ministry. That answer is that if we do not minister to our children we will have failed.
Think on this as well, not only will we have failed our children but we will have failed our church. We come here, I hope, because we have found comfort here, strength here, courage here, solace here. This expression of Christian life and worship is something that works, that gives strength to the members. Surely this too is an inheritance we are expected to pass along. Surely we WANT this place to go on . And surely we want our flesh and blood to be part of that. What does it say about the life lived here if we invite the stranger in but are comfortable that our families are not here? Our inheritance is a great river that stretches from the past into the future. We do not create the river we merely stand in one part. A church without youth ministry is one that has decided to dam that river, and keep the waters for itself. Such a river will eventually drown everything in its path until the ground absorbs it and it is gone.
As I thought I came across yet another reason why youth ministry. Because God has seen fit to call and use young people over and over and over again. If it's good enough for God how can we say no? Look at the young people God has called. David, so young that when his elders gave him armor to go and fight Goliath it was so huge on him that he couldn't move in it. Mary, the mother of Jesus, a very young woman asked to do an amazing and impossible thing. Jeremiah who is quite up front with God. I am just a boy. Paul reminded Timothy that his youth was not a hindrance in God's work. Jesus sets up a child's faith as one of the models we should look to for ourselves. Surely it is our calling to bring the little ones to him.
In the end the answer to the question is that we MUST do youth ministry. There is no alternative. Our faith requires it and our God has modeled if for us. Let us never forget that our children and grandchildren and nieces and nephews and all the children of this community are our younger brothers and sisters in Christ. They need what we have, or are in the process of obtaining. There is more than enough to go around. This is a gift that multiplies the more it is divided.
So the next question becomes how best can we do this. Let me begin by telling you that I believe the most important answer to this question isn't about what program, or Sunday school curriculum you should be using. There are lots of good ones and many great ones. Program alone is generally not a successful formula. How do we bring the teachings of the first century in the middle east to the 21st Century in middle America? As I talk with youth ministers from around our denomination and in other denominations I think I see a pattern. A pattern of how to bring that message of faith to our younger brothers and sisters, how to make it something of importance and relevance in their lives.
I feel compelled to add a warning here. What I am about to say is not a magic formula, it is not a magic bullet or magic box. It does not come with a guarantee. Most importantly it's not a quick fix.
The pattern is simply this: Our ministry must be about relationship. Because if you look at the stories in the Gospels and the other books of the NT you'll see they are stories of relationship. You see some things have not changed since the first century. Love is about relationship. Relationship is real. In youth ministry especially we sometimes lose sight of that. We get caught up in trying to be cool, or flashy, we get caught in tradition and program instead of focusing on the real. Real is life, all of life. Not just Sunday school or youth group time but every time, all the time. Don't think you can condense the phrase "real is life" down to "real life" because that phrase means something very different "out there" in the world. Out there real life is about individuality, personal gain and survival of the fittest. It's a jersey poppin, just win baby cuz winning isn't everything it's the only thing. A life where Greed is good, sex is casual and drugs are recreational. That "real life" truly isn't real, because the only relationship there is one of domination and conquest. That's not the real we come to know in a community of faith.
But the question today is how do we teach that real? How do we give our younger brothers and sisters a different kind of real, a different way of approaching what is waiting for them out there? I have come to believe in one teaching method above all others. And when I look at those places that have shown the greatest positives in their ministry to one another you find this method over and over and over again. The great thing about it is that it can be used with any program, at any age, in any size congregation. And it can be employed, in fact is most effectively employed, by everyone. Not just the clergy or the designated teachers or ministers, but by everyone in every pew.
It is quite simply, story. Your story, and my story and the stories of the 3 year olds and the stories of the 83 year olds. There is no greater glue for a community than to share your stories, there is no greater teaching tool than to give one another the examples of our own lives. Personal stories aren't some abstract teaching concept, they are real examples of things that went right, things that went wrong, things that were changed. Stories make us real to one another because we can no longer look across the aisle and see just some kid or some old person. Now they are young William who has been struggling with algebra, or Mrs. Wilberforce who actually rafted down the Amazon river. Stories are sources of great wisdom and sometimes great reassurance. For many young people there is no greater comfort than knowing that other folks have been down those same paths before them, and it's normal to think and feel these things.
Stories will not, and in some cases should not, simply come pouring out. Our story is one of the most personal things we possess. It can be very uncomfortable for us to place that precious part of ourselves out there for others to see. Perhaps you already do this, either as an intentional process or just simply out of the normal development of your community. If so I encourage you to continue and to grow. Find new ways to share those stories and to tie them to the teachings of scripture. If it is not a part of your lives I recommend it strongly to you. We live in age of increasing alone-ness. We spend more time with ipods shutting out the sound of those around us and computer screens or TV screens standing between us and the face of our fellows. Story brings us together.
Out of story rises understanding, out of understanding rises trust, out of trust rises love. And that we are reminded is the greatest thing of all.
I would point out one other thing that I have seen in this pattern. That the sharing of story is not something only for the leaders of the ministry. Especially in youth ministry our young people need to hear the stories of other youth and adults and senior citizens. They need to hear the stories of our successes and our failures. They need to hear the stories of what happened and then what happened next. They need to hear all our stories.
Why do youth ministry? To pass along our inheritance, and to follow in the footsteps of God. How to do youth ministry? Share your story. Share how God has worked in your life, share the understanding that you have found. And along the way listen to their stories. Help them to grow their stories by inspiring them, challenging them, empowering them. That can be the only answer.
Monday, December 11, 2006
A few notes from a busy weekend.
Lots of running about this weekend.
I started with a performance of "Godspell" (I was watching not performing) at Niagara University. Now I've been seeing this show for 30 some years now. I always enjoy it. This performance may be the best I've ever seen. What was interesting was the interpretation. All the characters except Jesus are portrayed as trouble youth exploring a new drop in center. Jesus is the director/youth minister (OK maybe I'm projecting just a little bit). The effect was astouding. To have the song "All Good Gifts" sung by a young (rather emo looking) man who reveals evidence of cutting as he sings was just staggering. The spoken portions are all interpreted within the confines of the new characterizations as well. Maybe it's just because I'm in youth ministry but the show was new and vital in a way it hasn't been in a long time for me.
Beyond that to see that show the night before I was scheduled to preach on the John the Baptist - "...a voice crying in the wilderness, prepare the way of the Lord..." section of the Gospel was enough to raise goose bumps.
My thanks to the folks at St. Mark's LeRoy for their warmth and hospitality. They were all very complimentary on the sermon and fed me very well! It was one of the rare times when my lady wife got to come with me and hear what her husband does for a living! St. Mark's is set right at the edge of a large creek, with a small waterfall emerging from under a beautiful stone bridge. All of which can be seen from the room where they do coffee hour. If there's a more beautiful view in the diocese I haven't found it yet.
I did manage to make one gaffe. I always try to scope out how the traffic "flows" at Communion time. It's different from church to church. My cheat is to make sure that at least a couple folks are sitting in pews in front of me so I can follow along. Of course I have to hope that they're not visitors too! (Visitors sitting in the front rows at church? Not likely!) Well I got up, received, turned and walked back down the chancel. Oooops, I was fighting the flow the whole way. Seems there's a small door off to one side I was supposed to use. I'll just plead that I was too deeply immersed in the experience of the Eucharist. That's my story and I'm sticking to it.
Other than that it was a lot of driving. I think I'm about as far away from LeRoy as you can be in the diocese. Just glad to be home. Although I may have caught a cold over the weekend.
Peace
I started with a performance of "Godspell" (I was watching not performing) at Niagara University. Now I've been seeing this show for 30 some years now. I always enjoy it. This performance may be the best I've ever seen. What was interesting was the interpretation. All the characters except Jesus are portrayed as trouble youth exploring a new drop in center. Jesus is the director/youth minister (OK maybe I'm projecting just a little bit). The effect was astouding. To have the song "All Good Gifts" sung by a young (rather emo looking) man who reveals evidence of cutting as he sings was just staggering. The spoken portions are all interpreted within the confines of the new characterizations as well. Maybe it's just because I'm in youth ministry but the show was new and vital in a way it hasn't been in a long time for me.
Beyond that to see that show the night before I was scheduled to preach on the John the Baptist - "...a voice crying in the wilderness, prepare the way of the Lord..." section of the Gospel was enough to raise goose bumps.
My thanks to the folks at St. Mark's LeRoy for their warmth and hospitality. They were all very complimentary on the sermon and fed me very well! It was one of the rare times when my lady wife got to come with me and hear what her husband does for a living! St. Mark's is set right at the edge of a large creek, with a small waterfall emerging from under a beautiful stone bridge. All of which can be seen from the room where they do coffee hour. If there's a more beautiful view in the diocese I haven't found it yet.
I did manage to make one gaffe. I always try to scope out how the traffic "flows" at Communion time. It's different from church to church. My cheat is to make sure that at least a couple folks are sitting in pews in front of me so I can follow along. Of course I have to hope that they're not visitors too! (Visitors sitting in the front rows at church? Not likely!) Well I got up, received, turned and walked back down the chancel. Oooops, I was fighting the flow the whole way. Seems there's a small door off to one side I was supposed to use. I'll just plead that I was too deeply immersed in the experience of the Eucharist. That's my story and I'm sticking to it.
Other than that it was a lot of driving. I think I'm about as far away from LeRoy as you can be in the diocese. Just glad to be home. Although I may have caught a cold over the weekend.
Peace
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