It’s like New Years Day all over again.

Well, at least, for Youth Ministry. 

School’s back in and we start another season of ministry. 

It’s that time for out with the old and in with the new. New students to encounter. New challenges to face.

For this year, maybe you’re changing strategy or adding new plans. Or maybe you’re just getting the same ball rolling again. 

But before you get too far into this season, let me ask you a few reflection questions:

     -What have you learned in the past season of ministry?

     -How have you grown?

     -What are you changing in your ministry plans? And what stays the same?

For me: I continue to see how God calls me to be present in the midst of the plans I have made. I continue to see how I can invest more and program less in ministry. The Lord continues to show me  how much of ministry is His and how little is mine (that’s one I continue to forget and rediscover). And for ministry this year, it will feel like last year but be much more intentional (last year was a learning year, this is a honing one). I’m ultimately ready to see how the Lord is going to work and remembering how honored I am to be able to have a job where I can watch it happen. 

On July 11th, 7 young adult cancer survivors from across Canada flew into Calgary to be a part of our kayaking expedition on the Owyhee River in southeastern Oregon. This is the first trip of many with Survive & Thrive Adventures. They will spend 8 days travelling, camping and filming everything with the goal of putting a spotlight on the unique challenges of being a young adult with cancer. The film will showcase the strength and will of the survivors as they apply the life lessons they learned from their cancer experience to the challenges they face on the river. The expedition leaves the morning of July 12th and will return July 23rd.

This is a great cause headed up by some amazing people who have been on an incredible journey (http://huckithuge.com/wordpress/) .

Physical safety: Most of the participants are not in the best shape physically and also have some side effects from their cancer treatments. We will be on this very remote section of hot, dry desert for 8 days where there is no cell phone reception and not even a ranch or settlement for hundreds of miles. Please pray for protection for everyone.

Healing: We believe that sickness and suffering do not come from God (but that as a Redeemer He can certainly use them to bring about goodness) and know that many participants have side affects from their treatments. Please pray for physical and emotional healing.

Logistics: With 3 guides, a film crew, a photographer and all the participants, there are a lot of components that need to fit together for this trip to run smoothly. As we drive down to Oregon from Calgary a second group will drive from Washington to Oregon where we will meet and join more staff on the river. Please pray that everything from the border crossing and driving to the camera shots and the group dynamics goes well!

For more check out their website:

www.survivethrive.org

“Stefanie Zaner, Iron Kid of Darnestown, is closing in on her 2,340th straight day of public school… Not once in 13 years was Stefanie marked absent: not for a cold, a family vacation, a college visit or a senior skip day.”

[MSN]

Perfect attendance. Never missing a day of school. Always saying “present” or “here” when roll was called. It’s impressive and downright amazing (and also probably a bit neurotic).

I was never that good. Not even close.

But what about now with our walks with God. How often are we present and aware of the Lord’s in the moments of our day? Do we see Him there with us all the time or just when we want to be seen? I know sometimes it seems like I’m taking a sick day. My chair is empty, roll is being called,  and I’m no where to be found. Somedays, I may caught up in busyness and don’t even ponder the God’s presence till later into my day.

But what a difference, when I notice, engage, and walk with Him. What a difference when I step out of my cluttered, busy life and step into his flow of grace. What a difference when I’m fully present to His movement in and around my life.

So today, I remind myself to present, awake, aware, noticing, and listening. What about you?

Finding You by Terri Churchill
i caught a glimpse of you just the other day
in the wide open eyes of that screaming baby
as my frazzled nerves
were moving me to forget
(you’re not fooling me)
i saw you shuffling down the street
begging for my loose change-
your hands stretched out and your breath
smelling like whiskey
(i almost missed you there)
i recognized your voice just underneath
the voice of that woman
when she was irritating me
with her heartless gossip-
thank you for getting my attention
just in time
before i unleashed a harsh judgment
or joined her
(you’re so good)
i love the way you come to me
in these clever disguises
holding up a mirror so i can see myself too
i’m looking for you jesus
where will you show up today?

“Somehow, when we tell Bible stories to kids, they turn out to be little morality tales, but they’re not! You read the Old Testament, and people, they’re more than flawed. They do some terrible things to each other, and there are no happy endings. There are no resolutions,” Ramis says. “I also noticed that everyone’s on a journey.”

-Harold Ramis (director of “Groundhog Day” and the upcoming movie “Year One”)

I think he’s got a point here.  We often forget that these were real, flawed people (like us) journeying and stumbling after the Lord. 

How often do we [when talking particularly to children or youth] boil Bible stories down to morality tales? And if we do that, how does this alter one’s perceive of God and our faith?

Soul Pancake is a fairly new site trying to “make discussions about Spirituality, Creativity, and Philosophy cool again.” It somehow involves Rainn Wilson (Dwight from The Office) which makes it even more intriguing. It’s interesting to say the least. There’s some good conversations going on there. 

Here’s an video about people pondering “What is God”? I always enjoy hearing other’s perspectives on spiritual things. If we’re to ever reach out to people, we need to, at least, attempt to understand them. 

So check out Soul Pancake. It’s worth a look. 

www.SoulPancake.com

I really enjoyed the imagery of this is an anti-tobacco ad.

So if we can take this into context of our lives – let me ask you this: What is something that you can change in your world? Not the world at-large… your life. Your sphere. Your world.

What is something that is dirty, ugly, hurt, broken, or messed up that you can make beautiful again?

Lament (n) – a passionate expression of grief or sorrow.

If you look at the newspapers, there’s not much to be excited about. The economy is going down the tubes. The earth is falling apart. Children are starving. Wars rage on. Greed trumps and injustice rules. Dreams die. Things are not the way they are supposed to be. You can feel it in your stomach. Things aren’t right. 

Sometimes we’re so quick to want to fix things, to walk past the hurt that we don’t lament and sit with the Lord and dwell on the the state of things. We don’t experience the present, and don’t want to be present in it. But just take a moment, to grieve, to rage, to weep. It may not be pretty, but it’s not meant to be.  David did it… often. And the Lord’s shoulders are big enough to bear whatever we have.

The following is a good lament that that resonates in me. 

Wake Up Dead Man by U2

Jesus, Jesus help me
I’m alone in this world
and a f*cked up world it is too
tell me, tell me the story
the one about eternity
and the way it’s all gonna be
WAKE UP WAKE UP DEAD MAN
WAKE UP WAKE UP DEAD MAN

Jesus, I’m waiting here boss
I know you’re looking out for us
but maybe your hands aren’t free
your Father, He made the world in seven
He’s in charge of heaven
will you put a word in for me
WAKE UP WAKE UP DEAD MAN
WAKE UP WAKE UP DEAD MAN

listen to your words they’ll tell you what to do
listen over the rhythm that’s confusing you
listen to the reed in the saxophone
listen over the hum of the radio
listen over sounds of blades in rotation
listen through the traffic and circulation
listen as hope and peace try to rhyme
listen over marching bands playing out their time
WAKE UP WAKE UP DEAD MAN
WAKE UP WAKE UP DEAD MAN

Jesus, were you just around the corner?
did You think to try and warn her?
or are you working on something new?
if there’s an order in all of this disorder
is it like a tape recorder?
can we rewind it just once more
WAKE UP WAKE UP DEAD MAN
WAKE UP WAKE UP DEAD MAN