The Communion of Thank You!

This last Sunday was Homecoming Sunday!  Homecoming Sunday is the Sunday that we return from our summer fun, our wanderings, and our projects (finished and unfinished).  Sunday school begins, the Choir returns in full voice, Youth Group enthusiastically begins, and we worship and share in communion together. 

My heart was renewed in every way, through communion this Sunday. The pure welcome of everyone, especially the children, to share in the moment together.  Children spilled into the center isle of the sanctuary to sit and listen to Pastor Jan share the familiar story.  To watch the breaking of the bread, to witness the lifting of the cup, and to experience being invited to God's table with open arms.  

Sitting next to me on the floor, was Wesley.  He's in Kindergarten. While we sat and listened to the story of communion being shared with us, he leaned over to ask me........"Does everyone get a piece?" referring to the bread.  "Yes, everyone gets a piece." I said back. Wesley was comforted and very pleased.  Everyone gets a piece. What a simple thought that is, but it holds within it such great meaning. 

Wesley and I made our way forward to share in the feast of God's love.  Pastor Jan bent down low to offer the plate and God's Peace (or Piece) to Wesley.  As Wesley took his piece, he responded out loud, "Thank you very much".  He meant it.  Yes, it was good manners, but I could tell that he was thankful for  the piece that was meant just for him.  A share of God's love, set aside just for Wesley.  

I however, was taken by surprise.  'Thank you'.  I've never said 'Thank you' out loud while receiving communion.  I'm of course thankful, but I'm always in my own head, making meaningful sense of the symbolic and ancient ritual.  An expression of faithful response to what Jesus asked us to do, remember Him.  But never once have I said 'Thank you'.  And in that moment during worship, I renewed the spirit of communion within myself, by following the lead of a Kindergartner.  I said "Thank you" and I meant it. Thankful for all the ways, Jesus has opened my eyes and heart to an ever-present, inviting, welcoming God.

Thank you too Wesley! 

Honoring 9/11 with our Teens

This article is from a website I value a great deal called.........Rethinking Youth Ministry. 

Written by two progressive Christian pastors, Brian Kirk and Jacob Thorne, they provide a wealth of information on approaching 9/11 with Teens and God in mind......my son was starting 3rd grade when the tragedy happened.......interesting to talk about it with him now.  I hope your conversations are  meaningful too.

--Staci

Will you talk with your teens about 9-11 this week?  If so, how will you help them reflect on this event that is a part of their childhood and yet not something they really remember?

This Sunday will be the 10th anniversary of the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks on the U.S. The events of that day resulted in damage to the Pentagon, multiple crashed airliners, the destruction of the twin towers in New York City, and the loss of thousands of innocent lives.  Most of the youth of today were preschoolers or primary-age when the attacks occurred. Their memories of the event are less first-hand and more an amalgam of all the things they have seen, heard, and read in the years since. 

How should we talk with our teens about 9-11?  The truth is, it will be different for each group.  As you are the expert when it comes to your ministry and your teens, ultimately you are best able to discern how to challenge them to be thoughtful and honest in their discussion of an event that continues to affect the politics, economics, and social conditions of the United States. 

Below are a few suggestions to help you in your planning. These are just the beginnings of ideas. Hopefully, something here will click and help you develop the right path for your group:

• Discuss "Where was God on 9-11?"  This question has almost become a theological chestnut at this point but, honestly, can your theology answer the question in such a way that you'd be willing to share your convictions with a person whose loved one died in the planes or was burned to death in the twin towers?  This is a tough question worth wrestling with as your teens discern their own understanding of who and how God is in the world.  This response may be typical but leaves the door widen open to simply throw up our hands and do nothing in the face of an inexplicable God. Why not share it with your teens and let them discuss it?
• Watch stories of 9-11 Kids - Help your teens see the effects of that day on the children of 9-11 victims, many of whom are their same-aged peers. You can find a few possible videos here, here, and one of a series of videos interviews with children of 9-11 victims here. 
• View a portion of the documentary "Beyond Belief." This film details how two 9-11 widows opted not to respond with anger or a call for revenge but rather reached out to help other widows in Afghanistan -- women whose own husbands were casualties of the U.S. war in that country. (available from Netflix and for purchase or download).
• Debate: Violence versus God's Love - Those that died on September 11 were not the only victims. Thousands more died in the subsequent wars in Afghanistan and Iraq, including U.S. soldiers and approximately 100,000 civilians in Iraq alone.  Challenge your youth to consider if violence and war was the best response to September 11th.  What other options could have been considered? What was the Christian response? Do we trust more in violence and might or in the love of God to heal the world? 
• Share Emotions Through Art - Help your youth brainstorm their thoughts and emotions about 9-11 and turn those feelings into an artistic expression, perhaps around the themes of forgiveness, peace, justice, mercy, reconciliation, and community.  Their creations could be a vision of a better more hopeful world for the next generation of children.
• Invite Others to Share Their Stories - Invite young adults and older adults to come and share their stories of that day -- where they were when they heard the news, what impact it had on them, and how they think the world has changed since then. 
• Pray - Adapt any of the prayer stations ideas on this blog and simply develop a quiet, thoughtful and maybe even silent hour of prayer, encouraging your teens to focus on the needs of the world.
• Do something About It - Share with your youth about the "Jesus, Bombs, and Ice Cream" event being organized by Shane Claiborne. Invite their responses -- they might even be inspired to create an event of their own.
• Need More Ideas? Check out this article from Youthworker Journal.

Staci's Thought: Chalk Labyrinth

   

The 5th and 6th grade Sunday school class created a sidewalk chalk prayer labyrinth this week in the upper parking lot.  Working with enthusiasm, joy, and good music, around in circles they drew. When they were done, a beautiful work of art and an activity of spiritual practice had been created.  In rainbow colors.

 If you've ever walked a labyrinth you know that they can offer a particularly rich spiritual experience. As you walk the path, you pass others or they pass you. You walk at your own pace, and others at theirs. (If you're a 5th or 6th grader, this can quickly become  a conga line,) You seem to be working your way toward the center and suddenly you find yourself on the outside of the design again. Finally you reach the center, pause, and begin the journey out and though you are retracing your steps, going in the other direction this time makes the path completely new.

All of this whispers metaphorically of the spiritual journey we walk together.  Looking forward, looking back.  Journeying together while being in different places on the same path. Seeking the center of a spiritual time and space.  Finding ways to create sacred patterns and holy routines in our everyday living. 

Thank you to our 5th and 6th graders and to their mentor James Marohn, for reminding me of the circular, rainbow colored, conga line that is our journey of faith.

Staci's Thought: Creating Covenants

This last Thursday night, I had the joy of helping the Kid's Choir of RBCC create a Kids Choir Covenant.  Working together, the kids aged 4 - 11,  created a wonderful way of being together and supporting each other.  We often create Covenants at the start of our time together in Sunday school, youth group, confirmation, and also the kids choir.

A Covenant is a promise.  A  mutual commitment between people, of how they will be in community with each other.  It is the creation of all the people involved, and is a reflection of how God first loved us.

More than a set of rules, a covenant is about relationships.  How we relate to God, each other, our communities, and our world. Especially in the midst of our differences.  It's God's good glue that keeps us together!

Below is the kids choir covenant.  A beautiful example to live by.

As the Kids Choir of RBCC we Covenant with each other to:

Have fun, Sing, Make Friends, Smile, Work Together, and Have Confidence. 

We will do it through, Agreement, Cooperation, Being Kind, Listening, and Practicing Self-Space.

Why we do it... To bring joy to others and each other.  To Inspire.

Amen!

"What Does it Mean to be a Spiritual Young Person?"

"What does it mean to be a spiritual young person?"

Over the summer I read an article from the University of Missouri about a researcher exploring this very question.  How are our young people defining their spirituality?  How do they define the differences between religion and spirituality?  The following answers from the youth in the study give us some insight into the minds of our own young people.

“What does it mean to be a spiritual young person?”……….

• To have purpose
• To have the bond of connections, including those to a higher power (typically God), people and nature.
• To have a foundation of well-being, including joy and fulfillment, energy and peace
• To have conviction
• To have self-confidence
• To have an impetus for virtue; for example, having motivation to do the right thing and tell the truth

"Although the assumption is that many people are 'spiritual,' spirituality is not something that is easy to articulate and define.”  Anthony James, University of Missouri.

How do we as a congregation help all of our young people foster a sense of spirituality in their lives.  It takes more than one voice and more than one experience.  Are we helping them make connections to God and others?  How are we building their self confidence?  In what ways are we helping them build foundations of joy, fulfillment, energy and peace?

As Homecoming Sunday approches, I hope we can all find a way to play a part in the spiritual formation of our young people, from nursery through High School.  What are some ways we can do this together? 

You can read the entire article here: http://esciencenews.com/articles/2010/06/21/youth.define.spirituality.terms.positive.behaviors.connections