SCY Youth Minister’s Weblog

Since Avery can’t verbally tell me what he’s thinking, I have to watch for clues.  I can usually tell when he’s hungry, thirsty, tired, dirty, wants to go outside, or when Elijah has done something wrong (it brings Avery great joy to tell on (not great) and protect (makes me proud) his little brother).  But other things are more ambiguous.  Like when he sees something in the distance; that something can be so important he will not rest until I recognize it. 

It works best for me to stand really close to him, his level, look his direction, put my face against his, and look down his little finger (which does not point very accuarately).  Not only are my chances of knowing his thoughts and seeing his sights increased, he also gives me more time.  He appreciates communicating with me as I appreciate being told.

When you look at a landscape, a setting, a day’s worth of events, a newsclipping, a job, a person, or a group of people, you see your perspective of it or them.  It is impossible to see another person’s perspective.  Through communication (talking about how they see it), compassion (you caring how they see it), and commitment (you working to have common experiences or doing mental excercises to see like them) we are able to stand closer to them in their view.  If you look at a view from the other side you will see a different picture (Christ always came near).  You can’t occupy the same space but you can stand near a person to see what they see.  In going to Juarez we will have a chance to see a little of what they see.  We will see life a little like a Mexican citizen living in Juarez that needs others to build him or her a home sees.

In labeling our future friends ‘they’ I’ve already made a mistake in seeing what someone else sees.  I’ve started a pattern of seperation from them.  In showing up with possessions I am making a mistake.  There is no way we will be able to live the full experience, but we could do more to improve our understanding, it’s not always convenient, it’s not time conscience, but it is just what Christ would do.

Make this trip about seeing through other’s eyes, and make your life about seeing others through Jesus’ eyes.  Christians have chosen to think about others more than I think about theirself.  Called to trust God, and be less selfish than natural animals and non-Christians.  Put the future in God’s hands and allow his type of work fulfilled through you. 

Define who your others are.  Mine are the youth in the region of Tyrone.  And when you take yourself out to help those unlike you (Juarez) remember to let Jesus’ sight control your own. 

As our summer schedule begins, my prayer is that our events and scheduled times will bring the youth (sometimes families) together as well as change them into more Christ-like bodies (communally and individually).

I plan for moments and memories to be made that form Christlikeness.  What I mean is that your youth will have aha moments of clarity into how Christianity works- what it calls you to do and what it proclaims.  What I mean also is that your youth will face the future with a storehouse of lifechanging brainwaves and heartpaths that will divert them from bad decisions and satan’s schemes.  I hope to help you empower your youth to give their lives to Christ even more than you or I are able to do with our own.  Together we can do it.  And together our community will be made fresh to feel the presence of our Creator individually and communally.  When the youth are changed all will be changed.

On the flip side, and more importantly up front, is that as our adults go so will our youth.  I know very little about your relationship with one another, but I do know that among the youth there is discomfort with one another.  Most of your youth have told me that they don’t like other youth- I would never be specific- but it is true that MOST have told either Kathleen or I that they don’t like others in the group.  I’d like for us to work on this.

So far in our group work we have spent a small amount of time talking about this problem.  I am asking for home support in dealing with it.  Our Sunday morning class is divided at into three groups- breaking up much of the tension.  Throughout the summer we will be dealing with some of the problems, even individually.  The community is more important than the individual anyway.  Our future is more important than today.  Thank you for your support and for your prayers. 

I ask that you speak positively about your brothers and sisters and other youth at church in front of your youth so that they will learn from watching you.  Some of our summer events will bring your youth to uncomfortable places (an important part of an individual faith) with uncomfortable relationships (an important part of communal faith).  I hope that this will help the healing process and develop lasting relationships that will form a core in our youth ministry.  A strong core is needed before anything else will work.

Thank you for your help.  This should make a big difference in everything we do at S.C.  The youth don’t read this blog, but if they do it wouldn’t hurt because they know I love them anyway.  And they know how special they are just as I know how special I am and how special every member is to the community and family we have.  God brought us all together.  The moment we forget that is the moment everything we stand for is deminished.  Our dreams as gifts to God will not be fulfilled if we don’t work together.

IN Christ, John