Youth Ministry in the Diocese of Delaware

Neue Magazine posted a tweet today quoting Tim Keller and asking a great question:

“Most use their city to build a great church. Use your church to build a great city." - Tim Keller

How does your church build your city?

There's this adorable and brilliant author named Margaret Feinberg.  She's written some really great books including Organic God, The Sacred Echo, and most recently - Scouting the Divine. 

Nearly two years ago I first heard her speak at a conference.   She shared some really profound thoughts as she told her story - but all I'll reference from her talk in this post is that she explained the idea of a "sacred echo."  She talked about how there are patterns in life that repeat and cycle and there are things that we hear or see in unrelated places that echo one another as well.

Echoes are one of the ways I distinguish God's voice and  direction in my life.  My life is FULL of sacred echoes.  It's kind of ridiculous.  I think they're playing in all of our lives - we just have to be open to looking for them.  I had them before I heard Margaret speak and I was relieved when she articulated a name for this seeming phenomena them.

If I'm honest with you I just about hate "Here I Am Lord."  Most groups of people can't seem to master it's tempo.  It's over played.  And it's more than a tad campy - not in a good way.   So of course, like a cat that knows I'm allergic and want nothing to do with her - this song follows me.  It's haunts my life.  And every time I have to endure it - I grit my teeth and grimmace... and every time I'm convicted again by the line "I will hold your people in my heart."  It's as if God is (again) reminding me I even need to love the people that love this stupid song.

Then there's the Bible story of Ezekiel in the Valley of Dry Bones.  It's one of THE coolest stories in the Bible and yet I meet people all the time that have NO IDEA what I'm talking about when I reference it.   I won't go into all the lessons God's taught me from this one story - I'll just say that it's been echoing in my life for almost a decade.
 
 Last week, I had a a few "horrible no good very bad" days in a row.  In the midst of it all God's voice was very clear.  Over four occasions in the last 5 days - there they were, both of them, Here I Am Lord AND Ezekiel in his valley, staring me in face.  It made me laugh out loud - which almost always makes me feel better. 

So I'm wondering - What messages does God repeat over you in your life?  What's one of your sacred echoes?? 

Adam McLane works for Youth Specialties.  I follow him on Twitter and occasionally I check out his blog.  Today's article just made me laugh - but seriously, it's a good idea :)  He suggests that every time someone from your family darkens the door of your church they should leave a canned food behind - in the pew, on a counter, in the bathroom...  THEN, when it catches on - without even trying - your church has a built in food pantry.  ha ha ha.
READ HIS POST

This past Sunday I had the pleasure of joining John and Sarah Mester and the youth group of St Barnabas for TACO NIGHT!  (It was messy and DELICIOUS!)   It was nice to see some familiar faces  and I learned a few things.  For example, did you know Corbin Blue (of High School Musical Fame) is playing Usnavi (a lead role in In the Heights) on Broadway??!!  He is.  I also learned that you can actually get an acoustic electric violin in smurf blue.  And I learned that you should pay attention at Chipotle and Moe's when they roll your burritos - it takes mad skill and it's the only way to go when your taco meat is extra liquid-y!! :)

All kidding aside - this youth group reminded me of some important lessons I think we sometimes forget in regular church life.  I was new... most of the students had never met me before. 1) The introduced themselves to me, and helped me remember each other's names.  2) One student in particular SAT NEXT TO ME.  3)  They asked me questions - like, So how do you know those students?  What do you do?  Why do you know so much about this topic?  And then 4) while I was helping to clean up - a student asked me if I'd be back next week.
You can't be much more welcoming than that.  And this is just another reason I LOVE WORKING WITH YOUTH!!!