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! 

• 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.

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!

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

Today, I can barely keep track of my cell phone charger.  But I can stay tethered to my computer to keep up with my email.  I do have a Facebook page, but not that I do anything more than keep up with the happenings of my friends and the youth I work with.  It is just not part of my nature to live within the hyper fast lane of technology.  But I try. In the world today, it is a necessity. 

I was astonished today, to read an article about our kids today. http://youthspecialties.us1.list-manage.com/track/click?u=af5742699a583e671b94078e9&id=891d401f1c&e=0344eece2e

That our youth, if not sleeping or in school, are on online every other hour of the day. Whether it be Iphone, blackberrys, Facebook, WIRED, Youtube, etc....  Is that ok?  I don't fully know.  Growing up as a young person of the 80's, technology was a tool that enhanced my relationships as I grew older.  A tool to make daily tasks easier.  Young people of this day, have technology as a formative part of relationship building.  A constant busyness.  An absolute necessity for school and the scheduling their lives and communicating with their friends.

For me, I think I crave and hope for the balance of community to enter in the lives of our kids and youth.  Remember when the term "community" had some clearly defined characteristics?  Whether it was a neighborhood, an ethnic group, or a church community, we spent time together--face to face time.  And that time was important--it helped define who we were, how we fit, and what was expected. 

Thank goodness for the community of RBCC in the lives of our children and youth.  A community that values and engages our kids to spend face-time together.  Time to discover their voice and their story as part of a faith community and the family of God.  Giving them time to experience togetherness, rowdiness, times of silence, opportunities to serve others, serve along side others and moments of just touching the earth
and knowing their connection to it.

There is balance to be found. Between technology and community. Creative and new ways to support our ministries using new communications tools such as Facebook, Twitter and pod casting and reaching out to those who may find our community helpful and meaningful.  Then, having a living, breathing, community to enter into, that technology can not possibly replace. 

As much as we want to shelter our children from experiencing the "heaviness of life," that is an impossibility. The tragic earthquake in Haiti, reminds us of that. Sooner or later, every child will experience a grief situation in his or her life, whether that is losing a pet, a best friend moving away, the death of a grandparent, or other loss. Additionally, with the evening news bringing "play by play" of the devastation of Haiti's crowded cities, fear can also enter in. The current happenings in the world come to us graphically and instantaneously. As church friends of children and as parents and/or grandparents, we must be alert and aware of how individual children may be affected by these life experiences.

• Be prepared to listen, really listen with your heart as well as with your head.
• Reassure the child of God's presence. Be careful to be real with any promises. Children are not comforted by something they know to be false.
• Let children talk as much as they would like without judgment on your part.
• Answer honestly and as completely as appropriate for the age. It is okay to say "I don't know, but (add a statement of reassurance of what you do know)."
• Limit TV exposure.
• The younger the child, the less graphic and detailed your explanations should be.

                                 (Update and adapted from Winter 2001 issue of Information: Children's Ministries)

I remind myself, that when 'bad things' happen, God loves us and grieves with us in our sadness. God is in the hands and feet of those who rush to aid the broken. God is in the middle of the suffering, suffering with those who are in pain.  God is in the rejoice of a small miracle that brings hope. 

When the time came to include my own children in the unwrapping of the nativity set, I noticed that the scene never seemed to remain the same from when I had carefully helped them set it up.  My children always viewed the nativity set as a play toy.  A stage.  Engaging with the scene with words, sounds, animal noises and movement.  Sometimes adding flying cars, picnic baskets and toy food into the mix.  In watching my daughter play with the nativity set, I noticed that she would always carefully rearrange the figures into a semicircle around the stable and baby Jesus.  When I asked why she liked it that way, she said to me......."They all want to see God."

Don't we all long to see God?  To be engaged in the story of God's love that Jesus embodies.  To find in the nativity figures.....ourselves.  Realizing, that it is our story too.

Jesus challenges us to a new definition of truth. Truth, as Jesus defines it, is embodied in servanthood-only by giving oneself away can one truly find oneself.  Such a vision can be a challenge for us all to live. But, especially to our young people, who are trying to find their way in a world in which the guiding principle is "Look out for number one."  The truth of which Jesus speaks of is a life lived in service to others, but this truth is often in conflict with the "truths" the world puts forth.

We can nurture our children to share in Jesus' vision of God's Way by helping them identify 'truths' as Jesus defined them, through his actions.  An easy reflection question for children might be, "What did Jesus teach us and what did Jesus do?" Jesus lived by helping others, praying often, caring for the marginalized, sharing with others, being a friend, and through the giving of joyful praise.  This is the vision of God's Kingdom that we can all be inspired and transformed by no matter how young or old. We can live the 'truths' as Jesus defined them, through our actions.

I think one of the most powerful acts in life is the power to choose.  Think about what it means to make a choice. What we wear, eat, say, do, even what we feel all comes down to choices.  Our children are faced with so many choices everyday,  that we must take great care to teach our children the amazing power of a choice.

The 3rd and 4th grade Sunday school class at RBCC, put together a few pointers to help guide them in their choice making. 

1. Get all the information you can.

2. Imagine what will happen if you choose one way.  Imagine what will happen if you choose the other way.

3. Think of the advantages and disadvantages of each choice.

4. Ask the opinion of someone you trust.

5. Pray for God's wisdom and guidance.

6. Choose what seems the best choice to you at this time.

7. Follow through on your decision, knowing that if things change you may need to make a different choice.