April 18 and 25

Sorry for being out of the blog loop, folks. Life has been busy, what with finals, graduation hooplah, and work details. So here is the catch up:

April 18:

I kicked off the series on relationships that night with the idea that before we enter into a relationship with somebody else, we need to evaluate ourselves. Christ calls us to love Him before we try to love others, so we need to honor that order. I spoke briefly about how we should pursue a relationship with Him above and before all other relationships, and if we are not doing so, we are not ready for a relationship. I hinted at how a strong relationship with Christ strengthens all other relationships, too, and we will be exploring that as we journey forward through the series.

Confirmation also kicked off this week with a crowd of around 10. I flew solo because Adam had a prior engagement, and the kids and I talked about what Confirmation is, what our foundation should be as we continue down the path towards claiming the name, and what the church is. Great discussion and laughs. This class is going to be powerful and I look forward to it for several reasons including the fact that Adam and I are working very closely alongside one another to see it through successfully. And the kids involved dont seem uninterested at all, which is a huge bonus!

April 25:

Week two of four in the relationship series. That night, I talked about the importance of standards and how crucial it is not only to be aware of what yours are, but that you do not compromise in the least bit on any of them. After all, we date to marry, and we do not want to settle for less than what we are looking for in a husband or wife, so why do that when we date? I explained that standards vary from person to person, but for the group of people in that room, one should be universal: the person you are looking to date is a Christian. I spoke very little that night because I opened the floor for the students to be real and share their standards with the group. I explained that sharing your standards with your friends will make you more likely to uphold them because it forms a sort of accountability which is all important with relationships. It was truly awesome to witness, people: the youth really lived up to the "open hearts, open minds" aspect of our denomination that night, and I was honored and blessed to have been a part of the conversation. Some of the standards shared:

Cant be cross-eyed. (Funny, but a standard of one of the youth nonetheless).
Has to know who he/she really is.
Is not clingy.
Does not get upset if I hang out with members of the opposite sex.
Likes the outdoors.
Has to be taller than me.
Must have a sense of humor.

The list goes on, and I wish we had had more time to continue exploring and sharing. It was truly powerful!

I also pulled a little surprise on the youth that was priceless. I played a song called "Blindman" during which there is a point where I scream as loud as I can because the verse is about a possessed man. Of course, I didnt let the youth know this was the case, so when I got to that point in the song and screamed, almost all of them hit the floor! It was hilarious. I then explained to them that it was because I was possessed. We all laughed for a solid five minutes or so before I could finish the song, and then they begged me to play it again and again. I am pretty sure I played that song three or four times Sunday. New youth favorite!

The Confirmation class was great, as well. Good crowd. Active. Involved. Genuinely curious and eager to learn about our heritages as Christians reaching as far back as Judiasm. Great discussion about why we are not Jewish when Jesus was, and all that lead to the distinction.

I am really looking forward to this week and the lessons involved during both hours!