Angie's Youth and Young Adult Ministry Blog

Blessings

This poem appears on today's Writer's Almanac with Garrison Keillor (American Public Media). Blessings to you!

Poem: "Blessings" by Ronald Wallace from Long for This World: New and Selected Poems. © University of Pittsburgh Press.

Blessings
occur.
Some days I find myself
putting my foot in
the same stream twice;
leading a horse to water
and making him drink.
I have a clue.
I can see the forest
for the trees.

All around me people
are making silk purses
out of sows' ears,
getting blood from turnips,
building Rome in a day.
There's a business
like show business.
There's something new
under the sun.

Some days misery
no longer loves company;
it puts itself out of its.
There's rest for the weary.
There's turning back.
There are guarantees.
I can be serious.
I can mean that.
You can quite
put your finger on it.

Learning about the Stones

We've been in Stillwater for two days--Lisa, Michelle, Shana, and me--to earn all there is to know about Stepping Stones. So far, we haven't learned anything we didn't already know--and that's OK. Instead, we've been able to share our lives with each other: what do we wish for our children? What are some of our successes as parents? What kinds of memories do we want our kids to have about us when they have kids of their own? What kinds of stories do we want our children to tell as they stand at our graveside? Good questions.

As we engage in remembering, sharing, and dreaming we develop a common language and create a bond that will help us work together when the going gets tough and people resist this great new program because "it's new", "it's different" and because "we've never done it this way before". Churches helping families create memories? Churches helping families grow in faith? Crazy. Wonderfully crazy.

Today, the going gets tough. The rubber hits the road. We're getting to work, putting these dreams on paper, creating a plan, writing up a vision. How do we implement these crazy, wonderful dreams? Stay tuned...

Accountability?

A friend of mine (a senior pastor) was recently asked to submit a monthly report to the church council in order to 'prove' that he is doing his job. Accountability is what they called it; however, they aren't asking him how many hours he spends writing sermons or creating interactive and interesting worship services. They didn't ask him how much time he spends dreaming and visioning with church committees and boards. And they didn't ask him how much time he spends implementing new family ministry programs that reach out into the community and invite new families into the church.

The only thing they asked for was how many church members he visited (in the hospital, in his office or in theirs homes).

Interesting priorities.

Field Trip

It's field trip time! The end of the school year always makes me reminisce about field trips: sack lunches, bus rides, learning new things, spending time with friends.

So today, you get a field trip! I can't provide the bus. Or the sack lunch. But through this cyber-friendship, I can help you learn something new. Here you go:

My good friend Rich Melheim (CCO of Faith Inkubators) has a preview of the new Bible Song Sunday School materials on his June 7 blog. Head on over to his site: http://faithink.blogs.com/ to check out some fun music (he and his music guild have set 120 verses to music--awesome!). Scroll down a little more and check out the fun video of a woman signing along to the music--can you imagine kids in Sunday School singing and signing (and in the process, memorizing) scripture? Way cool.

Have fun on your field trip. And thanks, Rich, for the good work.

Eating Dinner

The Today Show ran a segment this morning on the importance of families sitting down to eat dinner together on a regular basis. Seems that folks are starting to catch on to the concept that mealtime is important, not just for feeding purposes but for relationship purposes as well. Researchers have found that the dinner table is a perfect place to learn how to 'do' relationships: those at the table can share their highs and lows, their opinions on trivial matters and matters of importance, too. Meals shared around the table on a regular basis instill a sense of security, a sense of ritual. Meals shared together around the table strengthen family bonds and build memories.

It seems that we have become a generation that doesn't know how to do meals together anymore because we are in such a rush to move from one activity to the next. Our idea of mealtime is wolfing down a burger in the car, talking about agendas and schedules as we try not to be late for meetings, ballgames, concerts, lessons, classes, and late-night homework. Our hectic pace has eroded our family bonds. We are losing the art of conversation and relationship. Our children will suffer for it. So will we.

Next week, I am taking three women to Stillwater, MN for to participate in a three day "Stepping Stones University": a place where we will learn more about bringing ritual back into our families. Seems like an important (and timely) thing to do. In the weeks and months to come, you'll be able to read more about our efforts to give families the tools they need to communicate and care for one another, to strengthen relationships to each other and to God. So stay tuned...

Katie

Katie Couric said goodbye Wednesday morning. In case you've missed the news, she's leaving the Today show and heading to CBS to anchor the evening news. I'm sad. What if I never see her again? I don't usually watch the evening news. What if the Today show starts to really suck? That will wreck my morning routine. What if Matt can't go on without Katie at his side? It could happen, you know. I don't think I can switch to ABC or CBS in the morning. I'm a Today show kind of person.

What if...what if...what if.

There's a lot of that going on these days. Parents becoming empty nesters. Kids leaving for college. Young adults graduating from college and looking for work. Change. Transition. Movement. Uncertainty.

So my "what if..." question for today is: "What if nothing ever changed?" What if kids lived with their parents forever? What if people held the same job their whole lives long? What if no one ever tried to do something different?

Life would be incredibly boring, that's what. And kind of awful, too.

So embrace the change. Welcome it. Kids: get out there and do what you are passionate about. Give life a try. If you fail, so what? Get up and try again. Parents: get out there and do what you are passionate about. Give life a try. If you fail, so what? Get up and try again.

Thanks, Katie, for making me think about how great change can be. Good luck at CBS. I might watch. I might not. But I'll give it a try, anyway...it'll be something new.