The First Sunday

This past Sunday I started a journey with the students of First United Methodist Church. This journey, Transformed, is about exploring life as a chosen people. So, after hours of making postcards, fliers, posters, info sheets, etc., I was ready Sunday morning.

I bought the doughnuts.
I had studied what God had given me.
I had fun questions.

I was ready.

The first Sunday, two guys showed up. I really enjoyed our time together, and I really hope that this is the start of something grand. We went over what it means to be a chosen people and studied passages on Jesus out of John and 1 John. I gave them a sheet with the verses on it so we could underline it and study it together. We discussed passages, the love of Jesus, and I explained the Gospel as best I know how.

Then it was over. No fireworks. No celebration. Just two eighth graders who came, saw what I had to offer, and left, and (God willing) will come back next week. A few thoughts strike me:

1) Most of the "ministry experiences" I've had in the past involved a buzz at the end, as in, I was all jazzed up after giving a talk or leading worship for the first time. This was the first time it was like, OK. That's it. There was no lauding praise or pats on the back. There weren't tears or converted lives.

In short, I did ministry. There is something terribly beautiful in all of this. I now, better than ever, understand why it is so important for me to be occupied with Jesus instead of for him. I can't survive in day-to-day ministry on Spirit Buzz. I need to be attached to Jesus. I need to be in prayer about 1,371,258 times more than I am right now. The temptation is to be relevant: to change my methods, to get better videos, cooler fonts, and a better room. The reality is a need to pray. (Thank you Henry J.M. Nouwen).

2) I've been reading all sorts of books on youth ministry lately to, as said before, be relevant. All of these books tell me I need to be present emotionally, socially, morally, spiritually, and by the way, physically. But I also need to be present relationally. This presents a few doubts such as: Do I have what it takes to be a model? Will they like me? Am I too lame to be a friend to these students? Do they want me to be their friend?

Regardless, I understand that it is nearly impossible to share Truth with students if they don't trust you, and trust is developed through relationship. These kids are asking: 'how is this life you're presenting better? Because I'm at school and there are a thousand other voices telling me to do something that seems way better than what your offering. But they seem to be dead inside, and so do so many people. I just want to know if I can live, if I'm going to make it.'

So I'm going to start doing some events really soon. No strings attached events. Because quite frankly, I don't remember very many talks my youth pastor gave me. I don't remember any great small group meeting. What I do remember is knowing he loved me because he had me over for wings and we'd talk. We'd go to Cedar Point and have great discussions in line. I remember 1 liners over lunches and coffee.

Perhaps the best way to shape students isn't with a talk. Because that's all they hear: adults talking. Maybe they just want to be listened to. Maybe they want to see us in real life, not from a podium or stand.


Anyway, those are my reflections from this Sunday.

Now all I need is a topic for THIS Sunday...