Youth Service 7.29.07

Several of our youth participated in our worship service yesterday. Generally, the fifth Sundays are designated as their time to lead. I enjoy when they participate. When I first came here, the youth would lead the Mother's Day and Father's Day services. I didn't enjoy that too much. Yes, I know it's not about what I like or don't like.

Actually, I wanted them to be a part of worship during other times of the year, to experience some of the liturgical changes. That has given us the opportunity to talk about different topics and Scripture references in our preparation for those Sundays. Several times we have used a services taken from various youth sources. The most vivid one for me was the Fall Funeral; we held a funeral service for church. This, of course, represented the death to ourselves. It concluded with a celebration of new life offered to us in Christ. We were all given rocks to use that we were to press into those things that kept us from living more for our Lord. From there, our pallbearers brought in a coffin (a wooden box) which we would all place our rocks in; then the coffin was nailed shut and brought out of the sanctuary. That was, for me, impressive.

We have recently used to 'regular' order of worship and had youth do our readings, affirmation, prayer etc. For this week a small group of them got together with me and we reviewed the lectionary readings to discover a message God would give us (that message should be available on the player in the side menu--Insert Inspiring Sermon Title Here). Once the message was clear to them, they wrote the congregational prayer, as a group. Overall, I am pleased with their efforts. My prayer is that through those kinds of experiences they will realize a couple of things: 1) they can 'see' the messages in the readings, 2) they have a place in the life of the church, 3) this Bible stuff really does mean something for them.

Before I leave, whenever that is, one of them--I don't know which one, yet--is going to give a sermon. That is the direction I've wanted to lead them to. They keep saying, "Not me." But they'll see, and so will you.

Stay blessed...john