Under the Sea (Say it like Sebastian.)

I have the privilege of living in the port town of Dun Laoghaire. Picture-perfect vistas when the sun shines and no less than a choice of 3 piers to walk on (and those are just ones I've discovered. I thought there were only two until a month ago.)

This afternoon I went down the elusive third pier and sat at the end for a spell. There were two seals about 20 metres off grunting into the air, propelling themselves through the water. They both dived under in different directions and I watched, waiting for them to surface. I sat for about 10 minutes scouring the water in the bay with no luck, wondering where they were and what they were doing under the surface.

Eventually I gave up and headed home, but the experience got me thinking about a difficult youth ministry experience I've been having the last number of months running a programme that I don't love with a group of young people who seem less than enthused to be there.

Like the seals, early into the course it felt like they dove under the surface, refusing to break the water to engage with the course of with what we were discussing. It frustrates me walking away now having not really had any proper interaction with them knowing that I have no idea what was going on under the surface. Like those seals, what was happening below was a mystery to me, and like those seals, that was the last I'll see of most of those young people. 

But just because I didn’t see it, it didn’t mean there was nothing happening. There’s a whole world under the surface of Dun Laoghaire harbour I can’t see, and with those young people, just because I couldn’t see past the hostile to faith exterior, it doesn’t mean that there wasn’t the slightest change of perspective happening. In 2 Corinthians it warns against relying on what is seen, “for what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal” (4:18), so I’m choosing to trust that movement and transformation is taking place in the unseen. No matter how much I want to witness it on the surface.

Salt Dough

In our Sunday School we use Scripture Union’s Bubbles curriculum for our 3-8 year olds. A few weeks ago we used a recipe for salt dough from the material to make models of Jesus (then adding glitter...it was transfiguration week) to try and help them remember the story. 

Feedback from parents that day was that they could remember more of the story than usual. I struggle to come up with creative ideas sometimes, so these materials and especially this salt dough was a great addition to our morning programme.

Here's their recipe:

1. Measure out 300g plain flour, 300g salt, 15ml cooking oil, 200ml water.
2. Put it all into a large mixing bowl and mix well together. Add a little extra water if the dough is too dry.
3. Tip the dough onto a floured surface. Knead well.
4. When the dough is smooth and feels springy, it is ready to use.
5. Salt dough items can be cooked to make them hard. Place them on a greased baking tray in the centre of an oven. Cook at a low temperature. Larger and thicker items will take several hours.

I made about 2 1/2 batches of this (next time I may use a little less water, we had some subsidence issues..!), and it was more than enough for 9 children to have a decent lump of dough. 

This was my first attempt at a Jesus. The children told me He looked like a penguin. Their critique was accurate.

Happy moulding!

What I'm Into: March 2014

This is a stolen blog idea from Karen over at River Into Words, but I think she might have stolen it from someone else, so we're all good. Anways, here's What I'm Into this month:

Reading

I have become a Kindle person. It took me a long time to be won over, but once I crossed over to the dark side, I was hooked. I purchased one mid-January and it has transformed my reading. I was always a big reader, but I've been devouring books since then. Here's some of what I've been reading:

Long Walk to Freedom - Nelson Mandela

It shames me to say it took 10 years to read this autobiography after visiting South Africa for 3 months in 2004. I wish I had read it before I went, the insight into the man I have only knew in cultural references and snappy quotations. I'm challenged by the dedication and perseverance he showed, and early in his story, how much time he dedicated to educating himself and pursuing wisdom. It was this graft that seems to give him the foundation for everything that came after.

Ready Player One - Ernest Cline

The Hunger Games, Charlie & the Chocolate Factory & the Matrix all wrapped up in one snappy little novel. A commentary and warning against the temptation to live our lives almost exclusively online, and how we can project an image and a confidence that can be deceptive. A lot of gaming/specific sub-culture references that could go over heads though (many went over mine!).

Think Orange - Reggie Joyner

I've quoted this a few times already here I believe. The big concept is that to raise children in the faith we need both the influence of the family (red) and the influence of the church (yellow). Without one or the other, the faith we attempt to pass on will be lacking. If you're in children's ministry (or indeed have children!) this is a great book to think about how and why we teach, influence and grow young people.

The Cuckoo's Calling - Robert Galbraith (aka JK Rowling)

No learning or challenge from this…just a great read from the post-Potter writer. I love that she's not resting on her Harry Potter fame, but is branching out, trying new things and genres. So there, I guess that's a learning point.

Listening

Rend Collective - The Art of Celebration

The little band from Bangor that could. An album filled with Biblical themes and cries of striving for more. The first single off the album, "My Lighthouse" is a foot tapper, but my current favorite is "Immeasurably More", singing to a God who is more than we could hope for or imagine. 

Rascal Flatts

I very much outed myself as a country music fan earlier this month, when country music came to the O2/Point in Dublin. Rascal Flatts were among the lineup, and for me, they are country music.

They put on a great show, the set list of my dreams. A great moment was when these Christian men were standing in front of the full arena singing a prayer at the end of a song, fans standing cheering while the lead singer praised God for his mercy, grace & love. Special moment. 

Watching

It's all about Parks & Recreation at the moment. Leslie Knope is one of my favorite characters on TV right now. I love the community of the characters and workplace (apart from Gerry….poor Gerry…) and if nothing else, Leslie’s compliments to Anne’s make it worth a watch. 

I'm also watching Bones…I generally don't like procedural dramas, but this is keeping me interested for now. At least till something better comes along…!

Loving

St. Patrick's Day trudges through bogs and heather with friends.

Scripture

I've just finished working my way through 1 Corinthians this last while. As always, challenged by those words which often only get pulled out for weddings, the "love is patient, love is kind" passage. But it's "without love I am a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal" that hits me every time. Even though actions may have an effect, if they aren't done with love, they won't last. I'm asking myself where am I acting out of love, and where and I acting out of obligation or something else?

So that’s what I’m into, what about you? Any recommendations?

The Feet

One of the young people hurt his foot during a kid’s club we recently held.

He took off one shoe and sock for me to diagnose with my limited knowledge of first aid. I was pretty sure that he was fine but thought it might have been a little swollen so asked him to take his sock off the other foot to  compare them. 

I deemed him fit to return to the games and told him he could put his shoes back on, but he said to me “Would you do it?” I thought it a strange request, as in my opinion he was more than capable of doing this job on his own. He wasn’t that young. But, being surprised (Note: Surprising me is apparently the best way to talk me into something) at the request, I replied “sure” and picked up his socks. 

Sopping.

Wet.

Socks.

Sometimes when holding an item of clothing you just know it was not fresh on that morning. That feeling of somehow being both moist and crunchy beneath your fingers at the same time. That was these socks. 

I almost dropped them and made some excuse as to why he should do it himself. But instantly my mind was taken back to the example of Jesus in the Gospels. Sitting at the feet of his disciples, washing them: dirty, stinky, smelly feet worn out from the rigors of Ancient Middle East travel. I’m sure if they had had socks they would have been crunchy too. 

Jesus served them, and my job is to serve young people like He did, not just through the offering of custard creams, games and stories, but loving them when they are hurt, putting on socks and shoes when they are sodden with sweat from Stick in the Mud. Not turning my nose up or thinking myself above the task or service. 

It’s not my natural inclination to serve in this way, but I look to and serve the one who laid aside His own comfort and rights, leading the way for me to follow. 

Strategy #1 : Start

A while ago, I said I was going to think about strategy but then I never did anything about it. Can anyone spell “avoidance”?

So what is strategy?

Dictionary.com defines strategy as “a plan, method, or series of maneuvers or stratagems for obtaining a specific goal or result”. (Okay, this is definition 4 on the list, but the one that seems to make most sense in this situation)

I once heard a great youth worker describe his job as one brick atop another to build a wall of faith in the lives of the young people he ministers to over the weeks, months and years. I love the idea that every time I hold a children's or youth activity, I’m building on what has gone before. Each club, group and service can have a long term impact because a new truth is being taught and laid in its place when we meet.

But strategy is not the individual week by week stuff. It’s the blueprint. Knowing from the first interaction with a child or young person where you want to take them, and then building towards that on every interaction. 

I'm tempted to be lazy and leave it to chance, assuming that because I’m teaching Gospel truths from the Bible, that I’m doing my job. But if I fail to give the framework for understanding these truths, instead choosing to scattershot them however valid and true they may be,  then I’m setting these young people up for lives of knowing segments of truth without the big picture.

Strategy is how to get there, and it intimidates me, because I have no idea where to start. 

But that’s an excuse. True, I don’t know where to start, but that’s probably because I’m not asking God for help, or willing to really wrestle with these big questions because the easy thing is to keep running week by week: show up, play some games, read the Bible and send them home with a catchy song or a memory verse that will last till bedtime in their heads. But if we want lives changed, life long followers realigned to the truth of the Gospel, then we need to know where we’re heading and be willing to put in the slog to help these young people put the pieces together.

--

“I had a tendency to get so focused on what was in front of me that I didn’t see two things:

- Where it is ultimately supposed to lead

- How everything should be connected

I’d simply work on one project until I was finished with it, then I’d look around for what was next...At some point, you get disillusioned and burned out. 

How does all this fit together for you and your ministry context?”

Reggie Joiner, Think Orange

Fridays with the Fitzpatricks

"Honey I shrunk the Fitzpatricks!"

Learning to Let Go

A stereotype of the Irish is that we are storytellers, lovers of the art of spinning a tale, one stereotype that I fit effortlessly into. I love telling and hearing stories, I learn through the experience of others, from reading biographies or truth wrapped in a beautifully constructed allegory.

This is my learning style, so when time comes for me to teach, it’s my natural leaning. I will often tie my teaching up in stories of personal experience, examples I’ve heard or metaphor. It’s one of the skills I think God has given me in my tool-kit, the ability to relate a truth through a story, but as is so easy to happen, our greatest strengths can easily transform into our greatest weaknesses. 

When reading over a talk I was due to give a few months ago, the minister of my church had circled a few of my stories in the text, and asked whether they should be there? A little affronted, I initially rebelled against this suggestion, these were stories I had felt fit, stories that told the congregation a bit about me, made them laugh and hopefully translated a  kernel of the truth. But the question he asked was “Does this illustration serve the text?”

That question caused me to take a closer look, and ultimately a red pen to the outline I had in place, sections were purged, stories removed and the message was ultimately leagues ahead of where it was in simplicity and understanding for the young people because of what was lost. 

I include stories for a myriad of reasons; as examples, for laughter, to tell something about me, to personalise the message, but how often do I ask that question “Is this story really serving the Gospel?” 

It’s a hard thing to let go of a story I enjoy telling, that is fun, that I know will prick the ears of listeners, but necessary to ask this question: Who is this story pointing to? Is it pointing to the storyteller, or the one that the storyteller is meant to be talking about? 

If it’s just pointing to me, it’s time to get the red pen out and start slashing. 

The point of speaking, of stories as we use that medium, is to point to Jesus, and we should use this gift often. It’s a craft Jesus honed and used liberally in His ministry, but you can believe every time he opened his mouth to tell a story it wasn’t with self-serving intentions, but to point to the great message of God’s love and goodness.