Lines Show Through

Paint on those walls changed everything. And it was changed twice. There was a new group at the church. It had been a while since there was someone to direct a youth group. That was until that September when someone stepped up to do something, somewhere for some kids. It wasn’t a large group to begin with. Just a few kids from the church who wanted to get together for some fun and fast food. There is where Friday nights in the gym began. Every last one of them possessed lots of energy and they all had lots of fun. It was always followed by pizza and pop, and a small unprepared devotional that usually lead to the kids opening up and sharing their joys and sorrows.
Over the next few months it grew to also include a number of kids who had never been to church before. A good mix and a great place to mix. After talking with the powers that be, it was decided to give them a room. A room to personalize and make their own. It was a loud room where twenty cans of old paint made an imaginative display of who and what these teens were. They loved the opportunity to display their creativity. It was something most of us would never want in our homes but then again, these kids are told how things should be by adults who believed that, “you can do it your way when you pay the bills.”
It was a great year for everyone. By spring it was an amazing group of kids who showed up every Friday night. They grew together. They had fun. They grew in their connection to the God we love and worship. But as things happen, it was time for the leader to move on and no one could be found to take over the ministry of impacting these kids for Christ. The inevitable happened. The group fell apart and a great year came crashing to a halt. The kids left and never came back.
That is when the church managers stepped in at the first opportunity and proceeded to go into that dynamic, vibrant, colourful room and paint it beige - three coats. The act of painting over what was truly theirs gives us what we received. And what we received is a nice clean, beige empty room in the basement of a church that have not been used in twenty years.
If we truly desire to bring our children and grandchildren back to Christ and His church we have to let them come on their terms, in their time and with their own identity. If I remember correctly, that is what our parents did for us fifty years ago.
As you stand in that cold empty room, you can still see the faint outline of what was once their mark in that church. My prayer is that the mark Jesus made in their lives that fall and winter still remains as well.
Something to think about
Rob

Something New

Don’t you just love getting something new? I was thinking of this lately as I started to put everything away after Christmas. Couple of things in the office, one in the kitchen, one in the livingroom and a few in the bedroom drawer and closets.
Just when I thought everything was away, my daughter came in to give me something else. It was a new phone. Well, not exactly new. It was a model that has had three updates. It still was really cool. You see, I have been told I should get with the program and get rid of my paper day planner. The easiest solution was to get a phone that can do everything for me. So here it is.
In the two minutes my daughter had to show me what to do with it, I learned almost nothing. I learned how to turn it on and off. It wasn’t her fault. It was mine. It is hard to get your mind around things you have never done before. This phone can do everything I needed it to and then some. I don’t need it all but it’s there if I every do. Even has a flash for taking pictures and movies. There, I don’t need to carry my camera anymore.
Welcome to the future I was told. I believe I have come up to the new generation, if just that I carry something they carry. And once I get to learn what I can actually do with it, things will be wonderful. That is until they come up with something newer that I just can’t live without.
But is that true? The difficulty is, I am getting old and my brain doesn’t think like young people. It takes time to get in gear most mornings and working the computer for what I need it to do is okay, to a point. Now don’t get me wrong. I love learning new things. Just last week I read Garfield and he said in the three frames; “I hate change . . . I didn’t used to . . . but I’ve changed.” That’s not me.
You see I read all the stuff that the transition church is involved in and it’s great and wonderful. Everything in our world is changing very quickly. And for us old guys, we realize the church needs to as well. We need to take the truth of scripture and move it forward with our society to where the young people can relate. We don’t need to change it but to keep it current. I was asked one time, "What decade is your church in right now?" For some it is still in the 70's, or even earlier.
Christ is relevant to everyone in every situation in every generation. My bible says that He is the same, yesterday, today and forever. And that my friends is in relationship with His children and not the methods. Maybe us old guys and gals need to show our children and grandchildren a God who knows how to take care of their hurts and their insecurities. Life is not easy anymore, for us and especially younger people. When we need someone, He walks with us where we are. When our children need Him, He is also there for them in their world. He knows how to help and He can probably work my phone really well.
Something to think about.
Rob

Heavy Snows Of Life

It snowed here the other day. No, not anything like London/Sarnia have recently experienced. And I’m not looking for sympathy. I just thought of something that relates to what I saw. I know that snow is not new at this time of year. But this time it was different. We had a light snow all morning and it looked nice and pretty and white and cool and all those things. It continued for a while and only amounted to an inch or two. Maybe three centimeters for you modern people. As I observed what had happened I thought I would just sit back and let it go its course. After all, not much to shovel.
Then everything changed. In an instant it came fast and furious. Within minutes I could not see the stop lights only four houses away. No one saw this one coming. In a very short time we had five or six inches. Wow! It’s been a while since we have seen it come down like that. Turning on the weather channel they said this is the first significant snow in over a year for us down here in the banana belt of Ontario. I guess that is why it took me by surprise. I also know that the people closer to London/Sarnia are saying, “yea, so.”
The interesting thing about our snow this week was how quickly it came and then it was gone. Not even an hour. It started and then, gone. I was left standing there wondering what happened. With the snow finished, I bundled up and ventured out to not only enjoy the beauty of it, but to survey the damage and then to deal with it. Shovel in hand, I patiently took my time moving it out of the way preparing for when we needed to get out the driveway.
Things in our lives can pounce on us just the same. At times, troubles of life descend on us without warning and we stand there in disbelief. Not knowing how long it will last, how devastating it might be, we just stand there. And, just like this snow that started and ended, we get through it. We pull up our socks, put the shoulder to the wind and get to work. That is how life is and that is how God made us. To take all that life throws at us and to not only get through it but to be stronger because of it.
The best part, as my neighbour came out to help, we are not alone in life either. We have each other to hold on to and we have a God who loves us and sent His Son to walk with us.
Something to think about.
RB