I think it was a hit. Engaging the congregation before the first note was played. There was not a word said, but people were talking. I often use visual elements when preaching. Some times they are a huge success and others time the idea falls flat.

But, I get another message as I was disassembling the river. As I felt the rocks I was reminded that My Story is Your Story. Yes, it’s February, the month we celebrate the witness of African Americans in the life of the United States of America. Many protest the idea of celebrating African American History. But, as I held the stones in my hand . . . it was crystal clear that our lives are woven together.

I remembered Joshua’s instructions to the Children of Israel found in Joshua 4
Jos 4:1 And it came to pass, when all the people were clean passed over Jordan, that the LORD spake unto Joshua, saying,
Jos 4:2 Take you twelve men out of the people, out of every tribe a man,
Jos 4:3 And command ye them, saying, Take you hence out of the midst of Jordan, out of the place where the priests’ feet stood firm, twelve stones, and ye shall carry them over with you, and leave them in the lodging place, where ye shall lodge this night.
Jos 4:4 Then Joshua called the twelve men, whom he had prepared of the children of Israel, out of every tribe a man:
Jos 4:5 And Joshua said unto them, Pass over before the ark of the LORD your God into the midst of Jordan, and take you up every man of you a stone upon his shoulder, according unto the number of the tribes of the children of Israel:
Jos 4:6 That this may be a sign among you, that when your children ask their fathers in time to come, saying, What mean ye by these stones?
Jos 4:7 Then ye shall answer them, That the waters of Jordan were cut off before the ark of the covenant of the LORD; when it passed over Jordan, the waters of Jordan were cut off: and these stones shall be for a memorial unto the children of Israel for ever.

So as I held each of the stones in my palm, I recounted some of the great sacrifices, achievements of my people – African Americans. Yet, I could not help but know that My Story is Your Story because we are connected as one people of God. I encourage you to spend some time this Black History Month learning my story because it is your story also.

Article source: http://sej.globalyoungpeople.org/?p=36

We’ll be back next Tuesday with Alexis’ final article. Until then, we hope you have a fruitful beginning to the Lenten season.

Click here to go to the article.

Brian Durand and Jeremiah Gibbs tell about Exploration Youth, a gathering in Indiana for young people exploring God’s call in their lives. More information below.

Click here for more about Exploration Youth

Article source: http://ncj.globalyoungpeople.org/?p=102

So what does it mean to be created in the image of the One who is infinitely creative? To be the image of the One who brought order to the formless chaos, created the stars and the amoebas and everything in between? Don’t get me wrong, I’m actually not a literalist…more in the intelligent design camp. But that still makes God infinitely creative, and us the image of the One who has more ideas than we could imagine. So what does it mean?

I have recently rediscovered an appreciation for the human ability to create, to manipulate objects into something that they were not before. I have a friend that can sit at a piano and make endless notes come from those 88 keys. Songs that will haunt you or inspire you, depending on the mood he is in. I have another friend that can turn phrases into stories that you could get lost in for hours. And still another friend that can sing with such passion, you feel infused with his emotions. That doesn’t include the painters, sketch artists, poets, potters, directors, photographers, etc that live in this world.

To me, that is what it means to be the image of the Creator. We allow ourselves to look at the world just a little bit differently and see the possibilities before us. We press into creation, immerse ourselves in beauty, and maybe re-order things into something that wasn’t there before. We take the emotions living inside of us, and we put them out there for the world to see. It’s being willing to be vulnerable to those around us, and to be vulnerable to ourselves. Once we create something, we have to deal with that creation as something outside of ourselves.

I have to confess, I’ve been living in my head lately. I’ve been focused on teaching during my sermons, increasing my congregation’s knowledge of God. Which is great and has a place. For Transfiguration Sunday, I decided to put some poetry out there…slam or spoken word, however you want to describe it. It was intense and fun….and completely different that giving out knowledge. It was my heart laid bare for my congregation to judge. I loved it. So now, I’m going to do every sermon in Lent in this way. I have no idea if the congregation liked it or not, but it’s the most alive I have felt in a long time. I think that may have something to do with embracing the image of the divine that I was meant to be. I dare you to join me.

Discussion Question: What are some other ways we can more fully embrace the image of God we were created to be?

Read more of Alexis’ devotions

As always, feel free to use these devotions in your own personal study, in your young adult group, or any other way you feel fit. You can find our entire catalogue of Young Adult Devotions here.

I have been there recently. And it was only in my going there that I can began to realize how many other people were there – not just in the words that were spoken, but also in how the message was delivered. I have to wonder, what has happened to the way we speak to each other? I have to confess; nothing makes me crazier than a condescending or defensive tone…especially when it comes out of nowhere. (Of course, that is something I am guilty of doing ALL the time.) It’s that grating sound our vocal chords make the moment we assume someone is attacking us. I know, for me, the moment that tone escapes from my lips I am in trouble.

James tells us “The tongue is placed among our members as a world of iniquity; it stains the whole body, sets on fire the cycle of nature, and is itself set on fire by hell.” (James 3:6b) Pretty much, our mouth gets us in the trouble the fastest, and the first of all our body parts. How true is that? We verbally lash out more quickly than our filters can stop, and once the words have passed our lips they are forever in the universe. We tear away at the sacredness of each other through sarcasm, unkind words, and cruel tones. We allow our defenses to be triggered by innocent phrases, quick assumptions, and circumstances that have nothing to do with the current conversation. Even with our best intentions, we can find ourselves back into old habits of verbal abuse. So what to do?

I suppose I could sit here and give you a list most of us have heard, something about counting to ten before speaking, etc. We already know those steps and still it is far too easy to slip into the instant-revenge-mode that allows insults to slide over our tongues and into the world at 4G speeds. So what now? What is my brilliant solution? I have nothing brilliant to add. Really. I have nothing new to say that hasn’t already been said. I merely want to raise awareness about an epidemic of tart language I see spreading around.

For myself, the most important victory in the battle against the hell fire that is my tongue came in the words of a friend. See, my voice gets a bit high when I am defensive and condescending; and he chose the perfect moment to point that out to me. It’s an absolutely ridiculous practice of mine, and he made it clear just how insane it was. Because of him, I now know some of my triggers. I now recognize the moment I slip into do-some-harm mode. I still fail at stopping myself as much as I succeed, but I have successes.

So my grand advice, be aware. Watch for the moments when you feel the flip into soul-crushing mode. Paul tells us “to take every thought captive” and I know the same can be done for every word. Because really, life is too short to be filled with word vomit regret.

Discussion question: What triggers an instant ugly verbal response from you? How could you change that?

I want to touch base with each of you and tell you what a privilege it’s been to work with you since I’ve been in this position as Grants Administrator with Young People’s Ministries.  Your commitments and passions have been tremendously encouraging in my professional and personal life.  I’m thankful for this opportunity.  I’ve learned a lot.

The time has come for me to pursue a different calling.  With that, I also have good news. Young People’s Ministries has already hired a replacement.  Her name is Kelsey Tinker and she’s getting set up to take over things when I leave YPM.  She will pick up right where I left off, so don’t worry about a thing; please send emails to youngpeople@gbod.org.  My last day is Friday, February 10^th.  It has been an absolute pleasure being a part of this ministry and working with you.

With love and gratitude,

Sarah Smith

Immediately, the portion of the membership vows that raise the question, “Will you be faithful to United Methodist Church through your prayers, your presence, your gifts, your service and your witness?” came to mind. Each of these promises requires our time.

Do you remember making that commitment? Are you willing to recommit yourself to these vows? Is it time to renew it? So again, as we look at our calendars before us, the question is – what do with our time?

Think about these four questions as an individual. Also, let’s think about them as a servant-leader community gathered around God’s table as youth leaders.

1. Do you set aside time each day for speaking and listening to God? Do you keep this appointment?

2. Do you make worship and studying God’s Word as part of the faith community a top priority?

3. Do you make our gifts, talents, witness and money available for ministry?

4. Will you do anything outside the walls of the church building that will show that we are Disciples of Christ?

Time is a precious. Time is a treasure. Time must be used wisely. What difference will your day make?

United Methodist Elizabeth Edwards answered it best. She wrote this on her Facebook page a few days before her death.

“The days of our lives, for all of us, are numbered. We know that. And yes, there are certainly times when we aren’t able to muster as much strength and patience as we would like. It’s called being human. But I have found that in the simple act of living with hope, and in the daily effort to have a positive impact in the world, the days I do have are made all the more meaningful and precious. And for that I am grateful.”

And finally, a poem I learned almost 20 years ago:

God’s Minute
I’ve only just a minute,
Only sixty seconds in it.
Forced upon me, can’t refuse it,
Didn’t seek it, didn’t choose it,
But it’s up to me to use it.
I must suffer if I lose it,
Give an account if I abuse it
Just a tiny little minute,
But eternity is in it.
– Dr. Benjamin E. Mays

Time is a precious. Time is a treasure. Time must be used wisely. What difference will your day make?

Article source: http://sej.globalyoungpeople.org/?p=37