These things are not what they seem.

Living room experiences are much different from church rooms. 
People feel more comfortable in homes than church rooms that are made like classrooms and school rooms. 
IF we are to have open conversations with youth about faith, life, and what Christianity looks like according to Jesus, these things MUST change. 
Which my youth have been trying to tell me for months and I haven't listened. 
It is why they're straying from sitting in those silly folding chairs and opting for the cold floor. 
They want to get down to the business of opening up and getting comfortable and those chairs are not part of the equation. 

Epiphany moment.

AHA.

Light Bulb. 


Talk about things that are not what they seem.
Birds of Paradise "flower"
Goofiness.
But beautiful.

Unfortunately, with everyone's busy schedule, I am not sure that I could have the youth in my living room every week because their parents would have to drop them off here, then head to church and back to our house. But that is my heart's dream, and probably theirs, too. 
Now, if the church owned a van or a bus ministry .. things could be different.
Or if we had XYZ this could be different.

Jesus had nothing and was able to accomplish His goals of being about His Father's Business. Why am I letting STUFF get in the way sometimes from teaching and LIVING with these youthins?

AND if the tweens could get abstract thinking sooner, that'd be great, too.
They're so concrete and literal and I know it's a blessing and an innocense and Jesus made them this way for this time but oh my goodness. Can anyone relate?

And also, God Bless the middle school boys. 

Is there an AMEN in there somewhere?
 





Comments

Semper Ag said…
So our church's official "youth group" starts when kids hit 8th grade. Youth group meets at church on Wednesday nights where they sit in a circle on the floor or in chairs of couches and have their bible study. They LOVE it. A lot of them don't come on Sunday unless they want to sit in the adult sermon (which most of the set hs kids come to).