Why it's important to have youth lead worship service - often!

Prior to my professional career of working in the church, I would never have thought it was a big deal to have youth lead service on a consistent basis. I grew up in a different denomination and church. At that church we did help usher once a month. There were other things in the life of the congregation that I was involved with that put me in leadership roles within that church. I was in the liturgical dance group that danced for most holiday services & at least once a quarter. I was an acolyte that carried the cross or candles down the isle. At 16 (when youth were considered official adult members) I became a challis barer. So I grew up very much in front of the church, but it wasn't actually leading every aspect of the service.

Fast forward many years to my time as the Director of Christian Education at a smaller church that was very children and youth focused I learned what it meant to really have a Youth Sunday. The youth sang as the choir, led the prayers, and read the scripture verses for the day. The only thing they didn't do was preach. Which after a few years in this position, they even preached as seniors after their mission trip each summer. They led Youth Sunday every second Sunday of the month! They only had about 2 months off a year.

Why so often you may ask. For many reasons: To learn about the entire service, every part. To become a contributing part of the larger community. Our yearly summer trip covenant asked them to be present & help led these services, among other things, to help create a consistent community. They partnered with each other & connected with different youth each month. It was also a service to the congregation that was helping to fund their trips. By being up front, they were not just teens whispering in the back of the church during service each week. They were names and faces that the entire congregation knew. It gave the congregation ownership of these children that they promised at baptism to help raise in the church and gave the youth ownership of the church and their church family.

How did it work? They practiced every Wednesday evening during the school year in the Youth Choir the first few years, some years attendance was better than others. The true time that they prepared was the day of. We got together about an hour or two before service, passed out parts & ran through the service. These kids have been watching older kids lead service their whole life & were ready (for the most part) when they arrived in 6th grade to start helping to lead. The older youth received the larger roles, like reading the scripture, while the younger ones shared one line call & response prayers to lead. Some were gifted in reading, some were not. Some preferred to sing, others not. They all did every part at some point and grew in their ownership of worship.

While there are many obvious benefits to these students leading 10 out of the 12 months of the year, the largest benefit I saw in these young adults was their confidence. When encouraged, by both adults & peers, to show up & to be in leadership roles they learned what it meant to be depended upon. When they were out of their comfort zones, but stood up & read in front of the congregation anyway, they gained confidence. They had an entire congregation that lined up to shake their hands & tell them what a great job they did. Seeing frightened 6th graders lead one line, responsive prayers turn into 12th graders that get disappointed when they aren't chosen to read the gospel each month is amazing.

The comfort we saw in the youth in their faith, the community that grew out of being together to lead & the feeling of belonging that was sensed by these youth shows why it's so important to give young people a real position within the church.

Holy Moments & Thin Places - October 13 Sermon with 2 seniors - Only my part of the message

When we hear a story or listen to a joke, we’re usually waiting for the point or the punch line, thinking, “This better be good.” In the story about Jesus healing the ten lepers and the one who returned, the punch line is here: 

“And he was a Samaritan.” Luke is always trying to show us that God's love extends to folks on the margins. In this story, he goes a step further. The Samaritan is not only loved by God, he is a model of faith! He – the least expected – is an example of how to respond to God's mercy.

What are our attitudes toward marginalized people? Do we see them as the recipients of our charity and offerings? Do we have pity for “the least of these?” Do we pat ourselves on the back as we serve them?

Luke invites us to change our perspectives and to ask: “What are their strengths and gifts? How have they been blessed by God? What can I learn from them?”
When I was on my trip to the Mediterranean, one of the places we visited was Ephesus, Turkey. Next to the wonderful marble covered city of Ephesus, we visited what is thought to be Virgin Mary’s home after Jesus was crucified. As we approached this place our guide shared with us that many come to visit this place, not just Christians. We were told that this tiny home is a place where thousands visit to give homage to the mother of a God and to a mother of a profit, depending on their faith tradition. See in the Muslim faith, Jesus is seen as a profit and is highly revered.
So leading up to the place I thought we would see a large group of Christians and a few Muslims. As we approached I thought I was going to be correct as I overheard a Christian service being held in the terrace right next to the tiny home. As we walked up to the home, which has now been transformed into a chapel inside, we saw signs asking all to be silent when entering and there were shawls or pashminas available to cover your shoulders or head. When we entered we saw many Muslim women, and a few men, lining the floor of the small room praying with their knees and foreheads on the ground. This was a holy place. A place where people from many different walks of life were welcomed and allowed to worship their God, our God. I learned from this place that we don’t need to be in separate places to worship God, just because we have different beliefs. I also saw great devotion in those who were willing to pray on the floor as others walked through as if it was a museum. Their faith was more important than their worry of looking funny or different to another.

After tiptoeing through the Virgin Mary’s home, we took the path down one level in front of her house and saw thousands of pieces of paper and fabric had been tied to a wall with writing on them. Our guide told us this was a wish or prayer wall. As you can see on the front of the bulletin the people came from many places and spoke many different languages. As I walked past this wall, all I could think was “Lord, here our prayers.” It still brings tears to my eyes to think of the hope and faith that was shown in this place. This was a holy place. I kept thinking about what Jesus said in Matthew when he said “Where two or three people meet together in my name, I am there with them.” I could feel God’s presence as I stood in awe of all these prayers.
Later we are going to invite you to come forward with your piece of fabric to tie to the Prayer Wall here at Highlands. We have placed markers in the pews for you to add your prayer to the fabric so we can create our own prayer wall and be reminder that God is present with us in this place too.


I shared this story with my youth when I returned and we decided we wanted to share some of our Holy Moments or Thin Places, as Dr. Dave calls them, with you from our times together. Jacob is going to tell us of a time he felt close to God and our youth on a Mission Trip and Katie is going to share her experience of searching for God at Montreat.

Who Are Our Neighbors - Sermon from July 2013

A few years ago, on one the first Mission Trips our youth group took, we went to a homeless shelter that served meals to those on the street and provided a program for those who wanted help getting off the street. We met our guide, who was once a teacher and ended up on the streets after a few mishaps in his life. One of the first things he told us before taking us on a tour of the place was that they call all who visited the place a “neighbor.” I remember talking to our youth later about this term for all who walked through their doors, their reaction to it was one of profound respect. They said by labeling those who are homeless “neighbors” made it more personal. It helped them to feel more comfortable with whom they met. It made it easier to work beside those they thought were so different, but ended up being so similar to them. I believe our guide made this very easy by sharing that he had been a high school teacher. It made our youth think about the teachers they saw every day at school & how easy it was for someone they knew to end up in the exact same place as our new neighbor, our guide.

In Luke, Jesus is asked, “Who is my neighbor?” His answer is everyone. Jesus tells us a story of a man being hurt and many passing him by, but the least likely character, a Samaritan who is not liked or respected by the Jews, is the one who stops to help him. Jesus tells us this is how to be a neighbor; he says to “Go and do likewise.” So who is our neighbor? It is the neighbor we meet in a homeless center and kids at VBS and people that live around the world. Which reminds me of our VBS theme this year: Everywhere Fun Fair, Where God’s World Comes Together. At VBS kids met welcoming neighbors from the Bible and explored the everyday lives of neighbors from different places around the world. Throughout their week at VBS they discovered how to love our neighbors near and far, in our own community, and around the world. This is what I see our youth doing through their love for mission work. They love to help others. They like to be in places where it is easier for them to put down their everyday lives and focus on how God is calling them to show God’s love through their actions.

Now, our readings today give us two different reactions to a request from God – we have Moses, and his reluctance – almost fear, and we have Isaiah, with his detailed visions and eagerness to do God’s will.

In the Exodus passage from today, we heard Moses say, “Who am I that I should go…” I think many of us feel this way when we feel like we are being asked to do something for God’s people. One of the members of our group experienced this on Tuesday this past week. I will not mention her name, as to help her to stay anonymous. This individual shared with me on Wednesday afternoon when we were enjoying our free time that she had felt unsure about going to The Clara White Mission to feed homeless in Jacksonville. This was her first experience at a soup kitchen and didn’t know what to expect. It is also similar to our confession we said earlier. We are asked for our hands to be used for God’s purpose, but we doubt they are able to do enough, so we withdraw them. We are asked for our voices to speak against the things we know are not right, but we are afraid we don’t have enough power to make a difference, so we only whisper. We are asked to for our eyes to see the pain in the world, but we turn away because it is too much for us to handle and we feel like there is nothing we can do. But in Exodus God tells Moses, and us, “I will be with you …” God promises we don’t have to have everything and to be everything, but that God will be with us giving us the strength and power to handle what needs to be done. By the way, the youth I was talking about earlier reflected about the time we spent there and she said she was really happy she stepped out of her comfort zone and went with our group to feed so many people.

In Isaiah the Lord says, “Whom shall I send, and who will go for us?” And I said, “Here am I; send me!” This is what I see our youth and their parents saying when they sign up to go to Charlotte or Savannah or to help plant all the plants in the courtyard or when they help at VBS or when they help carry items over for the Craft Fair or when they collect food for Arlington Community Services. They are saying to God “here am I; send me!” They are saying “I want to help my neighbors here at my church, here in Jacksonville and in other communities and countries. Send me! Pick me! I’m ready to share your love with all my neighbors!”

I’d like to show a short video of some of our youth & their parents sharing why mission is so important to them.

SHOW VIDEO (video of our youth doing many different mission projects along with their parents talking about why mission work is so important for their child to do was shown here with Michael Jackson's song "Man in the Mirror" playing in the background)

As you can see, this is a strong passion for our youth and their parents. Our youth grow in who they are and who they are becoming by meeting these different neighbors throughout their summers. They are being the change in the world. I challenge all of us to look in the mirror and to decide to start with ourselves & change the world with our youth.

Lord, please lead us to be the change in this world. Give us courage to offer You our hands, our voices,  and our eyes,  knowing You are with us always.  Amen.

Charlotte Mission Trip Message - Sermon from 2010

We saw many signals from God this week in Charlotte. Two of the people I saw God use as signals to me were Joey & Rachel, two of our three seniors.

Joey is known in our group as having a strong silent presence. While he was in still a quiet support throughout the week, God used this gift and his gift of encouragement in very special ways. Our first day of service we went to Lifespan, a day center for adults with mental & physical disabilities, I was in a group with Joey. At first I think all of in the group were a little out of our comfort zones, but each of us wanted to make a connection & help where ever we were needed at the center. Our group was in the recreation room. While we were in the room I watched as Joey befriended a few people who were playing the Nintendo Wii bowling. While Joey seemed to be a pro at the game, he also was a great at encouraging those he played with & helped to coach them to learn the game the way he knew it. Gentle nudges, big smiles & his strong silent presence was a signal to me that sometimes BEING is as important as doing. Another time God used Joey as a signal to me was on our free day to the US National Whitewater Center. After our whitewater rafting adventure, we went to the high ropes coarse. I was unsure if I could do this course, but Joey was quick to encourage me that I could do it. While I was two people in front of him, about 100 yards way, he shouted words of encouragement to me through the forest the whole way through. Here I am, the adult that brought the youth to this adventure park, I felt like I should be brave & able, but if it wasn’t for Joey being there to cheer me on I may have turned back before even starting the course. Again this was a time when God showed me that being present is sometimes what is needed more than doing a physical act.

Another sign I saw was through Rachel’s constant care for others. Rachel is a person who likes to engage others and help them. When I know of something going on with another member of our group, Rachel is one of the first that I go to for help to encourage or help them through a situation. Her compassion for the other members of our group was evident as she continually put herself second in order to grow other members of the youth group. An example I saw of this gift to help the other members of our group was when our group decided to buy a picture from the Urban Ministries art studio. While Rachel was active in helping the group to talk about the paintings, when it came to who would walk back into the studio to make a final selection she suggested some of the younger members to go make the decision. This was her way of helping them to take ownership of our group and she was a great encourager when they returned to share their choice. Another time I saw Rachel as a signal was at the Charlotte Rescue Mission when she & I sat with two men, Cash & Melvin, for lunch. Charlotte Rescue Mission is a place for drug and alcohol addicts. As I sat there, I watched Rachel interact with these gentle men, she was compassionate and showed interest in all they shared with us. Her questions were asked with care & without judgment. She shared stories with them & related to all they talked about which seemed to help them feel comfortable. Rachel’s gift of nurturing interest helps other to feel at easy & comfortable to open up with those around them.

This week I have seen many signals from all the youth and I would have loved to talk about each of them, but I am happy I had three other adults here to share their perspective about them with you. John, Bill & CJ were wonderful leaders for our group. We had two fearless drivers, and CJ provided the comic relief along the way. Throughout the week the four of us took turns leading the devotions each night. Each of these men shared themselves & their beliefs with our youth. They made this trip enriching, fun, & kept us safe throughout our time in Charlotte & on the road.

I must share one last thing before I turn everything back over to Alex for a closing. I have what I like to call leaky eyes & throughout the week, whenever I felt touched by one of these amazing people I had the privilege to travel with my eyes began to leak. Throughout the week they kept a tally of my leaky eyes, and I believe it ended up being around 13 times in 7 days. The reason my eyes leaked so often this week is because we, or if you don’t mind I’ll say I, have some amazing youth! I am so proud of each of you for the courage you had to go on this trip to Charlotte where you didn’t know anything we would be doing except helping others. I am so proud of each of you for stepping out of your comfort zones to search for God’s signal this past week.

Wondering About Compassion

John 13:34-35 says “I give you a new command. Love one another.
You must love one another, just as I have loved you. If you love one
another, everyone will know you are my disciples.”

In light of recent events in our country, I wonder about how Jesus
was able to love all, even those who harmed others and if I am able
to carve out space in my heart for both the victims and victimizers in
such hard situations.

It brings me to a book I am enjoying with the Women's Book Group
at church called Tattoos on the Heart: the Power of Boundless
Compassion by Gregory Boyle. In chapter three he tells of a story
where he is teaching a class in a prison to a group of gang members
and he realizes that they use the words sympathy, empathy and
compassion interchangeably. He asks them to define them. They are
quickly able to define sympathy and empathy (feeling bad for one's
situation & relating to one's situation), but they are slow to define
compassion. Finally one of the inmates says “That’s what Jesus did.
I mean, Compassion … IS … God.” The author goes on to say "This
was how Jesus was moved, from the entirety of his being. He was
“moved with pity” when he saw folks who seemed like “sheep without
a shepherd.” He had room for everybody in his compassion." OK, so
this is where our women's group started to struggle ... pity? That
word seems like such a low thing, a way of looking down on someone,
so we had to look it up to make sure we had the right definition.
Dictionary.com defines pity as "sympathetic or kindly sorrow evoked
by the suffering, distress, or misfortune of another, often leading one
to give relief or aid or to show mercy." That changed our view. It's not
looking down on someone and their circumstances; it is both being
sympathetic to one's situation and acting on it.

Let’s get back to carving out space in our hearts to express the same
compassion Jesus has shown us.

Father Boyle tells us of a 12 year old, named Betito that comes to
visit him on a regular basis from the neighborhood middle school.
He is involved in gang life, but trying to also be a good person. One
day when he is in his neighborhood, a car comes through and shoots
around the neighborhood, killing Betito. Father Boyle talks about
how difficult it was for him to reconcile his feelings when he found
out that he also knew Betito’s shooters. He says "When they were
caught and I found I knew them, it was excruciating not to be able to
hate them. Sheep without a shepherd ... But, are they less worthy of
compassion than Betito? I will admit that the degree of difficulty here
is exceedingly high. Kids I love killing kids I love. There is nothing neat
in carving space for both in our compassion."

So how do we do this carving? As I thinking about this and talk to
those around me it occurs to me that we are not perfect but, are asked
to stretch ourselves and yearn to be more like Jesus. So maybe I can't
completely say I am able to understand what makes people think it is
ever OK to harm another, but I can have compassion for how they got
there. I pity those who are raised in ways that enable them to think
that the only answer to their situation is to harm another human; to
limit another humans life in anyway. I love my neighbor through the vastness of God's love and by doing that I am slowly carving out space in my heart to love all of God's children.