Tomorrow night is our first Destination Unknown for the high school youth group. Justin and Sadie have planned something awesome for us to do but you'll have to come to find out what it is!
Here is the one clue Sadie gave us: Are you ready to get lost?!?
If you plan to come please note a few things:
1. Be at the church no later than 6pm (eat dinner at home)
2. Wear weather appropriate clothing and closed toed shoes
3. Bring a canned food item and a flashlight
4. We will be back at the church no later than 8pm
Sounds like we are ready to go on an adventure right?! Whether you have come every week or we've never seen you before we would love to see you on Wednesday night!
Tuesday, September 27, 2011
Thursday, September 8, 2011
When is the last time you...
...prayed?
And by that, I mean outside of worship or church activities. When is the last time you tried to have an intentional conversation with God?
My relationship with prayer has changed a lot over the years and as I moved into full-time ministry.
When I was little, prayers were often initiated by my parents. We prayed before every dinner together, and we prayed at night when they tucked me in for bed. I don't really remember ever praying on my own until I got older.
A significant change occurred in my prayer life when I started driving. This was a time in my life when I started to notice things more. As I drove around town to various activities, I would see things that made me sad: the animals dead on the side of the road, the people living under a bridge or sitting at the entrance to the interstate trying to hitchhike a ride to someplace else. I began praying when I saw anything that made my heart twinge. I knew that I couldn't pick up a hitchhiker or take a homeless person home with me, but I could pray that God would find a way to help that person. This is something I still continue to do.
As I discovered my call to ministry and began to journey in that direction, my prayer life grew. I prayed often for guidance from God, both in the daily and in thinking about a plan for my future. Prayer truly helped direct me on the path I have taken in life, and continues to do so. I also grew in my propensity to pray for others, to think beyond myself. I began to pray for both people I knew and people I didn't know. I discovered that prayer has a way of bringing me peace and clarity.
In seminary we prayed a lot. We prayed before every class started, before every meeting started, and in a lot of worship services. Prayer began to feel like something I "had" to do, one more thing on the agenda for the day. One more thing I could cross off my to-do list. When I was at family events or other gatherings where someone would ask me to pray I began to joke that people would have to pay me for that now as it was my "job" and I was a "professional". My personal prayer life and my relationship to God suffered because of this.
This lack of vigor in my prayer life was a big problem and I knew it. So for this reason (among many others) I spent the summer of 2009 at a monastery in Wisconsin. Living the monastic lifestyle helped me to renew my prayer life. I returned to school refreshed and invigorated.
These days my prayer life consists of many things. I am still opening and closing meetings with prayer, praying in worship, praying before meals, and praying in many other ways with other people. But I don't view it as a chore or something I "have to do". Instead I see it as a wonderful way to bring a fellowship of people together in connection to both God and each other. It is a holy experience. Every time.
My personal prayer life is not a routine because I find that spontaneity helps me feel more genuine. Prayer is not something on my daily list, but rather something that happens when I feel the spirit move, or when I am given a specific prayer request. I have in my bedroom, a "God Box". I take prayers that are on my mind or that other people have asked of me and write them down on a small piece of paper. I take some time to pray about what is on that paper and to really talk about it with God. Then I put it in the box, and to me that symbolizes that it is now in God's hands. Many of my prayers to the Lord are lifted up in this way.
Prayer. It can mean so many things to so many different people. I could write more on the subject but I may have bored you already :) My point is this - to encourage you to engage in a prayer life of your own, outside of church. It doesn't have to be everyday, it doesn't have to look anything like the way I do it. All it requires is the intention to be in personal communication with God. It requires no flowery language or grasp of difficult theological concepts, rather it is about relationship with God.
I pray that all of you will find a way to incorporate prayer into your lives beyond the walls of the church.
And by that, I mean outside of worship or church activities. When is the last time you tried to have an intentional conversation with God?
My relationship with prayer has changed a lot over the years and as I moved into full-time ministry.
When I was little, prayers were often initiated by my parents. We prayed before every dinner together, and we prayed at night when they tucked me in for bed. I don't really remember ever praying on my own until I got older.
A significant change occurred in my prayer life when I started driving. This was a time in my life when I started to notice things more. As I drove around town to various activities, I would see things that made me sad: the animals dead on the side of the road, the people living under a bridge or sitting at the entrance to the interstate trying to hitchhike a ride to someplace else. I began praying when I saw anything that made my heart twinge. I knew that I couldn't pick up a hitchhiker or take a homeless person home with me, but I could pray that God would find a way to help that person. This is something I still continue to do.
As I discovered my call to ministry and began to journey in that direction, my prayer life grew. I prayed often for guidance from God, both in the daily and in thinking about a plan for my future. Prayer truly helped direct me on the path I have taken in life, and continues to do so. I also grew in my propensity to pray for others, to think beyond myself. I began to pray for both people I knew and people I didn't know. I discovered that prayer has a way of bringing me peace and clarity.
In seminary we prayed a lot. We prayed before every class started, before every meeting started, and in a lot of worship services. Prayer began to feel like something I "had" to do, one more thing on the agenda for the day. One more thing I could cross off my to-do list. When I was at family events or other gatherings where someone would ask me to pray I began to joke that people would have to pay me for that now as it was my "job" and I was a "professional". My personal prayer life and my relationship to God suffered because of this.
This lack of vigor in my prayer life was a big problem and I knew it. So for this reason (among many others) I spent the summer of 2009 at a monastery in Wisconsin. Living the monastic lifestyle helped me to renew my prayer life. I returned to school refreshed and invigorated.
These days my prayer life consists of many things. I am still opening and closing meetings with prayer, praying in worship, praying before meals, and praying in many other ways with other people. But I don't view it as a chore or something I "have to do". Instead I see it as a wonderful way to bring a fellowship of people together in connection to both God and each other. It is a holy experience. Every time.
My personal prayer life is not a routine because I find that spontaneity helps me feel more genuine. Prayer is not something on my daily list, but rather something that happens when I feel the spirit move, or when I am given a specific prayer request. I have in my bedroom, a "God Box". I take prayers that are on my mind or that other people have asked of me and write them down on a small piece of paper. I take some time to pray about what is on that paper and to really talk about it with God. Then I put it in the box, and to me that symbolizes that it is now in God's hands. Many of my prayers to the Lord are lifted up in this way.
Prayer. It can mean so many things to so many different people. I could write more on the subject but I may have bored you already :) My point is this - to encourage you to engage in a prayer life of your own, outside of church. It doesn't have to be everyday, it doesn't have to look anything like the way I do it. All it requires is the intention to be in personal communication with God. It requires no flowery language or grasp of difficult theological concepts, rather it is about relationship with God.
I pray that all of you will find a way to incorporate prayer into your lives beyond the walls of the church.
Tuesday, September 6, 2011
Wednesday Night Activities
Don't forget about our super fun Wednesday activities! We kicked-off last week with a progressive dinner around the church and an introduction to each other and this year's plan of activities.
Tomorrow's schedule is the usual:
6:00 Dinner in the Fellowship Hall
6:30 Youth Group
MS in Room 103
HS in Room 102
I hope to see you all there!
Tomorrow's schedule is the usual:
6:00 Dinner in the Fellowship Hall
6:30 Youth Group
MS in Room 103
HS in Room 102
I hope to see you all there!
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