Mission and 7th Grade Humor

Last week was filled busy with Middle School Mission Camp. There were about 30 Middle Schoolers from First Presbyterian, Grace Episcopal and First UMC. We were together each day from 8 - 5 out at Covenant Point Camp in Holts Summit. We spent the night on Thursday and everyone was home by about 1:00. Each day the kids did a different mission, fixing lunch for Salvation Army Shelter, painting two rooms at the Agape House, walking the dogs at the Animal Shelter and doing whatever was needed at the Samaritan Center. It really was a good, busy, tiring week...
The story of the week was the Good Samaritan. We spent a fair amount of time learning the details of the story, what were the laws around the priests and levites, why would they walk by, what about the Samaritan, and the innkeeper. To end the week, I gave them the assignment of retelling the parable as if Jesus were telling it today. Who would be the unexpected hero, who would we expect to stop and be disappointed when they didn't....etc.
I drove the van all week and it is fun to just listen to the conversations that go on in the back of the bus. And I was blessed to have the 7th grade boys in my van...they really are a goofy bunch of kids that have an odd sense of humor.
So when I told everyone they would have a chance to act out their parable around the campfire Thursday night, there was alot of energy in the back of the van. And I got a little worried. I heard something about being beaten with bananas, rat poison, and some questionable one liners that I was afraid I understood. So note to self...we need to talk in the morning.
Thursday rolls around and I gathered everyone together and reminded them that they were proclaiming the Word of God and that as they worked through the details they needed to remember to honor God. My 7th grade friends faces fell and a dark cloud hung over them.
It turns out one of them had spent the better part of the previous evening writing a script and he had included every detail they talked about in the van and added a few more. They brought the script to me and asked me to read and tell them whether they could do it or not. I didn't want to do that...so I told them that if it honored God they were fine and that they needed to decide that.
Well pretty much the rest of the morning I had various people coming up to me, telling me it was really funny and couldn't they please do it...I again said...does it honor God? After about the 5th question...I said Does it honor God? and the answer was "no, not really" and there was my opening...I said then if I tell you it's OK, then I'm not honoring God am I? And their sweet little faces suddenly registered...they Got it...I tried to say we are to honor God at all times in our lives and not just certain hours of the day...and it matters how we tell God's stories. I encouraged them humor was fine and to take the raunchy parts out and it would be fine...
That night I held my breath when it was their turn...and they did their parable, and it had bananas in it...and a man by the road...but I'm really not sure what else...it just didn't make much sense. but at any rate they felt they had honored God and I didn't see anything that dishonored God...and I will not forget the face of the one young man, when he understood that he had a choice to honor God or not and that he could still be funny and honor God. I pray for a life transformed by the love of God.

That was my moment of light last week, thank you God!

Whew!

Annual Conference is over and I believe my head is just about above water again! While at Conference it is my honor to be the AV person that gets everyone's Power Point up on the screen for their presentation. I enjoy creating the slides but presenations are getting more and more sophisticated so there is more time. I don't get much sleep on these long weekends and so I'm pretty tired once I get back, and not at all ready to jump back in to things at home!

I am excited about the week ahead. It is our first Middle School Mission camp with First Presbyterian and Grace Episcopal churches. Each day we will head into Jefferson City and participate in a mission...lunch at the Salvation army shelter, work at the Samaritan Center, paint a room at the Agape house, and walk the dogs at the Humane Society. We will study the story of the Good Samaritan and on THursday evening we will stay at the camp and experience a hunger meal, campfire, and then work a little at the camp on Friday morning. SHould be busy but good to be with 30 kids as they serve in the world. Please keep us in your prayers!

The Power of Forgiveness started with 11 folks, Invitatin to the New Testament with 8 folks, Longing to Belong with 3. There is much happening at the church for the summer season...I do believe the Spirit is moving and shaking us loose a bit.

So what are you excited about as this season gets underway? Where is God shaking you loose? I am reading a couple of books, "Thoughts Matter" by Mary Margaret Funk; about our inner spiritual life. It has been enlightening. What are you reading?