Immanuel UCC Youth

Tomorrow is the Immanuel UCC’s Youth Christmas Party! If you haven’t RSVP’d yet, make sure to let me know whether you’re coming!

We’re starting at 6pm and going until 10pm. We’ll have hors d’oeuvres, dinner, and then we’ll watch a really awesome and interesting movie (and maybe play a game or two, as well).

I hope to see you there!

Elise

This week was a little lighter, as promised! I want to say, again, how proud I am of all of you for taking the time to do the assignment, and I’m really looking forward to hearing the rest of your answers this next week. So THANK YOU for exploring your topic and for following through!

I’m not going to summarize everyone’s beliefs and the things we talked about regarding each topic, so don’t worry. But keep in mind what we talked about from Pastor Rich’s sermon- the idea that God calls the very young and the very powerless from very unheard of areas. Mary was only 12-13 years old when Gabriel appeared to her and when she gave birth to the Messiah! Take a minute to think through what that would look like for you, what that would do to your life. God sometimes calls us to make radical sacrifices to what we think we want, in order to accomplish something that is so much greater than we ever could have dreamed. But we have to be open to that voice and willing to accept the unknown- even if it doesn’t make sense to those around us. Or do you think that all of Mary’s friends and family thought it was totally normal that she (a complete and utter nobody) heard a voice from an angel, who told her she’d get pregnant without having sex, and that her son would save humanity as part of the Holy Trinity? And if Joseph hadn’t also had an angelic visit and decided to follow God’s admittedly way-outside-of-the-standard-box plan, Mary may well have been shipped off to have her head examined. She took a huuuge step into the unknown…

Her decision to follow God’s lead gave us the greatest gift we could ever have received. But to do so, she had to go outside of everything she knew, had to keep trusting despite what was whispered around her and about her. Handing your life over to God clearly doesn’t mean that life will always be easy from here on out, but it will be worth it. Even in utero, Jesus defied the world’s ‘normal’ and called people to extravagant, loving acts.

The quote we read in church sums up Mary’s predicament nicely:

Mary had been chosen, “favored” by God. But what a strange blessing. It brought with it none of the ideals or goals that so consume our daily striving. Today many assume that those whom God favors will enjoy the things we equate with a good life: social standing, wealth and good health. Yet Mary, God’s favored one, was blessed with having a child out of wedlock who would later be executed as a criminal. Acceptability, prosperity, and comfort have never been the essence of God’s blessing. (R. Alan Culpepper, 52)

Are you willing to take that giant leap of faith? To let God lead your life, to accomplish his overarching plan? No matter the cost? To trust in the reward of God’s love?

Twelve year old Mary did.

Elise

I know this week was kind of a heavy week, but hopefully you guys found it interesting, too. We bit into the topic of showing Christ-love on the national/political scale, meaning we hit 2/3 of the things you’re not supposed to talk about at family gatherings! No one got knifed and I’m pretty sure you’re all still talking to each other, so I figure we were successful overall.

The goal of this whole day was first and foremost to get you to think about what you believe. There are a million and one people out there who are more than willing to tell you what they think you should believe, and if you haven’t taken the time to think about what resonates as “right” and explored your ideas through the lens of your faith, it’s easy get caught up in the whirlwind of name-calling and angry claims. Remember, the overriding theme of this month is LOVE, not show-them-that-they’re-wrong-and-you-don’t-have-to-take-it.

We started out by watching three short clips- one of John F. Kennedy, one from John MacArthur, and one from Wayne Grudem. Before we can look at how to show Christ-love through politics, we need to tear apart the idea of whether the church has any role in politics. I asked you to take a minute to digest the clips and think about what you believe. Should the church as an organization attempt to sway politicians? Organize boycotts? Write letters of approval/disapproval? Employ lobbyists like other companies and non-profits, to try to influence Congress and the President? If so, how much is appropriate? If not, why not? Is it better to have a minimalist view toward government (as long as they’re not making laws that prohibit me from doing things required by my faith, I’m good) or is it better to try to create a community bound by Christian ideals, hoping to induce others into doing right and even if they break laws, at least they’re aware that they’re not following what Christians believe to be best? Or is there a third path, beyond just active involvement or passive acceptance?

So why is this important? Obviously, it’s important to know where you stand so you can articulate your thoughts (if you choose), but in the topic of Christ-love, it’s also a way to know the under-grid to your solutions to problems (why do you advocate one solution over another? Does your faith play into why you chose that solution? Would your faith agree with it?). Additionally, it’s important to work through these ideas so you can understand where others come from- their ideas don’t make them the enemy, even though they found different answers to the same questions you asked. Number one way to show Christ-love in politics? Love and accept your neighbor (regardless of their political choices).

In implementing Christ love, I want us to look at 6 common areas of differing opinion and look at how Christ’s love might be demonstrated. I had hoped we could work through these as a group, but we ran out of time- sorry! We each chose one, and the assignment is to simply think through what Christ-love might look like. What are our obligations in love as Christians? Should the government be involved in fulfilling those obligations? If so, how? If not, what should the model of love look like? If you know which policies are in place right now and don’t agree with them, what would you change? How? And think about what you’d do to make your ideal a reality (unless your ideal is already reality, in which case- congrats!).  Or if you don’t have any idea what the current role/policy is, what would you do if you had to come up with something from scratch? If you need ideas of specific questions or want to talk through something, let me know!

You DO NOT need to write up a paper or anything to turn in. This is NOT graded and there are NO WRONG ANSWERS. I hope the caps stress that. I just want you to think through it. And maybe write yourself a note or two, since I’m going to ask you to share some of your thoughts.

And then we’ll eat things and play fun games. Promise.

Just in case you “forgot” what you signed up for, here’s what I wrote down:

Hunter: welfare/food stamps/social security

Jo: medicare/medicaid/Obamacare

Kaitlin/Jacob: abortion/foster care/child protection rights

Ana: U.S.’s “watchdog” status/international forceful intervention

Owen- capital punishment/prison system

Emma/Nick/Olivia: international aid

Aimee: all of them!

Have fun with this! I know you can handle it! And don’t forget that this Friday is Enchantment in the Park- meet at 4:30 at the small animal barn and DRESS WARM!

Elise

I’m glad you were all able to stay awake during youth group- especially after staying up so late! We’re on the topic right now of Christ-love: what it means, what it doesn’t, and ways to live it. We talked about how much easier it can be to think of things that others have done to wrong you than it is to think of things that others have done that are loving and kind. We live in a world that values zingers and one up-manship . It makes us feel good to have the power to stop another in their tracks, to render their argument ineffective, to have a cutting wit. To get back at those who have hurt us- by hurting them in turn. We tell ourselves it’s karma, it’s what they’re due, that we need to give them a taste of their own medicine. Or we just need to prove that we’re more intelligent, we’re wittier, we’re their superior. If we’re better than them, what they think doesn’t matter. It’s what we see in movies, read in books, hear in songs. Even though we’d probably stop before smashing up our ex’s truck, we don’t pass up the opportunity to show him what he’s lost. Or to laugh at the sign that says “Don’t be sad when you see your ex with someone else- your parents taught you to give your old toys to the less fortunate.”

Remember our late-night Bible study? How we’re both the image of Christ and the mirror of His love? When we look to be the victor, what are we reflecting? Vengeance? Disdain? Our own pain and self-consciousness? When we live by “l’esprit d’escalier” (which I still think is a fantastically descriptive phrase), we’re supplanting “l’esprit de Christ.”  We plan to fight, not love. There are over 500 verses in the Bible about love- God’s love for us and how, knowing that love, we’re supposed to love others. There aren’t any about us taking charge of the vengeance, no matter how big the hurt (but I bet you can think of a couple that talk about God being the one to dole out judgement and punishment, right?). It’s not up to us because we can’t know everything about every side of the argument.

But what about when there’s no explosion, when the hurt is slow, subtle, and, like a slow leak in your fridge’s water hose, able to cause much more damage before it’s discovered? Sometimes the pain comes from simply never hearing certain words, and the world can certainly impart a message through neglect and  a lack of encouragement. We can all think of someone who walks through the day with his head down, trying not to make eye contact, doing everything he can to not draw attention. It’s easy to ignore him, because there’s no explosion. But ignoring him is a decision, every bit as much as choosing to say “Hi!” is a decision.

OK, so we all know that we should be nice to others (and we’ve learned that being snarky is NOT being nice, no matter how thrilling it can be to have the perfect retort). And we know we should reach out to those who are hurting, the downtrodden, the forgotten. There’s verse after verse about this in the Bible. So what stops us? If we answer honestly, we would say that we’re too busy, we’re seeking the company of others we feel are more “desirable,” we’re worried we have nothing in common or they make bad choices, we’re embarrassed to be seen with them (lest others think we’re the same as them). These are all things that are natural to feel, though when we call them out, they sound sad and ridiculous. That’s why it’s important to name these feelings. Common doesn’t mean OK- it just means you’re not alone.

Alright, so we know why we should, and we know why we fall short. But here’s the hard question: What if I’m nice to her, and she’s suddenly stuck to me like glue? All I wanted to do was say “Hi” and smile, not get a new best friend/shadow! We talked about a lot of ways that we’d typically deal with this (way to suggest inviting him/her out with the rest of your friends!), but keep in mind the ultimate deciding question… What would Jesus say about this course of action? In John 15: 12-13 He says “My command is this: Love each other as I have loved you. Greater love has no one than this, that he lay down his life for his friends.” If Jesus asks us to die for each other, what response will He give to find out that we’re not even willing to make a new friend? Giving your life for others doesn’t only mean dying for them in a show of glory. Honestly, that’s probably the easier decision- make it once, and it’s done. Die for someone else and you’re a hero. Befriending someone who needs to know they matter won’t get you a plaque on the wall and a scholarship in your name, and it’s not a one-and-done action. Showing Christ-love– genuine, honest Christ-love– can be exhausting. It might require changing what you expect from your life and it might mean that you make decisions no one expects. But that’s not to say that what you get in return is all self-sacrifice. Beyond knowing that you’re doing what God commands and that you’re paying forward the unearned love you’ve received from Jesus, you might find someone you truly enjoy being with! So show an abundance of kindness and love to everyone- the ones who are forgotten, the ones you’ve known all your life, the new kid, your family, strangers, the “popular” kids. In loving others, we also practice loving ourselves and our God.

Romans 12:9-19

Love must be sincere. Hate what is evil; cling to what is good. Be devoted to one another in brotherly love. Honor one another above yourselves. Never be lacking in zeal, but keep your spiritual fervor, serving the Lord. Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer. Share with God’s people who are in need. Practice hospitality.

Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse. Rejoice with those who rejoice; mourn with those who mourn. Live in harmony with one another. Do not be proud, but be willing to associate with people of low position. Do not be conceited.

Do not repay anyone evil for evil. Be careful to do what is right in the eyes of everybody. If it possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone. Do not take revenge, my friends, but leave room for God’s wrath, for it is written: “It is mine to avenge; I will repay,” says the Lord.

Hello All!!!

Sorry it took me so long, but I finally got all of the pictures from October onto the blog!!!!!

Thank you to all who helped out with the Gala we could not have done it with out you!

It was  a great time racking leaves with you.  How many people does it take to brack a branch?!?!?!

I think we all will be having a little hobby farm someday:-)

You are all so amazing, and I love being apart of this wonderful youth group!!!

God Bless,
Emma

So, given that we’ll be spending the next four weeks working with the JAM Time kids on their Noah’s Ark unit, I thought we should probably refresh ourselves on the story of Noah’s Ark!

First we talked about what we remembered from the story, and then we re-read (putting our questions on hold for a bit). Read Genesis 6:5-9:22 to refresh yourself. Then we talked about WHY it’s such an important story. Why, out of all of the stories in the Old Testament, is Noah’s Ark and the Flood such an important story that we make sure to teach our kids about it and we devote an entire unit to it in JAM Time? Here’s one man’s list of why (scroll ALL the way to the bottom). Summarizing that, the story of Noah is a story of God’s anger and his ETERNAL, ongoing promise to save us from the same fate as Noah’s contemporaries. It’s also the story of perseverance during a VERY long (120 years!) period of struggle. Seriously, think about that. Noah made a giant boat, and it took him years. A boat that he couldn’t exactly hide, nor could he stop part way through and just hope nobody remembered his ‘oops.’ And above and beyond that, think about him explaining why he’s building this giant boat, even though nowhere in the past was there evidence that a great flood might occur, nor was he building it in a shipyard. So he spent 120 years working towards a VERY visible, incredibly odd goal from God, all the while listening to his friends and even his extended family telling him he was crazy. Think about all the years he had to turn back and quit or to question God. And yet, he did it. How’s that for something to remember when we’re getting frustrated with trying to explain why we don’t laugh at the dirty jokes?

The other thing the story underscores is the importance of Jesus. God was rightfully angry with his creation during Noah’s time. In His anger, He decided to start fresh, with just a small amount of the original human race. Who hasn’t wanted to start over before? But the story also shows us God’s love, that even then he wanted to give us a chance, and not just blot out humanity when we got it wrong (thus the rainbow and his covenant). But short of Jesus, we still were being judged based on our wrongs; individually, rather than en masse. Maybe we didn’t all die at once, but we were still going to die. Jesus changed that. And Jesus references the great flood in his teachings, saying that at the end of the world, we will all be judged as we were in Noah’s time- and only through Him will any of us make it.

This brings us to the point where we got to some of the questions. How did the animals fit on the ark? What about the size of the ark? If the ark was above the mountain tops, could they really even breathe up there? Was the flood local or global? Where did the water come from and where did it go?

So, for answers to some of these questions, check out this website (disclaimer: I don’t agree with everything written, but it’s a good starting point). I really encourage you guys to do some research yourself, too! Paraphrased, here’s what we have. Animals- Noah likely brought on juvenile animals, rather than full-grown adults, since they would have smaller food/space requirements and would have their entire breeding lives ahead of them (if you’re repopulating a world, this is important!). He also didn’t have to bring on one of every type of animal we see today; potentially our scientific category of family or genus is based on what Noah brought with him.

Water- it rained for 40 days and 40 nights, AND “the springs of the great deep burst forth.” This is an important thing to remember. If it was only rain, what normal-minded person wouldn’t move to higher ground and then work night and day on building a boat? They’d have a good number of days to accomplish this before the flood waters rose about the highest mountains (and they wouldn’t have to build a boat to hold all those animals, either). But if there are geysers and cracks in the Earth where water is pouring out, too? That changes your ability to save yourself. Where did the water go? Scripture (read a couple different translations to get the best idea of this) indicates that God formed the oceans and lakes as a way to hold the water as it receded. Also, do some individual thinking about how Pangea and continental drift might fit into this story.

Regarding riding above the mountaintops, we can probably assume a few things here-both keeping in mind that this story took place a long time ago. First, the mountain ranges may not have been as they are now (differing translations of these passages indicate that as God was draining the water, He both raised the lands into mountain ranges and lowered lands into valleys and the ocean floor). Ranges are frequently formed by both tectonic plate movement and/or volcanic eruptions (and molded/decreased by other factors such as water, landslides, etc.), which create changes in height over time. Second, we know from our science today that the atmosphere is not static- gas composition can change by small, but significant, amounts (holes in the ozone layer and greenhouse gasses, for example). We don’t know what the atmospheric composition was in Noah’s day, but it’s unlikely that they were wearing oxygen masks (sorry, Nick).

What about the boat size? Remember that 300 cubits (450-500 ft) is about as long as a wooden boat can be before torsion becomes an issue and the boat can’t keep itself together. And keep in mind the Korean study we discussed, which looked the volume of the ship and tweaked the dimensions to study 13 different (equal volume) ships. The ark, while a mid-range performer (not the best) in each individual study of different conditions, was the best overall shape- it was the optimal shape and size to handle a wide variety of conditions. It also had three different levels to house these animals and supplies, and as the animals grew through the year, the food supplies diminished, too- a redistribution of space probably happened more than once.

Our final two areas of discussion were about the proportions of the flood. All across the world, cultures have passed down stories of a great flood. Native Americans, Africans, Asians, ancient Babylonians- everyone has a story about making their God(s) angry and it resulting in a great flood that only a few (mainly just one family) survived. The ubiquity of such a story is good anthropologic evidence that the flood was a global flood. The second set of evidence comes back to scripture. Namely, Jesus talks about the second coming of Christ as a day of judgement on the same scale as in Noah’s day- a local flood in Noah’s day would mean a partial judgement when the world as we know it ends. And logically, if the flood were local, if a person wanted to avoid it, they could just walk to the next mountain range- there would be geographic limitations to the flood, which would mean that some people (other than Noah and his family) would/could have survived. And finally, if the flood were a local flood rather than a global flood, God’s covenant would have been broken many times over throughout history. God promises Noah that the rainbow will be a sign that He will never again flood out his people in such a way. There have been numerous terrifying and far reaching local floods (Bangladesh, South America, even here in the U.S., to name a few), but never has there been another flood of global proportions.

So, where does this all leave us? Probably still with a lot of questions! I hope you guys thought about things in different ways than you have in the past, and  I wish we had more time to discuss this as a group (and if you’re interested, we certainly can)! I have more resources (not-online) to share, available for your asking since this is getting to be quite a long post! We won’t be meeting again for formal Sunday morning youth group again until November 13th, but I’ll still be there every Sunday for anyone who isn’t participating in the JAM Time unit. MAKE SURE TO CHECK YOUR EMAILS AND THE BLOG FOR UPDATES. 

Today’s Updates: This Thursday from 6-8:30 is our game night at the church (and also a practice for the India Gala). Friday night is the gala (just as a head’s up, I won’t be there). We’re also carving pumpkins at my farm on Oct. 29th, and then decorating the church entrances with them! Feel free to call or email me with any questions, and I’ll keep you updated on the pumpkin carving as we get closer!

Homework: Per your question, find the verse in Genesis that deals with why our life expectancy no longer reaches 900+ years. (Kudos to Ana, who found it before this post was even written!) And kudos to anyone else who sends me this or another verse or other readings they found that deal with a question they had about this story. Remember, there just may be a treat in store!

This last Sunday was kind of a wrap-up of all the things we’ve been talking about regarding self-image. We talked about last week’s homework, and how that impacted us during the week; we also talked about why it’s important for us to use our take-home work to keep ourselves focused on God through the week. I’m sure homework is not the most popular new concept in youth group, but it really is important to keep growing and to make sure our faith isn’t just something we think about on Sundays as we roll out of bed. After all, God is paying attention to us no matter how we spend our time.

We had a reading from the book Losers, Fakers, and Wannabes (Unmasking The Real You) by Brennan Manning with Jim Bancock. The excerpt (from pages 58-59) reads:

Then he states something that I will ponder for years; he says it very deliberately. I ask him to repeate it so that I can write it down. “… Define yourself radically as one beloved by God. God’s love for you and his choice of you constitute your worth. Accept that, and let it become the most important thing in your life.” (emphasis added)

We discuss it. The basis of my personal worth is not my possessions, my talents, not esteem of others, reputation… not kudos of appreciation from parents and kids, not applause, and everyone telling you how important you are to the place… I stand anchored now in God before whom I stand naked, this God who tells me “You are my son, my beloved one.”

This is the Big Idea: Define yourself radically as one totally loved by God. Right now. As-Is. Not to be left like this, certainly, but just as certainly never to be loved, valued, cherished any more or less than you are in this very moment because God’s love does not depend on you. So please, please, please stop running away when you mess up, and run into the arms of the one who totally loves you as you are right now.

Your ordinary self is exactly where God wants to work extraordinary miracles. The inconspicuous nobody who shivers when it’s cold and sweats when it’s hot, who wakes up so many days feeling not-at-all ready to face the world, who can barely get dressed and show up on time and at the right place, who has to read the paragraph three times to understand it, who feels lonely and hopeless, isolated, crowded, horny, left out, and taken in all at once- YOU are the one God loves! Deal with it.

We also talked about the idea of The Poser, the little guy we all have on our shoulders. You know, the one who starts telling us at a young age what we need to do to get along- what we need to say or not say to raise our popularity or make relationships go smoother, how we should dress to fit into a specific group, what kind of behavior we should display, who justifies our actions when they don’t fit what we know we really need to do. The Posers greatest fear is that (s)he’ll be recognized for what (s)he really is- nothing, fake, hollow, substance-less. And if you don’t confront The Poser, you don’t/can’t know where he ends and you begin. And if you don’t know where that line is, you end up like Leonard Zelig.

We ended our day watching a short portion of the 1983 mockumentary, and what it exposes about ourselves. If we try to be everything to everyone, what does that leave us with? We can’t be everything all at the same time- it’s utterly impossible. Trying to do that leaves us with an empty shell, changed at will, but with no sense of who we are.

Homework: Go to the blog and write a comment on any entry/post you’d like, just to let me know that you know how to get there and can maneuver it.

Also of note: there is a clear envelope on the bulletin board in the youth room. Please use it for any comments, suggestions, thoughts, etc!

Hi all!

So this Sunday we talked about self-image in terms of physical appearance! It was also our media Sunday for the month, so I have several links to share.

But first, I want to wrap up last week’s “assignment” by talking about ways to deal when you find yourself being pulled in directions that aren’t the you that God wants you to be. First, remember to pay attention- listen to God and the paths He’s putting before you, so you can figure out which ones are NOT His plan. Listen to that quiet voice in the back of your mind that says “YES!” or “This isn’t quite right”- and if you have to justify your actions or thoughts, maybe it’s time to give them another, truly open-minded, review. Second, give yourself some cues and reminders to help keep you on track:

-Use the rubber band trick (switching a rubber band from wrist to wrist when you catch  yourself doing/thinking things that aren’t in line with the you that God made you to be)

-Keep a special piece of jewelry or memento on your person (wear it or keep it in your pocket), and let that be a physical reminder whenever you see or touch it. This can be a good way to snap you out of a mindset or behavior that is otherwise hard to stop.

-Put up scriptures or inspirational quotes in your locker, on your bedroom walls, in your planner. And READ them. Frequently.

And now, on to this week’s information!

We started this Sunday with THIS link, which has real people (animated as talking animals) discussing what they think of their appearance and self-image. Where do they get those ideas from? How does that affect their relationships and how they see the world?

We moved on to our second link (be warned, it has an advertisement at the start). We started the video at 17:49 (and went until 20:42), but if you have the time, it’s worth watching the entire thing!

Our third link is about whether or not image is everything, and we talked about whether or not we agreed with what this pastor has to say. What do you think?

And last but not least, this link by mothlightcreative was our final video to discuss, and then we split for a few minutes to think about what we’d covered for the day.

OUR CHALLENGE FOR THE WEEK:

It can be so easy to focus on the outward appearance and get distracted spending our time on that, since we can see the immediate results and it’s a popular way to judge ourselves and others. Our challenge is to take stock of how much time you spend on your appearance each day (showering, dressing, thinking about fashion or working out, etc.) and spend an equal amount of time with God (reading the bible, praying, looking at devotionals, thinking about what God wants for you and how that applies daily, etc.).

I look forward to seeing you all on Thursday and/or Sunday! Have a great week!

Elise

Hi all!

I wanted to post what we talked about on Sunday for anyone who missed it, or who *ahem* may have lost the paperwork! Sadly, I have not figured out how to upload a document yet. So, if you’re here and looking for the readings and the take-home work, shoot me an email, and I’ll get the info to you ASAP.

Otherwise, I’ll hope to see you on Sunday. We’ve got a couple of new ideas to talk about, and we’ll continue our discussion on self-image (we’re on the media component week).

Elise

P.S.- Don’t forget about the Komro bonfire tomorrow night! It’s gonna be awesome!

Hello Everyone!!!

This Friday (September 23) the Komro’s are having a bonfire at their house.   It will be a potluck starting at 6:00, so please bring something to share with everyone.  Also, if you could bring chairs for around the campfire that would be great!

It is not just for the youth and confirmation kids, family’s are more then welcome to stay for the fun!

Elise wants me to tell you that if anyone needs a ride she would be more then happy to pick you up.  Just give her a call some time before noon on Friday.

Please let me know ASAP if your planing on come, and how many people from your family will be joining you so I can have an idea of how many people to expect.

Let me know if you have any questions.

I hope to see you all there!

God Bless,

Emma