Where I've been

I have been out of town for a few days, as you may have noticed by absence at Sherri's Silly Saturday Photo Contest. Next week it's go time, but for now I just wanted to share with you guys where I was, and what was happening.

I have been assisiting our Youth Pastor for a few weeks with a confirmation preparation course. Now I've never been particularly interested in, or comfortable with, youth ministry. It's just not my thing. So when I was asked last year to assist in drawing up, and possibly presenting the course, I was a little hesitant.

I was asked to think about it by the Youth Pastor, who is a friend of mine. Let's call her Stanley. (Yes, she is a girl. No, her name is not Stanley. I just like to call her that sometimes to annoy her. Okay, let's call her Stanleigh if it will help you.) We had some discussions around it, and she told me how rewarding working with teens can be, and how she had fallen into that area of ministry, and totally loved it.

I was less than convinced.

However after a little soul-searching, and getting whacked in the head with some common sense from God, I agreed. So I helped draw up the course, and assisted with the presentation last year

And it went quite well I think. As a short-term, teaching assignment, type deal. Then Stanleigh asked me to help again this year, and I agreed. After all, it went rather well last year.

So anyway, Stanleigh and I took the youth away for the weekend, to do some teaching and sharing about the Holy Spirit. (A lot like the Alpha Course, if you are familiar with that.)

I was completely blown away. The questions and comments that these guys had were phenomenal. Some of them had a slighly less than perfect understanding of the Holy Spirit, but don't we all?

But when we had an opportunity for individual prayer, it was amazing to see the hunger that some of these guys have for God. The real openness, and depth of genuine emotion. It was really inspiring.

It has been a long time since I have sensed such a real presence, and moving, of the Spirit in a group. It completely exceeded anything I had seen at any similar "adult" meetings.

It was a real eye-opening experience for me. I don't really have a lot of involvement in the youth ministry. I don't spend a lot of time with these young people, so I think maybe I under-estimated them a little. I think maybe I have been missing out on a great opportunity by not spending time with these guys and girls, and learning from them.

Of course I'll never tell that to Stanleigh.