Searching and Knowing

"Oh Lord, you have searched me and known me," begins Psalm 139.
  Senior High youth group began on Sunday evening with a search:

Group #1 finds green fish...

Group #2 thinks they're very clever to discover a green plant inside this office...

Group #3's super sleuth skills helped them uncover a hidden dinosaur lurking on the altar...

The kids divided up into three groups, and, with a nod to St. Patrick's Day, endeavored to find as many green things as possible from around the church, being creative and thorough in their quest.  The groups were encouraged to take pictures (using their cell phones) of items too big to carry back, and tried to find as many of the previously-hidden small items (dinosaurs, lizards, and bugs, oh my!) as they could.  Prizes were awarded for the most creative "green" finds (like the hybrid Honda Civic and the recycling bin); the highest number of items collected (one group had 55!) and the overall greenest list (that award went to the group that found the Cascade bottle, hidden in the depths beneath the kitchen sink).

Tallying the final results of the hunt...

A finished Scavenger Hunt list, plus one "collectible."

We enjoyed a veritable feast of green treats, including cupcakes made by two of our very own, plus cookies, green salsa and chips, dried kiwi, and more.  We played several rounds of Apples to Apples, a game that is impossible to play without lots of laughter.

Later, we revisited Psalm 139 1-18, the same Psalm that we used to launch our first youth group meeting.  I divided the kids into groups, and assigned each group a set of verses to act out for the group:

O Lord,
You have searched me and known me.  
You know when I sit down and when I rise up;
you discern my thoughts from far away.
You search out my path
and my lying down,
and are acquainted with all my ways.
Even before a word is on my tongue,
O Lord, you know it completely.
You hem me in, behind and before,
and lay your hand upon me.
Such knowledge is too wonderful for me; 
it is so high that I cannot attain it.

Where can I go from your spirit?
Or where can I flee from your presence?
If I ascend to heaven, you are there;
if I make my bed in Sheol, you are there.
If I take the wings of the morning and settle at the farthest limits of the sea,
even there your hand shall lead me,
and your right hand shall hold me fast.
If I say "surely, the darkness shall cover me,
and the light around me become night,"
even the darkness is not dark to you;
the night is as bright as the day,
for darkness is as light to you.

For it was you who formed my inward parts;
you knit me together in my mother's womb
I praise you,
for I am fearfully and wonderfully made.
Wonderful are your works;
that I know very well.
My frame was not hidden from you,
when I was being made in secret,
intricately woven in the depths of the earth.

Your eyes beheld my unformed substance.
In your book were written 
all the days of that were formed for me,
when none of them as yet existed.
How weighty to me 
are your thoughts, O God!  
How vast is the sum of them!
I try to count them -
they are more than the sand;
I come to the end
-I am still with you.

 Our discussion about the text was rich, as were the many questions asked and pondered.  As our time together drew to a close, I posed one final question to the group.  After taking a close look at a collection of envelopes displayed on the table, I asked that each person choose the envelope that best represents the shape and size of their faith right now: 

I was filled with gratitude, awe, and love when I heard the kids offer their rationale for the envelope they chose.  Their answers were as unique and varied as their individual selves, and each answer was thoughtful and reflective.  Some spoke of choosing bigger or smaller envelopes during different times in their lives; others chose according to the color of the envelope; still others chose the envelope with the window, or hole - because their faith sometimes has holes in it.  Another chose the large, padded, beat-up envelope because of the protection that faith offers, and that it is well-worn and tested.

Dear Reader, which envelope best represents the size and shape of your faith right now?  Would you choose an even bigger envelope, as I did, after hearing kids sharing their perspective on faith? 

Let Your Light Shine!

 "Let your light so shine before others, so they may see your good works and give glory to your Father, who is in heaven."  Matthew 5:16

Sunday afternoon's junior high youth group was positively filled with bright lights: shiny, radiant, strong, 12- and 13-year old lights.  I love that this crew is up to any task or challenge, and exuberantly jumps in to each activity, willing to be open and honest with themselves and to share their thoughts with the group.

We explored what it means to shine our light in dark places, and how the ways in which we shine our our light may differ from time to time. Are we a nightlight, clinging to our faith during times of fear and insecurity, yet still able to offer a comforting glow amidst the shadows?  Are we a party bulb, shining our light for special occasions and happy times, yet being put out of use for harder or sad times? Are we a flashlight, useful in casting strong rays of light during emergencies, yet largely out of reach?  Are we festive holiday lights, sparkling at Christmas and Easter, perhaps, but not during the common days?  Or are we everyday, plain old lightbulbs - casting light in every direction; faithfully shining all day, every day, into every area of our life?  We talked deeply about how our light source seems to change, and how those we may encounter along the path might need us to reflect our own light and illuminate a path for them.

We played Apples to Apples, noshed on snacks and treats, and enjoyed some more thoughtful discussion as a group.  As our time together drew to an end, we gathered around a lighted cross of votive candles, a quiet reminder that even in the darkest corners, the saddest circumstances, and the loneliest of people we meet, there is still light: light to shine and light to reflect.  

And so, let us remember to be like bright, shiny, everyday lightbulbs, illuminating God's love and grace into the dark corners of the world. 

Remember the Rescue!

This past weekend, I had the pleasure of taking one of our youth on an overnight event called Seventh Day, hosted by the VA Synod at Eagle Eyrie Conference Center.  Together, along with 115 youth and 60 adults, we sang songs, played games, made crafts, engaged in worship and prayer together, and studied Matthew 26: 17-29 with the intention to "Remember the Rescue." In sharing a seder meal, we celebrate God's rescue and provision of freedom for the Israelites from slavery, made clear by the Passover lamb's blood.  We remember the rescue that Jesus provided to all of us in life-giving bread and in his death and resurrection, saving us from our sins.  Thus, we remember the rescue each time we receive communion, the body and blood of our Lord Jesus Christ.

As we discussed our favorite moments from the event on the ride home, both Anna and I agreed that getting to visit real, live lambs was a definite high point.  We met a mama and her two lambs, plus two other adult sheep who were as sweet and as friendly as can be.  I joked that one of them was part-goat, because she was overly interested in being outside her pen, sniffing us and trying to hoof her way out of the skimpy metal enclosure.  We both loved the "Rescue Relay" in which each group had to transfer the "bread" (crouton) from one side of the room to the other, one chopstick per hand.  The Rescuers encountered several plagues along the way, including darkness (blindfolds), hail (marshmallows), and frogs (plastic frogs hurled at the precariously-positioned crouton between the chopsticks).  I admit that as a helper in this particular activity, I may have taken just a little bit too much glee in plaguing the Rescuers with frogs.  Above all, we enjoyed the people we were with - new friends we met; friends from a nearby church; friends as far away as Hampton and Virginia Beach and Williamsburg. There is something uniquely wonderful about being in a room with 200 of your newest friends, each of you singing praise songs and celebrating a shared love of Jesus. 

I'm so thankful for Anna, and the opportunity she provided for us to attend this awesome event.  We already can't wait for Lost and Found in November!  

Senior High Youth Group 2/24

We kicked off Senior High fellowship on February 24, and it was such a great night!  Unlike the junior high kids, this group has not been meeting regularly and doesn't know each other all that well as a group. Few of them know me very well, either, so we spent some time getting to know each other through several rounds of "If," answering questions like 

• If I gave you $10,000, what would you spend it on?
• If you had unlimited space and $$, what would you add to your bedroom?
• If you could talk to anyone in the world, who would it be?
• If you could wish one thing to come true this year, what would it be?
• If you were going to be on a reality TV show, which one would you choose and why?

Later, I blindfolded the kids and then placed before them a large, unadorned sugar cookie with many different types of frosting, tools, and decorations at their fingertips.  Relying on their blind faith, the kids participated in "Simon Says"-style cookie decorating.  A little teamwork was required this time as they were directed to pass the sprinkles, share the frosting, and find the small tubes of decorating gel.  The results were, predictably, hilarious.  

The implicit theme of the night was "Who Am I?" and the kids completed a Mad Libs version of Psalm 139.  As a large group, we talked about the many influences that have shaped us into who we are and who we are becoming, and individually, we mapped out some of the most significant "shaping" events or people in our lives.  

As I shared with the kids, one important "shaping" event in my life was finding St. Mark.  It is the "just right" fit for our family in myriad ways, and my new role as youth ministry leader is one more blessing on a very long list.  I am particularly grateful for this cheerful, funny, gentle-natured, curious, and kind group of  junior and senior high youth.  

Junior High Youth Group 2/17

Junior High Youth Group met for the first time on Sunday, February 17, and it was a complete success!  The implicit theme for the night was laughter and celebration, and we sure had a lot of it.  The afternoon was a good reminder to us that there is much joy and celebrating to be done in life.  We looked at Psalm 126 and read, 

“Then our mouth was filled with laughter, and our tongue with shouts of joy; then it was said among the nations, ‘The Lord has done great things for us, and we rejoiced.’”

We shared ways in which this is true.

The highlight of the night was, by far, the blindfold cupcake decorating.  My fellow youth advisor Emily insisted that we all participate, and I am so glad she did - I had planned on "overseeing" the activity, but I'm so glad she pushed me to join in.  One of the youth completely missed squirting the frosting on his cupcake; another got most of her frosting on the side and dumped tons of sprinkles on top, and a third  somehow managed to turn her plate upside down while frosting the cupcake.  I ended up with a boatload of hot cinnamon buttons on mine....  

....and we were each reminded that sometimes, jumping in blindly yet with great faith yields unexpected, delicious, joy-filled results.

Welcome!

Welcome to the Youth and Family Ministry Blog of St. Mark!  I am so happy that you have stopped by for a visit.  In time, you'll find that this space holds a little something for everyone.  Please visit often; you'll be able to:

• read firsthand accounts of fellowship events we've enjoyed; 
• find out what's coming up next; 
• catch up on how our faith community is growing and flourishing;
• view photos from our gatherings;
• find helpful links to articles, websites, and "food for thought."  

You are always welcome to leave comments and feedback.  Thank you for being here!