Today’s Readings: Psalm 78:1-7; Joshua 24:1-3a, 14-25; Matthew 25:1-13; 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18
This fall I’ve had the opportunity to observe a magical hour every other week in the church I serve. The hour occurs on the second and fourth Sunday mornings of each month from 9:00 AM – 10:00 AM. And what is this magical hour? It’s an hour we call Spirit Seekers. Spirit Seekers is an intergenerational spiritual formation time we’ve set up that invites individuals between the ages of 4-80 years old to come together and explore the Scripture used in worship that Sunday. This time of exploration includes music, art, scripture and prayer among other things. And what exactly is it that makes the time together so special? Well, it’s a time when all of the participants have the opportunity to experience firsthand what the psalmist was getting when he cried out: “Stories we heard from our fathers, counsel we learned at our mother’s knee. We’re not keeping this to ourselves; we’re passing it along to the next generation – God’s fame and fortune, the marvelous things God has done” (Psalm 78:2-4 from The Message). Many folks would hear these words and assume that it’s the children who benefit most from the experience. They’re not. I believe It’s actually the adults who benefit most. I say that because the experience allows each adult the opportunity to view his or her faith through the eyes of the next generation. What a powerful (and transformative) opportunity that is! All of this makes me wonder if you’ve found an opportunity to share your faith with the next generation. Of course there are literally dozens of ways you can do this – through the experience of a shared service project, by teaching them a sacred story from our faith tradition, or by talking with them honestly about how your faith helped guide you on your path toward adulthood. If you take and share your faith with the next generation, you just might discover that the one who benefits most is you! Til next time…
This fall I’ve had the opportunity to observe a magical hour every other week in the church I serve. The hour occurs on the second and fourth Sunday mornings of each month from 9:00 AM – 10:00 AM. And what is this magical hour? It’s an hour we call Spirit Seekers. Spirit Seekers is an intergenerational spiritual formation time we’ve set up that invites individuals between the ages of 4-80 years old to come together and explore the Scripture used in worship that Sunday. This time of exploration includes music, art, scripture and prayer among other things. And what exactly is it that makes the time together so special? Well, it’s a time when all of the participants have the opportunity to experience firsthand what the psalmist was getting when he cried out: “Stories we heard from our fathers, counsel we learned at our mother’s knee. We’re not keeping this to ourselves; we’re passing it along to the next generation – God’s fame and fortune, the marvelous things God has done” (Psalm 78:2-4 from The Message). Many folks would hear these words and assume that it’s the children who benefit most from the experience. They’re not. I believe It’s actually the adults who benefit most. I say that because the experience allows each adult the opportunity to view his or her faith through the eyes of the next generation. What a powerful (and transformative) opportunity that is! All of this makes me wonder if you’ve found an opportunity to share your faith with the next generation. Of course there are literally dozens of ways you can do this – through the experience of a shared service project, by teaching them a sacred story from our faith tradition, or by talking with them honestly about how your faith helped guide you on your path toward adulthood. If you take and share your faith with the next generation, you just might discover that the one who benefits most is you! Til next time…
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