The stories from holy week are overflowing with people. People full of different emotions - fear, hope, anger, confusion, distress, terror!
As I was preparing for a visit to an SU group tomorrow, I was choosing some stories for them from the final chapters of Luke's gospel, together we will imagine we are one of the disciples in each part of the story, and will wonder at what they would have been feeling at each dramatic turn of their most tumultuous week together.
At the same time I was preparing for a visit to a church to help them examine their ministry to children and young people, thinking about questions like "How can we engage with children, how can we encourage more leaders, how can we help young people grow in their faith...".
What is the connection between these two sets of encounters coming my way tomorrow? How can a church be effective in it's ministry with young people, and what does it have to do with these stories from the gospels?
All through holy week people were catching glimpses of Jesus - who He was, what He said, how He reacted, why He did what He did? As churches we need to give children and young people a chance to see Jesus - how will they see? Through us; in what we do, how we care, how we welcome and listen to them, and in the midst of that relationship, formed within a loving community, we will share the story of the God who...
"Heals the broken hearted,
and stays our sin,
and calms our lurking fear,
and lifts the burden from the heavy laden,
for yet the Saviour,
Saviour of the world is here."
(William Fullarton)
Jen
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