Matt's Blog Post
Of the three trips we take our high school students on, this one is my favorite. By far. Sylvia Garrett (on of our leaders) put it best today when she mentioned that our trips to Ganado and Mexico are much more physically demanding while this one is more emotionally demanding. It's true. This trip pops a lot of our comfort bubbles, pulls on a lot of our heart strings, and reshapes the way we see the poor, strangers, ourselves, the church, and Jesus; all in ways that break us down and build us up stronger and more connected to the heart of our God.
A few things I have found to be true.
1. Urban ministry is very hard. I know rural, suburban, and international ministry is hard too, but urban ministry is not the context in which I work consistently and therefore stretches me - and has stretched our group too. I have realized you can't minister to the city without (a) knowing the people in the city and (b) knowing the problems facing the city. Both are numerous. Both are diverse. Both are complicated. I have a growing respect for my friends that live in and share Christ with the urban cities in our country. May God be your source of strength, encouragement, and delight.
2. Teenagers are freaking rad! Yeah, I used "rad." It's time to bring that back. While we don't go to sleep when I'd like and while I have to endure some questionable taste in music and humor - watching our high school students be lead in the paths God has made has been so fun to watch. I am confident that God uses teenagers to teach me, more than I teach them. What I love the most is that they haven't yet bought into the lie that real change is impossible - something we adults more easily believe. I see change in them and change through them already in the three days we've been at this.
3. We ALL have strings (or conditions) to our love. We know and serve a God who loves unconditionally and we would like to do the same. But we don't. This trip we have been working on identifying and cutting those strings that are attached. We have identified the strings of security, familiarity, self-righteousness, past-mistakes, condemnation, and fear. Often times our love for others, for ourselves, and for God are connected to one or more of those. It's hard to identify these in our lives. It's harder to cut them. Christ's love is an unconditional loving kindness that models a love that has "no strings attached." I ask that you cut your strings with us so that our world may reflect the love God has for us through Jesus Christ.
Of the three trips we take our high school students on, this one is my favorite. By far. Sylvia Garrett (on of our leaders) put it best today when she mentioned that our trips to Ganado and Mexico are much more physically demanding while this one is more emotionally demanding. It's true. This trip pops a lot of our comfort bubbles, pulls on a lot of our heart strings, and reshapes the way we see the poor, strangers, ourselves, the church, and Jesus; all in ways that break us down and build us up stronger and more connected to the heart of our God.
A few things I have found to be true.
1. Urban ministry is very hard. I know rural, suburban, and international ministry is hard too, but urban ministry is not the context in which I work consistently and therefore stretches me - and has stretched our group too. I have realized you can't minister to the city without (a) knowing the people in the city and (b) knowing the problems facing the city. Both are numerous. Both are diverse. Both are complicated. I have a growing respect for my friends that live in and share Christ with the urban cities in our country. May God be your source of strength, encouragement, and delight.
2. Teenagers are freaking rad! Yeah, I used "rad." It's time to bring that back. While we don't go to sleep when I'd like and while I have to endure some questionable taste in music and humor - watching our high school students be lead in the paths God has made has been so fun to watch. I am confident that God uses teenagers to teach me, more than I teach them. What I love the most is that they haven't yet bought into the lie that real change is impossible - something we adults more easily believe. I see change in them and change through them already in the three days we've been at this.
3. We ALL have strings (or conditions) to our love. We know and serve a God who loves unconditionally and we would like to do the same. But we don't. This trip we have been working on identifying and cutting those strings that are attached. We have identified the strings of security, familiarity, self-righteousness, past-mistakes, condemnation, and fear. Often times our love for others, for ourselves, and for God are connected to one or more of those. It's hard to identify these in our lives. It's harder to cut them. Christ's love is an unconditional loving kindness that models a love that has "no strings attached." I ask that you cut your strings with us so that our world may reflect the love God has for us through Jesus Christ.
Well said, Matt. Well said.
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