our youth

He put a child in the middle of the room. Then, cradling the little one in his arms, he said, "Whoever embraces one of these children as I do embraces me, and far more than me—God who sent me."

Oh how we forget about the youth...as someone that works witht them, I laugh all of the time and say they get blamed for anything that happens at the church!  We recently had a bad water break and sewer problem and I am sure in some roundabout way the youth caused it!

A young person approached a youth minister and asked: "If I did not come to church for about a month, would I be missed?"  We all feel this way...does anyone notice me or does anyone care?  We need to embrace our youth, love them and support them and let them know what a vital and important part of our church they are.  And they are.  There are some Sundays when they make up one third of the congregation on that day.  As a United Methodist our motto is "Open Hearts, Open Minds and Open Doors" and that includes our youth.  More than anyone we need to put this motto into action with them.  They (and all of us for that matter) need to feel that if we were not there, in the church for more than a month the Body of Christ would be less.

Why is it so easy as we get older to lose our optimism and our vision? To become set in our ways and forget what it felt like to be young?  We need them!  We need their energy, their craziness, their joy, their excitement and their "I can do anything" attitude!  I hope they pray for me every day because their is no way God can ignore their enthusiasm. 

I read this prayer recently and will share.
God,
help me,
help us all to see the world
through the eyes of a young person.
Help us to let go of our perceived wisdom,
our addiction to be right,
and our need to feel that our young people
have to listen to our wisdom only.
Bring a conversion to us now,
and help us to remember
that we have so much to learn from young people.
Help us listen to them.
In doing so we will learn more about you.
Amen

Help me to pray it daily!