Last night was just one of those nights.
it is interesting to talk to other youth pastors and I'm sure we all struggle with having to be four different people on any given program night: the tech guru, worship planner, preacher, gamer, janitor, etc. Last night was just one of those nights.
Our space has tech gremlins that like to hideout until we start our SWITCH Service and it can be overwhelming to try to negotiate with those suckers...especially while not losing it in front of your students. Alongside our tech issues, I just had a lot of distractions last night, especially before getting up to speak. Last night was just one of those nights.
We started a series last night: We Go Together. For several months I've been noticing this ugly virus that has been popping up among our students: "I don't like her." "He really bugs me." "I'm not going if they are going to be there." "I can't stand her." This virus of pride is dividing our group and it was time to open God's word to expose his position on unity and togetherness in the church.
We are ONE; we are MANY; and we are the SAME from 1 Cor. 12:12-13; 24-26; Eph 4:4-6 is what we tried to wrap our hearts around last night. I felt like it was a good night as our students seemed to respond with the conviction of, "I think he is talking to me, so I'm going to look down at the carpet as to not draw attention to myself." In all seriousness, we do have some students who get what the body needs to be about: encouragement, love, affirmation, discipleship, and welcoming others. I am so proud of those students who see church as more about others than themselves. I'm praying that that kind of attitude will bled over to the mainstream side of our ministry.
While speaking it hit me like a ton of bricks...students often engage (or as in our case, disengage) other students based on the social rules that they are most familiar with and spend the most time in: school. The social rules of school don't and shouldn't apply at church. School is a place of judgment, church should be a place of acceptance. School is a place focused on achievement, church is a place of humility. School is a place of social classes/orders, church is a place where we remind that Jesus destroyed the social order. We have got to re-train students to understand that church is not school and the same rules do not apply.
It was awesome last night, in the midst of so many distractions, helping our students understand that they go together as one, although they are many, because Jesus loves us all the same. Reminding them we are all sinners in need of the same Savior brings perspective to how we ought to treat and love one another despite our differences. We go together.
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