Before we were confirmed, my confirmation class had to each write a paper called 'This I believe" proclaiming what our faith was grounded in, and what exactly we believed.
When I was home recently I saw at our church the picture of my confirmation class. I scanned the rows of 85 confirmands and started to wonder what they're up to and how they are living out their faith. We know we are living in an increasingly pluralistic time, and I know I have a hard time finding 20 somethings at church on Sunday mornings.
So I started facebooking confirmation friends. And I have been asking them, with your most honest response, what would you write today. (I've also promised that the posts will be anonymous, unless they're ok with their first name being used.)
The truth is, I am a bit nervous for some of the replies, because I love my church and I really think we experienced solid teaching and great foundations for the faith. But my fear is in wondering what I'll find when I know my friends are likely to fit into statistics that are painful to acknowledge.
So here begins an occasional series of This-I-Believe-12-years-later papers, written by friends, honest and helpful.
2 comments:
I was just looking at Sara's blog on Rwanda and started searching around...and found that you live in Omaha. We live in Grand Island, and this week as I've been driving I've gone through my Sara Groves collection, listening to each song and allowing it to draw me closer to God. I've sang songs of hope for hurting friends, songs of reflection for myself, songs for my kids.
My friends joke that I like her too much, but to me, she's not a performer; when I hear her music, it's like listening to a friend.
I'll never have the chance to meet her, and I know she's busy, but if I could tell her one thing, it would be that I am so grateful she puts her heart on paper; it really helps me grow. And to think it all started years ago when I was working at church camp, and a fellow counselor handed me a cassette tape of "Past the Wishing", saying to me, "This girl came and sang at our college; you should take a listen"....
So cool. I get all of this. When we were visiting on their bus I asked to hear some of her new stuff for the new album and I told her, "this is when I cross the line from family to crazy fan" because I was SO EXCITED to hear the new songs that take those too-true moments and put words to them.
I'll be sure to pass your kind words along. More than anything it is so great to watch her and Troy listen so intently to where God is calling them next. The face of their ministry has taken on so many different looks based on where the Spirit is leading. And you can't help but want to be a part of that!
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