This was my second retreat with the Hi-C, and the first in my first full year as the Hi-C pastor. What a blessing it’s been to grow and learn about ministry with this wonderful group!
The theme of this retreat ended up being “From Isolation to Connectedness”. I realized that this theme resonates so much with adolescents and teenagers. This generation may experience different things than what previous generations and their parents’ generation experienced, but the desire for connection and intimacy remains the same.
On Friday night, I spoke about that theme through the story of the Samaritan woman at the well (John 4:5-42). We identified just how isolated this woman was, and how she went out of her way to avoid others. Through her encounter with Jesus, however, after much resistance, she was transformed. This inner, personal transformation led to her social transformation. She went back to her town and eventually led her people to also find new life and truth. Thus, she went from isolation to connectedness.
We talked about the two main types of relationships: I-It relationships and I-Thou relationships as labelled by the Jewish thinker, Martin Buber. I-It relationships are those we use for our own benefit. The other is separate for us and is solely an object for our own advantage. I-Thou relationships are those where the other is a part of us, and their story becomes a part of our story. It was this point that resonated most and stuck with the youths the most. They realize that even at school and church, most of their relationships are I-It relationships, but that deep inside they crave genuine I-Thou relationships.
After that first message, the Hi-C practiced being an I-Thou community. They were paired up and spent time one-on-one: just talking about each other, sharing their stories and listening to each other. The feedback was great, as they felt like they really got to know someone they had never really talked with. They got a glimpse of what a genuine I-Thou relationship looks like.
On Saturday morning, Rev. Kim joined us as we had a great time of discussion about faith and God. Our young people are bright and have many questions and thoughts. The most important thing for me was to have a safe space of exploring such questions and naming them. Rather than providing all the answers, we want to encourage critical thinking about their faith and how it relates to life. We also want them to know that our church is a place where they can bring their questions, not leave them at home.
There were many games throughout the retreat. Such energy! This was a time where their personalities bubbled through and their youthful exuberance was most evident. What a blessing to see such unfiltered laughter and joy!
In the evening, we had a time of personal spiritual renewal. After a message about the “living water” that the Samaritan woman had found, I invited them to also draw on the living water that gives us life. They were led in a time of prayer. Ruth, Michelle, Pastor Dave and I went around praying for individuals. They were also invited to pray with and for each other, to be a community of Christ. It was a special moment of connection with God and as a people of God.
We did something for the first time in this Hi-C: a candlelight service where we went around and shared our thoughts. It was an opportunity for genuine sharing of our hearts. I had encouraged the Hi-C to develop a “leadership of vulnerability” that leads to genuine connection among people. They took on that invitation with such generous and open hearts. Many people shared how it is so difficult to connect at a real level, and how special this community is for them because they can do just that. Through many tears and some laughter, we had a taste of what real fellowship is like in the Kingdom of God. It was a glimpse into God’s love and will for us as human beings – to live in genuine connection with God and each other.
I have no idea how late a lot of the kids stayed up that last night. I was pooped and crashed! But there is enough evidence to show that a good number of them stayed up quite late! Nonetheless, they all got up for our final session led by Pastor Dave. He provided encouragement for the journey that continues when we get back, that despite seeming downs after a spiritual high, that God is faithful and will continue to be with us through our ups and downs. We concluded with a time of affirmation that we are a family of God that is rooted in love.
After lunch and cleanup, we departed for a quick bus ride back to church.
What an experience, what a retreat! I am so incredibly blessed to be a part of this community and working with young people who are so pure in their enthusiasm and energy. I shared how everything we go through – the challenges we face, the struggles we have, etc. – all shape us uniquely, and God wishes to use all of that uniqueness in a way that only we can contribute. I know that is the case with me: all the insecurities I had, the rejections I experienced, the hurts I accumulated – all of that shaped me uniquely, and that is shaping my ministry in a way that only I can do because of what’s unique in me. In the same way, I have faith that if they just allow God to lead them, God will use what is so precious and unique about them in a way that only they can do.
That is the beautiful mystery and wonder of God. May God continue to lead our Hi-C and our St. Timothy community in God’s continuous, unfolding plan.
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