2020
Peacefully Together
This Advent Blog is written by an Adult GUMY Leader, Lisa.
Peace is one of my favorite words! We use it casually, “Peace out!” and sometimes a bit more formally. (Pastor Kyle signs his church emails “Grace + Peace.”) It’s even one of many names we have for Jesus. “For a child has been born for us, a son given to us; authority rests upon his shoulders; and he is named Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.” Isaiah 9:6.
I was born during the time of the Vietnam War. In the years surrounding that conflict, songs about Peace were literally everywhere. Mostly, as a kid in the 70’s, I thought of those songs as specifically defining peace as an absence of war. In 2020, I think it’s time to broaden the definition. This year has brought so much: the Black Lives Matter movement, a global pandemic and its impact on the economy, and frequent reminders to take care of our one, precious Earth.
Black Lives Matter. It’s been a movement for a while, but recently it has become much more visible. I’ve had the opportunity this year to peacefully protest, alongside both Black and White brothers and sisters. When I first participated, I thought, okay, I’ll go hold up a sign. But as I learned more about systemic racism, racial profiling, and unfair practices, I found that, if I care at all about Peace, this is a movement I can’t ignore. “Jesus said, Truly I tell you, whatever you did for these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.” Matthew 25:40.
The Pandemic. And the Economy. We are all swimming in the same ocean and our actions have an impact on each other. We each contribute to a more Peaceful society and care for each other, every time we do a small act of kindness (wearing a mask, washing our hands, social distancing.) I feel certain that if we take care of each other, the economy will follow. “Love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your strength, and with all your mind, and love your neighbor as yourself.” Luke 10:27
The Earth. “God blessed the people and told them to fill the earth and take care of it.” Genesis 1:28. God gave us one earth on which to reside and he gave humans the job of caring for it. As I look out my back window, I see a most peaceful scene: Six horses are beautifully and peacefully grazing in the pasture, as the snow falls all around them. The horses appear to be at Peace. They don’t seem to know that there’s a pandemic. Black and White and Brown horses are all grazing peacefully, side by side, trusting that the earth that God has given us, will provide for them.
Friends, I wish you Peace this Christmas season. Find Peace in the little moments: standing up for others, caring for friends, or just spending time (remotely or safely in person) with each other. GUMY Love!
2020
Engaging with the Election and Your Student
“Let us embrace and lift one another up in these trying times. Love thy neighbor as thyself. Do not stand aside. Inaction is an action in itself. I’m asking you to vote. I’m asking you to listen. I’m asking you to bring the conversation to us. But most importantly, I’m asking you to love because to love is to live.”
Process your own emotions and make home a safe space.
Students can see that we’re on edge. Be honest and tell them, “I’m is a little nervous about the election.” It’s helpful for youth’ social and emotional development to hear you naming your emotions. It also gives them the space and opportunity to be vulnerable and share their own anxieties or hopes. Behavior begets behavior: if we’re desiring to know what our students are thinking, nervous about, or desiring, it is helpful to model that first and give them permission to do so. It also helps them learn how to respond to when someone is being vulnerable or sharing.
Ask: “What have you heard and how are you feeling?”
As you all know, this question is a great question to ask at any time — even when there is no election, no protests, no pandemic casting a long shadow over our lives. I like to add the follow-up question of “Where do you see God in that?”. As Karl Barth once quipped, Christians need to read the newspaper in one hand, and the Bible in the other.”
Use this as a learning opportunity
Election time is a perfect opportunity to help youth build up a foundation of knowledge. Take a look at all the state maps online. For slightly older youth, you can talk about the origins of the Electoral College, during the Constitutional Convention in 1787. If they’re fans of the musical Hamilton, you can put on “Cabinet Battle #1” for some great context. Many youth, myself included, are never taught about the governmental structures or the historical ramifications of decisions made by people in power. We often think of history as something that just happened, rather than something that has been created, decided, and enacted.
Put the election in the context of history — including our “hard history”
Our youth are living through history. It’s good to have perspective on the highs and lows that came before. (Honestly, it’s sort of helpful for grownups too!) We’ve studied this semester and in Peace Academy that God has a special place in his heart (and Kingdom) for those who are oppressed, victims of injustice, the poor, the abused by power. To gloss over that aspect of our nation’s history is not only to be deceitful, but terrible theology. It to ignore a critical part of God’s heart, and the life mission of Jesus, as well as the charge given to the Church.
Don’t demonize the other side. We need to teach kids the fine art of tolerant disagreement.
It feels like the United States has never been so divided. It can be tempting to stay in our safe bubbles and bash our opponents. But, that is not the way of Christ, or the way of His Kingdom and Church. Jesus, the Apostle Paul and our founder John Wesley state that unity is perhaps the greatest demonstration of love, especially unity in opposing views and beliefs. As Jesus claims in John 13, our love will be the only defining characteristic of our discipleship, and He goes even further to state that the greatest test of our discipleship is how easily and readily we love, pray for, and choose the good of those we dislike.
2019
The Importance of Friendships
As we chatted about friendships in GUMY in our first week of our series “Real Friends”, we began by acknowledging that friendships are not something we just receive, but also, something that requires effort, love and resources from us. It is so easy to wish for better friends, or for our friends to be different, or treat us in a certain way. However, like Ghandi mentioned, we start by first changing ourselves. As friends, we start by being the kind of person we want to have as our friend.
In week two, we studied the passage of the friends bringing their pal on a mat to Jesus for healing. In the story, Jesus sees the faith of the friends, and heals the man. What a staggering reminder of the impact our friends can have! This begged two questions for us to consider:
- Are my friends leading me to our away from Jesus?
- Am I leading my friends to or away from Jesus?
Each one of our friends leads us to a certain way of living and viewing the world. And each one of us leads our friends. The question always is, “where?”
In the third week of our series, we addressed that sometimes we are friends with people who are not healthy for us to be friends with. We may have friends who tear us down, gossip about us, use us selfishly, and don’t defend us when our name is being run through the mud. Are these really the kind of relationships we want to have, and devote our time and energy to? Sometimes we may think we aren’t deserving of a healthy friendship, or someone who truly does love and honor us. However, the truth is, God desires us to have friends who build us up and spur us onto holiness, and and He wants us to be a friend who serves, loves, and supports another.
2019
Why be a part of GUMY Life Groups?
This week Life Groups resume on Wednesday nights in GUMY. Our format will remain the same: time of gathering and games, musical worship by your student-led GUMY band, a brief message, and then we’ll break out into Life Groups. But why come be part of a Life Group?
The first reason would be deeper friendships. All of us are longing for connection, relationships and the desire to be known. Life Groups give us an opportunity to develop friendships, walk together in life with others, and be vulnerable in a safe space. Adult leaders help facilitate conversation, and ensure that each person is welcomed and part of the group.
Another reason to participate in Life Groups is that small-groups are a great opportunity for personal growth. In smaller settings we tend to learn more, ask questions, interact with material better, and let’s face it-small groups are much more interesting than a long pastoral sermon! Part of our mission at GUMY is to live like Jesus, and Life Groups help facilitate this better than any other method!
It is in the small-group setting that we become the kind of people who are able to change the world in dramatic ways. As Methodist, we remember our history as one of small-groups of people gathering together to pray, read Scripture and know each other personally. It was this that sparked revival in England and in America as the Methodist movement took off. This world is a hard place to live sometimes. Having a group of people who are with you, care for you, and know your struggles helps us better face the challenges and endure them with hope, and then do something about them so the world is a much brighter place.
We’re eager to see you on Wednesday and happy to have you in a Life Group! If you want or need more information regarding Life Groups, give us a shout at [email protected]