Slow Club

Here is a selection of Mark Yaconelli’s book on Contemplative Youth Ministry: Practicing the Presence of Jesus that I have recently enjoyed.  (Mark is the son of Mike Yaconelli who was a “grandfather” of youth ministry, co-founded Youth Specialties and died in an automobile accident in 2003.)  

 

"My son Joseph is a natural contemplative.  When he was four years old, he was no longer willing to be hustled to preschool and hurried along on errands.  One morning Joseph announced he was starting a new organization called ‘Slow Club’ in which he would serve as president.  The rules of the club were simple: No running or hurrying.  Unfortunately, neither of his parents nor his brother could commit to these regulations, so for the next year Joseph was the only member of his club.  Each morning, he’d stroll to school at his natural pace.  If I tried to pull him along or anxiously urge him to ‘hurry it up?’ he’d respond calmly, ‘I’m president of the Slow Club, Dad. I don’t hurry.’

 

“At night over dinner, Joseph would talk about his club.  He told us about the things he noticed during the day and shook his head at the other children who always seemed too busy to see the marvels and treasures so clearly visible to the patient eye: a piece of wire, a bottle cap, an especially smooth rock, a line of ants.  From time to time, he’d invite neighbors or other friends to join his organization, but no one could commit to his charter.

"One summer while I was teaching at a youth camp, Joseph granted me a one-day membership to his club.  After playing ultimate Frisbee with a group of teenagers, the bell rang for lunch.  The kids bolted toward the dining hall.  Joseph had been watching the game, so I ran over to him, put on my sweatshirt, grabbed his hand, and began pulling him hastily behind the group.  I was hungry and wanted to get a place in line.  Joseph reminded me, however, that I’d accepted his one-day membership and would need to reduce my speed drastically.  I took a deep breath and reluctantly slowed to my son’s pace.  Joseph looked at me satisfied, and then said, ‘You see, Dad, when you slow down, you notice things.  Just look around as we walk, and you’ll see things everyone else has missed.

 

“Quietly we strolled through the campground, looking carefully at our surroundings.  Suddenly, I saw something move off to the side of the path. ‘Joseph!’  I whispered excitedly.  ‘Look over there.’  He turned and we both saw two jackrabbits standing on their hind legs, watching us.  Joseph gave me a knowing smile and said, ‘I bet we’re the only ones who noticed those rabbits.’  We walked on, stopping to look at butterflies, strange purple wildflowers, enormous beetles, and a lizard with half a tail.  When we joined the rest of the family, we both talked excitedly about the treasures we’d seen. 

 

“Like Joseph, those of us who minister among young people seek to be members of Slow Club.  We invite you to attend to their lives, we encourage them not to overlook the signs of God’s presence.  Every time we’re among youth, we look and listen with slow eyes and ears.  We listen for the deep sounds of God.  We look patiently for the little signs of grace.  We cultivate wonder.  Like Joseph, we walk beside them saying, ‘What do you notice?  What do you see?  How is God present in this moment?’

 

“I want to be a member of Slow Club.  I want to be a still and knowing presence among young people.  I want to walk beside them, stopping from time to time to notice the God who waits to be received.” 

 

Green Leaf Leaves Me Jumping

 

I love to be at Little Beaver State Park.  Maria and I spent part of the day there on Saturday.  It’s refreshing, calming and filled with memories.  When we lived closer we would take a daily walk around the lake with Maria in the child pack and Daniel in the stroller. 

 

Then there was the early morning camp breakfast with friends, church picnics, a cold winter walk on a frozen lake, flood waters cascading over the dam, transformative prayer walks, spring time hikes, paddle boat rides, and feeding the geese.
 

Today was one of those end of summer almost fall but not quite days.  The feel was fall; the look was summer.  We strolled around the lake with the dog and forest for company.  Then just for good measure we drove around to enjoy it all over again. 

 

Being here reminds me of why we have a compulsion to share insights at Green Leaf Retreats.  The thriving, refreshing, peaceful atmosphere reflects well the hope we have discovered for our parched soul. 

 

I’m not thinking of new insights or new teachings but simply foundational truths in our continuing spiritual formation.  As we have lived out of these spiritual insights, they have changed us…..and enhanced our marriage, our parenting, our relationships and our lives personally.  Here’s a preview:

 

The Need to be Free: Taking an Honest Look

·         An honest look at our lives often reveals painful personal struggles.

 Looking Beneath the Surface: Identifying the Lies

·         Christ gives us freedom from the lies that keep us in bondage.

 Good News of the Cross: Christ’s Freeing Power

·         The cross is continually doing its life transforming work.

 Our True Identity: Adopted and Beloved

·          In Christ we have our true identity; we are adopted and beloved.

 The Father’s Extravagant Love: Life as a Lost Son

·         Both self-centeredness and moral conformity keep us from enjoying the extravagant love of our Father.

 Sustaining Power: Fullness of the Spirit

·         The abundant Christian life can only be lived out of the sustaining power of the Holy Spirit.

 These are fully abundant and refreshingly alive.  Green Leaf leaves me jumping with excitement.
 



Green Leaf Living

  

Jeremiah 17:7-8 – “But blessed is the man who trusts in the LORD, whose confidence is in him.  He will be like a tree planted by the water that sends out its roots by the stream.   He does not fear when the heat comes; its leaves are always green.  It has no worries in a year of drought and never fails to bear fruit.”

Green Leaf Living evokes thriving, nourishing, fresh, lively images.  It’s the bursting forth of spring after a hard cold winter, a huge shade tree providing shelter from the heat of summer, plants breathing life into an otherwise lifeless room, a gentle rustling by the wind. 

Green Leaf Living paints a picture of a thriving spiritual life.  It’s living that is filled with growth and grace.  Not perfect, not without challenges, but still flourishing amid heat and drought.  Alive. 

Green Leaf Living has its roots in the stream of trust and confidence in the Lord.  With Him there is escape from the sin-darkness of hopelessness and woundedness, negativism and cynicism.  He is always at work and is working everything into something good. 

Green Leaf Living is discovering the adventure of the extraordinary in the midst of our ordinary lives. 

Identity Amnesia

Identity amnesia is not as uncommon as you might think.  It happens every time we lose our way as beloved children and get lost in a forest of uncertainty.  Our mind becomes preoccupied with a painful circumstance, a rejection, what others think about us, a self-deceptive lie, worry or hundreds of other distracters.  Slowly and surely we lose touch with our true identity.

A few months ago Diana filled the tea pot, prepared the room and waited for a friend to drop by.  When she arrived they sat by the fireplace and shared their lives, their stories, their hopes and their prayers.  Her friend also shared a CD entitled A Way to See in the Dark by Jason Gray.  It has been an ongoing guard against identity amnesia for us.  Here’s a portion of Remind Me Who I Am:

When I lose my way,
And I forget my name,
Remind me who I am.
In the mirror all I see,
Is who I don't wanna be,
Remind me who I am.
In the loneliest places,

When I can't remember what grace is.

Tell me once again who I am to You,
Who I am to You.
Tell me lest I forget who I am to You,
That I belong to You.
To You.

When my heart is like a stone,
And I'm running far from home,
Remind me who I am.
When I can't receive Your love,
Afraid I'll never be enough,
Remind me who I am.
If I'm Your beloved,
Can You help me believe it.

Tell me once again who I am to You,
Who I am to You, whoa.
Tell me lest I forget who I am to You.
That I belong to You.
To You.