Hide and Seek

Maybe I was an unusual kid. I loved finding things that people had forgotten or didn't know they had. You probably didn't want me getting into your forgotten places because I probably left your forgotten stuff in a mess. But it was so much fun!

Maybe that's another element of post-modern faith. Post-moderns know how to go looking. Do you realize all the blogs that are out there to find about kids and faith - and from so many different perspectives? Hidden, of course! You have to go looking. Do you realize all the conversations people are having about faith that you may never have in your own church with people you know - people running after God with the same questions you have? And now we can find them! How cool is that? [Yes, there's a lot of garbage out there and down right awful stuff, too. Not the topic.]

It might feel like making use of so much unscreened information must mean we're throwing discernment to the wind. But maybe it requires a whole different level of discernment - the ability to sift through all the chaff looking for the gold, scriptural realities (truth, if you'd rather), more of the Living God of the scriptures in lives of many different people, in many different situations without filtering it through your leadership. Ok. There is a time and a place for that, too. Or maybe it's more like sitting and talking with a new friend, without proximity, without body language. Don't lose the ability to read body language or your control of safety and proximity.

As you read what all these people write, don't compare yourself. Just find encouragement to keep going after all that God made you to be. Ok, sometimes He asks you to be or do things that don't fall under that banner, either ... again, different topic.

If you like seeking, here are some more blogs to investigate: a Children's Ministry website in Oregon and her blog

Emerging Desert - a very neat descriptive name for a Christ-loving/Christ-seeking community. I don't know anything except they are an Emerging community. And I've never been to the southwest, just California. It's nice, a great place to visit, just different from upstate NY. Yet another topic.

This kind of seeking isn't neccessarily the same as "seeking the Lord with all your heart" you say. Ok. But it may not be far off, either. It keeps you looking for fellowship, though it be virtual, with real believers. If He happens to be hiding on you in communities of believers who don't live in your back yard...we used to say, "Move there!" It won't be virtual anymore. Instead you'll learn the tough realities of real life community and/but you'll also discover more of Jesus.

But with all this networking, maybe there's something to be said for staying put and giving to a community where you feel out of place and drawing strength and encouragement to do that from your virtual network. I wonder if Jesus felt like that... Such possibilities! We're a Body of diverse parts that are, somehow, supposed to fit together.

Ok. Some of us find it really hard to look at something from only one angle. Some of us find it absolutely impossible! Annoying? Yes!

But we like looking and finding! I think God does too. And, ok, He likes looking for and finding people but I bet He's really good with ideas, too!