Where Does it Hurt?

This post from Sacred Scarred has definate implications for people working with children. He's quoting someone else but take a look. Think about how knowing the things that hurt other people helps us love them better. That tiny bit of information definately affects the way we interact with children and the people who love them.

Potential fuel for a much longer post...

Whatever Life Stage, Whatever Generation

Those who know your name will trust in you,
for you, LORD, have never forsaken those who seek you.
(Psalm 9:10 NIV)

That New Life Stage Again

I found this article about Emerging Adulthood posted on a number of Emerging Church blogs. You may have already seen it. It's similar to the NY Times article . Do we ignore it? Reality says "It's happening. Let's pay attention." Is this about the Post-Modern generation or is it the next generation?

Will this new stage affect the children of these young adults when they become parents and if so, how? Do we have to wait to find out? Or can we make informed predictions? Look at both positive and negative, by the way.

How does it affect you? Your family? Your congregation? The children in your congregation whose parents have passed through this stage?

Will these parents be different from parents in other generations? How? What will make them different? Will their children be different from children in other generations? How? What will make them different?

Does this affect the church community? Does it affect worship? spiritual formation? service? faith? relationships? How? Change "this" to "they". How do these young adults affect the church community differently than people their age did in other generations? I wonder...

Example: They're still poor college students and have no money, and maybe it doesn't matter to them. Maybe they have more time to serve, maybe they have less. Maybe they're more connected to family. Maybe less. Maybe they spend more time around children before they get married. Maybe they're never around children. You get the idea. Are they problem-solvers and independent thinkers? More mature? More confident? More self-sufficient and independent? More faith-filled?

Or less?

Maybe it doesn't change anything at all but as always, I'm curious and as you know I like to ask questions. . .

What do you think?

Puppies and Childlike Faith

I tend to read multiple books at a time. One of my favorites right now is Bones Would Rain from the Sky. Yes, it's about dogs. Don't laugh. If you have a dog and you're interested, here is Suzanne Clothier's website.

I love the stories she tells about being a child. (Most of chapter 1) You may meet little children like the child she shares. Her story about bringing a stray to Sunday School and her observations (from a child's point of view) when the ordeal was over I thought profound. She writes about dogs but she writes about learning to see and listen and about communication. It's a wonderful book!

This is from a chapter about honesty. ( pg 130) The author's niece who is 9 years old has her first dog, a nine year old lab. This little girl's love for her new pet is a love that causes her to want to see and understand. She tells her mother, "I know what he's saying, Mom, I really do. I'm knowing this dog!" Her aunt, of course, is thrilled! But here's the quote that I think is applicable for us:

"Hannah's joy and curiosity, her complete willingness to study Ben with careful, loving eyes and to trust what Ben told her- without rationalizing or intellectualizing- is what made "knowing this dog" possible. To hear what our dogs say, we need to listen with a child's heart, knowing past our minds, knowing with our hearts. But for many adults, this is a struggle; we have to learn how to climb down out of our minds and listen." (p. 130)

I just thought it was a good description of child-like faith, too: "listen with a child's heart," "climb down out of our minds and listen." It means keeping our child-like curiosity, our inquisitive mind as opposed to the rational, over-analytical mind of an adult. It means seeing what is: dogs speaking dog, not human. Children speaking child. There are things to see and learn about our invisible God through what His hands have made, if we take the time and have the eyes in our hearts (and minds) to see and ears to listen and hear.

*Photo: My "puppies"- now 2 1/2 years. I call this picture "Puppy Heaven." (We live in the city) We've found an outside place where they can be safe off-leash, even with a less-than-perfect recall. (A perfect recall being a come- sit- stay- in front of Mom- recall.) A less than perfect recall is not an Ellison-Park- Hi! Bye! running by recall. It's a "Here we are, Mom! [Pause.] Can we stay? [pause] Great! See ya!" not-recall. But you can't miss their huge smiles! They are off-leash, outside, together, with us, able to run and explore and swim (which Ellie loves!) What's not to love?

*puppies as in 2 1/2 year old dogs...

The Challenge: New or Old

I was looking at Jaded CM's Oct. 7, 2007 post today.

"Christian" isn't a noun. It's not a label we carry.

Noun, verb, or adjective: it's how we live our faith. It's about the choices we make. It's how we represent God no matter where we are, or who we're with , or what's happening ... how do we bring that to children?

That may be the challenge for this generation.

Maybe it's been the challenge for every generation.

Happy Thanks-Giving!