Teen Way of the Cross

Last night, for our Sunday night youth group, we did a Stations of the Cross with the teens to prepare for Holy Week. As part of it, we used clips of "The Passion of the Christ" movie for each station and reflections from LifeTeen's Stations of the Cross for Teens (Come Walk: A Teen Guide to Stations of the Cross). Although it went on a lot longer than I had planned (better planning and preparation: things I could always get better at!) not only was it really intense with the clips from the Passion, but it was really reflective for these teens and where they are at in their faith. This small book really blew me away with some of the reflections it gave for the stations. Here's the reflection from the Ninth Station, Jesus Falls for the Third Time:

"Everyone wants to quit at some point in his or her life. Maybe you’re exhausted. Maybe you’ve tried and tried and nothing has changed. Maybe you’ve lost your joy and you’ve begun to lose your hope. “It’d be easier to just give up” you think to yourself. You’re already down and you don’t think you can fall any further. Falling is human; rising is divine. It’s natural to want to stop but it’s supernatural- it’s by God’s grace- that you can keep going. It’s when you’ve been knocked down and feel you’ve hit your limit that you look to Jesus, once again. Let His breath- His Spirit- fill your lungs. Let His grace fill your body and strengthen your legs to get up and walk again. It’s when you just can’t move any further that you realize you aren’t moving... but Christ is moving within you."

Really thought this was an awesome experience and a lot of my teens really liked it. Just thought I'd throw it out there for a suggestion to use for a teen's guide to the Stations. Truly a powerful prayer and really applicable to these teens lives. Hope you all have a great holy week! Praying for you all.

The goal of the well

This blog is the result of an idea that came from one of our Johnson County Youth Minister's meetings in which it is an opportunity for the youth ministers of the Johnson County area to share ideas, experiences, thoughts, and ministry life to help aid others in their quest for substantial youth ministry! "The Well" came from the thought that we are all thirsty for good youth ministry. Let this be something that allows us to quench each other's thirsts from our own experiences.

I was reading a book called "Revisiting Relational Youth Ministry: From a Strategy of Influence to a Theology of Incarnation" by Andrew Root (Revisiting Relational Youth Ministry, great book! Gets too much into philosophy and over-analysis for my liking, especially when I don't understand the words often, but has a great message!) today and I came by a passage that I felt was essential to what the goal of my ministry should be. No better place to share it then here, so here it is:

"The goal of ministry is not to bring about (healthy or holy) transformation, for this is solely the work of God. The goal of ministry is to be faithful to the humanity of the adolescent, seeing him or her as other and transcendent, and committing to be place-sharer to his or her person." (p. 192)

Sure, transformation is desired, but being faithful is required. (that rhymed!) Being faithful to their humanity and seeing and recognizing the complete otherness in them that transcends all things and then to share their place as they walk along their path... This is what I hope for. This is my goal. Praying for you all!

Chris Walters
St. Joseph Parish