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Homily
Homily for church tommorow. ![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-userinfo.gif)
starya wrote from As teenagers to the paragraph before When I came here. So hats off and fanfare to her.
Needed to print it out at church so thought I might as well make this a public post. I like the fact I was able to put in a Nelson reference.
Paul Tournier once wrote, "Here is an even greater mystery. No one comes to know himself through introspection, or in the solitude of a personal diary. Rather it is in dialouge, in...meeting with other persons. It is only by expressing convictions to others that one becomes really conscious of them. One who would see oneself cleary must open up to a confiddant, freely chosen and worthy of such trust."
As teenagers, we are experiencing a time of uncertainty and doubt. We question almost every aspect of our lives, and must find a way to figure out who we are in the midst of this turmoil. Youth Group may not exactly tell us who we are, or provide all the answers to our questions, but it gives us a place, with people who we can trust, and will listen without judgement to our problems. We go to youth group for many reasons, but this lies behind all of them.
The Youth Group at UUCWC is a safe haven. It is a relaxed atmosphere where we can be ourselves, without worrying about meeting someone else's expectations. We can say whatever is on our minds, state our fears, and be reassured that we will eventually get this thing called life figured out. Youth Group provides stability, with adults who listen to us, and fellow youth who help us. One of the greatest connections between people exists in that group. We all know we can trust everyone in the room, and we all know that we can speak without being told we are wrong. It's this type of connection that gives teenagers the ability to eventually find who they are, while doing a few fun things in the process.
Youth Group isn't all about the serious stuff. We have a lot of fun too. We play games, we have lock-ins, cons, God cookies - all of these things establish our strong connection and we do not even realize it. It's only afterwards to we realize we connected on a higher level with the people in the group. It's an amazing feeling, to reach that sort of connection without really trying.
Youth Group offers teenagers a place to explore their spiritual side, perhaps a little more freely than their own home. This is the basis of UUism in itself, to find a path that works for you. Churches may be a little daunting to teens, no matter how much fun the service can be sometimes. The Youth Group helps pull these kids in, giving them another reason to stick around and be a part of the UU community.
When I first came here, I had no idea what Unitarian Universalism was. The service was interesting but at the time I wasn't quite sure I would want to keep coming back. Enter - the Youth Group. I found a place where I could be myself without reservation. A place where I could grow. Little did I know, that because of that Youth Group, I kept coming back to services. I got involved in church activities. If you told me three years ago I would be teaching an RE class, I would have looked at you and thought you were cazy.
Next year I will be leaving this congregation. Not only will I be moving but I will then be off in some new state, at college. Learning hands on how to survive in the outside world. Thoreau said, "How could youths better learn to live than by at once trying the experiment of living?" While I will leave this wonderful place with a heavy heart, I will leave with a guidebook, entrusted to me by this congregation, on how to survive in that big scary outside world. I have learned so much from the Youth and the Adults of this congregation. I've learned how to open my mind, open my heart, and in some cases - open my mouth. I've learned about social justice, and even marched with other UUs on Washington.
I believe I've become a better human being because of all that. I can say with all honesty, I do not fear the future. Look towards it with apprehension maybe, but I know longer fear it. All this because one day I went to the Unitarian Universalist Church at Washington Crossing and decided that the Youth Group was cool. And the services were pretty neat too.
The youth of this church thanks you for all your support and caring. So now I charge this congregation to take care of its youth of today and of tommorow. Show them the way. Teach them the princples of UUism, and of life. Catch them if they fall and if for some reason you miss, stay by their bedside and nurse them back to health. With a takeoff from Nelson, I expect every one to do their duty.
For we are the future of Unitarian Universalism, if you do not show us the way then who will.
starya wrote from As teenagers to the paragraph before When I came here. So hats off and fanfare to her. Needed to print it out at church so thought I might as well make this a public post. I like the fact I was able to put in a Nelson reference.
Paul Tournier once wrote, "Here is an even greater mystery. No one comes to know himself through introspection, or in the solitude of a personal diary. Rather it is in dialouge, in...meeting with other persons. It is only by expressing convictions to others that one becomes really conscious of them. One who would see oneself cleary must open up to a confiddant, freely chosen and worthy of such trust."
As teenagers, we are experiencing a time of uncertainty and doubt. We question almost every aspect of our lives, and must find a way to figure out who we are in the midst of this turmoil. Youth Group may not exactly tell us who we are, or provide all the answers to our questions, but it gives us a place, with people who we can trust, and will listen without judgement to our problems. We go to youth group for many reasons, but this lies behind all of them.
The Youth Group at UUCWC is a safe haven. It is a relaxed atmosphere where we can be ourselves, without worrying about meeting someone else's expectations. We can say whatever is on our minds, state our fears, and be reassured that we will eventually get this thing called life figured out. Youth Group provides stability, with adults who listen to us, and fellow youth who help us. One of the greatest connections between people exists in that group. We all know we can trust everyone in the room, and we all know that we can speak without being told we are wrong. It's this type of connection that gives teenagers the ability to eventually find who they are, while doing a few fun things in the process.
Youth Group isn't all about the serious stuff. We have a lot of fun too. We play games, we have lock-ins, cons, God cookies - all of these things establish our strong connection and we do not even realize it. It's only afterwards to we realize we connected on a higher level with the people in the group. It's an amazing feeling, to reach that sort of connection without really trying.
Youth Group offers teenagers a place to explore their spiritual side, perhaps a little more freely than their own home. This is the basis of UUism in itself, to find a path that works for you. Churches may be a little daunting to teens, no matter how much fun the service can be sometimes. The Youth Group helps pull these kids in, giving them another reason to stick around and be a part of the UU community.
When I first came here, I had no idea what Unitarian Universalism was. The service was interesting but at the time I wasn't quite sure I would want to keep coming back. Enter - the Youth Group. I found a place where I could be myself without reservation. A place where I could grow. Little did I know, that because of that Youth Group, I kept coming back to services. I got involved in church activities. If you told me three years ago I would be teaching an RE class, I would have looked at you and thought you were cazy.
Next year I will be leaving this congregation. Not only will I be moving but I will then be off in some new state, at college. Learning hands on how to survive in the outside world. Thoreau said, "How could youths better learn to live than by at once trying the experiment of living?" While I will leave this wonderful place with a heavy heart, I will leave with a guidebook, entrusted to me by this congregation, on how to survive in that big scary outside world. I have learned so much from the Youth and the Adults of this congregation. I've learned how to open my mind, open my heart, and in some cases - open my mouth. I've learned about social justice, and even marched with other UUs on Washington.
I believe I've become a better human being because of all that. I can say with all honesty, I do not fear the future. Look towards it with apprehension maybe, but I know longer fear it. All this because one day I went to the Unitarian Universalist Church at Washington Crossing and decided that the Youth Group was cool. And the services were pretty neat too.
The youth of this church thanks you for all your support and caring. So now I charge this congregation to take care of its youth of today and of tommorow. Show them the way. Teach them the princples of UUism, and of life. Catch them if they fall and if for some reason you miss, stay by their bedside and nurse them back to health. With a takeoff from Nelson, I expect every one to do their duty.
For we are the future of Unitarian Universalism, if you do not show us the way then who will.