This Week from Mitch
Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,
Early in the Gospels, Jesus has a moment where he sends the disciples out into the world. He tells them to pack light, "take only one tunic and one pair of sandals," and with very brief instructions, he sends them out. The disciples eventually come home filled with enthusiasm and great stories. Stories of healing, community, friendship, miracles and growth. Jesus welcomes them home, prays with them, teaches them, and then in various ways, sends them out again and again. By the end of Jesus's life, he has dinner with them and during that dinner he tells them that they are no longer children or students or disciples; they are his friends. The act of sending and returning led to growth in their relationships.
This Sunday at the 10:30 a.m. service, we send some of our youth off to college. We send them trusting that in the time we have known them, they have grown. We send them trusting that our best efforts of "supporting these people in their lives in Christ" have been enough. We send them in love and hope and peace. Each time they come home for visits, we will see growth. Each time they come home, I hope they will share their stories. Each time they come home, I believe we will see something new happening in their lives. It's a time of celebration, teaching, listening, and sharing. It's a time of changing relationships.
As parents/mentors/coaches, we must trust we have done enough. We pray to God to protect those we love, and then we pray for the strength, courage, and grace to trust those whom we have raised. We are asked as families to trust faithfully both what has been done, and trust what will be. In that trust, we say "Godspeed." I pray that our youth go with God and that we can hear what they learn each time that they return. I pray that our relationship with them will continue to grow. And, finally, I pray that one day, when they return home, we will see them as friends and not children, as peers -- as the generation of both tomorrow and right now.
In Christ,
Mitch+
