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Sep. 28th, 2003 10:17 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
violachicDid you ever have an idol growing up? Or a role model- someone you aspired to be like, someone you looked up to?
I never found anyone concrete to have as a role model. But I think I there is someone who is determined to land in my lap.
Before I go on, I want to give a disclaimer of sorts. This post is going to be based on a lot of biblical stuff- Old Testament, really. Now, I know not everyone on my friends list is into that stuff, and there are even some who hold a healthy disdain and even disgust for anything remotely of organized religion. But I will not talk about God, or religion or even spirituality. So if you're going to read on, I ask that you take the bit of the Bible I'm about to talk about out of the context of scripture, and put it into the context of literature. For that is how I see it, and that is how it is having an impact on my life.
The role model I am speaking of is Esther. She is a historical, and even slightly mythological character who has a whole book in the Old Testament/Tanakh (for whichever way you know it best) dedicated to her and what she did. Granted, its a short book, but considering she is only one of two women to have their own book (the other is Ruth), I don't sneeze at that. She was a strong, brave, dedicated woman who risked her life for something she believed in strongly.
I first encountered Esther in a serious light last spring. I'd passed her in the hallway a few times, and had a vague idea of the background of the Jewish holiday, Purim, but I'd never taken the time to read up on her. Last summer (2002) I chaperoned five kids from youth group to a youth conference in Colorado, and the theme verse was taken from Esther 4:14, "...for such a time as this." Being in charge of the youth (I know, scary, isn't it?), I had to prepare them for the six-day conference, and was even invited to speak on Youth Sunday last May. So I had to do a crash study on it, and tried to sort of prepare a sort of exegesis, and come up with a way to speak around it. The exact verse was this: 14 For if you remain silent at this time, relief and deliverance for the Jews will arise from another place, but you and your father's family will perish. And who knows but that you have come to royal position for such a time as this?"
So I decided to treat it in a way that I thought the kids would identify to, and even though I identify as a Christian, I'm not a Jesus Freak, and am uncomfortable with the whole "Jesus Saves!" bit. Boiled down, I was trying to say that this relates to their lives because its time to quit making excuses for things they want to do, or need to do.
If you're interested, the transcript of my talk follows. I am posting it for my reference, plus its really long, so it is hidden behind a cut. You are not required to read it. It does contain religious/spiritual references.
I have to admit it to you. I've been bitten by the travel bug. It happened years ago, really. To me, there are few things as invigorating as spending seven scenic hours in the car- pit stops notwithstanding- only to get out at the end of the trip to find myself someplace new. Of course, getting there is at least half the fun. In our family, vacations were always driving vacations. Most often we would head up to Wisconsin to camp for a week or so. When I was five, we spent some time in Florida visiting my grandparents, and got to spend a day at Disney World. And when I was in high school we took a very memorable vacation out west, to South Dakota and Colorado, hitting all the hot spots, including Mount Rushmore, the Badlands and the Rocky Mountains. My penchant for travel,however, isn't limited to cars. The summer I was fifteen I had the pleasure riding an Amtrak train from Chicago to Dallas to attend a national Lutheran youth event. That is a trip I've been yearning to repeat ever since. For those of you who have traveled by rail, you know how right the Amtrak commercial is when it advertises that traveling by train is the most beautiful way to see the country. Still vividly imprinted on my mind is the breathtaking vision of the sun rising through the July mists over the prairies of Arkansas as we made our passage. Flying is not my favorite way to go, but inevitably the excitement of the journey always overrides any anxieties. My senior year of high school my family pitched in and sent me to France for a week. Talk about a fantastic journey! I have albums full of pictures if anyone is interested. But- be still my beating heart!- my absolute favorite way to travel, hands down, has to be by tour bus. You know- large, tinted windows; plush seats that lean back; and a bathroom in the back to cut down on those time-consuming pit stops. As soon as the bus pulls into the parking lot and the luggage bay doors creak open, I'm raring to go. I have spent some of the most memorable experiences of my life on a tour bus, and seen some of the most intriguing parts of the world from their windows. From school trips, to orchestra tours, to youth conferences, ...well, you get the point. Sure, the tinted windows never really keep out the sun, if you lean back too far in the seats you'll end up in someone's lap, and soon enough, the bathroom does start to smell a little funny. But there is no substitute for bonding like a few days on a tour bus. I boarded my first bus when I was twelve, and have been on countless busses since. You always seem to know people better after a few hours on a bus. Its funny that way.
So what do busses have to do with Youth Sunday, you're asking? Everything, actually. In late July, I will be honored to be one of two advisors escorting five of these fine youth to Colorado for National Youth Conference. I'll admit that I'm a little nervous. Not having been brought up Brethren, I'm not exactly sure what to expect once we get there. And after all the trips I've made on tour busses, this will be my first one as someone in charge, instead of someone's charge. But the NYC coordinators have blanketed us with information, Pastor Christy has been an invaluable source of wisdom, and my co-advisor, Meghan Sheller - our summer intern, who we will meet sometime in the next few weeks -is an NYC alum and is very excited about traveling with us. So, all in all, the chances of everyone getting there and back intact are really quite high. We will be meeting a couple times as a group to get to know one another before we leave, and I'm sure that any bonding that hasn't happened by the time we set foot on the bus will be complete by the time we hit the Colorado state line. I'm very excited about the entire journey, and according to our latest poll, so are the kids.
This year's NYC theme is taken from the Old Testament book of Esther, in my opinion a highly underrated portion of the Bible. Its messages are clear and universal. It is also an example of a strong female figure in the Bible, which is a subject that rarely gets the attention it deserves. She is a young Jewish girl who, despite her queenly status, is still considered lowly as a Jew and a woman. Yet she risked everything- her life- to save her people. "For such a time as this". Does that sound familiar? The marketing and media geniuses hit on it long ago. One of my perennial favorite movies, The Dead Poets Society uses it. A wildly popular shoe company uses it. Carpe Diem! Seize the Day! "Just Do It!". Oh, and how about the cliché, "timing is everything"? Sounding familiar now? Now, I may not be a paradigm of "Carpe Diem". In fact, I have, at times, elevated procrastination to an art form. When you have mountains of studying to do and three papers to write, it can seem absolutely imperative to do four loads of laundry and pull the dust bunnies out from under your bed. But when a Saturday afternoon of nothing but cleaning your room looms, its absolutely amazing what else can take priority. Don't look at me so disapprovingly. I know everybody has been there at least once in your life. But... "For such a time as this..." What does this really mean to us? Carpe Diem! Just Do It! Take a risk! Now! For some it may mean taking a leap of faith with a dream job. For others, its making sure you ask the girl or guy of your dreams to the dance NOW so you don't lose the nerve. But I believe for all of us it means that God is expecting us to do now what we've always meant to do, or wanted to do but lacked the courage for. No more excuses. "I'm too shy." "Why would they listen to me anyway? I'm only one person." "I'm too busy." "Does it really matter THAT much?" It means NOW we will defend those who are oppressed. It means NOW we will love each other the way Jesus meant us to. It means NOW educating your children in the ways you wish for them to follow. It means NOW, deciding what you stand for in Christ and defending it. It means NOW having the courage to do what means the most to you. To me it means that, being a proud member of a Peace Church, I can stand up and denounce in the name of God the senseless violence being waged around the globe. I can stand up and tell those around me that I love them in the name of Christ. It means I can encourage the young people around me to do the same – that is, Seize the Day!
Although the theme of our Youth Sunday this year is taken from NYC, not all of our youth are able to attend. Also, since this is Youth Sunday, but not all the members present to day are youth (even though I know we're all young at heart), I wish to leave you with a three fold challenge.
First, to those youth attending NYC this summer:
Cherish your experiences. Cherish the bonding time on the bus and the new friends you make. I can guarantee they will be with you for the rest of your life. Learn something. Learn something on your journey, in getting to know one another, and making new friends. Bring a pillow. Learn something new about someone you've known for years. Play cards. Learn to love someone you find hard to love. Let what you've learned be the basis of what you stand up for in Christ. You will return from Colorado a changed person. There is no doubt about that. Most importantly, use what you learn, then pass it on. Use it NOW. Not next week, not in a few years, not when the time seems right. NOW. "Just Do It"!
Second, to those youth not attending NYC:
Don't think you're left out of the game. You're just as important as the five of your peers getting on that bus. I can guarantee you'll be different people by the end of the summer as well. Nobody is static, we all change. While there is no debate that NYC will be an intense experience, you will have your share of experiences as well. Life guarantees that. And you won't have to bring a pillow or worry about the bathroom at the back of the bus starting to smell. When they return from Colorado, listen to what they learned, and learn from them. Then teach them what you learned while they were away. I know you all have hidden talents, maybe some you don't even know about yet. Develop them! And then use them, for the glory of God and the benefit of the world. And don't worry. If you haven't had your bus experience yet, you will soon. Carpe Diem!
Lastly, to the rest of the congregation:
I challenge every one of us to be an example to our youth. Not just our NYC-ers, but every single young person. What is it that you've been meaning to do? Not for yourself, but for God and for others. Been meaning to volunteer for a Habitat For Humanity project? Maybe you've been meaning to take a more active role at church. Or maybe you've been thinking about tutoring after school. Get to know the kids and young adults in the church. I'm certain you have a talent that would benefit them, and I'm certain they would welcome your wisdom. You can also spend some time in a supporting role for these kids. Do you know of someone with a hidden talent? Encourage them, draw it out of them. When I was a child, my mother had a bumper sticker on her car that said "All kids have talent". I still firmly believe that, or I wouldn't be in the business of working with young people. Every young person, regardless of background or family circumstance, responds when an adult cares. It is the only way they will develop into the fine men and women you are today. So go encourage our future! There's no time like the present!
So we'll get on a bus. We'll take a journey. We'll bond. We'll learn. And we will Just Do It. "For such a time as this...." And what a time it is, indeed. The air is tingling with excitement. The bathroom at the back of the bus is starting to smell a little funny and our pillows could use fluffing, but we don't care. The sights along the way are beautiful. And we're seizing the day! Amen.
Back to business.
I was thrown majorly for a loop today when I read this post made today by![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-userinfo.gif)
divalibby76. Looks like Esther is back to haunt me.
See, I've been thinking about her lately. I've been thinking about the message I tried to send to my kids, and thinking how I've failed to take my own advice. I've been hemming and hawing and finding so many excuses, and fighting like hell for things that I think I want but really aren't what I need, and indeed are things that are really the antithesis of what is right for me.
That's a great run-on sentence.
So even though what I read today has little to do with that directly, it is Esther back to give me a message from far beyond the grave. What really got me, though, was when Libby summed up how the pastor preached on that verse. It is as follows: The point made in the sermon was that sometimes we have to make sacrifices, we have to remove from ourselves what is broken or failing in our lives. Sometimes, as in the case of Esther, that means risking the "good life" (her place in court, and her riches) for the greater good. Sometimes holding onto the brokenness in our lives can put us in hell....separation from the meaningful parts of life. Depression being a form of hell. (creditdivalibby76)
And what have I felt for about six or eight months now, but broken and failed?
Now, I'm not sitting here and going "hey, its a sign from God!" But I'm looking at it from as many different perspectives as I can, and the bottom line is, this is a historical piece of literature that can offer me many things.
And it speaks to me in many ways.
To sum up: No more excuses. Fix what is broken, and do it in a way you know won't fail. Carpe Diem. JUST FREAKING DO IT! And don't be afraid.
And that, ladies and gentlemen, is why I'm leaving town in January.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
In other news, while doing some research online for Esther, I ran across this poorly written, poorly researched and, frankly, antisemetic essay on the book of Esther. Sometimes I find it hard to believe how literally some people take things, and how seriously they take themselves. And how horrendously closed-minded they can be. Its so easy to see why so many people gain such a distrust and disgust with Christianity. Bleh.
I never found anyone concrete to have as a role model. But I think I there is someone who is determined to land in my lap.
Before I go on, I want to give a disclaimer of sorts. This post is going to be based on a lot of biblical stuff- Old Testament, really. Now, I know not everyone on my friends list is into that stuff, and there are even some who hold a healthy disdain and even disgust for anything remotely of organized religion. But I will not talk about God, or religion or even spirituality. So if you're going to read on, I ask that you take the bit of the Bible I'm about to talk about out of the context of scripture, and put it into the context of literature. For that is how I see it, and that is how it is having an impact on my life.
The role model I am speaking of is Esther. She is a historical, and even slightly mythological character who has a whole book in the Old Testament/Tanakh (for whichever way you know it best) dedicated to her and what she did. Granted, its a short book, but considering she is only one of two women to have their own book (the other is Ruth), I don't sneeze at that. She was a strong, brave, dedicated woman who risked her life for something she believed in strongly.
I first encountered Esther in a serious light last spring. I'd passed her in the hallway a few times, and had a vague idea of the background of the Jewish holiday, Purim, but I'd never taken the time to read up on her. Last summer (2002) I chaperoned five kids from youth group to a youth conference in Colorado, and the theme verse was taken from Esther 4:14, "...for such a time as this." Being in charge of the youth (I know, scary, isn't it?), I had to prepare them for the six-day conference, and was even invited to speak on Youth Sunday last May. So I had to do a crash study on it, and tried to sort of prepare a sort of exegesis, and come up with a way to speak around it. The exact verse was this: 14 For if you remain silent at this time, relief and deliverance for the Jews will arise from another place, but you and your father's family will perish. And who knows but that you have come to royal position for such a time as this?"
So I decided to treat it in a way that I thought the kids would identify to, and even though I identify as a Christian, I'm not a Jesus Freak, and am uncomfortable with the whole "Jesus Saves!" bit. Boiled down, I was trying to say that this relates to their lives because its time to quit making excuses for things they want to do, or need to do.
If you're interested, the transcript of my talk follows. I am posting it for my reference, plus its really long, so it is hidden behind a cut. You are not required to read it. It does contain religious/spiritual references.
I have to admit it to you. I've been bitten by the travel bug. It happened years ago, really. To me, there are few things as invigorating as spending seven scenic hours in the car- pit stops notwithstanding- only to get out at the end of the trip to find myself someplace new. Of course, getting there is at least half the fun. In our family, vacations were always driving vacations. Most often we would head up to Wisconsin to camp for a week or so. When I was five, we spent some time in Florida visiting my grandparents, and got to spend a day at Disney World. And when I was in high school we took a very memorable vacation out west, to South Dakota and Colorado, hitting all the hot spots, including Mount Rushmore, the Badlands and the Rocky Mountains. My penchant for travel,however, isn't limited to cars. The summer I was fifteen I had the pleasure riding an Amtrak train from Chicago to Dallas to attend a national Lutheran youth event. That is a trip I've been yearning to repeat ever since. For those of you who have traveled by rail, you know how right the Amtrak commercial is when it advertises that traveling by train is the most beautiful way to see the country. Still vividly imprinted on my mind is the breathtaking vision of the sun rising through the July mists over the prairies of Arkansas as we made our passage. Flying is not my favorite way to go, but inevitably the excitement of the journey always overrides any anxieties. My senior year of high school my family pitched in and sent me to France for a week. Talk about a fantastic journey! I have albums full of pictures if anyone is interested. But- be still my beating heart!- my absolute favorite way to travel, hands down, has to be by tour bus. You know- large, tinted windows; plush seats that lean back; and a bathroom in the back to cut down on those time-consuming pit stops. As soon as the bus pulls into the parking lot and the luggage bay doors creak open, I'm raring to go. I have spent some of the most memorable experiences of my life on a tour bus, and seen some of the most intriguing parts of the world from their windows. From school trips, to orchestra tours, to youth conferences, ...well, you get the point. Sure, the tinted windows never really keep out the sun, if you lean back too far in the seats you'll end up in someone's lap, and soon enough, the bathroom does start to smell a little funny. But there is no substitute for bonding like a few days on a tour bus. I boarded my first bus when I was twelve, and have been on countless busses since. You always seem to know people better after a few hours on a bus. Its funny that way.
So what do busses have to do with Youth Sunday, you're asking? Everything, actually. In late July, I will be honored to be one of two advisors escorting five of these fine youth to Colorado for National Youth Conference. I'll admit that I'm a little nervous. Not having been brought up Brethren, I'm not exactly sure what to expect once we get there. And after all the trips I've made on tour busses, this will be my first one as someone in charge, instead of someone's charge. But the NYC coordinators have blanketed us with information, Pastor Christy has been an invaluable source of wisdom, and my co-advisor, Meghan Sheller - our summer intern, who we will meet sometime in the next few weeks -is an NYC alum and is very excited about traveling with us. So, all in all, the chances of everyone getting there and back intact are really quite high. We will be meeting a couple times as a group to get to know one another before we leave, and I'm sure that any bonding that hasn't happened by the time we set foot on the bus will be complete by the time we hit the Colorado state line. I'm very excited about the entire journey, and according to our latest poll, so are the kids.
This year's NYC theme is taken from the Old Testament book of Esther, in my opinion a highly underrated portion of the Bible. Its messages are clear and universal. It is also an example of a strong female figure in the Bible, which is a subject that rarely gets the attention it deserves. She is a young Jewish girl who, despite her queenly status, is still considered lowly as a Jew and a woman. Yet she risked everything- her life- to save her people. "For such a time as this". Does that sound familiar? The marketing and media geniuses hit on it long ago. One of my perennial favorite movies, The Dead Poets Society uses it. A wildly popular shoe company uses it. Carpe Diem! Seize the Day! "Just Do It!". Oh, and how about the cliché, "timing is everything"? Sounding familiar now? Now, I may not be a paradigm of "Carpe Diem". In fact, I have, at times, elevated procrastination to an art form. When you have mountains of studying to do and three papers to write, it can seem absolutely imperative to do four loads of laundry and pull the dust bunnies out from under your bed. But when a Saturday afternoon of nothing but cleaning your room looms, its absolutely amazing what else can take priority. Don't look at me so disapprovingly. I know everybody has been there at least once in your life. But... "For such a time as this..." What does this really mean to us? Carpe Diem! Just Do It! Take a risk! Now! For some it may mean taking a leap of faith with a dream job. For others, its making sure you ask the girl or guy of your dreams to the dance NOW so you don't lose the nerve. But I believe for all of us it means that God is expecting us to do now what we've always meant to do, or wanted to do but lacked the courage for. No more excuses. "I'm too shy." "Why would they listen to me anyway? I'm only one person." "I'm too busy." "Does it really matter THAT much?" It means NOW we will defend those who are oppressed. It means NOW we will love each other the way Jesus meant us to. It means NOW educating your children in the ways you wish for them to follow. It means NOW, deciding what you stand for in Christ and defending it. It means NOW having the courage to do what means the most to you. To me it means that, being a proud member of a Peace Church, I can stand up and denounce in the name of God the senseless violence being waged around the globe. I can stand up and tell those around me that I love them in the name of Christ. It means I can encourage the young people around me to do the same – that is, Seize the Day!
Although the theme of our Youth Sunday this year is taken from NYC, not all of our youth are able to attend. Also, since this is Youth Sunday, but not all the members present to day are youth (even though I know we're all young at heart), I wish to leave you with a three fold challenge.
First, to those youth attending NYC this summer:
Cherish your experiences. Cherish the bonding time on the bus and the new friends you make. I can guarantee they will be with you for the rest of your life. Learn something. Learn something on your journey, in getting to know one another, and making new friends. Bring a pillow. Learn something new about someone you've known for years. Play cards. Learn to love someone you find hard to love. Let what you've learned be the basis of what you stand up for in Christ. You will return from Colorado a changed person. There is no doubt about that. Most importantly, use what you learn, then pass it on. Use it NOW. Not next week, not in a few years, not when the time seems right. NOW. "Just Do It"!
Second, to those youth not attending NYC:
Don't think you're left out of the game. You're just as important as the five of your peers getting on that bus. I can guarantee you'll be different people by the end of the summer as well. Nobody is static, we all change. While there is no debate that NYC will be an intense experience, you will have your share of experiences as well. Life guarantees that. And you won't have to bring a pillow or worry about the bathroom at the back of the bus starting to smell. When they return from Colorado, listen to what they learned, and learn from them. Then teach them what you learned while they were away. I know you all have hidden talents, maybe some you don't even know about yet. Develop them! And then use them, for the glory of God and the benefit of the world. And don't worry. If you haven't had your bus experience yet, you will soon. Carpe Diem!
Lastly, to the rest of the congregation:
I challenge every one of us to be an example to our youth. Not just our NYC-ers, but every single young person. What is it that you've been meaning to do? Not for yourself, but for God and for others. Been meaning to volunteer for a Habitat For Humanity project? Maybe you've been meaning to take a more active role at church. Or maybe you've been thinking about tutoring after school. Get to know the kids and young adults in the church. I'm certain you have a talent that would benefit them, and I'm certain they would welcome your wisdom. You can also spend some time in a supporting role for these kids. Do you know of someone with a hidden talent? Encourage them, draw it out of them. When I was a child, my mother had a bumper sticker on her car that said "All kids have talent". I still firmly believe that, or I wouldn't be in the business of working with young people. Every young person, regardless of background or family circumstance, responds when an adult cares. It is the only way they will develop into the fine men and women you are today. So go encourage our future! There's no time like the present!
So we'll get on a bus. We'll take a journey. We'll bond. We'll learn. And we will Just Do It. "For such a time as this...." And what a time it is, indeed. The air is tingling with excitement. The bathroom at the back of the bus is starting to smell a little funny and our pillows could use fluffing, but we don't care. The sights along the way are beautiful. And we're seizing the day! Amen.
Back to business.
I was thrown majorly for a loop today when I read this post made today by
divalibby76. Looks like Esther is back to haunt me. See, I've been thinking about her lately. I've been thinking about the message I tried to send to my kids, and thinking how I've failed to take my own advice. I've been hemming and hawing and finding so many excuses, and fighting like hell for things that I think I want but really aren't what I need, and indeed are things that are really the antithesis of what is right for me.
That's a great run-on sentence.
So even though what I read today has little to do with that directly, it is Esther back to give me a message from far beyond the grave. What really got me, though, was when Libby summed up how the pastor preached on that verse. It is as follows: The point made in the sermon was that sometimes we have to make sacrifices, we have to remove from ourselves what is broken or failing in our lives. Sometimes, as in the case of Esther, that means risking the "good life" (her place in court, and her riches) for the greater good. Sometimes holding onto the brokenness in our lives can put us in hell....separation from the meaningful parts of life. Depression being a form of hell. (credit
divalibby76)And what have I felt for about six or eight months now, but broken and failed?
Now, I'm not sitting here and going "hey, its a sign from God!" But I'm looking at it from as many different perspectives as I can, and the bottom line is, this is a historical piece of literature that can offer me many things.
And it speaks to me in many ways.
To sum up: No more excuses. Fix what is broken, and do it in a way you know won't fail. Carpe Diem. JUST FREAKING DO IT! And don't be afraid.
And that, ladies and gentlemen, is why I'm leaving town in January.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
In other news, while doing some research online for Esther, I ran across this poorly written, poorly researched and, frankly, antisemetic essay on the book of Esther. Sometimes I find it hard to believe how literally some people take things, and how seriously they take themselves. And how horrendously closed-minded they can be. Its so easy to see why so many people gain such a distrust and disgust with Christianity. Bleh.
