post-lectureship reflection

So I've been back from Lectureship for about a week now, and a post about the experience is probably long overdue. So here's a brief one... I hope.

First, I have to say that my expectations going into the whole Lectureship thing were relatively low. This isn't because I have some low level of respect for it or anything, it's more because I attended a couple out of requirement while in college so I knew the basics of what went on and I didn't expect anything to be different. So with that as a primer, my expectations were blown out of the water - in multiple ways.

I heard most of the evening keynote speakers, and they were awesome. There was a huge narrative aspect to the speeches they gave, which rather than making the experience feel like a lecture or a political speech gave the presentations a more personalized and involved feel. Plus, it didn't hurt that most of what I heard was a cage-rattling, table overturning rhetoric that was calling for people to wake up and smell the change in the air before it's too late. It really made me feel like what I was there to present fit into the subtle yet over-arching theme I discerned.

Speaking of why I was there; Paul and I both agreed, our sessions were a smashing success if we do say so ourselves. Our student panelists (Jordan Swim and Jordan Wesley) added so much valuable insight from their unique experiences, and most of the topics we brought up were met with what I can only describe as a warm and welcoming attitude. Each day was success in my mind, because each day we touched someone in the audience on an emotional level with the stories and ideas that we shared. However, the first day we might have struck a few tender nerves by touching on the inter-generational communication gap and Catholicism; neither of which was part of the original plan, but it seemed the Spirit moved us that direction. This turned out to be a good thing in the end though, as it levelset a few things and provided a model of how we intended the sessions to be considered a safe environment for discussion and sharing.

I am a firm believer in God sending people places, in a seemingly innocuous manner, so they might touch certain people's lives. I experienced it in college, I've experienced it in travels, and I've experienced it at Lectureship. While some might think that I would say I was sent to Lectureship to share my story and help others, I would say I was brought to Lectureship to share my story so that others could help me. Sharing some of myself and my aspirations for ReGroup was a liberating experience because of the outpouring of positive comments that I received, which makes me even more excited and driven to make sure it gets off the ground successfully. I am still planning and working out the many ideas that are swirling around in my mind, but things are firming up little by little and I hope to have the group up and in full swing before Christmas.

For any new visitors from Lectureship, welcome and thank you for stopping by. If you attended our sessions, Paul and I thank you for your time, attention and valuable discussions. And for those that offered your blessings and comments on ReGroup - especially Kathy, Allen, and Ray - I thank you.

more on groups

So I know that I've been tagged to whip up a list of influential books in my life, but I've got to get this out of my head and into print before I forget it. So bear with me, the books will come next week sometime.

So my last post fleshed out this concept of a spiritual support and healing group, sort of like a Casa Blanca of the church world. However, I got to thinking that the scope could be even broader than my initial thoughts on the subject, primarily because the entire concept is very flexible. I was referred to a series of multimedia articles that follows recent college graduates trying to find their way in the world, and shortly after that I read a blog post about how 75% of teenagers active in church will abandon church in their 20's. The combination of the two got me thinking about how spiritual formation in teenagers tends to lack a reality check about what life is like after high school and college as a Christian. It's a wonder the rate of disillusionment isn't higher... We give them what to believe, but the why is a pointer to scripture with no current day contextual equivalent. Most likely those who make their way back after abandoning church, do so because they grappled with the questions they couldn't answer at first and found a peace. It may sound dangerous, but I think teens need to wrestle with the hard questions... even if they do trip up along the way, at least this way they have a support structure around them to help them back on their feet when they are ready.

For those who are already beyond their teen years and leaving college, ReGroup would serve them as well. It could serve as a landing place for graduates, a place to take a breather and get oriented. Hitting the real world after college can feel a bit like having been shot from a cannon, dusting yourself off and figuring out where you are without a map or a sign.

Just another in a litany of possibilities...

Cheers!

On a different note -- anyone planning on attending the ACU Lectureship next week, I would encourage you to come hear Paul Clark and myself in our 3:00pm session as we lead "Emerging Conversations with the Next Generation of Christians"... or so that's what the brochure describes it as. Come check it out, it's going to be a great discussion!