• I am writing this on the day after the Youth Sunday service, as the echoes of the songs, prayers and sermons continue to run through my head and heart. As always, I enjoyed sitting in the pew with Debi, as I watched the faces of so many ex-children bringing their faith to feed my soul. As always, and a little more with each passing year, I felt some extra moisture in my eyes. The words that were spoken were important. Nick Valinski, Rebecca String, Tyler Harrison and Jennie Frank each put their words together wonderfully. But as I watched them, I found words fading, and memories emerging, as I saw and recalled the younger versions of them, and I marveled at the great things that God has done in their lives. As I watched, I gave thanks for their parents, teachers, extended families, youth leaders, siblings and peers, who have all played a part in their development.
• As happens each year, I learned something new from the Youth Sunday worship and preparation. Actually this was a bonus year, I learned two things: A) There are words that go with the music for the “Chicken Dance” and B) In sharp contrast to the kids of the “old days” (the early-to-mid 2000’s), today’s teens are not as fond of email as their predecessors were! The second learning has introduced me to the world of text messaging and Facebook (I don’t Twitter yet, in fact I’m not even sure what it is, but I’ve learned to never say never). As for texting, I am slow-fingered, so my messaging consists primarily of “go read your email”, but Facebook is a different story: I am on Facebook (a fact which has sent several of our teens, and their parents, into giggling fits, and probably marks the beginning of the end of Facebook’s relevance) and there is a weird coolness to it. I just finished watching a video of my granddaughter falling out of a chair on Facebook (not on my watch, I’m happy to report). I have reconnected with ex-Clover Hillites who dwell in distant lands; ex-HS friends, ex-HS casual acquaintances; as well as an odd collection of nieces, nephews and other characters who have somehow wandered into my life. And they are all lumped together as “friends”, which has greatly diluted the meaning of that word! Facebook has even transformed it into a verb, as in: “I friended her” to describe making an Internet connection on Facebook. I used to say that I didn’t know where all of this was leading, but now I do: constantly changing means of conveying the never changing truth of God’s love! Which is exactly what we were created for!
• Speaking of email (which still remains common enough among those of us who graduated HS in the 20th Century) I have noticed, over the last year, a dramatic increase in the usage among most groups within the Church. In addition to the emailed prayers and announcements each week (which you can receive by sending me an email and saying “Hi Jack, send me the stuff”) the Church School teachers, Consistory members, Youth Group advisors and others are able to work together better by using email. This is great and saves on the postage or time that letters or phone calls demand. However, the busier things become the more important clear coordination becomes! So please, as you go about this e-communion of the Saints in your group emails, be sure to CC both Lynn- at the Church Office (CHRC1834@GMAIL.COM), and me (CHRCJACK@GMAIL.COM) so that there are no calendar conflicts and I can help with the cross-pollination of ideas that strengthens all of our mission work.

Jack