sustain:if:able kiwi

it finally clicked: Bible teens and forming disciples

I’m about to enter into a really busy little spell:

4 July – Salvation Army youth leaders annual camp, Christchurch
9 July – academic presentation, Auckland
15-18 July – conference paper, Melbourne
1 August – all-day seminar, Adelaide
3-7 August – conference speaker, Adelaide.

Which tends to breed a certain sense of anxiety. Because I’m always reading and because I’m creative by nature, I have never been able to roll out a stump speech, the same old tried and true. Which ups my preparation time and means that if things don’t click, I’m toast! And fairly expensive toast, for those who are paying to fly me places!

So it was with a huge sense of relief that I woke up this morning and knew that Saturday, my day with Salvation Army, had finally clicked.

I woke today thinking about the fact that Isaac was a Biblical teenager. And as I stirred in my dreams, it also occurred to me that so was Jesus. And that undoubtedly, teenagers were bystanders at the day of Pentecost. Suddenly I had some Biblical narrative which had a continuity and could be used to engage and frame the question I want to explore: what sort of communities are required to form contemporary disciples of Jesus who care about poverty?

Later in the morning, I left the cafe where I lock myself to avoid distractions. Major Biblical narratives had become linked with minor points and with some of my recent reading and with video clips and with interaction. I think it will fit in the 3.5 hours I’ve been allocated! A bit of keynote work to do, but a deep sense of relief ….

which only leaves 4 more ….