Saturday, July 28, 2012

DC Year 2 - The Arrival!




We came back! As hard as it is to believe we returned for another round of working with kids and having fun at the National Memorial BaptistChurch. There are some returning from the previous year and others for whom this is their first year, so we have a nice mix of kids.

So far things have gone fairly well. The train ride went smoothly. Well, actually it was very bumpy, but there were not any problems. For the first time I had the great opportunity to enjoy Wi-Fi on the train, and then I got the opportunity to complain about the slow Wi-Fi on the train. How quickly we get a sense of entitlement.

Once again a group of us took the subway from the train station to the church, but this time all of the escalators were working and we knew where we were going, so we did not have any problems. Maybe next time.

There is a different feel with the group this time. We are a little larger, and we have some people with what we will call frenetic energy. I don’t think this is a good or a bad thing, just different and it is something I am going to have to adjust to.

I have already noticed how the veterans have a desire to reclaim and recreate the experience from the previous year (myself included). To some degree this is good, but it is not a habit that I think we should embrace. Those who are new bring new ideas, new vision, and a different kind of energy which can be good. So I will have to work to create a space where this new and different energy can be shared and can take a part in shaping the group. New and different can be good.

I bet there is some kind of lesson for churches embedded somewhere in this reflection. If I just squint and look closely at the screen, then maybe I’ll be able to see it.

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