whatever is lovely ... think about these things

THE PEACE OF WILD THINGS

When despair for the world grows in me
and I wake in the night at the least sound
in fear of what my life and my children’s lives may be,
I go and lie down where the wood drake
rests in his beauty on the water, and the great heron feeds.
I come into the peace of wild things 
who do not tax their lives with forethought
of grief. I come into the presence of still water.
And I feel above me the day-blind stars
waiting with their light. For a time
I rest in the grace of the world, and am free.

— Wendell Berry

in my brief time as a professional something, i’ve had a chance to attend a handful of conferences, workshops, and institutes.  upon coming home, i always feel a little glad to not have to think more and also a little sad that i don’t engage in deep and challenging thought more often.  it’s a conundrum.

this week’s conference was a winter ministry institute.  the main thesis of  Dr. Andrew Root was:

youth ministry must be relational and focus on place-sharing vs. influence.  

i guess to sum it up, he means that as people who are blessed enough to get to share in the lives of teenagers (and people in general), we should always build into the relationships.  these relationships should not be about building ‘better people’ or keeping kids lutherans, but rather about investing into the lives of these students and sharing with them as they struggle, grow, enjoy, and participate in life.  i know i already knew this, but he gave it a nice vocabulary.

I liked this article he wrote, too.