There was a lot to like about last weekend’s Confirmation retreat. No, not everything was peachy. You can’t throw 16 people who aren’t used to spending that much time together into a fairly small space for 26 hours and expect nothing but sunshine and roses 🙂

We played a lot, and we snacked a lot, and we laughed a lot.

I enjoyed watching teamwork, listening, and cooperation develop and grow as the group navigated the multiple challenges of Reynoldswood Camp’s teams course. There was a noticeable difference in how the group treated each other from the first challenge to the last.

I appreciated the way the group was willing to share in response to The Game of Things questions such as, “things you dream about” or “things that make you cry.”

Pride welled in me as the youth determined together one thing they wanted to change about our congregation and made a plan to affect that change.

Understanding dawned as the Confirmands saw, some for the first time, the thread that runs from Genesis 12, through Micah 6 and Isaiah 58, and into Matthew 25 and Luke 10. The thread that, for us, informs what it means to be followers of God in the Way of Jesus.

It was in the midst of that biblical exploration that my favorite moment from the weekend occurred. One of our young people had an epiphany. I mean, you could practically see the light bulb (eco-friendly CFL, of course) jump to life over this youth’s head! “Wait…it’s all connected! Everything we’ve talked about, everything we’ve watched, everything we’ve read…even some of the games…it’s all connected!”

Yup. It’s a tangled web we weave. 😉

It’s often difficult to see the big picture when you’re 12 or 13 years old. (Or 22 or 33 or 42 or 83 for that matter.) So when that kind of connection happens, when someone – regardless of age – sees, even for a moment, how the story of their life connects with the biblical story and the Methodist story and the story of the Woodridge United Methodist Church – when in that moment they see, however fleetingly, purpose…well, that makes my heart sing and my soul dance.

Find the thread. See the connections. Act with purpose.

Which brings me back to our Offering of Letters. I’m committed to make it more than a one time event. Speaking out with and for hungry people – helping them get food – simply is God’s way in the world.

So here’s a thread to follow:

• Like it or not, our government plays a vital role in feeding hungry people locally, nationally, and globally. Our government determines how much money goes to programs that feed hungry people.
• Elections determine our government.
• We are less than two weeks away from the next election.

I can’t and won’t tell you who to vote for. But I can, and do, encourage you to make ending hunger a priority as you decide how to vote.

We can elect to end hunger.

With Bread for the World, I’ve pledged to do just that:

As a Christian, I want to live in a world where hunger is rare and temporary, not the shared experience of millions. I plan to let our nation’s decision makers know that this is a priority for my family, my community, and my church.

Will you join me? (You can even get a free car magnet, if you want one.)

Find the thread. See the connections. Act with purpose.