– Rev. Tara Lain, Harbor District Superintendent
Who knew Charge Conference season could be a wonderfully amazing and enriching time? This DS is pleased to let you know that I have been blessed – and there are more Charge Conferences to come! I am finding our time together to be a beautiful time of conversation, sharing in the joys God’s new creation, laments from the past and our anticipation of an exciting future together as the United Methodist Church.
One theme has begun to emerge as I travel from church to church, listening to the laity and pastors in attendance. We are looking for hope and a future with hope; and in this moment, we are casting our gaze around looking for leaders. We may just find leadership in unexpected places. For one, our youth! And not just as in “the youth are our future “. . .
In one charge conference, a layperson praised God for the youth who were “reverse-mentoring” the adults. (please note: I was not expecting to hear this term used and honestly had to process it a bit later!). She saw in several of the youth the qualities of trust in the Lord, leading with courage, speaking truth in love and boldly acting out the love of Christ in their community. I still don’t know if that’s reverse-mentoring or simply mentoring, but it’s beautiful nonetheless. I am grateful for youth and children leading us by being themselves, who they are called to be.
Coming soon in the lectionary, we find Zechariah’s song. It’s a Luke 1 birth announcement and celebration of a wonderful one brought to us and the ways God is acting in our earthly lives. Zechariah’s hymn is written upon the birth of his child who, though only a babe, will grow to become a prophet, who will lead us to the Peace, the Christ, our Savior. It calls to my mind other places in the bible which speak of children leading the way and the times when Jesus directs us to be more child-like in our faith, like Isaiah 11 and Matthew 18. Our children are wondrous gifts sent to teach us every bit as much as we teach and share our lives with them.
I pray we value our children and youth not only as the future and present of our churches, but as leaders who may be guiding us in faithfulness and trust in God’s way. I wonder: what ways you have been mentored by a young person? My own children remind me daily to “lighten up” and to be “more relaxed” (also known as “chill, Mom”) – not always in a mentoring way, but sometimes I take it as such! My children remind me to slow down and to not take life so seriously! Do you have a young person in your life you might learn something from? Do you have a young one in your life that you might see in a new light?
May we all continue to learn our whole lives long and to look for mentors in bodies of young and less young; a mentor is often someone who teaches by modeling with their own lives and reflects on what this means to us. I pray we find mentors all around us and we thank them, young and old, for showing us the way with the beauty of their lives.
I look forward to meeting with more churches in the next few weeks for Charge Conferences and I’m expecting more wonderful insights as you reflect on God’s wonderful work within each of you and your congregations!
Blessings to each of you and may the peace of Christ fill you with joy.
Peace,
Tara