Empowerment

At my placement there is a group which is for 14+'s and on sunday the group organised a Youth event. Most of the group were doing something from setting up PA and lights to leading worship and leading up front. I thought this was a good example of empowerment but as I looked at it more closely I realised that there were still a few of the group that weren't involved in the organisation or the running of the event. I also discovered later that they had not chosen the subject of the evening and they had not been invovled in the planning before the event.

Though I still feel that it was good that the young people were able to run things on the night I feel that they could have more invovlement in the event before the night.

The Flint Street Nativity

Well tonight I went home (Liverpool) and I went to the playhouse theatre to see 'The Flint Street Nativity." The Play was really funny and totally reminded me of being in Primary school and doing the Christmas Show (though out schools Christmas Shows used to be very different.)

Anyway that's not why it was worthy of a blog. The first half and most of the second half the actors were the children practising the nativity and actually performing it. When it was time for the Christmas Carols, they sang different words and each 'child' shared what their home was like, which alot of them were quite sad. The Last scene was were the actors became one of the parents of the child that they had been playing and in the song 'We Wish You a Merry Christmas' they shared how they felt about their child and what their dreams were for them. I won't spoil the ending for you but it was quite sad and I was actually crying.

Anyway what spoke to me the most was the fact that all the kids had such different backgrounds and how them backgrounds made them how they are. I was thinking about all the people from my school and was wondering why they acted like that. It's shows that there are reasons for children's behaviour and I guess this can be true for young people too. I think as youth workers we need to think 'What is behind this behaviour?'

It was such a great play and I think I may go and see it again! Does anyone want to come with me??

Does God allow....

Well today in Study Skills we got into small groups and did a theological reflection on one of our experiences. Ours was going to the death camp 'Auschwitz' in Poland. Me and Craig had both been and seen it first hand. I went to Poland in the Summer and the Polish history is so amazing and so interesting.

The thing that impacted me the most in Poland was the visit to 'Auschwitz.' Going round were people had been imprisoned and been badly treated was such a moving experience. Being a Christian I found that there were lots of questions going round in my head such as 'WHY?' which I guess everyone on the planet has that question about it all. As I have been brought up in a Christian home and believe that the jews are 'the apple of God's eye.' I found it hard to get my head round why it happened and also were was God when his people needed him? Things that went round in my head were was it a punishment? Why did God let this happen? Did God let it happen? I wondered if God did stop it before it got any worse.

Seeing the photos of the prisoners and a short film that the Russian made when they libarated the camp made me want to do something, but of course I couldn't it is in the past. The only thing we can to is to learn from History and try and not let it happen again, but it is happening in this day and age.

The most moving part of the whole of the camp is the train track in 'Auschwitz 2' where there is a hut. In this hut the Jew's fate was decided, Children and their mothers and the people weren't healthy enough to work were sent stright to the gas chambers.

Did God allow this to happen?
If he did then why?
Where was God in their pain?
Has good come out of it?

Sex and the Church

I realised I hadn't actually posted about this because after about half a hour of typing it didn't let me post it!
Anway on Friday we talked about the church being scared of sex and this may have been other people's experience and I do agree that they are, but my experience has been when I was between the ages of 13 - 16 I had heard so many things about relationships (and sex) that I felt like I was a freak because I had never had a boyfriend or that I had never been in the situation of being pressured into having sex (which I guess is actually a good thing). I think you need a balance and also looking back on it all the time I heard stuff on sex there was never any mention on contraception all that was said was that the right context of sex is in marriage. I think the church are a bit niave thinking that because they have told their young people this that they aren't going to have sex! People are still going to have sex out of marriage, there is so much pressure around them, if you listen to just a few songs there is bond to be one that has a sexual refrence!
Society is so much more open about sex than it used to be, maybe it's time that the church was too!

Theology

I really enjoyed theology today I seemed to understand it more and i found it very interesting too. I'm glad i seem to be getting into theology and understanding it more. Hope I continue to understand it and I hope it wasn't a one off.

Accepted

So I went to see the Film 'Accepted' tonight, it was amazing. Even though not many off you may have seen this film I just felt like I had to write a blog about it. The name of the film kind of explains it, people in this college were accepted for who they were and they contrasted with a conventional college where people weren't accepted for who they were.

It made me think about the education system and whether it was the right way to do things. I had loads to say but I don't want to ruin the film for anyone who wants to go and see it!

I say you should go and see it, it's pretty cool!

Judgements

Today was really interesting even though at first I didn't get the hang of it to start with. So it was Key Issues today and we all got given a label, mine was '18yr old Christian homosexual.' At first I didn't really dwell on the word 'Christian' so didn't think they would have much issues because I've known homosexuals who are very much accepted for who they are at the age of 18. Then I realise the 'Christian' part was probably the most important issue and then I really started to see how this person may feel.

I feel they would feel so confused, scared, rejected. If they had grown up in Christian family they would feel like they were on their own with no one to turn to who wouldn't judge and condem them. The church seems to have such a negative view on homosexuals, well this is what we see in the media. I think I would be questioning God about it all. The rejection would be very hard and painful. As they may not be just experience rejection from Christian friends and the church but they could also face rejection from they're non-christian friends.

This activity gave me a few questions too:
1) How should the church react to homosexual christians?
2) How do we go about supporting a young christian who is homosexual?
3) Is being gay a choice? If it isn't does that mean God made them gay?