In Awe Of Students And More: A look back at 2010

They were dead silent…I mean you could hear air…it was awesome.  Last night we had Adoration for the students.  This is something we’ve done two years in a row, and something that will be an Advent tradition, why?  Because it’s a great way to prepare for Christ Jesus.  During the silence I thought about those spare moments after Jesus was born, how in love Mary and Joseph must have been, how much in awe they were of their son, of their Savior.  The students had that opportunity, to be in awe of Jesus Christ and it was beautiful.
This time of year is a time to be in awe, because it’s a time that changed the world, a time when God sent down His only Son to be with us, to show us how to live and to give us a gift we could never repay.  As Christmas Day approaches and 2010 winds down I want to take some time to reflect on this past year and the times that I’ve been in awe:

• Ministers Growing Into Leaders:  In a year and a half I’ve had many of my, “I think I’ll only serve once a month.” turn into, “What more can I do?”  It’s been a blessing to know that more and more people are going from serving pizza, to planning a night.
• Students Going Deeper: From ibibles to Adoration, students have just shown that they want to know Jesus.  Yeah they like the games, they don’t mind us serving Chick-fil-a on Thursday nights, but they want that relationship and they’ve shown it by getting with their peers to pray at the lunch table, before soccer games and while applying for colleges.
• Newly Found Margin: There are a lot of hiccups, bumps and things we need to figure out, but I’ve never been this ahead of schedule, why?  Because I have a team working behind me, lifting me up and holding me accountable to the ministry God has called me to do.  I feel honored, blessed and humbled to have such a team.
• Parents Asking For More: I’m not saying parents haven’t been interested in their child’s faith formation but what we are seeing is more parents asking specific questions like, translations of bibles and how to connect with small group leaders.  
• Staff Cheering Me On: This past year I was in awe of the birth of my son, and I had a great staff surrounding me, letting me know that while I was out that the ministry would keep on soaring.  It breaks my heart to hear about ministers in a church with a dysfunctional staff, I’m blessed and in awe not to be a part of one.

Nothing really constructive here, except for the fact that it’s good to take time to reflect on the many blessings God has shown in our lives.  For the students last night it was during 40 minutes of Adoration, for us as ministers we just need to find a quiet spot and allow God to reveal to us what we should be thankful for.  This week my focus will be on Christmas Eve Mass at the MD State Fair, between Christmas and New Years I’ll share with you some favorite posts from this last year.  In the meantime I’m just going to be in awe of what God has done for me, my family, my job, His church and it’s community.