Take My Hand

Jacob Thomas

My newest cousin -- Jacob Thomas Menefee -- was born today at 1:58 p.m.  He weighed in at 9 lbs. 4.9 oz...

Welcome to the world, Jacob!

I know, I know...

... I promised to update earlier.  Time just sort of slipped by too fast.  What with the craziness of Senior year and all I suspect you all will forgive me just this once.

I don't have a lot to say just a quick observation.  I stayed home from school today, because I was/am sick with some sort of fever-virus thing. The beauty of the Internet though, is that my virus is incommunicable!  Anyway. Back to my quick observation.

In my indisposed state I was browsing around the umc.org website, and noticed the 'State of the United Methodist Church survey (Connectional Table)' link at the bottom of the page.  I thought, "cool."  "I bet they'll gather some interesting data."

I decided to help them out and take the survey.

Like one might expect, there were the general questions like, "How would you describe yourself, your stand on the official Social Principles, etc."  About half way through the survey, the questions turned to, "How important is it to you and your church to attract youth and young adults, what would you be willing to change to get them involved, etc."  Some of the question's wording bothered me. It didn't bother me too terribly badly.  But, it bothered me.

Here's the kicker, though.  At the very end of the survey the question "What age group do you fall into?"  was posed. The age group options only began at 18.   So, apparently while I am being discussed in this  survey I am not included in participating.  And I thought I was a member of the UMC?  Wasn't I confirmed as a "full and responsible member of Christ's Holy church"?  Didn't I pledge to "be loyal to the United Methodist Church..."?

Those of us who are members of the UMC and under the age of 18 aren't included in our denomination's survey to gather 'State of the church' statistics.  And folks wonder why we young people aren't "present" ...  I think this sort of illustrates a larger point:  Young people won't (always) be involved in the church if there isn't a place for them.  They'll find that place somewhere else.

Now.  Don't even get me started on the much larger conundrum of how the Candidacy process does young people no favors...

quote

"The greatest challenge of the day is: how to bring about a revolution of the heart, a revolution which has to start with each one of us?"
-- Dorothy Day

wow

Wow... I never expected that my previous post would cause as much commotion as it did.  I really appreciate all the comments people have left and the emails that have been sent my way.  If you've sent me an email and I haven't responded, I will soon. I promise.

The only problem now is that I don't know what to post!  I'll have something new up here early next week...   I'll leave you with this though:

"Lord, I seek you with all my heart, with all the strength you have given me.  I long to understand that which I believe.

You are my only hope; please listen to me.  Do not let my weariness lessen my desire to find you, to see your face.

You created me in order to find you; you gave me strength to seek you.  My strength and my weakness are in your hands: preserve my strength, and help my weakness.  Where you have already opened the door, let me come in; where it is shut, open at my knocking.

Let me always remember you, love you, meditate upon you, and pray to you, until you restore me to your perfect pattern."    --  Augustine of Hippo, 354-430