i created this blog a couple of weeks ago, but haven’t really made it public yet…that is to say, i haven’t linked to it from any public website. maybe i should do that.

this was a full weekend for GOOTH. we had a high school lockin friday night, which we dubbed a “service lockin.” a more accurate title probably would have been “mission lockin.” we originally planned to have a service project as a component of the evening, as opposed to a social component, such as going out for ice cream, going bowling, or going skating. after the David LaMotte concert last weekend, i decided to use our “service” portion of the evening as a time to explore the many thoughts and words of wisdom that david left with us in the world-changing 101 workshop and concert. i figure i wouldn’t be doing my job if i didn’t help the youth focus what they got out of the workshop. we had a nice discussion that went longer than i intended and thought it would. in talking about systems of oppression in the world, we got into a discussion about religious oppression, which generated some healthy debate among the youth about religious tolerance, freedom, and oppression in the united states. an interesting phenomenon occurred as we got further into the debate…the awareness of oppression in the world quickly narrowed into teenage oppression in the suburban communities…such as our own. we are thinking of starting a charity organization, “teens without cell phones.” hmmm…i’ll let you know how that turns out. it was interesting to watch the high schoolers get intense about how they are oppressed by adults…stereotyped by adults according to the actions of their peers…labeled as irresponsible. maybe they have a point. then again, they are just teenagers. most teenagers don’t know what they are talking about, so why should these know?

after some gentle nudging and light shoving, we found our way back to oppression and problems greater than driver’s license restrictions and cell phone usage while driving. the GOOTH are aware of issues in the world, and do want to do something about it. i only hope i can help them find their passion and help them focus their energy towards making changes for the better.

the lockin continued with a fun round of sardines, then we lit a fire in a patio fire bowl and sat around it for a while. GOOTH likes fire…not sure why. but, something about a fire brings them to sit around it together, relax, and just be present for a while…sharing stories, getting to know one another better, and enjoying the outdoors. we had a time of singing and prayer around the fire, and when i gave the youth the opportunity to lift up prayers to God – praises, concerns, whatever – the 8 people who remained shared more than the whole group of 30 on a sunday night. everyone around the fire lifted up a prayer…there were too many for me to remember when i led the prayer…good thing God’s memory is better than ours. it was a special time with those few GOOTH and 2 adults circled around the fire after midnight on a mild evening. thank God for GOOTH.