A Blessing for Students
Shannon Fossett, Director of Children’s Ministries
11/21/24
I ran across the prayer printed below by Jan Fuller, a university chaplain and author of Blessings for Students, and wanted to share it with our youth and parents. Many blessings to you as we enter the holiday season.
“We Ask to Be Open” (An Excerpt)
“We begin with a blessing.
“A blessing is an invitation to all that is holy to be with us,
to inhabit and shelter our abundance and need,
a welcome to the Spirit of life to be upon us,
to prepare and honor us,
to make more of what already is,
to fashion something from our less,
a giving over of what we expect,
a welcome of what might be,
and a door into the unimagined.
“A blessing is an opening in us
for hope, direction, meaning.
It is a moment of awareness
that we are not alone
and that we live
at liminal edges of discovery.
“A blessing is a prayer
offering who we are and what we have,
a willingness and intention to be useful and used,
a collection of hearts and minds,
summoning the best of ourselves
for other.
“Blessed be, then.”
With God’s Help
Shannon Fossett, Director of Children’s Ministries
9/19/24
We’ve all been there. Feeling uncomfortable. Feeling nervous. Feeling left out. Feeling anxious. If you have a teen in your life dealing with anxiety, you may find the article link below helpful. With God’s help, you can help them through this difficult time.
God’s Blessings
Katelyn Williamson, Director of Youth and Family Ministry
10/24/23
As a young member of Desert Cross Lutheran Church, you might be wondering about the importance of faith and how it can impact your life. The Lectionary Blog from Living Lutheran is an excellent resource that can help answer these questions and provide guidance on your spiritual journey. The article linked below offers an opportunity to reflect on how God blesses us more than we could ask or imagine. The passages from Isaiah, Psalm 40, and 1 Corinthians remind us of the many ways that God enriches our lives, and the Gospel text discussed speaks to the power of the Holy Spirit. These readings demonstrate that God is not only generous but also merciful and gracious, and we are all beloved children of God!
Our Work Together
Katelyn Williamson, Director of Youth and Family Ministry
9/21/23
Here are some ideas from an article about the ELCA’s work in the world that I’m sharing with our youth:
The ELCA walks with over 80 companion churches in other countries to participate in God’s reconciling mission through proclamation and service. ELCA members see how people’s lives are transformed and renewed through the gospel and how communities live in hope. As part of a global Lutheran community, we share our gifts and talents to address the root causes of poverty, hunger, HIV, build communities that coexist in peace, and prepare women and men to preach the good news of Jesus Christ throughout the world. By walking and working together, we seek to accompany our companions in a solidarity that practices interdependence and mutuality. To learn more about how you can get involved or find resources and events that equip you for global engagement, click on the link below.
End of School Year
Katelyn Williamson, Director of Youth and Family Ministry
5/15/23
As the end of the school year approaches, we offer a prayer. After the prayer printed below, you’ll find a special message for our graduates. It’s a video clip of commencement speeches given last year, but the wisdom shared is always relevant. Congratulations!
End of Year Prayer
At the end of this school year we
give thanks to God:
For all the teaching and learning
that has taken place in our school,
both in and out of the classroom,
For the talents and gifts that have
been shared and the challenges that
have been faced;
For the respect and care that has
been given.
We give thanks for the friendships
that have just begun and for those
that have grown.
For the faith that has been lived in
our daily struggles,
For the hope that has lifted our
hearts,
And for the love that has kept us going
We give thanks to the community
that we are, and we ask you Lord –
Bless our students as they sit for their
exams: may your Spirit inspire
them with confidence and calmness
Bless our families as we take our
holidays, may our time together
leave us with memories to cherish.
Pour out your love on us that we
may return renewed and refreshed
to continue our journey together.
We make this prayer through Christ
our Lord. Amen.
Offered by Doug Ruschman
Author Unknown – adapted from a prayer from www.catholicschooldenton.org
Peace in Chaos
Katelyn Williamson, Director of Youth and Family Ministry
3/13/23
“Jesus was in the stern, sleeping on a cushion. The disciples woke him and said to him, ‘Teacher, don’t you care if we drown?’” (Mark 4:38).
Question:
There have been plenty of moments when I’ve asked Jesus the exact same question: Don’t you care if I drown?
Maybe you can relate: Have you ever felt like you were drowning in schoolwork, and the stress felt like an anchor tied to your ankles, pulling you under? Have you felt pressure from your parents or coaches or teachers or friends to perform in a certain way? Or look a certain way? Have you been overwhelmed, worrying what other people think about you? Have you ever felt left out, alone, rejected and just wanted to run away from a situation? Have you ever experienced so much anxiety that you literally couldn’t move—like you were paralyzed?
If you’ve ever felt any of those things, you’re not alone. I know how you feel.
The disciples know how you feel. Jesus knows how you feel. But not only does he understand, he also provides a way out. His presence is light in darkness. His breath is peace in chaos. His voice calms any storm.
Scripture:
Go ahead and turn to today’s passage in Mark 4:35–41. Read how Jesus responded when the disciples experienced some of the same feelings you are experiencing. As you read, try to picture yourself in the middle of a tsunami, seasick on a boat. Use your imagination to engage the text. Then share your thoughts.
My Wonderings:
I wonder what kind of cushion Jesus was sleeping on? I wonder . . . I wonder . . . I wonder . . . In verse 38, it’s pretty clear what the disciples wondered. They wondered if Jesus even cared if they drowned. Do you wonder if God actually cares about you? Or is he just sleeping while your life is sinking?
Story:
When I was a teenager, I had a lot of “friends” but few that felt like real friends. Especially guys. I begged God to give me friends who wanted to follow Jesus with me, but all I heard back was silence. It felt like he couldn’t hear me. Or if he could, that he was just ignoring me. It wasn’t until my sophomore year of high school that a kid named Matthew moved to my hometown and showed up at my church and school. He was the answer to years of prayer. What I didn’t realize at the time, was that while I was praying for a friend, I was actually developing a deeper friendship with God. Jesus was answering my prayer for a friend with himself. Jesus answered the questions of the disciples 2,000 years ago, and he answers yours today. How do we know he cares? First of all, he was not taking a nap on the shore. He was in the boat with the disciples. He also was in the middle of the storm. If their boat went down, he was going down. And he is in your storm with you. But he didn’t let the boat go down, did he? With a single word, he silenced the storm. When he spoke, “ . . . the wind ran out of breath. The sea became smooth as glass” (Mark 4:39–40 MSG). And then he asked his closest friends two questions: “Why are you so afraid? Do you still have no faith?” (Mark 4:40). These [stories] are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name (John 20:31). Now here’s the curious thing. In the days and weeks before Jesus was snoozing in the storm, John had already watched him do plenty of miracles. Jesus cleansed lepers, made lame people walk, cast out demons, and even made a widow’s dead son come back to life. He’d witnessed all of that firsthand, and yet, in the middle of that storm, he still lacked faith. He still wondered if Jesus cared about him. He still questioned if the Son of God had enough power to stop a storm. And over and over again, Jesus continued showing John and all of the disciples the truth about who he was. That he was God with skin on. And it seems like by the end of his book, John was finally convinced. What do you think convinced him?
Fasting during Lent
Katelyn Williamson, Director of Youth and Family Ministry
2/27/23
Are you tired? Worn out? Burned out on religion? Come to me. Get away with me and you’ll recover your life. I’ll show you how to take a real rest. Walk with me and work with me—watch how I do it. Learn the unforced rhythms of grace. I won’t lay anything heavy or ill-fitting on you. Keep company with me and you’ll learn to live freely and lightly’” (Matthew 11:28–30 MSG).
Question: Jesus asks, “Are you worn out? Could you use a real rest?” Jesus wants that for you. How do you find real rest?
Scripture: Open your Bible to Matthew 11:28–30 and read what your translation says. Underline it. Imagine Jesus saying those words to you right now. Jesus says, “Take my yoke upon you and learn from me” (v. 29a). “Walk with me and work with me—watch how I do it” (v. 29 MSG). So, let’s do what he says. Let’s look at the Gospels and watch how Jesus pursues rest. When you look at the miracles of Jesus, a clear pattern develops. It happens with almost every one of them, but let’s revisit the one we looked at last month, the healing of the leper. Turn to Mark 1:40. That afternoon, Jesus was healing a leper. But what was he doing that morning? Back up five verses and look at Mark 1:35 to find out. As you think about Jesus spending time alone with the Father, what comes to mind?
My Wonderings: I wonder what time Jesus usually went to bed at night. I wonder . . . I wonder . . . I wonder . . . “Very early in the morning, while it was still dark, Jesus got up, left the house and went off to a solitary place, where he prayed” (Mark 1:35). Hours before he healed the leper, what did Jesus do? Got up early, went off by himself, and prayed. Before he performed his first miracle ever, Jesus spent more than a month in the woods with his Father. (v. 12) Before he called his disciples to follow him, Jesus took a walk alone on the beach. (v. 16) Before he began casting demons out of a boy, he was fasting and praying (Mark 9:2). Before he walked on water, Jesus climbed up a mountain to pray (John 6:15). He spent entire nights in prayer (Luke 6:12). Even the night before he was going to be crucified, Jesus was on his knees in the garden talking to his Father (Luke 22:41). “Jesus often withdrew to lonely places and prayed” (Luke 5:16). Jesus says that the path to real rest is keeping company with him. That’s how we learn to live in freedom. Being with Jesus is the way to experience true rest. Jesus himself is our rest. But just like we saw last month, there are many things distracting us from “getting away to a solitary place with him.” How have the last few days been for you? Have you noticed those distractions having more or less power over you? Would you like for them to have less? If so, Jesus offers a solution in Matthew 6:16. It’s found right in the middle of his most famous teaching, the Sermon on the Mount. He makes this statement: “‘When you fast . . .” Not if you fast, but when. Jesus assumes his followers will practice the discipline of fasting. Fasting is simply voluntarily going without something. It’s most commonly associated with food, but it can be done with all kinds of things, as you’ll see in today’s practice. Fasting seems strange. We live in a culture that constantly tells us we need MORE of everything, not less. More money, more entertainment, more followers, more gadgets, more clothes, and more food.
Story: In 1955, when McDonald’s opened, the original size of the fountain soda cup was 7 oz. Now you can get one SIX TIMES larger! And if 42 oz. isn’t enough for you, you can get a 128 oz. Big Gulp at any 7-Eleven. Since iPhones first came out in 2007, I’ve personally owned at least eight different models, each one newer, faster, and better than the one I had before. We live in a world that makes us think we need MORE. Fasting takes us in the opposite direction. There’s a good chance that you’ve never intentionally fasted before. Maybe that’s because you didn’t know about it or understand why anyone would want to do it. Fasting is hard. The world, our flesh, and the devil often work together to keep us from it. What’s important about fasting is to remember why we’re doing it. What we long for is true rest and intimacy with God. We long for rest from worry, from striving, from pretending to be someone we’re not. True rest comes from a closeness with Jesus—from a resting in who we are in him. Lots of things get in the way of that. Fasting is a practical way to say, “No. I’m not going to pay attention to any of these distractions. I want to fix my eyes on Jesus alone.” Now when you fast, you might feel tempted to tell everyone you know about it. We somehow think others will think better of us if they know we’re fasting. But listen to what Jesus says about that. When you practice some appetite-denying discipline to better concentrate on God, don’t make a production out of it. It might turn you into a small-time celebrity but it won’t make you a saint. If you ‘go into training’ inwardly, act normal outwardly. Shampoo and comb your hair, brush your teeth, wash your face. God doesn’t require attention-getting devices. He won’t overlook what you are doing; he’ll reward you well (Matthew 6:16–18 MSG). What reward is Jesus talking about? He’s talking about himself. Jesus is the reward. When we deny the other temptations vying for our attention, and spend time with him, we get to experience the true rest of knowing Jesus.
Today’s Practice: In order to help you rest in Jesus this week, select one of the fasting options below. You might be tempted to do more than one. Don’t. Start small. You can pick another one next week if you want, but just commit to doing one for the rest of this week.
1. Scripture before Screen: Before you look at any screen in the morning, spend time reading God’s Word. If you’re looking for a place to start, turn to Matthew Chapters 5–7 and read the rest of the Sermon on the Mount.
2. Less Time in Front of the Mirror: If you struggle with finding your identity in your appearance or in what you wear, consider spending less time in front of the mirror. I had a friend who looked like a model. He exercised a lot and worked hard to impress others with his appearance. One day he became convicted about it. More than gaining the approval of others, he wanted to know God more deeply. To help him move towards that, he decided to spend less time focused on his appearance—less time in front of the mirror. He told me that it was crazy to see how differently people treated him when he didn’t look as put together as he had before. He said that their reactions led him into a deeper rest in the steady, constant love of God.
3. Giving Up a Comfort: We are people who consistently run to find pleasure in anything other than God. Consider giving up something that “soothes” you for the rest of this week. A comfort food like desserts, hitting the snooze button, watching a show before bed, etc. Where do you turn for pleasure?
4. Limited Media: Estimate how much time you spend each week on screens. You can probably look at the “Screen Time” report in your phone settings and get an accurate estimate. Add up social media, streaming video, video games, etc. Once you get that total for the week, divide it by seven and see what your average screen time is in a single day. Once you’ve got that number, consider cutting it in half each day for the rest of the week. For example, if you regularly watch an average of four hours/day of Netflix and YouTube, you would limit yourself to two hours/day. If you spend two hours/day on social media, you would limit yourself to one hour/day. You could also fast from screens for an entire day or don’t look at any screens until school gets out in the afternoon. A few years ago, I fasted from screens for 3 months. It was the most life-changing thing I’ve ever done. I’m convinced that fasting from screens helped rewire my brain. My relationship with technology has been much healthier ever since. If you’re anything like me, you might not have the self-discipline to limit your own screen time. That’s why I have a screen time limit set on my phone for my internet usage and time-wasting apps. After I reach my time limit each day, my phone locks me out, and I don’t know the password to get around it. Only a trusted person does. Consider asking your parents to put a code in your phone to help you set some boundaries when it comes to screen time.
5. Words/People: If you’re an extrovert, silence and solitude are probably pretty difficult practices for you to engage in. Consider giving up words or interaction with other people for part of a day. Leave your phone at home and take a walk with God.
*Remember, only pick one, and don’t tell a lot of people what you’re doing. Maybe just tell your parents and your youth leader. The goal isn’t to perform or be a better person. The goal is to give up something that might distract you from Jesus, in order to allow your mind and heart to find true rest in him alone.
Faith Formation for All
Faith Formation for Life
Katelyn Williamson, Director of Youth and Family Ministry
1/5/23
While many of us find ourselves going to church on a weekly basis, there is an entire group of church goers who do not enjoy the benefits and blessings of Sunday School. People who are not attending Sunday School are missing out on a powerful part of the church that helps its members mature in their relationship with Christ. You may have never attended, stopped attending, attended sporadically, or gone every week. Whatever your relationship with Sunday School or Sunday Education is, I want to share with you three benefits of attending Sunday School on a weekly basis. I share these to offer strength and encouragement in your faith journey.
Gain Encouragement
Let’s be honest with ourselves and one another. Life is hard. Life is hard, and it seems like the point in history we are living in is especially difficult. The troubles and trials are difficult for even the most spiritual, godly, and talented of people, not to mention the rest of us. Every week we have to deal with the task of keeping it together in the midst of chaos, making the right decisions concerning our children, providing for our families, fighting temptation, dealing with our sinful failures, and then battling the grief and shame that come with that failure. Depression, anxiety, and complacency loom large for many of us. We need a place to come to where we know we are not alone. The grief we feel is shared by many. The sorrow we battle is not isolated. The sin which so easily entangles us is entrapping others. The questions we have of how to live this life for Jesus when it seems so impossible are being asked by more than just us.
Sunday School offers a place to gain encouragement to know you are not alone, you are not on an island, the world is not only on your shoulders. Writing to the church at Rome, the apostle Paul says, “that I may be encouraged together with you by the mutual faith both of you and me” (Rom. 1:12). Paul was away from the Roman believers, and he knew that if they could see each other they would encourage one another in life and in the faith. After a week of living, striving, and serving in this sin-stained world, we need a place where we can come together and be encouraged; encouraged in the word, encouraged in life, and encouraged through others. Sunday School offers a place where such encouragement can take place.
Strengthen Relationships
One of the difficult tasks of living as a believer is having intimate, life-giving relationships with other believers as we walk through this journey of faith. We have several types and levels of relationships in our lives. We have relationships with our immediate family. We have relationships with extended family. We also have relationships with friends (some close and some not so close) and neighbors. We also have relationships with coworkers. Then there are those we know as acquaintances. In each of these types of relationships we have varying levels of intimacy which help define the relationship. The issue that many believers have is we have a hard time being truly open and honest with other believers because in our fallenness we think we are the worst of the people we know. We often think there are no other Christ followers who deal with the issues we deal with and who struggle with the concerns we struggle with or who fail so miserably with sin as we do. One of the tools of the Devil is to make us feel that we are on a spiritual island that we can never get off. If we ever were to get off, no one would allow us to come and share their island. We are in desperate need of genuine, intimate relationships. I am not talking about Facebook and Instagram friends, I am talking about real, down in the dirt, fight all night, walk a thousand miles with you, help you conquer the most heinous obstacles in your life friends.
Sunday School is a place where you can plant, cultivate, and harvest this type of relationship. In Sunday School you hear people share prayer requests and realize their life is not as perfect as their social media accounts portray. In Sunday School you hear people’s experience in applying, misapplying, and not applying scripture in their lives, and you recognize you are not the only one who struggles. When Paul talks about bearing one another’s burdens (Gal. 6:2) he is not expecting our burden bearing to be done in a vacuum but in the context of vibrant godly relationships. As we share our life experiences, we can begin to develop these deep, meaningful relationships with others. These relationships not only strengthen us, they strengthen others, and they strengthen the church. Sunday School offers a place for relationships to flourish.
Equipped for Life
The third reason to value Sunday School and make it a priority in your life is that Sunday School offers another, even more in-depth opportunity to study the Bible and be equipped for life. While attending the worship service of the church is healthy, beneficial, and encouraging, Sunday School provides a means to be able to dig into the meat of the word and pull out all of the hidden gems tucked away in God’s holy word. As the word of God is discussed, you can learn the historical intricacies of the text and context, how others have dealt with the passage, and how you can apply the passage to your life. Sunday School offers an opportunity to learn God’s word on multiple levels of thinking, feeling, and doing, helping us to grow in our understanding of God’s word, value God’s word, and appropriately apply God’s word to our lives. If you want to be equipped to live for and honor Christ in this world, I highly encourage you to attend and be a part of Sunday School.
I want to encourage you to make Sunday School a part of your discipleship with Jesus. Sunday School is one of the strongest parts of your spiritual formation in Christ.
Desert Cross Faith Formation 