Chapel of the Cross, Chapel Hill, NC

During 2004-5, the High School class focused on issues facing the Church today and problems relevant to young people. We utilized a discussion format and began by setting the ground rules, including respectful listening.

Early on, we discussed the ordination of Bishop Gene Robinson and the issue of same sex unions. The students decided these are issues about which reasonable people can disagree and concluded that it is less important to be 'right' than to remain in dialogue and in community. The students' conclusions were echoed in the Windsor report released six months later. In our Sunday School discussions on these topics, which went on for three weeks, I was reminded of a quote from Robert F. Kennedy: "The world demands the qualities of youth. Not a time of life, but a state of mind, a temper of the will."

One student asked, "What does the Bible say about dating?" We used the story of Jacob and Rachel to explore the concepts of choice, commitment, and love. We discovered that the things we seek most in relationships (love and acceptance) have already been given to us by God. And that when we love someone else, we love a person whom God also loves.

We attended offerings in the adult education series, including several talks about the Arab-Israeli conflict. Students discussed their experiences as acolytes, and how participating in the liturgy of the Church deepened their faith. The students had breakfast with the homeless, helped with Project 5000, and planned a book drive to benefit children at the Wind River Indian Reservation in Wyoming.

Class time included many walks in the arboretum. Students related instances in which they felt the presence of God. Several students mentioned they felt the presence of God most strongly when they expressed compassion for others. In the arboretum, we read the following words from Thomas Merton: "A tree gives glory to God by being a tree...in being what God means it to be. A tree gives glory to God by spreading out its roots in the earth and raising its branches into the air and the light in a way that no other tree before or after it ever did or will do." The students related strongly to a passage from Jeremiah: "Do not say, 'I am only a youth.' Be not afraid, for I am with you" says the Lord.

It has been a joy to work for three years with such an extraordinary group of youth. In words from a sermon by the Rev. Peter Gomes at Harvard: "I enjoy the energy that you bring, the variety and diversity of your gifts. I like the chemistry between the ancient institution of the Church and your youthful promise. I look forward to seeing how it all turns out for you. How whenever you fall, you will pick yourselves up. How you will change, how you will learn. How by mystery, prayer, and a little work, you will be transformed. And how you will transform the world."

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