Best Weekend Ever!

Ben Kerns

Pastor of Children and Students at Marin Covenant Church, Blogger Extraordinaire, and Youth Ministry Network Facilitator for the Pacific Southwest Conference.

As I have reflected on my weekend in Chicago with my covenant peeps, I have come to the conclusion that this was the best weekend ever!  Marti, Aune, and the rest of their team did a great job facilitating a weekend that was uplifting, encouraging, challenging, and refreshing.

Like many of you, my favorite part was simply connecting with my friends and colleagues.  But after spending hours in informal hang out, wandering the streets and bars of Chicago, and intentional meals, I kept coming back to one common theme. My friends are spent!

Over the years I have spent many different seasons being tired and dry, bitter and lonely, poor and unappreciated.  Thankfully I am not currently in that place, and since I am not, but many of my dearest friends are, I wanted to share one simple encouragement:

We have the best job ever!

When you take away all the politics, the lack of resources, the fickle kids and their high mae parents, what you have at it’s core is an amazing calling.  We are called by God to simply love Jesus with all of our hearts in the unique way that He has crafted us and to simply walk with students as we encourage them to do the same.

We are actually paid to be spiritually grounded and filled, to spend time with students in play and in prayer, and to be an integral part of a church team.  Yes we often don’t use our time well and we mostly burn the wick at both ends.  But let’s face it, most of the angst is self-made.

My prayer for you and for me as we are fully into the 2012 year is that we would simmer down, die to our angst, whatever it is, and live into the abundant life that is offered through Jesus Christ.  This might mean we have to mix up our schedules or chuck outdated calendars and models.  Whatever has to happen, may we find a way to fall in love with Jesus, listen to His leading, be faithful to our call, and then simply invite students to come with us on that journey!

Thank you for being my friends and my life support in this amazing call.  I am honored to be your colleague and humbled to be associated with you.

Grace and Peace!