Thursday, July 22, 2010

Interesting New Book Meets Summer Vacation Bible School

This week I've been co-leading my church's Vacation Bible School for 3 year olds through 6th graders, here in the suburbs of the Cities. It's been a fun and exhausting time, full of songs and skits and games and laughter. And now, as I'm just about through the week, I've had some time to sit, be silent, and rest.

In other news, as I was resting I was also checking up on a new project that one of my professors has been working on. His new book is called "The Children of Divorce: The Loss of Family as the Loss of Being". My professor looks at how divorce not only changes a young person's experience of family, their living situations, and their emotional state of being, but changes their essence, their entire being, who they are.

He looks at how young people seek to redefine themselves in the wake of their parents' divorce and the loss of their previous family experience and understanding. He then moves on to see how Christianity and the church can help give language and meaning to the new redefinition of who these young people become. Seeing divorce as causing an ontological shift (that is, changing the core of their human existence) leads him to question how new meaning is created within their existence.

From the perspective of a youth leader working with young people who have had major situational and ontological shifts and changes in their lives, it is helpful to me to see how these young people are able to use Christ and the church to redefine themselves and create real meaning in their lives. Of course, part of that also leads me to examine my own missional ecclesiology (nerd speak for the role and mission of the church). How can I, as a youth worker or as a lay leader or a congregation member, help young people experiencing divorce in their families create new meaning in their lives and cope with the loss of who they had previously been?

As of this moment, having not actually read my professor's newest book, but kind of understanding where he might go with it, I see the answer abiding in the grace of Christ. Luther's Theology of the Cross can help lead us to enter into the pain and fear of someone affected by divorce while they redefine and search for meaning in who they might be becoming. As people of God who are called by love into love of our neighbors, we both support and challenge as need be the new meaning and experiences of our brother and sisters in Christ.

Thinking theologically about real life issues like divorce is great, but acting practically within that theological framework is truly a struggle and a difficulty, for all parties involved. But isn't that exactly what we are called to do, as members of the body of Christ, to act theologically and continue the mission of God and Christ in the world?

I think so.

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