When I was first asked by the leaders at Camp Okoboji to lead a retreat for high school students teaching contemplative prayer and contemplative life I must admit that I was quite skeptical.  The retreats with middle aged and young adults had been very meaningful but I just wasn’t sure it would work with high school youth.  Sure, I had read the book Contemplative Youth Ministry, AND, I wanted to believe that Yaconelli was right, but, I was skeptical.

What an experience!  The young people invested in the process and came genuinely enthused about the topic.  The continaully expressed deep appreciation for the times of silence.  Now, I will admit that we used some unique approaches which may have helped.  A contemplative bike trip (with three miles of mindful silence) brought wonderful discussion.  When we stopped in the middle of the bike trip for an experience in small group lectio divina (at picnic tables on a beautiful day), I was thrilled with the enthusiastic participation.

 Camp Okoboji provided a wonderful staff to partner with and God brought together an incredible group of high school students.  I have been blessed by this experience.

I have had an incredible experience this past year while serving as a chaplain at a major medical center and working with two different groups of people in a program called Clinical Pastoral Education (CPE).  I could probably write a book on this experience.  The experience has helped me to deepen the understanding of meeting people along the way.  Knowing their history and their story helps me to know who they are right now and to become aware of the gifts they bring into my life.  My two CPE groups were vastly different in age and background, yet, each person blessed me in powerful ways.  We all came with different backgrounds, and yet, all found ways to bless the other.  I have learned to see the person in front of me as a human being, a child of God, a gift.

I said good-bye to one today.  The journey had been particularly powerful but now distance will make it different again.  Somehow I think the journey will continue, even though in different form.  That is the way life is.  When you find someone along the way who “gets it”; the journey continues.

Meeting people is a form of transition.  The person changes my life and I change theirs and God is in the midst of it all.  Powerful!  Mysterious!  Gift!  Thanks be to God.