A time for everything...

On Friday mornings we have a time of student worship, where the students plan and lead the time. We have had people dance, share their favourite songs as well as leading us in rousing chorus of '"I am a C, I am a C.H. I am a C.H.R.I.S.T.I.A.N"
I have enjoyed seeing them take ownership and worship using their gifts. I know as a community we gain so much from one another when we step out in our passions and gifts and ahre them.

This week Funky was leading the student worship time. This week, the lectures had been about Worship, and what that means. As Funky had been praying about the worship time, he felt he wasn't supposed to do the songs he had practiced. That is shouldn't be a time when we work from a formula of how to make worship happen. He shared this with us and then said he wanted to give us a space to be free to just worship in the ways we wanted.

He started our time off by reading us the children's book called 'The giving tree' Its really sweet, if you have never read it I would highly recommend it. The story is below.

Then he just left space.

I am always nervous about what will happen in times like that. There is always the risk that people will just sit there, and as a leader I always feel an obligation to lead out. In some ways it is my responsibility, but it is also ok to let things get uncomfortable sometimes, to give the students the chance to feel God prompting and act on it. Which is what I did yesterday. I just sat.

Thank someone started playing guitar. Someone else was singing to God. Other people read out Psalms, and shared other Bible verses. People prayed out to God in worship. It was a precious time, and I know it was a true time of worship.

THE GIVING TREE

Once there was a giving tree who loved a little boy.
And everyday the boy would come to play
Swinging from the branches, sleeping in the shade
Laughing all the summer's hours away.
And so they love,
Oh, the tree was happy.
Oh, the tree was glad.

But soon the boy grew older and one day he came and said,
"Can you give me some money, tree, to buy something I'’ve found?"
"I have no money," said the tree, "Just apples, twigs and leaves."
"But you can take my apples, boy, and sell them in the town."
And so he did and
Oh, the tree was happy.
Oh, the tree was glad.

But soon again the boy came back and he said to the tree,
"I'm now a man and I must have a house that's all my home."
"I can't give you a house" he said, "The forest is my house."
"But you may cut my branches off and build yourself a home"
And so he did.
Oh, the tree was happy.
Oh, the tree was glad.

And time went by and the boy came back with sadness in his eyes.
"My life has turned so cold," he says, "and I need sunny days."
"I'’ve nothing but my trunk," he says, "But you can cut it down
And build yourself a boat and sail away."
And so he did and
Oh, the tree was happy.
Oh, the tree was glad.

And after years the boy came back, both of them were old.
"I really cannot help you if you ask for another gift."
"I'’m nothing but an old stump now. I'm sorry but I'’ve nothing more to give"
"I do not need very much now, just a quiet place to rest,"
The boy, he whispered, with a weary smile.
"Well", said the tree, "An old stump is still good for that."
"Come, boy", he said, "Sit down, sit down and rest a while."
And so he did and
Oh, the trees was happy.
Oh, the tree was glad