Formative Process
Recently after dinner with females who had particiapted for one year in an intentional community in a Spiritual Formation house off campus, sharing a wonderful evening with international students at a delightful banquet and program and then celebrating with graduating seniors and families at a sports banquet as their coaches and administrators honored and spoke eloquently about their many achievements, I wondered what do all these wonderful young people have in common besides attending Messiah College.
I really do not have the answer to that multifaceted question but I would like to reflect on some common threads I saw in those events. The story of each student involved the risk to try a challenge. At some level all of us need to be challenged to break out of ourselves and the familiar patterns of our lives. That always involves change and change is often a source of fear but for these young people there seemed to be the common confidence that fear could be looked in the eye and challenged.
They admitted they did not always win but they learned in winning and losing. Confidence seemed to rise from risk. From risk came achievements.
On a night where many of the Messiah community will remember the Virginia Tech massacre in a candlelight vigil, it could be a moment of fear and refusal to risk. In fact, it is tempting to insulate our lives from risk, if possible. But, somehow for us to achieve, we have to engage fear realistically and accept the challenge to live life fully. When the candles are lit tonight, I will think about the bravery involved in moving ahead with opportunities of life in spite of the risks.
Somehow deep within me there is a reflective smile in my spirit as I see young adults look risk in the eye and dare to achieve their God given potential. That to me is formation. There are many building blocks in that process. There are supportive people, people who serve in the background, those who encourage, people who teach, coach, lead or pastor and so many others so willing to reach out and invest. There are lonely moments testing the will of the commitment and community times that challenge our process or encourage us to keep going. There are faithful practices that help build toward our goals. There are grace moments that lift us up to try again.
But always it is a process. Graduation is just a mile marker on a longer journey but it is a reminder of how dynamically our God works in the process of formation. I am amazed at what God can accomplish in four short years. I look and listen to God’s handiwork and smile. God does amazing work.
Monday 23 Apr 2007 | efry | Uncategorized