I recently came across a pretty enlightening statistic. According to the Barna Research Group, 80% of all those in church today (all churches across the board) began their relationship with God before they turned 18. That is a pretty significant number. It points to why it is so vital for us to have engaging ministries for our children and youth.

Two things popped into my mind and heart as I reflected on this statistic. First, I was overcome with gratitude that I am able to serve in a church that understands the importance of ministry to children and youth and supports it wholeheartedly with their dollars and their time. Second, it ignited a renewed sense of urgency to continue our efforts to reach out to children and youth in our community, many of whom desperately need to hear the Good News that God loves them.

When two of you get together on anything at all on earth and make a prayer of it, my Father in heaven goes into action. And when two or three of you are together because of me, you can be sure that I’ll be there.”
Matthew 18:19-20 (The Message)

In my devotional reading I read Matthew 18:15-35. The pieces of the passage were familiar to me, but maybe I haven't read them together before. Or maybe God opened my eyes and my heart. The section is all about relationships. It begins with how to handle a situation in which we perceive someone has hurt us. It ends with forgiveness (70x7 times, Peter!) and the well-known story of the two debtors.

Tucked between those two ideas is v. 19-20. It's like Jesus is saying, "Here is why this is so important: God responds when you are together, when you are in agreement." That is so incredibly powerful. And if I were completely honest, I have a hard time believing it. But what I am going to do is practice what I preach and try it. It's huge. In my Greek class yesterday, we were talking about how the Christian faith and practice was very much thought of as communal. We are in this together. Many, many, many (I can't say most because I don't know for sure) of the "you"s in the New Testament are actually "yous"- they are plural. Maybe the key to actualizing, hmmm...spiritual effectiveness, power...for lack of better terms right now...is to join together before God in prayer.

"put out into the deep water and let down your nets for a catch." Luke 5:4

"The purpose of a ship isn't to stay docked in the harbor. Our human souls weren't made for shallow water. We must dive into deeper waters with the help of the Holy Spirit. In these deep places the wonderful treasures of the spiritual life are found." Joshua Choonmin Kang, Deep-Rooted in Christ

Staying in the shallows is safe. It is comfortable. I know what is in the shallow water. I have been splashing around there my entire life. But Jesus always beckons the disciple to go deeper. That is where the "good catch" is. There, in the deep, is the stuff of transformation in love. Can we, will we, trust the one that beckons us to "put out into the deep water," confident that he has our best interest at heart? I, for one, am beginning to be able to imagine taking the risk.