The TEY blog will be a place you can find updates about the programs of Theological Education with Youth, and conversation and discussion about the ministry of youthful theologians in the Church. To keep a good rhythm going on this blog, I will be reflecting on daily readings…hopefully daily, but we’ll see.  Keep an eye on this blog, and jump in the conversation.

"I wish God would hurry up and invent the internet. My hand is cramping up!"

“But we speak God’s wisdom, secret and hidden, which God decreed before the ages of our glory.”

Working with a program like Theological Education with Youth, it’s really easy to get wrapped up in thinking about the faith. Part of the vision behind this program has been to provide a place for diving deep into the theology and teachings of the Church. When ever I get too last in this I think back to my times working with differently abeled adults at summer camp. The simplicity of doctrine but the depth of faith I would find there amongst adults whose mental capacities would never progress beyond that of a five year old reminded me that for Christianity to be the faith that we proclaim it to be it must be both accessible by the simplest amongst us and deeper that the depths that any human understanding could reach. This is an incredibly humbling reality for those who proclaim Christ as Lord. The moment we try and make this truth simple enough to sell, we are reminded of the depths and complexities (like this past Sunday on Holy Trinity Sunday). The moment we try and make the faith some scholarly pursuit that we must ascend to, we are reminded of the simple truth of “Jesus Loves Me”.

Paul experienced this in his ministry. “And I came to you in weakness and in fear and in much trembling.” Paul did not come to the church in Corinth with elbow patches on a corduroy jacket, flashing his diplomas and his test scores. He comes in all of his humility of speech and stature. But the moment we stop there we are blown away by they depth and complexity of this little man’s teachings about Christ crucified. Just as the idea of three in one, one in three flies in the face of all we can understand, a faith that is both shallow and deep at the same time can be a challenge and a comfort all at the same time. For a faith that uses the Cross as its predominant symbol of faith, this seems just about right.