The youth kicked off a new year in our beautiful Welcome Garden with some time to get to know one another, some sharing of summer experiences, and then some “slow down” time to reflect on our worries and hopes for the new year and on God’s promise to walk with us always. We used verses from Isaiah 43 to center our discussion and a few questions to help us see where life and faith might connect. In closing, the youth experienced prayer walking in the labyrinth where they were invited to sink their worries and float their hopes.
These words of Isaiah are a good reminder for young and old alike!
Isaiah 43:
1 But now thus says the Lord,
the One who created you, O Jacob,
and formed you, O Israel:
Do not fear, for I have redeemed you;
I have called you by name, you are mine.
2 When you pass through the waters, I will be with you;
and through the rivers, they shall not overwhelm you; …
4 You are precious in my sight and honored, and I love you. …
5 Do not fear, for I am with you always. …
16 Thus says the Lord, who makes a way in the sea, a path in the mighty waters…
18 Do not remember the former things or consider the things of old.
19 I am about to do a new thing; now it springs forth, do you not perceive it?
I will make a way in the wilderness and rivers in the desert.
Our reflection questions might be good for all generations too!
- As you begin a new year, there’s usually a mix of fears and hopes, anxiety and excitement. No matter what we feel or face in life, God promises to be with us always. What does this mean to you?
- What are some of your worries or fears right now?
3. What are you most excited about? What are you hoping for?
We highly recommend taking these and other questions on your heart into the labyrinth sometime soon. You might be surprised by what God has to say to you!
