My Mum used to say, back in the day, "Oh Paul, you're as slow as a wet week." I'm pretty sure this related to my reluctance to doing chores and not general intelligence but you can be the judge on that. Whatever it was, I heard the phrase as, "Oh Paul, you're as slow as wet weak." as in some one who was wet and weak - wimpy or 'gutless'. Which if you think about it, is something pretty ordinary for your Mum to say, but that's how I heard it. It wasn't until I thought about it again as an adult - some years later - that I understood it meant in the weekly sense, as in a week full of rainy days that seem to drag on forever. Turns out in understanding that one, I was indeed as slow as a wet week.
Fast forward to 2020, when I learned I had for years completely missed the meaning of the olden days (1993) hit, "Are you Gonna Go My Way?" - a song composed and performed by musician/singer/songwriter Lenny Kravitz. I loved this song at first listen, a great uncomplicated riff and catchy chorus. I predicted at the time it would go to number one (such things mattered back in those days). My prediction was correct (such things matter still today). The problem was I presumed he was asking a girl out or some such. I kind of skipped over the first line, "I was born long ago, I'm the chosen, I'm the one." Kravitz was actually asking the question from Jesus' point of view! If you don't believe me, check out this interview.*
Anyway, that's the long way round to saying the theme for Youth this term is, "Are you Gonna Go My Way?" It's a big question. It's a costly question. It's a hard question. But Jesus claims he has something the world cannot give, in terms of life, purpose and love. And he doesn't push people into it, he communicates what he is offering - and its costs - and asks, one way or another, 'Are you Gonna Go My Way?' Now, we'll be having games, snacks and general hang-out time as usual - but that's the big question we'll be looking at this term. I'm looking forward to it - and I believe it will help us "engage, rearrange and turn this planet back to one."**
Paul.
*Or buy tickets for his April concert at Rod Laver and see if you can ask him. (It'll cost you somewhere between $200-400 and there's no guarantee you'll get to talk to him...)
** Pretty obviously, lyrics from the song.