Emily Downing, Sarah Caudill
Joe Evans, Jacqueline Beck
Second Presbyterian Church
Sermons: April 23, 2006

"Jesus was a Teenager, Too"

Four short sermons delivered by youth members of Second Presbyterian Church on Youth Sunday 2006

Emily Downing's Sermon:

All parents worry, even Mary and Joseph worried. As we heard from our scripture reading, Mary, Joseph and Jesus had just attended a Passover feast in Jerusalem. This was Jesus’ first time to attend this feast. He was twelve years old, and this was the age that a Jewish boy was to become a man. When the Passover feast was over, it was time for everyone to return home. On their journey home men and women would travel in two different groups. The women would start out much earlier and then the men left later. In the evening, they would all meet each other at a designated camp site. When Mary and Joseph saw each other they realized that Jesus was not with them.

I’m sure many of us have always wondered how Mary and Joseph could forget Jesus, but it makes sense if men and women traveled separately. Joseph might have thought Jesus was with Mary and Mary might have thought he was with Joseph. When they realized he wasn’t with either of them they must have felt scared, worried, angry, concerned, and sick to their stomach. Jesus was missing.

Today when we have missing children we have many ways to notify people. We have the police, television, radio, Amber Alert, cell phones and computers, but during Jesus’ time Mary and Joseph couldn’t call Jerusalem or call Jesus on his cell phone. So what did they have to do, they had to walk back on that long journey to Jerusalem. They might have been wondering where they would begin to search. Where would they start?

When they returned to Jerusalem, they luckily found him in the temple. Now if this happened to me, my mom would give me a big hug and then yell at me because she was worried. Maybe Mary and Joseph did the same. Mary said to Jesus, why have you done this to us, we have been worried. Jesus said back, didn’t you know I was in my father’s house? They probably didn’t understand his response, as the bible told us, but maybe they were just thankful to have him back. Then they took him home and he was obedient.

Jesus was a teenager too. He made his parents worry. He made his parents angry. He was just trying to figure out who he was, just like all teenagers, and I’m trying to do the same. Who am I? What am I? These are just two of the many questions that I, along with all other college-bound seniors, are asking ourselves. While driving around the other day, with the windows down, the song Who am I by Casting Crowns came on. I couldn’t help but starting singing along. Thoughts of confusion and wonder started racing through my head. Then I realized I was being comforted by this song.

I am going to take the chorus, line by line, and explain the significance it has to me. The first line is I am a flower quickly fading, here today and gone tomorrow. This line represents how short our lives are. We live each day, planning for the days to come. Sometimes not truly living each day because we are too worried about the future and end up missing everything.

The second line is a wave tossed in the ocean. Like the wave, as I get ready to head off on my journey through life, I am being released into a huge world. I am going to be on my own having to make my own decisions. I have to take all the things that I have learned from both my mom and grandmother and learn as I go. I will grow and I will make sure that I make waves throughout my crossing.

The third line says, a vapor in the wind. Here I am, getting ready to be mixed in with people from not only all around the country, but around the world. As a vapor in the wind, when I’m standing there on campus, I will be overwhelmed and excited with all the possibilities. My mind is ready to learn and my heart is ready for new experiences.

The forth line is, Still you hear me when I'm calling. Lord, you catch me when I'm falling. This verse tells me that there will be many times I am going to fall. Whether it be having a bad day, making a mistake or getting a bad grade I always know God will be there in my times of doubt and trouble. I can call on God by handing over all of these problems because I trust him. Even when there’s days I don’t think he is with me, I can remind myself that he is there holding me up and pushing me to strive harder.

The last line reads, And you’ve told me who I am. I am Yours. God knows our names. God knows our hurts. God knows our joys. God knows every single thing about us because he cares and created us. I am who I am, because of what God has done.

We are all here in our father’s house to worship God and we bring our troubles and joys. When we are lost, this is the place we come for guidance and to figure out who we are. Let me share the chorus with you one more time, I am a flower quickly fading, Here today and gone tomorrow, A wave tossed in the ocean, A vapor in the wind, Still you hear me when I’m calling, Lord you catch me when I’m falling, and you’ve told me who I am, I am Yours, I am Yours. Whether you are a child, teenager or adult we have one thing in common, we are God’s.

Sarah Caudill's Sermon:

Today I would like to take the time to share with you my faith story; the ups and downs of being a teenager, obstacles in my life, and how I’ve grown as a person. It’s comforting to know that Jesus was a teenager too. I am sure he had his moments and that people helped him grow along the way. I would like to share this morning what has helped me grow in my life.

One of my biggest inspirations has been Burnamwood. Burnamwood is a Presbyterian church camp that many of us go to, located in Irvine, Kentucky. I started going my sophomore year, and ever since then my life has taken a turn for the better. This past spring retreat we talked about being rooted in Love. We compared this to a tree: God’s the roots. He supports and helps us grow into the fully-developed tree. With God’s love as our foundation we can spread our love to everyone.

Burnamwood love is a love that you can’t ever replace; it’s something so much deeper than anything you can imagine. It’s like Peter Pan’s Neverland - you’re a kid again, you’re crazy and wild and love to have fun. I didn’t even realize it, but at the time I was also growing in my faith in God. I learned to love myself for who I am- nobody cares what you look like, how you dress, if you can dance or not. Every single person at Burnamwood looks at what you have to offer to life. I offer my smile, my laughs, and my hugs. And even though we have our fun and crazy times, there’s always a serious time too. One year we talked about never giving up on the journey of our faith. What does faith mean to us? To me, faith is love. Standing firm in what we believe in and wanting to spread all that we can offer. Sharing faith is harder in “real” life than it is at Burnamwood. At Burnamwood I could run up with a big smile on my face and just give the most random person the biggest hug ever. If I did that at school I would probably get beaten up. But I laugh and love and through my actions want to show people that I am a child of God.

Another inspiration has been my family. Growing up, my family has never doubted showing love. We’ve got tough love but its love all the same. Me and my sister- we’ve got tough love. We’ve been through everything together; the tears and joy, laughter and smiles.

When I was about six years old, Caroline was probably four or five. We got into our first fight that I can remember. We shared a room back then and mom had told us to go clean it up. I, being the responsible one, was doing just as she had asked. I was going around the room, picking things up and diligently placing them on their correct shelves. Meanwhile, Caroline is following me, taking everything back down. Well, I really didn’t like that at all. So I bit her- on the shoulder. I’m sure I felt sorry for her after I did it, but looking back now I like to think that I was just showing affection- that’s what tough love is all about, right? Sometimes it hurts…

Growing up has its ups and downs, and we’ve all been through it. In elementary school, love was about the kid who gave you his pencil when yours broke during a spelling test. In middle school love was about the guy that wrote you a note and slipped it in your locker between classes. In high school, who knows what love is? I’m still trying to figure it out and I’m about to graduate in a month. It could take my whole life before I figure it out. Maybe all of us are still learning in one way or another.

The last inspiration I would like to share is Second Presbyterian’s impact on my life. Some examples are having the privilege to participate in worship through reading scripture, sharing my music, fellowship with the young and old, church school teachers and youth leaders, youth group, Cambridge Place and Kid’s Café, Vacation Bible School, Senior’s brunch and so much more. Now that I am about to graduate in a month, hopefully I will be able to find a church that will help me grow further in my faith. But I know that Second Presbyterian will always be my home and I am excited to know that my brother will be guided in this church just like I was.

I want to close my sermon by sharing this story with you that has showed me that you really do have to live life to the fullest, and love each other just as you love yourself. A friend of mine that I had met through Burnamwood died in January. She is a senior and would be graduating with me in May. Her name was Sallie and she is the sweetest most energetic person I had ever met. When I think of her, I think of her smile because it was always the biggest and most sincere. She never let anything get her down, and if you were upset then she would be there to listen. We planted a tree in honor of her at camp. We each got a piece of paper and wrote something, anything on it. Mine said “Smile, Laugh, Have fun” because that’s what Sallie was all about. We placed these pieces of paper in the hole before the tree was planted to show that our love united will nurture and help this tree grow, spreading our love through it’s roots.

Let’s all share our love. This is the way we should live our lives because we never know if this could be our last day. But it all goes back to our tree, our love is grounded in God and God helps us to love others. Trees need the firm foundation to be able to stand firm in any kind of storm. We also need to stand firm in our faith, through God’s love as our roots to get us through storms and sunshine. It’s going to take prayer, faith, and a lot of hard work. But it’s possible. It’s spring time and all the trees are blooming, God’s love surrounds us, is your faith grounded in God’s love? If so, what has helped inspire you?

Joe Evans' Sermon:

Jesus was a teenager too.

He must have wondered just how he was supposed to act in certain situations…he must have thought that his parents were keeping him from experiencing life the way he thought he should…he must have felt that his way was the right way, that his parents didn’t really understand or remember just what it meant to be young and looking for the meaning in your life…he must have wondered why they were so uptight when there was so much to be done!! So much of life to experience!!

Decisions to be made whether to hang out with a friend or work on a project, decisions on whether to speed up when I’m running late… to do my homework now or later…; whether to try to cheer up a friend when they’re feeling down, or to let them fall and be there to help when they are ready to get up... Did Jesus have these same questions? Did his parents understand?

Growing up I have come to realize that throughout life we all have to make decisions that shape us as people. Our decisions affect us both today and tomorrow.

The following are words from Thomas Merton, a Catholic Monk whose words have for a long time provided an inspiration to my father and have recently inspired me:  

The process of living, of growing up and becoming a person is to discover the meaning of life and to live according to it. Every person seeks the discovery of their true self, their salvation, both through other people and in a relationship with God. This discovery of humanity in God and of God in humanity is the discovery of Christ. I cannot discover God in myself and myself in Him unless I have the courage to face myself exactly as I am, with all of my limitations, and to accept others as they are, with all of their limitations.

We cannot love ourselves unless we love others and we cannot love others unless we love ourselves.

This truth never becomes clear as long as we assume that each of us, individually, is the center of the universe. We do not exist for ourselves alone and it is only when we are fully convinced of this fact that we begin to love ourselves properly and to also love others.

This is not merely a helpful suggestion, but is the fundamental law of human existence.

It is therefore of supreme importance that we consent to live not for ourselves alone, but for others too.  For example, the more material goods I keep for my own enjoyment, the less there are for others. My pleasures and comforts are, in a certain sense, taken from someone else. I must learn to deprive myself of good things in order to give them to others who have a greater need of them. When we do this we will see that we are human, like everyone else, that we all have weaknesses and deficiencies and that these limitations play an important part in all of our lives. It is because of them that we need others and that others need us. We are not all weak in the same spots, and so we complete one another. The meaning of my life is not to be looked for in the sum total of my own achievements. It is seen only in the complete integration of my achievements and failures with the achievements and failures of my own generation, society and time. It is seen, above all, in my integration in the mystery of Christ.

Nothing else makes sense unless we admit, with the poet, John Donne, that: "No man is an island, entire of itself; every man is a piece of the continent, a part of the main."

Jacqueline Beck's Sermon:

Imagine, or maybe some of you don’t have to…losing a child, sister/brother, best friend…and unlike Mary and Joseph, knowing you wouldn’t find them. I did not lose a sister, daughter, or even a best friend, however, I can relate. I lost a friend back in January of this year. Sallie Frank McKemie was a senior at Sayre high school, her vibrance radiated through to everyone who knew her. Sallie was so loved by her friends that when her death occurred on homecoming weekend, all games and celebrations were cancelled, not merely for respect, but because everyone in their community was deeply impacted by the loss. Though I shared few memories with her, the ones that we had are very cherished, and locked in my heart for ever.

After her death I truly realized the impact that she had on my life. The week before she died, I was trying to find time to run to the grocery so that I could get a big bag of Hershey kisses to send with my friend to school for Sallie. I did this often, just to hear about how much she loved them, and that I brightened her day. In return Sallie always brightened mine, every time I heard she thought of me, or on the rare occasion when I would get to see her. Her smile was always contagious, and her care free personality made me comfortable around her, as if we had been friends for a long time. Sallie loved Burnamwood, and made it a big part of her life, which many people from this church can remember her from.

Even though I am so happy to have known her, at the time of the phone call when the voice on the other line told me that Sallie had died in the night, happiness wasn’t the first thing that came to my mind. I feel unlucky and distressed for not getting the chance to know her better, and to spend more time with her. I was bitter, jealous, and angry, although above all confused, and torn.

Soon after Sallie’s death, I had the honor of attending her memorial service. Although the nave only fit around 250 people in the small Cynthiana Presbyterian church, over 800 people showed up that night. Through my tear filled eyes, I saw some things that helped me understand my anger and resentment. The minister at the service spoke of Sallie’s humorous nature; the room’s tear-saturated faces drew smiles and laughter. I was able to see her life closer than I may have ever been able to. I learned of Sallie’s faith, and all the religious interests she pursued with her sisters, as well as her contributions to Burnamwood.

Though there were many more things in the service that inspired me, the one that still remains the most vivid in my memory, is her parents and her sisters at the service. Her family was so strong, and proud of Sallie, they were concerned with how others were taking her death, seemingly ignoring their own sadness, which confused me seeing as I was a complete mess. Sallie died of an ‘idiopathic fibro muscular hyperplasia of the avnodal artery’…which basically means that there was a block of a small artery in the lower part of her heart, that when it was blocked it couldn’t pass electrical impulses to keep the heart going. With her athletic nature it was a very unexpected death, and a very rare cause.

Sallie was the most accomplished and well loved teenager I know. When I heard the verse that the service today would be about, I immediately realized what all my observations meant. Just as ‘Jesus was a teenager too’, he told his parents ‘you should have known I’d be in the house of my father.’ Sallie’s parents knew where she was, and we’re glad that she is with God. Her parents comforted others, helping all of us see where she was as well, so they would no longer worry. Just as we do everyday when we pray to God, even though we can’t see him, we know we can still talk to him. I know that Sallie is with God now, and that I can speak to her, and even though I can’t see her, I know she is there, listening, and comforting me.

Growing up isn’t easy. There are ups and downs; Good times and bad times. But through it all, God is with us.