Joy: Faith Journeys of the Juniors!

At the beginning of the school year, I had my junior Church History students reflect on their own journeys of faith. We used an exercise that Cabrini Mission Corps and Good Shepherd Volunteers had done during an orientation exercise.

First, we folded our papers into six equal parts. Within each section, I asked students to draw or explain an event or person who had greatly influenced their relationship with God, who they are today, or how they see the world. If they felt comfortable, they shared their reflection with the class.

I rotate one of the bulletin boards in my classroom with the Church History creative projects and papers. Below is a picture taken earlier this year by Gina Scarpello, our CMC director, when she came for a site visit in the fall. (Thanks, Gina!) You can see the Faith Journeys that some students wanted posted. After a month, these were taken down and a new assignment took their place on the board. I have kept all of the creative projects throughout the year with the idea to return them at the end of the academic year.

Now, 6 months after this project, I have begun to sort through all of the creative work and form portfolio’s.  I am still amazed at the depth, maturity, and insight contained in many of their assignments.  Yet, they are still 16-17 year olds, after all, so the honesty and openness is so clear – I love it. Within the paragraphs of jumbled syntax and spelling errors; among the drawings of stick figures, I see glimpses of free, questioning, powerful, loving, wise, imaginative, mistake-making, and vulnerable individuals who are all of these things and more.  The freedom with which they share their lives below-the-surface reminds me that among all the appearances, there are treasures for those who take the time to BE PRESENT to others, ourselves, and God.

I’m reading Henri Nouwen’s Gracias! that Mary has let me borrow. I feel that this passage pretty much says what I mean to say: “True missioners are people who are hunting for the Divine treasure hidden in the heart of the people to whom they want to make the Good News known.  They always expect to see the beauty and truth of God shining through those with whom they live and work.  The great paradox of ministry, therefore, is that we minister above all with our weakness, a weakness that invites us to receive from those to whom we go.” (19) I read that a few days ago, and instantly these assignments came to mind. So, I was moved to share them and that is one reason why Mary and I are up blogging in the community room at 2am on a Saturday evening/Sunday morning. :)

Here are two close-ups of two of the Faith Journeys. Beautiful-- They speak for themselves. 

Because of what this student below wrote in the lower left-hand corner, I wrote a quote next to her grade on the back. It was shared by Gina on one of our retreats, and it goes: “God is too busy loving you to be disappointed in you!” 

**And a HUGE Thank You to Mary, who let me borrow her camera!**

Peace,

-Michelle