For those who have asked (and the many others who have accurately guessed), yes…I am a 7 in the world of enneagram. We 7s are typically described as restless, quick thinkers who insist our lives be an exciting adventure. At our worst, we are compulsively self-destructive, and at our best, we live life to the fullest. I’m a 7. This 7 is leading a youth camp near Santa Cruz, California, from July 15-19. In the mornings, we are studying the life of Jesus. We will begin with his birth on Monday and journey to his resurrection in Friday’s session. In the afternoons, we are engaging ‘adventures’ that connect (although somewhat loosely at times) to the texts studied in the morning. On Tuesday afternoon, we will follow our study of the ‘Sermon on the Mount’ with a hike in Ben Lomond, California. (Get it? Hiking on a ‘mountain.’) On Wednesday afternoon, we will follow our study of Jesus’ ministry on the shore of the Seas of Galilee with surfing lessons in Santa Cruz. You get the picture. It’s the perfect place for a 7 to be teaching…and I’m about to check surfing off my bucket list!
Ironically, I’m a 7 that yearns for stability and quiet. As much as I’ll love trekking through the mountains and cutting a line on the wave off a west coast beach (Yeah, that last image is probably more of a daydream.), I’m looking forward to being back with you this Sunday. I’ll be sharing one of my favorite texts in the Old Testament prophets (Jeremiah 3), and we will share communion. As much as I love new adventures, nothing consistently moves me as much as the sharing of the bread and cup in worship. I love the movements of the eucharist – taking bread, lifting bread to bless it, breaking bread, extending bread, pouring from chalice to cup and holding the elements high before the people of faith. I love the verbiage of the meal, “On the night Jesus was betrayed…behold the Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the whole world…has everyone been fed?” I love the sharing and serving between faith family members.
No doubt, I am about to enjoy the laughter of youth, the site of redwoods and the feel of saltwater against my skin, but it is a truth…none of these adventures surpass the intense joy of a table, story and hope set before God’s people in communion. I’ll see you at the table this Sunday morning.
—Jim