Recap of Youth Service, August 12, 2009

Just a recap of what we talked about at last night’s Youth Service, August 12, 2009:

Passion for the Hurting

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Last week we talked about our role as your Youth Pastors, and how, as the body of Christ (1 Cor. 12), we also support one another.  Last night, we dove a little deeper into what that really means.

Our scripture reads:

The way God designed our bodies is a model for understanding our lives together as a church: every part dependent on every other part… If one part hurts, every other part is involved in the hurt, and in the healing.  If one part flourishes, every other part enters into the exuberance.  (1 Cor 12 24:26 The Message)

There are plenty of places in the Bible that tells us to reach out and help those that are hurting.  But this particular passage actually takes it a step further.  It calls us to empathize with the hurting.  Empathy is more than feeling sorry for people and helping them.  Empathy isn’t just seeing the hurt, but actually hurting with them.

I believe that God hurts when we hurt.  And I think as the body of Christ, we should hurt when those around us are hurting.  We should be broken-hearted when those around us are.

But at the same time, we should rejoice and celebrate when those around us celebrate!

Sympathy is feeling sorry for people.  Empathy is actually hurting with them.  Big difference!

What do you think?  Any thoughts or comments?  Any place in the Word that leads you to a different conclusion?  Or any other supportive text?

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