party time

When I moved to  Minnesota, I was astonished by the sacrosanct nature of the Graduation Open House. The rules:

1.  Every student must have one (or share one with a friend or two).

2.  Everyone -- not just family --  must be invited.

3.  Vast quantities of food must be offered.

4.. All parties must happen on the same weekend.

Needless to say, this makes for a lot of stops in one weekend, if you're pastor of a congregation with more than a couple high school students.

 

This year even more than most, I have connections with more high school students than someone my age would normally have. I've been to Boston and China with these graduates. Many of them have baby-sat my kids. I've confirmed them and watched their various abilities grow and griped at them for wearing flip-flops in inappropriate places.

 

If I weren't a pastor, I don't imagine I'd be spending much of this weekend going to parties. We know only one couple our age who -- because they married right out of college -- have kids that age. I suppose, without the church,  we would have found  babysitters somehow. But without this community, my daily life would not bring me into relationship much with 18 year olds. What a gift that it does!