Born again....why?

I was asked by someone at church to try to make the type bigger or change the background of this page. Apparently, the light type on black is difficult to read. Anyone else find this so? Is this any better?

Yesterday's scripture reading was about Nicodemus and his evening visit to Jesus where Nicodemus was told "no one can see the kingdom of God without being born from above."

We talked about Nicodemus' predicament and how he was basically being told that he would have to shed some of the ideas he had taken on if he wanted to freely experience God and the life that is thought of as the realm of God. There was his role on the council, his role as preserver of the faith and all its rules and restrictions, his role as member of the group who eventually condemned Christ to die.

As we then tried to make this somehow relevant for the kids that were there, it became really obvious that these people really didn't have much to change in their lives. Granted they find there are lots of pressures they face when it comes to being the best they can be, but mostly, they don't have a lot of bad habits. They don't have a lot of preconceived notions about people. They aren't involved in many negative behaviours - even though they certainly observe many and experience peer pressure to engage in some.

So the question might be: Why do they need to be "born from above" or as we have enjoyed expressing it in the latter part of the last century "Born Again?" Maybe the "born again" concept applies more relevantly to people my age or older.

I talked about my experiences in public education and how I worked hard to find acceptable ways to talk about spiritual matters with students. That I had to be very sensitive not to promote one religious experience over another. However, in my new position I have freedom to talk freely about religious beliefs. I shared with them that shedding some of the preconceived notions I had about ministry has been very liberating. That trying to avoid developing such strong opinions may keep them free to continue to grow. I am finding that at present.

At the same time, I don't want to promote the idea that one should ride the fence one's whole life. The middle of the road may be a comfortable place, but I rarely find it a place I want to stay for too long. Sticking one's stick in the sand is a good thing to do once in awhile. (Have I used enough cliches and hackneyed metaphors for one blog?)

In the end, we decided that continuing on our road to wine, that we would continue to do the things that help us be the best we can be. For many of the kids, this meant practicing their talents and making them stronger. As well, sharing their talents with others would help them be stronger in these talents. I really enjoyed listening to them and hearing them express what they could do.