Moses.

A couple of weeks ago (maybe months now) I had 10 students walk out of my confirmation class of 74 adolescent young adults.

They asked to go to the bathroom and then they simply left.  (since then we have implemented a take a life size cutout of the Pope bathroom pass system)

I have no physical control over these young folks and at the time I didn't know their names.  So I cannot grab them and force them to return, nor can I even shout their names down the street.  It isn't that I posessed terrible worry for  them.  But their actions were aggrivating, disrespectful, and it are a squishy place since they are young people and their adult caregivers expect them to be at class.

I hooed and hawed over what to do.

I obsessed over it. I talked about it. I lost sleep over it.

In praying about it, I brought the topic forward in my silent prayer.  I silently welcomed God to work with me in it (probably while also being distracted etc).  Alas, in my prayer I thought of Moses. The reluctant leader who is tasked with freeing people and then schlepping them through the wilderness for a generation.  He resonated with me.

Since then, in the weeks (definitely months who am I kidding) since I have been reading through the Exodus account.  More and more I am connecting with Moses.  He is no singular figure; He is carried and saved by women from his very first moments.  His leadership is alongside Aaron and others.  He faces and uphill battle and then ends up on the plateau of liminality.  Pharoahs stubbornness is formidable going through plague after plague and just when the people think they are free Pharoah regrets it and sends the charioteers.  Once they are free- Pharoah laying dead at the bottom of the sea-  they are whiney, full of complaint, hungry, restless and generally a miserable bunch. 

Frankly, I get it.  I get their sullen attitude.  I get that freedom is not as easy as you think it is.  (I am a millenial, after all, adulthood is kind of a hot financial, environment, social, political mess)    Most of the time I think the Hebrews are funny.  Because they, and their leader are so so ordinary.

So as I considered Moses and what to do about my Confirmation students I asked myself, "what did Moses do..." and all I came up with was that He fed them, He made sure they had water and he cared.  He said yes to God, even if it was reluctant.  That I can do.

It has become my mantra for my confirmation group.  To feed them: with whatever the manna is.   I might offer mostly it is a lot of hit cheetos and a bit of light theology.   I water them in whatever way I can. Mostly by letting them drink and eat at class and not holding to tightly to the mess. For them this means redbull or gatorade and perhaps a meaningful prayer.  And I accompany them in this wildnerness journey reminding them they are not alone.