I attended a very well-run and uplifting youth event for high school students run by the Virginia Synod two weeks ago. The theme of the week was "Stars," based on the Philippians passage that commends believers to "shine like stars" in the midst of a cruel and perverse world. Building on that, each small group of participants was given another verse to study in depth and then present in creative form to the whole assembly as a "proclamation" piece on Thursday afternoon.
Our group was given what I thought to be, at first, a very dense and unexciting passage from Hebrews. Several other groups were given parables and teachings of Jesus which, from my experience, tend to lend themselves more easily to visual and dramatic presentation. I was very impressed, however, with the diligence and creativity of our group as they took the essense of our passage and decided to re-write the words to the infamous Journey power ballad, "Don't Stop Believin'." Working with a lectio divina method, they read and re-read their passage until they came up with their own version of the text. Using their own key phrases and paraphrases, they fashioned the Journey song (whose original lyrics, they realized, already communicated a message somewhat similar to their Hebrews text) to say it a new way. Then they performed it for the whole audience to a rousing applause. Here is their finished product:
"Don't Stop Believin'"
Hebrews 6:9-12, as written by small group 9
Kairos, 2009
Just a faithful girl, living in a lazy world
She took a mission trip, going in His steps.
Just a patient boy, encouraged by a greater joy
He took a mission trip, going in His steps.
The Savior with a banquet spread,
The taste of wine and broken bread
With this meal we can see His love,
It goes on and on and on and on…
Dear friends, moving closer to the Promised Land
His Spirit working in the night.
Eager people, living just to find salvation
Praying somewhere in the night.
Working hard to do God’s will
Promises He will fulfill
All your deeds will not go unseen;
God’s not unfair.
All will win, none will lose,
We were born to preach Good News.
Oh, the journey never ends
It goes on and on and on and on…
Dear friends, moving closer to the Promised Land
His Spirit working in the night.
Eager people, living just to find salvation
Praying somewhere in the night.
Don’t stop believin’
Hold on to the feeling
Eager people…
Don’t stop believin’
Hold on to the feeling
Eager people…
Don’t stop believin’
Hold on to the feeling
Eager people…
