‘Stretching them’

By Steven Polley

Director of Youth Ministry

A couple of weeks ago, I had the opportunity to attend Dodge City High School’s Musical The performance was the “Disney Show’s”, “High School Musical”. Before the performance the director came on stage and gave us a little background and history of how this particular musical came to Dodge City. Apparently, Dodge City High School was the first school awarded a contract to do this musical. So our high school was one of the few throughout the nation performing it.

As I watched and enjoyed the evening, I could not help but think about Kelly Knedler, Dodge City High School’s Coral Director, and director for the musical, and the process that he went through to bring “High School Musical” here. I am sure that he could have easily decided to go with a different musical that would have been much easier to produce. But instead he chose to go in this direction. What I was witnessing was a group of young men and women who I feel were called upon to go a little deeper into themselves to accomplish what they did. They had to work harder and practice longer to do what this musical called for. They were stretched to go further. Thus, they became better singers, actors and performers.

So often we talk about how there is no time to schedule things for our youth, because they are so busy with school, work, and extra-curricular activities. This is very true, but we must remind ourselves that each teacher, coach and activity director is doing their best to deepen the knowledge and growth of each young person with whom they work. I am sure that there are times when we do not always recognize the opportunities that spring up, when we could help our young people move a little deeper. And I know that there are times when it is easier for us to not stretch them, but simply to do things like we always have, just to get by for one more year. This, of course, is simply an injustice to the youth we are working with.

This is probably why I was so energized by the musical. I witnessed a director and cast that did not accept the norm, but went beyond it to something much more.

Maybe the short three hours of the musical served as a reminder to me as well, that I must always work to stretch our youth to go a little deeper and a little further in all they do. Most likely, I was being reminded to do this more by example and solid witness than by words. I was reminded that just getting by and doing the same old-same old is not enough.

As we enter more deeply into this Lenten season, we are being called to stretch ourselves a little further. Through the “Word Working” small groups that are taking place in the diocese, through our own reading of Scripture, we are being challenged and called to move from what may be a comfort zone, to a deeper relationship with Christ. We are being called to more boldly profess our faith and to more fully live it in our daily lives. And through our word and example our young people will witness what it truly means to encounter Christ and the love of God in new and marvelous ways.