Mission Radicale summary--Part 1--Fathers

This morning we went to Belleville as usual. Stella LaRoque, a woman from Quebec and one of the keynote speakers at the Mission Radicale conference spoke. During her message, she had everyone who was at the conference come up front and sit on the stage by her as she spoke. I ended up taking photos and translating into English for some of the members of the Toronto team who were there.

Stella preached from the story of Naomi and Ruth and their intergenerational friendship. She talked about how the different generations in the church need each other. It can be easy to be afraid of this young generation, as they look and express themselves differently. But God has special projects for them.

During the conference in Normandy this year, I noticed a difference in myself in relationship with the young people present. I've been to all 5 conferences. I still had to sit behind my computer a lot of the time and work on spread sheets for travel, housing, meals, finances, etc. In the previous years, I didn't really get to know the young people and kept an emotional distance from them.

But this year, I felt a warmth toward them. I intentionally did the counts at breakfast 3 of the 4 days in order to try to learn everyone's name. I took over one thousand pictures of the conference and felt the same affection and pride in the young people that I feel when I take photos of my own kids.

On Saturday morning at the last meeting, I shared publicly that I love my kids more than just about anything in this world and that I love watching them. At this conference, I also had lots of joy watching the young people, especially the ones that had been at previous conferences and came back for this one. I concluded with the words "Je vous aime tous." (I love you all). I don't normally use those words loosely and really meant it when I said it. Stella mentioned my words when she had me stand up in front during her sermon this morning.

I mentioned to my wife on the way home that, while I've done youth work for many years, I notice a difference in myself nowadays from when I did youth ministry in my 20s in the 1980s. Back then, I felt like I was a big brother to the kids and related to them in that way. Now, I feel like a father to the kids and relate to them in that way.

Fathers sacrifice their finances, sleep, and time for their kids. They try to give responsibilities to their children that are appropriate for their maturity. They love their kids. They are proud of them just because of the fact that they are their kids.

At the conference, we had lots of great worship. Benjamin Goncalves organized a terrific group this year. The one song that seemed to minister the deepest to everyone and become the theme song of the conference was one that I've never heard before. It might have been one of the musicians present who wrote it. Here at its words (with my English translation next to it).

Notre prière, être ta voix (Our prayer is to be your voice)
pour un monde qui se perd (to a world that is lost)
qui ne t’entend pas (that doesn't hear you)
porter en nous tes gênes (to have your genes in us)
montrer le chemin (to show the way)
remplacer la haine (to replace hatred)
par ton amour (by your love)

Et on voit une ressemblance (And we see a surprising imitation)
étonnante chez tes enfants (in your children)
qui correspond à tes yeux, (that corresponds to your eyes)
A tes mains, à ta voix apaisante (to your hands and your peaceful voice)
c’est évident (it's obvious)
nous portons ton Nom (we carry your name)