The Pastor preached his Father's Day sermon, dealing with Psalm 127:3-5.  As he spontaneously listed a number of worthy occupations young people could and should be aspiring to, he paused just a little too long between items — enough time for a young man in the congregation to add the word "Jail."  Muffled laughter rippled through the church, the brother's comment caching everybody off-guard.  A succinctly and pointedly articulated sad fatalism — an all-too-clear real-and-present danger. 

An eighteen-year-old tells how he was stopped by two Philadelphia cops who had received a report that someone was seen with a gun in the area.  They had him put his hands against the squad car and patted him down, asking him what he had in his backpack.  "A Bible," he answered.  The cops chuckled, opened it up and found a copy of God's Word inside, silently bearing witness to his statement.  Son said he really didn't mind being humiliated out there on the street in front of passersby (as if it were an expected given in his existence).

Talking with a twenty-five-year-old on his cell phone, I heard him speaking to another young adult passing by with his infant.  Couldn't hear what the new Dad said, but I knew he had asked the brother I was talking with if he had any kids yet.  His quick response / witness / gentle rebuke: "I'm still waiting on the wife piece."

An eleven-year-old was working the drum set as I arrived for our first youth choir rehearsal at a West Philly church.  (He was from another church and was just visiting that night.)  Young man has some serious skills on the set.  Talking with him a few moments later, I observed that his greatest gift might not be drumming, suggesting he probably has a yet-unrevealed gift -- possibly that of pastor.  He reeled backwards in genuine shock, vociferously rejecting the idea.  "No way!  Not me!"  A bit surprised, I asked, "Why the strong reaction?"  His answer:  "Because my pastor makes me fall asleep."

(Which may be exactly why maybe he needs to take a serious look to see if that is one of his gifts.)

A 16-year-old (who doesn't really go for the Halloween thing) plaintively remarked that he knew what his costume would be.  Son said  he was going to go door-to-door ... "as a depressed teenager."

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