Thursday, August 25, 2016

Yes, Even on Social Media

I have been on Twitter since 2008. Like others, I've tweeted about education, sports, news, and politics. I never thought I'd tweet about God let alone lead a discussion. (Oops! It's called a chat with a hash tag.) My debut came on August 4 when I moderated #ChristianEducators. I have never seen a powerful moment online where people gathered to share and grow in their faith.


Having been part of this group for a year or so I noticed that it was a special place to join and express what was in my heart: a deep desire to share my faith with others for 60 minutes via tweets full of inspiring words and visuals every Thursday night.  I also discovered others with the same desire.

This past June, I was saddened to find out that the group stopped meeting. Summer vacation will compel many groups on Twitter to pause and take a break. At the same time I let my intentions be known that I would help in anyway. Immediately, Rik Rowe, one of the group leaders, invited me to lead a conversation.

Social media can be very easy because you have an opinion, you write and click away. That’s it! You’ve done your job. You shared, liked, tweeted or retweeted. Simple and easy. People of faith, people who strive to grow because they are called to grow, listen to that calling and take one step further. Yes, they take one step further even on social media. I did. I was not content with simply tweeting. I had to lead others because it had been done for me. Now it was my turn. And, I would be better for it.

I thought about all the times I tweeted about God, loving others, and service. Then I thought if that is true, really true, and if I truly believe God brought me here to this #ChristianEducators chat to learn more about myself and about others, then what am I doing for them? How am I serving them?  If service is good enough to receive, it must be good enough to offer.

Rik shared a Google doc and showed me how to lead a chat.  We spoke via Voxer, another great app used by many educators today. Rik was so detailed and explicit that it seemed effortless. He suggested I use Tweetdeck, a social media dashboard used to manage Twitter accounts. It allows you to view and send tweets and view profiles. The trickiest part was scheduling tweets ahead of time. I never knew one can do that. It was fun learning something new. At the same time, I grew nervous as the days drew close to my debut.

One thing I will always remember is how Rik stated that I should pray on the topic for discussion. He thanked me for agreeing to lead the chat and then let me be. After having read his email I went out for a bike ride. I prayed that day and listened. As I looked up, yes I do look up a lot when I ride, I recalled how many of the members of #ChristianEducators cited a famous verse from Philippians 4:13 “I can do all things through Christ which strengthens me.”  I said to myself, “That’s it! It will be based around this verse."

So, I typed up the questions and shared it with Rik. He was overjoyed and we worked out the details. I was encouraged. He was probably relieved that someone had stepped up to the plate to pinch hit smack in the middle of summer.

Minutes before the chat began I called Rik via Voxer. He gave me some final tips to moderate and told me to look at how everyone responds.

I felt overwhelmed, nervous, and happy at the same time. It was like that feeling of getting on a roller coaster for the very first time. I was strapped in and all I could do was sit back and enjoy the ride.

#ChristianEducators who joined that night were generous with their comments. They seemed to be supportive of one another and shared their love and peace of God. Some examples follow:





Finally, here are three things I learned after leading a chat on Twitter:

1. You can serve others via social media. 

 2. People of faith will share and grow with you when the opportunity for fellowship is authentic, loving and rooted in God’s word. 

 3. The Spirit of God, who is everywhere, is calling you to witness, support others, and be that light for others. Yes, even on social media.

Peace!

 #ChristianEducators meet on Thursdays 9 pm ET. Join us!


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Sunday, August 21, 2016

My First Real Confession


In the mid 90's I was younger, slimmer and had more hair on my head. I was in grad school, working and living on my own. Like any single young man, I had my share of relationships and encounters. My family was always supportive and I had lots of close friends. I thought life was good. 

Yet, with so much going for me I was often upset, angry and frustrated with my life. Instead of addressing it in a responsible manner, I acted out. This involved self medication via binge drinking, overeating, casual sex, and lying. Whenever any one of my relationships questioned my behaviors, I chalked it up to me being immature. I used that excuse so much that I perfected it. I got away with so much. I knew I was immature but soon realized I was selfish and manipulative. It was a crazy cycle of deceit and games. 

One day, I woke up after a long and uneventful Saturday night of partying and I heard a voice tell me, "Go to church." 

Some people might call this experience delusional.  Others might say it was the Holy Spirit. It was more like walking into a dark room and turning on the lights. Your eyes hurt at first. They burn and you want to keep your eyes closed. Fortunately, I kept them open. 




Going to church as a kid was always a tedious event. I never had positive experiences. All I remember was a belt and a cheese danish. The former was used to get me from under the bed that I used to crawl under. I hated going to Sunday school. I wasn't allowed to ask questions, I had to sit still, and could never understand why there was a guy dying on a cross. 
The latter was my reward for attending class and mass (Roman Catholic word for church service). Near our church there was a bakery that had the best pastries.  As we walked by I always asked my mom for a cheese danish. She always gave in despite the hassle I gave her. 



This reward versus punishment experience of religion is like a seesaw. Up and down and up and down. That is not how we are meant to experience our faith. Who knew it would get better and that I had to go through so much before I could understand why. 

As I entered St. Nicholas Church  that Sunday afternoon in 1995, I noticed that the mass was over. The priest put the chalice away and brought out a vestment (priest wardrobe). He explained the many colors of the church and how during this time of Lent was one of prayer, fasting and giving alms. Next, he encouraged everyone to continue their Lenten sacrifice. He also said that it was never too late to participate. That was the game changer for me. Father Robert Cormier's words made me feel welcomed. Although I had missed most of the mass, it didn't matter. I had taken the first step and was on a new journey. 

Three weeks later I participated in a Via Crucis, or Way of the Cross Friday service. This was no ordinary service. There was a massive crowd in the streets in Jersey City Heights. Atop a truck stood Fr. Bob who stopped periodically and preached from a bullhorn. He explained the passion of Christ in simple but powerful terms. I felt called and wanted to know more. 

As the service ended in the school gym, Fr. Bob wished everyone a good night and made some quick announcements. One of these included hearing confession until the last person. The next thing I remember was sitting in a chair in front of Fr. Bob. 

Now, I must share that I don't remember my first confession. Probably because I was hiding under a bed. In fact, I never did it because as a family we never celebrated that sacrament. Kids model what they see adults do in their home. My parents never hid under a bed, but like many people, they avoided growing in their faith. I did too. 

So, when Fr. Bob greeted me I tapped into my schema and let out those famous lines of so many movies, "Father, forgive me for I have sinned." What else was I supposed to say?  I didn't know and most certainly didn't remember. Fr. Bob guided me and I started to share my anger and frustrations. I also included the choices I made and how I had hurt others. 

Although I do not recall the exact words  Fr. Bob said to me, I do know how he made me feel: Welcomed. Loved. Accepted. And that was it. He showed mercy and compassion. He showed me the love of God. 

 I will always remember my real first confession. 

 Rest in peace Fr. Bob.
Fr. Robert J. Cormier
1 December 1956 - 13 May 2014










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