Twelve. It's a significant number. Twelve hours in half a day. Twelve jurors on a jury. Twelve donuts in a dozen. Twelve months. Twelve apostles. There are also twelve talks scheduled throughout a LOG weekend. For a retreat that lasts less than 48 hours to have 12 different talks, they must be important, and indeed they are.
What's even more significant than the number of talks given is the who and why about talks. Terry could easily speak about each of the topics, in pastoral eloquence and accessible anecdotes, but the weekend isn't about him. The adults who have participated in multiple weekends and have their own stories from their decades of life lived most definitely have their stories as well. But the weekend isn't about the adults either. It's about the students. So what better way to make disciples out of our peers than to be taught by our peers.
Talks are given by team members (and occasionally accompanied by an adult) because, well, #StorytellingSavesLives. Think about it. Way back in the day one caveman must have warned another caveman not to hug the fire. And if they didn't heed that warning, they became a story that would then save others lives from ending by fire hugging. The weekend is peer led, so it makes perfect sense that peers would be giving the talks. And there is much discussion about who gives what talks. That's why it's so important we get to know each other through the team process and outside of school and work. Because our stories can help others. That's why I blog. That's why I tell stories. Because my experience can help you with yours, and if not, you may know someone it can benefit.
I hope that everyone has a talk or two that sticks out from each weekend they attend, whether it's your participant, as a team member, or as an adult. This is why we zap and pray for those giving talks as well. We want and need God to speak through them to share His light and His love with others. You never know, the story you share about your life may be the perspective someone has been waiting to hear that makes everything click. I know I've heard students say things in talks that I've needed to hear. Sometimes it's the talk song that drives it home.
Talk songs are wonderful things, but at their core, what they should do is summarize or distill the message of the talk into a melodic three or four minute ditty than you can revisit anytime after the LOG weekend that can help refocus you on Christ. It can help you reminisce about that powerful weekend. It can bring you back to a time where God's Love held you tight and you really felt it.
You may have heard of a playwright named William Shakespeare, and the opening line of one of his plays is,
"If music be the food of love, play on"
Now think about that. "If music be the food of love, play on." The weekend retreat is called LOVE of God. And if that Love is alive and needs to feed, let it feed on that universal language that is music. And so, the Duke Orsino says, "play on". Why do we sing at church? Why do we sing at the weekend? Why do we sing in the car or in the shower or to our dogs and cats? Because music makes us feel and music allows us to share that feeling, whatever it is. Remember, #StorytellingSavesLives
And what's the name of the Shakespeare play that opened with that line?
TWELFTH NIGHT.
You can't make this up, friends. #MicDrop
Marlon Deleon (LOG #98)