Cooking in Jesus Youth: with recipes or without? (BJRE053)


Cooking in Jesus Youth: with recipes or without?

(By Dr. Edward Edezhath. Published in Kairos Magazine in 2022)

“This is the ultimate time-saver. You choose a dish from the list and specify the number of servings. They will provide all the ingredients in precise measurements, individually packed, and detailed cooking instructions. Even the salt, meat, curry leaves, and all other items come in small packets. Cooking becomes effortless; follow the guidance and savor a wonderful dinner.” This new ‘meal prep kits’ business is gaining popularity in several countries. Sophy elaborated on the benefits: no shopping required, no waste, and access to experts who can advise you on delicious and healthy meals.

Among all the others listening to Sophy, Ann was the most restless and interjected, “Nooo! I hate this recipe approach, and what’s more, they prescribe everything. There is a great feeling when you prepare your own dinner, experimenting with something new each time and replacing the old dish with a fresh addition. Surely, there is wastage, uncertainty, and tension, but I want to cook my dinner in my kitchen, not become a puppet, being remotely controlled by someone sitting who knows where.” Wow! That was quite an outburst! 

Spontaneous prayer, a revolution

Charismatic Renewal brought significant change. It proclaimed that you can be yourself, God loves you, and you can pray as you wish. The Holy Spirit will guide you, and it will be beautiful. Previously, experts dictated how and what to pray and everything else regarding spirituality. With this new spirituality, a wave of freedom emerged to walk your own Path.

In the days before readymade prayers, you used printed prayers approved by authorities. I remember a prayer service we organized as part of a college students’ group. Each of us was to say a prayer, but our animator sister asked us to write it beforehand and take it to the Father Director to check the content. We were told the prayer shouldn’t contain anything against our faith, and the Father had to verify it.

With this background, I attended the first Renewal seminar. We had a model prayer meeting where everyone was encouraged to pray ‘as the Spirit guided them’. I felt uneasy, fearing some mistakes from certain individuals. The prayers ventured into unexpected directions but resulted in surprisingly ‘anointed’ moments. It felt like a ‘free-for-all’, yet it unfolded beautifully. Later, there was time to share ‘messages from the Lord’. Most participants were college students, and they began sharing inspiring visions, prophetic words, and thoughts. To my surprise, a beautiful pattern emerged. For the first time, I realized spontaneity can be beautiful and enriching. 

The next week, we started a weekly prayer meeting. This became another big journey forward in the ‘spontaneous surprises’ of life in the Spirit. The leader would start, and then anyone would suggest songs. Everyone jostled to make prayers in their own ways; some would suggest a new direction. All these different directions were built into a beautiful whole. 

This freedom and confidence to pray and talk as you felt inside during the meeting was a foundation for much more. Soon, someone suggested a music group, and a few got together to welcome people. There was a lively intercession group on Saturdays, outreach to poor people, and initiatives galore. We were all excited to see this freedom in the Spirit bringing out the best in everyone and building a vibrant and fruitful community. Indeed, this became one aspect of Jesus Youth for everyone.

A need to go deeper

Jerry spoke about their Monday group one day: “We have been meeting regularly, but now most of us yearn for something deeper. We are all working individuals with a background in active Jesus Youth leadership. I feel we are stuck. As one of us mentioned, spontaneous prayers are now repeating the same things, and often, everyone knows what someone is about to pray or share in the group. Isn’t this the reason people stop attending the group? Can we have something deeper in prayer and Bible study?”

I thought to myself, this is how prayer formats and formal teachings came about. After a while, spontaneity may become shallow and dull. Maybe what we call ‘Spirit-led dynamics’ has a limit. At some point, every group looks for patterns and systems.  

I recently encountered a new Praise and Worship style, quite different from the familiar format where everyone in the group prays freely and takes it in their own direction. I felt confused when I first saw a leader standing up and directing the group. However, I later observed that a new approach is gradually emerging, in which most people willingly follow a ‘powerful and charismatic’ leader while entering into a deeper relationship with the Lord. 

The changes were not merely in how a prayer group is conducted; I could see many embracing patterns and readymade formats in beautiful ways. “I pray the liturgy of hours and the Rosary has become a deeper experience for me.” What is more, this eagerness for traditional ways is bringing greater depth and discipline, forming these young ones into seasoned leaders.

Should JY be Spontaneous or systematic?

In one memorable review meeting, I witnessed a heated debate among several leaders who lamented that the movement's freedom, joy, and creativity had been lost, and everything had become routine; the old vibrancy of life was gone. Meanwhile, many others corrected the former, arguing that the problem was a lack of discipline and order, as the members were not responding to the challenge of following the difficult path of systematic study and steady growth.

I was thinking to myself:

There is a honeymoon stage of spontaneous flow in many lives and another phase of dryness requiring deliberate effort. These stages may recur. So, when the group is vibrant and joyful, we must anticipate and prepare for the dry phase. But when the tedious phase sets in, we should look for the creativity of the Holy Spirit and allow more spontaneity.

Moreover, in every group, you will find some highly creative and beautifully unpredictable individuals alongside some dedicated system builders. You can anticipate lively debates between these two types. However, these talents must collaborate for better outcomes, and you can expect remarkable results.

The big question is: Recipes or no recipes? While Jesus Youth should follow certain recipes in building the Lord’s Kingdom, they must also be open to the Spirit and always leave room for surprises and new growth.

Topics:

Programs

Spontaneity 

Freedom and control

Journey of Growth

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