Registration is now up for the 2010 Young Adult Friends Gathering in Wichita, KS, US.

It reminded me of what a lot of young Quakers in the U.S. are asking for: opportunities to have visceral experiences of God. Though many early Friends experienced this in meeting for worship, that depth of worship-where everyone is opening themselves to be a vessel for God to enter- is less common today. I think this yearning for visceral experiences of God are why so many young people attend the conferences for young adult Friends in the U.S.

Buddies ask her “What do Quakers believe?” “Do they believe Jesus is the Son of God, who died for your sins?” These may be pesky, but they’re legitimate inquiries. Further, Lucretia has discovered that she has not a clue how to answer them. She’s never been taught anything that could serve as answers. And this despite six or seven summers at Quaker camp, plus a dozen sojourns at her Yearly Meeting, FGC Gatherings, and the like. These experiences have influenced her greatly. But they have not left her equipped to articulate and explain why they are the way they are. Now, time’s up for this indirect, inarticulate approach.

I think that so often, we refrain from speaking to children about faith in fear of impacting the decisions they must make for themselves. I believe that this all too common silence comes from a place of good intentions, but I want to challenge it. In order for the faith of our children to be alive and vibrant, they must discover it themselves. But as adults, we have some maps that we can share with our children. We can tell them of our adventures, and our failures in faith without forcing them to take the same road.