I don't know if, in the history of Rueben sandwiches, anyone has ever savored a Rueben longer or in more detail that I recently did.  The other night I went to visit my friend, Ryan, up in Smithville.  As is our usual indulgence, we went to the Justus Drugstore where I had a Rueben, a salad and a Missouri version of an old New Orleans cocktail.  In case you aren't familiar, the Justus Drugstore is a restaurant housed in the chef's family's old drugstore. 

With no directions other than the cards at various worship stations, participants went at their own pace engaging common elements of worship-prayer, music, offering, water and light-in a new way.  With the worship stations, each person was able to choose the order they encountered these elements, each choosing the length and direction of their worship.  Some read hymnals, and then considered the holy purposes of water.  Others started by re-imagining the Lord's Prayer word-by-word before moving on to think about what they wanted to offer to God that night.  When music dimmed and people congregated around the table in the center of the room, we were invited to share and pass a cup and loaf of communion, taking time to share in conversation with each person that we had broken bread.  This was worship at the first waystation gathering. 

The waystation, a new community of young adults coming together for monthly evenings of dinner, conversation and worship, started last month.  Put together by a group of clergy from various Disciples congregations in the Greater KC region for young adults of all backgrounds, this community is meant to engage, challenge and transform young people in their understanding of Christian community.  This type of collaborative ministry seeks to remind us that we are at our best when we bring together our gifts to share the good news of God's inclusive community.  It brings about moments like the one I witnessed just weeks ago at that first meeting where I saw people struggling to find words in prayer that captured their understanding of God, I saw sisters hugging and holding each other, I heard people break barriers during communion when learning about their neighbor they were holding a cup for.  But most touching for me was noticing a young man write on an ipad.  The man had a disability that caused his body to shake involuntarily and make noises-something that increased the difficulty for him to feel a time of worship and peace.  But as I looked across the room at him leaning over onto his sister's lap, I saw him write on the ipad touch screen, the words, "HOLY PLACE" before smiling and resting his head on her shoulder.

We all need a holy place and a community that is willing to share the journey of discipleship.  All young adults are welcomed to be a part of the waystation.  The group meets on the third Tuesday of every month at First Christian Church of North Kansas City from 7 until 9 PM.  In between gatherings, tweets and blogs will act as a virtual community designed to give a spiritual connection for this group. Congregations are welcomed to show hospitality for this ministry by volunteering to provide a meal for the event.  Check out the facebook page by searching "the waystation" or check out our website thewaystationkc.wordpress.com/ and follow us on Twitter at #adailyway.     

I was in Nashville a few weeks ago and had a chance to visit Will Campbell.  If you haven't heard of him, Will is a Baptist minister, author and, most notably, a Civil Rights activist.  He's from Mississippi and keeps close Southern roots but the scope of his work has echoed around the world.  Time, along with a hard life, has aged Will not as gracefully as he would probably like and, at 87, he was at an assisted living facility. 

One of the best pieces of advice I got early on in seminary from clergy older and wiser than myself was, "learn the difference between the urgent and important."  Those words stuck with me and I continue to struggle to learn the difference...or more importantly to change my behavior once I separate the two.