In the gospel reading today, Mathew 22: 15-22, the Pharisees sent their disciples to Jesus hoping to trap him and place him at perilous odds with either the oppressing might of the Roman empire, or the priests of the holy temple of the Lord, or preferably both. They maliciously presented Jesus with a difficult choice that he disarmed with great wisdom, “Give … to the emperor that which is the emperor’s and to God the things that are God’s.” with the implied warning, “Be careful who you choose and what priority you place on each.” StreetWork’s youth workers often meet young people who have made bad choices, and some who struggle to make good choices, such are their difficult circumstances. Bec* is 15 and had made a bad choice. She was referred to StreetWork after she was caught stealing at Myer in Chatswood and needed a support person to attend her youth justice conference. An outcome of the conference was that Bec would attend 3 sessions with a StreetWork mentor. Bec connected well with her mentor, Lucy and decided to continue with the KickStart mentoring program after the 3 mandatory sessions. Lucy said, “As Bec’s caseworker I empowered her to make choices that were going to steer her away from risky behaviour like stealing. Bec and I share a similar perspective on the world. Our conversations about life strengthened our connection and allowed Bec to place her trust in me knowing we had similar values. I am so proud of her motivation!” Since meeting Lucy, Bec has earned her learner driver’s license and started her Certificate III in Music (Performance) at TAFE, reengaging with education that she had dropped out of. Through mentoring, Bec is learning to make healthy, sustainable choices. This year, the COVID virus brought many new challenges to the way StreetWork supports young people who need help. The team has had to adapt, using technology in new ways like meeting young people one-on-one using video calls instead of in person. We mainly use the WhatsApp application that most young people have on their mobile phones. They have also used WhatsApp to connect young people with agencies like Headspace which specialises in youth mental health. Some agencies saw the way StreetWork was using technology and asked us to help them do the same. Despite COVID, StreetWork continues to work with young people and provide mentoring that is tailored to the needs of each individual and help them turn their lives around, making significant and often difficult choices along the way. Mark is 16 and has a difficult family situation. Terry has been supporting him since last year as he addresses abuse of alcohol and drugs, some risky social relationships and his inconsistent school attendance. Terry helped Mark set some significant goals for himself that were not going to be easy, including reducing smoking and drug use, completing Year 10, and transitioning to employment afterwards. Terry saw that Mark has some learning difficulties and helped him decide to be tested for dyslexia. Mark and Terry have had many conversations, meeting weekly and often chatting via text messages in between as Mark decided that he wanted to finish school, worked through his anxiety about dyslexia testing, and started to reflect positively on the benefits work would have for his future. Mark booked his own appointments with an Alcohol and Other Drugs youth counselling service Terry referred him to, which was a big step. Since then, Mark has finished Year 10 and found a full-time job that he enjoys. Terry is continuing to support him. The challenge for StreetWork right now is that more young people like Bec and Mark are being referred than ever before, particularly by government agencies and our youth workers are at full capacity, with a waiting list of over 50 young people. If you would like to help, donations can be made through StreetWork’s web site at www.streetwork.org.au or by phoning (02) 9419 7559. All of us make choices, and we often need people we can trust to help us make good choices, perhaps by challenging our thinking or letting us know about possibilities we had not even thought of. Such is the work of StreetWork’s mentors, based on trust, helping young people choose well. *All names have been changed for reasons of privacy. PRAYER OF INTERCESSION God of healing and mercy, hear the prayers of your people, true expressions of our hearts’ desire. We pray for the world, so broken by greed and enmity. We pray for the created order, that it might be renewed and restored according to your will. We pray for its nations and peoples. We long for peace in every land. We pray for the day when all people will be free, when racism, poverty, bigotry and hatred will be replaced with justice and goodness for all. We pray for your people – people of faith – asking that we may be bold to speak out against cruelty and eager to serve faithfully and with kindness. Strengthen your church and shape it according to the teachings of Jesus, that it might shine like a beacon of hope for all. And now, in this moment of silence, we lift before you all for whom we are personally concerned, praying for your blessing and healing, that hearts may be strengthened and lives renewed… Silent prayer To you be all glory and praise, O God. Amen.
2 Comments
Peter Andrews
16/10/2020 05:58:06 pm
Thanks for your message Hugh which reminds us of the important work carried out under the Streetwork banner
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Andrew Richard Corish
16/10/2020 07:22:27 pm
Thanks Hugh for you message and great work you are doing.
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