June 18, 2010
The Story of TEC
TEC and the Paschal Mystery . . . not a mystery at all!
By ZOE CANNON (Sacred Heart Church, Vincennes)
First in a series
“Draw near to God, and he will draw near to you.” James 4:8
It really is that easy. How can you draw close to God? We are all in search of ideal relationships. Statistically, one in five people uses the Internet to find a compatible partner, with 20,000 people registering every day, hoping for the perfect match. I believe this can be a viable way to meet people in this very busy and technically connected world. But what criteria are created for these very important relationships? I challenge you to remember that you are warmly invited every day by a loving God to seek a perfect relationship with him. Through our faith and Church, we have this opportunity available to us every day and it is free.
God wants the happiness of all, but our need for control and the values of our culture may sometimes get in the way. The uncertainty of life keeps us searching and searching for something missing. It is complete dependence on God, and the necessity of submitting to God’s will, which hold the true happiness we are looking for. To disregard this invitation is really a little self-righteous.
The message from James about a close relationship with God has been around for a while. The Book of James is probably the oldest book of the New Testament, written perhaps as early as A.D. 45, before the first council of Jerusalem in A.D. 50. James goes on to say, ”In the same way, faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead. But someone will say, ‘You have faith; I have deeds.’ Show me your faith without deeds, and I will show you my faith by what I do.”
The Book of James is the ultimate description of the relationship between faith and works, a challenge to faithful followers of Jesus Christ to not just “talk the talk,” but to “walk the walk.” While our faith walk, to be certain, requires a growth of knowledge about the Word, James encourages us not to stop there, because good works are not the cause of salvation, but they are the result of it.
We teach our young children to practice faith and deeds with prayer at meal time and before bed. We talk to them about honesty, kindness to others and obedience. We make sure they have religious study in school or religious education on Sunday. We plan Vacation Bible sessions for them in the summer. We hopefully introduce them to all the sacraments as part of their young formation in the Catholic Church. Then what? After our children make their Confirmation there seems to be a decline in their growth of faith and deeds. The invitations are still available; in fact during this very crucial time in a young person’s life, it is essential. Every youth minister who creates this environment for continued faith formation is worth their weight in gold. Their efforts to inspire young people are also nourished by an opportunity to encounter Christ with a movement called TEC, Teens Encounter Christ. The TEC and Cursillo Movements are the product of faith and deeds brought to fruition through Vatican II, practical realities of the Church in our World. These practices are a great means for building our Church. The people who accept this invitation to encounter Christ are the workers in God’s field, the ones who talk and walk the message every day, in word and deed, the ones who bear the fruits of God’s love.
The Southwest Indiana TEC Community began in 1990. Since that date, there have been 73 weekend retreats, touching thousands of lives. Active members include priests, religious brothers and sisters, married couples, single men and women, as well as hundreds of young adults and teens. It is guided by a core group of members who work with Steve Dabrowski, the director of Youth and Young Adult Ministry for the Diocese of Evansville. The Paschal Mystery of Jesus Christ, as the Church has us live that practice in the Lent-Easter-Pentecost experience and liturgies, is the content and method of the TEC weekend. Discover how God fits in your life as you encounter Jesus Christ, risen and alive today. This intergenerational movement facilitates spiritual growth of youth and young adults within a community of adult mentors, empowering them to live as disciples of Jesus Christ in our world today. Precisely the faith and works James was addressing 2,000 years ago.
In the weeks ahead, there will be additional articles about TEC with more information highlighting some of the people who have taken advantage of a TEC weekend, and the impact it has made on their lives.
There are so many stories to tell, we could actually write a book. You will be inspired by those who have experienced this Christian community, which brings about a beautiful and lasting participation in the building of the kingdom. It would be an amazing world if one out of five teens and adults, or 20,000 people a day, would search this website www.switec.org, seeking the perfect relation-ship with Christ.
Watch for the upcoming articles. You will read about how drawing closer to God certainly brought him closer to the lives of those featured, as they can truly say, “I will show you my faith by what I do.” Their faithfulness is a great witness because by accepting the invitation to encounter Christ, they have created a beautiful partnership with him. Glory be to our great God!