The Church of Ireland Youth Department (CIYD) has launched the second version of its resource to help young people hear God speaking through His words in the Bible. Its format will encourage young people and their leaders around the island of Ireland to read through Luke’s Gospel over the 40 days of Lent, which begins on Ash Wednesday (2nd March).
For each short reading, questions will prompt readers to think about:
* What word, phrase or sentence stood out to me as I read?
* How does it make me feel? What does it lead me to think about?
* What does this Scripture say to me about who God is?
* What might God be trying to say to me through it?
* How do I want to respond to what God is saying to me?
* How will what God has said impact or change my life?
* What would I most like God to do in my life today?
Pages are also provided to give space to creatively respond to God. Fuel II is for anyone who is open-minded and hungry for something deeper than what they’ve experienced so far in life, no matter whether they think they are ‘spiritual’.
“Lent is a great time to start good habits that will benefit your relationship with God,” says National Youth Officer Simon Henry. “There is space for 50 days in this book – when you’ve started to read your Bible and get into the habit, we want you to continue. This is an example of a daily reading plan with bite-sized portions of the Bible to read. We want to help you get started.”
Throughout the Bible, forty-day seasons are times in which God prepared people for His purposes as we can see in the lives of Jesus, Noah, Moses, David and Elijah. The entire city of Nineveh was transformed when God gave the people 40 days to change, and the disciples were transformed by 40 days with Jesus after His resurrection.
Fuel II also introduces young people to the Celtic Christian idea of ‘thin places’ – where God seems more near to us than anywhere else and where we and God enjoy each other’s full attention. “Throughout history, God has never failed those who have desired to know Him,” the booklet notes. “It is very important to have people in your life that bring the best out in you, that encourage you to trust more and more of yourself to God.”
CIYD’s President, Bishop Pat Storey, says: “It is more important than ever that we all take time to reflect in a post-Covid world. What have we missed? What did we learn? Where have we heard, or indeed missed, God’s voice? As the Holy Spirit continues to speak to us through the Scriptures, we are more determined than ever to be a people who document and reflect our listening to the divine Word. May this resource be a support to those thoughts. May your reflections bear much fruit.”
Copies of Fuel II can be ordered by getting in touch with your Diocesan Youth Officer or Diocesan Youth Council representative. If you need more copies, please email admin@ciyd.org<mailto:admin@
