My Experience as Youth Pastor

Things had generally been quiet since that fateful night Super Youth Pastor first got his powers. It seemed as if that night had lasted weeks and yet the past months have flown by as if only a single week. SYP was always amazed at how time worked like that. The Recluse had been coming to Youth since that night and didn't seem that out of sorts, but SYP knew something big was coming so he busied himself learning how his new powers worked.

He stayed up late every night honing his sarcasm, staring into the darkest corners, and listening to the whispers of the very shadows. SYP knew he had other powers but didn't seem to have control of them. He knew he was stronger than he use to be but couldn't seem to summon the strength at will. There seemed to be a lot of things that he couldn't seem to control. He would think about it from time to time and just as he began to consider that a lack of concentration might be the root of the problem he would lose focus because of one distraction or another. Each night it was the same thing staying up until dreadfully late trying to increase his abilities and living his quasi normal day starting just before noon the following morning, or is it just later that same morning.

Super wife would eventually come and convince him to go to bed and he would get some much needed rest before starting all over again. He knew something was coming and he wished it would just get here before the monotony killed him. Boredom seemed to literally suck the life right out of him. All of this was going through his mind as he fell asleep just as the sun was beginning to peek over the horizon.

RING

He turned to see what was going on and saw the flashing cell phone chirping cheerily to let him know there was a message waiting. SYP looked and saw the Sickly Student had sent him a text message. It was 9am on a school day so he didn't need to read the message. As he rubbed the sleep from his still groggy eyes he knew that it would say she was ill and didn't make it to school. The only real question was if she was in the hospital or on her way.

He shook his head trying to clear the stupor from lack of sleep. As he read the message he was relieved to see that the Sickly Student wasn't in the ER yet but might have to go soon. He offered a quick prayer and wondered why one of his powers couldn't help the poor girl. He sent a text back letting SS know he had prayed and would continue to pray. SYP then took a long shower to try and wake up. He wanted sleep, but he knew it wouldn't come now. He had just too much to do for his mind to settle. The Naïve Intern has somehow convinced SYP that the Youth needed a lock-in. At first it seemed like a good idea and Super Pastor gave it a distracted green light. Then the trouble started. Just after all the Youth confirmed their attendance SYP's leaders started having conflicts. Super Wife couldn't get a babysitter and so she had to take care of the kids. SYP's assistant had a family emergency that took her out of town for the remainder of the month. All of the parents that normally helped seemed to end up with one crisis or another getting in the way. In the end only the Naïve Intern, and Griz, an old volunteer that seemed to think the Spanish Inquisition held back too much, would be joining SYP that night. Super Wife promised she would drop in if she could find someone to watch the kids for a while.

The water began to get cold so SYP finished rinsing off and grabbed a towel. As he worked on his super cool hair he heard the phone chirp again. Without looking he finished his hair and grabbed the clergy ID for a trip to the ER. Fortunately he wasn't a worship leader so the hair didn't take all that long. As he headed out the door he confirmed the Sickly Student was at the ER. He took the SYPCycle and didn't worry about helmet head. He knew the mussed hair from the helmet was cooler than anything he would be able to replicate with a brush.

SYP got to the hospital and was waved through the door. He didn't have to ask where SS was, he walked back to her suite. Well he thought of it as her suite since she was there so often. It sickened him to see her ill. She was always happy though, even with the various IV's, sensors, and other equipment attached to her. She was one of the good ones that was sure. He could rely on her to do almost anything. He had recently made her a student leader and trusted her to run a small group.

They talked for a while and the entire time SYP was trying to think if any of his power might help. In the end he knew he couldn't do anything and so they prayed together and SYP went to get the rest of the lock-in plans. He hoped the Sickly Student would be well by then. If she could make it that would be one more person he could get to help. She might not be an adult or even one of the older Youth, but despite her illness she commanded a great deal of respect from everyone around her.

Days later the night of the Lock-in had come. SW had found someone to watch the kids early that morning so she could come help with clean up, but none of the other leaders or parent came through. SYP felt a sense of dread as the Naïve Intern bounced excitedly around the common room getting games and pranks setup. NI had the best games and without Super Wife around SYP knew he would be able to enjoy the mayhem, but Griz would be the only responsible adult there and that bothered SYP somewhere in the back of his mind. SYP cheered up some when he saw the Sickly Student show up. She would also be responsible, but lax enough that SYP could still go wild himself.

He heard squealing tires and saw Angry Dad pulling away as the Recluse slinked away should hunched more than usual from the weight of his backpack. SYP had stopped worrying about fall out so he smiled and greeted the Recluse warmly. Of course he got very little reaction but that was normal.

Will the Sickly Youth ever get well? Is Griz going to string up Youth? Why is SYP worried? Join us next week as SYP v. the lust crazed zombie teens begins. Same SYP time same SYP blog.