New Creation...Reincarnation and FRIENDS Moment Friday

Every Monday my living room fills up with high school kids over for fellowship, worship and a Bible study. It's one of the highlights of my week!

This week, after gobbling down a batch of brownies and an ensuing icing fight, we spilt the group into guys and girls. Us girls graciously allowed the guys to stay outside with the very aggressive mosquitoes and build a fire, while we retired to the living quarters.

This week's group was a bit younger than usual, resulting in an increase of off-topic conversations and me desperately trying yet failing to reign them back in!

We've been talking about the characteristics of God, specifically his goodness, but turned this week to talk about who were are in Christ. We combed through scripture and discussed our condition apart from God.

As our conversation turned to the beautiful mystery of being made alive in Christ, and I quoted 2 Cor. 5: 17 - Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old is gone, the has come!

While most of the girls have heard this verse many, many times and understand the idea (or at least pretended to!), one sweet and very spunky girl was bold enough to ask, "Like reincarnation?" The under-the-breath snickers began, followed by a quick and desperate description of differences on my part, which immediately moved into reincarnation story time.

Come to find out, one of the girls has a family story where they believe their aunt's cat is really the reincarnation of a family friend. After this, there was no hope and getting back on track. So we prayed and ended Campaigners.

But this reincarnation story has been reminding me of a FRIENDS episode all week.

The One With The Cat (as seen in Season 4, Episode 2)

[Cut to someone entering Central Perk which lets a cat in. The cat then runs over to Phoebe's guitar case and starts sniffing around.]

Phoebe: Oh my God! No! Shoo! Kitty! No! No-no-no! Shoo! Come on, you! (goes over and picks up the cat) Come on. Crazy. (looks into the cat’s eyes) Oh my God.

Rachel: What?

Phoebe: Nothing. Nothing.

Joey: What? What’s wrong?

Phoebe: I just, I just have this really strong feeling that this cat is my Mother.

Rachel: You mean the mom you met in Montauk. She was a cat?!

Phoebe: No, no-no, she was a human lady. This is the spirit of my Mom Lily, the one who killed herself.

Ross: Are you sure she’s in the cat, or have you been taking your grandma’s glycoma medicine again?

Phoebe: No Dr. Skeptismo! I’m sure. First of all, okay, there’s the feeling. (Chandler shrugs) Okay, and for another, how about the fact that she went into my guitar case which is lined with orange felt. (Rachel nods her head in unsure agreement) My Mother’s favourite fish is Orange Roughy... (Joey thinks he understands, but then nods that he has no clue.) Cats....like....fish! (Ross and Rachel are totally lost) (to the cat) Hi, Mommy. (Rachel covers her mouth, in an “Oh my God.” gesture) Oh, I haven’t seen this smile in 17 years!

Joey: (to Chandler) Dude, Phoebe’s mom has got a huge peni...

Chandler: (interrupting) Let it go!!