ELCA Youth Conclude Gathering with Upbeat Worship

ST. LOUIS (ELCA) -- Some 22,000 Lutherans of high school age and their adult leaders concluded the first of two events at the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America's (ELCA) Youth Gathering with an upbeat worship service July 2 that included preaching, Holy Communion, drama and music. The service's theme was from the Gospel of Luke 24:1-34 in the Christian Bible, the story of Jesus' Resurrection and his appearance to two disciples on the road to Emmaus.
The ELCA Youth Gathering met at America's Center here June 28-July 2 and will bring more young Lutherans here July 5-9. The gathering assembles some 40,000 Lutheran youth who are engaging in worship, Bible study, learning, community service and fun. The gathering theme is "Dancing at the Cross Roads."
The Rev. Pamela R. Fickenscher, an ELCA pastor who serves "Spirit Garage," a congregation for young-adult Lutherans in Minneapolis, preached during the gathering's closing worship at the Trans World Dome at America's Center. She urged the young Lutherans to serve people who may feel excluded, such as those whose lives may be affected by the divorce of their mother and father, or those who may feel self-conscious about their appearance. In the Gospel story, she said, Jesus left the crowds to be with two people who felt left out.
"They were leaving town without the hope they came for," Fickenscher said. "They are not dancing on their way home." But Jesus went after them, she said.
"Jesus is the shepherd who leaves behind 99 sheep to find one," she told the 22,000 Youth Gathering participants. "He's the one who leaves behind the crowds and goes after these two people."
Jesus' example in this story helps demonstrate that God loves all people no matter what, Fickenscher said. She told the crowd that for every seat occupied in the Trans World Dome, there are two empty seats waiting to be filled by people who need God's love, which comes to them through his son, Jesus. On the final day Jesus will gather all people "who are tired and hungry" for a spectacular feast, she said.
"God is not going to stop gathering sheep, and, at that last feast, we might as well be ready to dance," Fickenscher said.
"How would Jesus dance?" she asked the crowd as she concluded. "Jesus would dance with your feet and with your hands and with your hearts. So go on, keep dancing."
Worship included special music from a choir of young people who participated in the Multicultural Youth Leadership Event (MYLE) held prior to the gathering, at Southern Illinois University in Edwardsville, Ill. Ken Medema, San Francisco, music director for the gathering, created a musical reflection on the event as video images were flashed on the large screens in the Trans World Dome.
Offerings given at worship included canned goods, books and money. They were distributed to support several projects: AIDS orphans in Zimbabwe; street children in Brazil; Thai Good News Center, Singapore; Evangelical Lutheran Church of Jordan (and Palestine) schools; removal of land mines; children fleeing war; Chinese Lutheran Mission, St. Louis; Truth Evangelical Lutheran Church, Lanham, Md.; endowment for education; rebuilding after disaster; and projects that break the cycle of youth and violence.
Holy Communion was administered to the large crowd by several volunteers serving the elements through a series of communion stations set-up throughout the stadium.
The Rev. Howard E. Wennes, bishop of the ELCA Grand Canyon Synod, presided at the concluding worship. Other worship leaders were Jerome Braggs, lector, and Angel Love Miles, assisting minister.
A Gospel drama was performed by Derek Johnson, Gabriel Cano, Jessi Grieser and Leota Thomas-Breitfeld.

For information contact:
John Brooks, Director (773) 380-2958 or NEWS@ELCA.ORG
http://listserv.elca.org/archives/elcanews.html