Title: ANDERSON TELLS YOUTH: JESUS IS
WAITING FOR YOU
ELCA NEWS SERVICE
July 29, 1997
ANDERSON TELLS YOUTH: JESUS IS WAITING FOR
YOU
97-YG-16-AH
NEW ORLEANS (ELCA) -- Thousands of
young people left New Orleans,
heading home at the close of the Evangelical
Lutheran Church in America's
Youth Gathering here July 23-27. "Jesus
will be waiting for you when you
get home," the Rev. H. George Anderson,
presiding bishop of the ELCA, told
them. "He has gone on ahead of you."
Anderson preached on an Easter theme
for the gathering's closing
worship at the Louisiana Superdome. "What
do we mean when we say, Christ
is risen?'" he asked. "Jesus Christ is part
of our living world. You see
Jesus' face in my face, in each others'
faces and the faces of the poor,"
he said.
"We have had a great time here,"
Anderson said. "We're pumped!" But
Jesus is out in front of us, he said. "You
are going home. Back to the
familiar ... after this once-in-a-lifetime
experience. But you won't be
leaving Jesus here."
Anderson said, "Jesus will be there to
meet you when you get home,
offering opportunities and possibilities you
have not dreamed of at school,
at work and in your relationships."
Jesus came to Mary Magdalene on Easter
morning "in her loneliness and
despair," Anderson said. "And from that
point on the risen, living Jesus
repeatedly comes to people who are going
through bad times," he said.
"Jesus Christ promised to be here,
alive and powerful in the world,"
Anderson said. "Say to him, Lord, I am
ready.'"
He said, "Jesus will meet you again and
again in the days ahead.
Watch for him. Listen for his voice calling
you by name -- the name you
were called when you first heard the words
`child of God.'"
Music for the gathering was directed by
Abe Carceras, minister of
music at Our Savior's Lutheran Church,
Milwaukee, and performed with
Angelique Richard, New Orleans; Tita
Valeriano, Portland, Ore.; Ben Ward,
St. Paul, Minn.; and the Rev. Antonio
Machado, Minneapolis.
The Gathering Choir was led by Richard,
music director at Bethlehem
Lutheran Church, New Orleans. Also singing
for the closing worship were
the Bethlehem Youth Choir and "Spirit of
God, Mighty River," a choir from
King of Glory Lutheran Church, Tempe, Ariz.
Steven Ahrell of Bethlehem, New
Orleans, brought the 37,000
worshipers to their feet with a rap
rendition of the gospel acclamation.
Molly Matthias, Mount Olive Lutheran Church
near Milwaukee, sang a portion
of the biblical book of Revelation.
-- 30 --
For information contact:
Ann Hafften, Director, News and Information
http://www.elca.org/co/news/current.html
