Title: ELCA Youth Conclude Gathering with Upbeat Worship
ELCA NEWS SERVICE

July 3, 2000

ELCA YOUTH CONCLUDE GATHERING WITH UPBEAT WORSHIP
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     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 [log in to unmask]
http://listserv.elca.org/archives/elcanews.html