Title: ELCA Presiding Bishop Urges Lutheran Youth to 'Speak the Truth' ELCA NEWS SERVICE
July 17, 2006
ELCA Presiding Bishop Urges Lutheran Youth to 'Speak the Truth' 06-105-JB/KH*
SAN ANTONIO, Texas (ELCA) -- The Rev. Mark S. Hanson, presiding bishop of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA), encouraged participants in the 2006 ELCA Youth Gathering to "speak the truth" as God's witnesses in the world. Hanson carried the theme throughout his sermon at the concluding worship service here July 16 at the Alamodome.
About 40,000 high-school-age and adult Lutherans from the United States and around the world participated here in the ELCA Youth Gathering. The gathering took place in two back-to-back events. Some 15,000 young people, chaperones and volunteers participated July 5-9; the second week more than 24,000 people participated through July 16.
The theme of the gathering was "Cruzando: Journey with Jesus." Cruzando is a Spanish word for "crossing."
Hanson encouraged the youth to go beyond their comfort zones to serve the world. "Look out world, there are 40,000 Lutheran youth and adults who are filled and on fire with the Holy Spirit, who are journeying with Jesus, who are going to confront the borders of this world, and they're going to cross those borders and speak the truth," Hanson said.
He urged young people to "confront the borders that say to be accepted in this society you must speak English, and no matter what the color of your skin, you must act 'White.' Have the courage to cross over that border, to tell the truth," Hanson said.
Hanson said that when he is interviewed by news reporters, they often ask him why he "hangs out" with the young people in the ELCA. Hanson said he does so not because young people are the church of the future, but "because they're the church of today."
Young people want to be part of a church that matters, Hanson said he tells reporters. It matters to young people that they be part of a church where Jesus, faith, the Bible, worship and being Lutheran matter, he said.
"Then I tell (news reporters) that young people want to be part of a church that's going to make a difference. Thank you for leading this church so that we will matter and make a difference in Jesus' name," he said.
Hanson reminded the young Lutherans that God first entered their lives at birth and has remained in their lives ever since.
"We bear upon our brow the mark of the cross of Christ," Hanson said. "We have been branded forever. (Others) will only know it as we bear witness to the love of God through our words and our deeds."
Hanson encouraged the young people to share the message of God's love. "Speak the truth that God loves you, forgives you, has reconciled you and the whole creation to God's self and has given us the ministry and message of reconciliation," he said, urging the youth to "commit to live and learn together, so that together we can build a world of justice and peace."
Hanson concluded his sermon by calling Lutheran youth to be agents of change. "Let us start a revolution in this Lutheran church. Let us be 40,000 people on fire with the Holy Spirit, going out in the world proclaiming the gospel, serving our neighbor, seeking justice, caring for the creation and following Jesus," he said. "Let us 40,000 people full of the Holy Spirit go out -- let us share Christ, let us love Christ, let us live Christ, let us be Christ to the other. But if we're going to do that, we will need the power and the presence of the Holy Spirit with us every step of the journey with Jesus," Hanson said.
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Video clips from the ELCA Youth Gathering morning worship and other events are available at http://www.ELCA.org/gathering/video on the ELCA Web site.
*Katherine R. Hinck is a senior journalism and religion major at Augustana College, Sioux Falls, S.D. This summer she is an intern with the ELCA News Service.
For information contact:
John Brooks, Director (773) 380-2958 or news@elca.org http://www.elca.org/news ELCA News Blog: http://www.elca.org/news/blog