From the Pastor

August 2009

As I write this, it is about a week before 15 of us from Holy Redeemer will leave for the ELCA Youth gathering in New Orleans. It has been a long process to get to this point: fundraising, endless forms to fill out, endless emails and letters from me to the group, preparatory meetings, hotel rooms to assign, a service project to choose and hope we get assigned, etc. etc. etc. But at last we will head off for the six days of worship, learning, fellowship, and service.

Some might ask "Why bother? Why go to the trouble and expense of such a trip?" Well, this will be the 8th Gathering I have attended (one as a youth and seven as an adult), and I can tell you the experience is worth every dollar and every minute of preparation and planning.

Our ten young people will have the chance to learn more about each other, deepen their faith, study the Bible, meet other young Lutherans from around the world, and serve through our service project. This project will put us in close contact with an agency in New Orleans and the people they serve in their post-Hurricane Katrina world. The five adults who will attend will have the chance to have our faith deepened, even as we watch our youth grow in theirs right before our eyes.

And the effects will linger. A song, a new acquaintance, a Bible verse, a moment during our learning or service time, a prayer...something will stick with each one of these youth, and some day—maybe not the next day, maybe not next week, but someday—they will remember, and it will come to the front of their minds and to the top of their hearts, and they will feel the power and the presence of the Holy Spirit.

We are blessed to be able to help send this group to the Gathering. They will be blessed by the experience. This congregation and congregations the youth may be a part of in the future will be blessed by their deepened faith and commitment. And Jesus will be glorified through it all.

In Christ,
Pastor Brenda