We were an odd looking group trick or treating through our neighborhood as a ballerina, Luke Skywalker and me as Darth Vader. But even with Halloween being over, it still feels a little spooky…maybe even scary. So if you need some encouragement and hope in our world and our future, look no further than Good Shepherd’s Youth.
Last weekend a group of 20 middle schoolers from Good Shepherd along with 5 student leaders and 6 adult leaders went on a Fall Retreat. There were a lot of exciting stories of hope. Let me share a few.
The retreat's theme was “By Name.” The youth discussed how God has many names and how God knows us by name. During a small group time, a student shared how they have seen God as their father due to the absence of a father figure in their life. The student said they often struggle with this part of their life and was grateful for the group embracing and supporting them.
One student was unsure of the loud worship environment. A different student saw them standing alone in the back and encouraged a group to join the student standing by themself so they wouldn’t be alone.
Throughout the retreat, students loudly and boldly participated in worship. The stage was immediately rushed by students every time the band started playing. The students sang together, jumped, and held each other — even when they didn’t know the person next to them.
A student who was new to gsYouth was quickly embraced by the group. By the end of the weekend, the new student felt at home and was excited to participate in future gsYouth events.
Hope.
During any season that feels overwhelming or scary, it can be easy to lose sight of the hopeful places God puts all around us. As you look to the weekend and the week ahead, be sure to pause and find those moments of hope.
Election Day
Tuesday is of course Election Day. As I’ve talked with people across the political spectrum, there’s been one theme that has risen to the top. Fear.
A lot of our fears are real and warranted. Fears that the results of the election will hurt us personally or hurt people we love. Fears that our ability to provide for our families is at stake. And countless more fears.
One of Jesus’ most common commandments is “Do not be afraid.” That’s not because our fears don’t matter. Instead it’s a reminder that when we center Jesus, we can remember that Jesus is working right now to restore God’s vision of the world. Jesus tells us that our fears don’t have to rule us. Our fears don’t have to consume us. And most of all our fears do not have to stamp out our hope for God’s vision in our lives and in our world.
This Sunday we will be finishing up our sermon series, Hot Topics. We will be tackling Faith and Politics by talking about Jesus’ approach to politics. I really hope you’ll join us for the conversation because it will be both practical and hopeful.
On Election Day, Tuesday, November 5 we are opening up the North Oak sanctuary for prayer from 6am to 4pm. You are welcome to come by for a moment of reflection and peace. We will also have Election Prayer Guides available, or you can download one below.
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