Youth Gathering - Review

There's nothing like having your ipad die while you are away.  My hope was to continue blogging during the gathering, but technology ended that dream.  I'm back in pocket and still living in the afterglow of Detroit.  The Youth Gatherings tend to be mountain top experiences, and this one was no exception.  Detroit is an amazing city.  Unlike our experience in New Orleans, the challenge has not been a natural disaster, but an economic one.  The city felt almost deserted.  The architectural beauty was still there, but faded.  There were fewer people than you might imagine in a major metropolitan area.  As with all gathering, the evening community events were filled with wonderful speakers, great music, and lots of energy.  I would recommend going the ELCA Youth Gathering website and catching some of the videos.

The greatest take away for me was the encounter with the people of Detroit.  We had the opportunity to go out into the community to do some much needed work.  In particular, we were sent to spruce up 100 blocks north of the city.  Many of the homes are abandoned and look that way.  With shovels, saws, clippers, and plastic bags, we cleared and cleaned yard after yard.  We removed trash, weeds, overgrown vines, and unsafe porches and structures.  The people in the neighborhoods were amazed.  An older woman on a porch  told me she never saw so many white people and, since we were wearing orange, were we carrying out some sentence.  When I told her we were not convicts but Lutherans and that we were doing it for free as a witness to Christ, she was overwhlemed and clearly grateful.  No one had done anything like this for them.  One woman stopped her car in the middle of the road, got out while the car was running, and blessed all of us.  She then had everyone gather around the car while she prayed.  A little boy, with his mother's permission, shared his Pringles with us.  These are just a few of the stories.  There are many more.  While we were in Detroit, we had the possibility of bringing hope to a community that has known very little.  We got the chance to live out and experience the gospel.  Those are memories that will stay with you for a lifetime.

If you get the chace, talk with someone who went to Detroit.  They will have stories to tell.  It will be a week that I will always remember.

Peace,

Pastor Summer

Youth Gathering - Day 2

Today was the first official day of the Gathering.  We explored the city on the People Mover and ate lunch in Thomas Edison Park.  We discovered a great restaraunt called Bucherest Grille.  The rest of the day was spent getting autographs for our T-shirts.  Detroit is an interesting city.  It seems almost deserted.  The people are so glad to have us.  The weather was perfect and the Riverwalk was beautiful.  We went to Ford Field was the opening program.  We were fortunate enough to be on the floor.  With 30,000 young people, the energy was amazing.  The music was I spiring.  It was a great way to start the Gathering.  The trip back to the hotel took some time and we didn't return to almost 11:30.  The bus heads back to the city tomorrow morning at 7:15.  It will be a full day.  I keep you informed tomorrow.

Peace
Pastor

Youth Gathering 2015

The adventure has begun.  We are safely in Detroit.  The Gathering officially begins tomorrow.  The theme is "Rise Up".  We have been traveling two days on bus with 190 other people from the New Jersey Synod.  You can feel the excitement building.  Tomorrow we will "rise up" early and take in the city.  We'll also go to the Cobo Center and get our first taste of the Gathering.  We will be wearing our autograph shirts and New Jersey ties.  You will be able to catch pictures of us on Facebook and Twitter.  Kathryn Schaefer is handling the social media outlets.  We won't be returning to the hotel until late tomorrow night.  I'm not sure when I will be able to blog, but I'm going to make the effort.  Keep the Gathering and our young people in your prayers.  We off to a great start.

Peace,
Pastor