Bishop Zeiser's Messages from the 2009 Youth Gathering

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From the ELCA Youth Gathering

July 27: A Few Responses to Jesus, Justice, Jazz

Brothers and sisters in Christ,

The tall, polite man sitting next to me on the departing flight is a resident of New Orleans. We chatted. When he found out why I visited the city, his face lit up. "I read about that in the paper," he said. "It means so much to us. We really need your help. We really thank you Lutherans for coming here."

This encounter took me back to a conversation I had with Pr. Kathy Ash-Flashner (St. Paul, Summer Hill) a few days earlier in the convention center. As she and others from a ServantLife group got off a ferry, a man asked about the group. She explained, and he replied, "Hurricane Katrina brought us a bad flood of destruction, and now Jesus brought us a good flood of love. Thank you." Kathy described him as "one of the people God has placed on our path here."

And from the editorial page of the New Orleans Times-Picayune: Few of us have witnessed a community service effort like the one included in the Evangelical Lutheran Church's 2009 Youth Gathering. The gathering is also the largest meeting to come to our region since Katrina - and one of the largest New Orleans has ever hosted. All we can say is, bless y'all.

I suspect that those who attended the gathering would say that the blessing was ours.

Your servant in Christ,

Samuel

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July 25: Rocking the Dome

Brothers and sisters in Christ,

In the mornings, buses are "launched" from the Superdome and thousands are transported to ServantLife projects across New Orleans.

In the evenings, the Dome is home to mass gatherings. Over 37,000 of us hear inspiring speakers, and then the Dome erupts with the sound of music.

Skillet, a four-member band that proffers vibrating, pulsating, explosive contemporary Christian rock music, played on Friday night. I watched from the uppermost level as kids flocked to the stage, arms pounding the beat in the air. It was a sea of adolescent enthusiasm on the Dome floor. I puzzled over what I saw as I compared it to what we offer the kids at worship.

On Saturday morning, I sat with 60 kids in Preservation Hall, a New Orleans jazz mecca. This is no Superdome. Rather, it is a dark, nearly-200-year-old wooden building about the size of a two-car garage.

We were treated to a 45-minute performance by the Preservation Hall Jazz Band. This was no Skillet, but a 6-member group playing worn instruments, none of them electric. And yet it was a powerful musical experience for the kids.

The jazz band finished with When the Saints Go Marching In. We were all standing, singing and clapping, when it was over. That two-car garage was rocking! Kids got autographs from the band members and thanked them as they shook their hands.

These kids and this event are amazing!

Your servant in Christ,

Samuel

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July 24: Roaming the Convention Floor

Brothers and sisters in Christ,

Nearly thirty kids surround the base of a large, three-story-tall replica of Planet Earth.

"Put your arms up like you're holding up the world," their leaders shouted, taking a picture.

Not far away, a dozen kids on their hands and knees occupied a 9-by-12-foot sandbox. As if at the beach, they were building objects in the sand.

"One group built a really beautiful church," a volunteer told me. She went on, "Another group did morning devotions here, using the sand to express what the Bible readings meant."

Carson, from Salisbury, Maryland, asked me to sign his t-shirt: "Make sure you write 'bishop' with your name." Carson likes his new pastor.

Jeff Otterman, pastor of St. James, Belle Fourche, South Dakota, has kids on the floor signing thousands of letters. The letters will go to every ELCA congregation with the message that the kids are praying for them. Pastor Otterman thinks these kids can make us a more caring church.

Then there are the spontaneous conversations with complete strangers. Every conversation includes comments about this extraordinary event and what a blessed church we are.

I agree wholeheartedly.

Your servant in Christ,

Samuel

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July 23: Hello from the Youth Gathering

Brothers and sisters in Christ,

Jesus, Justice, Jazz is now in full swing -- my first national youth gathering! There are Lutherans everywhere here right now. Everywhere! It's a bit overwhelming.

The massive convention center floor is filled with activities . . . for growth and for fun. I met youth and adults from our synod. Youth from St. John's, Fogelsville, challenged me to join them on the bumper cars. They wanted to "bump the bishop." I showed them . . .used my "driving in Philadelphia" techniques.

Lots of learning opportunities about hunger. Some kids are getting major haircuts in order to donate to "Children with Hair Loss."

Friday morning I lead a Bible study, and in the afternoon I participate in a servant life experience. And maybe, maybe, I'll try the bungee thing.

Your servant in Christ,

Samuel

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