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bishop's perspective:
A prayer for our youth
Last month I attended Resurrection 2004 in Gatlinburg and again witnessed the spiritual hunger of our youth. The prayer I offered God in 1997 is my earnest petition in 2004.
Dear God,
My heart is heavy tonight and also full of hope, after experiencing that Resurrection worship service with thousands of youth. You were there in that gathering tonight, God. There is not a single doubt in my mind about that. Your spirit moved among and touched the hearts of thousands of young people. For more than an hour, hundreds of teen-agers walked down the aisles for prayer. Thousands of people quietly sat there until finally we had to clear the convention hall. I have a feeling they might have stayed for hours more.
O God, I watched those young people weeping and pouring out their heavy burdens and brokenness. I saw them embrace one another with agape love. I realized again how difficult it is to grow up in our society today. The pressures are enormous. So much pain. Loneliness. Temptation. Rejection. Isolation.
I saw the face of your son Jesus in
the faces of those teen-agers as they
cried out to you in their anguished
pathos, and I was convicted.
Dear God, forgive me for breaking your heart every time I allow myself to get sucked into petty arguments about secondary issues. Forgive me for investing precious energy in debates over incidentals. Save me and our local congregations from fussing over church signs and methods of serving Holy Communion and styles of worship and carpet colors while our youth go to hell.
Forgive us for our gross preoccupation with what we want for ourselves rather than what you want for the world. Remind us that as our youth struggle spiritually and emotionally, we too often ignore them because our agenda is absorbed with rules and organization and power issues and silly things like who gets nominated for which office.
O God, set me free. Set us free in our congregations to hear your call to reach out in love, acceptance and affirmation with your great and generous grace to our children and young people. Make our churches safe sanctuaries for their fears and tears. May they be places where forgiveness is experienced.
Help us for the sake of Jesus and
for the sake of your world!
Amen.
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Bishop Ray W. Chamberlain
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