Bishop Dave deFreese
Nebraska Synod, ELCA

Bishop David deFreese“If then there is any encouragement in Christ, any consolation from love, any sharing in the spirit, any compassion and sympathy, make my joy complete: be of the same mind, having the same love, being in full accord and of one mind. Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility regard others as better than yourselves. Let each of you look not to your own interests, but to the interests of others. Let the same mind be in you that was in Christ Jesus, who, though He was in the form of God, did not regard equality with God as something to be exploited, but emptied himself, taking the form of a slave, being born in human likeness. And being found in human form, He humbled himself and became obedient to the point of death-even death on a cross.” (Philippians 2:1-8)

Having returned from the ELCA Youth Gathering in New Orleans, my heart is filled with gratitude! Thankful to be a part of an event that was saturated with purpose and hope. Thirty-seven thousand youth and adult sponsors attended the five-day event which focused on our Christ, on our response to His gracious love, and on service. Eleven hundred seventy-three youth and their sponsors, plus about 30 other volunteers and workers came from Nebraska. The days were full, from early morning worship and launching to work sites, to Superdome events and devotions at the end of the day. Crowds were everywhere and good spirits were expressed as people waited in lines and enjoyed conversations.

We were challenged by speakers who shared lives of seeking God’s justice. We were inspired by the music of worship that was expressed in so many different forms. We were taught of God’s love and how we can respond.

Three days in a row, 12,000 youth and sponsors were launched into service events. These events included work at 82 schools, 21 community centers, 13 churches and seven public parks. The young people helped build homes, read to children in various summer school programs, and put together school supply kits for every New Orleans student in kindergarten through third grade. Anita and I served with hundreds who walked neighborhoods, knocking on doors and asking what they needed for the young people of their community. We had conversations that touched us deeply as people shared stories of displacement and of returning home to incredible amounts of work. We heard of hopes, disappointments, and longing for care.

Other days were filled with Bible studies, workshops, and seminars providing a tremendous variety of ways to serve our God. An “interaction center” covered acres and provided opportunities for the young people and sponsors to experience poverty concerns, efforts to care for our environment, the church’s response to illiteracy and grief, and community. It was an amazing event.

But what will stand out in my mind, is the people of New Orleans and their expression of gratitude for our coming to serve. We literally were stopped on the sidewalks of the street as people saw our t-shirts and expressed their appreciation for our coming to make a difference. Several youth groups shared stories of people paying for their meals in restaurants and of police officers stopping traffic to get out of their squad cars and shake hands and hug the young people. Anita and I, in walking back to our hotel, were engaged in several conversations in which the people of New Orleans wanted us to know of their fascination with young people who would come to work in their neighborhoods and parks. They shared their stories of discouragement and spoke of what a lift this event gave to them. In a five-minute conversation on the sidewalk, one man told us: “If your Jesus told you to come and help us, I need to get to know that Jesus.”

I am thankful for our Church which offers our young people such a mountaintop experience of worshipping our God and yet also calls us to the valleys of need and teaches us how to serve. We are marked by the Cross of Christ and we have been branded forever. Others will only know it as we bear witness to the love of God through our words and our deeds. I returned from an event in New Orleans that witnessed to the goodness of being the Body of Christ in a world that is hungry for our care, our compassion and our faith!

Blessings!

Bishop Dave deFreese

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