One of my core beliefs is that the youth of the church are not the future of the church any more than the elderly are the past. We are the church together, as it is, here and now. This past Sunday was a clear and present example. Worship was designed and led by youth reflecting on scripture, supported by adults, and creating intergenerational opportunities to grow in faith together. The young women who preached sat in chairs around the communion table and began with a sip from a coffee mug. Their sermon begins below. See the whole thing on Facebook Live.
Zoe...Hi guys. There’s a lot of things in today’s day and age that makes life really hard. Being younger, we have a lot of stuff to figure out for ourselves while also trying to get wisdom from our elders, without becoming an exact copy of them. These challenges make it easy to give up. Make it easy to walk away. As Christians, we have lots of questions. What is God, really? What is faith? Why were we spared from sin?
Kate...1st Corinthians 12:26-27 “If one member suffers, all suffer together with it. If one member is honored, all rejoice together with it. Now you are the Body of Christ and individual members of it.” We’ve definitely already brought this up- we talked with the little kids about it, and now it’s time to talk to the big kids.
Anna...The Body of Christ. Easy words to say, but the concept gets a little harder once you start unpacking it. Personally, I think the body of Christ is the community we form out of Him. And we all have some kind of contribution to this community.
Emma...This brings us to our heart question! Sometime between now and the offertory, take a moment to think about and then anonymously write down on the hearts provided in your bulletin what you think your greatest contribution to the body of Christ is.
Anna... For me, being part of the body of Christ is always being willing to be an open ear or shoulder to cry on. A lot of times, I find that people, or at least my friends, don’t necessarily want advice or actual help nearly as much as they just need someone to listen to them. So I try to listen with willing and open ears whenever I can.
Kate...I grew up attending a small church in Baton Rouge. We had children’s time and donut holes and a nursery with blocks and puppets. I’d go to Sunday School and learn. As I grew up, I dove deeper into my faith, realizing its effects on my day to day life. My church was close, as most are, and I began to enjoy talking to the older congregation members after services. This community means a lot to me. They applied God’s teachings of love to life. When we could no longer afford a pastor, it was heartbreaking. Fewer and fewer people attended as they searched for a new place to worship. However, just as my church was fading away, Zoe invited Emma and me on a trip to Triennium. It was an incredible experience that opened my eyes to the vast Presbyterian community. Through the church, Camp Agape, and conferences, I have learned what fellowship truly is, and how to be the best friend and neighbor I can be.
Emma... There’s always something really reassuring in knowing that you have people that will catch you if you fall. Growing up as a Presbyterian, and going to Camp Agape, Montreat, and Triennium has shown me that being a part of the Body of Christ means building each other up and helping to make each other better.
Zoe... Being a pastor’s kid, I have a different experience of church. It adds another level, where I’m never sure if I actually have a pastor or a dad. That’s why this church and Camp and Triennium have mattered so much to me. The community in these places shows me truly what the body of Christ is- a place where everyone who loves God can gather and help each other. These places have brought peace to me when I don’t know which way is down and which is way up, and the people that I’ve met have changed my life in ways they couldn’t possibly understand the extent of. And all of these people, experiences, and places have taught me something- we all contain God’s love and God’s light, even when we don’t think that we do. Everyone matters to Him and to each other through Him. No matter what.
Emma...The church wouldn’t exist if it weren’t for the community that everyone makes in the body of Christ and all the contributions that they give. So many things would not be able to happen if it weren’t for how everyone contributes. There would be no Camp Agape, no Triennium, no Montreat, and no Mo-Ranch. It’s doubtful we would even be sitting up here in front of you today.
Zoe...We like to tell little kids that God is love. Personally, I hadn’t put a lot of thought into this- until I realized how accurate it was. We can never fully understand who God is. But we know what love is. Love is strong but gentle, cruel but still merciful, and incredibly vast. And we can come to know God through our knowledge of his love. And that’s part of what makes camps and conferences so important. These places put us in direct contact with the Body of Christ and God’s love.
Anna...We have such pure memories of God’s love in these places. The Rec Crew performs brown squirrel and dinosaur battles for us, Mrs. Jill losing her voice screaming her love for us, God, and hotdogs every year, Kyle and Zach’s bromance that fuels so many good ideas and so much positive energy at camp. WE LOVE YALL!!!!
Kate... Camp is not the entirety of the body of Christ, but one of the best and most pure examples we can think of. After all, the body of Christ is a community- formed out of everyone who believes in Him.
Zoe...Everyone contributes to this community, and every little thing matters. So this brings us back to our question- what is your biggest contribution to the body of Christ? Or if you have trouble digesting this question, then maybe this- what’s your most helpful contribution to the world? In other words, what would be missing if you weren’t here? And how can we help each other?
Emma...For we are the body of Christ, and individually members of it.
Zoe...Hi guys. There’s a lot of things in today’s day and age that makes life really hard. Being younger, we have a lot of stuff to figure out for ourselves while also trying to get wisdom from our elders, without becoming an exact copy of them. These challenges make it easy to give up. Make it easy to walk away. As Christians, we have lots of questions. What is God, really? What is faith? Why were we spared from sin?
Kate...1st Corinthians 12:26-27 “If one member suffers, all suffer together with it. If one member is honored, all rejoice together with it. Now you are the Body of Christ and individual members of it.” We’ve definitely already brought this up- we talked with the little kids about it, and now it’s time to talk to the big kids.
Anna...The Body of Christ. Easy words to say, but the concept gets a little harder once you start unpacking it. Personally, I think the body of Christ is the community we form out of Him. And we all have some kind of contribution to this community.
Emma...This brings us to our heart question! Sometime between now and the offertory, take a moment to think about and then anonymously write down on the hearts provided in your bulletin what you think your greatest contribution to the body of Christ is.
Anna... For me, being part of the body of Christ is always being willing to be an open ear or shoulder to cry on. A lot of times, I find that people, or at least my friends, don’t necessarily want advice or actual help nearly as much as they just need someone to listen to them. So I try to listen with willing and open ears whenever I can.
Kate...I grew up attending a small church in Baton Rouge. We had children’s time and donut holes and a nursery with blocks and puppets. I’d go to Sunday School and learn. As I grew up, I dove deeper into my faith, realizing its effects on my day to day life. My church was close, as most are, and I began to enjoy talking to the older congregation members after services. This community means a lot to me. They applied God’s teachings of love to life. When we could no longer afford a pastor, it was heartbreaking. Fewer and fewer people attended as they searched for a new place to worship. However, just as my church was fading away, Zoe invited Emma and me on a trip to Triennium. It was an incredible experience that opened my eyes to the vast Presbyterian community. Through the church, Camp Agape, and conferences, I have learned what fellowship truly is, and how to be the best friend and neighbor I can be.
Emma... There’s always something really reassuring in knowing that you have people that will catch you if you fall. Growing up as a Presbyterian, and going to Camp Agape, Montreat, and Triennium has shown me that being a part of the Body of Christ means building each other up and helping to make each other better.
Zoe... Being a pastor’s kid, I have a different experience of church. It adds another level, where I’m never sure if I actually have a pastor or a dad. That’s why this church and Camp and Triennium have mattered so much to me. The community in these places shows me truly what the body of Christ is- a place where everyone who loves God can gather and help each other. These places have brought peace to me when I don’t know which way is down and which is way up, and the people that I’ve met have changed my life in ways they couldn’t possibly understand the extent of. And all of these people, experiences, and places have taught me something- we all contain God’s love and God’s light, even when we don’t think that we do. Everyone matters to Him and to each other through Him. No matter what.
Emma...The church wouldn’t exist if it weren’t for the community that everyone makes in the body of Christ and all the contributions that they give. So many things would not be able to happen if it weren’t for how everyone contributes. There would be no Camp Agape, no Triennium, no Montreat, and no Mo-Ranch. It’s doubtful we would even be sitting up here in front of you today.
Zoe...We like to tell little kids that God is love. Personally, I hadn’t put a lot of thought into this- until I realized how accurate it was. We can never fully understand who God is. But we know what love is. Love is strong but gentle, cruel but still merciful, and incredibly vast. And we can come to know God through our knowledge of his love. And that’s part of what makes camps and conferences so important. These places put us in direct contact with the Body of Christ and God’s love.
Anna...We have such pure memories of God’s love in these places. The Rec Crew performs brown squirrel and dinosaur battles for us, Mrs. Jill losing her voice screaming her love for us, God, and hotdogs every year, Kyle and Zach’s bromance that fuels so many good ideas and so much positive energy at camp. WE LOVE YALL!!!!
Kate... Camp is not the entirety of the body of Christ, but one of the best and most pure examples we can think of. After all, the body of Christ is a community- formed out of everyone who believes in Him.
Zoe...Everyone contributes to this community, and every little thing matters. So this brings us back to our question- what is your biggest contribution to the body of Christ? Or if you have trouble digesting this question, then maybe this- what’s your most helpful contribution to the world? In other words, what would be missing if you weren’t here? And how can we help each other?
Emma...For we are the body of Christ, and individually members of it.
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