My greetings to the Presbyterian Youth Triennium from earlier today: Greetings to Presbyterian Youth Triennium Purdue University – West Lafayette, IN July 17, 2013 Good afternoon, PYT 2013! I want to say a special shout-out to my peeps of Elizabeth Presbytery! I am Neal Presa, a child of God, who is Moderator of the 220th General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) On behalf of the 1.8 million followers of Jesus Christ called the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.), who worship and serve in 10,100 congregations, 173 presbyteries, 10 seminaries, and 63 Presbyterian-related colleges and universities, and who are represented by 900 commissioners and advisory delegates of the 220th General Assembly, I bring you greetings. The Psalmist says, “How good and how pleasant it is when sisters and brothers dwell together in unity.” The 5300 of you who gather here at Purdue University come together in the unity of God in Christ through the Holy Spirit. How good and how pleasant it is. You do so under the theme of “I am. . .” In your baptisms, your indelible identity has been given to you. You are daughters and sons of God. You are God’s beloved ones. It’s not the number of Facebook, Instagram or Twitter followers and friends, it’s not which college you go to or got accepted into, it’s not what career you get into. God has told you who you are, that in life and in death, in body and in soul, you belong to God. I’m Filipino American. In the Philippines, there’s a song when translated says, “You and I, we are Filipino. We are one blood, we are one hope, we are one song.” There’s an African proverb that says, “I am, because we are.” That’s the gift that God in Jesus Christ gives to you, that’s Good News – you are not alone. You belong to the community of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. You belong to the family of God. I am, because we are. Say it with me: I am, because we are. I am, because we are. When there is fighting, fleeing, and fright in the Church, PYT2013, show and tell the Church what it means to come together with your differences, with your diversity. I am, because we are. When there is anxiety in the Church about our common future, PYT2013: show the Church what it means to be a risk-taking Church. I am, because we are. In a world where fear, suspicion and violence towards strangers erupt in the killing of a 17 year old African American wearing a hoodie. PYT2013: show the world what it means to be neighbor to all people, to put our guns down, and for goodness sake, to listen to the wisdom of the 911 dispatcher, “Stay in your car.” I am, because we are. PYT2013, you are the generation called the Millenials, the Googlers. You are the present-future leaders of the Church and of the world. You know the depth of brokenness in our country and in the world. You know of the devastation of wars, of poverty, of disease. I am, because we are. When you leave here on Saturday, filled with excitement of this gathering, with the names and 411 of new friends, my prayer and hope for you is that you will take the love and energy that the Spirit infuses in your dancing and singing these next few days to join the thousands who march, the thousands who protest, who preach, who teach, who serve, who struggle, who weep, who pray, who dream for a better world, not of race against race, not of religion versus religion, not of ideology versus ideology, not of George Zimmermans versus Trayvon Martins, but where each and all can say: I am, because we are. Thanks be to God!
Posted on: Wed, 17 Jul 2013 21:15:06 +0000
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