A Sermon for the New Year

Last year, I made a New Year’s Resolution after the Youth Rally. Of all the thousands of people there, what I wanted to do more than anything was be one of the twenty-some kids in the back. The ones with long-sleeved shirts, running band tables and announcing the speakers. I wanted to be a part of the group that designed every aspect of the rally –the Conference Council on Youth Ministries. I made this resolution to motivate myself to complete the application this time, and get it turned in by March 3^rd. I got it turned in –then I waited. I waited until May. Then one day I got a letter. And, as many of you have probably figured out by my long-sleeved shirt, I was accepted. The meetings began. Planning was slow. And it seemed that every time we had another meeting, decisions had been made that we didn’t even get a say on. My CCYM buddies were getting a little irritated, too. But before we knew it, it was January. We were in Ocean City, meeting at the Carousel Hotel at seven p.m. on Thursday for a short meeting and a time of group prayer, followed by Communion and each of us being anointed to do Christ’s work before going to bed.

On Friday morning, once at the Convention Center, our Spiritual Director for the weekend had us stand in a circle and asked for several of us to share why we were there and what we wanted to get out of the weekend. My answer came almost immediately –I was there to serve. I was in the background not because it’s easy, not because I could be backstage with the bands, but because being there on team was hard. I was astounded by the responses from in the circle, but not in a good way. Not one of my high school peers had an answer to share, only the adults. I don’t know if they were waiting for someone else to share first like I was, or if they were doing some soul-searching, or if they just didn’t know why they were there. If they had been so caught up in the motions of being a Christian that they had gotten on team one year and just kept re-applying because they were expected to, not because they were getting something out of the weekend. My ponderings were cut short by our next duty –a prayer walk around the entire Convention center, praying over every chair and every room in the place. Even bathrooms. As crazy as it may seem, a lot of conversations take place in the bathrooms between friends or youth leaders that really help students come closer to the Lord. That prayer walk got me ready. It grounded me. It also helped me understand why out of all the events I go to in a year that the Ocean City Youth Rally always gets me closer to God. Why things always seem to fall into place that weekend and why my life doesn’t seem that bad. Because everywhere you go there, there’s prayer.

And then, the kids showed up. Over four thousand students and crazy youth leaders streamed in our doors to meet God. Meet God through all of us, all the speakers, all the bands, and through each other.

The first day had been awesome. People were getting pumped up, and we were all looking forward to going back to the hotel and taking advantage of our newly-fixed hot water heater. We had to get up much too early for a much too long day. True, most attendees stay up until two or three in the morning, but they have the luxury of a mid-day nap during free time. CCYM kids stay in the Convention Center all day. But it wasn’t ever about us getting enough sleep. It was about us getting just enough sleep so that we could continue doing our job –getting everyone else pumped up as they walked through the doors at eight a.m. Saturday morning. Our motto for the weekend was “If it helps one, then it was worth it.” So we did everything. We sung “Rise and Shine” and screamed “Welcome back!” or “Good morning!” to groups running across the parking lot to get inside. We high-fived and held the doors open for them and gave them directions. We did tiny little things that many people overlooked, but the ones who did comment “Wow, they’ve never held the doors open for us before!” made it all worthwhile.

On Saturday I made my first stage appearance. Bethany and I were chosen to sing onstage. Not because we’re good, because we’re belters. We were always singing snippets of songs that we barely remembered and we were singing loud. So we were sent on stage to sing Backstreet Boys, one of the super-famous boy bands of the 90s. The song –“I Want It That Way.” The crowd went nuts. Between my friends who were out there and our singing, Bethany and I were stars. So big that when we went back onstage ten minutes later to introduce Starfield, the lead singer started to sing the chorus. When I found out that I was supposed to be opening the evening session in prayer, I finally started to be overwhelmed. Why in the world was it me? Yes, I had volunteered to do it, but it seemed surreal. I was supposed to write a prayer in ten minutes that would get 4,500 people ready for the Saturday night session. The night of the altar call. The night more lives are changed than the rest of the weekend put together. What was I supposed to say? I headed for the Prayer Room. I got something from God. I ran it by one of the pastors on CCYM and it was approved. I go onstage by myself. The people start screaming out my name again, and when they died down I stood there and said “Please join me in a word of prayer.” And they stopped. Because it wasn’t about me, standing up there. It was about them, sitting down there. I read my prayer and walked off stage and the night went on. I wasn’t really a celebrity anymore. And backstage, I saw other non-celebrities. I saw Starfield watching WOW music videos through the big screen and heard their drummer say proudly to his group “I know how to play that song!” when a Kutless song started. They were just four guys backstage watching a movie, enjoying the show. All of a sudden when we were out in with the masses, we were celebrities. When I was selling merchandise at their booth, people mobbed me. When Starfield came out to their booth, they were mobbed. And we’re just ordinary people trying to work for the Kingdom.

I’m not really sure how many people apply to be on CCYM each year. How many want to be a part of the team that is credited for doing God’s work during that weekend. How many want to be in the background, seeing God’s hand and being able to pray for strangers and the forgiveness of their sins. I don’t know how many people who weren’t on CCYM that did that. But I saw them. In the bathroom with their friend, having that conversation about faith. Being Christ’s ambassador, one friend at a time. They didn’t need an all-access pass to do that.

In that same way, we all have that chance. The opportunity to show the love of Christ to our friends. To see God work through others. To be backstage in the workings of the Kingdom. And you don’t have to fill out an application. You don’t need a letter of recommendation from your pastor. The only thing you need from that application is the one thing that had been stopping me from completing it before –the testimony. You have to be able to see that God is working in your boring, everyday life so that you don’t have any doubts about God. Once you’re right with God, you can live for Him. You’ll get your all-access pass. You won’t have the fame, but it’s never been about that. It’s always just been about Him.

What I've Done

This past weekend was one of the most emotional and exciting weekends of my life. The 21st Annual Youth Rally, sponsored by the Peninsula-Delaware Conference of the United Methodist Church. I've been on the Conference Council on Youth Ministries (CCYM) since May, and a huge part of our job is to plan the Youth Rally. As a bonus, we get all access passes, get to be backstage, meet the bands, sell the band's merchandise, and get cooler shirts than everyone else. The theme --"Whatever," from Colossians 3:23 "Whatever you do, work at it with your whole heart, as working for the Lord, not for men."

I show up at around noon on Thursday expecting to do some work. Turns out I didn't really do anything at all until five, but I was there. I was serving. It's what I was there to do.

Either that night or Friday afternoon, Jon asked us why we were there. What we wanted to get out of the Rally. And none of the kids said anything. I started questioning myself --why was I there? What did I expect to get during the weekend? Answers about other people I still have no idea of. Several I suspected of just going through the motions year after year, or to get behind the scenes, or to get on stage. An answer came for me pretty fast. I was there to serve. To do whatever was necessary to create an environment where people of all denominations could grow closer to God. I was fulfilling my call to servanthood.

People have all types of callings. I know I have a servant's heart. I'm always trying to get involved, to help, to contribute. It's just how I roll. It feels like the only time I really get closer to God is when I roll up my sleeves and do some dirtywork for the Kingdom. Sure, the earthly rewards are nice, but the Heavenly ones I can't even begin to imagine. Free shirts, an all expense paid trip to Ocean City with room and food taken care of, and all access passes to Starfield, L.A. Symphony, Hawk Nelson, Ayiesha Woods, Flatfoot 56, Justin Lookadoo, Taylor Mason, and Kathleen Baskin-Ball..... it sounds nice. I'm not going to lie --it was nice. But I wasn't just given a pass for nothing. I was out of the Convention Center after midnight every night and back before eight the next morning. With a meeting every night after getting back to the hotel, there wasn't much time for sleep. Every morning that I woke up tired or late or cold I got into the shower and knew I was doing it for my Heavenly Master, not because the world told me it was a nice thing to do.

Because of that, I was so blessed, even by the world's standards. I had my debut in the Rally rules video --a cell phone was snatched out of my hand and thrown (literally, Aaron chucked it) aside. When it was shown, I heard my friends go nuts and scream out my name. Back in November I had volunteered to pray onstage and possibly announce a band. I did both. And more. I was first on stage on Saturday with Bethany. We had spent most of Friday singing the chorus of "Punk Rawk Show" or "Chick Magnet" by MxPx, and since we were still belting it out Saturday morning Shane picked us to sing "I Want It That Way" as a little announcement for "Making the Band." We strut out at the end of the announcements and belt out our worst rendition of The Backstreet Boys anyone has ever heard. The crowd went nuts. And they loved it. And I loved it. And I made my announcement in front of nearly 4,500 people. Probably twenty minutes later, Bethany and I were sent back out to introduce Starfield, the worship band for the weekend. More screaming and cheering. Starfield's lead singer starts to sing "I Want It That Way." I say to Bethany "Starfield wishes they could be us!"

At lunch we assign who will be introducing what breakout session. I'm assigned one about the mass media or something for the second session, and for the first I announce L.A. Symphony to about twenty people. I went out and was so unenthusiastic. I felt horrible walking down the stairs within inches of the band. The least I could have done was to pump up the crowd, but I let my lack of sleep prevent me from pumping myself up. This in itself is a lesson for another blog.

At approximately 6:30, I was busy working at the Starfield table. Bethany called me and told me to get my butt over to the information booth because I was supposed to be opening the evening general session in prayer at 7:30. I run over and am supposed to write out a prayer in ten minutes. I crash in the Prayer Room with a lot on my heart. My buddy Caitlin had texted me earlier that day telling me about a horrible car accident that claimed the lives of two teenage boys from Delmar and had two others in serious condition in the hospital. Caitlin also told me that two girls with my youth group had known the boys. What was I supposed to do with the information? Caitlin specifically told me in the text that it was a prayer request long before I realized I was doing the opening prayer. I felt a deep urge to mention it in my prayer somehow, a comfort to those who were totally crushed without bringing everyone else down. In the end I just said "Please also be with all our family and friends at home, and help us witness to them as we go back into our situations tomorrow." On my way out of the prayer room I stopped and wrote on a Post-It note a simple prayer request --for two lives ended much too soon. Kneeling on the floor as I stuck it to the wooden cross in front of me, reading some of the surrounding requests, I almost burst into tears. How was it that I was responsible for leading thousands of people in prayer? Starting their evening of amazing worship? How was I worthy to have that honor? I realize now that I wasn't. I'm not. But Jesus chose me. "He chose all of us." [Evan Almighty]

Walking out onto the stage by myself, clutching the piece of computer paper that my prayer was hand written on, I hear a loud roar to my right --from the section I know both my youth group, Mt. Olivet, and my adopted youth group, Avenue, were sitting in. Within seconds the entire hall was screaming my name. I was a star. I was famous. And I said "Will you please join me in a word of prayer." I asked these things in Jesus' name and walked off the stage. I was soon backstage praying for Taylor Mason, a comedian ventriloquist, minutes before he went on. I praised God for the gift of humor Taylor had been given. We were in a tight circle screaming over Ayiesha Woods songs and could barely hear each other. But it was amazing.

After I waited in line to get Starfield and Ayiesha to sign my cd's, I was rambling on to a security guard about how I have access to the bands at all times. "I have a lanyard and a laminated piece of paper! Don't mess with me!" I turn around and Ayiesha is sitting there laughing at me. Straight up laughing. At me.

Then I go to Justin Lookadoo's table. Yes, Lookadoo is his real name. A bunch of us on CCYM and with Master's Commission were standing around chatting with him, so I buy one of his books. He signs it to me "Joy -No regrets jLookadoo" I get all excited about not being the only person who signs with a lowercase "j" and he pounds me. It was amazing. Bethany and I get a few pictures with a skinny blond guy who's only six foot seven with spiky hair doing a cheerleader pose. It must have been late Saturday night.

[prayer saturday night]

Once again, Sunday morning Bethany and I take the stage. More roaring as we make our announcements. After Flatfoot 56's stunning performance, the five seniors take the stage with Shane while Andrea closed the entire weekend in prayer. Pretty powerful stuff was going on. When I went to buy Flatfoot's records (Vinyl. Actual vinyl records.), I realized how human these bands are. They aren't superstars. They're servants, too. Backstage with Starfield, we were watching WOW Hits music videos through the screen and one of the guitarists points up at the screen when a Kutless song came on and exclaimed "I played that song!" During Saturday night prayer, Ayiesha and her brother came out from behind the curtain a couple feet to watch CCYM kids pray for our peers, strangers who are our brothers and sisters in Christ. No one mobbed them. They were just people. Just two siblings amazed by watching God move through, well, teenagers. It gives me hope for our future.