The theme of the 2012 ELCA National Youth Gathering in New Orleans was “Citizens with the Saints.” It captured the companionship of that event, as some 40,000 high-school-aged Lutherans came to the Crescent City to accompany the refugees (yes, that is descriptive) who had lost so much from Hurricane Katrina. They painted parks, brought books to schools, cleaned up neighborhoods, and in general embraced the citizens. The locals wondered when those orange T-shirts would be back. Well, guess what – they (we) came back three years later!

We are sinners made holy by the blood of Jesus. We are flawed, sometimes cynical, sometimes pessimistic creatures who feel the weight of the world. Yet our Lord has claimed us. He became sin for us. He embraces us as his brothers and sisters. We have become saints, workers in the Kingdom. There is no greater joy for a teenager than to make a difference. Sometimes they even say so. You can see it in them, when they return from an experience like the Youth Gathering, or even when they pick up something that an elder has dropped.

Joy Evangelical Lutheran in Ocala may not be a haven for young people, but I pray that we can all capture the essence of the extraordinary citizenship they are capable of. Read Ephesians 2:14-20, and remember: God loves you, unconditionally.

Pastor Art

Today’s Reading: https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Ephesians+2%3A14-20&version=NRSV