HOPE — The world today doesn’t offer much hope. I could name all the things that make us feel hopeless but you already know what they are. We are confronted with bad news everywhere we turn, and it seems as if our world is broken in so many ways. What we need is restored hope.
Last weekend I had the privilege of accompanying a small group of young people and adults to Resurrection ’23. For those who may not know, Resurrection is a yearly gathering of thousands of youth from across SWVA, TN, and NWGA to worship and grow closer to God. The music is loud and energetic, the speakers are always engaging as they offer the Good News of Jesus Christ. I’ve attended almost every Resurrection event since 1996 until the Covid pandemic prevented these types of gatherings. Last year our group planned to go but many of us had Covid and we had to cancel our trip.
What I, and the other adults on this years’ trip discovered at Resurrection was hope! Seeing some 4,000 (mostly young) people worshiping with arms raised toward heaven and singing praise to God is an amazing experience. Watching as hundreds of young people go forward to give their lives to Jesus, and thousands more (including our own) raise their hands to recommit their lives to Christ brought tears to our eyes.
When asked about their favorite part of the weekend, our youth all said they loved the music, the worship, and the speaker.
Our chaperones said:
“It makes my heart so full to see and hear our youngsters express their love for our Lord so openly. Gives us all hope for the future.”
“The excitement of the kids to openly dance, jump and express their love for God is proof that young people today are still hungry for a savior. Resurrection is a great example of how we can connect and relate to this generation and make the importance of salvation and a relationship with Jesus relevant in their life.”
Friends, the world may not offer us much hope, but in the midst of the brokenness all around us, God is raising up the next generation to Christ-followers who will share the message, the Good News, that there is hope in Jesus Christ!
My prayer is that we continue to nurture and grow the faith of these young people. That we, as adults, continue to model Christ in our words and actions. I pray that we won’t hold them back in expressing their faith in worship because “we’ve never done it that way” but will allow them to lead us into new ways that will reach their generation and beyond.
Grace and peace,
Pastor Pam
