Talk about a welcome.
The city of New Orleans is displaying street banners along Convention
Center Boulevard that say, “We’re jazzed you’re here!”
Another sign reads: Welcome ELCA Youth. (more…)
Talk about a welcome.
The city of New Orleans is displaying street banners along Convention
Center Boulevard that say, “We’re jazzed you’re here!”
Another sign reads: Welcome ELCA Youth. (more…)
Lutherans teens spilled into the fifth floor hallway of the Sheraton Hotel on Sunday night.
Two shy boys from Puerto Rico leaned against a pillar on the right side of the hall. A young woman originally from Taiwan stood next to a pillar on the left side. In between, a sea of New Jersey teens wearing lime green T-shirts sat on the floor.
“I didn’t know what I was getting into,” said Josiah Williams as he surveyed the diverse crowd.
The teens were waiting to get inside a room for worship. It’s the kickoff to a three-day event known as the MYLE — Multiculture Youth Leadership Event.
Williams, an aspiring actor from Milwaukee, said he needs the MYLE. He loves worship, but doesn’t make it to church every Sunday, he said.
“The MYLE is a good place to get a closer connection to your spirit and God,” Williams said.
* * *
An airport shuttle driver said Hurricane Katrina destroyed his home four years ago. Everything inside, too, including his dog, Ja.
The driver said that when he fled for safety, he left the pit bull behind. Like many people, he simply didn’t believe the Katrina hype.
“My only regret to this day is that I didn’t take him with me when I left town,” the driver said.
* * *
An estimated 12,000 different ELCA youth will be working across New Orleans on Thursday, Friday and Saturday. They will all be wearing orange T-shirts. Not just any orange. The official color: hunter orange.
* * *
Spotted at airport:
Businesses spotted near French Quarter:
Perhaps the most colorful Lutherans in all of New Orleans today were at the airport. As they arrived in the city, greeters welcomed them by placing bright purple, gold and green Mardi Gras beads around their necks.
These smiling young adults — all in their 20s — are volunteers for the ELCA Youth Gathering in New Orleans, which kicks off late Wednesday.
The volunteers are known as “servant companions” because they’ll be accompanying youth on Hurricane Katrina recovery projects across the city. In preparation, the volunteers are undergoing three days of training at Tulane University.
In the photo (first row, l to r): Carin Smith, 20, King of Prussia, Pa.; Kimi Dail, 21, Columbia, S.C.; Jessica Skinner, 20, Columbia, S.C.; Karen Fletcher, 20, Hickory, N.C. Second row: Cayla Catino, 20, Riegelsville, Pa., and Wil Humphrey, 27, Belleville, Ohio.
UPDATE: Stop to help people in Peoria, Ill., featured in newspaper there.
First stop: Peoria, Ill.
Busses filled with more than 450 ELCA teens and adults are rolling out of northeastern Minnesota today. They’re headed to the 2009 ELCA Youth Gathering in New Orleans to help in Hurricane Katrina recovery efforts.
On their way down, they’re spending time in Peoria and Memphis to help people there, too. What follows is the story I wrote about these teens in December. You’re welcome to leave them a note in the comments section below. (more…)
With Hurricane Katrina barreling toward New Orleans, 13-year-old Maria Sepas threw her most cherished possessions into a suitcase.
A miniature guitar from a grandmother in Germany. Photos from every vacation. Children’s books by Lemony Snicket titled “A Series of Unfortunate Events.”
Her family’s vehicle was full, so the suitcase was left behind. Maria placed it on top of the pool table “just in case” flood waters came that high.
When the levees broke, water gushed through the city streets, drowning hundreds of residents. At Serpas’ house, the water rose quickly over the pool table up to the ceiling and over the roof.
That was four years ago. Serpas’ family and house are still on the mend. Their spirits are lifted, though, knowing that 37,000 Lutherans will be in New Orleans soon for the July 22-26 ELCA Youth Gathering. (more…)
Consider these helpful resources before leaving for NOLA–it’s getting close!
And if you’ll be blogging at or about the Youth Gathering, leave me a comment–I’d love to add you to the blogroll.
Charlie Ruud left his career as a professional baseball pitcher this week. In September, he’ll become associate pastor of Bethel Lutheran Church in Northfield, Minn.
Ruud, 27, played five years with the independent St. Paul Saints of the American Association. During that time, he also earned a divinity degree from Luther Seminary in St. Paul.
“Charlie Ruud is, and always will be, a true Saint,” said Saints coach George Tsamis.
The Saints’ Web site calls Ruud “the most decorated pitcher in the team’s illustrious 17-year-history.” (more…)
My last post was on Lost and Found, one of the many musical attractions waiting for Youth Gatherers (still don’t have a technical term for this group of people) in New Orleans. Next up: one of the speakers lined up for the event, Donald Miller.
Donald Miller is perhaps best known as the author of Blue Like Jazz, a New York Times-bestseller that’s inspired many to reexamine the way they think about religion, Christianity, and the nature of a relationship with God. The book is made up of Miller’s “nonreligious thoughts on Christian spirituality,” as well as his invitingly honest tales and his wry sense of humor. The book is certainly about how Miller learned to relate to God, but his relationship is decidedly outside the bounds of “traditional” Christian perspectives. He’s the type of person to explain his view of God in terms of metaphors about penguin sex and cartoons starring Don Rabbit and the Sexy Carrot.
It’s very appropriate, though, that Don Miller is coming to speak at a Youth Gathering called Jesus, Justice, Jazz, because in a lot of ways, the book presents itself like jazz music. I’m looking forward to arriving in New Orleans, the birthplace of jazz, and hearing from a man who reflected:
There is something beautiful about a billion stars held steady by a God who knows what He is doing. They hang there, the stars, like notes on a page of music, free-form verse, silent mysteries swirling in the blue like jazz.
If you want to know a little more about Donald Miller or his other books, you can visit his blog or his official website.
On a slightly different note, I just finished Blue Like Jazz a few weeks ago after having several friends recommend it to me over months and months. I’m still not quite sure how I feel about it. What I mean is that I like the book, but I’m not sure how much I agree with it, so I’m a bit torn. If you’ve read it (or anything else by Don Miller, or heard him speak), don’t hesitate to drop off a comment–what do you think?
This is the first in a series of previews on the artists and/or speakers that will be a part of Youth Gathering ’09, and I’d like to take the time to highlight a particular favorite of many veteran Youth Gatherers. (Gatheringers? Gatherites? Gatherificators? People who’ve been at Youth Gatherings. You make up a name for them.) I’m referring, of course, to a group named Lost and Found. 
You may be wondering, “Who on Earth are these people? I’ve never heard of them in my life.” I’ll be honest–unlike most of the other groups performing in New Orleans, I’d never heard of Lost and Found before I set out to write some previews for you fine blog-type folks (although I had heard one of their songs, but we’ll get to that later). Lost and Found is a guitar/piano duo that has won many hearts with a musical style that they call speedwood. This, of course, is “a sub-genre of Heavy Wood,” or so I’m told by their website.
They’ve got a unique sound, warm and familiar and small-coffeeshop folksy, and like all truly fun things in life, they don’t take themselves too seriously. Lost and Found is definitely worth a listen, with tracks ranging from original material to an energetic rendition of the hymn Holy Holy Holy. I can only describe that track as the definitive speedwood version, but you’ll have to hear it to know what I mean.
If you want an audible preview, I highly recommend taking 3 minutes and 33 seconds to enjoy Lost and Found’s “The Lutheran Song” on YouTube. You can also find them online at speedwood.com.
I’ll dip deeper into the list of speakers and performers for next time; until then, enjoy your daily dose of speedwood.
Welcome to the ELCA’s Summer 2009 event blog! This is your one-stop shop for all things related to Youth Gathering 2009: Jesus, Justice, Jazz. You’ll find news on the Gathering events, info on speakers and performers, and links to everything you want to know before you go. (Don’t forget to weigh in and hear from other attendees by commenting here, of course.) And that’s just before the Gathering gets underway.
Things will get even more interesting around here once JJJ begins. This very blog will be host to you and everything you do in New Orleans. Everyone you left behind to tend the home fires can visit the blog (every day–or even more often) to keep up on all the great things you’ll be part of at the Gathering. Look for the stories of your ServantLife contributions; collections of your feedback on all the speakers, musicians, and other entertainers; and videos of anything and everything happening down on the Bayou.
To start things off, here’s a great collection of JJJ links you might not have visited yet:
