More than 4,400 Presbyterian youths participated in the 2007 Presbyterian Youth Triennium July 17-22 sponsored by the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) and the Cumberland Presbyterian Church. The theme was “Hope in our midst.”
The gatherings were held on the campus of Purdue University in West Lafayette, Ind.
Worship celebrations with lots of music, drama, and Bible messages were a part of their busy agenda. The drama group, Goose Chasers, Inc. led by Mark and Cheryl Goodman-Morris, a clergy couple from Portola Valley, Calif., presented different programs during the week. The theatre troupe has “performed” at every Presbyterian Youth Triennium since 1983.
Blake Spencer, pastor of First Church in Richardson, Texas directed the PYT Spirituality Center, a place for participants to learn and put into practices different disciplines of prayer and meditation. Spencer and his church also introduced the enthusiastic young people to the story of one of his church’s octogenarians, Nancy Sullivan. When the independent and spirited Sullivan had to start using a walker, she was often found to be literally running with her walker, according to her pastor. Before long, one of FPC’s young people, and their computer guru, James Swindle, set up a Web site, www.runswithwalker.com , to give people a place to exchange encouraging stories like Nancy Sullivan’s. Soon “runs with walker” stickers were on many of the PYT nametags. Her spirit was embraced by the participants and was a real example of the triennium’s theme of hope, according to Spencer.
Another feature of the week was a two-day College Fair, where admission officers from PC(USA)-related schools talked to students about attending their colleges and universities. Representatives from 20 of the 64 colleges and universities related to the PC(USA) participated, as well as all 10 seminaries.
Friday night, July 20 brought a real change of pace when an evening worship experience focused on contemplative worship and a prayer vigil.
Mark Yaconelli of Ashland, Ore., director of the Youth Ministry and Spirituality project, led the thousands of youth in an evening of silent contemplation, Taizé songs, Yaconelli’s message, and a candlelight prayer time.
“Read the gospels and replace the word ‘Jesus’ with the word ‘love.’ That’s what the Bible tells us, ‘God is love,'” he said. “When you look at it that way, you realize the each of us is made to give and receive love — with God and with others. And when you see through the eyes of love, people look different. When you listen with the ears of love, you hear differently. And when you feel with the heart of love, hope is born.”
The Holy Land of Jesus’ time was filled with teachers, Yaconelli said, “But the disciples chose to follow love and look where it led them.”
A clip from the movie, “Rocky” led into the closing sermon of the week, preached by Perryn Rice, pastor of Faith Cumberland Presbyterian Church of America in Dallas, Texas. His sermon was based on John 4 — about the woman at the well. She was a woman very needful of hope, but when she first encountered Christ, his message of hope didn’t reach her. “Hope is in her midst, but she didn’t realize it,” he told the young people. But when she heard and responded to Christ’s message, she not only believed, she ran to tell her village about it.
The young people needed to do likewise, he said — go back telling everyone, “There’s a man that told me everything about me, all the dirt, and then offered me new life. Come see him for yourself.”
