Youth Led Worship
May 16, 2010
Homily by Helen Shuping, Rob Hardy, Eliana Sved, Erika Martin
All: Believe
Helen: confidence and trust in the unknown
"one cannot truly see without believing, one can only look"
All: Trust
Rob: a reliance on someone or something with an unknown outcome
"all shadows must be forgiven but cannot be forgiven without trust"
All: Forgive
Eliana: allow room for error or weakness
"letting go, not to mend friendships but to support others for who they are."
All: Support
Erika: to serve as a foundation in times of need
"one person cannot support the world, but one person can support the world of another."
Helen:
Belief is something with which we all struggle. I often ask myself, “How can I believe in something that I can't see--that I have no proof of?” Belief can be especially difficult when it comes to God and one's faith. There have been a few times in my life when I have doubted God because I didn't feel like I could believe…times when my faith had become a smaller part of my life. I struggled with this for a long time. I wasn't sure what I thought of God or what God meant to me.
But after an experience I had at a youth event called “Happening,” my belief in God changed dramatically. God, I believe, can come to you in the strangest ways. God can touch you through a person, movie…or even a song. God came to me through a group of people. These people changed the way I looked at God and helped strengthen my faith in every way.
I attend many of the youth events through our Diocese each year. I've been attending these events since the fall of my sixth grade year – and they have meant so much to me. But the “Happening” event which I attended this past March meant the very most. Happening is different from most youth events because it's much smaller and is very focused on strengthening one's faith and one's relationship with God. I was very excited about Happening and very anxious at the same time. I didn't know what to expect or what the weekend would hold for me.
At Happening, everyone was so nice and kind and loved me even if they hadn't even met me before! And I loved everyone in return. One could go up to a complete stranger and hug them and it was a completely normal thing to do. Everyone accepted you for who you are - just like God does. At Happening, I cherished everyone. I could be completely myself.
There were about 60 of us at Happening, including staff and participants. I can honestly say after that weekend, they were like a family to me. I saw God in each and every one of the people there. Happening helped me believe in God and helped build up my faith again. The community and bond I made with the people at happening was so strong and through all the laughs, fun and even tears god was always present. I felt so close to God that weekend - more than I ever have in my life. Even though I couldn't see God, I felt God and I knew God was with me. I believe everyone else felt it too.
Whenever I doubt my beliefs now, I think about Happening and it helps pull me through. I'm a believer now and I thank everyone who attended Happening Number 54 for that.
Rob:
There was once a time when I wasn't quite as... “Safe” as I am now. I had fits of anger, and aggression that got me in a lot of trouble. Too much trouble.... I eventually became hospitalized on several occasions. But that word “Safe,” when used to describe me or the fact that I lacked it, it made me grow even hotter with anger. “Safe”.... What did that mean? Did that mean I was dangerous because I was “unsafe”? And only recently did I realize that they were using the wrong word...well partially anyways.
“Unsafe” grew anger in my heart because I knew what they actually meant. They meant I was untrustworthy. Trust, they didn't trust me. But you know, trust is a funny thing. You're not really trusted unless people see you trust yourself. So, I took a journey through a labyrinth in my mind, and searched for some answers. While there I met some strange fellows, but none could really send me on the right path. No, it took me till I reached the center of the labyrinth to realize what I really had to do. For you see, a beast lived in the center. This beast was part of me, and I trusted him less than any kind of devil. I had to trust him, a process I am still taking part in now. I didn't trust myself, especially that part of myself, there for I could never be truly free. So, now...I am learning to be “Safe”...and I'm learning to trust...starting with myself...... If you cannot trust yourself, you cannot expect others to trust you.
Eliana:
With all the responsibilities life brings, one of the hardest ones is forgiveness. I mean it's true, I could go up to someone after they said sorry and say "yeah I forgive you"....but do you really?
In the gospel according to Matthew chapter 5: verses 44-45
But I tell you: Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, that you may be sons of your Father in heaven. He causes his sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous.
This reading makes me think that A. if god can love us all the same, making the sun rise on both the righteous and unrighteous, why is it so hard for us to forgive someone else? And B. Being the person god wanted me to be means I have to spread the love of god, even to those who have hurt me.
Forgiveness is the first step in letting go and healing yourself; it's getting rid of negative thoughts because all that negative energy builds up and ways you down. At least it does for me. There have been MANY times when I feel like I could never forgive someone for something they've done to me. But then I remember one of my favorite quotes from Lewis B Smedes book 'Forgive & Forget': “You will know that forgiveness has begun when you recall those who hurt you and feel the power to wish them well.”
For me this statement is very true. Forgiveness isn't saying okay you can be my friend again, but it's more like: I can say the words I forgive you, but I can't believe them until I can let go of the pain that person has shown me, and wish them well in life.
“To forgive is to set a prisoner free and discover that the prisoner was you.”
Erika:
Believe, Trust, Forgive…all of these concepts are hard to grasp; or at least understand without living them. These are the challenges we hear throughout the scriptures and witness in our everyday life. But, even with a constant reminder the challenge and difficulty to believe in the unknown, to trust in yourself, to forgive your enemies is terrifying.
My mornings begin at five am and from that moment, when I rise and look into the mirror, until nine o'clock, ok ten thirty at night, I face these challenges. From something as simple as the confidence and trust in oneself, to hold your head up as you walk through a busy hallway, to believing there is someone who would put themselves in harms way in order to protect your own life. Needing protection like this is probably not an everyday fear for most of us and honestly it is not a regular worry for me. But, I have been on both sides of that worry, and there is something to be said for the blind trust and belief in the communities each of us call our own that allows any of us to trust another person with our lives. Our communities offer support.
Paul writes “Come, whoever is thirsty, accept this water of life as a gift, whoever wants it” welcoming all to share. The challenges god calls us to face are to be shared. We must depend on communities like Saint Marks, communities who support each other. In this congregation I have found people to believe in, people to trust and people who understand forgiveness is the cornerstone to trying again.
In the gospel Jesus says to God “I gave them the same glory you gave me, so that they may be one, just as you and I are one.” We are one. We are one community, one people the children of God. We must support each other, be a foundation to help your neighbor believe, trust and forgive.
All: Share this with the world so they may be as we are, one.
©2010
Helen Shuping, Rob Hardy, Eliana Sved, Erika Martin