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7
Easter - Youth Sunday
May 8, 2005 Sermons
by Several Graduating Seniors
While reading today's lessons and Gospel, the first sentence of the second reading particularly caught my attention, "Beloved, do not be surprised at the fiery ordeal that is taking place among you to test you, as though something strange were happening to you."
My first thought was about next year and all the changes that are going to test me, as well as my peers. I will be attending St. Scholastica and living on campus as well. This will be the first time that I am on my own, but I am confident in myself because of the community I have grown up in.
My journey with St. Paul's started when I was in the second grade, but I didn't realize what a unique church this was until soon after I turned twelve. A couple of years earlier, I had been diagnosed with a Bicuspid Aortic Valve. In other words, I had congenital heart disease. About a week after my twelfth birthday, I was scheduled to have surgery in which they would replace my valve with a cadaver valve. It was probably a good thing that at the time that I did not know what a cadaver was. That Sunday, without my knowledge, I was on the prayer list. I have to admit that I really didn't like being on the prayer list because it made me feel like this was much more serious that I had anticipated.
The night before my surgery in Minneapolis, Howard Anderson came to my room and, with my parents, asked the ancestors to watch over me and blessed me with holy oil. The procedure went fine and the first thing I remember was seeing my parents and wondering why all these stupid tubes were connected to me. Even though I was two and a half hours away, I received many warm gifts from you here at St. Paul's. That has been the largest ordeal that has tested me and I survived beautifully because of your prayers and warm greetings.
Shortly after, I met Aron. My first real memory was going down to his ordination to acolyte, and in my mind I didn't know why because I didn't know the guy anyway. However, little did I know that he would become a friend and mentor. He started our youth group on Wednesday nights here, which I attended for two years. Being the only person from Hermantown my age here, it was great to get to know others from different schools. Among them, I became very good friends with Stacy Farnham. Aron also started Junior Senior lunches after church for all of us to share what we are going to be doing next year and how we will meet this challenge.
A few weeks ago, I began clinicals as a nursing assistant at Lakeshore
Lutheran Nursing Home. I have seen Jack Sneve and Ron Holm for the
first time in years. Seeing and talking with them has made me realize
that this community is so much more than Sunday mornings.
Recently, I have been working in the nursery every Sunday. These
precious children teach me a lesson every Sunday, whether it be
laughter, or sharing, or love. It can range from hilarious phrases, to
sharing a dump truck, or the test of trying to calm while one is
inconsolable when his mother leaves.
This winter, brought another test; Howard leaving for Washington D. C.
As much as I tried, it was very difficult not to be angry. To watch
someone like him move on without us has been very hard, but through all
of your support, we are slowly moving on as well.
Next September, I will be taking so many special memories with me
including trying to impress the boy a few grades ahead of me in Sunday
school (who shall remain nameless), singing in the junior choir, and
lock-ins (one of which I decided to sleep-walk at). Also, one of my
most entertaining memories is taking a ride on Bill's Harley last
summer. Watching your faces as we took off for a quick spin after church
was priceless.
So, I will not be surprised at the fiery ordeal that is taking place
among me to test me, as though something strange was happening to me. I
am ready to take this test and I know I will succeed because of your
undying support.
Today’s gospel says "And now I am no
longer in the world, but they are in the world, and I am coming to you.
Holy Father, protect them in your name that you have given me, so that
they may be one, as we are one."
Ever since I started going to church here I have felt like it was my
second family. The adults have always taken an interest in the youth.
Tony Blodgett was one of those who really cared about us. He always
asked us what was going on in our lives and you knew he cared. A few
days before he died a few of us went to go visit him. He talked with us
for about an hour interested in us even though he was so sick he was
still wanting to know about what we were going to be doing after high
school and how our families are. As of today I always like each week
when I talk to Mary Jo Gould, she has always taken interest in my family
and how we are doing.
It was because of so many
adults at this church that over Spring Break some of the youth,
including me, went on a
mission trip to Arizona and Mexico. One of the days we
brought water into the desert so the illegal migrants won’t get
dehydrated. We were lucky enough to meet a group of about ten or so.
At first they were scared and didn’t know what to believe when we said
we were only
there to help them and we were with the Episcopal Church. Once we got to
know them we all joined hands and did a prayer in both English and
Spanish. Some prayed and others still didn’t know what to think of it.
I think it’s times like that that show us that we are all one. As
Americans we didn’t care that they were illegal migrants and they didn’t
care that some of our group might have had mixed views. We are all loved
by God.
Before we left for the trip
we all looked at our
baptismal covenant. We said it at my
baptism, we said it when I got confirmed, we say it whenever someone
gets baptized and other times during the year. In it it says to find the
good in all people and go to live what you’ve learned and show it to
others.
The people at St. Paul’s have taught us the lessons of the gospel by
giving us the opportunity to go on the mission trip. We went and lived
in the lessons of the gospel and our baptismal covenant.
One thing that I really find
unique and that I especially value at St. Paul’s are
Baptisms. When a person is being
baptized, the congregation is asked if they will help the child grow and
support them along the way, etc. Everyone answers in a resounding “WE
WILL.” At St. Paul’s, people stay very true to their word. I
feel that everyone in this church has helped me grow into the person
that I am now. This is especially neat because I was not even baptized
in this church. No one here vowed to help me grow, and yet everyone
does.
There are a couple people in particular I would like to thank. The care
that Jack and
Sally Birk extend towards my family might make a newcomer
mistake them for being my grandparents.
I can’t thank Aron enough for the great things he has done for this
parish, especially with the youth. I don’t think there is one kid here
who doesn’t appreciate Aron and all the things that he does.
I also want to thank Natalie Constance. She was my Sunday school teacher
from 2nd to 6th grade. In seventh grade, I moved way upstairs. After a
few weeks, I got bored during Sunday school and demoted myself back to
6th grade. I’ve been there ever since. Natalie has a way of making kids
really enjoy class. I’m afraid that she puts in more time preparing for
class each week than my teachers at Marshall do. But I know that the
kids really appreciate her hard work.
All of these memories, from hearing a resounding “WE WILL” to the many
individuals that have supported me, to Aron’s preaching, and to teaching
Sunday school with Natalie will remain with me at college. Thank you.
Uncertainty. As a senior
facing not only entering the real world, but by my own choice making
this world a frenzy of auditions, late night rehearsals, the tough love
that comes with theatre, rejections, and more auditions, I am facing a
lot of uncertainty in my near future. You see, next year I will be
entering UMD’s
musical theatre program in order to prepare myself to be ready for
Broadway. If only it were that easy. As I have learned over the past few
years, the life of an actress is not as glamorous as it seems. After
confronting this fact I really questioned whether I was ready to face a
life of uncertainty.
In between my sophomore and junior years Howard asked me if I would be
interested in serving on a discernment committee for a person in the
parish considering the clergy. Not really knowing what it was, but also
knowing that Howard would not ever suggest something he did not think I
could do, I told him I would love to be a part of it. I found it much
more difficult than I expected but also much more rewarding. I was
really in awe of this person’s ability to open up and tell the committee
all the doubts she was feeling as well as all the reasons why she felt
that she was so strongly called to God. But her confidence in what she
felt she wanted to do scared me; although I loved theatre, was I really
ready to commit my life to it? Was I prepared for the possibility that I
would have to give up so much for a dream that might never happen for
me?
It was at this point in my decision-making when I had a particularly
important junior senior lunch with Aron. I can’t always make it to these
lunches, but I am always surprised that my schedule seems to work out
perfectly when I really need to talk to someone besides my parents.
After expressing my doubts about whether or not to pursue musical
theatre as a career, Aron told me that I can’t be afraid to try it just
because of its uncertainty. He also said that now, at the real beginning
of my life is not a time to hold back and that often times the
experiences that seem as though they are going to be the scariest, turn
out to be the best, the most rewarding, and the most fun.
As St. Paul’s is going through its own time of discernment, without the
strong leadership Howard gave to this parish, I am certain that the
people of St. Paul’s will be able to answer each others questions and
find the leader we are all looking for. I know this because since I was
little, St. Paul’s and the people of this parish have always supported
me and have shown me that although the questions we ask maybe tough, if
we are patient God will show us the answer.
Just as the apostles questioned when Jesus would restore the kingdom of
Israel, I wonder if my dream of being an actress will happen one day.
And as a parish we wonder if we can find someone as remarkable as
Howard. But Israel can’t be restored over night, I won’t be a Broadway
star after my first audition, and as Howard would say, dear ones, we are
all remarkable. But, to channel a little bit of an Aron-style sermon, I
refer, not to the band U2, but to the words of John Lennon and the
Beatles, “Let it be, there will be an answer, let it be.”
St. Paul’s has come to be so
much more than just “a church” to me. I have to admit, it didn’t always
have as much of a meaning to me as it does now—my mom used to have to
bribe me and my sisters with pancakes to get us out of bed on Sunday
mornings…but as I’ve gotten older I’ve come to appreciate the
significance of St. Paul’s in my life.
Today’s first reading talks about the
disciples and how they were to live out the life of the kingdom, to let
God reign and allow that life and love to extend to all ends of the
earth, to all people. The community of St. Paul’s is a perfect example
of this—I couldn’t imagine a community that could be more welcoming,
loving, and supportive. It is a community like this that is the life of
God’s kingdom. We are fulfilling the vision of Christ.
I have not always had such a strong faith in God as I do now; it has
been the events in my life and people who have helped me along the way
that have brought me to where I am now.
What the reading from Peter talks about today perfectly explains much of
what I have learned: That it is essential for us to find happiness in
the midst of suffering, and most importantly that in our sufferings for
Christ we participate in the sufferings of Christ…meaning that we are
not alone as long as we have even the smallest amount of faith.
It is so much easier to face the world when we have faith… and had it
not been! f! or my wonderful family, such loving parents, and the
outreaching hand of St. Paul’s I would not have the faith that I do
today. So I thank you all for this… St. Paul’s will always be an
important part of my life and I feel blessed to be a part of it.