A Preacher in the Making

This weekend was the New England Synod Assembly, the annual gathering of clergy and lay leaders from throughout the synod to do the business of the synod, hear about what the Spirit is doing throughout the region and learn from each other.  This year, for the first time, the assembly was held on Friday through Sunday instead of Thursday to Saturday to allow more youth and working adults to attend (in previous years there has been a largely disproportionate amount of retired people present).  But having Assembly on a Sunday meant that pastors, including myself, would not be at their congregations to preach and preside.  So what to do?

A few months ago, the synod office gave congregations a variety of options to choose from in figuring out how and what to do for worship on the Sunday of synod assembly.  I gave this list to the worship committee who wanted to have a lay preacher and to extend the celebration of communion from the previous week.  Wonderful!  But then the people who would normally fulfill such a role, my regular worship assistants, were all going to be away on vacation or at reunions or wherever this weekend.  So then we decided to have a Youth Sunday and one high school student was suppose to go to assembly with me but the other (yes there are only two at Bethlehem) would be wonderful leading worship.  Well the one going to Assembly, Ryan, was no longer able to go and volunteered to not just help lead worship but to actually write his own sermon!!! (This makes this pastor want to jump for joy every time I think about it)

So below is Ryan's sermon, at least the written portion, he also has a video and I'll working on getting that up shortly but I'm not completely technically savvy.  The sermon was based on the week's gospel, John 17:1-11.

Enjoy, and let me know do we have a preacher in the making? 
In today’s Gospel we heard of Jesus’ last night and him asking that those who continue his work in this world will live in unity. But, ironically enough most Christians have not done his word because there is Hundrends of denominations  among 20 branches of Christianity. That is not Unity! But , even though we fail to follow this we still spread his word from generation to generation. How are we still able to spread his word?
Even though the bible and it’s stories of redemption, forgiveness, and the power of being a believer to this very Sunday those same aspects still are part of our every-day life, Especially, the sinful nature of all humans on earth, we need the Lords forgiveness for our mistakes and what we have failed to do. With his forgivness we can see that it is real and that we as Baptized christens see it as our job to spread his word . Christians today we do understand that there is division among us, Christians and the world. As Jesus said “ so that they may be one, as we are one.” this is still shown today. As I see it Christian or not us as humanity are ONE, but our jobs are still the same, continue his work, my work, her work, his work , our work to spread the knowing of his work that he started for us to continue until he comes again.
His disciples in the gospel were prayed for, by Jesus that they will spread his word the way he had. With the disciples accepting, this shows that they are willing to have Jesus’ forgiveness and that Jesus is for real. With this acceptance to forgiveness this shows that Jesus intercedes for his disciples.
This is showed still to this day by Jesus Interceding of all of Humanity even the ones who don’t believe, he still loves us. We are still able to spread his word because we are forgiven. Jesus still comforts us by forgiving our burdening sins, and interceding humanity. Now how is this alive in Life today?

(after video)

This showed that faith can be such a powerful aspect in our everyday life. I am sure the professor was forgiven by God. With gods open arms to comfort our everyday sins and forgive us for our trespasses and for what we have failed to do. We say Amen.