E-Flash From Dan, International Youth Convention, Late-Breaking Update

Dear E-Flash Friends;

There is something extra special about being hundreds of miles from home and meeting with the friendly, familiar faces of loved ones.

Nadia, Rachel and I met up with our church youth group and counselors at the International Youth Convention in Orlando, Florida, today.  And we have had a day of fun, inspiration, challenge, teaching, and deep community.  In short, it’s been a BLAST!

After all, squeeze 20 students and counselors in one hotel room at 11 o’clock at night; sing “Happy Birthday”; and serve cake; and you know that a foot-stomping good time is inevitable, right?

You say, “Dan, was it someone’s birthday?”

Nope.  We just like singing “Happy Birthday” and serving cake.  It feels festive.  Cake always tastes better if you sing “Happy Birthday” before eating it.  Sometimes I’ll even sing “Happy Birthday” before eating pancakes….especially if I’m eating the pancakes at McDonald’s.  Trust me, it’s better that way.

Actually, I’m joking around.  The real answer to the question is “Yes” we celebrated the birthdays of my nephew and nieces, Eric and Caitlin and Megan, who are triplets and turned 17 today!  (Actually, it’s late while I’m typing this.  Their birthday might be YESTERDAY by now.)

But I think the highlight of the day for me was a little more spiritual in nature.  (Not that eating cake isn’t spiritual.  It definitely can be very spiritual, especially if it’s chocolate.  Everyone knows that God loves chocolate.  Sure.  Of course, He does.  It’s in the Bible….somewhere….maybe.)  But the highlight I’m referring to happened at the conclusion of an event that’s known as the “Silent Prayer Walk”. 

After the main evening session of the convention.  The entire group of 5,000 students and leaders walk, in total silence, and an attitude of prayer, from the large convention meeting room, to an outdoor location.  The walk takes about 15 minutes in order to cover the distance from the convention meeting room, to an outdoor location large enough to accommodate 5,000 people. 

At the outdoor location, a stage is already set up and a worship band is playing, softly, as we arrive.  When the entire crowd reaches the location, the worship band leads in a time of intense and meaningful worship which leads into the taking of communion.  The communion time is structured in such a way that each of the youth groups from all around the country—actually from all around the world—huddles together and shares in communion, as a church community.

It was during this time that we were gathered for worship and communion, at the silent walk location, that the spiritual highlight of the evening occurred for me.  As the worship time unfolded, our group, spontaneously—without being directed to do so—began to put our hands around each other’s shoulders, or a hand on the back of the person from our group standing nearby.  We sang the closing worship songs, physically joined together, and spiritually joined together, many of us with our heads bowed or our eyes looking up to heaven, and our arms around each other.  The feeling of love and closeness and unity among our group was tangible and authentic and powerful and deeply moving.

It was the kind of unity that, I believe, is only experienced as a result of knowing Jesus and authentically sensing the love of Jesus.  It was a time of profound and rich Christian community.

After prayer and communion, we all hugged each other with tears and many meaningful words of love and affirmation were spoken.

In a way, this type of happening is hard to describe because the intense feelings of the moment can’t be communicated very effectively with words.  It’s the kind of occurrence that qualifies for the phrase:  “You had to be there.”

By the way, I wish you could have been there.  I really do.  It was special.  I’m so glad that God arranged it so that Nadia and Rachel and I could be there for this great time of honoring Him and loving each other.  I’m very, very proud of our youth and our youth leaders.  This is an outstanding group of people.  Their love for each other is wonderful.

And, thank you to our church.  The loving, gracious generosity the Church of God in Oak Lawn thrills me and amazes me.  You folks at the Church of God, in response to God’s leading, make this kind of thing possible and for that I am very grateful.  So are our students!  What a fantastic church!

The concluding session of the convention happens tomorrow morning at 10am (eastern time).  (Again, that’s actually TODAY, now that I look at my watch.)  If you can, I ask you to pray for our group and for the closing session tomorrow.  Also, pray for God to continue to work, in the time remaining in their trip and to give safety during the drive home.

If this makes very little sense, I’m blaming it on the fact that it’s terribly late and I’m tired.  (Rather than blaming it on the fact that it’s actually pretty often that I don’t make sense.)

Love and blessings,

Dan

This is the stage at the IYC, just before the start

of the main session, this evening.