hope and change

For our most recent meeting, we talked about our special interest areas for the Youth Gathering. Many of us will be working with environmental issues and some of us will be working with issues of wealth and poverty. Overall, we talked about what we knew about these topics and what has changed in the past few years. Since Katrina, one of the biggest changes has been that the problems are no longer hidden. This made people all around rethink how they connected with God's creation and with God's people.



We took some time to make a collage that reflected hope, change, the environment, and wealth/poverty. As we came to the end of our time, we talked about how we were each able to make a difference ourselves.



(click on the photo to see it larger.)

King Cake

One of the most popular foods during Mardi Gras is the king cake. It is traditionally sold in bakeries, grocery stores and delis from January 6 to Ash Wednesday. Locals and visitors eat king cake for breakfast, coffee break, and dessert. The tradition of king cake dates back to the Middle Ages when a popular devotion during Christmas was placed on the Three Wise Men who followed the North Star to find baby Jesus. The twelfth night after the birth of Christ marks the end of Christmas and the celebration of Epiphany. Twelfth Night in some cultures became a time for pageants and giving special presents to children. Along with gifts came the celebratory cake, or king cake. Today's king cake is a confection made of braided Danish pastry, laced with cinnamon. It is always iced in the Mardi Gras colors of purple which represents justice, green which stands for faith and gold which represents power. Hidden in each king cake is a tiny plastic baby. The person who finds the baby must buy the next king cake or host the next party. Contemporary king cakes are often filled with cream cheese, fruit fillings, such as apple or strawberry, and other fillings.

Cresent City Connection

This is a picture of the Crescent City Connection which is also known as the Greater New Orleans Bridge. They are twin cantilever bridges that carry U.S. Route 90 Business over the Mississippi River in New Orleans, Louisiana. Today, they are the tied as the 5th longest cantilever bridges in the world.

"Misty Mornings"

In New Orleans, vintage electric rail cars are referred to as "street cars," never "trolleys." This distinct terminology reflects the pride that people from New Orleans take in being the first city west of the Allegheny Mountains to implement passenger rail service, which existed 60 years before the trolley. Of the several lines that run through the city, some feature maghonoy seats and exposed light bulbs, constantly reminding its riders of the town's rich history.

Photographer : Louis Sahuc

http://www.photoworksneworleans.com/gallery/main.php?g2_view=core.ShowItem&g2_itemId=267

Purpose/Photo

This was taken during my trip to New Orleans last year... we had just finished cleaning up our second lot. Yes, I had short hair back then.

As for the purpose of why I'm going back to New Orleans, I can say it in one phrase: the work is not done. It wasn't done when I left last year and it's not done now. Hell, it may never be done. But as long as work still needs to be done at all, people should do whatever they can.

superdome

Here's a photo of the Superdome, where people took refuge after Hurricane Katrina and where many of our youth gathering events will be taking place.

See the original photo here.

Listening to One Another

At our last meeting, we talked about listening. We watched a short movie and talked about what we do and do not hear.

We talked briefly about the role of listening in playing jazz music. Listening is incredibly important to this style of music. Jazz musicians must listen to know when to change a rhythm and change keys. They must listen to know when to follow and when to lead.

For us to think about some of these things as a group, we played some acting improv games. Besides being a really great time, it reminded us that we had to listen to help us to know what to say and how to act in each game.

Listen, God is Calling

We started our most recent meeting by watching a short movie from the 2008 Minneapolis Area Synod Gathering:

We then took some time to talk about the things we listened to, the things hear, but ignore and discuss some quotes from the movie:

"There are people in this world who are mute, but not because they cannot talk. But because we have closed are ears to their voices." — Pastor Luisa Cabello Hansel

"We need to lose our life in order to find it. Listening has to do with an initial process of losing yourself in the words, the ideas, the excitement, and the passion of another person. So when we give ourselves to that other person in those kinds of settings we can do great things together." — Bishop Craig Johnson

"Listen and then see if God leads you to act." — Bishop Craig Johnson

"Listening is how we show love." — Pastor Nancy Bence


See the video (in better quality) by clicking this link.

Tell us what you think — leave us a comment below!

My Purpose

I think our purpose for going to NOLA 2009 is to help restore faith and give the people of New Orleans hope that God has not forsaken them. It's to show them that God has a plan for New Orleans and he will rebuilt what he once destroyed.

Changing and Being Changed

As we prepare to go to New Orleans, I think we’re all getting the sense that we are in for a new and interesting journey – something not quite like what we’ve done before. The whole team will be posting about what our purpose is for going and then what we are taking with us that isn’t in our suitcase.

A few weeks ago it was Transfiguration Sunday. The gospel lesson described Jesus going on a journey up a mountain with Peter, James and John. While up there, Jesus changed. Jesus was transfigured. He appeared to be talking to Moses and Elijah, so Peter wanted to build them all a dwelling. But before he could get any further, a cloud overshadowed them and a voice said, “This is my son, the Beloved; listen to him!” And then the disciples were alone with Jesus again.

In getting ready for this journey, we expect a change. We’re slowly climbing up the mountain and preparing for a life changing experience. But the thing is, the most life changing thing has already happened – We’ve already heard that Jesus is God’s son. We are living in this promise, not just looking for it this summer. Listening to Jesus is what’s drawing us nearer to New Orleans. This is what we cannot put in our suitcase, but we are taking with us – the assurance that Jesus is God’s son and that Jesus making the whole journey with us.

As they came down the mountain, Jesus told Peter, James and John not to tell anyone what had happened until after he had risen from the dead. My hope is that as we travel to New Orleans, we are ready to listen. Through listening, I hope we will be able to see that we all have hurricanes in our lives and we all have ways to help bring peace and assurance to others. And as we come back again, I hope that we are bursting to tell others not just about what a fun trip we had, but about the change we’ve found in Jesus throughout our lives.

What are we going to New Orleans for?

Multicultural Youth Leadership Event - MYLE 2009
July 19th to July 22nd
Click here to see the MYLE homepage.

National Youth Gathering - Jesus Justice Jazz 2009
July 22nd to 26th
Click here to see the Gathering homepage.

Hear more about the youth gathering from the
presiding Bishop of the ELCA, Bishop Mark Hanson:

See some of what we can expect from the team going:

Want to learn more about New Orleans?

We watched part of the PBS Documentary on New Orleans. Click here to watch all or part of this fascinating history or check out some pictures and a time line of New Orleans.

First Team Meeting

Today we all got together for the first time! It was a chance for many of the youth to meet each other and other adult leaders for the first time and start to get to know each other.

We spent our time in prayer, learning more about New Orleans and the particular culture in New Orleans and even having some King Cake -- a traditional food of this time of year. Pastor Dabee found the baby in his slice and was the king for the day!

We also talked about our purpose for going to New Orleans. We discussed what it meant to be baptized members in the body of Christ and how we were being called to do justice among others.

All of the NOLA team -- Youth and Adults -- will be adding themselves as authors on this blog. Soon we will all be posting something about what we feel our purpose in New Orleans will be and what we are taking there (more than just what we'll pack in our suitcases).

Keep checking back for more pictures, posts and information about our trip -- We are getting excited and hope you are too!

Thanks for joining us!