The theme for the final day of Presbyterian Youth Triennium was “Wake Up and Dream,” and the high-energy, thoughtful and feel-good worship service clearly had that effect on the youth and young adults gathered at the Kentucky International Convention Center in Louisville for one final time together.
Owing to how tired many people were, a pair of energizers were conducted from a seated position. The Nettletons 2.0 reprised “Come, Thou Fount of Every Blessing” from the most recent Triennium, held in 2019. Scripture choices for Thursday’s worship were Isaiah 55:12–13 and Matthew 2:10–12.
The Rev. Dr. Jerry Cannon, Vice President for Ministry Innovation at the Board of Pensions of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.), offered up a traditional sermon, infusing it with the fire and insight for which he’s known and loved.
“What day is this?” Cannon asked worshipers. Then he answered his own question: “This is the day the Lord has made!”
He asked everyone to tell the person beside them, “Neighbor, O neighbor, wake up and dream.”
Constructed after God’s likeness and reflected in God’s awesomeness, “You are somebody!” Cannon said, telling youth and young adults they were not made sluggish and lethargic, maladjusted and flawed. “You are bright and beautiful, caring and concerned,” he said. “You are a giver and receiver, mentor and student, parent and child, guardian and protector. You are athletic and stout, cosmopolitan and chic. You are anointed with love and dusted with power. You are a contributor and a supporter. You have common sense and life training. Your hair is silver and your wisdom is gold. You are God’s child, made from omnipotent power. You are the church, and you are somebody! Somebody say amen.”
“Let me drop my kickstand in Isaiah 55,” Cannon said, offering his first point, that “God’s dreams for you are bigger than your own.” He quoted the author Willie Jolley: “Your setback is a setup for a comeback.”
Consider the National Basketball Association’s all-time scoring leader, LeBron James of the Los Angeles Lakers. “His dream was to play in the NBA, but God’s dreams were so much larger — to impact the world beyond the basketball court,” Cannon said. Today James is a philanthropist and entrepreneur as well as a basketball superstar. His charity provides wraparound services for students attending the school he started.
“Don’t limit what God can do in your life based on what you see right now,” Cannon advised. “Pray about your future, your talents and your passions. It may be something you never considered. If it feels way too big for you, chances are it’s God’s dream.”
“Your dreams are good,” Cannon said, “but God’s dreams are gold.”
His second point was this: God’s guidance leads to unexpected joy. From the Matthew text, Cannon traced the joy the magi experienced after following “a celestial GPS.”
“God’s guidance often takes us on paths we didn’t anticipate. It might not be the easiest path, or the one your friends are taking. But when you follow God’s lead, it leads to true fulfillment, deep peace and exceedingly great joy.”
Take singer-songwriter Billie Eilish, he said. “Her music was dark and not mainstream. Many told her to change her style, but she followed her vision,” Cannon said. “Billie Eilish didn’t follow the typical path, but her authenticity led her to massive success. You’ve got to be open to where God is leading, even when it seems unconventional.”
“You’ve got to see what God is really doing,” he said. “You’ve got to look for counsel from parents, mentors and pastors, and listen for that nudge from the Spirit.”
That took Cannon to his third and final point: God’s protection guides you to a new way.
“God gave [the magi] a dream, warning them not to go back to Herod,” Cannon said. “God changed their direction, and they went home another way.”
“God sent you to Louisville,” he told the youth and young adults. “God placed you in this convention hall, to go home another way. Dreaming with God isn’t just about aspirations and following directions. It means listening to God’s warnings and being willing to change direction when God prompts you.”
Randy Hobson contributed to this report.
Mike Ferguson, Editor, Presbyterian News Service (Click here to read original PNS Story)
Let us join in prayer for:
Jim Phares, Web Systems Developer, Digital Strategy & Information Systems, Administrative Systems Group
Katherine Pierce, Strategic Knowledge & Project Manager, The Board of Pensions
Let us pray:
O God, we pray for eyes to see the gifts you have given us, we pray for hearts to hear your call and we pray for courage to go where you send us. Bless us as we go out to share the gospel wherever you lead. Amen.
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