SOLA Conference in Grand Rapids

Last week I attended what was, for me, the best single week event in my life as a Lutheran pastor. I've had days to equal the days I had last week, but never all together like that. Never before has a week so refreshed, so energized, and so excited me about being a Lutheran pastor.

I'm speaking about the Higher Things 'Sola' youth conference held from July 21-24 in Grand Rapids, MI on the campus of Calvin College. This year, as I did last year in St. Louis, MO for the 'Amen' conference, I served as the manager for the Christ on Campus Volunteers (CCVs), the people who help make everything work for the conference by doing a lot of jobs that simply needed to be done. I couldn't have been blessed with a more cheerful and willing staff to work with and they made the week so wonderful.

The highlight of the conference for me was definitely all of the services in the chapel (and Compline in the dorms). Every day began and ended singing the Lord's praises to one another as we received the gifts of forgiveness, life, and salvation through word and sacrament. I know that receiving God's gifts isn't about 'the experience', but it is a profoundly moving thing to be joining with angels and archangels, and all the company of heaven, and 900 fellow young Lutherans in the liturgies of the church, singing with our full voices of the hope we have in our Lord Jesus Christ.

Aside from the services, it was simply great to be around so many young (and some not-so-young) Lutherans who care so much about being Lutheran. In four years, nearly every one of those youth will be in college or university somewhere, some may even be here at CMU. I pray that they continue in the faith as they mature and grow more and more curious about the depths of the riches that are there for them and us in God's Holy Word.

'Dare to be Lutheran' is the Higher Things slogan, and that's what I intend to continue doing with the college students here in the fall, Lord willing!