A ministry of the Youth & Young Adult Ministry Office of the Church of the Brethren General Board
Daily Coverage

Saturday, July 20, 2002
"PEACE . . . FOR SUCH A TIME AS THIS"

Spiritual director Glenn Mitchell anoints Deanna Brown following her message Saturday evening.

WEATHER: Again sunny and warm with late-day clouds and lightning in the distance, high in the mid- 90s

KEY EVENTS: NYC 5K run/walk; morning and evening worship celebrations; small-group meetings; final district hike day in the Rockies; more workshops and service projects, including dedication for Habitat houses; missile silo witness trip; volleyball tournament finals; late-night Ken Medema concert.

TODAY'S QUOTES: "I think it's been a terrific NYC." — General Board Youth/Young Adult Ministry coordinator Chris Douglas

"God's Spirit has been here, it's been moving, and it's done awesome and wonderful things this week." — NYC dean Steve Van Houten

WORSHIP CELEBRATIONS: Another bit of Caribbean flair marked the morning worship, with music from the Dominican Youth Worship Team and a message from Becky Baile Crouse, who recently completed more than three years as General Board mission coordinator in the Dominican Republic.

Musician Ken Medema shares his gifts of music and storytelling at Saturday's late-evening concert.

In keeping with the day's theme of peace, the service also included an introduction of the Youth Peace Travel Team, a consecration of the 250 NYCers taking part in the afternoon's missile silo witness (see story, page 3), and a performance of "The Stone That the Builders Rejected" by the NYC choir. Crouse then spoke on the walls that separate people and cause exclusion, reflecting on some of her own experiences growing up and as a foreigner in the Dominican.

Clowns stacked blocks behind her as she spoke, first assembling the words "SIN" and "ANGER" and later changing them to "JESUS" and "PEACE" as she transitioned into the hope of breaking down walls that Christ offers. "Jesus loves you more than anyone in the world because you are a child of God," she said. "We have to know in our hearts that Christ is our peace." She lifted up the movie "Remember the Titans" as an example of a community breaking down divisions.

In the evening, Deanna Brown spoke of the "kairos" moment when we connect with God and can see things -- the things that make for peace -- through God's eyes. She expressed her deep gratitude for the importance of youth in the church but said she hopes they don't lose the enthusiasm and passion she's seen here and give up when they "go down from this mountain," even when other people (including those in the church) don't understand.

Reflecting on her first anointing experience, which took place at a National Youth Conference, Brown said, "I do not remember the speaker that night (at NYC) or the words spoken, but I do remember this," Brown said, as spiritual director Glenn Mitchell made a cross and circle with oil. "The touch of a finger on my forehead."

Becky Baile Crouse talks about breaking down walls during her Saturday morning message.

Brown and Mitchell anointed the NYC coordinators, who then anointed the National Youth Cabinet. At that point Mitchell issued a general invitation to anointing, and many in the arena went to anointers stationed around the hall, their places marked by a person next to them holding a candle. With songs in the background, many had damp eyes or joined in circles of embraces after they had been anointed. The service concluded, however, with an upbeat singing of "You Shall Go Out with Joy."

OTHER NOTES, EVENTS, AND THINGS OF INTEREST: Members of the Beacon Heights Church of the Brethren in Fort Wayne, Ind., where Brown is a pastor, wore blue, tie-dye bandanas to cheer her on. . . . Youth participants Shawn Storms and Philip Graybill performed strong solos as part of the NYC choir anthem in the evening service. . . . The dedication of the three Habitat for Humanity homes on which NYCers worked this week took place Saturday afternoon in Loveland.