The inaugural Young Life Catholic Summit commenced this week with a prayer from St. Francis of Assisi, a heartfelt
appeal that this humble saint presented to our Lord over six centuries ago:
Most High,
glorious God,
enlighten the
darkness of my heart
and give me
true faith,
certain hope,
and perfect charity,
sense and knowledge,
Lord,
that I may carry out
Your holy and true
command.[1]
This sacred plea represents the same simplicity, clarity and
authenticity of a more contemporary prayer voiced by yet another determined
visionary some 536 years later, a prayer which gave birth to a parallel movement
to renew the heart of the church:
Oh that I could just
let God
work out His life in
me.[2]
This was the prayer of Jim Rayburn, offered in 1941, the
year in which the mission of Young Life was founded. Who would have thought that this winsome evangelist with
Texas swagger would have anything to do with this venerated Catholic friar from
Assisi? Yet this spirit of
humility, simplicity and evangelical (small ‘e’) zeal was powerfully present at
the YL Catholic Summit held this week in Colorado Springs.
Imagine a room full of Protestants and Catholics - all
educated, men and women of passionate faith and mission-tested talent – coming
together to discuss Young Life, the Catholic Church, and the vision of reaching the lost. What comes to mind?
The word that immediately pops into my head is… friction!
Yet there was none to be found. These men and
women of God came together with open hearts and loving kindness. These brothers and sisters quickly came
to understand that they were not strangers but fellow sojourners on the humble
road of discipleship. What
happened in Colorado, in the shadows of Pikes Peak, was a profound step forward
for the kingdom of God and a testament to the unitive power alive right now in
Young Life.[3]
Their spirit has set into motion a movement which has the
power to heal the painful wounds of division, harness the energy of
collaborative mission, and change the future for both Young Life and the
Catholic Church. A national
strategic plan of evangelization to/with Catholics, written endorsement at the
highest levels, and a commitment to train every Young Life staff person to
honor and celebrate the faith of our Catholic brothers and sisters while
calling them to ever-deeper levels of conversion in Christ – these are things
that I wasn’t even dreaming about
when this work began 9 months ago.
We have a long road ahead of us and, like Thomas Merton once noted, we “cannot
know for certain where it will end,” but we can be sure that our desire to
please the Lord, our commitment to carrying out God’s holy and true command, and
our desire to let God work out His life in us, does in fact please Him.[4]
A view of the summit from the Summit.
(Pikes Peak, 14,114 ft.)
[3] The summit was held in the shadows, not only of
Pikes Peak, but a soaring rock formation in the Garden of the Gods, which,
illuminated by the glow of the setting sun, presents the stunning profile of
two camels kissing. The property
of our gracious hosts is located in the resort by the same name.
[4] Thomas Merton, the great Trappist monk, contemplative
activist and ecumenical luminary, once prayed, “My Lord God, I have no idea
where I am going. I do not see the road ahead of me. I cannot know for certain where it will end. . . But I believe that the desire to please
you does in fact please you. And I
hope I have that desire in all that I am doing. . .”
Thank you Michael for your leadership!! God has graced you and Young life leadership with a view from God's eyes.
ReplyDeleteWe up here in Seattle we will do all we can with this mission. Amy Nash is a strong visionary and God' church will reap her harvest.
Continued Prayers!!
Your friend in Christ, Jim Ward
Thanks Jim for your love and support. The Lord is doing great things and I know that every single one of us has a part to play. Good to know I can lean on you.
DeleteBlessings in Christ,
Michael
Ahhhh...Michael! God is so pleased with you and the trail you are blazing, and we all are too. Bless you, brother, and how He leads you from here on out!
ReplyDeleteThank you! You are such an encouragement to me and to this movement Amy. And you're doing GREAT stuff there in Seattle. I'm so excited about Sanctus, matter of fact, I was just bragging about you and your work this morning in a meeting with a Catholic youth minister here in Colorado Springs. You should be expecting a phone call soon!
DeleteMichael
This gives the deepest, most peaceful joy - as if being immersed in the well of Living Water Himself. There is much work ahead, but for such purpose! For us and our family, we can only say that the Holy Spirit evidences His Presence more and more mysteriously, knitting together our loves - Jesus, the Catholic Church, youth everywhere and Young LIfe - as we prayerfully support your work. Thank you and Thanks be to God.
ReplyDeleteElizabeth, what a beautiful expression of your heart. I feel the same way. Some days I just can't believe this is really happening. But God is uniting his people in a fresh and exciting way, gathering us according to a common passion for his Son and a common mission to the world. "May they be brought to complete unity to let the world know that you sent me and have loved them even as you have loved me,"(Jn.17:23).
DeleteI am new at blogging. Forgive if this is a repeat, but our family is blessed and my joy runs deeper than the deepest deep over this ministry. Thank you.
ReplyDeleteAs a lifelong Catholic and a long time lover of Young Life, this is like a dream come true for me. Definitely an answer to many prayers. If you're at liberty to share, I would love to know more...
ReplyDelete