‘Your dreams are good, but God’s dreams are gold’
The Rev. Dr. Jerry Cannon closes Presbyterian Youth Triennium with thunder and wisdom gained from decades in the pulpit
LOUISVILLE — The theme for the final day of Presbyterian Youth Triennium was “Wake Up and Dream,” and Thursday’s 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 three-point 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.”
“Tell them like ice cream is on sale for 25 cents,” Cannon urged.
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.”
Cannon encouraged those in worship “to be flexible and not to be so fixated on your way. I want you to recognize that God loves you too much to walk you into a trap. God’s dreams come with divine detours for your protection.”
His example here was the late sports commentator Stuart Scott, who “had a vocabulary that was phenomenal,” Cannon noted, and yet one who famously battled cancer was noted for his enthusiastic “Booyah!”
“You didn’t know what to expect at Triennium, and someone wrapped their arms around you. Booyah!” Cannon said. “You had no idea people would be smiling at you. Say booyah!”
“When you wake up,” Cannon said, “you will have some booyah moments.”
After an anthem by the Triennium Choir, youth and younger adults participated in a commissioning service where a cross was imposed using glitter ashes on their forehead. “From stardust you have come, and to stardust you shall return,” they were told. “Wake up and dream.”
As in previous services, some of the prayers offered during the week in the Prayer Center were lifted up, including wisdom and guidance for public officials; the protection of public lands; that hunger will end and peace will be known; for those going through loss or loneliness; for those who need peace, healing, happiness, forgiveness, healing and wholeness; for those going through change; for “our cities and for those who are unhoused and do not have opportunities,” and “finally, prayers for us, for amazing experiences we carry forward with smiles of joy and friendship. Make us brave and courageous in all we say and do as we are sent from here to bring hope to others. Amen.”
As the Nettletons 2.0 sang a benediction, confetti filled the Convention Center air as attendees offered one another hugs and best wishes for the journey home.
Randy Hobson contributed to this report.
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