Don't Be Afraid (1971)

[Music] The world is passing right beside you. Going faster all the time. Shouting songs that do not rhyme. While you stand and watch it slip right on by. There's so much left to do. While today becomes more true, better find life's place for you and get it [Music] all. Youth and age are not the [Music] problem. Really, all of us are young in this life. We've just begun. So, forget the numbers. Meet me one to one. Let's not build a wall of fear. All God's promises are clear. So instead of standing here, let's get it all. God is in the world. God loves the world and has reconciled the world to himself in Christ. All people need to know. Be salt. Be light. Be a servant. Touch and taste life. Love in Jesus' name. Don't be afraid. Don't Don't be afraid. You're a person. You're someone. You're a beautiful you. And the world in which you're living is so beautifully new. Don't be afraid. No. No. Don't be afraid. Please, please let me see all the feelings inside you that are trying to live. Try to share something with me. You got so much to give. Don't be afraid. No, no, don't be afraid. The call to the church today is don't be afraid. Don't be afraid of electric speed. Don't be afraid of new subcultures among the young. [Music] Don't be afraid of new songs and the search for a new lifestyle. Don't be afraid of protest. Don't be afraid of change of new ideas, of dialogue with the young, of talking and working together as equal brothers and sisters. My biggest problem is that my parents, they're too picky. They you keep following more and more of the rules and then pretty soon they start picking at things that just aren't important when you look at life. My family's just the opposite. They aren't picky enough. There's no exact time to be home or if you don't do something well fine. Somebody else will do it. I think the whole problem with my parents is a complete lack of understanding between both of us. I guess it makes you so mad, you know, cuz they don't think you have any brains in your head or anything. That's a problem. I think it takes a lot of guts to be a parent. I'll be probably getting married in about 2 years and I'm scared cuz I don't really want to be your parent. Youth today is engaged in a search and struggle for identity. Who am I really? And where do I fit in? And who and where is God? Listen to them and don't be afraid. Sometimes I just want to sit down and I want to say, "Hey, I want to go up into the mountains. I want to find a cave. I want to be a hermit for the rest of my life and a ditch society because I'm afraid of it. Everyone seems to be pushing you all of a sudden. Got to find out what you want to be, what you want to do, where you want to go to college, if you want to go at all. I just don't know. I sit back and everything seems to be in a hurricane. I just don't know what I want to do. My biggest problem is discipline in my mind to do the things that I know I should do. You know, I have the right desires. I just don't have the action. It is the thing to do to go to college. But then the goal that I really wanted in life was to really get married and to have a family. That to me is about one of the neatest things in life. You know, I want to have my goal now and like have what I want now and have everything have success and the whole deal now instead of waiting like the 15 years or whatever it takes to get to the top. Right now, the thing that really scares me most is that I'm not going to be able to achieve my goal in my career in nursing. I have so many doubts that I'll never make it. And I feel like I'd let myself down if I couldn't make it. You're supposed to not worry about tomorrow. You know, live each day by day, but you always worry about tomorrow. Ministry is people meaning something to each other in Christ. Ministry is largely a matter of selfidentity. Identity is found in community as we relate to one another. In the church, community is the fellowship of God's family, and that includes both adults and youth. But do we in the church live together in the liberating power of the gospel? Are youth able to grow in the spirit to the potential of their calling in Christ Jesus? Or has our church life become programmed? programs to program people. Manipulation of persons, rigid control systems. Listen to what youth say about the church and don't be afraid. Here lies the church. Within these clammy walls, there cries the world, but the dead don't hear at all. The steps that we tread, our echoes etched in stone. The voices and the echo here are no one's but our own. Isn't anybody listening? Doesn't anybody care? When the doors are all thrown open, who is there? [Music] Here move the lips that sing the same old songs. Where are the hands that move to write the wrongs? The hungry mouths go empty and the full ones are all fed. Doesn't anyone remember what it was that Jesus said? Isn't anybody listening? Doesn't anybody care? When the doors are all thrown open, who is [Music] there? There fall the words that soon return to dust. Here said the hopes all laden down with rust. Does this building merely shield us from the world's depressing pain? Or do we leave alive and free to meet the world again? Isn't anybody listening? Doesn't anybody care? When the doors are all thrown open, while [Music] we are hungry for meaningful worship, but in worship, the youth are looking for informal settings, discussions, and interpersonal sharing. the form of of uh by a very big youth want the gospel to come alive to their lives by sharing in worship as an expression of Christian fellowship. [Music] I'm a let me share life with you. There are things for the doing that both of us can do. Don't be afraid. No, no, don't be afraid. Ministry is people meaning something to each other in Christ and loving, listening, helping, relating, sharing so that saying the gospel and doing the gospel happen at the same time. Don't be afraid to let it happen. [Music] Um, Mr. Carter, this has been really interesting today, but I kind of want to say my opinion cuz I mean, yours is nice and everything, but I just um kind of disagree a little. Don't you think that we should maybe discuss things more instead of just listen to you talk to us and and you know get in conversations and read some of the stuff out of the Bible ourselves and get our own points of view in there instead of just listen to what you have to say. Um Mr. Carter, we love you, but there's no way for us, you know, for you to know that we love you, you know, because you always talk to us and look at us like we're stupid and little kids. Like we want to talk sometimes and get involved. That's what I come here for is to get involved, not to be lectured at. I can't tell you anything and I can't get involved with you because you just you're just standing up there. You're not you're not doing anything for us. Mr. Carter, don't you think that a big hangup today is communication? For communication to occur, you need a conversation. And for a conversation to occur, you need two or more people. Don't you think we lack one person? Somehow we should get that person back so we can talk to each other, communicate, and therefore maybe love each other [Music] more. Take hold of my [Music] hand. I want you to reach out. I'll reach out in return. We've got so much to share. We've got so much to learn. Don't be afraid. No, don't be [Music] afraid. Adults need to care about youth. Trust them. Affirm them. Adults and youth need to enjoy one another, be happy together, to have a celebration. We all need opportunities to celebrate together the goodness of God, the victory of Christ, the meaning of Christian love. This is the perfect generation to begin the celebration. For God's loving revelation is alive for every man. In this age of greed and hate, this time of poverty, when God calls men to live out love, it's you he calls and me. This is the perfect generation to begin the celebration for God's loving revelation is alive for every [Music] man. The winter winds of pain and fear blow clouds across the sun. But God's outstanding love is here and springtime just begun. This is the perfect generation to begin the celebration for God's loving revelation is alive for every man. The time has come to join our hands in peace and victory. For God has made all mankind one and we are truly free. This is the perfect generation to begin the celebration. For God's loving revelation is alive for every [Music] man. This is the perfect generation to begin the celebration. For God's loving revelation is alive for every man. is the life for everybody. [Music] [Applause] No, up. No, make them straight. No, that way. Down. Down. No. Up. Up. Move it up. No. Now a little that way. Over that way. There. Good. Good. Perfect. A. Okay. All right. [Music] Yeah, that's cool. Um, on 214, do all things murmuring and disputing. Don't be afraid of change. Share place, power, and decision. Allow for failure. Be ready to forgive. Ministry is people, youth and adult meaning something to each other in Christ, so that saying the gospel and doing the gospel happen at the same time. Don't be afraid to let it happen. Youth need real issues to explore. Youth want and need to be heard, to participate and be involved, to feel alive, to care. Youth want to do something concrete for others. This is the perfect generation to begin the celebration for God's loving revelation is alive for every man. The time has come to join our hands in peace and victory. For God has made all mankind one and we are truly free. Receives the perfect generation to begin the celebration. For God's loving revelation is a love for everyone. Together we are Christ's church in the world. his servants. We need each other and together we have a big job to do. But don't be afraid. God is in the 70s and Christ will win. Don't be afraid. Live life. It now be real. Be free. Live life. Live it now. Be free. [Music] If you could be a bird, you wouldn't soar as high as you can now. Yes, you can fly. So why hang around? Live life. Live it now. Be real. Be free. Live life. Live it now. Be real. Be free. [Music] The peace of God is free. It teaches us to fly, to live our lives in joy and unity. Our God brings joy. Live life. Live it now. Be real. Be free. Live life. Live it now. Be real. Be free. [Music] Grab life in big hands full of knowing you can do the things that you want. So very much to do. And be as free as you dream. Live life. Live it now. Be real. Be free. Live life now. Be real. Be free. Live life now. Be real. Be free. Live life. Live it now. Be real. Be free. [Music]