So many stories coming in from around the country. The kindergarten class of 15 holding hands in a circle around their flag pole. Over 250 at a large high school in Dallas. And the 1 person at Springfield High School in Springfield, IL this morning. Big and small. It has become one of the great religious movements in American history.
It's called See You At The Pole. It is a phenomenon. A viral vision of one girl and her youth group in the Dallas area 23 years ago. And now it has grown into the largest youth prayer meeting at one time in history where 7 million + students meet on the last Wednesday in September to pray for their school, their friends, their faculty/administration, their city, and their nation.
Back to the 1 person at Springfield High School in Illinois. That was me. I arrived at the school one hour before it started. And waited. Busses pulled up and dropped off hundreds of students. Cars did the same. And students were coming from every direction on foot. But, each of them walked right past me as I was sitting on the steps right next to the pole in front of the school. It was surreal. I remember thinking, is this a dream? Does anyone even see me or the pole?
What does it take to not have 1 student or teacher come and pray? Maybe they were in the cafeteria. Maybe they were in the packed out gym. Maybe they were on the other side of the school. Maybe they are praying at lunch. Maybe they are praying after school. Maybe.
I felt in that moment what many of our Christian students feel in America. They feel the pressure. They feel culture squeezing in around them with its tolerance and COEXIST theme of everybody is ok. A pop psychology that says we are all ok. I felt what our students go through as Christians who are no longer in the majority in what may be becoming a post-Christian nation. Hard to swallow.
There are many great things happening in our country among young people. I could write that blog tomorrow. The millions of students who are making a difference. But, the reality is that in one of the historic high schools in the state of Illinois, two blocks from the heart of downtown and with Capitol looming above it, not one student or one adult showed up to pray.
What I am praying through this post today is simple. Two things:
It's called See You At The Pole. It is a phenomenon. A viral vision of one girl and her youth group in the Dallas area 23 years ago. And now it has grown into the largest youth prayer meeting at one time in history where 7 million + students meet on the last Wednesday in September to pray for their school, their friends, their faculty/administration, their city, and their nation.
The theme this year is #IFTHEN. Taken from 2 Chronicles 7.14, God said that IF we would pray, seek, and turn, THEN He would hear, forgive, and heal.
Back to the 1 person at Springfield High School in Illinois. That was me. I arrived at the school one hour before it started. And waited. Busses pulled up and dropped off hundreds of students. Cars did the same. And students were coming from every direction on foot. But, each of them walked right past me as I was sitting on the steps right next to the pole in front of the school. It was surreal. I remember thinking, is this a dream? Does anyone even see me or the pole?
What does it take to not have 1 student or teacher come and pray? Maybe they were in the cafeteria. Maybe they were in the packed out gym. Maybe they were on the other side of the school. Maybe they are praying at lunch. Maybe they are praying after school. Maybe.
I felt in that moment what many of our Christian students feel in America. They feel the pressure. They feel culture squeezing in around them with its tolerance and COEXIST theme of everybody is ok. A pop psychology that says we are all ok. I felt what our students go through as Christians who are no longer in the majority in what may be becoming a post-Christian nation. Hard to swallow.
There are many great things happening in our country among young people. I could write that blog tomorrow. The millions of students who are making a difference. But, the reality is that in one of the historic high schools in the state of Illinois, two blocks from the heart of downtown and with Capitol looming above it, not one student or one adult showed up to pray.
What I am praying through this post today is simple. Two things:
- That The American Christian Teenager would be empowered and encouraged to stand up for Christ and pray always
- That God would hear the prayers of The American Christian Teenager and work through the millions that are praying to see an American revolution
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