From the Rector’s Desk

 

February, 2000

 

Two Scriptures that we read recently on Sundays continue to haunt me:

 

One generation will commend your works to another; they will tell of your mighty acts. – Psalm 145.4

 

Jesus saw James, son of Zebedee, and his brother John, in a boat, preparing their nets.  Without delay he called them, and they left their father Zebedee in the boat with the hired men and followed him. – Mark 1.19-20

 

These Scriptures brought home to me our need to think about church in two very different ways.

 

First, we need to ask ourselves whether our generation has become intentional about communicating effectively to the next generation, and what are we willing to do to make that a reality.

 

It is one thing to know that most churches do not reflect the community – to know that the average age of the community is nearly 30 years younger than the average age of many congregations.  However, it is a very different thing to become intentional in our mission to reach the next generation. 

 

Perhaps this is one reason for the terrifying decline in Christian discipleship in present American generations.  For example, while 65% of my parents’ generation are self-described Christians, actively attending and participating in churches, the number falls to about 35% of my generation – the self-centered, self-important, so-called “Me Generation.”  Worse, the number falls to 10% or less of my children's generation.  How intentional have we been, and how intentional must we become?

 

Second, we need to ask ourselves in a new way, “ who is the church?”

 

Much to my surprise, Jesus did not call the experienced, wise Zebedee, but his two inexperienced, untested, and undisciplined sons.  James and John were so immature and tempestuous they were called the “ sons of thunder.”  But it was they, not their father that Jesus called to the ministry of the salvation of the world.  In fact the evidence suggests that most of the apostles were in their teens or early 20's. 

 

When we remember that Jesus empowered youth for ministry and leadership, that Jesus pointed to children as examples of the Kingdom of God, that it was the elders who resisted Jesus, not the youth of his day, we discover that the youth are not the future of the church:  They are the present.  The future of the church is the unborn children that the next generation must reach and all persons who are not yet followers of Jesus.

 

So two questions that I am pondering are these:  First, how intentional must we become to reach the next generation?  Second, are we holding the power to ourselves, or are we courageous enough to give power for ministry and leadership to the next generation?

 

The Lord be with you!

Rick +