I've decided to edit and repost this (the reason I'm 8000 words behind on my other writing project). After I posted this for three hours last week, I got an email from someone I respect, saying he didn't really understand so I took it down. I let it rest for a week but I'm left still feeling that this is something I need to say. Given that all these guys have me laughing hysterically (I'm only exagerating a little bit) I feel even more compeled to post this. So here goes:
Over the last two years a number of people my age have said little things, not intending to be mean, but implying that when you’re working with people who are a generation or more younger than you, you have some responsibility to “keep them in line.” I confess that I've ignored the comments for lack of a pointed rejoinder instead of jumping to your defence. But each time I get a little more ticked off, "You're telling me that our generation has the task of keeping a younger generation in the old paradigm when God is trying to use them to break the rest of us out of it?" My pointed rejoinder! Ok, it's not great but at least I'm working on it.
The fact that Jesus was 30- 33 years old during his years of ministry is profound. Don't you find it odd that God didn't let Jesus live long enough to minister as an old man? Why, I wonder...
Our attitudes towards leadership matter to God. Read about Miriam and Moses. The annointing, even the abilities of a leader aren't neccessarily age related. Read the story of David, and Samuel chosing the next king. Read about David and Saul or even little Samuel. Wisdom isn't always age-related. Look at Proverbs and Jesus in the temple. Experience isn't even always age related. Look at the story of Naaman.
There are alot of people who don't understand the wealth that different generations can bring to the table and the ways that we form one another. (If I really get my act together, I'll post a list of one anothers.) This isn't a top down process or Jesus never would have come to be a man, a poor carpenter, no less- a baby, a child....
Working with younger generations means more than just keeping them in line. Our growing together as the Body of Christ requires building relationships, humility, and mutual respect. Believing that you can live and work together and learn things from one another, not just about ipods, but about who God is, violates something deeply ingrained in the more authoritative-traditional parent/teacher/church leadership model.
As parents, teachers, leaders there are always battles to fight but we have to pick our battles. We have to choose carefully. At the moment, I'm picking this one because it's blocking my way- no, not my way but the way for the people who will carry the next generation on their shoulders.
We're each made in God's image, none perfect, whatever generation we come from. What does that mean anyway- perfect? What does it mean- a Father, a Son, a Holy Spirit - one God? Are the omnipotent 3-in-1 so unlike our generations?
We challenge these same strongholds when we include children in the ways that Artisan is including children. Spiritual strongholds? Thoughts and ideas that raise themselves up against the knowledge of God and obediance to Christ.
You think spiritual warfare means "Help! We're on the defensive?" It means we're on the offensive. We're taking ground. It's the ground that you have to keep taking in order to keep knowing God better. And you have to take some risks to do that. There isn't one generation that has it all together. There never has been and there never will be. We're a body made up of many parts and we need each other.
Ok, it's still too long, but I said it.
I'm so glad you reposted this, because I had heard about it, but when I went to look for it it was gone. I think it's great that we have spiritual parents and grandparents like you to minister alongside of us.
ReplyDeleteOn another note, reading your post was the first time I ever realized that I am now older than Jesus was when he died. If turning 35 didn't make me feel old, that one did the trick.
I'm glad you reposted it too, because I was going to write a comment, then it disappeared :-P
ReplyDeleteLast year sometime, I was talking with someone from RIT while we were at church. One of the things he appreciated was that you don't ship us off into another area while the "adults" do things. I can't quite do his comment justice, but I have to agree. I much prefer to do things together, than, say, to have a "college and careers" group, although this may be because I consider myself an adult. Including teenagers and college age people in everything is somewhat similar to including children, because in another church, we might well have our own little groups.
The other thing is that I was thinking about this on Sunday. It would be easy enough to come into church and pre-judge someone based on the way they sit, or dress, or talk, or have blue hair, or perhaps that they wear a hat indoors, without considering that there may be good reason for any of those things. At least, if someone is going to "keep me in line" they ought to ask why I do something, before trying to make me do it differently.
Oh, and some of these image verifications are hard :-P