Millennials: The Broke Generation?

I was born and raised in Detroit, Michigan.  I am a baby boomer, but both of my parents grew up during the depression.  That experience left its mark on both.  While we would have been considered a middle class family we did not have much.  The house where we lived during the fifties was really small and crowded for a family of six.  When we moved to a larger house it was closer to town, instead of in the suburbs.  Even then, it required my mom going to work to make ends meet.  There was one car and my dad was a "drive it till the wheels fall off" kind of guy.  After graduation I bought my first car, a 1956 Plymouth, for $75.  Not exactly an extravagant lifestyle.  In comparison to my parents, Barb and I have a more than comfortable lifestyle.  Until we retired, we both worked full-time, but we more than got by.  We own our own home and have two cars in the driveway, albeit both were bought used and would hardly be considered luxury models.  As I observe our oldest son and his wife, I see a similar lifestyle.   I would hope for the same thing from our youngest two children and their spouses. 

I recently read a newspaper article that casted some doubt on that possibility.  The article was by Washington Post columnist, Michelle Singletary, and titled Millennials' Financial Misfortune.  It reinforced what I had heard previously.  Millennials might be the first generation to end up worse off than their parents.  Part of the issue is that many of them lack basic knowledge when it comes to finances.  Across the board, they tend to spend more than they make,  The article references a study by Ameriprise Financial, "A majority of those polled feel stretched by car payments, credit cards and other bill."  On top of that only 57% who had access to a workplace retirement plan are contributing enough money to take full advantage of the employer match.  Data from Pew Research underscores all this information.  In addition 51% of them acknowledge that they don't expect there will be enough money left in the Social Security System by the time they retire. 

During my years at Lutheran High I taught a class titled careers.  It was a required course for all first semester juniors.  Part of the curriculum focused on college and career planning, but there were also units of life skills.  We talked about time management and budgeting while in college.  There was also a unit on long-range financial planning and the dangers of buying things on credit.  I still hear from former students thanking me for that experience.  Unfortunately, that course was dropped from the curriculum when I left.  That's typical.  Our educational system puts the emphasis on academics, but often misses the boat when it comes to life skills.  The responsibility instead is left to parents and older adults, and sad say, we are not always the best role models.

Tony Gwynn: A Lesson to be Learned

I shocked today to hear of the death of retired major league baseball player Tony Gwynn.  Tony Gwynn was only 54 years old.  For those who are not baseball fans, Tony might have been the purist hitter in baseball since Ted Williams.  He retired with .338 batting average.  Tony Gwynn spent his entire career with one team, The San Diego Padres.  That is a rarity in the days of free agency.  Tony Gwynn was elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame in 2007, the first year he was eligible.  After retiring from the Padres, Tony Gwynn returned to his alma mater, San Diego State University, as head baseball coach.  He was on a medical leave of absence at the time of his death.

Tony Gwynn died of cancer, but if you read the fine print the details come into focus.  Tony Gwynn had mouth cancer brought on by the use of smokeless tobacco during this playing days.   Those who covered the sport report that it was rare to interview him without the familiar chew in his mouth.  He had numerous surgeries to remove growths from his mouth during his playing days.  He was diagnosed with mouth cancer in 2011.  The NCAA, along with minor league baseball, has banned the use of smokeless tobacco.  Major League Baseball has not.  Maybe it's time. 

There is a lesson here for all of us when it comes to at-risk behavior.  Tobacco in any form, including smokeless, is a deadly habit. The abuse of alcohol and other drugs is dangerous.  The list could go on, but the point is there is a lesson to be learned here.  The decisions we make can come back to haunt us.  Tony Gwynn's story is worth telling.  Share it with the young people in your life, and talk about the risks involved.  Better than that, model the behavior yourself.  If you are still a smoker; Quit!  Nineteen years ago I did.

The Bible in the King's English?

I received my first Bible at the time of my confirmation.  It was a Revised Standard Version.  It served me well all the way through high school and I took it along when I started college.  In the late sixties I picked up my first copy of the American Bible Society's Good News for Modern Man.  It was the first paperback Bible I had seen.  GNFMM proved serviceable during my first years in youth ministry, but was soon replaced with The Living Bible, a contemporary paraphrase.  It was actually one of my teens that brought TLB to my attention. That eventually led to a meeting with the Board of Elders at the church I was serving at that time.  They were not sure of a Bible in contemporary language was appropriate.  I assured them that it was an important tool in making God's Word relevant to teens.  In the late eighties I started using the New International Version.  To this day my personal Bible is a Thompson's Chain Reference NIV Bible.  All the study helps make it an important resource in my writing ministry.  For devotional reading I prefer The Message, a contemporary paraphrase.

A report I read last week made me realize I am in the minority.  While the NIV Bible still is the best selling translation it way behind the King James Version when it came to the Bible most Christians preferred.  The report was published as part of the Bible in American Life project of Indiana University Purdue University Indianapolis.  19% of American Christians reported they used the NIV as their personal Bible, compared to 55% who used the KJV.   All other translations and paraphrases came in with less that 10%.  I am not surprised but still a little disheartened by the news.  While I still enjoy hearing the Christmas story read in the King's English, I also am aware that most people don't talk that way.  When was the last time you used the word "espoused" or "lineage." The KJV was originally written in 1611, and even attempts to make it contemporary come up short.

I have a Bible app on my smart phone.  I am able to read the Bible in over thirty different versions, including the Orthodox Jewish Version.  With all those options, I have to wonder why people still cling to the KJV.  My take is that it is part of tradition, or maybe a level of comfort.  I am also concerned about the degree that they are actually using the scriptures for personal Bible study.  We tend to be creatures of habit who cling to rituals.  Is that the case with our Bibles as well?  A bigger questions for me is: How does it impact our ability to share God's message with our contemporary culture.   I used The Living Bible because teens in the seventies could relate to it.  As a back-up I used my trusty Revised Standard or New International Versions.  It is no different today in trying to reach the millennial generation.  Use a scripture that they can relate to.  Is it the King James Version?

A Father's Advice

What is the most significant thing your father taught you?  I recall being asked that question one time.  It was one of the ice breaker questions asked at a professional conference.  The fellow ahead of me noted that his dad had told him to "Make sure your shoes are shined, your tie is straight and your zipper is up."  When it was my turn I joked that my dad taught me two things, "Love Jesus.  Hate the Yankees."  Actually I was pretty much on target.  My dad was an accountant by trade, but his passion was the church.  His favorite sport was baseball.  One of his rules was you were there at the beginning and you stayed to the end.  Our car was often the first one in the parking lot on Sunday morning and you always stayed till the end.  Same thing for baseball.  You never left a ballgame till the last out.  My dad taught me many other things, including how to relate to people.  My dad had no enemies, and quite a network of friends.  Now I am trying to pass that legacy on to my children.

An experience yesterday brought all of that to mind again.  I try to spend a couple hours each week working in a coffee shop.  It's one way I stay in touch with our culture and the world we live in.  Some times I work in a Starbucks, but yesterday I was at a Dunn Brother's in Addison.  I was finishing up my work when a young man seated himself at the table next to me.  Along with his coffee, he set his cell phone on the table.  Next, he did something I had not seen in a long time.  He got out a Day-Timer.  In the digital age I didn't think many people, especially someone under thirty, still used an agenda book. 

As I got up to leave I commented that it was nice to see someone still using an agenda book.  "Couldn't live without it," he responded.  He went on to note that he did use his cell phone for his contact list and to check his messages.  "I have my calendar on my phone too," he continued.  He must have seen my puzzled look, because he did have an explanation.  "I keep my notes on my customers in this book," he explained.  Now it made sense.  He was in sales and he kept a record of his visits with his clients in his Day-Timer.  I could tell from his extensive notes that he was a detail person.  He went on to say that his dad had taught him to use a Day-Timer as a way of tracking sales calls.  It made sense.  He was taking care of his customers in a very personal way.  The young man's father had passed on his legacy as a sales representative. 

Every parent has the responsibility to pass on a legacy.  For those of us who are Christians, it means passing on the legacy of faith.  My dad did it, and now I am trying to do it as well.  Passing on a legacy on how to play golf, cook or keep an agenda book is important, but none of those provide the eternal hope that comes from a relationship with Jesus Christ.