I have very mixed memories of last summer. A year ago about this time, Barb and I were in the midst of a road trip up north. We saw a lot of family and came back with many memories. The time behind the wheel took its toll on my back. About two weeks after returning home I woke up one morning with an excruciating pain in my left leg. I managed to crawl down the steps to the family room where the recliner became my home for the next three weeks. Being on my feet for any longer than 15 seconds became almost impossible. The diagnosis was a bulging disc in my lower back. Three weeks of treatment by a chiropractor cured the problem.
While I was laid-up, the pain in my leg made even shifting positions in my recliner difficult. Sleeping was well nigh impossible because I could not get comfortable. I could take ibuprofen and sleep medication, but even then rest would not come. I discovered two friends, one old and one new, that got me through the difficult nights. Each evening the pattern was the same. I watched old episodes of situation comedies on Hulu (new friend) and then would open our copy of the "Red Lutheran Hymnal" (old friend).
I grew up with that hymnal. My parents sang in the choir, so I would end up sitting in the pew (half-way back on the left side) with grandma. George Kurz was the only pastor I knew. He was a "three Life Saver" preacher. When he got into the pulpit, grandma would offer me a spearmint Life Saver. It usually took three. I don't remember much of what Pastor Kurz said, but I still can sing many of those hymns from memory. While I was convalescing I sang them all; from "Open Now Thy Gates of Beauty" to "Jerusalem the Golden."
Hymns are that way. My friend, Robert, and I sometimes sing them together. I met Robert while he was in the hospital. I was the chaplain and he became more than a patient. Robert is a former football player (college and NFL). When Robert moved to a rehabilitation center, he made me promise I would continue to visit. Now I stop by his house at least once a week. Robert only leaves his bed for doctor visits. Robert grew up sitting next to his grandmother in church too. It was a Methodist Church, so Robert knows a whole different set of hymns. Even on the difficult days, those familiar words can bring a smile to his face. Robert and I not only have very different faith traditions, but we have taken very contrasting paths. I seldom miss attending church on Sunday, my guess is Robert has not entered a sanctuary in decades. We both find comfort in the traditional hymns of our youth.
Unfortunately, those same traditions can become an obstacle. When we become en-cultured, it can cause us to view our way as the only way. We become so comfortable with hymns and liturgy, that we resist those things that disrupt our routine. Even if we enjoy contemporary songs and a less formal worship style, we can still suffer the same syndrome. We resist those things that push us outside our comfort zone. This can effect our relationship with millennials. They might not be able to relate our traditions. There culture, interest and concerns might be very different than ours. Reaching out to them might push us outside our comfort zone. That is okay. It is what Jesus did and you can be assured He is standing with you in your ministry to those teens and young adults.
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