There's Got to be a Morning After

 I have had the song The Morning After stuck in my head recently.  If you are not familiar with the song, it was featured in the 1972 disaster movie The Poseidon Adventure.  The plot centered around survivors aboard a cruise ship that had capsized in a tsunami.   Most of the film takes place underwater as they try to find an escape route. The irony is it popped into my mind at a time when I feel trapped inside the 2020 election process.  As I write this, there are only ten days left till all the ballots are cast.  Still, I am looking for an escape route.  I am weary of the negative campaign ads on television.  I am tired of the anger and the rhetoric. I even had a sleepless night after watching the first presidential debate.

In the film, six survivors do finally escape.  For them, there is a “morning after.” I am not sure we can anticipate much relief on the morning of November 4.  The reality is there are going to be a lot of angry and frustrated people once the results are finalized, whether it be that day or in the days or weeks to follow.  It is hard to recall a time when our nation has been more divided.  The level of angst boggles my mind. 

I think that pastors, and others who are in ministry, need to be ready to care for and support those who are faced with the defeat of their candidate for president.  I do not think the anger is just going to disappear.  The challenge for the church, myself included, is how do we be people of hope and healing at such a time as this.

As always, I looked to the Bible, as a history of the relationship between God and His people. It is there that we find hope and guidance.  I am drawn back to God’s people in the Old Testament.  The Children of Israel went through many times and circumstances that were more troubling than what we are facing right now.  God brought them through every situation.  He truly was “the Deliverer.”  Ultimately his rescue is found in the Cross of Jesus and the Open Grave.  The things of this world are only temporary. 

Yes, we will be delivered from our current situation.  There will be a “morning after.”  In the mean time we need to be the people of God, standing confidently focused on the cross.  That means rising above the current fray and being messengers of hope. 

 

 

In-Person Worship: Guess Who Might not Come Back

Barb and I have opted not to return to in-person worship, even though our church has opened back up.  It is a combination of both of us being over seventy and the fact that her “pre-existing conditions” place her in the “high risk” group.  While we miss the fellowship with our church friends, we recognize that this is just a season we are going through.  One unexpected benefit is we are able to be part of our children’s individual ministries.  Our sons, Peter and Mark, are both pastors.  We are able to worship with them virtually, and still participate with our church family at Prince of Peace Lutheran Church where our daughter Katie serves as director of worship and the arts.

Though the view of the congregation is limited, we are able to see a few familiar folks at Prince of Peace.  Yes, there are a few folks who are our age and older who are in attendance.  We are okay with their choice.  In-person worship is not something we feel comfortable with right now.  With the latest data indicating another spike in COVID-19 cases, we recognize it could be several months before we feel comfortable being out and about again.

I am well aware of the fact that folks are anxious to return to church.  Early in the pandemic my brother Jim reminded me that “we are not designed to live alone.”  When the opportunity to gather with friends and family becomes available, people will flock to be part of it.  I am hearing reports from my friends in youth ministry that when they hold events now, the kids come in droves.  It does require some adjustments for social distancing, etc. but even with the restrictions the kids want to be around their friends.  I suspect the same need is driving adults to return to worship.  The experience in the sanctuary fulfills one need and the fellowship in the parking lot and around the coffee pot satisfies another.

As people drift back to worshipping in-person, I hear one generational group is conspicuous in their absence.  Millennials, probably more than any other group, have been impacted by the pandemic.  While we still tend to think of them as being young people, the reality is that the oldest of the Millennial Generation are now approaching forty.  Do the math; If Millennials are the generation born between 1980 and 1995, they are now, for the most part, established in their careers.  Many are parents with young families. 

Many Millennials have been forced to work from home, while also supervising their children.  They are juggling their own jobs while also overseeing their children’s education.  As a result, many are in overload.  Their own needs, including spiritual, have been put on the “back burner” as they function in survival mode.  Even if their children are returning to in-person instruction, it is difficult for them to see much normalcy in the midst of the pandemic.   As a result, they are probably going to be the last generational group to return to in-person worship…. if they come back at all.

Millennials are not big on on-line worship.  The two things they cherish in being part of a worship community are lacking in virtual worship.  They want to be engaged.  That means involvement and fellowship.  Unlike many older adults who are content sitting in the pew, Millennials desire to be actively engaged in ministry.  They want to be in leadership positions and involved in hands-on ministry.  They also desire to network with others their age.  That is especially true for young parents who are looking for support and emotional encouragement. 

The challenge for pastors and church leaders become, how do we minister to and equip those who are not physically present? The truth is most Millennials still have the need but might not ever return to our church buildings again.  The new reality is finding ways to do ministry outside the physical church structure.  In the future, ministry is not going to happen in the church, but through the church touching the lives of people where they are at. 

I have long maintained that older adults and Millennials have much in common.  Now, the pandemic has added another element to the list.  At this point in time, many of us are sheltered at home.  That does not lessen our need to hear the gospel message and to be equipped to share it with others.

The Church, Science and Teen Faith

 

A few years back I found myself on the same program as creationist Ken Ham.  If you are not familiar with Ken Ham, you probably have heard of the Noah’s Ark Creation Museum.  Ken Ham is the Australian who was behind the project.  His “Back to Genesis” lecture series focuses on the first eleven chapters of the Bible.  In Ken Ham’s opinion, evolutionary theory has led to cultural decay in our country.  We were both speaking at a teacher’s conference.  I remember his statement to the audience of mostly Lutheran grade school teachers.  “More students lose their faith in high school than in college.”   The litmus test is evolution.  What happens when what they are taught in Biology Class runs contrary to what they heard in Sunday school. If the church cannot be trusted on that issue, what else can they be lying about?

Even among churchgoing teens there are shadows of doubt when it comes to how they view science and the church.  According to research from the Barna Group, 49% of Christian teens feel “the church seems to reject much of what science tells us about the world.”  When you add the reality that many teens do not “see the church as a safe place to express doubt (27%}, you can begin to see the problem.  Many Christian teens see the Bible and science in conflict and when that happens almost one in four (24%) consider themselves on the side of science.  That compares to only 17% who would consider themselves on the side of the Bible in such a debate.  Just a little over one in four (28%) see the Bible and Science as being “complementary,” meaning they support each other. 

This becomes a predicament when they head off to college, especially if they attend a public university.  What happens when the professors share a “world view” perspective that not only runs counter to what they were taught about creation but many of the values that Christians hold dear?   That puts a tremendous burden on parents and those who are involved in church youth ministry.  According to a report from the Barna Group, less that half (48%) feel “very prepared” to discuss science and the Bible with their teens. 

The current pandemic has brought this issue even more to the surface.  The question in the minds of many teens is not over who to listen to, but rather why are we not listening to the scientist who have the information?  Here again the church must take the lead in responding to the situation with appropriate action.  It also means creating a forum where the issues of science and The Bible can be discussed.