One thing I appreciate about most millennials is their
honesty. Once they feel comfortable with
you, they will tell you exactly how they feel about an issue. Unfortunately, that is often not the case with
many adults. Granted there are some people
who are opinionated. Those folks are
quick to get on their soapboxes concerning issues they are passionate
about. Regrettably, that is not the case
with many adults. Most of us are satisfied
with surface conversations, talking about the weather or our favorite sports
team. Think about it. When was the last time you had a deep, heart
to heart, conversation with a friend.
A recent report from The Barna Group indicates that doubt
and fear about their faith is more prevalent among adult Christians than we
might think. Almost two-thirds of the
adults polled for the study indicates that they had experienced doubt concerning
their faith and even the existence of God.
If that is indeed the case, there are a lot of us who are hiding our
deepest thoughts and concerns. We do not
talk about those uncertainties because we do not want people to think less of
us. As a result we play the religious game. We put on a facade that we are confident and sure of our faith, when in reality fears and doubt are buried within us.
If we can just open the door to a discussion about those
doubts and fears we might not just create an atmosphere of honesty but an
environment where millennials would feel welcome. It is time for us to change the image that
young people have of the church. God’s
desire is not for a worship community that focuses on spirituality but on brokenness. That is why confession and absolution are
such an important element when we gather as a community of faith. God loves us, even amidst our doubts and
fears.
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