A Generation of Atheist?

Some of my fondest memories as a parent are of the early years when I would sit down and read to our three children.  Most of the time, they would be Bible stories. I think we wore out a couple of the Arch Books.   As I recall The Boy Who Gave His Lunch Away and The Runaway Prophet were a couple of the favorites.  I also recall family devotional time after dinner.  The attention spans were short, so we usually did more singing than reading.  Jesus Loves Me, was always the favorite but His Banner over us is Love and The Butterfly Song were not far behind.

With Mark and Katie I even continued that tradition into high school.  Then we would gather around 10 PM, just before they went to bed.  I usually let them choose the devotion.  Usually they would use a book that contained short devotions by famous Christian singers like Rebecca St. James, Stephen Curtis Chapman and Amy Grant.  Somewhere upstairs we even have a book of devotions written by teens that includes one written by Mark.

These thought came to mind recently as I read a report from The Barna Group that indicated Atheism is on the rise in America.  Sadly, a growing number of teens are now claiming to be Atheist.  While 6% of the general population claimed to be Atheist, 15% of the members of Generation Z (born since 1999) deny the existence of God.  I was left to wonder how many of those young people had Bible stories read to them during their early years.  How many of them had parents who still took the time to talk about spiritual issues with them? 

Part of the study identified the feelings that people have toward the church.  I found the opinions of Millennials and members of Generation Z especially disturbing.  Some of the responses included:

“I have a hard time believing that a good God would allow so much evil and suffering in the world” (30% of Millennials and 29% of Generation Z),

“Christians are hypocrites” (31% of Millennials and 23% of Generation Z),

“I believe science refutes too much of the Bible (24% of Millennials and 20% of Generation Z).

In reflecting on the above, we need to remember that this is the generation that has grown up post 9/11.  They have only known a world where terrorism is in the news almost daily.  It is only natural for them to ask, “Where is God in all of this?”  The same kind of questions might be raised as they try to rationalize what they learn in science class, with what they learned in Sunday school.

The passing of the torch of faith is a life-long process.  It includes making sure they have proper instruction in the faith and surrounding them with a community of believers who model discipleship.  It also means providing a forum for them to discuss the issues that are important to them, even if we don’t have the answers.  

Stupid Adult Tricks

By now you probably heard about the dangerous craze that is sweeping the country.  The  “Tide Pod Challenge” involves people jokingly feasting on the colorful laundry detergent capsules.  The challenge is to hold the pod in your mouth as long as possible before spitting it out.  Not surprisingly, most of those who take up the challenge are teenagers.  Until recently removed, there were dozens of videos on Youtube of teens taking up the challenge.  Let’s be clear; the pods are poison.  Swallowing even a little of the acid in the pod can burn the esophagus, stomach, and cause damage to the lungs.  Spitting them out even comes with a risk.  The acid can burn the skin. 

We should not be surprised that teens would try such a dangerous activity.  Risky behavior and teens have always gone hand and hand.  For starters, teens are not wired to make good decisions.  And, peer pressure is constantly an issue.  Put a group of teens in an unsupervised situation and all kinds of behaviors are possible.  We can point fingers at Tide for making the pods look like candy, but it really it is not their fault.  They are in the business of selling detergent.  The colorful pods are a marketing gimmick, and they do come with a warning on the label.

During my decades of working with teens I learned to never be shocked.  Just when I thought I had seen it all something new would come along.  As previously stated, I could understand kids making poor choices.  What never ceased to amaze me were the stupid things that parents did: drinking too much, texting while driving and yes, even using the Weedeater without goggles.  All of those are “at risk” behaviors.   Alcohol and power tools all come with cautions on the label about the dangers that accompany their use.  Texting and driving has become illegal in most states.  Still adults who really should know better continue to ignore the warnings.

I think we could all do a better job of making good choices and setting better examples when it comes to our behavior.  We also need to do a better job of discussing the dangers of at risk behavior, and then supervising our kids.  The reality is, even if they know the dangers that does not guarantee they still won’t try it.  We need to remember that we are the adults and the kids will always be kids.

Reflections on Martin Luther King Day

Today is Martin Luther King Day. Having lived through the turbulent sixties, I marvel at how things have changed. I recall sitting in a junior high classroom and hearing my teacher talk in an angry tone about how disgusted she was at seeing a "nice young white man" give up his seat on a bus to a "colored woman." A few years ago I visited the Henry Ford Museum in Detroit where the bus that Rosa Parks took her historical stance on is displayed. I reached the back of the bus where I found a mom explaining the significance of the event to her two grade school age children. This time it was a White family in the back of the bus.

I once almost had a close encounter with Dr. King. I was in 8th grade and a member of our church basketball team. Our games were played on Saturday morning in the gym at Grosse Pointe High School. Grosse Pointe was, and still is, a very affluent suburb of Detroit. In those days it was highly segregated. Dr. King was scheduled to speak at the school on a Saturday afternoon. His appearance was highly controversial. There was a strong police presence as we left after our 11:00 AM game. Behind barricades stood some angry people. They were holding signs that said some pretty ugly things.

I was home in Detroit on spring break from college on that night in 1968 when Dr. King was shot. I was at church. I had been recruited to sing with the church choir for Easter. A member of the bass section was the one who broke the news. "The King is dead," he said with a smile. There was a real sense of satisfaction in his voice. 

Now we have had a Black Man as a President and we tend to view people not by the color of their skin but by what they stand for.  I live in a house where my neighbors are Hispanic, Vietnamese and Cambodian. I recently remarked, "all we need is a Black Family to move in to make things complete." 

Thank Dr. King for being the catalyst for change.

The Church in 2018

I shared in my opening comments in the last issue that I continue to be encouraged about the future of the church.  I am not alone in the effort to keep people informed and advocate the changes needed to reach today’s teens and young adults.  One to the respected voices I listen to is Thom Rainer, the president of Lifeway Christian Resources.  In a recent article Thom Rainer focused on four significant trends that he sees in growing churches as we move into 2018.  I would like to focus on two of those characteristics.

Growing churches have made a concerted effort to abandon the entitlement mentality. Too many congregations have become religious country clubs.  Like a in a club, members pay their dues, put money in the offering plate, and get benefits.  There are classes they may attend, social groups they can join and events they can participate in. The breakout churches made intentional efforts to abandon this mentality. They have moved from being inner-focused to being outer-focused.

As a result of the desire to be more outer-focused, they are fervently searching for new paradigms.  They are analyzing those new paradigms with a desire to accept them.  They also know that the methodologies that currently work might not be effective a year from now.  Ministry is always a work in progress.  Change is a necessity.  The reality according to Thom Rainer is, “your church will either change or die.” 

My prayer is that while you will embrace change, you will also keep the gospel message at the forefront.  Today’s teens and young adults need Jesus.

A Millennial Nativity?

It is the eighth day of Christmas and in our home the magi have moved a bit closer to the nativity scene.  Our tradition is the nativity scene comes out when the tree goes up on the first Sunday in Advent.  The Christ Child does not join the scene until Christmas Eve and the magi finally arrive on Epiphany, January 6.  In addition to the manger scene we have had since the first year of our marriage, we have added a Little People nativity this year.  That is a nod to our youngest grandson, seventeen month old Daniel.  I am never sure where I am going to find the magi from that scene. I recently sat town in my favorite recliner only to find a magi holding a gold box wedged between the cushions.   

I was tempted to add another nativity set to this year’s display.  Maybe you have seen the Hipster Nativity.  I do not know why they choose the dated term “Hipster.”  To me the new nativity more reflects our millennial culture.   In the latest version, the shepherd is wearing earbuds and carrying an I-pad, I assume so he can keep his friends updated on his experience on social media.  Instead of camels the magi are riding Segways and carrying Amazon gift boxes.  Joseph is taking a selfie and Mary is holding a Starbuck’s coffee.  And there are solar panels on the stable.

I will admit that when I first saw then new edition of the nativity I was a little offended. But then I got to thinking: even our traditional manger display probably does not accurately portray the actual setting.  We tend to glamorize the tableau when we sing about silent nights, a quiet little town and sweet smells.  In actuality it was probably cold and messy, not to mention smelly. 

The only constant in any manger scene, no matter how it is portrayed, is the Christ Child.  That is an important thing to remember as we enter 2018.  Culture and style might change, but Jesus remains the same.  Values might have shifted but God’s passionate desire to love His people is consistent.  A changeless Christ for an ever changing world: That is the Good News.

My prayer is that you find some new ways to share that message and pass the torch of faith in 2018.