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Generational Thinking

Our family went up to Michigan this Thanksgiving to spend time with my wife's brother and wife. It was good to get away and we even were blessed to see some lake affect snow since they live right next to Lake Michigan. Since we were only there less than an entire day we spent time talking. In our conversations I brought up a Church that I had recommended to my brother-in-law some months ago since they were having a tough time getting connected to a congregation. His response was that they were getting connected with a Church that they had been attending for about a year. I was happy for them because they seemed to be enjoying their fellowship time with this congregation. They have had a tough time finding the right place to fit in which seems to be the case with their generation.

My brother-in-law and his wife are in their early 20's which would classify them as the Millennial Generation or what some describe as Generation Y. I began to probe them about their life of faith and their expectations of Church. For me this is research that has to be done by Church leaders everywhere. Every generation has a different outlook on what the Church should be and how to handle the functions within. As we talked I realized more than ever what big differences there is between them and those of us who are Generation X. They want a place that is more community centered and want to feel like they belong from the start. They are not as concerned about doctrinal issues as we are perhaps and want love and grace to supersede every aspect of the community that they attach themselves to. While I think that doctrine is significant I was blown away by the genuineness that this generation is looking for. So much of the time those who are younger adults get pushed to the side because of their age. Every generation has something to learn from one another and from this one grace is the lesson I believe that they want to teach.

Reflecting on my conversations with my brother-in-law and his wife took me forward to compare them to my parents generation. The boomer's as we call them are at the other end of the spectrum. They are more concerned with the structure and power in the Church in greater ways than any other generation. They cling to tradition which they attribute to true spirituality and in that process they smother the Church. While no generation has it completely right with the functionality of the local congregation these 2 generations have a lot to learn from one another. Grace is needed in greater ways in our lives together and structure in the Church most definitely has its place.

So much of the time in the Church we run in packs with people of our generation or those who think exactly like we do. 1 Corinthians is very clear that all of us have been brought together to bring glory and honor to Jesus as a community of believers. The Church that listens and communicates with each other is a Church that will go places together. The Church in America is losing ground and part of the problem is the selfishness of every generation wanting their own way. If we take James' advice to be "quick to listen, and slow to speak" we will gain ground within our local communities. Every generation is significant and every Christian that makes up the Church you belong to matters to God.

Why Would You Say That?

I was reading a Christian blog a few weeks back and noticed something interesting. The person wrote something like "when I was in Seminary!" When I read that I as shocked because it reads as if the person has gone through Seminary which is not the case. The person who wrote the quote attended a few classes at Seminary. Sometimes we want to make ourselves out to be people we are not. Unfortunately this is not the first time that I have heard this statement from someone. The pastor that I did my internship underneath did the same exact thing as the blogger and like the blogger had only a few Seminary classes under his belt as well.

I get a bit worked up when people present themselves to be something they are not. I get a bit angry when this happens with those who claim to be Christians. God did not save us for who we were He saved us because He loves us. Knowing that I am loved by God is a driving force in my life. Knowing that helps me to remember that no matter what others think of me I need to be content with who I am in Christ Jesus. Those who are not in Christ will always boast of who they are and what they have. In the Church we need to be different from the world and live lives of integrity. When we make ourselves out to be something that we are not we break the heart of the ONE who calls us His own. Being content with who we are is not always easy, but it is the road that we have been called to travel on.

Changing Seasons and New Life

The fall is my favorite time of year. I have always loved the fall since my grade school years. Most people like when the seasons change because we get tired of the way things are after a short while. For me the change of seasons is a reminder that the world and all around it is constantly moving forward. But are we changing in the Church like the seasons do with regularity? Are we becoming more fruitful each season and bringing more glory to God today than yesterday? The promise of the Christian life is one of constant change and renewal, but I wonder if we have forgotten that?

I know that without Christ my life has no value or meaning to it. I also know that without constant submission to Christ my life can get of track so very quickly. At one time in my life I did not like change very much, but in the past 2 years I welcome change in a way that I never thought was possible before. Change is exciting and always brings a fresh feel to things. As a Christian I want to be so connected to God that I allow His Spirit constantly change me from the inside out. I don't know if you want that or not, but it is a new life in the scriptures that is promised to every believer. When we learn to submit ourselves to God and truly let Him transform us we will not be as frustrated with ourselves and other people. I know from reading the word of God that I can have a greater spiritual life if I only allow God to move and submit to that movement. Like the fall I want to change and glorify God with a life of excellence.

Dan In Real Life

There is nothing that good on television or at the movies much, but every once in a while you still get a good surprise. My wife and I found our surprise when we went to see Dan In Real Life just the other day. This is a great movie about family, love, and relationships. If you need something to tug at your heart and you like to laugh then this is the movie for you.

The movie is only 90 minutes long and none of those minutes are wasted. Steve Carrel plays a newspaper columnist widower who is raising three daughters in New Jersey. The film takes his relationship with his daughters and puts them on the road together heading to a family get together in Rhode Island with Dan's family. Dan meets up with a woman haphazardly on his first day out of town and as they connect romance seems to be around the corner. The only problem is that Dan is re-introduced to the same woman and discovers that it is his brothers girlfriend. As the movie unfolds 2 people are forced to connect and make decisions concerning one another. The ensemble cast adds great flavor to a movie that is probably one of the best I have seen in the past 5 years. The director of this movie also did an obscure independent film called Pieces of April that I would also recommend. If you like a heart warming story with a bit of an independent flavor then check this one out.

Lessons From New York

Today on ESPN it was reported that former Yankees Manager Joe Torre (former Cardinal 3rd baseman) had agreed in principle to become the next manager of the LA Dodgers. Looking back on this situation with the Yankees I thought about how poorly George Steinbrenner and his sons handled this situation. It seemed that all of us knew the details of what happened between the Yankees and Torre. You did not have to even be a sports fan and you probably knew the details. When things go sour for any organization I always think that its better to keep the details in-house.

Too much of the time the Church acts like the Yankee organization. When problems arise between its members the community that its in seems to know whats going down. They might not even care about the Church and they still know. Some things that go on in the Church are usually solved, but even if they are not does the community at large need to know about it? The way that the Church handles its problems says a lot about its leadership and members. As humans we feel justified if we have been hurt by others and so we find comfort in those closest to us. The problem with this is that sometimes those closest to us are not the ones we worship with on Sunday mornings. If we love our Lord then we should show it by never profaning His name with the frustrating things that go on inside of the Church. We need to be mature and deal with any situation as the New Testament commands us to. A Church that handles all of its problems quickly and within the walls of the Church is a congregation going places with God.

Perspective & Grace

I recently took some criticism over my article entitled "Do Pastors Get Paid to Study?" This criticism came from someone I believed to be a friend at my former ministry. I decided when I received that criticism that I would meditate on it for a good while before I ever commented on it. Sometimes I have noticed that I can become a bit too reactionary at times when criticism comes my way. That is one of my personality flaws that I am desperately working on. I realized through this how imperfect I still am.

The reason that I am so grateful to Jesus is the grace He extended me when I became a Christian. My life was a good representation of what it was like to live for SELF. Even though I have found peace with God I know that there is so much work to be done. All of us are going to be criticized by other people and we need to learn to not respond quickly to what has been said. Usually when it comes it is based on someones perspective which might not include all of the details about a situation. As a Christian how you respond to others can reveal your level of maturity. A person who has been impacted by grace will learn to move forward and grow from the way they were criticized. You might be mad at first, but at some point you have also been on the other end of things as well. Grace is one of the biggest elements that is missing in our fellowships. We have an expectation of God's grace every time we mess things up, but many times we are not willing to extend grace to others for words used against us. If you appreciate what the Cross accomplished for you then start extending grace to everyone around you.......even when you think that it is not deserved. After all that is exactly how Jesus treats us every time we go running to Him.

When Was the Last Time?

I have been noticing a trend the last few years that bothers me a bit. I have noticed that people are not as courteous as they once were. Compliments don't seem to be the norm anymore. All of us to some degree probably feel under appreciated at times. This could be a sign of the times or it could just be the fact that we live in a cold natured society. You would think that among God's own people that showing appreciation for one another would be a normal aspect of our lives, but unfortunately it is not.

I made a decision a few weeks ago that I would start being a person who learned to appreciate everyone around me. This decision came after a deep conviction that I had began to mimic my culture. When I realized that I was not a person who readily gave compliments I became frustrated with myself. It is so easy to fall into the pattern of complaining about everyone around you more than you compliment them. But if you live you life like this you will rob yourself of a lot of joy. All of us have many faults! Who can say that they are perfect without any personality problems? You won't see my hand raised for that question. Everyone around us who we love deserves to hear how much we appreciate them.

You may not realize it but you have a lot of patterns in your life. Even if you are not analytical like I am you have certain things you do each week that are a part of your routing. How you use your words is probably one of the most common routines in your life. If you want to be appreciated by others around you for your good qualities then spend more energy and learn to compliment everyone around you. Let people know what you like about them and encourage them as much as possible. Life is too short for us to be negative people. Remember who you are representing everyday and learn to love everyone around you.

Say No To Gossip

This past Sunday our Church completed a 7 week series on the book of 1 John. The last sermon covered the 5th and final chapter of the epistle. Doing the background study for the sermon my heart was drawn to a sentence from one of the verses that we do not talk about much in the Church. 1 John 5:16a states "If anyone sees his brother commit a sin that does not lead to death, he should pray and God will give him life." This small sentence tucked away toward the end of our New Testaments is a reminder of our attitudes toward gossip and fellowship.It is both a warning and a reminder.

I wish I could tell you how many times that I have heard gossip in the Church, but the number is so high I don't have a tally. I think to some or many extents all of us who call ourselves Christians are guilty. God tells us through the Apostle John that there is a better way. We should pray about the person who is in sin and try to be there for them instead of talking about it to other people. Can you imagine the impact that someone would experience if you told them that you were praying for them and their frustrations? If you are close to someone and you know that they are walking in the wrong direction then come alongside of them prayerfully so that God will move in their situation. The wrong road is to talk about someones sin to others. The right road is to petition God on their behalf. God will bless those who listen to His counsel when it comes to our interaction with each other. Be a person who lives out the Word to others by taking this partial verse to heart.