MILLENNIALS - QUITTERS OR CHANGERS?

Every generation views life through a different lens, knowledge increases, technology progresses, music reflects current struggles and children just DON’T want to be identified with the ideas of their parents.  This, of course, is not a modern day phenomenon; Genesis 4 tells us the story of Cain, the second generation of humanity.  Adam and Eve were trying to atone for their catastrophic mistake.  They raised their sons to know about God and had obviously taught them that God demanded a sacrifice of worship but Cain had a different idea.  Why offer a messy sacrifice when he had labored and raised some beautiful fresh fruits and vegetables.  It didn’t end so well for Cain but he “did it his way.”

I wonder if the children of the Pilgrims blamed their parents for the long boat ride, horrible winter and hard work in the new land.  I’m sure they did until one group got the idea that they didn’t have to serve King George who after all was thousands of miles away and hadn’t allowed one drop of his sweat to water the soil of the Colonies.  Patrick Henry stood up and declared, “Give me liberty or give me death” and a new nation was on its way to being birthed.  My generation was tired of having to talk to friends attached to a chord, so the cell phone was born and friends were suddenly always online, available to chat.  Our children will resent having to type, and then hit send and technological progress will continue.

In the late 1800’s a group of people decided there had to be more than a liturgy and ritual in serving God.  They began to study, pray, fast and seek God; the result….In 1900, there was a fresh outpouring of the Holy Spirit, people began to speak with tongues as they did on the Day of Pentecost and the Gifts of the Spirit were once again used to bless God’s people.  Everything wasn’t perfect, over the years there has been much maturing take place in the Pentecostal movement, knowledge has increased and after a few dumb mistakes and statements, we’ve all become a little wiser in witnessing and studying the Word.  But now the “Millennial Generation” has come of age.

A new blog by Rachel Held Evans, “Why Millennials Are Leaving The Church” is making the rounds on face book.  To sum it all up, she states, “I explain how young adults perceive evangelical Christianity to be too political, too exclusive, old-fashioned, unconcerned with social justice and hostile to lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people.”  We are “old-fashioned.”  Well Rachel that’s one I’ve never heard; NOT!!!  Really?  What next-generation has ever thought the past-generation was “hip?”  She accuses us of being “unauthentic” and just offering cosmetic changes in worship with lights, bands, casual dress and coffee shops.  I have to agree with her on this point, we’ve given our children everything for their pleasure and entertainment without any requirements; unfortunately it has bled over into the church.  She wants more compatibility between science and faith, more social justice and outreach to the poor and oppressed, less politics and more of the Kingdom of God.  Of course, Ms. Evans also would like more tolerance and the freedom to make the Word of God a little more palatable when it comes to sin. Pre-Millennials didn’t make those rules; she will have to take that argument straight to The Throne.   God didn’t come to make us more AUTHENTIC, He came that we might be CHANGED from our sinful nature.

I would ask all Millennials who are leaving the church because it just doesn’t measure up and “tick” all their boxes, “Why not stay and be the change?”  Ok, it was pretty ignorant for the pastor to say you didn’t need an education because you had the Holy Spirit to teach you. After goofing your way through high school, did the desire for further education become a burning passion because the pre-millennials said it wasn’t necessary?  As for Science vs. Faith, use that superior education you desire to research and write a best-seller on how Science supports God’s hand in creation and other awesome discoveries.  Social responsibility?  Quit blaming the older generation and volunteer at Soup Kitchen, mentor a group of inner-city kids or instead of buying the latest model of I-phone and I-pad, finance a mission trip to a third world country.  I know of a church in Grand Rapids that make sandwiches and pass them out to the homeless, a man in Missouri who drives every week to the prison to minister to inmates, a couple who took time off work to go to Haiti and help earthquake victims and others too numerous to mention that have becomes the hands and feet of Jesus.  They want to “be the change” and have found a way to help it become a reality.

Every “next” generation knows more than the past generations; now is your chance, PROVE IT!!!  Stop whining and change things.  But, be prepared, don’t expect the opportunities to be neatly packaged and beautifully presented to you.  You may have to roll up your sleeves and get in the game.  There may be some blood, sweat and tears involved.  DON’T FORGET, you will have children that will be “post-millennial” and they will think that you failed them also.  Start preparing your defense and rebuttal now because the next generation is growing up faster than you can even imagine.