At our church this past Sunday, we were treated to a worship service conducted entirely by the young people. Other than the young man who led the singing – in his second year after graduation from college [so maybe 23 or 24?] - I think the oldest person who was involved in front of the congregation was a young lady who is in the 10th grade. The rest of those involved were much younger. And it was wonderful!
I wonder if these young people have any idea of how their joyful participation in leading and serving brings comfort to my soul? As some of you might know, I tend to be fairly pessimistic about many things, the future of both The Church and This Church being right up there with Covid, politics, and The New Orleans Pelicans. When I look out into the world in which evil abounds, and in which the forces of wickedness and darkness seem to try each day to “one-up” the evil of yesterday, it’s easy to see why pessimism seems to be the way to go. In fact, sometimes I think that now is the right time to panic!
And then I look inside The Church at large, and I see strife and division and hurt and pain and judgment. I see the construction of walls meant to separate, instead of bridges meant to bring together. I see arrogance. I see pride. I see trouble on the horizon, drawing ever closer.
Then I look at This Church – a tiny outpost of The Kingdom, set in the very midst of a people who worship the god of prosperity, who bow before the god of achievement, who push their children into so many things and expect them to succeed at everything. There is immense pressure weighing down so many families in this area. How could it be any different inside This Church?
And then I look inside This Church. It’s not a big church; it’s not a wealthy church; it seemingly has little to offer those who might come to visit – no praise band, no amazing preacher, none of the programs that appeal to the busy, pressure-packed lives of families in this area. And, for a naturally pessimistic guy like me, all of these things are red flags warning of trouble on the horizon. How can we avoid being one of the many churches that close their doors for the last time each year? How long can we stave off such a sad fate?
But then, I take a closer look inside This Church, and from what I saw happening here last Sunday, I believe that the future of this Church is in good hands. I see young people who, because of the tireless work of many amazing teachers here, and many amazing parents and grand-parents here, are coming into a love for The Lord – a love that is not going to be based only on the faith of their parents and grand-parents, but a love that is being formed by and based on their own faith and experience with God – a love found and nourished here in This Church, and in their homes, and in their friendships with one another.
And so, there is enormous pressure on the old folks of This Church to continue to provide the best opportunity for these wonderful young people to thrive in The Lord. Let us not put up barriers, let us not build walls that make it difficult, or even impossible for them to grow and learn and serve. Inclusion, not exclusion, should be the foundation from which we work.
Oh, and by the way, there is also pressure on the young people of This Church – pressure to keep us older folks from being pessimistic about the future of The Church and This Church. A Youth-led service once a year won’t sustain us for very long. Us old folks are high maintenance. We really need to see and hear you young folks being Jesus to others, at least as much as, or maybe even more than you need to see us being Jesus to others. Be Jesus in your speech, be Jesus in your worship, be Jesus in your presence here – and by the way, that’s good advice for us old folks too!
Because, the future is now.
Ambrose Ramsey | Pastor and Shepherd
