Needs of My Generation
by Ben Mayes
Seminarian at Concordia Theological Seminary
Many college students today have an exciting, culturally-relevant worship
happening-the worship of the self. Young people have felt needs that they
want fulfilled. While at college, a huge amount of young people adopt habits
of alcohol and drug addiction. Many of them listen to what culture tells
them about sex. They decide that virginity above the age of eighteen is
a disgrace and that sex is not so precious a thing that it needs to be
reserved for marriage as God instituted it. Many students make their habits
relevant to college culture by adopting the provocative clothing styles
seen on television and acting in ways that are relevant to the sinful world,
but not to God. Even among Christian people of college age, habits, modes
of dress and speech are chosen that identify them with the market-oriented,
needs-driven, self-serving culture that we all know as America.
Despite the many perceived needs of young people, their real needs are
no different from the needs of all other age groups, nationalities and
generations. Young people today need the forgiveness Jesus gives to cover
over their many sins. Our real problem is sin; our real need is forgiveness;
our real solution is Christ.
Many of us young people recognize that worship is where Jesus comes
to us in his word, and especially in his body and blood. His body and blood
given in communion are holy, so conscientious young people feel that solemn
reverence is the proper attitude to have during the time and in the place
where Jesus comes to us. Kneeling and the sign of the cross come to mind
as appropriate responses to the presence of God. We realize that these
external actions don't contribute to salvation. They are the joyful response
of that salvation! But we also realize that holy joy is not the same as
a spirit of carousing (Rom. 13:13). Instead, holy joy includes solemn reverence.
Young kids like things that entertain. Things that educate or are good
for them are usually not enjoyed, just as no one likes taking medicine.
Yet if a person is brought up in a liturgical church, he'll learn the liturgy
soon and will have it memorized even as a very small child. He'll then
be able to carry the word of God with him wherever he goes. The liturgy
as given in our synod's hymnals is very easy for young children to learn,
if it is used consistently. What a joy it is to hear 5-year-olds singing
"Hosanna, hosanna, hosanna in the highest!" during the liturgy of holy
communion, just as they did at Palm Sunday. Children in churches with changing
liturgies or minimal congregational participation are not given this opportunity
to learn God's word by heart, so naturally, worship in the Divine Service
becomes meaningless time spent watching or drawing pictures. Because of
this, they never learn first-hand why worship is important as the place
where Jesus comes to forgive.
At certain times growing up I didn't enjoy church and liturgy. At those
times, my parents made me go to church, say the prayers and sing. Eventually,
it grew on me. It's a good thing that no one told me that church had to
be fun. Indeed, God wasn't "fun". If it wasn't for the habits that were
instilled in me while young, my personal tastes would have gotten in the
way and kept me from going to church, which is the very place I needed
to be in order to have my sin of self serving dealt with.
That's why the Divine Service as it has been handed down in the Lutheran
church is so special to us. It has its own, other-worldly culture. The
words of the Sunday morning Divine Service as found in our church's hymnals
focus not on the felt needs and cravings of the moment but on the real
problem, sin, and the real solution, Jesus.
Even the music of the Divine Service is special to many youth today.
They respect and long for a style of worship that connects them to the
historic roots of Christianity, a style that rejects today's commercialized
silliness and focuses on God's words in a solemn, repentant and joyful
way. It's not a question of what instruments should be used, but in how
music should be used. Should music seek to draw attention to itself and
entertain? If this is what we young people were truly looking for, we would
be foolish to look for it in church when we could just turn on the radio
or skip church to travel to the next rock concert.
Our church's historic liturgy is relevant to youth. It is constant,
yet it changes to meet the individual forgiveness needs of the congregation.
The propers for the church year provide biblical teaching and change from
week to week and season to season. The preaching proclaims Law to the specific
sin problems of the congregation and delivers the Gospel solution in Jesus
Christ.
The Lord's supper, that very special meal for all young Christians is
simultaneously the most personal experience with Jesus and also the most
social, as his true body makes us again into his mystical body. For some
young people, the time of private confession and absolution is both the
most terrifying and comforting encounter with God.
Finally, we young Christians long for a sense of belonging and connectedness.
We need to see that our generation is one among many who are Christian.
Instead of tailor-made liturgies emphasizing the uniqueness of the young
generation, we need to see that we're part of the one Holy Christian Church.
1 Cor. 1:10 reminds us, "Now I plead with you, brethren, by the name of
our Lord Jesus Christ, that you all speak the same thing, and that there
be no divisions among you; but that you be perfectly joined together in
the same mind and in the same judgment." Young people are no different
than other generations. We're sinners who need the forgiveness that Christ
gives in the ways He has decided to give it until He returns. This is the
real answer for our real need. |
