All of the experts say you’ve got to start them young…
I grew up in churches where it was a regular thing for the service flow to be completely interrupted by a move of the Holy Spirit. I was used to worship lasting longer than an hour because God wasn’t done with it yet. It was not surprising when the pastor said “Well, I guess I’ll preach that message some other time. God’s got something different in the agenda for tonight.” Man, that’s how people become transformed! That is church to me.
It’s a scary thought that a lot of youth today aren’t used to seeing the Spirit move in church services. They’ve been trained to get restless and jittery at the stroke of 11:30 (or whenever the average service ends). The very thought of the music or message “flowing” a bit longer than normal becomes burdensome. They become career pew-warmers at a very early age.
How do we change this mindset? Pastor Rocky used to say “The best way to do something is to start doing it.” Sounds simple, maybe even simplistic, but it makes sense to me. It means that even though it may be difficult at first, you have to press on and do the task at hand.
We have to let the youth experience the Holy Spirit in this way, even if they go kicking and screaming. Once they get a glimpse into that realm…Once they experience the undeniable transformation of a living relationship with God, there’s no way they wouldn’t want more of it. So what are we waiting for?
9 Comments
Life is in full speed for everyone now days. When I was younger Sundays were saved for faith and family. Church, most of the morning, and looking forwards to friends or family coming over afterwards for a wonderful meal and conversation. Now, and I’m as guilty as anyone else, it’s running to the kids sports or catching up with things needing done around the house. First of all, why are kids sports on Sunday? My kids attended a private Christian school and they started sports before churches even let out for the day, forcing you either to leave early or not attend. My suggestion is to slow down, eat meals at a table with the entire family every night, and give Sundays back to the lord and family.
show people how desperate and passionate they really are. Show them how free they could be if they just pressed in a little more! God really used you last night…thanks for being so sensitive to the Spirit!
Mark, let’s flipping do it.
Barges last blog post..A Brand New Colony
Church to me is comforting and praying with a stressed out mom that calls at 2am in the morning because her kids won’t stop crying.
selenas last blog post..Why U Should Consider Becoming A Christian
Church is filled with all levels and ages of believers.
Some only need a bite to chew on, or milk to swallow, and others who’ve got addicted to God’s abundance, desire larger and larger tsunamis to consume.
It’s ok for both i think, and there are nights when the day has been so tiring, and tough that being anywhere and having to focus physical/spiritual/emotional/mental energies becomes a workout.
I expect wednesdays to be excessively long. I just plan on being out late whether it’s out late eating and fellowshipping, or singing that one amazing new song for 1/2 an hour longer than it was written to be sung.
Either way, there will always be elements of church that rub peeps the wrong way, and usually that has to do with the mindsets of those in attendance.
I was exhausted wednesday… so after practice and the first set, i was pooped. It was refreshing for me and I gave God every energy i had but then the power went out and I was ready for food and fellowship…
The beautiful thing and also the dangerous thing about youth is that they are impressionable.
We cannot take an older individual and teach them as easily as we can a younger person. Gives us a chance to lead them, but also challenges us to be authentic and real.
Also gives us a chance to teach what true worship is.
I love the phrase from the Lifehouse song. “How can I stand her with You and not be moved by You.” I agree with you. There’s no way they wouldn’t want more of it, once they’ve trul seen it.
brent(inWorship)s last blog post..Before and After…Blue Skies, Or Not…
Hi there, I love this question…so simple and yet profound. What is church to me? To me, church is how I live my life in fellowship firstly with the Lord and secondly in response to that relationship. He’s made me a new creation, taken upon Himself my filthiness, so in thankfulness to Him I am called (& try sometimes in my own strength) to love those without, who don’t and haven’t experienced unconditional love, compassion, giving to those in need (not necessarily christians) seeking Him daily for the strength and wisdom to walk obediently and to learn to listen to His spirit. Say “Hello to this person, give this person a smile, share from your heart what I’ve done in you, what I’ve delivered you from, hug this person (they don’t know they need a hug), etc.” It’s such a broad question, but specifically to say what I think church is with respect to the body as a whole, hmmm I think I’d say, when a group of believers who are made up as a part of the body of Christ, that we’d come together in fellowship to worship our Lord, to be renewed by our Lord and to lay down our lives and our SIN to the Lord together, that we could be real about confessing the hidden things so that there isn’t room for the enemy to creep in, and that would definately create an environment where the Lord is able to work, convict and to build up His body. I’d also say that in a fellowship/church environment that our gifts are truly lived out to build each of us, one person sharing prophesy, one person a word from the Lord (scripture), an experience that the Lord revealed Himself through, a song, a poem, etc. We definatley are in a place now in our walk where we desire to have fellowship in a way that isn’t formulatic, meaning that not only one person speaks, but that each person in our family/body would take a turn (orderly) and share a peice of their testimony, sharing about someone in their life that needs prayer, or inviting them in to be loved, etc. I’ve gone on too much, but this is a little bit of what I think church is, it’s I think to sum it up a life of following Christ, each day. It’s not a building that we go to, we are as followers of Christ the church His body, in which He is still buildling today! AMEN! In HIM ~ Mrs. Cosby
Heathers last blog post..There’s No Such Thing As Theology…
I remember.
I am so used to church like this as well. It pains me when worship is interrupted by announcements or offering. I love my church dearly, but I long for services that are completely governed by the Spirit of God as I have experienced as a worship leader at conferences or previous churches.
Kellis last blog post..A Prayer Journal
One Trackback
[...] That’s church, people. That is what we do. [...]