Talkin' 'bout my generation

Today while reading facebook and listening to people talk something occurred to me.  I hear the older generation bash mine a lot.  People like to talk about how this new generation is one of "anything goes" and of relative truth.  The claim is that this generation has lost touch with a lot of morality.  And there is definitely a lot of truth to that.  However, I think perhaps some of the good qualities are overlooked.  As someone who works with youth I just want to say that I love this generation.  I have found that this generation as a whole are more loving, less hateful, and less bigoted and prejudiced than any group of people that I know.

Sometimes I get tired of Christians putting down a whole generation.  Instead of focusing on the problems with the generation, why not focus on the strengths and how we can encourage them to use those strengths to follow Christ?  Definitely still battle post-modernism and the lies that this culture tells us...but instead of saying sweeping negative statements about the entire generation how about also encouraging the good things?  This generation has been taught to love and to accept.  That is definitely a problem when it means accepting sin...but I have found that the Christian youth are far more open to reaching certain people groups for Christ than their parents generation.  Instead of ranting about homosexuality and those dirty people that are gay this generation says "how can we love them and reach them for Christ", instead of writing off drug addicts or people that are different this generation says "how can we help them"?  I'm not saying that these people aren't present in the older generations...I just find that they are more present in this one.  Since working with the youth I know I have become a more loving person, someone who can more easily look past someone's sin and see the person loved by God and created in His image.  I, for one, am excited about what this generation is going to accomplish for Christ! :)

I understand the frustration with the lies that are being taught, and the growing "anything goes" mentality.  However, as a youth leader, and also a member of the generation I will be the first to step up and defend it by saying these Christian youth are some of the most loving, giving, people I know and I am proud to be their brother in Christ.  Every generation has is flaws...thank goodness we serve a God that is known for using the flawed in huge ways!

In the words of the great Bob Dylan "Your old road is rapidly agin'....please get out of the new one if you can't lend your hand".  Spend some time with the generation, teach them about absolute truth...and who knows, maybe you will learn something about love and how to love like Christ.  I know I have.  Because if you are just complaining and not instructing or learning...well then you're just standing in that road.




Today way to be Stephen for initiating a family movie night....nothing like Moulin Rouge to bring our family together.


Also, shame on you computer virus creators!  I have never been more conflicted in my anti-death penalty views before....because part of me really believes that if you are caught you should die for such an evil act.  I thought that Baptist college or living in the Bible belt would be the cause of me losing this rather liberal view...I never suspected it would be from some pale, scrawny, nerd living is his mother's basement.  Shame. On. You.

Remember that day I started a blog?

So I have finally done it.  I have taken the time to start a blog.  How much time?  Well I'm not going to say...although I will say it appears that I am still super anal with designing things.  This is why it takes me hours just to make one person on The Sims.  My vision for this blog is to be a place for me to talk about life and ministry after graduation.  I also plan to end each blog with a "way to be" and a "shame on you" statement.  The title of this blog is from my one of my favorite Bible verses, which is also located in one of my favorite books of the Bible.   Habakkuk 3:19 "The Lord God is my strength, He makes my feet like hinds' feet, He makes me walk on high places".  I want this to be a constant reminder to me that no matter what is going on in life, God is my strength.


Speaking of those "high places", yesterday was one of those days that God really used to lift me up.  First, I found out that I could go home a day early for Thanksgiving break!  Woohoo!  Then the teacher of my very last class let me out of class forty-five minutes early giving me just enough time to make it home to go to a GAG meeting.  For those of you that don't know GAG stands for "Guys Accountability Group".  A group of guys in our youth group meet once a week to encourage each other, hold each other accountable, and to study God's word.  I can't express what a joy it was to be able to hear teen guys excited about studying God's word together!  Those are the kind of days that make everything that is hard about ministry worth it.


So today...
Way to be Evan, Elijah, Zach, Ramsey, and Isaiah for making my night, and Sarah Grout for letting me out of class early.


Also, shame on you Stewart for trying to bite me....you should know better!

JPS