“Introverts often give off the appearance of calmness…those whose inner worlds truly match their outer appearances are among the rarest people in the world.”
I recently read a book about introverts working/living in an extroverted culture. I didn’t realize the church was this culture, and I didn’t realize just how much it has been affecting me. To be honest, it opened my eyes to some very unhealthy thinking I’ve been guilty of for a loooong time.
Sometimes people outside the church think the ultimate purpose of a youth ministry group is to get you to follow the rules of the bible. It’s sort of a negative view. That would actually be a pretty impossible and unrealistic task, too. The bible says that if you can’t obey the entire thing, that if you break even just one rule, then you’ve failed. If you think faith is about keeping rules, the bible says you misunderstand God’s grace.
It WOULD be a good thing if you try to follow what the bible says. Love each other, treat your enemies kindly, etc. I don’t think anyone who’s read the bible would disagree that it’s teaching is a good thing. If you come here, hopefully you learn a little about the bible and grow.
But still, faith is about more than following rules. God is concerned about something bigger than that.
I was sitting in church today at the 10:00 am service with some of the youth listening to Pastor Al’s sermon. It was a great message (you can listen to it here) and I remember thinking I wish I could have heard this stuff growing up. But then I thought about how I didn’t want to hear that stuff growing up. At first I was upset at my younger self, but then my thoughts turned to the kids in our church. And I watched as those sitting next to me dozed off. And then the band started playing and I have to admit I was a little uncomfortable with the music. I felt this way not because I think our worship music is bad, but because kids don’t listen to this type of music. They don’t listen to music led by your mom. Sorry, they don’t. You won’t find it on their ipod. So, seeking to gain a little understanding into what they’re actually thinking about church I asked one of them, “what’s your favorite part of the service?” The response was, “the music.” I could sense the sarcasm, but then it got worse, “…the music is my favorite part of the service because it’s the only time Pastor Al isn’t talking.” Ouch.
Like me (and probably you), most kids won’t fully realize the significance of what the pastor is saying until later on in life. And most kids will never take seriously your mom leading worship music (unless your mom is Katy Perry, sadly). It’d be nice to live in an ideal world where kids listened intently to the sermon and lifted their hands in worship; and in some instances I’m sure they do. But for the most part, that simply is not the case. And that’s ok because what keeps kids coming back to the church is not the music, or the pastor, but the magnitude of the relationships they have with the people in the church; which is why everything we do in youth ministry, and at Peace, focuses on this.
So next Sunday, don’t be discouraged if little billy isn’t paying attention during church. Instead, watch him as he interacts with those around him. Encourage him to be involved. He’s there and that may be enough. And hey, who knows, maybe it’s better if the kids don’t like the music at church because if they still show up then you know that they are there for the relationships. And maybe that’s a sign that they are there to worship God and not a rock star.
Renew: Youth Ministry at Moorpark Presbyterian Church 