I don't need to tell you that teenagers can experience superhuman forms of energy...
{not enough coffee in the world...}
coupled with superhuman forms of lethargy...
and not a whole lot in between. When I first began in Youth Ministry, many curriculums were focused on getting kids to calm down, be quiet and still, but somehow also interested and engaged in a 2000 year old text: an impossible task. This is simply not in the DNA of most teenagers.
Since then, some curriculum has moved forward, and I personally believe that fighting against the nature of a teenager is equivalent to fighting against the nature of the polar bear above: a losing battle. Actually, both the hyperactivity and the lethargy are essential parts of their development; their bodies are actually learning by playing, resting and balancing. We try to create a balance of games, creative energy, and rest within our Youth Group sessions so as to work with their natural development and help them to learn even better.
It can sometimes be hard to believe that when kids are running around playing kickball or laughing loudly during an SNL meal, that they are actually learning spirituality, but they are. I believe the key to making an impact on the spirituality of teenagers is by integrating spirituality as a daily part of life, rather than simply a Sunday thing or something they only do around church friends. When students learn that God is a part of their Cross Country practice or their math test, when students begin to pray on the bus on the way to school or tell their friends about Jesus, when students seek out daily devotionals and want to worship God in new ways, this is when we have truly done our job.
This week, we read two scriptures:
Psalm 100
Make a joyful noise to the Lord, all the earth.
Worship the Lord with gladness;
Come into his presence with singing.
Know that the Lord is God.
It is he that made us, and we are his;
we are his people, and the sheep of his pasture.
Enter his gates with thanksgiving,
and his courts with praise.
Give thanks to him, bless his name.
For the Lord is good;
his steadfast love endures forever,
and his faithfulness to all generations.
Romans 12.1-2, 9-18, 21
I appeal to you therefore, brothers and sisters, by the mercies of God, to present yourselves as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship. Do not be conformed to this world but be transformed by the renewing of your minds, so that you may discern what is the will of God - what is good and acceptable and perfect.
Let love be genuine; hate what is evil, hold fast to what is good; love one another with mutual affection; outdo one another in showing honor. Do not lag in zeal, be ardent in spirit, serve the Lord. Rejoice in hope, be patient in suffering, persevere in prayer. Contribute to the needs of the saints; extend hospitality to strangers. Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse them. Rejoice with those who rejoice, weep with those who weep. Live in harmony with one another; do not be haughty, but associate with the lowly; do not claim to be wiser than you are. Do not repay anyone evil for evil, but take thought for what is noble in the sight of all. If it is possible, so far as it depends on you, live peaceably with all.
Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.
Here, we find that God gives us the blueprints for how we can worship God with our daily lives. Worship, it would seem, does not have to take place in a room with mahogany pews and stained glass; worship does not require a fancy preacher with a black robe and hand sewn stole; worship does not need an organ or a rock band or even a liturgy. Worship happens over and over again when we simply hand over our lives to the will of God.
In the Presbyterian Church, we believe that worship requires the proclamation of God's Word in the world and the congregation's response to that proclamation. On Sunday mornings, the proclamation of God's Word occurs in the reading of Scripture and the sermon, and the people respond with prayer, song, and offering. This is a simple formula, and we like the routine. In my experience, I feel hollow when I go a week without these pieces of worship; they are a part of my bone marrow, a part of how I live. I need God's Word, and I need to be inspired to live differently and worship God. The Westminster Catechism for me is true: "The chief end of man is to worship God and enjoy him forever."
However, the worship service does not end here. God's Word can sometimes be proclaimed in many ways, not just by reading from the Bible and listening to a lecture.
Here is one church, Hot Metal Bridge Faith Community, in Pittsburgh, PA. At Hot Metal, sometimes the Word of God is proclaimed through drama:
{special shout-out: that's my mother-in law in the pink sweater!}
Here's a church plant called Sweaty Sheep, where the proclamation of the Word is experienced through exercise and meditation:
And our response to God's Word proclaimed is not limited to the prayer of the people and the offering. Our response to God's Word can happen in a variety of ways throughout every day of our lives.
Here is a church plant called The Big Table that responds to God's work by caring for people in the service industry:
And here's a church plant called Bare Bulb Coffee that responds to God's Word by creating a safe space for conversation and spiritual development:
Where are we headed with this?
So maybe the response to God's Word isn't forming a new church or eliminating worship in the Sanctuary or demolishing the organ. But if we are really hearing the Word proclaimed in our midst, it inspires us to live a life of worship for God. It should inspire more than simply an earlier wake-up call on Sunday morning; it should inspire worship through exercise, relationships, and life-choices. Our students spent time this weekend thinking about ways they can worship God within their family, at their schools, among their friends, in our community, and in the world. We challenged students to think differently about what it means to worship God, and called them to a life surrounded by God's presence. As Paul says in Romans, we are called to be transformed by God and to offer our whole lives as living sacrifices.
How will you and your family worship God every day?
How does the Word of God transform your life? How do you see it transforming the life of your teenager?
How will you as a family commit to allowing God to transform your lives?
More info:
Here is a website that talks about how our denomination is responding to God's Word through the 1001 New Worshipping Communities initiative. There are lots of videos and stories of creative and different ways that people are responding to God's Word in their lives - maybe they'll inspire you!
Here are some blogs that talk about this:
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