1The boy Samuel ministered before the LORD under Eli. In those days the word of the LORD was rare; there were not many visions.
2 One night Eli, whose eyes were becoming so weak that he could barely see, was lying down in his usual place. 3 The lamp of God had not yet gone out, and Samuel was lying down in the temple of the LORD, where the ark of God was. 4 Then the LORD called Samuel. Samuel answered, "Here I am." 5 And he ran to Eli and said, "Here I am; you called me." But Eli said, "I did not call; go back and lie down." So he went and lay down.
6 Again the LORD called, "Samuel!" And Samuel got up and went to Eli and said, "Here I am; you called me."
"My son," Eli said, "I did not call; go back and lie down."
7 Now Samuel did not yet know the LORD : The word of the LORD had not yet been revealed to him.
8 The LORD called Samuel a third time, and Samuel got up and went to Eli and said, "Here I am; you called me." Then Eli realized that the LORD was calling the boy. 9 So Eli told Samuel, "Go and lie down, and if he calls you, say, 'Speak, LORD, for your servant is listening.' " So Samuel went and lay down in his place.
10 The LORD came and stood there, calling as at the other times, "Samuel! Samuel!"
Then Samuel said, "Speak, for your servant is listening."
American young people believe God to be part Divine Butler and part Cosmic Therapist. This is according to the latest survey from Ethics of American Youth. Comments included "God made us and if you ask him for something I believe he gives it to you. But, not anything bad. He hasn't let me down yet." "God believes in forgiving people and he's there to guide us." "He's there for somebody to talk to and help us through our problems. Of course, God doesn't talk back." This kind of faith keeps God at a distance and is pragmatic. Belief is adaptable to your lifestyle, personally therapeutic, sets the ethical bar low, few limitations on your behavior. The basics are. 1. God created the cosmos and watches over our lives. 2. God wants people to be nice, fair, and good. 3. The central goal of life is to be happy & to feel good. 4. God is rarely involved in daily life, except when needed to solve a problem. 5. Good people go to heaven. What is missing here that is found in traditional religions are concepts like repentance, sin, and self-sacrifice. Religious vocabulary like grace, communion, and holiness have little or no meaning to youth.
You can see, if that survey is accurate, that youth and family ministry is a daunting & demanding task for every congregation. Good people go to heaven. God is there to help us through our problems. God does not speak. They sound good but are a long way from what Scripture/Church teaches. The challenge for Vinland & every church is how to include, instruct, & invest our young people in the life of the church. When I had my call interview here, I was asked, "What are you going to do to bring in the youth and young families?" My response, "What are we going to do?" We've come a long way with Doug & Joan, Alyssa on board, your support. This weekend 21 or so youth are on retreat. But youth/youth ministry is up/down.
Eugene Peterson tells the story of how he grew up in a Christian family, knew all the stories of Jesus, and enjoyed a sheltered church life in Montana. All was well with his life in Christ until he went off to school & met Garrison Johns, the school bully. Every day Peterson was cornered and taunted as a "Jesus-sissy" by the tough guy. He tried alternate ways home but was stalked and found out. Peterson recalls he loved learning and meeting new friends but this made his life difficult. Being a young Christian he was trying hard to "turn the other cheek", struggling to "bless those who persecute you", and praying hard for the soul of Garrison Johns. One day it all came to a head. Future Pastor Peterson was on his way home with six friends. Garrison caught him in front of this audience and tried to intimidate. But, something snapped in Peterson, all the bible verses went out the window. He grabbed the bully and started to clobber him. Fists, cheers, and blood were flying. Peterson was on top of his tormentor with his arms pinned, "Say uncle". Garrison refused so there was more hitting. Then his evangelical spirit asserted itself, "Say, I believe in Jesus Christ as my Lord & Savior". It was Peterson's very first convert.
From such brutal beginnings, Peterson goes on to be a parish pastor and author. There is something raw and real about that story that helps us relate to that faith. The story of Eli and Samuel has the same earthy edge. Eli is a priest with two wild and wicked sons but he is a faithful priest most of the time. Before Hannah is pregnant with Samuel she is in the temple in tears praying for a miracle. Old Eli thinks she has been drinking but when he finds out he's wrong, he blesses the birth. Ironically, Samuel is destined to be Super Prophet and is mentored by Average Eli. The outlook in Israel is gloomy, "in those days the Word of the Lord was rare." If that youth survey is to be believed we could say that about 2009. Thankfully, God does speak, in this case, directly to young Samuel. "Samuel, Samuel". Thinking it was the aging Eli, Samuel ran to him and said, "Here I am". After a couple of false alarms like this, Eli figures that God is in the house and wants a word with Samuel.
This story speaks to us because it is about a young person receiving a vision and honoring a call, an aging person, whose eyes are failing, encouraging and instructing a young man, and the faith community's health depending on their ability to pass the torch. More than that, it is about God who is more than present. God is prodding, probing, and propelling the community forward in and through these relationships. The fundamental fact is we are a community. We are not ourselves by ourselves. We are born in communities. We live in communities. We die in communities. The Elis need the Samuels, the Baileys need the Booths, & the Coteys need the Coles. God did not intend us to be self-sufficient creatures. Jesus' resurrection is the very epicenter of our faith. Without God, apart from Christ, if Good Friday is not real, and Easter Sunday never happened we are reduced to a religious club. Witnessing the resurrection was not a personal event or a private experience. It happened among friends and this was intentional. This is the very nature of our life. Word and Sacrament does not happen in isolation. Samuel is not prepared for what is ahead without Eli. Before he can mobilize for David's reign he must be mentored. We all share responsibility to mentor our youth. We are each quasi-god parents.
William Willimon writes, "Some parents believe that while they should train their children in academic and vocational skills, they should "not" impose ethical or religious values upon their children. We all know parents who force children into patterns of belief & behavior that are unrealistic and may embitter them eventually. We all know that in spite of a parent's best efforts and intentions, a child may not follow a parentally chosen path. But there is a big difference between saying, "This is our faith, our family's faith, and the faith that we have promised to give to you, and therefore we want you to participate. And saying, As far as your faith & values are concerned, that's a matter we want to leave completely up to you. We have nothing to pass on." Willimon hits on something critical for the church to consider.
We cannot and should not impose unrealistic or unnatural expectations on our children. But, we must be honest with them about who we are and under what commitments we have chosen to live our lives. We must communicate we trust God and recall the promises that we made at the baptism of our own children, at our grandchildren, and congregation's children. We are not passive in any of these baptisms. God calls on us to pray, minister to, encourage, and take responsibility for the young people and their families in our church family. Some practical things you can do to help mobilize our youth ministry, help us raise up Alyssas and Samuels, and encourage our efforts to fulfill our call. Go on a mission trip. Over Spring Break we are working in Seattle at rescue missions and helping in Chehalis for post-flooding clean-up. Give a Sunday School teacher a summer sabbatical. Volunteer to teach or help at VBS or Family Camp. Ask Alyssa how you can help. Strike up a conversation with a youth. Think how you will shock & awe them.
When I was growing up in my church, we had lots of Elis and Ethyls around but they didn't talk to me. I could have really used that when I had my own prodigal years in college. A safe person to approach, a safe community to be honest about my struggles and sins, a safe teaching point to help me remember whose I am, and that cannot be taken away. A few years ago, a young man came to my office who had made big-time mistakes. Reminded me of me. I tried to be clear, "I don't like what you have done and how you are living makes me nervous. But, we are here for you. We're letting you go with the hope that you will come back. God feels the same way." This is at the heart of the gospel and that kind of hospitality is at the heart of Vinland. We get distracted, we get irritated that things don't go our way, & we try to withdraw. But, you need the community & the community needs you. There is no escape. This is the way we're wired. God give us grace to live together.
Sojourners Magazine had an intriguing article about youth and aging. There is no liberal or conservative way to grow old. No Catholic or Protestant way. No Jewish, Muslim, or Christian way. We are all going to be there. The current youth-glorified culture fails to recognize and value seasoning and savy that comes with age. The article's author says a couple of things that cause us to think. First, understanding the true presence of Christ helps us become elders, not just elderly. Second, no wise person ever wanted to be younger. And finally, "God comes to us disguised as our life". That last quote means salvation has come out of the world. The birth of Christ shows us God's blessing of creation. Good Friday means God has entered history & died a real death. The resurrection proves that God is alive in the church. The senior saints are given to us to embody holy aging. To demonstrate how you move toward the second threshold with strength and style. Bodies wear out, faculties decrease, physical energy decreases, but our souls can only grow stronger.
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