That Is The Problem

Good Morning,

This is a conversation I had with my teenagers during Bible class Sunday Morning.

ME-“Why do we have announcements on Sunday morning?”
TEEN-“So everyone can know what’s going on.”
ME-“Why do we always take up the collection after the Lord’s Supper?”
TEEN-“It says in the Bible to take up a collection and it’s a convenient time to do it.”
ME-“What is significant about the resurrection of Jesus Christ?”

You might think that I haven’t put up the complete conversation but I have. The answer to the final question was a deafening and heartbreaking silence. I will give the teens the benefit of the doubt and say that maybe they were afraid to speak up for fear of giving what they consider a wrong answer but I don’t think that accounts for all of the silence. I also don’t put the blame on the teenagers for the silence. I place the blame solely on the shoulder of us as adults.

We have done a great job teaching our children and teens about the traditions of “church” but we have lost the message of what Church really is. Church isn’t the building, or even the things we do in the building, Church is the body and bride of Jesus Christ. Church isn’t about making announcements or when we take up the collection Church is about being the embodiment of Jesus Christ here on Earth.

So what do I do about the silence? How do I become part of the solution to the problem? These questions have been in my mind all week and I think I have found the answer. I have to show them who Jesus is and what he wants from us. It may sound simple but I am a simple guy and I believe that when you break down most problems that most of the solutions are pretty simple. The answer is simple the implementation is where it gets a bit tricky. How do you show Jesus and make him real to teenagers? The simplest way is to show them Jesus in scripture but even that becomes difficult because there is so much there.

I have decided to work through the “I AM” statements in the Gospel of John. What better way to get to know Jesus than by looking at the statements he made about himself. I plan on blogging the experience and I hope you will come along for the ride.

I ended the silence by saying “You see that is the problem.” And I stand by that statement. It is a problem when teenagers can’t tell you the significance of the risen Christ but it’s not just their problem it’s our problem too. Let’s claim responsibility and become part of the solution. I love you all and I thank you for reading this. Please pray for my teenagers and myself as we attempt to know and love God and his Son Jesus Christ.

Be Strong and Courageous,

Paul