Millennials and the Church

The older generations need to under-gird and support millennial voices that have wisdom, instead of just throwing a prejudicial, blanket accusation over a group of people. There are voices in the Depression and War generation that I would never listen to, voices in the Boomer generation that are misleading, voices in the Generation X that are absolutely foolish, and of course voices in the millennial generation that should not be followed. But we need to find Jesus' wisdom and nature that exists in His followers, and seek unity inside of Him instead of just casting blame.

I can't speak for other millennials. I can only speak for myself, because, frankly, I don't know that my perspective of Jesus/spirituality is very consistent with other people my age (I was born in 1980). Most young people my age don't pursue a love relationship or obedience to Jesus. Most of them haven't placed their careers, friendships, finances, and life literally on the line to follow Him. Most of them have pursued personal happiness, financial security, and a life of worldly significance -- even the ones who I know have professed Christ at one time. I could probably say this is true about many older generation people as well. As far as "leaving the church" -- I left the church I grew up in, because that church has forsaken the Holy Spirit and sound teaching of Scripture. They don't believe the gifts of the Holy Spirit, miracles, healing, or supernatural are for today. They don't agree with joining with any other denominations, and they isolate themselves from any kind of reproof or accountability with regards to this from other believers. I left, not in spite or in anger. I didn't leave because I was undisciplined, lacking commitment, "flighty," ungodly, rouge, had an "independent spirit," had "fallen away," was "undiscipled," was "rebellious," was stubborn, "needed correction," was "religious" or had a "critical spirit," was a "black sheep" or the plethora of other things I've been accused of being. In spite of people's soulish prayers against me, I left, because I just didn't trust these teachers any more, who I had concluded were not leading me in the right Way. I had, however, learned to trust the ONE who is completely trustworthy. I didn't depart into a void -- I left to join with Him, His fellowship, and the friendship of believers I have met who are walking with Him. I never have "left the Church," even if I have discovered the multitude of ways that individuals or groups have departed, even if they adamantly maintain that they are on the right course and protect their tradition or habits out of self-preservation. Even if they have the appearance as if they have it "all together" with their positions, ranks, 501c3s, ministry ordinations, conferences, missions support, and programs. But I maintain what the Lord says, "God is faithful, who has called you into fellowship with his Son, Jesus Christ our Lord." I really don't have time for the kind of "church fellowship" that isn't a fellowship that is WITH HIS SON. As far as THAT kind is concerned, I'll take as much of that as I can get!

But, the bottom line for me, as well as many other people (not just Millenials) is about TRUST. When more than half of their parent's marriages ended in divorce, it created a huge barrier to trust. Add to that secular humanistic education which undermines significance, identity, and destiny, along with a general attitude of skepticism toward any concrete truth, and we have one of the most cynical and dis-trusting groups of people. Even if the whole world were to fail us, or as He put it, "Even if my father and mother forsake me, the Lord will take me up." He is in the business of building trust, restoring relationship, turning the hearts of the fathers back to their children and the children back to their fathers.

I once responded to an elderly woman, who posted a negative remark about "young people these days" at the bottom of her prayer letter. This was my response:
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I would caution you and plead with you to please be careful about agreeing with over-generalizations about specific groups of people, even if they are being projected from quotes from hundreds of years ago, and even if they seem to align with the current zeitgeist.  These kind of quotes exacerbate relational gaps, rather than take the approach of Daniel (chpt. 9 verse 5), or others, who identified with faults that were simply human (not generational) faults as being his own and confessed the sins of others as if they were his own, even if he (or his "group") was not personally culpable.  

I surprisingly found out I was actually a "millennial" a while ago, when I researched it (so is anyone born after 1979 according to the mainline categorizing). 

For some reason, I had pictured it as a group that was significantly younger than me--making it easier to distance myself from the "problems of the younger generation" [May God forgive us].  When I discovered this, my perspective suddenly shifted.  I began to pray more intently for millennials, but without an air of disassociation.  I find it quite interesting that society has picked a specific group of people to blame, or accuse. What I'm hearing God say about me and my generation is not in line with this. But it does sound a lot like what the enemy has to say about us. In fact, most of what I hear being said about millennials (even from the church) falls right in line with the enemy's strategy.  If I tried, I'm sure that I could hear words of condemnation and judgement about any number of groups of people, including the older generation, but I don't believe this is God's heart.  Instead, I try to posture myself in a way which confesses the sins of all groups as if they are my own -- old, young, America, Muslims, Jews, pastors, laity, protestors, politicians, black, white, etc.  And I try to hear what the Father is saying from His heart of unending love and His desire to impart His words of life - to heal, restore, and set-free, regardless of "how far gone" they are:  "God didn't go to all the trouble of sending his Son merely to point an accusing finger, telling the world how bad it was. He came to help, to put the world right again."  (John 3:17, MSG). 

We must choose what we agree with and partner with carefully -- test the spirits. It's not that I won't receive wisdom from those who are older (or of any age), but I always put any kind of spiritual perspective and experience (no matter how proven it seems) in the same boat:  bring it to God and then always defer to what He is saying.  If it doesn't line up, I don't agree or partner with those kinds of words, and pray that God would test the hearts of those who disseminate them.  If in my life I had always agreed with Christians older than me, I'm am certain I would like have never even met you. [because I wouldn't have left the legalistic church I grew up in].  

Please pray for Millenials, according this His will, and please forgive us for our sins against you and older generations. 

I pray the Lord will bring us all together in true humility before him and unity inside of Him...