Recently I cautioned about throwing out those old hymn books. What, you say?
Recently I was discussing with my 28 year old daughter a two day round-table discussion with six innovative large church pastor’s from around the country. The aggregate week-end attendance of the 
group was about 35,000. She quickly, and somewhat disrespectfully, blurted out that her generation just wasn’t all that enamored with these mega churches. They perceive the mega churches aren’t well grounded and fail to speak to the heart of the issues. Her comments surprised me. We’ve all seen good and bad large as well as small churches. But what was the root of her reaction? I once heard every obnoxious act is a cry for help. Not that her comment was all that obnoxious, but it sure carried some emotion and a tinge of disrespect not typical of her.
Recently I ran across an article in the Feb issue of Christianity Today that may be speaking to her angst. It’s titled ....“The Future Lies In The Past”. Here’s an excerpt that may shed some light on this generation’s longing…..as some call it….a longing for an “Ancient Future”.
The author speaking of the church he was raised in said….“Yet through the years, though this wonderful church formed me in the joy of the Lord that was my strength, I felt like we were missing something. As a stalwart outpost of the kingdom in a threatening world, our faith seemed somehow precarious. We stood, as we faced that world, on a foundation made of words of our favorite Bible verses…..and the sermons of our pastor and approved visiting speakers. There was utterly no sense of the mystical massiveness of a church that had stood firmly for 2000 years. No sense that our foundation actually stretched down and back through time. I just knew that I felt like I was a part of a church that was in some ways powerful, but in other ways shallow and insecure in a threatening world that did not share our faith.”
I’ve lived in that world. I love the church I was raised in. I still do. It’s been a remarkable resource for my own growth and for that of my six kids. But somehow we all need to see that this spiritual journey is bigger than my little world, and my little church.
In closing he shared this provocative insight as well…..“Today we live in a world more complex than
ever before: more broken families, more disparity between rich and poor, a more confusing variety of life choices, and fewer accepted standards by which we sort it all out. We live in the ruins of modernity and have witnessed the failure of so many social silver bullets and ’sure things’ that we now distrust advertisers, politicians, and religious leaders alike. We viscerally feel the deceitfulness and the woundedness of the human heart, and know it does not yield to any one-size-fits-all solution, religious or otherwise.”
So what about this cry for help. It’s really not about hymn books or about a spirituality of stained glass and the Latin language. It does seem to be about perspective, recapturing something significantly mystical, transcendent, and enduring. Something able to stand the test of time. It’s about finding something real, supernatural, that empowers them to win the battle of their own (our own) deceitful and wounded heart. It’s about finding something authentic and someone authentic that has real pragmatic “time tested answers”. And, if the hymns and stained glass help get them more fully in touch with those answers…..well?
So you 20-30 year olds reading this what do you think? Am I tracking anywhere close to your reality here?
I’ll comment on that…I feel that scared feeling every now and then…when all the sudden I realize my security is fragile. I sometimes long to see what the early church REALLY was, even though we have Paul’s writtings on it to shed some light. I wonder how my life would change if I understood what God really wanted from worship…from service…from family. Do I really know, or am I assuming it all from how I was raised? What would happen if I questioned it? Should I and if I do, how do I do it respectfully and with a biblical basis. They are really hard questions…but not hard to come upon…because I tend to think them whenever a meet another really amazing Christian from another denomination. As for the hymn books…I have a love in my heart for them. I feel that love the strongest when I see an older person and a younger person singing them side by side…with a smile on their faces. I like the passing of tradition that comes with it. I’ve sure enjoyed a praise song or two around a camp fire as well though-can there be a place for both?
your Andria
Hi Ed,
I enjoyed reading your thoughts here. from another 20-30 something…I believe with all my heart that our generation has a deep longing to matter and to live lives that will have meant something to those who come after us. I think it’s this desire to make a dent in time that maybe is causing us to want to connect to the past and recognize the significance of the past.
I just heard Michael Card and Buddy Green talking on the radio Sunday night about how they grew up with the old hymns and that they were surprised that young people were now discovering them again and were drawn to them. I wasn’t surprised at all…I think that in some ways our generation has been underestimated in what we can “handle” spiritually or what God can use to move us. It’s often assumed that unless it comes in an repetetive one line song or if the presentation isn’t in the fast pased MTV style, we will not stay connected or be interested. I think maybe one reason we are being drawn again to the hymns is because it causes us to have to think deeply and to contemplate…that’s refreshing…its not just about emotion. It’s like the emotional and the intelect can meet eachother.
I think our generation is tired of being stereotyped into an “ADHD Christian” generation. We want to be taken seriously and be used significantly…and maybe we are beginning to realize that we can learn from the men and women of our faith in the past who lived significantly.
I hope some of this makes some sense…I have lots of thoughts whirling around my head and it’s hard to organize them or even understand what I am thinking myself! Thanks for your thoughts.
-Rebekah Kaufmann
one quick thing! I do hope I didn’t make it sound like I think Praise songs are insignificant or shallow. That was not my meaning here. I think there is a place for both…”speaking to yourselves in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs…” (eph.5:19a)
just wanted to clarify!
Dad,
I think this is a very interesting phenomenon that we’re seeing, and one that is encouraging to me. It seems like a continuation of a cycle…one that began with a generation that was looking for something more or wanted to feel something more and finally started questioning and experimenting with new ways of thinking and new worship styles.This wasn’t all bad, but maybe now we’re seeing people realize that the answer doesn’t lie in how modern or emotional their church is. Our search is for something much deeper.
After all the questioning, maybe people have been floating so long that some good old traditions and stability is refreshing…we can now see the value in it like never before. We want to know that we have something that is more than just a warm fuzzie and will last long enough for our kids and their kids too.
Anyway, I think the issues are bigger than a church and go back to the depth of our own relationship with Jesus…and no matter how wonderful it is, no church is going to (or should) be able to replace that.
Great topic and I enjoy perusing your deep thoughts that are usually way beyond what my mind dares to go.
On Hymn Books and Songs – I have a great love for them. I believe that all churches should use them for not only the intricate melodies, but for the message. These messages that have been penned by our heritage. Our “Brothers and Sisters” in Christ, many of whom suffered terrible hardships, including prison and beatings, and yet were able to draw on their almost supernatural faith to pen songs of utter praise and worship to an Almighty God despite their circumstances. It seems that those in the “younger” generation are realizing the futility of finding heritage in our current world and time and know that we must look back and hang on to these earlier times and traditions. Does this diminish the struggles faced by those who write new worship songs and praises? Or that their songs don’t have the same meaning because they are not being “persecuted?” Absolutely Not!!! We need to always realize and never forget the writings of Paul to the Romans discussing the many gifts and talents of the members of the Body of Christ, who we are blessed to be a part of.
I think that it ultimately boils down to what Ash wrote. It is our personal relationship with Christ that allows us to worship freely. I love listening to the little kids during S.S. worship as they sing with hearts unabated to our Heavenly Father. It does not remotely matter what song, or what style, it only matters that they are worshipping and that is evidenced by the love and joy on their faces.
Also, thanks for the congrats on finishing up with Med School. It has been a long journey, but most of my success is due to Christ and Andria as she is always next to me holding my hand through this awesome journey that we call…Life.
Luke
Wow if you have any old Christian hymnals left please thrown 1 to me.
I have searched flea markets and garage sale and the Fiends of the Library books for 1 for years and yet to come up with 1. There are childhood memories in those songs that I cherish and would love to have 1 to praise God with in my home studies.
Thanks
Amy