I read a front page article in USA Today, April 27th, titled “Young adults less devoted to faith.” The first paragraph reported, “Most young adults today don’t pray, don’t worship and don’t read the Bible…” The article continues to report that if the trend continues, churches will be closing “…as quickly as GM dealerships.” It continues to explain, citing with poll results and current statistics, that young people ages 18-29, don’t have much interest in religion, prayer and the culture their parents and grandparents have readily identified with for generations. And the conclusion is that as these youngsters age and older generations pass away there isn’t going to be many people attending church.
It’s a sobering article for anyone who values and sees benefit in religion, prayer and church.
What to think about it? I’ve been wondering….
I certainly understand many youth’s rebellion against organized religion that expects unquestioning conformity to ritual and rites that have little to do with genuine spirituality and fail to motivate them to greater spiritual understanding and growth. But I believe there is something more harmful at work in public thought that is steering millions away from appreciating, understanding and valuing the benefits of pursuing a spiritual regimen in life.
This is the most materialistic age mankind has ever lived in. The physical sciences have almost a strangle hold on perspective, reducing everything down to a material cause and effect. When people buy into the physical science premise, the need for Spirit, or God, becomes irrelevant to their sense of things.
Some of the arguments denying value to active spiritual pursuit come in the form of, Why would you pray for health when you can take a pill? Why would you pray for peace of mind when you can take a narcotic and just fall asleep? Why pray for genuine contentment and satisfaction when you can consume your time and attention with endless hours of gaming, eating, entertaining, and other forms of temporary sensual gratification? Why do you need church when you can chat with your friends on Facebook? Why pray when you can figure everything out yourself?
Pleasure in the senses, trust in human and material reason, comfort and ease in matter, are the bane of spirituality.
Like the Prodigal son learned the hard way, seeking pleasure in the senses leads to poverty and deprivation at some point down the line. But how many years or decades it will take for society to reach that transformative point, I do not know.
As one who has dedicated his life to helping others find spirituality and healing, my prayer is that I discern more readily how to help young people find the God of Spirit they need to truly prosper in the decades to come.
We simply cannot live for long, happily, as a god unto ourselves. There is a higher power at work in this universe that blesses us with the intelligence, wisdom, love, joy and peace that bring out the finest life has to offer.
One may be able to scoot along in life for a while not in touch with his or her inner spiritual core, but eventually there will be a trial that forces the issue and presses thought to find something better than the empty material senses can ever offer. The sooner the discovery is made, the better for everyone, including our youth.
I agree with you Evan. I see lots of good kids playing soccer, baseball, etc. on Sunday mornings. It isn’t the kids choice, but parents. Sunday morning isn’t too special for the parents either. If you are depending on God, he/she is pretty wonderful and you don’t find other enjoyments to take his place.
I think it important to remember that every time is the most materialistic time. Rome, renasance, victorian era, present day, all seemed to their respective contemporaries to be the best of times.
Remember too that ‘a little leaven leaveneth the whole’. It has so many different meanings. In this example I beleive that any exposure to church when children are growing plants the seed. Sometimes (as in my case) the seed really didn’t grow until I was an adult, and life dumped a lot of fertilizer on my life. Then church was home for me.
There is nothing to fear here. It is the same old story, different characters. Christs church has maintained for 2thousand years, Mrs Eddy’s vision of it has thrived for over almost 150 of those years. Jesus sent out 70 to preach the gospel, and certainly we maintain more than 100 times that many now to spread the good word!
In a design blog I viewed today they included a link to a Youtube video titled Social Media Revolution–the facts speak for themselves. The distribution channels for information, connection, influence are changing. It could be that bricks/mortar churches will have less influence. Jesus said wherever there were 2 or 3 gathered in his name, he was in the midst of them. If Church is the structure of Truth & Love, perhaps moving forward church will be found via media channels as much as a physical building structure. If Divine Love is about meeting the human need, what are the needs of this next generation for spirituality and the best way for them to access it? More online lectures? Check out the social media revolution video–it puts the way information and relationships are flowing in a fresh context. This may be an opportunity, not a problem…..it has huge potential….
Hi Evan, Our church is having a Youth Committee sponsored picnic this Sunday after church – rain or shine. This gives our members the opportunity to get to know each other better as well as the Sunday school pupils. I have invited non-members to church and the picnic. There are inter-generational games planned to help the social interaction.
Occasionally we invite the entire Sunday School into the church auditorium for the last hymn and the end of the service so we can share with them what goes on in the church. We also occasionally invite the adults at the church service to an open house in the Sunday school after the service so we can get to know the kids and the teachers and what’s going on there.
We need to celebrate life both in the church and in the community. We need to be relevant and important to the community, and known by them.
There are infinite ways and opportunities to share in the world the good news of God’s covenant with man – that He has placed His law in their inward parts and will be their God. This includes young people, and as we find ways to share joy and hope, the young people will respond.
At my friend’s church in Dallas, Texas, prayers to support their community have led to community service opportunities that bring much joy to the volunteers as well as freedom and healing to the community.
When some college students were home on Christmas break, and saw their families serving Thanksgiving dinners to the homeless as well as other meals at community soup kitchens for the homeless, they were touched by this meaningful expression of God’s love for His idea, man.
This church wound up with several college students applying for membership because they respected this response to needs in the community and wanted to actively be part of this Christian service.
Life is good, and we need to celebrate this around us for the glory of God.