Setting the Stage for "Nones"

 

The discussion turned to the recent kids Vacation Bible Study classes.  I commented on all the space ships and outer space drawings I saw throughout the rooms and hallways of the church.  “I’m sure it’s important to keep young minds attentive by stories and games, but surveys now show that most kids decide by the age 13 that church is a waste of time, and drop out as soon as they can (which is doubly easy if their parents don’t take them there).  “What’s in it for me” is their mentality, and they don’t see anything of interest.  I wish the kid’s Bible Study week was more about teaching the Bible and a relationship with Jesus, and less about fun games.  They grow disinterested in simple games.”

Fortunately, one of the men, a father, had been part of the kid’s week.  He assured me that the parish used a recognized Catholic program which was heavily focused on teaching the faith, and any games were there to help teach. He then gave witness to a few examples of how he personally had seen a lack of virtue among some kids, and lovingly taught them how to love.   I felt a lot better that we were trying to do the right thing for our kids, but I still had doubts if it was enough.

“In my latter years of working, before retiring, I noticed that young employees seemed to contribute less to the company, and to expect more,” I said.  I recalled an annual performance review where I gave a young man an average rating.  He was shocked, and at the same time asked when he would get a promotion.   “Didn’t I do everything you told me to do?” he asked.  I explained how employees are meant to be assets of the company, contributing new ideas, and finding better ways of doing things, and developing new products.  He didn’t understand.  “If you wanted me to do more, why didn’t you tell me what to do?”  He had never been taught to think critically, to analyze, to grow.  “Robots do what I tell them,” I said.  He never really understood.  I think of him as somewhat typical of many younger people today.

But then one of the men in our little group jumped.  “I think the Holy Spirit just showed me how that is the problem with our young people’s faith today.  They are meant to grow in holiness, in faith, and in a closer relationship with Jesus all their lives, but most haven’t been taught that.  They don’t know that they are supposed to grow in faith, to become more like Jesus, until they join Him in eternity.  They learn rules and to go to church on Sunday, and they do those things (or whatever the priest tells them).  But, at some point the culture causes them to ask: “What’s in it for me?”  And, having been taught nothing but rules in the church, rather than the rewards of growing in faith and relationship with God, they don’t see anything there for them, and soon becomes “Nones”.

The culture teaches kids that “your life is about being happy.”  You have “a right” to be happy.  And you --- they are told at a very young age --- are wise enough to decide.  The Christian faith is, however, very clear: You are to grow in love of God and neighbor, all your life.  Your life is not totally about what you want, what makes you happy.  There is work to be done to get both temporal and eternal rewards.  Jesus showed us our lives have a purpose, a reason for which we were born.  He opened the door and showed us how to get to heaven by achieving that purpose.  But, like a good meal, you don’t just throw the ingredients into a bowl and start eating.  There is work to do.  It seems most of our kids have never learned how to work and grow in faith, to continually grow in holiness all their lives.  They don’t see the rewards of a growth in faith, now and eternal.  So, they drop out of any organized religion.

The culture has changed; the teaching of our young needs to change.

They Don't Understand

 

I think today I heard one of the shortest sermons I ever had.  It only lasted perhaps 2 minutes.  The priest came down from the altar, and pointing a finger towards one side of the congregation said: “You really don’t pray with enough fervor.”  Pointing to the other side he said: “You know, you need to bow your head at that point of the mass.”  Pointing to another area he said: “Is that how you dress to come to the house of God?  You look like you’re going to the beach.”  And towards another he pointed: “You should be home right now caring for your mother.”  And finally, to another he said: “You should buy less and donate to the poor more.  God will bless you for that.”

Jesus said: “That they may be one.” 

“He calls all Christians to community, to love one another,” the priest concluded, “and perhaps most especially, the person right in front of you.  We are all on a faith journey, at differing areas along the path.  We will not see the same things the same ways, but we are still first of all community.  Some may have error in their ways; they have not yet been blessed to understand as we do.  Our way of learning may not be theirs.  Love your neighbor, always, first and foremost.  And thank God for his presence in your life.”

 

The Office of Readings this morning had prayers which echo-ed the same thoughts.

                        Psalm 138:
                        He remembered us in our distress,
                        for His love endures forever.

                        To the God of heaven give thanks,
                        for His love endures forever.

Psalm-Prayer:
God, our Creator, how wonderfully you made man.  You transformed dust into Your own image, and gave it a share in your own nature; yet You are more wonderful in pardoning the man who had rebelled against you.  Grant that where sin has abounded, grace may more abound, so that we can become holier through forgiveness and be more grateful to you.

Lord, show me Your ways; teach me to walk in Your footsteps.

1Tim 6:11-21:
I charge you to keep God’s command without blame or reproach until our Lord Jesus Christ shall appear. … Stay clear of worldly, idle talk and the contradictions of what is falsely called knowledge.  In laying claim to such knowledge, some men have missed the goal of faith.

 

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Yesterday morning I learned that a man and his wife had undertaken care of another young child.  They have lived as foster parents for many years.  He explained that their latest little boy was terribly beaten, abused, and has many doctor’s appointments and surgeries scheduled.  Yet despite his injuries and being a special needs child, “He smiles and loves all the time, like no one else I’ve seen.”  And the foster father spoke of a recent (supervised) meeting with the birth mother.  Eighteen and pregnant again, she became enraged that her young baby would not come to her.  It may be the last visit she is allowed by the social worker, he said. 

Later yesterday afternoon, I related the story to another group and asked for prayers for those involved with the abused young child.  One of the people said that young woman should not be allowed to have children; abortion would be a good thing rather than her having and abusing children.  I tried to explain the value of the gift of life, all life, and how both the mother and her children, planned or not, need love.  The response was: “But I feel ….” And all church teachings and logic of my arguments made no difference.  It caused me to be frustrated that my friend couldn’t feel the empathy she felt for the young mother also for her young children, even the unborn. 

But all the sermons and readings of this morning address that point we disagreed on.  I was concerned in our conversation about another person and her babies, but I was ignoring the person right in front of me.  That was the point of this morning’s lessons.  We need to be one, in love, even in our not agreeing on things.  Agreement and understanding may come later, as grace waters a seed we may have planted.  That’s our neighbor in front of us, not one to be pointing fingers at.

 

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Driving home from church this morning, after the sermon and the readings, I listened to the Catholic radio network.  Sister Ann Shields asked host Tom Lowe: “What would you say to someone who said to you ‘I used to believe in God, but I don’t anymore’?”  The answer she proposed was” nothing.  The person who had no faith in God, or perhaps even animosity towards Him, is not one to try to convince of anything, but rather to listen.  Listen and encourage a voicing of their feelings, and express understanding and sympathy for their reasons for making such a radical decision in their lives.  “This is not a time for quoting the Bible or accusing,” she said.  “This is a time for showing love, for building a relationship, a community understanding of things we can agree upon.  Then perhaps a thought or even a hug may plant a seed, for the Holy Spirit to water.  Ours is not to preach or be accused of not understanding of their circumstances; these perceptions will enforce their unbelief.  We need to first of all establish community with our neighbor.”

These same thoughts were just echoing this morning.  I need to remember them the next time someone thinks differently than I do; they may be at a differing point on their faith journey’s path.  There is no need to convince them of or why I am at my point.  My focus should be on them. 

           

 

Take a Walk With God

These thoughts came to me as I sat in church before early morning mass today:

Each morning and evening I spend time in a church or chapel, time in the presence of God.  I KNOW He is there, in the quiet.  Often, in varied ways, I hear Him speak to my soul.  Oh, I am no saint, but I have reached --- after many, many years --- a degree of spiritual progress.  (At some point along the way I suspect God sighed: Finally!).  I wish everyone could feel what I feel, especially on those days when, in sorrow, I feel almost like a child in its mother’s arms, as she softly sings and tells my soul: “There, there.  Everything will be alright.”  And in that comfortable feeling, I trust it will.

I wish everyone could feel that in their sorrows, but it has been a long journey for me to get to this point.  It would be more than a miracle if everyone I pray for could feel this way at this moment; we are made for our life to be a journey, in His way, along His paths, not ours. So, what CAN one do, who is not so far along the path, and yearns to feel His comfort?  This morning it came to me that they can go for a walk.

A walk outdoors, slowly taking in God’s beautiful creation, is a deliberate action anyone can take.  In the quiet, listen to the birds singing, see the beauty in the trees and waters, feel the freshness in the air, and KNOW: God is here too, present in His creation.  Look up at the sky, and on a sunny day feel the warmth that feeds the plants, photosynthesis making them grow, or on a rainy day, see the waters that cause dormant seeds to sprout, growing like a baby in its mother’s womb.  God is in His creation, and in the quiet walk you can talk to Him, and hear Him speak to you.

He’s always there, waiting, whether in the chapel, I attend --- His earthly home, or in the countryside --- His garden.  He is there.

Let me tell you about someone I know, who took a walk.

A little over a year ago, I crossed paths with a woman I hadn’t seen in years.  In a parking lot we were suddenly face to face, and then she knew, and then I knew, this was not a chance meeting.  (I don’t believe in coincidences.)  She asked me to call her; I went to her house, and then we went for a walk.

We began our walk with prayer --- we wanted God to be part of this conversation --- and then she told me of the disasters in her life:  Maxed out in debts, facing bankruptcy, the loss of her children and her house, her divorce lawyer suggested she give in to her abusive husband’s demands.  It was a dark time, when our paths crossed and we went for that walk, and a talk with God. 

Now it is a year later, and last night she called me again.

She was out on a walk again, talking with God, when her phone rang.  She had received a large tax refund and earlier this week called one of the banks she was in debt to: “I have no savings; I have an old car and an old house, and five young children.  I don’t know what emergencies I’ll be facing this year, but I have this tax-refund check in my hand.  Will you accept it in payment for what I owe?”  And while she was out walking last night the bank had called her back, accepting her offer.  One-by-one, she had called all the credit card companies, and this was the last to settle.  “Tom, I had to call you; I feel almost like I have risen from the dead!  I did not think this day was possible!  Praise God!”  And she cried tears of joy as she walked along.  With God, all things are possible.

As I sat in church this morning, these thoughts swept over me, and the sun peeked through the cloudy morn and suddenly there was a blaze of red on all the clouds, lighting up the large church window in front of me.  It was totally awesome; you could see no more dark clouds, only shades of red.  And then I glanced down and read the Morning Prayer open in front of me, reading the words I’ve read a thousand times --- but reading them today for the first time:

In the tender compassion of God
the dawn from on high shall break upon us
to shine on those who dwell in darkness and the shadow of death,
and guide our feet into the way of peace.  

He is risen, indeed.