Surviving Bad Attitudes-Chapter 10 Continued-When Getting Older Wasn't An Excuse

(3) To change or not to change-that is the question.
A retired minister here in South Carolina told me not to long ago that the church was going to have to accept changes in structure, attitude, and worship if it was going to survive until Jesus comes. This came from a man in his late 70's that I love and respect as a mentor in our state. He went on to say to me "Keep the message straight and simple. Don't deviate from the truth. Preach holiness and be an example. But make sure your methods are up to date to reach a generation that doesn't know church as your or my generation knew." Sound words from a great man of the faith.

Dad ministered in Conway, South Carolina where I "grew"up literally. All I ever knew was church. My whole life has been church, but I have seen changes, both good and bad, that have changed the church as we know it. I remember being the first church in one state to use a reel-to-reel soundtrack to sing at a camp meeting. I remember being told I was going to hell because I grew a moustache. I remember playing a rocking lick on my guitar and being rebuked for being too worldly. Yep, those were the good old day-LOL!

The difference I see today in the church is the division between the young and the old is worse now than it has ever been. If you want a shout from the audience today talk about the red back hymnal and the older crowd goes wild. Mention anything about praise music that is negative and the older folk clap their hands. No wonder the young folks are staying away from the church. We don't want THEIR music, THEIR worship, and we sure don't like the way that THEY praise the Lord.

I will agree we have gone to extremes both ways, either catering to the old or catering to the young. But in the churches that I grew up in the older folks didn't look at the youth as their rivals, but as the generation they could nuture that would take up the mantle after them. In 1971 I sang in a trio on Youth Night at Camp Meeting the song, "I've Got Confidence". At that time it was very contemporary and up beat, but nobody condemned us for being worldly. In fact people seemed to really enjoy it even though it was different from the music genre of the time.

So when did it become so hard for people who get older to change? I really don't know, because there is nothing in the Bible that says getting older makes you sour, mean, or changeless. In fact to the otherside, God gives us these directions:

Matthew 9:17 "Neither do men put new wine into old bottles: else the bottles break, and the wine runneth out, and the bottles perish: but they put new wine into new bottles, and both are preserved."

Titus 2:2-6 "That the aged men be sober, grave, temperate, sound in faith, in charity, in patience.
 ³The aged women likewise, that they be in behaviour as becometh holiness, not false accusers, not given to much wine, teachers of good things; ⁴That they may teach the young women to be sober, to love their husbands, to love their children, ⁵To be discreet, chaste, keepers at home, good, obedient to their own husbands, that the word of God be not blasphemed.  ⁶Young men likewise exhort to be sober minded."
 
The scriptures verify that it is the responsibility of the older generation to be the example for the younger generation that follows. So where is the example today? Instead of being willing to change, older people fight changes and alienate the young folks while doing it. Where is the understanding that God wants us to reach everyone with the gospel and to use whatever means we can to share the truth of the gospel? (Continued tomorrow)