This month let's question the continued spiritual manipulation of young adults, explore the importance of "Healing What's Within," and ponder what it means to live in the Spirit.
I think the real question is what are these students doing after the events? Are they sticking together, forming communities, learning, growing? If nothing happens in the aftermath then it's just an event designed to look good.
I feel a very kindred spirit with you! Here in my community in North TX there is so much of that formulaic way of trying to get “the good life”, if you will. We who know there is no Christian formula are fighting a tough fight to convert that to the young. Thank you for being a voice…I think this has to be spread relationally through as many conversations as possible.
My daughter has had two young men come into her life lately and both have been taught the formulaic message of family hierarchy as God’s good design. She’s done such a good job bringing this up in conversation and she is seeing how these young men think this design will lead to strong families instead of “self-serving relationships according to our culture”, as one young man wrote her. The work to try to turn their thinking around is arduous! But we must keep on!
Our young women are discouraged: “Will I ever find someone who understands?”
We who have been there have a big job to do in encouraging them all to stay in the conversations that the Holy Spirit can use to turn the ship.
And I find it super frustrating to watch church leadership through GAP programs, training programs or women’s and men’s ministries continuously churn out the formulaic way of family life…the youth eat it up because they want certainty. But there is no certainty. What there is is following Jesus as the complete human to become a person of love, humility and kindness. That’s what I wish were being taught.
Christy, please stay in the corner poking holes, making awkward statements, and saying what needs to be said. We all need your critical thinking skills. Hugs!
I've been walking with Jesus since July 1980, and you are right - it is a journey. Again, this evening, I have realised that I still have so much left to learn!
I am always interested to see/read about how others walk in the Spirit. Four things: One, everyone's way is different; Two: It is usually a combination of things; Three: For me, I have learned simply do do what I would do anyway and trust that the Spirit is going to work through me in that action; Four: If you walk in the Spirit, you will not gratify the desires of the flesh, says St. Paul in Galatians 5:16. While this Scripture is usually twisted by sin-policing preachers, what it actually means is that you can just walk in the Spirit and not worry about the 'flesh', because by walking in the Spirit you will not gratify its desires. Hence, there is no need to be constantly looking over your shoulder to see if a) you are sinning and b) if anyone saw you ;) but instead you have total freedom to act as you will and not worry about whether there is any 'sin' there or not. You will be too full of walking in the Spirit to care anyway, and I also think that, unless you are free from the obsession of whether or not you are sinning, that you will not be free to walk in the Spirit anyway because worrying about 'sin' takes up too much thought. Hope that makes sense!
I have the same concerns about Gen Z. The manipulation I see is not only in regard to the things you list, but also a fierce doubling down on the roles of men vs women. I have encountered Gen Z men claiming Christianity touting views about women that exactly mimic the teachings I encountered in ATI. It is deeply disturbing to contemplate that the children of the Gen Z generation may grow up with the same destructive teachings that harmed so many Millennials. There is truly nothing new under the sun.
I am also concerned about the pull towards rigid religious teachings. 😭 I think it’s kind of an automatic reaction to the “no boundaries, anything goes” culture. But still, we know the fruit and it isn’t good. 💔
'No Boundaries, anything goes' is the antithesis of Religion's 'one size fits all'. Humans so like to take control - but the Spirit blows where They will. Aslan is not a tame lion and all that; they can't control God any more than they can bottle the wind. It's quite obvious that 'one size fits all' is just plain wrong. And boundaries *can* be important, but it has to be God - and by that I dont mean the bible - Who sets the boundaries. What irks me is that church leadership do not trust God to speak clearly to His people with no intermediary, nor do they trust the believer to hear His Voice for themselves. And that, at its heart, is so anti-Christian as to be obvious. The whole point of Christianity is that 'now the dwelling of God is with humanity'; we are indwelt by the Spirit and each of us is just as capable of hearing that Spirit as the next believer. And leadership don't like that, because it cedes control back to Him to Whom it should belong.
I think the real question is what are these students doing after the events? Are they sticking together, forming communities, learning, growing? If nothing happens in the aftermath then it's just an event designed to look good.
Yes, this!
I feel a very kindred spirit with you! Here in my community in North TX there is so much of that formulaic way of trying to get “the good life”, if you will. We who know there is no Christian formula are fighting a tough fight to convert that to the young. Thank you for being a voice…I think this has to be spread relationally through as many conversations as possible.
My daughter has had two young men come into her life lately and both have been taught the formulaic message of family hierarchy as God’s good design. She’s done such a good job bringing this up in conversation and she is seeing how these young men think this design will lead to strong families instead of “self-serving relationships according to our culture”, as one young man wrote her. The work to try to turn their thinking around is arduous! But we must keep on!
Our young women are discouraged: “Will I ever find someone who understands?”
We who have been there have a big job to do in encouraging them all to stay in the conversations that the Holy Spirit can use to turn the ship.
And I find it super frustrating to watch church leadership through GAP programs, training programs or women’s and men’s ministries continuously churn out the formulaic way of family life…the youth eat it up because they want certainty. But there is no certainty. What there is is following Jesus as the complete human to become a person of love, humility and kindness. That’s what I wish were being taught.
So much truth shared here! We who know must share truth!!
Christy, please stay in the corner poking holes, making awkward statements, and saying what needs to be said. We all need your critical thinking skills. Hugs!
😁😁😁
I've been walking with Jesus since July 1980, and you are right - it is a journey. Again, this evening, I have realised that I still have so much left to learn!
I am always interested to see/read about how others walk in the Spirit. Four things: One, everyone's way is different; Two: It is usually a combination of things; Three: For me, I have learned simply do do what I would do anyway and trust that the Spirit is going to work through me in that action; Four: If you walk in the Spirit, you will not gratify the desires of the flesh, says St. Paul in Galatians 5:16. While this Scripture is usually twisted by sin-policing preachers, what it actually means is that you can just walk in the Spirit and not worry about the 'flesh', because by walking in the Spirit you will not gratify its desires. Hence, there is no need to be constantly looking over your shoulder to see if a) you are sinning and b) if anyone saw you ;) but instead you have total freedom to act as you will and not worry about whether there is any 'sin' there or not. You will be too full of walking in the Spirit to care anyway, and I also think that, unless you are free from the obsession of whether or not you are sinning, that you will not be free to walk in the Spirit anyway because worrying about 'sin' takes up too much thought. Hope that makes sense!
It makes beautiful sense!
I have the same concerns about Gen Z. The manipulation I see is not only in regard to the things you list, but also a fierce doubling down on the roles of men vs women. I have encountered Gen Z men claiming Christianity touting views about women that exactly mimic the teachings I encountered in ATI. It is deeply disturbing to contemplate that the children of the Gen Z generation may grow up with the same destructive teachings that harmed so many Millennials. There is truly nothing new under the sun.
I am also concerned about the pull towards rigid religious teachings. 😭 I think it’s kind of an automatic reaction to the “no boundaries, anything goes” culture. But still, we know the fruit and it isn’t good. 💔
'No Boundaries, anything goes' is the antithesis of Religion's 'one size fits all'. Humans so like to take control - but the Spirit blows where They will. Aslan is not a tame lion and all that; they can't control God any more than they can bottle the wind. It's quite obvious that 'one size fits all' is just plain wrong. And boundaries *can* be important, but it has to be God - and by that I dont mean the bible - Who sets the boundaries. What irks me is that church leadership do not trust God to speak clearly to His people with no intermediary, nor do they trust the believer to hear His Voice for themselves. And that, at its heart, is so anti-Christian as to be obvious. The whole point of Christianity is that 'now the dwelling of God is with humanity'; we are indwelt by the Spirit and each of us is just as capable of hearing that Spirit as the next believer. And leadership don't like that, because it cedes control back to Him to Whom it should belong.