Jump Start # 2677

Ecclesiastes 1:4 “A generation goes and a generation comes, but the earth remains forever.”

My wife and I took a recent road trip to visit a dear friend several states away who is battling cancer. Our youngest son came along because she always meant a lot to him. We were in the car more than we were visiting our friend. My son did the bulk of the driving, which included listening to his music. He was brought up on good music, such as Andy Williams and the Oldies and he had several selections from them, but then he had some of his favorites. His list included groups and songs that I have never heard of. Once in a while, when he was getting weary of driving, he’d put on what he called “head banging music.” It’s loud drums and someone screaming as if their fingers are being cut off by a chain saw. It keeps you awake, that’s for sure.

In all of this, our verse came to my mind. A generation goes and a generation comes. The passing of the torch. What one generation likes, often the next generation doesn’t. And, this led me to thinking about a new phenomenon in many congregations today. Many, many now have two preachers, one older and one younger. I’m in such a situation and I’m the old guy. And, I thought I’d share some thoughts about “a generation goes and a generation comes,” as it fits two preachers in the same congregation.

First, the younger guys often do things differently than we older guys do. I’m a book person. My shelves are stuffed with books. So many books that I have two rooms that are lined with bookshelves. Younger preachers have that many books, but they are all electronic. Their entire library is on their laptop. Everywhere they go, they take their library with them. Many of the younger preachers like to sit in coffee shops and write articles and develop sermons there. Not me. I’d get nothing done. I’d be watching the people and be too distracted to think. Are coffee shop sermons wrong? Absolutely not. It’s a generational thing. I like to have everything done by Friday. Lock, loaded and ready to go for Sunday. That’s me. Many are still writing their sermons on Saturday night. I’d be in a frantic mood if I did that. It works for some and that’s fine. A generation comes and a generation goes.

The trouble is when one generation tries to change the other or believes their way is not only the best way, but the only way. That will cause trouble. What works for one doesn’t work for the other. We older preachers, while giving advice, must not appear that we have the corner on how to write a sermon. We don’t.

Second, the younger preachers are often better than the older preachers. OUCH. That’s true. That’s true where I’m at. And, as an older generation goes, and a newer generation comes on, the audience will tend to relate to the younger preacher more. His illustrations about shows and social media are to the times. We older preachers must lay aside those stories about Mayberry, John Wayne, and Gunsmoke. Most in the audience do not know what we are talking about. As the congregation transitions from one generation to the next, the people will naturally turn to the preacher of their generation. Weddings will be done by the younger preacher. More will bring their questions to the younger preacher. And, in a healthy environment, that’s what we should want. The older preacher is not being booted out, but it is natural to talk to someone who has children around the ages of your children rather than a grandfather.

This has the potential for trouble as well. The older preacher can become jealous. His relationship with the younger preacher can become strained and difficult. Rather than working together and helping each other, they seem to be fighting for the same spot on the starting lineup.

Here are some suggestions:

• This is not a competition about who is the “best.” Some shallow brethren make matters worse. I’ve heard some say, “Well, I like the other preacher better.” We are all in this together and it’s not about which preacher is best, it’s about growing the kingdom and bringing glory to the Lord. We are to be humble servants and we need to get over the idea of “who is best,” or, “who is most liked.” I’m thankful anyone shows up when I preach.

• The shepherds can do a lot about putting a lid on this or making this situation worse. The jealousy issue usually won’t linger very long. If not carefully handled, one or both preachers leave. Jealousy will do that. That shouldn’t be. When members make comments about liking one more than the other, right then and right there, the shepherds need to let it be known that they are both needed, both loved and both doing powerful work there.

• The spirit of the younger preacher can help or hurt this as well. Some are aggressive. Some lean a little too much to the arrogant side of things. If they view that the older preacher is holding them back and that they want him out of the way, things will blow up. If they undermine the older preacher and try to rally all the young families around him, things will back fire. Just don’t do that. Be mindful of the years and years of service and the battles the older preacher has fought and how he got the congregation to where it is now. The best cheerleader can be and ought to be the older preacher to the younger preacher and vise versa. There ought to be a respect and genuine love between both of them.

Third, our world moves fast today in technology. Many young preachers thrive in that. Many of us old preachers don’t understand that. Don’t stop progress. Don’t be a stick in the mud because it is different. Learn from each other and help each other.

It is a blessing when two preachers of different generations work well together. Their styles, though different, compliment each other. They realize each other’s strengths and there is a strong bond of trust and goodness between them. I know this, because this is what I have with our preacher Jason. Younger, stronger, more talented, and an amazing thoroughbred that I just need to let him run as fast and as far as he can. I have been the younger preacher. Now, I’m not. A generation goes and a generation comes. A healthy congregation will see that nothing misses and nothing slips when that one generation is gone.

I found myself actually liking someone of my son’s music, that is except for the ‘head banging’ ones!

Roger

Jump Start # 1531

Ecclesiastes 1:4 “A generation goes and a generation comes, but  the earth remains forever.”

  Solomon, who wrote Ecclesiastes, in his opening thoughts looks at the endless cycles of unchanging events. Generations come and go. The sun rises and sets. The wind blows this way and then that way. Rivers continually flow into the sea, yet the sea is not full. Over and over and over again. Life seems the same. These thoughts sets the course for Solomon’s pursuit of what life is all about. These thoughts can seem depressing. It can lead one to thinking, “What’s the use.”

I want to explore the “generation goes and a generation comes” concept. We see this at holidays and family gatherings. The little kids run through the house, the parents talk about the trials of parenting and the grandparents take a nap on the couch. Generations. We move from that child to the adult to the parent to the grandparent. That’s the natural flow of life.

Each generation faces it’s own unique challenges. Some things are unique to a generation. When my father, who is in his nineties now, was a child, parents worried about polio. They don’t today. Getting to the hospital was a real concern in rural 1920’s. It’s not today. Things happened on the other side of the planet and the news didn’t reach those small communities until months later. Today, it’s within minutes and we know what is going on anywhere in the world. Few had phones. Most homes in rural communities did not have electricity nor indoor plumbing. In some ways, the generations seem so different. However, under the surface, families were concerned about their children, jobs, and spiritually, our relationship with God. This is where each generation is the same.

Sermons preached by the apostles could and are still preached today. Times change, but man hasn’t. Now all of this reminds us of some simple thoughts.

First, each generation will have their own questions. Some of these questions may be unique to the times and that generation, but there are fundamental concerns, questions that need to be answered. Questions such as, “Did God really write the Bible?” or, “Did God create the world?” sounds so basic to many of us, but these are on the front of the minds of a younger generation. Simple questions about salvation, God’s church, our responsibility to the Lord, fellowship, judgment and what happens when a person dies, must be taught and looked at.

Here is where the generations can clash. One generation feels that they know the answers. They have already asked them and looked at them, and found the Biblical answers. Everyone ought to know the answers to these thoughts, is how they see it. But for another generation, they don’t know the answers. They haven’t been taught.

It is important for preachers and teachers to continually return to the fundamentals. A new generation needs to learn. They need to know. The older generation may grow impatient with these type of lessons. They have been through them many times. Yet, it’s the next generation that must be taught. The challenge that every congregation faces is feeding and teaching multiple generations. One generation must be patient while things they know are being taught. However, if fundamentals are the only things that are preached and taught, then the older, more learned generation, doesn’t move on in knowledge and faith. That’s the challenge.

High school and college students are asking questions that deserve honest answers. They also need to learn how to study and find answers. They need to learn how to grow and be strong. Many congregations are now putting a lot of thought into what is being taught and are trying to make things tailor made for each generation. Just studying Mark because the quarter before we studied Matthew isn’t necessarily the best plan to have. Always teaching verse by verse, chapter by chapter, may not be the best way to look at things.   Stepping back and seeing how everything fits together, understanding the overall theme is challenging but valuable to know.

Secondly, as a generation goes, they ought to leave things better for the next generation. This too, has been a problem. In some places, the generation that is going has not made things better. The next generation comes into a situation that is depressing and discouraging. For those who are not strong in their faith, that’s all it takes for them to leave. They see the spiritual problems of the former generation, and they want no part of that. So off they go, chasing ideas and feelings and their journey can take them far from the Lord.

We must strive to leave the place better than we found it. We must strive to make the church stronger than we found it. This takes steady teaching and teaching. This means folks need to step up and take on responsibilities, if not just for the present, but to lay the path for the future. So many congregations today are lacking spiritual leadership. So many congregations are struggling. So many congregations seem to be stuck on auto pilot. Do they see and sense what they are handing the next generation. Is this the way things ought to be?

It’s time for my generation to step it up. We need to be doing our best. We need to pull together and strengthen the congregation. We are handing to the next generation a platform to stand upon.

Last evening we had a sweet soul commit her life to the Lord. She’s young. I wondered as I watched her, what this church will be like when she reaches my age. Will it be this large? Will it even be here? Will it be powerful and making a difference in the community? Will it still be following the Lord? The answers to many of those questions are found in what my generation is doing now. The choices we make. The battles we fight. Where we put our priorities. How serious we are. How strong we are. All of those things will impact where we are down the road.

It’s the choices of today that determine tomorrow. The guy that wants to get in shape, but sits on the couch eating a box of donuts isn’t going to get there. The person that wants to retire comfortably, but is spending all of his paycheck each week, isn’t going to get there. A congregation that wants to be strong and faithful tomorrow, but is spending most of it’s time fussing and fighting isn’t going to get there.

A generation goes and a generation comes…The going generation is handing things over to the coming generation. How are we doing with that? Are we leaving things better than we found them?

It may be time to make some adjustments and get back to what really matters.

Roger

Jump Start # 990

Ecclesiastes 1:4 “A generation goes and a generation comes, but the earth remains forever”

I became a grandfather again this week. This is my second grandchild. My oldest son and his wife had a beautiful baby boy, named Harrison. This passage came to my mind as I held him and looked into his sweet little face. I’m the sentimental type, without any shame. Little Harrison carries on our family name. That was extremely important to the women in the Old Testament. Not having a son was a mark of failure and it also made the future difficult for the family. Sons were help in a rural setting. Sons would take care of the mother after the father departed. Even Jesus upon the cross, being the oldest son, senses that as He tells John to look after Mary as his own mother. Being without a child in the Biblical world was viewed as being cursed. Times have changed. Society has changed.

As I held little Harrison, I thought a long time ago, someone held me when I was first born. I was born in the late 1950’s—black and white TV, no internet, cell phones, disposable diapers, microwaves, dishwashers. Most kids shared bedrooms back then. Most houses had only one or at the most two bathrooms. Many families only had one car. Nostalgia makes us think how simple and nice those days were, but were they? Cancer was death back then. Few if any survived. Heart valve replacement, transplants and many of our medicines didn’t exist. We also had prejudice that was deep rooted. There were problems.

One thing that remains the same for the both of us is that our God is upon the throne. He loves us and wants us to trust Him, worship Him and follow Him. The Bible I read is the same that Harrison will read someday.

Solomon says a generation goes and a generation comes. A generation paves the way and another generation walks along that path. A generation leaves a mark and a generation is influenced by those marks.

As I held that little boy, I wondered if he would lead God’s people in singing as his daddy does so well. I wondered if he would some day preach as both of his grandfathers now do. His life is surrounded and filled with faithful and godly Christians. He will have such an advantage. He will have so many wonderful examples. He will have so many people to go to for wise counsel. For that I am thankful. He will have to make his own way and his own choices, but he will have such a great start knowing the Lord. His little sister, already knows Bible songs and what prayer means. You wish every child in the world could have such a beginning. The advantages that make a difference are not the financial ones, but the spiritual ones. Beginning life with those who love and trust the Lord settles so many questions and sets forth a way that is so clear and bright that it is easy to follow.

I’m so pleased with my son and his wife for the great example and spiritual teachings that they are doing with their young family. It’s not the church, it’s the home where these things begin, are emphasized and are taught. Choosing the right shows to watch, the best books to read, taking the time to set forth the fundamentals such as singing praises to God and praying are things that every home can do. It takes effort and time. It takes thinking and planning. The easy thing to do is plop a child in front of the TV and let the TV influence and raise the child. We see the results of that every where— superficial, shallow, selfish and godless thinking, choices and lifestyles. Why are people like this? Schools? No. Government? No. Home. What is happening at home? A little child who can just start to talk can understand prayers, sing praises and know about God. Start early. Teach every day. Pray often. Sing children’s Bible songs. Don’t complain all the time. Be bright and sunny.

Too often I hear folks saying, “The future of the church is in the young people.” I think I know what they mean, but actually, they miss it when they say that. The future of the church lies with those of us who are in the position of teaching, leading and influencing our homes. The choices we make determine the future of the church. What are we going to be handing to our children? Are we so busy that we can barely squeeze God in for a few minutes on a Sunday morning? Is that what we are handing to our children? Are we so full of our lives that we are not connected to anyone else and barely know anyone else at church? Is that what we are handing to our children? Or, are we engaged, connected, trying and putting the kingdom first, before ourselves. Our children will see that. And that is what they will be handed. Let’s not make a mess of the church and then expect the next generation to straighten it out. Let’s get things the best that we can so we can hand to our grown children a congregation that is hitting on all cylinders and making an impact for the Lord. That means us. That means now. That means getting busy, connected and active. If we fail, our children will likely do the same. You want your children to go to Heaven, get your home and your congregation going that direction. You want your children to be kind and make a difference. You show them how. You want your children to be teachers in Bible classes, you get there and show them. Let’s not sit back and do nothing and think our children will turn the boat around. That rarely happens. If anything, they’ll jump ship because of the mess we made of things.

Holding a sweet little grandbaby is good for the soul. It makes a person look backward and forward. It makes a person look deep within and it makes a person look up and be thankful.

God is good. Welcome, sweet little Harrison.

Roger

Jump Start # 695

Ecclesiastes 1:4 A generation goes and a generation comes, But the earth remains forever.

Generations. We have been looking at grandparents these past few Jump Starts. To have someone called “grandpa” necessitates three generations. A walk through O.T. history shows that these generations can be very different from each other.

Ahaz– Hezekiah– Manasseh-Amon-Josiah…five generations. All related to each other. All reigned as kings. Ahaz reigned 16 years. Hezekiah reigned 29 years. Manasseh reigned 55 years. Amon reigned 2 years. Josiah reigned 31 years, a total of 133 years covering 7 chapters of 2 Kings. In this list of kings, only Hezekiah and Josiah were considered “good.” The rest were corrupt, wicked and ungodly. Ahaz trashed God’s house and gave the gold to foreigners. Manasseh built idols. Good kings and bad kings. All related.

There are some lessons to be considered here:

• First, some will put family before God. They will defend family, even if family is wrong. The policies of Hezekiah and Josiah were radically different than the rest of their forefathers. They tore down what dad and grandpa built. They disagreed and would not walk where their parents walked. It takes courage to do that. It takes faith in God to do that. Few will. Many would just as soon go along with family than anything else. It causes a scene in the family when one travels a different direction, even when that direction is with God.

• Each person is responsible for the choices that they make. Manasseh was wicked, not because he was raised that way, but because he chose that. He chose to build idols. He chose to ignore the good his dad had done. Our parents are no excuse for the way we are. Don’t hang your hat on that nail. These kings show you otherwise. You dad may not have been righteous or even church going. What about you? It’s your choice. You can follow his steps or you can be different. If you follow, it’s your choice, not his.

• Some of the things we do will out live us. The book of Hebrews tells us that Abel speaks though he is dead. His influence still speaks. His stand with God still speaks. It would be good for grandparents to write a letter to each grandchild. These letters can be words of encouragement, teaching and hope. Good can outlive us if we use it properly.
• Each generation faces the same concerns. Technology, innovations, science, medicine, travel, communication all change from one generation to the next but some things never change. The need for Jesus never changes. The struggle with worry, fear and doubt never changes. Temptation continues to knock on our doors, as it did our grandparents door. The Bible reads the same for us, whether we read it on our smart phone, ipad or computer as it did in the book form our grandparents held. We talk to the same God that our grandparents talked to. Some things never change. God never changes.

• Every family has princes and duds. We are proud of those that shine. We are embarrassed by those who fail. We sometimes think only our family tree has nuts, but most do. The genealogy of Jesus had David who committed adultery. It contained Rahab, who was a prostitute. Horse thieves, bank robbers and drunks can be found some where in most families. Family reunions, weddings and funerals can be stressful and tense when the whole family gathers. The nutty cousins always show up, eat all the food, make a mess, say something obnoxious and leave. Most families have to deal with these things. There are Hezekiahs and Manassehs in every family.
• We are in the generation that came. Someday we will be in the generation that goes. My grandfather was born in the late 1800’s. I always thought that was so cool. As a boy he would have met men who fought in the Civil War. Today, we don’t know anyone like that. They are all gone. That generation has gone. The last veteran from World War I has passed away. Now there is a young generation that may know someone who fought in World War II. The time is coming when they will all be gone. A generation comes and a generation goes. Genesis 5 gives us the genealogy of man, starting with Adam. Names and  names and ages are listed there. A common word that is used over 8 times in that chapter is, “and he died.” And he died. A generation goes. Our time is coming. Knowing this ought to make us get about the important things in life and ready ourselves for the other side. Beyond that, it ought to remind us that there are family members who are coming after us. Leave big footprints that they can see and follow. Show them what is important.

A generation comes and a generation goes…God remains!

We are one day closer to Heaven.

Roger