Connecting the Generations

“Moses came down the mountain with two tablets bearing the commandments of God for His people.” A simple-enough statement. The Baby Boomers in your congregation are right there with you. They can see Moses coming down the mountain with those clay tablets in his arms. The Millennials are wondering whether the tablets were iPad Pro 9.7, Samsung Galaxy, or Amazon Fire HD, and whether he had Wi-Fi at that elevation. The “I” Generation in your congregation are shocked that there were tablets in their grandparents’ day. One statement. Three images—at least. As preachers, we wonder sometimes why we’re connecting with only one group in our congregation or no group at all. It may be that, while we’re aware we have different age groups in our church, we have not considered what it means for how we “do church”. Each generation brings a different understanding to the scriptures we read, the words we speak, and the examples we use. So if we want to connect with our congregations, we f...

Eleven years ago today, the “mother of the freedom movement” in the United States, Rosa Parks, died. She is remembered for having refused to give up her seat at the back of the city bus for a white passenger. People thought that Mrs. Parks, who was on her way home from work that day of December 1, 1955, refused to obey the white bus driver because she was tired and needed to sit. But Mrs. Parks explained later that she was not tired physically, “‘No, the only tired I was, was giving in.’” Sometimes that’s the point we have to reach in order to make a necessary change in our life. Are you tired yet of giving in to the people, habits, or thoughts that are destroying your life? Have you allowed yourself to be mastered by something—or someone—that is causing you to live beneath your privilege as a child of the only living God? Today is the day for you to stand up by claiming your seat in Christ Jesus. “[B]ecause of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, made ...

Hurricane Matthew left a trail of devastation from the Caribbean islands to the east coast of the United States to the east coast of Canada in the past two weeks. It destroyed lives and property. For many of its helpless victims, life will never be the same. What do we do in times like these? What do we say to people who have lost everything? The Word of God tells us to give thanks. Not the kind of thanks that ignores the pain and suffering of the situation or pretends everything is okay. Oh, no! God teaches us to face the facts and give thanks to Him out of a grateful heart . The grateful heart has confidence in God’s unfailing love and in the knowledge that He is working out everything in your life for His glory and your good. The grateful heart knows that God will never leave you nor forsake you. The grateful heart knows that God can and will do exceedingly above all that you can ask off him or imagine. The grateful heart knows that you can trust God with your life. The g...