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My Preference is a Gift to Others
By daniel | June 13, 2006
The thing about my preference, is that it should really only be something I get to lay down in order to benefit someone else. I see no other real use for preferences.
We've got this idea, especially within the new, younger generation, that our preferences define us. Therefore, we absolutely must hold onto those preferences, or risk losing who we are. Unfortunately, these are just preferences, and typically revolve around styles of clothing, music, cars, friends, etc.
Last night the men of our church met together to discuss and sort-of evaluate some different areas of ministry within our local church here. A couple issues came up that really showed a contrast just between the way the younger people think and the way that the not-so-young people think. One was music, believe it or not. On one hand, the younger people truly feel that they are only able to worship within some certain range of musical styles. And on the other hand, so do the older ones, just with different styles. If these are the only voices he hears, I feel sad for our music leader. Another issue that was raised was whether or not to have an altar call after the message during our main meeting. The younger folks felt that altar calls in general were just a means of drawing out ingeniune emotional responses from people, and the older felt that it was one of the few appropriate ways to respond to God's word. Everyone expressed themselves well, and it was clear that everyone who wanted to say something had a good point. So what do we do?
Some people may say these issues are externals, just outward forms. This is true. In 50 years, because the young people of today will have shaped the church of tomorrow, I doubt there will be many altar calls. This isn't important. What's important is two things: First, that we learn to submit to each other. This is critical. Young people submit to older people and learn to work with older forms, not just leaving a fellowship for lack of 'younger' forms. Older people likewise should submit to the younger ones, not driving them away by insisting on older forms that truly don't make sense, but instead adapting and adjusting and being flexible for the sake of the younger ones. This issue of the young ones leaving a fellowship has been a death sentence for many, many churches, and is evidence of inflexibility on the parts of both the young and the old. The second critical issue hangs on the first, but is this: finding the most effective ways of doing things (forms) to bring God's kingdom to the community we live in. What music would best honor God from the people of Antioch? What is the best way for people in Antioch to respond to God's call on their life? Even as I say this, I know the answer to either may vary next week from this week. Let's all learn to gladly submit our preferences to one another — that's what preferences are good for.
Topics: Church Life |
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