Closing the Gaps

· The concept behind this and much of the problems are caused because teenagers communicate like Chewbacca from Star Wars

o It’s incredibly difficult to talk to teenagers especially when their hungry, tired, or awake. Have you ever noticed that Chewbacca never has subtitles when he talks, everybody just understands him but you the watcher. We laugh at this but we know that when you were a teenager you had the same problem in trying to communicate to your parents and grandparents. In Sudan Texas the church of Christ is an older church it has been there sense the founding of the city and the congregation has a hard time communicating to the younger about their traditions. For example we had a gospel meeting once that the elders wanted to invite the youth of the community to. So we sing songs about ebon and pinions and white palaces, we are using words like thou, thus and thy and I notice that slowly, one by one the kids start losing focus.

o I have grown up in and out of the church of Christ and I remember my grandpa taking me aside and teaching me the ins and outs of old school worship. What I received from that was the why in my grandfather’s worship. So much of our job in maintaining this family is translating our faith from generation to generation. How do we bring the wealth of spirit, maturity and love from the older body parts and deliver them to the newer arms, legs and shoulders in such a package that allows them to understand more easily.

o Here are some questions we must ask.

§ Do we conform to the younger generation and sacrifice our traditions?

§ Do we submit to the younger generation’s spiritual needs and expectations?

§ Do we think what worked for the last generation will work for this new one?

§ What do we keep and what do we lose? What needs change and what do we need to desperately hold on to.

· The problem!

o In the past Grandparents, Parents, and children grew up in an environment where they could share, teach, and instruct on values and information on family, community, and society. Now we have the peer to peer community that is quickly becoming exclusive. Texting, Face book, Twitter, and MySpace are not the problem here and I don’t believe that we will be able to identify any single cause or affect that is to blame.

o Dr. Diane Shallue says - This lack of intergenerational contact leads each generation to see itself as a separate subculture rather than an integral part of an entire community, a perspective that often leads to conflict and competition rather than cooperation.

o Do we segregate our teens into their front right section of the church building and believe that we have down our job for the week?

· The solution

o There is no miracle elixir that I can make you digest to just magically solve this problem. All the papers I read go as far to say there is no one program/ministry/event that can fix this.

o Religious institutions/churches are some of the only places in this country where older people, younger people, and in-between people can come and mingle on a deeper level. Jesus called this thing the church and he built this after the format of the family. Here we have an excuse to get together and share with one another our spiritual defeats, and victories. Where else in your daily habit are you surrounded with such a wealth of cross generational wisdom and understanding?

· How did God do it?

o How did God do this? How was he able to pass instruction to each generation?

§ He did this through memorial’s in which parents and teacher have an object lesson to teach truth and tradition.

o Before we read Joshua we have to qualify the relationship God has with the Israelites. For the last 40 years God has wanted to destroy Israel time and time again. It’s hard to see the merciful God through all of the threat God makes. It is amazing to see a people so blessed with all of the visuals that they have been given and still doubt. The only thing that is worse than doubting God’s existence is losing belief in his power.

§ Have you ever doubted your mother’s authority? How about your grandma’s?

o As said before they have been travelling for 40 years waiting for all the people who left Egypt 20 years and up to die for their lack of faith. So we have this new generation coming up with only 2 original people who remember the slavery of Egypt. A lot of conflict is heading their way as they prepare to enter the land promised to Abraham and they will have to be reminded constantly of what God has done for their ancestors.

o It is important that we pass on traditions and pass on what we have learned to the next generation, right? If we refuse to learn from our past then we are destined to repeat it, but how can we learn when no one is willing to explain it. If we refuse to teach it and in turn learn it how can any of us hope to escape the cycle of conflict?

· Joshua 3:7-11 the Jordan crossing and memorial

o You wonder at this point if they ever surprised by God and what he has them doing. Remember that God is doing all of this to show them that the “living God is among them”. God could have had them use conventional methods to get them across the Jordan but he doesn’t.

o The first point we must get from this is the impression a living God leaves on his people. Are we a community of people, families and individuals that exemplify a church that serves respects and glorifies a living God? Are willing to do the impossible based on a firm belief that God is active and not just reactive. What I mean is, do we believe in a God that’s acts only when he is attacked or do we show this community a God that is proactive in His love for them. Do we communicate that belief accurately to each other throughout the week?

o The second point is imagining what this looks like to the city of Jericho just across the river. Hundreds of thousands maybe millions of people just crossed (supernaturally) a river and is now posted right outside their door. These traditions, this community is not just for us it is for the people out there also.

§ I say this so we understand the importance of the communication and memorials that we must have in here with each other.

§ God tells us that judgment will begin within the house of God, and if we are barely saved then what’s going to happen to the lost

· Joshua 4:1-7 How can we do it?(Notice 2 things)

o The purpose was so that parents have a reason to explain to their children what God has done for them.

§ So when you are traveling along and you come across this part of Israel you can stop and teach your children what God has done for you.

§ I want to challenge those who have kids to take some time and explain some of the things we do, communion, baptism, why we meet on Sunday’s. Use yourself as the story, and becoming a teacher will require you to learn.

§ Duet. 6:4-9 teach these diligently to your children. I get PASSION from this.

o The memorial is useless (not powerless) if nobody teaches others what it means

§ It becomes just one more thing in the way of your path. No one learns and no one grows. So many of Israel’s problem stem from this one fault, the priest’s stopped teaching and people stopped caring.

§ It was in times of trouble that Israel was reminded of God’s authority and of all his reminders of his power.

o In fact most of Israel acts as a constant reminder of the great responsibility the Israelites have to communicate their past to the next generation. They had Jacob’s well, Mt. Ebal and Mt. Gerizim, Hebron where Abraham, Sarah, Isaac, Rebecca, Jacob and Leah were buried, all of these things were to remind them all of the teaching points they have at their disposal.

· The greatest and hardest thing we can do on this path of recovery is take off our blinders and open up to people. This is a continual process that requires a lot of maintenance.

o This may require a facebook fast or imposing a facebook fast.

o This make take the form of cancelling texting

o This may mean asking Morris out to lunch, or taking Connor out for coffee.

o We have to break down and really get to know each other.

§ Asking questions about our walk in Christ, purity and parenting hardships.

o We must use the opportunities around us to discuss Church and not push it.