The Z'ders

 

I recently read about the Z generation – those born after 1997 – that they are generally kind and accepting, eager and passionate to support new initiatives, yet also prone to flit between one cause and another and are not necessarily ‘joiners’ for the long term!

Each generation has its own strengths and weaknesses.  I just about belong to the Baby Boomers, my sons, on the other hand, are Millennials, sometimes referred to as the Y generation.

Of course, all these constructs are both helpful and artificial at the same time with exceptions found in each generation.

In our churches we often wish, and pray for, newer members to join us from the younger generations.  Yet, I wonder if we are aware of just how differently such folk may think to us and how they might expect things to be different. 

A few years ago, I led worship in a church I knew well, and one that had changed its generational focus in recent years.  It wasn’t long after the service ended that I chanced to hear some older folk at the back grumbling about the younger ones that day who had brought their coffee into the service, with the lads on the front row keeping their baseball caps on throughout the worship.

Intergenerational worship has its joys and challenges.

Jesus never grew into ‘old bones’ and, for that matter, never spoke over much about how either the structure or character of The Church might develop.  However, we do see from the Jewish tradition a very real emphasis on multi-aged liturgy, especially with the youngest at Passover starting the evening with the ceremonial asking of questions that unlocks the retelling of the Exodus story.

At AFC we are currently pondering how to make families and young people feel more welcome in our life together, with one possibility being a regular All Age Service – so watch this space!

As restrictions eased recently it was a joy at The Manse for us to welcome Rachel’s parents and uncle to lunch one Saturday.  Perhaps the most poignant part of the afternoon quietly happened in one corner of the room as I watched one of our sons go through a photo album of 2020 with his Gran.  There was a charming and warming dynamic between them, one of real interest and mutual sharing. 

Family get togethers, as they draw together all ages, are inevitably ‘compromise’ occasions.  For the older ones, it is probably too noisy, and for the younger ones it is too ‘slow’.  Yet, love binds these different generations together, often around a meal table sharing a meal.  Precious times.

I think that’s not a bad picture of church.  We are not all the same, yet love can keep us together.  Singing a song accompanied by drums may not be ‘our thing’, yet love helps us see it is someone else’s ‘thing’.  We use an old prayer full of ‘thee and thou’, it’s not the way we speak, yet love prompts us to value that prayer is precious to older folk who grew up in church with the AV version of scripture.

Perhaps it’s not popular these days to talk about church as a ‘family’, preferring instead to describe it, more inclusively, as a community.  Yet, I think it is not a bad description because in any family ‘give and take, ‘compromise’ and mutual acceptance of difference is somehow made possible because of love.  And perhaps in the end, that is the only thing that will make intergenerational church possible too.