IN MY office hangs a poster of
the painting Dalit Madonna by Jyoti Sahi, an artist and practical
theologian from South India.
The Eastern orthodox tradition calls Mary Theotokos, or "Godbearer",
because she quite literally bore God's presence into the world.
A friend of mine tells me that God specialises in calling upon
unlikely suspects for such missions.
Young people - inexperienced, sometimes impetuous, seemingly improbably
for such an important undertaking - but so often chosen by God
in both the Hebrew Scripture and the New Testament. This ordinary
teenage girl, from a backward out of the way little village serves
as a guide, a challenge, and a reminder for all Christians in
their ministry and in particular in ministry with youth.
Mary is a guide for ministry because she is a reminder that God
considered young people not as a peripheral people in the community
of faith but as full and important members.
In Deuteronomy six children were the group singled out for attention:
"These commandments I give you today are to be upon your
hearts. Impress them on your children."
The disciples were rebuked when they were preventing children
from coming to Jesus. Even on Jesus' final night a young lad had
snuck out of bed to follow Jesus (Mark 14:51).
Today with insights from the social sciences and medicine we understand
why teenagers need special attention from the church. Adolescence
is the time of life when people develop their identity - including
spiritual identity.
One education scholar observed that children ask the basic questions,
teenagers ask ultimate questions, and we adults are too busy to
ask anymore. This is the reason why the majority of people who
become Christians do so before the age of 25.
Neurological research reveals that in early adolescence the brain
has a growth spurt followed by a "pruning" that reinforces
the learning abilities and habits that will last a life time.
The habits of faith are best developed as a teenager. Brain growth
along with other factors may also explain why young people are
passionate.
Youth can become fixated on feelings that create conflicts at
home but also an enthusiasm for life and love. It's almost as
if their soul grows larger to allow more space for "becoming".
Young people are searching for an identity worth living for, that
they can feel passionate about, that will lead them through life,
and the good news for them is that Christ is that Passion. As
Godbearers that is what we offer.
Mary is a challenge
to attitudes towards young people in that God not only considered
her important though young in age but also allowed her to make
the greatest contribution to the world.
God did not consider her too young,
too inexperienced, or too "adolescent" to bear Christ
to the world.
In fact God seemed to be willing
to use teenagers throughout history. They were not the church
of the future or the next generation but the church of today with
gifts to contribute.
David was anointed as a future
king, Jeremiah was called to be a prophet, Mark observed Jesus
in the Garden of Gethsemane, Timothy took on leadership in the
church and a lad offered two fish and five loaves - all these
were young people who were willing to follow and used their gifts
for God.
What would have happened if they
had not been allowed to use their gifts and abilities?
These
teenagers challenge us to give up our idea that it's a one-way
traffic with youth - and embrace God's gift of young people to
the whole church.
I have interviewed 35 paid church-based youth workers to better
understand the youth ministry in Singapore. In this research I
have discovered what many of you already know - the youth ministry
is strong in Singapore!
There is a strong emphasis on discipleship and worship in almost
all of the church youth ministries that I have visited. Adult
leaders with their amazing dedication seek to be Godbearers in
the lives of the young people. In this self-giving they equip
the young people to be Godbearers.
The young people are given the opportunity to serve but in many
of the churches I have visited this service was limited to the
youth programme - the rest of the church missed the blessing.
In this time when the church is divided into the homogeneous language
and age groupings we need to discover ways in which all people
can become Godbearers across these boundaries.
Where the young can share testimonies, offer their scriptural
insights, lead worship and offer love to and with the adults.
Research in US churches discovered that it is this characteristic
of a church creating a culture where youth are affirmed as contributing
members of the body of Christ that was common to all churches
with growing healthy youth programmes.
A teenage girl acts as both a guide and challenge in my life,
so in her words I pray "Here am I, the servant of the Lord.
Let it be with me according to your word." - Mary a teenage
girl.
QUOTE:
ACROSS BOUNDARIES
'In this time when the church is divided into the homogeneous
language and age groupings we need to discover ways in which all
people can become Godbearers across these boundaries. Where the
young can share testimonies, offer their scriptural insights,
lead worship and offer love to and with the adults.'