I wouldn't trade the job I have now for the juiciest pastorate in the world.
At the moment, I am a manager of the Front End of a super market. There are about 60 people in the department at my store, more people than the average attendance of many churches.
Of the 60, about one third are millennials and about a third are geezers. And, there is a very real sense, for me, that I'm "on staff" among my coworkers.
As I've said in other posts, I'm blatantly Christian on the job.
It's not hard, really, because the members of the family that owns the store are, mostly, profoundly Christian and, as I've said in the past, the store owners are more committed to operating the store based on the teachings of Jesus than the people of the my faith tradition are in operating the church based on red letter truths.
[Sorry for that digression, but the owners are very serious about their way of life. And, they empower people like me to be who we are in Christ on the job among customers as well as, among other employees.]
I am very intentional about being an ambassador for the kingdom, as opposed to being a proponent of the organized church, on the job.
I take, very literally, what Jesus said about greatness in the Kingdom, demanding that a disciple be a servant. And, managing in a Customer Service setting, gives me an unusual opportunity to do that.
---------------
For the next week or so I'll still be 62 years old. I'm actually the oldest person on the Front End managerial staff.
So, I've been surprised that, among the millennials I manage, I've settled into a role of being something like the cool teacher that all the high school kids really like.
A few of the kids have twisted the musical theme, "Bill Nye, the Science Guy," into "Bill Sloat, the Manager," and, most of the time, I'm still amused.
Several times, after a few weeks on the job, a kid has asked me, "Has anyone ever told you that you are their favorite manager?" Other times, parents, and I do my best to get to know them, whisper, "You're his/her favorite manager."
I've been invited to some 18th birthday parties and high school graduation parties. (I've not attended one yet.)
This fascinates me because, if you are familiar with this blog, you know that being liked by people isn't high on my list of priorities. I don't enjoy being offensive and it's never my desire to put people off but being liked for the sake of being liked is never my goal.
Being radically faithful to Jesus is my intentional goal--all the time and in every place.
On the job, I don't think I'm known for achieving that goal. But, I think I'm known, by many, for seeking that goal. And, generally, people are inspired when they watch someone try to live a "red letters" lifestyle.
---------------
One of the failings of my walk, and I mean this sincerely, is that I'm too red letter focused and, far too little church oriented.
My coworkers know that we are, well, House Church people and that fascinates many of them and some of them have hinted that they'd like to attend our, well, church.
And, I've always steered them away from being a part of our gathering.
At the moment, no one from work gathers with us. And, I'm okay with that, even if I shouldn't be.
---------------
One of the blessings I think I could have brought to the institutionized church is my yearning to get people to hone in on Jesus so that they don't lose Jesus when they build community in the church.
In my opinion, the Western Church is too much about church and not a Jesus-inspired, red letter lifestyle. For a long time, I've thought church people could have benefited from accepting a word from me about making Jesus, not church, their Lord.
But, the church people I know best ultimately were not interested in the blending of callings I've envisioned.
---------------
Anyway, I love millennials.
For the most part, the millennials I've met are very open to Jesus and they are fascinated by me and my goal of being radically Jesus focused.
They seem to be able to love the Jesus lifestyle.
What I think most millennials are not interested in is the so-called church that their parents and grandparents have conjured up from their own yearnings and traditions.
Many millennials, in my opinion, end up living without Jesus because their parents and grandparents can't, or won't, teach them how to distinguish between involvement in the institutionized church and following Jesus.
The institutionized church of Boomers and Builders feels icky to most millennials and, sadly, most churches' message to millennials is, "our way or the highway."
---------------
From all of this, I can say that I think today's version of the institutionized church is doomed...
...but, I'm not, yet, inclined to despair for the Kingdom.
The Spirit is alive in the world, even if His place in the institutionized Western Church is uncertain.
---------------
Lance Finley, the CEO of the denomination that is my faith tradition, sent out a note this past week recounting an opportunity he had to preach to a gathering of millennials. He was encouraged by the experience.
As someone who loves Jesus and lives daily among millennials, I do not despair for millennials and the Kingdom...
...but, unless it repents, I do despair for the church Lance leads.
No comments:
Post a Comment