Barneyisfat

I wonder if my emotions about God are normal. After Pentecost, did Peter get tired of everything? Did John get cranky? Did Paul feel like his prayers bounced off the ceiling? Did Bart ever get angry at God?

I went to a youth group function tonight. We started at our church, but drove to the facility where we would worship. It would be a night of Christian unity. We entered the basement warehous through teen-crowded sidewalks. The facility was modern, music was loud. Cliques mingled. Awkwardly shaped youth ministers went around with introductions in every hand shake. Kids played video games, youth sat on comfortable couches. I sat on a stool by myself. I picked up a magazine and tried to blend in. I tried so hard.

Worship began. The youth were told to stand, and, with few exceptions, this was the extent of movement for the service. Mannequins stand motionless while singing "I lift my hands and spin around." Guys are checking out the girls, the girls - focused on the attractive college student leading worship.

What seperates these youth from the general public? I felt like I should have been holding an alcoholic bevrage while rubbing against other people. The girls were wearing sluttier clothes than I will ever let my daughter wear. How many of them are really holding off until marriage for sex? How many are worshipping? We say some bold things in the Christian faith. We claim to worship a soveigrn God ... but we so rarely worship. What we are doing isn't working. What do we do now?

I'm frustrated with God right now. I don't want to hear any sermons. I want to experience christian love. When we have a youth service day we often have fewer than 5 youth show up. If the youth in our youth group don't want to serve others we have failed at creating disciples of Jesus Christ. If Christian service ranks below human bowling on the youths' list of favorite activities we have made a horrible mistake.
We are afraid to try something really different. What if we scrapped all of our programs and just kept the Bible studies? Could it possibly hold the attention of thirty or more youth? What if we never did another fundraiser, never sent the youth to the aqaurium, or never watches another movie together? Would we lose all credible fellowship?

I'm so tired of what we are doing now ... why don't we try something radical?