Jesus Cropped from the Picture

I Don’t Feel Fed!

church where their needs are met. Or they may attempt to fulfill their needs from a small group or media teaching, avoiding the worship service altogether. When the new church or small group no longer meets their needs, they find another church (this is one reason “church-hopping” is normal in America). Or they may stop going to church entirely. The Young and the Old I have observed this self-orientation (“I don’t feel fed”) intensify in recent years. For example, I have heard young people say they will not go to church because “it is boring.” Their parents are quick to agree and do not challenge their children’s assumptions. I have seen teenagers given the freedom to walk the streets while their parents worship, a visible sign that parents and teens agree that church must “meet my needs.” Christ is cropped from their picture . However, young people can be brought off the streets and into the adult life of the church. Teens have more capacity for adult faith than they are given credit for and are ready to be challenged to do great things for God. Their feelings of boredom are an indicator of how little they comprehend the wonder of the Kingdom of God and the low level of confidence adults have in their teens’ abilities. Senior citizens fall into the same self-oriented trap when they say, “we pay the bills around here.” They crop Jesus from the picture when they threaten to stop giving unless their demands for songs or preaching style are met. Like young people, senior citizens need to be viewed as productive servants, not left to languish in a state of spiritual retirement.

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