Everything Changes (part 3): Three basic perspectives among emerging adults

As I have been talking with lots of Collegians and young adults this week, I’ve been trying to make sense out of what I have been hearing (read my previous two blog entries to find out more). My penchant for categories has come to the fore. Please note that the philosophical perspectives summarized below do not do justice to the complicated theories that comprise libraries full of books and articles. For the sake of helping us to wrap our minds around the worldview of emerging and young adults, here are three broad categories I’ve identified this week with summary explanations and possible implications for the church. I admit that I may be way off base. I might change my categories or ideas as I talk to a broader group of emerging adults and those who work with them. However, these three groupings of worldviews have appeared to come into focus for me:

Modernism/Foundationalism (old school)

Modernism is the worldview from which most contemporary adults (35+ in age) were educated and that through which we still make meaning of our world and our experiences. It is framed by the belief that there are universal absolute objective truths that we can see, uncover, or discover if we work hard enough or think hard enough. It’s this empirical scientific worldview which gave us the greatest generation and most major societal advancements of the last century. Students who approach the world through this lens ignore or criticize the “liberal” ideas they hear in class or see in some of their peers (or only learn the ideas to regurgitate on exams and in papers before promptly putting it out of their thoughts). These students speak our language and attend our churches & ministries. They lament with their parents and church members that the world is moving in the wrong direction. They find places they can escape (or find sanctuary) from the craziness of the academic world around them. Often these young people find solace in their religious practice and community. They too are frustrated that their evangelistic efforts rarely work and that numbers of their peers in churches and campus ministries are dwindling. They too want to make America and our churches "great again," bringing back the world they know to be better because it was grounded in unchanging truth. This worldview birthed the "Religious Right." To the modernist mindset, the “new age” ideas in colleges, schools, and on TV are disturbing. The solution is to withdraw or cocoon with likeminded friends and church members. They homeschool their children and seek alternative afterschool programs. They might even seek to live in communities and neighborhoods of people who share their worldview. The basic modernist idea is that we need to double down on our beliefs, organize around a hero or two, and through legislation and even strong-arm tactics, bring back the bygone golden era to protect our society from the evils of left-wing politics, education, and religion.

Postmodernism/Constructivism/Social Constructionism

Postmodern philosophy grew out of the 1960’s radicalism as an enlightenment of free thought, free action, and freedom to be. It sought to break down barriers of inequality and the mindless following of rules and/or authorities (sometimes referred to as “the man”), calling for a new guiding principle of love, equality, and positive emotional experiences. However, somewhere along the way, these ideas of freedom of expression were co-opted. A few influential writers like Foucault, Derrida, and Butler isolated and intellectualized the ideas from the communally embodied, emotional, experiential beginnings in what we have called the “Hippy movement” of the 1960s and 70s. The broad themes of unrest that emerged in the 60’s were reduced to an argument (starting in France) against the grand narratives of Modernism in language, art, and literature; thus, “Postmodernism.” The basic idea is that all knowledge is socially constructed; there is no empirical truth. Therefore, pure postmodernists believe that even science and scientific research should be called into question as being fundamentally biased, and therefore, flawed. 

Over time, the revelations of this period were appropriated by the intellectual elite who had no connection with practical applications save in the dismantling of anything deemed modern or bound by tradition. To get a more in-depth presentation of the various aspects of Postmodern thought, click this link: Postmodernism. 

Many of the questions being asked and ideas being deconstructed have needed to occur. I have often argued that all research is biased. It was out of this effort that the civil rights movement gained steam, questions were raised over the US military involvement in Vietnam (and other countries), and equal rights of women in the workplace. However, critics have argued that for many the true goal of intellectual Postmodernism is a total deconstruction and dismantling of societal norms without seeking to rebuild a better world in its place. Therefore, it is sometimes believed that Postmodernism is a negative or nihilistic worldview, not one that seeks a greater societal good. This is not always the case. Often such stereotypes oversimplify complex ideas and theories, and in doing so nullify the possibility of good discussions that need to occur. 

Quite often when I am visiting churches parents will ask me how their children grew up with such liberal ideas that are contrary to their worldview. I try to gently show these concerned parents that our children have believed what we have taught them in our homes, playgrounds, and schools: everyone is equal, everyone is valuable, everyone is special, every question raised or choice of living and being is OK, and diversity is essential. Many parents are comfortable with the ideas their children espouse, but others are surprised when their kids begin to repeat what parents might see as beliefs that are contrary to their own modernist worldviews. Our children have learned their lessons well. Those exposed to this worldview for the past 30-40 years have now become parents, legislators, educators, screenwriters, novelists, and marketers. In a nutshell, our students have been the beneficiaries of society’s efforts toward egalitarianism and civility.  

Many conservative Americans immediately dismiss Postmodernism as incompatible with their strongly held politics and/or religious beliefs because several of the most outspoken intellectuals who latched onto Postmodern ideas identified as Socialists or LGBTQ. These theorists appeared to be using their own perspective to explore and validate why their identities and beliefs were valid and should be accepted as normative. Many of these theorists are those lauded in academic settings and on whose work current identity politics are based. These complicated philosophical ideas have filtered down through the educational systems into society in France, Canada, and the US.

Postmodern ideas have been interpreted in the mainstream culture as relativism: “there are no absolutes; everything is relative.” Many Postmodern theorists cringe at the equivalency. While similar, the two philosophies are not exactly the same. In the world of many emerging and young adults, all reality is constructed within specific contexts and experiences; therefore, we should not judge others for their beliefs, appearance, choices, or lifestyles. For this generation, the statement, “that may be true for you, but it’s not my reality” is not a problematic, nor confusing thing to say or believe. It is what we as a society have, perhaps inadvertently, taught them. These ideas have become entrenched in most areas of the public sphere. It is our new cultural milieu in Europe, Canada, and the United States. 

Because of the rejection of grand narratives (inclusive metanarratives that attempt to explain everything), mainstream religions are typically avoided and often scoffed at. The term “spiritual but not religious” gained popularity among those who expressed a felt need for spirituality, but who rejected the holistic claims of religions. Any group or individual claiming to hold “the truth” is avoided, particularly if this truth excludes or might be thought to marginalize others in any way. There has been a rise in popularity of Buddhism, Hinduism and other more philosophical spiritualities that have meditative practices that can be removed from wholesale adherence to that faith. Contemplative or centering meditation, mindfulness, and Yoga are all borrowed from these faith traditions. Not all are practiced with a religious devotion, but all have spiritual applications and uses. Even the language used in the experiences comes from those religions. 

Again, it is important to understand that not all Postmodern ideas and questions are negative. There is truth in the claim that all knowledge and ideas are socially constructed - that is why each culture has deeply held beliefs and practices. We can probably also agree that there are some ideas and practices that need to be questioned and/or re-evaluated from time to time. Some systems need to be deconstructed.

Over the past two decades, Christian theologians and ministers have written about the many positive implications of postmodern ideals for the life of the church and for evangelism. Most of these writers, however, did not foresee the extent to which the ideas have been adopted, applied, and often perverted in the mainstream. In my ministry with students, it has sometimes been helpful to get them to identify the narratives or themes of their individual lives that are often very different from that of their peers. Helping them to see and understand the ways that they construct meaning can be cathartic. It can also help them to identify the ways that they are unique, the ways their talents and giftedness can be used in the future as a guide for career choices, relationships, etc. Sometimes it can help individuals gain some sense of agency in their lives when they have felt victimized or trapped by their past.

There are many different interpretations and manifestations of Postmodern thought. I encourage you to read broadly on the subject to better understand the philosophy and worldview as well as to help figure out how to parent, minister, and function in our changing society.

Hybrid Modern/Postmodern Worldview: 

There appears to be a large group of emerging and young adults who somehow bridge the disparate Modern and Postmodern worldviews and who try to navigate between the two opposed perspectives. These folks grew up in families and churches that were Modernist in belief and practice, yet they have friends, classmates, and teachers who operate from a Constructivistic worldview. These students may be deeply rooted in faith, but they live in a world of constant change and fluidity. Instead of hiding away or retreating from the ideas encountered in class and in popular culture, these emerging and young adults have somehow embraced both schools of thought, yet have relegated each, to varying degrees, to specific aspects of their lives. In many ways, they have skillfully become masters of compartmentalization. In religious practice, their faith is highly personal, yet they also enjoy lively, contemporary corporate worship. However, they are reticent to engage in evangelism because they don’t want to mix or challenge their worldviews. The answers and often convoluted theologies they have adopted work for them, but they don’t want to be tested against the questioning of their peers. Their segmentation and theological gymnastics work just fine in their own lives, thank you very much - just don't ask them too many questions or ask them to explain their systematic theology. 

My fear is that when these Christian "hybrid" emerging adults exit college they will either move more fully into an unexamined skeptical Postmodern mindset and walk away from the church altogether or they will become casual church attendees, relegating their faith expression primarily to a personal quiet time each day. Keeping it solely personal will allow them to keep their faith while living in a Postmodern world without ever feeling or acknowledging the conflict between their coexisting, and seemingly conflicting, worldviews. 

Before the revelations of the past week I had not fully understood alumni who told me they "could not find a church" that met their needs, yet they continued to have a regular personal devotional as well as gather with a small group of like-minded friends for fellowship which often involved religious discussion and perhaps singing their favorite worship songs. They attend concerts of bands that primarily perform worship songs (complete with lyrics projected on huge screens behind the band). The crowd typically sings along. Folks have posted pictures of these concert events on social media with the caption, "I've been to church." Perhaps they have discovered or are creating a new form of "church" to which those of us more embedded in traditional models cannot relate? 

I think I am starting to understand their perspectives and how they arrived in this odd hybrid place. However, the question for me is what now? Where do we go from here? How do we seek to minister in this new context? Do our structures need to adapt and change? Does our method of outreach and evangelism need to change? Do our discipleship and teaching plans need to be adjusted? 

What are your thoughts? Let's continue to dialog with each other and with the emerging adults in our lives about their worldviews and how to best understand and minister to them.

From Mic Man to leader of the band: Meet Ben Robbins

Saturdays in Athens. There is nothing quite like it. Sanford Stadium comes alive with almost 100,000 cheering fans on game days in the fall. As a student, Ben Robbins helped work the student section into a frenzy. He was "Mic Man," a member of the cheer leading squad who stood on a platform just across the hedges, microphone in hand, guiding the standing collegiate faithful in support of the Dawgs.

He still stands on a stage each weekend, but in a much smaller setting, for a much different purpose. Ben is the worship leader at Longleaf church in Warner Robins. Prior to joining the team at Longleaf, Ben led worship for the contemporary service at Roswell Street Baptist Church. In addition to his duties on the sidelines during football games, Ben also led music at BCM. For two years he led the BCM Impact Band, traveling to churches to led youth events, DNow weekends, and worship services. His senior year he led the BCM House Band.

Not only is Ben an outstanding musician, he gets worship. He knows that he is not just strumming his guitar for a sing along, he carries the burden of leading the congregation to praise God each week. He works hard with his talented band members each week - most of whom have been with him since their BCM Impact Band days - to compose a musical set that fits the theme of the day, skillfully blending musical worship, scripture, sights, sounds, and textures to guide worshipers to the throne of God. He also writes and arranges music. Many weeks the songs performed by the band in worship have been written or arranged just for the occasion. Let year he released his first CD of covers and arrangements of popular worship songs. This year he will release his first collection of original worship tracks.

It is so satisfying as a collegiate minister to watch God at work in the lives of those who have come through the BCM! The day Ben received his first batch of CD's in the mail Franklin Scott and I were in Warner Robins for a collegiate minister's meeting. Ben brought one of the disks to us before we left town. Franklin and I listened - and worshiped - all the way back to Athens!

This summer Ben and his band will lead worship for the Merge and Superwow youth events sponsored by the Georgia Baptist Convention. I'm so excited for the opportunity for so many youth in the state to hear and meet Ben. Not only is he a great worship leader, he is an incredible man of integrity who seeks to live out his faith in all that he does. You can hear some of Ben's music by clicking this link

[Ben is married to the former Paige Martin from Savannah, Georgia. Read a post about her here! She is equally as incredible!]

Calling for a Radical Lifestyle: Meet David Platt

David was always a bit different than his peers when he attended UGA in the late 90's. Most collegians spend their free time on evenings and weekends going to parties, playing intramural sports, visiting Athens many bars or concert venues, improving their high score on video games, and perhaps studying a bit. While he was president of Baptist Collegiate Ministries (98-99), David Platt managed to find time to lead his peers while traveling to churches around Athens and surrounding towns preaching and teaching. Even then he had a remarkable ability for scripture memorization and storytelling. He made the Bible come alive. His passion for God's word was contagious.

It was no surprise when this popular, yet introverted student from Briarlake Baptist church in Atlanta graduated and headed to New Orleans to attend seminary. He quickly finished a masters degree and then a PhD. David did so well in his seminary endeavors that he was asked to stay and teach. He proved to be just as popular as a professor as a student. The floods from Katrina forced David and his family to leave the city. Like many other professors and students from New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary, they moved to Atlanta as a temporary home. Eventually he made a career change, becoming the senior pastor of the huge and affluent Church at Brookhills in Birmingham. He was still not yet 30 years old.

Along the way David has continued to travel as a popular speaker at conferences and in churches.
Along the way he went overseas to preach and teach. Always evangelistic, the opportunity to travel to places where the gospel was scarce provided a thrilling spiritual pull that deepened his faith and calling. Teaching pastors of secret house churches in places where the practice of Christianity is illegal changed David.
Along the way he came back home with a desire to introduce his parishioners to the experiences of worshiping in secret. The result was what he dubbed "Secret Church." David and the staff of Brook Hills invited members of the church to arrive at 6 pm for prayer and worship until late into the night (or the wee hours the next morning). At each occasion David would traverse the Bible from Genesis through Revelation, expounded on God's word yo our contemporary setting. The event was so popular that they did it again, and again, and again. Now the Secret Church events held in Birmingham are simulcast live around the world via the Internet by Lifeway Christian Resources.

As the pastor of The Church at Brook Hills in Birmingham David continues to reject the status quo. He has called on his church to reject the American Dream and to seek to allow God to dream a new dream in their lives as Christian Americans who try to apply the challenges if the Bible to love simply while giving away more and more of their income to support evangelistic and justice needs around the world. He calls each member to voluntarily be radical, to live against the norm, to be willing to face the changes the gospel commands.

In the process, David and Heather also caught God's heart for adoption. They realized that their family and excess resources and could incorporate more members, so they brought two children who were living in orphanages in impoverished countries to live with them in Birmingham and to become Platts.

David has written a series of books sharing what he has learned about living a radical Christian life.

His best selling book Radical has taken the collegiate Christian culture by storm. And now he has added to the conversation by writing for churches to join the movement, challenging churches to change in order to meet the issues brought about by injustice around the world and here in America.

His book Radical is a call to be different. It is a call to take the scripture literally, listening to God's concern for the poor, for those suffering injustice by living more simply and by giving more and more of what we have away. It is a call to dissatisfaction with what is and a call to try to make the world a better place through prayer and action. David believes that Christians, those who truly seek to follow Christ more fully each day, cannot be comfortable with the way the world is now and will try to do whatever it takes to create change. He thinks Christians should be radical. He thinks that the message of the Gospel should not only save souls but also make the world a better place to live for all, bringing about the Kingdom of God that Jesus talked about so much.

I think he is right.

Faith can lead to crazy decisions: Meet Becca Stanley

When +Rebecca Stanley and her husband Adam announced that they were moving their young family to inner-city Atlanta, into the heart of poverty & in the midst of crime central, they got some odd looks and lots of questions. Lots of folks thought they were crazy. The decision was not made without a lot of thought and prayer. It was the result of years of working with inner city kids during the summer taking them away to camp, then returning them to the messy & complicated lives in Atlanta, and feeling that there needed to be a year-round ministry to offer hope, mentoring, and options for a better future.

In a sense, Adam and Becca decided to put their home where their heart was.

Lots of folks return from missions experiences with good feelings and tell folks, "that changed my life." For the Stanley's the summer work they did with they children of Atlanta really did change their lives. They fell in love with the children they met each summer. They sold their house in the suburbs and moved to live in the neighborhood where the children lived. The Stanleys see what they are doing as "incarnational ministry" - taking the Gospel that so changed their lives and living out their faith, grace, and love in such a way that it can make a huge difference in the lives of their neighbors.

When Becca was a student at UGA she was on the leadership team at the BCM. An amazing writer and story teller, Becca worked with our publicity, helping us to tell the story of BCM and to get word out about the various ministries we sponsored. Now she uses those same skills to report on the amazing work her family is doing as "urban missionaries." I encourage you to get to know The Stanley Clan by reading her blog, following their work, and praying for them in their mission field!

Perhaps more of us who follow Jesus will truly follow him with our whole lives - perhaps even to the extent of moving to a new place so that we can minister to those who need it the most. Heck, many of us just need to walk across the street to meet our neighbors where we live now! We need to allow the light and love of Jesus to penetrate the darkness all around us. We need to use the gifts, passions, and calling in our lives like Becca and Adam have done to make a difference, allowing our faith to guide us - to pursue God's dream - instead of the American Dream.

Missions can get into your blood: Meet Elissa Ewald

'Tis the season for missions around the office. We spent three days this week meeting with students for local interviews as a part of the Send-Me-Now collegiate summer missions process. Applicants from UGA have almost doubled over last year! +Jenna Huckaby and those who have served as missionaries in past summers did a great job telling their stories and recruiting students to apply.

This time of year is one of the best in the collegiate ministry world. I spent 9 years and 10 summers guiding the collegiate missions process through the Georgia Baptist Convention. We just called it summer missions back then. Though I missed the day to day contact with students on campus, that job was one of the most fulfilling I have had. I was able to work with the cream of the crop of students from around Georgia, those who were seeking to live their faith and who wanted to apply the Great Commission of Matthew 28:19-20,

“Go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.”

I loved seeing how a) God would use these willing, yet naive students, who didn't know the word "can't" to accomplish ridiculous things each summer, and b) how student's lives were changed in the process. I warned collegians who asked me about summer missions, "Careful, it will change your life."

Over the next few weeks I will be introducing you to some UGA BCM alumni who are taking non-traditional approaches to life after college. Each of them have chosen to spend time overseas as an outgrowth of their faith instead of simply getting a job working towards the American Dream.

Elissa Ewald (UGA 2011)

+Elissa Ewald graduated from UGA in 2011. As is the case with many of our students who graduate and head out into the big bad world, I was sorry to see her leave! It was my honor to work with Elissa over the past few years as she exercised her musical gifts. She grew up singing with her musical family and sang in our bands for most of her college career. He senior year she worked behind the scenes coordinating our worship services and working with various teams that lead in house as well as those that ministered in local churches. I came to rely on her skill, insight and wisdom! Elissa's knowledge of worship, music, and her wonderful people skills made her one of the best Worship Team Leaders I have ever had the opportunity to work with. I still love talking with her about worship planning! But now she has a new venture.

Elissa caught the missions bug many years ago. For some crazy reason she felt called to go to Kenya - even though she had never been there, never met anyone from there, and was studying a different language in college. After making a few trips over the past few years, she is heading off to Kenya in a few weeks to work at Camp Chemi Chemi. Elissa dropped by the office yesterday afternoon to catch me up on the whirlwind of life over the last several months. It was incredible to hear all of the stories of how God has been working in her life and in her experiences in Africa. You can follow her experiences on her blog. Elissa is a great writer - I can't wait to read the narratives that she will relate as she serves! She would appreciate your prayers as he goes to Kenya to work with a retreat center and camp for the next 6 to 9 months.