August 2020 — pg. 33
“To all of us, young,
old and in between,
do you judge based
on what you think
the other is saying,
or have you given
adequate time to
listen and learn from
their heart?”
Silos were commonplace near my rural Western New
York childhood home. These massive, concrete structures
are great for housing grain and corn, but, when empty,
are echo chambers. In an empty silo, you can hear your
own voice echo repeatedly but can’t hear those outside the
silo. Silos in the church are circles of peers who think and
act like us, with echoes and reverberations of our ideals
and thoughts of the way things should be. That might be
comfortable, but it limits the reach of the church.
Tables are gathering places. To have a seat at the table is
a sign of welcome, appreciation, inclusion, and invitation
to share in conversation. One of the most awkward
experiences one can have is to be invited to a table and
never speak or be spoken to.
Church, we need tables not silos.
But what do we say at the table? For many older folks,
the traditional role is to correct the “kids” at the table. They
are not contributors, but opportunities for instruction and
correction, lest they be sent to the “kids’ table.” And we’re
back to silos again. Is it kids that only need correcting?
Do adults age-out of the need for reproof, humbling or
instruction?
Church, we need a conversation culture, not a correction
culture.
Our younger Christians have a passion for the healing of
our world (some older folks are shaking their heads). They
want to see God “ride forth victoriously in the cause of
truth, humility and justice” (Psalm 45:4). Imagine all ages
at the table, conversing about truth, humility and justice –
opening our ears and hearts to one another as we open the
Scriptures together.
Our senior Christians have a passion for the foundations
of their faith, the treasure of our heritage in the church,
and the desire to leave a legacy (some younger folks are
rolling their eyes). They are concerned over loss of what
they’ve held dear and hear God saying, “You have despised
my holy things and desecrated my Sabbaths” (Ezekiel 22:8).
Imagine all ages at the table, conversing about holiness,
reverence, awe and wonder — opening our hearts to one
another as we open the Scriptures together.
To all of us, young, old and in between, do you judge
based on what you think the other is saying, or have you
given adequate time to listen and learn from their heart?
Do you know one another’s experiences and life stories, or
do you make uninformed judgments of the other?
Church, we need cross-generational sharing and
understanding.
In Acts 2:17 we read that “your young men will see
visions, your old men will dream dreams.” You who are
older, what dreams are the young having that you know
about and are excited for? You who are younger, what
visions are the older among us having that you know about
and are guided by? Is it not the One and same Spirit of God
in both the visions of the old and the dreams of the young?
Is Christ siloed, divided, segregated?
Let’s step out of our silos and invite all generations to the
table. At the table, let’s listen, learn, dream and share with
open hearts and ears. Let’s pray and hear God together.
Let’s engage ministry together. Let’s esteem and value one
another.
Amen.+
Brett Heintzman is the publisher of LIGHT + LIFE through his role as
the communications director of the Free Methodist Church – USA, which
he also serves as the co-director of the National Prayer Ministry. Visit
freemethodistbooks.com to order his books “Becoming a Person of Prayer,”
“Holy People” (Volume 1 of the “Vital” series), “Jericho: Your Journey to
Deliverance and Freedom” and “The Crossroads: Asking for the Ancient Paths.”
/freemethodistbooks.com
/freemethodistbooks.com