You’ve heard us say that we like Jesus but not the church, and it’s not because we’re trying to be difficult. It’s because the Jesus we read about enters into the pain of humanity where so often the church people seem to want to float above it.
In the end, it’s not really about what churches say or don’t say. What millennials want is to be seen. Understood. Loved. It’s what everyone wants, really. And for this generation of journeyers? Choosing honesty over cliché is a really great place to start.
I began to read this with a sense of weariness. I am 66. How can I possibly add ministry to/witness to/reaching out to … millenials to all the tasks that I already am not doing, if you see what I mean. But I found it thought-provoking, and support her dismissal of cliches. I doubt, however, if many clergy say things like ‘God never gives you more than you can handle’ (with the implication that if you collapse, it’s your own fault) or that ‘God has a plan … works in mysterious ways’ – pastors usually shun these bland evasions of the questions that suffering raises.
“Love on” always induces the gag reflex in me.