The negativism of the times we live in has created an intense hunger for a positive message. And that is not surprising where baby boomers are concerned. Boomers have always been consummate optimists anyway — a trait we somehow missed passing on to our kids. I sometimes think that boomers will go to their graves still believing in the dream of a perfect world.
What is the Church For?
People unacquainted with our church often ask if our congregation is negative or legalistic in the way we represent the Christian faith. Why do they ask that? Because unchurched baby boomers generally have the overwhelming impression that the Church is a negative, legalistic institution. And they tend to feel that way because whatever church experiences they’ve had in the past have been negative and legalistic.
Even today, boomers don’t find a bright outlook on life in many churches. Rather, they perceive churches generally — at least from the tone and content of their messages — as evidencing a high level of preoccupation with the horrors of hell and the terribleness of sin.
And when it comes to expressing their views of lost humanity, too many churches still echo Isaac Watts’ unfortunate “such a worm as I” language in referring to themselves and others. Though unchurched boomers may privately acknowledge they are flawed — and maybe even sinful — they are hardly going to sit in a public place and listen to themselves being described as worms, wretches, fallen creatures and other totally depraved types.
On TV, too, we frequently see Christian leaders critical of this, that and the other thing. And too often it seems that Christians only get in the news when they’re picketing, marching or demonstrating against something.
So what we really would like to know is: What is the Church for?
Surely, few people view legalism or negativism as a healthy feature of any church. And certainly, neither is a healthy experience for the human spirit. No one senses these assertions to be true more than do baby boomers who are now returning to church. Boomers will instinctively reject any penchant toward such attitudes that they encounter. But they respond favorably when the reality of God’s judgment is balanced with the positive message of God’s grace and redemption in Jesus Christ.
Different Times Require Different Messages
In times past the human spirit was far more sturdy than it is now. Modernity has taken a high toll of the human spirit, as has the high cost of the American dream. The stress of modern life has had a greatly negative impact on the self-esteem of modern man.
Consequently, there is a high level of fragility in the modern human ego. Boomers particularly have been fragmented and shattered by the fast pace of modern-day development. That’s why our baby boomers today are in a very fragile state.
Have you ever taken the time to read messages by some of the great nineteenth-century preachers, such as the renowned theologian, revivalist and educator, Charles G. Finney? If you have, you will probably have noted that he — and others of his era — addressed quite a different crowd than we do today and they addressed them in a very different manner. And because of those differences, I disagree with those who say that such messages are appropriate for our time.