A Publication of the ORTHODOX CHRISTIAN LAITY
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| Volume 6 Number 38 - Tuesday, September 21st, 2004 |
A Publication of the ORTHODOX CHRISTIAN LAITY |
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The Orthodox Christian News Service |
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Reach In to Reach Out By Peter Jon Gillquist There’s an old adage that says: If you want to take a bone from a dog, you’ve got to offer him a steak. America is a land full of dry bones that are very attractive to teenagers. Sex sells, danger sells, power sells, and marketing departments shamelessly make use of every titillating, tantalizing passion at their disposal in order to draw teens and young adults into their monetary grasp. We in the Church have our work cut out for us in bringing the Gospel to the American adolescent landscape. If we are to persuade them to surrender the bones of the world, we should offer a tender steak in exchange. We need never change the essence of the Faith to attract young, truth-seeking hearts. In a sense, Truth speaks for itself. But if truth were all that were needed to satisfy, the majority of our own Orthodox young people would be spiritually healthy and wholeheartedly committed to the Church. And this is not the case. The American Orthodox Church, as a whole, is losing many of her teens. As leaders and parents in the Church, we must seek to foster genuine and enthusiastic participation of our teenagers in the life and mission of Orthodoxy. In caring for our own, we will also see more success in bringing new souls into a lasting relationship with Christ and His Church. In my experience, teens are quick to identify three main reasons they are most likely to leave the Orthodox Church: the oft-resented language barrier, lack of holistic appreciation for Tradition, and lack of personal engagement. LanguageTo expect a teen to attend services conducted in a language he can’t understand is like expecting him to see a foreign film devoid of subtitles, week after week, year after year. He is unable to understand the dialogue, finds it very difficult to identify with the cast, and remains bored in his seat, disconnected from the plot. Many disgruntled Orthodox teens say they don’t attend church any more because they can’t understand a word of the service. While non-English liturgies once served and important, unifying, and ministerial role among immigrant communities, this is no longer the case in most of modern America. With occasional exceptions, therefore, services in the United States should be celebrated in English. When English services are not possible, the parish priest should do everything he can to ensure that the spiritual needs of the English-speaking minority, especially the young members of that community, are met. Traditionally ChallengedThe worship of the Church has developed over the past two thousand years, and has its roots in ancient Israel before that. While it is true that the Church’s cycle of services teaches us all about the Faith, most young people don’t attend church more than once a week on Sunday, and few can understand the meaning behind the rich symbolism in Orthodox worship. The Divine Liturgy, the Holy Scriptures, and the Mystical Supper are far more profound and critical for our salvation than any movie, dance, or drug. Teens need to know at least the basic history of God and His people, and have something of a context for the Holy Tradition of the Divine Liturgy as the corporate worship of the people of God. Otherwise, the Church becomes a museum, and teens tire quickly of museums. Lack of EngagementIt is easy to become so involved in the worthy task of running parish that we forget to include the youth in the work. I don’t mean just yard work and spring cleaning, either. I mean recognizing the gifts of each parishioner and employing his or her talents as a member of the Body of Christ (1 Corinthians 12:12). I once heard Fr. Thomas Hopko say that “any church not actively involved in outreach or evangelism is not a church at all. When I was in high school, I had fun on ski trips and bowling nights with our youth group, but by far my most memorable and formative experiences were those where we did something for those in need. It is not necessary to create “busy work” to make teens feel involved. There is no shortage of the work of Christ! Each parish should implement outreach programs as it is able and use the willing hands and hearts of their youth. Some Final Words. . . Once the wheels are set in motion to educate and involve teens in the life of the Church, momentum will pick up and more effective evangelism will naturally follow. The Truth of our Faith speaks for itself, so by simply showing our teens how to pray and live, we will model ways for them to bear witness to others. Fostering opportunities for them to plan events open to their friends only makes sense. The collective energy of unified intrinsically motivated teenagers is a powerful resource that we must respect and channel, but never disregard. We all share in the responsibility to weave the threads of the young inextricably into the greater tapestry of the Church. Events that have proven successful in many communities include camping trips, lock-ins, and hosting concerts or interesting retreats. Explosively popular Orthodox summer camps are popping up around the country, and the teen response to creative efforts by Orthodox artists has been very positive. The youth are the future of Orthodoxy in America, and if we invest our time, energy and love in them now, we can hope to hear someday soon the words of the Master, “Well done, good and faithful servant. . . Enter into the joy of your Lord” (Matthew 25:21). Peter Jon Gillquist is an Orthodox Christian musician who has recorded six CDs of original music, and assisted in the production of multiple others. His travels as a public speaker and performer afford him the opportunity to spend time with thousands of teens each year. He is entering his second year of studies at Saint Vladimir’s Seminary in New York.
Reprinted from
AGAIN, Summer 2004, Vol. 26, No. 2 available from
www.conciliarpress.com or by calling
800-967-7377. |
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