NOISY YOUTHS

@ WORSHIP SERVICE

I was at a Sunday Worship Service recently.  It was a combined service where the young people did not have their own meeting, but they sat in with the adults.

That morning, there was a group of about five or six teenagers sitting in the row right behind me.  They were really noisy, throughout the whole service.  They talked during the praise and worship time…  They talked during the prayer time…  They talked during the announcement time…

There came a time when I could not tahan anymore.  So, I turned around, looked at them in as friendly a manner as possible, and put my index finger to my lips showing the “please keep quiet” gesture.  It worked, but just for about one minute.  Soon the talking resumed.

Then the sermon time came.  Their talking changed into loud whispering.  At one point, a couple of them were actually doing arm wrestling while others looked on and giggled.  Oh my God!  I turned around and looked at them again.  I think I did not look too friendly this time.  I did not show them my middle finger, but I did wag my index finger at them.  They stopped but after a few moments, the ruckus came back.

Then came the Holy Communion time.  They continued with their talking and whispering and giggling… and, they participated in taking the bread and the wine.  Sigh!

Hmmm…  My mind went into overdrive thinking about this matter…

Is it not possible anymore for younger people and older people to meaningfully come together, and worship the Lord together, and listen to the Word of God together?!

Is it true that teenagers and youths will behave “unbecomingly” like this at some point in their lives, and that we have no choice but to accept this as a natural part of their growing up process?!

Has our approach of doing “specialized ministry” where we separate children (Sunday School) and youths (Youth Church) actually caused us to polarized negatively and dangerously without us even knowing it?!

Have we actually reinforced and contributed to that vicious cycle of “short attention span” in young people, when we peddle icebreakers and games but fail to teach them that there are times we need to endure and persevere?!

Hmmm…

Incidentally, during that service; there was this middle-aged man sitting in the same row just one seat away from me.  Despite the noisy youths, I noticed that he was sleeping most of the time when the sermon was preached…

IMPORTANT NOTES:

If this article has blessed you, or if you think this article will bless someone; please feel free to forward it or used it in any way that would bring glory to God.  If appropriate, please acknowledge the source when quoting this material.  Jason Fong also welcomes your thoughts and comments for mutually edifying interactions.

Please note that the views and opinions expressed in this article may not necessarily reflect those of the Christian organization Jason works in, nor the church or denomination he belongs to.

prayer4MYnation #8

IMPORTANT NOTES:

Jason Fong has been sharing his prayers for Malaysia with Christians and the Church at large since June 2011.  This is Jason Fong’s eighth and final prayer.  In many sense, this will be a “closure” of sort, since Malaysia just celebrated her 54^th year of independence yesterday.  Nonetheless, this “closure” in no way means that prayers for our nation should cease.

Please read Jason’s earlier article: LORD, TEACH US TO PRAY in this same blog, which was posted on 23 March 2011.  It would be a helpful reading for us as we continue to learn to pray more biblically for such a time as this.

Please note that the views and opinions expressed in this prayer may not necessarily reflect those of the Christian organization Jason works in, nor the church or denomination he belongs to.

prayer4MYnation #8

Father God, our beloved Malaysia has just celebrated our 54^th year of independence yesterday.  We have come a long way since the days of colonial rule.  I thank You for that part of our history… for both the good and the bad… among others, for all that had transpired in the arenas of politics, commerce, education, social engineering and religion.

And since then, we have charted our own course.  While we may have dismantled quite a lot of the structures setup during the colonial rule, we can never completely replace some of the foundations laid down then…

Have we moved forward?  Have we progressed?  Have we become more matured in our nationhood?  Have we found our identity and soul as Malaysians?  There are no simple answers to these questions.  And the fact is that Malaysians will not have the same answer to these questions.  Father God, continue to provoke us to ask these questions!

As for Your Church and Your people in this land, I continue to pray for two things.  First, that You will cause us to continue to watch and be mindful of what is happening in this nation…  Second, that You will draw us to continue pray for this nation regularly…

In watching, we need to break away from just focusing on the trivial self-centered interests.  In praying, we need to avoid lazy prayers and the thoughts that we need to nothing after we have prayed.  O Lord, please help us.  Please be merciful to us.  The times ahead for us will be perilous, turbulent and challenging.

In that day of reckoning, Your Word declared that every kindred, every tongue and every nation will come before You.  I want to be numbered in that throng.  I want to stand before You as a proud Malaysian.  I want to see many many other Malaysians standing tall beside me.  I want to hear the voices of Malaysians from every ethnic group worshipping You.

By Your grace, wisdom and strength, I will put feet to my prayers.  In Jesus’ Name!  Amen!