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Christianity Today, February, 2009 |

Who Do You Think You Are?

The global church needs to ground youth in their true, deepest identity.

A Christianity Today editorial | posted 2/23/2009 10:27AM

About a year ago, Kenya exploded in post-election riots that resulted in a thousand deaths. Many of the killers were unemployed young people who were "hanging out and feeling people were looking down ...

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jan	Posted: February 28, 2009 12:52 AM

I'm really glad to see that people are actually trying to address this issue instead of pretending everything's fine and ignoring a whole generation. We really do need to push our youth to deeper levels of faith and understanding; the Bible is not a list of "do this" and "don't do that", it is ultimately the story of God and His beloved, and their relationship throughout all of history. At least in the US, I've seen us as leaders teaching teenagers to find their identity in religion, following rules, rather than becoming who God made them to be through the grace poured out on the cross. So huge props to those trying to fix this problem! That said, we need to be careful that we don't just supplant the old problem with a new one. Programming won't work, ceremonies won't work, teaching doctrine won't work. Helping kids wrestle with hard questions about their faith is absolutely paramount--we can't afford to shy away from difficult subjects anymore.

jesuschistnationleader andy tucker jc

Posted: February 27, 2009 9:56 AM

Thank you christianity today for still allowing my comments especially because i complain. Do not worship the devil or rejoice in sin. Self control is happiness. God servanthood is great. Amen! there could be a couple of reasons why perosns become violent. Gods message is to be #1. world can can cover mind eyes. That other material or persons is greatest. Holyiness is great and has great results. When in doubt choose holiness. Amen!! Give you r life to Jesus Christ. Hopefully Govs and groups will understand that abortion beleifs are wrong, sinner leaders are not to be raised up or worshiped. That is of God. Please consider creating jesus christ nation(brown clothes,white cross.)anti sexual assault, anti abortion,alter beleiving,psal99:9-outside praying groups. Be very careful. tricksters, stalkers and liar officers are probably outthere. Be a christian security team for the outspoken true christian. Thank you for your time.

Sunny

Posted: February 26, 2009 3:54 PM


Personnally, I think the church is a challenge having been a the daughter of a missionary (see I'm alreay stereo casted) that's just how challenging it is to be raised by a hundred communies looking down at you. If there is a God, he cetainly didn't create the church. We did and we told Him how to act and we just chased our tails.

Russ Hinds

Posted: February 25, 2009 7:59 PM

It is about fathers...... check your Bible. One Christian father deeply concerned and faithful to the Father in heaven is alone, sometimes avoided by other "so-called" Christian fathers. "Therefore come out from among them and be separate, says the Lord." The Christian community is to be separate from the world and its nonsense, mature in knowledge and wisdom (I can do all things through Christ), and united in love with a desire to protect their children and the innocent. The problem is, Christians fail to see the enemy. They fail to protect. Fathers are failing to unite to "Train them up in the way they should go." The divided Christian church often fails to provide for their loved ones and prosper in a secular world which is anti-Christian. Christianity is an intellectually honest pursuit that requires humility to the Truth and self-descipline. It is not an emotional "Santa on a cloud" philosophy. Christianity NEEDS fearless wise intellectuals to teach.

Robert

Posted: February 24, 2009 11:25 AM

Only if the Catechism is backed up by full Christian lifestyle will this succeed. I would agree with Steve that its all too often "Be saved and be happy" which is preached. When Happiness doesn't automatically come there comes in its place cognitive disonance, with people confused by the fact they are not experiencing what is taught. We hve to lern to let God permeate all of our lives, and not just the spiritual. Unfortunately too many Reverands are removed from the pains of things like redundancy, thinking that they can empathise, when they really cannot.Leadership is then distanced from what ordinary laity are experiencing rather than clergy, and then what they teach suffers as well.

Joe	Posted: February 24, 2009 10:00 AM


The solution is to teach youths to have a Biblical worldview, which includes their identity as Christ's followers. Unfortunately, many "youth ministries" are mostly concerned about entertaining youths with activities and music, and neglect Biblical teaching and application. Let us get back to the basics.

churchianity and the whitewashes of christendom

Posted: February 24, 2009 6:49 AM

The article points to the problem without putting its finger on the hard solutions. Many comments here also point at the solutions which is a good start. The solution lies in opening Jesus up as a well of living sweet water which people can drink from so that rivers of water flow from them too. Once the sweet water flows, surely bitter water and sweet cannot flow from the same spring. Surely just because a country has been whitewashed with the brush of "Christendom" does not mean that inside it is clean. People must learn the difference between churchianity and being a disciple of Jesus. Those who profess Christianity might be far from the intimate knowledge of Jesus that makes them harmless.

Bill (serving in Kenya)

Posted: February 24, 2009 2:48 AM

Living here through the post-election violence allowed us to see the inside of that crisis which is not over. The hope came from the individuals whose faith was planted in good soil with deep roots and they did not abandon faith due to inconvenience, an attitude seemingly condoned in this article. Faith that looks for convenience and comfort may be seed scattered on rocky soil. That was implicit not only in youth but in far too much of the church. What we saw of faith with foundation was a depth of reaching across tribal boundaries of individuals and churches to fellow members of God's new people who could be described as the tribe of Jesus! This included youth and adults. We shall be known by our love our Saviour stated.

Steve Simpson

Posted: February 23, 2009 8:20 PM

Do we really teach the full counsel of God ? Do we really educate for a Biblical world view. Far too often the message in Christiandom is focused solely on salvation. Christ said his mission was to preach the gospel of the Kingdom. He urged his followers to pray "Thy Kingdom come, Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven" What is needed is to teach that a Christian identity is focused on who we are in Jesus Christ and what our kingdom work is--restoring the kingdom!! We are responsible for three things: 1 is personal holiness 2 is proclamation (witnessing) of the gospel and 3. is the restoration of all things as a requirement for the fulfillment of scripture. This would give a cause to die for--something lacking today!! Catechisms can be totally isolated from the realities that young people live in. Personal holiness in our leadership is lacking and that turns young people off! Formulations or how to express and live out our faith is needed.

The G

Posted: February 23, 2009 5:34 PM

The answer is: All Christians must lose themselves in Christ. It's not about self (identity) at all. We have been crucified with Christ. We no longer live--Jesus is to live through us. When the ego goes, slavery to Christ is all there is. This life is the proving of the Ownership of Christ (that's what to make Him Lord means). When the early Christians were being thrown to the lions after being caught for having the Lord's Supper in secret, they weren't worried about "their identity." Skip the programming. Get into the Word of God. This generation is Biblically illiterate. Know the Word thoroughly and this article will show itself for the modern nonsense it is. When you love Him with all your being, your circumstances of suffering are only occasions for His mercy and compassion. Forget "Christianity." Cling to Christ.

Shirley

Posted: February 23, 2009 5:14 PM

I found the article not so much about jobs but about the Chrisitan not being able to stand. Christianity should be their source of strength. The author also goes on to say that the American youth leave church when their faith is attacked or shaken. So it seems that that is the reason for the article at least to my way of reading it. If we speak to our youth a social gospel without power to change the inner man of course he will be shaken. If we teach and preach the real gospel of a born again experience he has a well to draw from when his faith is attacked. Better still if he is baptized into the Holy Spirit he has a well that will nourish others. We need to teach by example that God is not dead that he hears and answers prayers. God is a rewarder of those who deligently seek him. But of course if you donot believe that you will be out breaking windows and stealing and killing because you have no hope in a living God who love you.

Renee

Posted: February 23, 2009 3:36 PM


I find this is the problem with many christians. Why isn't someone creating jobs for them? Giving them job skills, or helping them go to school. The article says it, they are unemplyed, they have nothing to do and no power to change their situation. That sounds alot like the inner-city in America.

Woody M. Collins

Posted: February 23, 2009 12:24 PM

The situation in eastern Congo can not be compared to the situation that happened in Kenya. It is like apples and oranges. The only similarities are the death of innocent people supposedly by ethnic diverse groups. The common thread is ethnic groups were used by outside forces to manipulate or hide illegal activities. In Congo, the majority of the fighting was started to hide to stealing of mineral resources like tin and coltan. Woody M. Collins http://www.EndingExtremePoverty.org

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