It’s always good to hear from the distaff side (if that hasn’t become a hopelessly sexist term how – if it has a) I’m sorry and b) I’m old!). I received this a few days ago from Melissa Edgington, a pastor’s wife and blogger. Thought you might enjoy it. Melissa blogs at “Your Mom Has a Blog.” Obviously, this post is a few days old, originally posted at her site on Friday.
I just got back from the Send North America Conference in Nashville. Hosted by the Mission Boards of the Southern Baptist Convention, it was sold out at somewhere around 13,500 tickets. Just two years ago, the same conference had around 4,200 hundred attendees. What is happening in the Southern Baptist Convention? How is it that the SBC managed to make a missions conference the hottest ticket in town?
I can tell you that the Bridgestone Arena was packed with young people. There were people of all ages there, but there was such a large number of young people that it was striking. While I was sitting in a full breakout session waiting to hear Dr. Thom Rainer, I turned around to the row behind me to ask a question. And then I realized that the entire row behind me, and most of the room, was filled with young, hip-looking boys with cool haircuts, all waiting anxiously for Dr. Rainer. They had their notebooks open and their pens poised, obviously looking forward to hearing from a man they follow closely online. They read his blogs and books and they listen to him speak in their dorm rooms or on their commutes to work, and they were excited about seeing him in person. Not only was Dr. Rainer going to speak, but he was going to speak about them–his session was about Millenials in the church.
In fact, the entire conference schedule was loaded with men who have huge followings. We’re talking Southern Baptist ministers who, through their writing and their highly accessible sermons, manage to disciple an enormous number of people. Young men and women were drawn to the conference because they are true fans of the men who were speaking. They admire these pastors who have helped shape their theology, who have inspired them to read and study and discuss and think. The arena was filled with fanboys.
And, it was glorious.
There was an electricity in the arena. A unity of mind and spirit. We knew that we were experiencing something special, and that God was working among us. We were fans. We were. We were followers of some really great men who are being used by God. But, the greatness of the whole thing was that the men weren’t the objects of the praise or adoration, and they weren’t the recipients of the glory.
The music was loud and the speakers were big names. But, all of the glory, across several generations, went straight to the God of the universe. The hipsters and the old timers stood side by side and sang at the top of their lungs, prayed with tears streaming down, and furiously took notes while the likes of David Platt and Al Mohler and Russell Moore poured out their hearts and minds.
I left the conference inspired to live on mission, and encouraged by all of those cool kids with great hair and hip shoes. The future of Christianity is bright. No one could have predicted that God would use the most filth-filled element of our culture–the internet–to disciple a whole generation of young people. But, it is happening. And, He has raised up truly great, godly men to do the discipling. I have no doubt that by the time my children are the hip 20-somethings, some of those fellas with the great hair in the row behind me will be leading a new generation into faithfulness to Christ and to His word. It’s an exciting time to be a Christian.
Amen!
Indeed. This was something different.
Melissa brought up an important point – this was the most unified and strife-less SBC meeting I’ve ever been to.
I wish I’d had a chance to meet you, Melissa. I was in the Rainer breakout. It was great.
Me, too, Dave! Dr. Rainer’s session was so good. I was really sad to see the conference come to an end!
In spite of the cultural resistance that we see today, or perhaps because of it, these will one day be seen as glory days.
Melissa, you are by demographics born on the cusp of being a Millennial yourself. Your writing is wonderful and positive. You do your readers and yourself a disservice by pretending to be a boomer or an old x’er to win influence. “those fellas with the great hair in the row behind [you]” were VERY close to your age.
JT
Okay, I’m going to say something offensive here. Melissa was very kind about the “great hair.” I think the new hairstyles are a little weird. Of course, I’m old.
Dave, this should be right up your alley as one who looks for the paradox of two truths set at tension with one another. The presence of God falls squarely in that category. There is no missing God’s manifest presence in the OT in the Red Sea dividing, the Jordan River stopping, the walls of Jericho tumbling, etc… However, God often accomplishes His will through the ordinary, even mundane actions of life, a woman watering her flock, a woman gleaning crops, a man tending cattle, just ordinary events, when out of the blue they receive something from God with no fanfare and history is changed forever.
The tension is we desire the building shaking experience that accompanies the presence of God while at the same time being satisfied the presence of God is there as we study and prepare a sermon, Sunday school lesson or share our faith with a neighbor.
Disregard all scattered brained contributors please.
Who post on the wrong thread?
Perhaps we need another one on the evils of alcohol?
I have not been intoxicated since the Toronto Blessing.
Dave, I kept a count, and I saw eight man buns while I was in Nashville. I’ve got to say, I can’t get on board with the man buns.
JT, I can assure you that I’m not trying to win influence by pretending to be old! I’m not young. I’m not old. But, my experience as a young person was worlds away from what the 20 and 21 year old boys in the row behind me are experiencing. It’s true I was born at the tail-end of Gen X, but I remember clearly when my college assigned me my first email address, and I thought the whole thing was just some weird fad.
Trust me, those boys with the cool hair think I’m ancient. But, if you think I’m a youngster, I am completely ok with that! In fact, I would love it if you would spread that all over the internet!
You’re exactly right. I’m 34 years old, and have been a pastor for 6 years. When I first began, all the church thought I was young, and most of them still do. Except the youth and young adults. I’ve always been ancient to them.
Glad I am not old….I was born in 1943…lets see that makes me…. umm…. 48 right?