Recently an email was sent to me encouraging me to watch and share an online movie, Divided. The movie argues that "modern youth ministry is contrary to Scripture". I watched the movie. Though I agree the methods and focus of youth ministry is generally misguided and needs to be rethought in most cases, the presentation itself left me with a few concerns I'd like to respectfully address.
First, the delivery and promotion materials is alarmist and fear mongering. The tactics used are no different than the global warming crowd. The most extreme examples were chosen rather than giving a true picture of youth groups which is manipulative and dishonest. Using these tactics suggest the audience is not intelligent enough to come to the same conclusion without sensationalizing the information or the facts are not persuasive enough.
Second, being in the church does not make one saved, just as being in a youth group does not or being in a Bible teaching home. It is the work of the Holy Spirit alone in an individual, which occurs in God's timing and at His will. It comes across in the movie the father is his children's savior taking the place of Jesus as their intercessor. That's idolatry, not to mention an incredible burden. As Christian parents, we come alongside the Spirit by training and encouraging our children in the Lord, but we never take the place of the Spirit.
Finally, the purpose of the movie was to prove youth ministry is "contrary to Scripture". From my understanding of the movie this is because: a) age segregated meetings were not demonstrated in the Old or New Testament, they are therefore unBiblical and b) youth ministries and Sunday school allows fathers to abdicate their role as the primary Biblical teacher of the family to the church. Respectfully I disagree with their extrapolations.
On the first count, as an example of using their logic of age segregated meetings, look at ministries instead. The only ministries I recall mentioned in Scripture is to orphans and widows (which were mentioned in the movie) and the poor and needy. Following their reasoning for being unBiblical, all other ministries are out. That would mean women's, campus, medical, business, and recovery to name a few. Is it not irrational to declare anything not mentioned in the Bible as unBiblical?
On the second count, fathers abdicating teaching their children to youth groups does not make it contrary to Scripture. It makes the fathers lazy, luke warm or unbelieving. There is not a plot within the church to undermine the father through youth groups but rather to further emphasize what should be taking place in the home. Is that happening? Depends on the situation within the youth group, the family, and the young person themselves.
Is there a plot within the church for all the youth to be a part of the youth group which in their mindset is necessary for their spiritual growth? Yes, most churches have that mindset. I, however, completely disagree. It again depends on the youth group, the family, and the young person.
It is no more right for the church to infer youth groups are a requirement for all youth as it is this movie to infer youth groups are evil. It's not addressed directly in Scripture because it's not a sin issue. It's a Spirit led issue. The Holy Spirit gives guidance for your particular family and your particular situation.
When you get down to it, it scares the rule followers to death because they want to be in the right position. So they "major in the minors" (Romans 14:1-10), marking positions and tagging them as Biblical or unBiblical where the Scripture does not address to declare themselves on the right side and alienate those on what they have determined the wrong side. This is being typed by a recovering rule follower, by the way. But when I follow what I've (or someone I have put in the position of God) determine as right, I don't have to seek Christ because all I have to do is follow the rules. Where's the relationship in that? Where is Jesus?
It is a professional quality movie. Questioning the methods and focus of mainstream youth ministry should certainly be raised. The way in which it was argued in this movie, however, was mostly mishandled and did not prove their premise. For me, it raised concerns for those who produced it.
_______________________________________________________________
Addendum: Just after I clicked "post", this article from Focus on the Family's Plugged In came across my path ~ Friendly Fire. It seems Christian metalcore bands, which were depicted as an example of youth groups in Divided, are leading this music genre. (If they are leading it and being faithful, imagine the impact God can use them to minister to these young, often hurting souls!)
Here is a quote in Guitar World interviewing Chris Rubey of the band, Devil Wears Prada:
On the first count, as an example of using their logic of age segregated meetings, look at ministries instead. The only ministries I recall mentioned in Scripture is to orphans and widows (which were mentioned in the movie) and the poor and needy. Following their reasoning for being unBiblical, all other ministries are out. That would mean women's, campus, medical, business, and recovery to name a few. Is it not irrational to declare anything not mentioned in the Bible as unBiblical?
On the second count, fathers abdicating teaching their children to youth groups does not make it contrary to Scripture. It makes the fathers lazy, luke warm or unbelieving. There is not a plot within the church to undermine the father through youth groups but rather to further emphasize what should be taking place in the home. Is that happening? Depends on the situation within the youth group, the family, and the young person themselves.
Is there a plot within the church for all the youth to be a part of the youth group which in their mindset is necessary for their spiritual growth? Yes, most churches have that mindset. I, however, completely disagree. It again depends on the youth group, the family, and the young person.
It is no more right for the church to infer youth groups are a requirement for all youth as it is this movie to infer youth groups are evil. It's not addressed directly in Scripture because it's not a sin issue. It's a Spirit led issue. The Holy Spirit gives guidance for your particular family and your particular situation.
When you get down to it, it scares the rule followers to death because they want to be in the right position. So they "major in the minors" (Romans 14:1-10), marking positions and tagging them as Biblical or unBiblical where the Scripture does not address to declare themselves on the right side and alienate those on what they have determined the wrong side. This is being typed by a recovering rule follower, by the way. But when I follow what I've (or someone I have put in the position of God) determine as right, I don't have to seek Christ because all I have to do is follow the rules. Where's the relationship in that? Where is Jesus?
It is a professional quality movie. Questioning the methods and focus of mainstream youth ministry should certainly be raised. The way in which it was argued in this movie, however, was mostly mishandled and did not prove their premise. For me, it raised concerns for those who produced it.
_______________________________________________________________
Addendum: Just after I clicked "post", this article from Focus on the Family's Plugged In came across my path ~ Friendly Fire. It seems Christian metalcore bands, which were depicted as an example of youth groups in Divided, are leading this music genre. (If they are leading it and being faithful, imagine the impact God can use them to minister to these young, often hurting souls!)
Here is a quote in Guitar World interviewing Chris Rubey of the band, Devil Wears Prada:
It's funny: a lot of people ask me, 'Is it hard being a Christian on tour with secular bands?' And my answer is always, 'No, it's not hard.' To all the other bands on tour, we're just normal dudes who happen to pray when we go to bed. But nobody judges us or treats us weird; everybody's really respectful. The only awkwardness is from other Christians who may be like, 'How can you tour with these people?' The only judgment that I ever really seem to get is from other Christians, which is completely ironic.Yes, it is ironic.
No comments:
Post a Comment