The other day this post, 5 Reasons Why Young People Are Seeking Old Ways of Doing Church. While it is a broad brushstroke, as most blog posts are (including my own), it embodies something for me that has rang true for my experience and those I hang with.
The original post's reasons are:
- Authenticity
- Rootedness
- Mystery
- Icon and Symbolism
- Participation
Rev. Dr. Leonard Sweet has argued for a long time that we are living in E.P.I.C times (Experiential, Participatory, Image Rich and Connected). As you may be able to see the five reasons above and EPIC are overlapping one another. In rough terms:
- Authenticity and Mystery as Experiential
- Participation as Participation
- Icon/Symbolism as Image Rich
- Rootedness as Connected
I can make a case that the church I serve is a church that is an amalgamation of these trends all in one place. But my situation is not unique. The interesting twist is that many mainline churches are slow to change and many can make the case that their church is also an amalgamation of these trends.
The point being that individual churches do not need to feel like they have to change and adapt to the novel if that is not who/what God is calling them to do/be. Being authentic and who you really are is more important to a person my age (and maybe any age) than being something you are not just to try to attract the "young people".