All of Us Together
If you are an older leader,
make sure you listen to the younger.
If you are younger,
never think you don’t need the older.
It’s the beauty of the body of Christ
all together
as we serve on the mission of Jesus together.
Nephew Ryan and I were celebrating his completion of his freshman year of college. (He’d called me up a couple of months before and said, “Ya know, Uncle Joe, I’ve been thinking — a trip to Nashville would be a great way for us to celebrate my completion of my freshman year of college.” Immediately we started making plans.)
We were there in time for a Conference on Contemporary Worship. Two days before, I’d seen an insightful guy with memorable hair on a video discussing the same topic. I turned to tell Nephew Ryan something, and there was that same guy in line with us.
I introduced Nephew Ryan to him and asked him about a suggestion he’d made regarding physical placement of praise bands in worship to avoid establishing a concert atmosphere. We had a great chat. The guy with the remarkable hair was young and fascinating. He was also noticeably condescending to this older pastor.
Time goes by as it always does.
This Christmas, Teacher and Baseball Coach Ryan, now with several years experience at both, and his wife with her advanced medical degrees, will be back from Texas with their 5 month old son.
And the guy with the notable hair is now serving as a Senior Pastor. He recently wrote of the importance of inter-generational collaboration, and how things look different from this side of the table.
His conclusion? “If you are an older leader, make sure you listen to the younger. If you are younger, never think you don’t need the older. It’s the beauty of the body of Christ all together as we serve on the mission of Jesus together.” It takes all of us, together.
Our old friend St. Paul wrote, “Just as a body, though one, has many parts, but all its many parts form one body, so it is with Christ.” (1st Cor. 12:12) It takes all of us, together.
A song in our United Methodist Hymnal has us sing, “Many gifts, one Spirit, one love known in many ways.” (#114) It takes all of us, together.
As my colleague with the hair that’s still memorable, remarkable and notable says, “It’s the beauty of the body of Christ all together as we serve on the mission of Jesus together.” It takes all of us, together.
Amen and amen.
joescheets 
love this, wish my congregations were more multi generational. But I have found that sometimes it is the “older” leaders who embrace change, and the “younger” (my age) who want to hold on to the past.
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Thank U for this, Janet! And yes, seldom are things easily defined by age. I have had the experience of seventh and eighth graders, and high school students, be very resistant to changing things at a church camp: “But we’ve always done it this way!” was actually what they said. Hardening of the attitudes happens to us all, doesn’t it? We really do need each other… All of us, together.
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Years ago, at Cahokia Park United Methodist we had a day long Multi-generational study. It was fascinating and I learned a great deal! I have always wanted to participate in another and never have. That was 30-some years ago.I like this entry as well! The body needs every part!
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