Dear Church of Tomorrow

Dear Church of Tomorrow,

It’s us, Generation X. While you weren’t looking, we grew up. We lived through our childhoods, being ignored while our parents worked their lives away, and we decided we wanted something different. We want to see and know God.

Now don’t think that that’s such a hideous thing. It’s really not that hard. You see, you’ve got a few things we like that you can share with us.

First, let us experience God. It doesn’t have to be in that wild, speaking in tongues, crazy falling on the floor type of experience. Just something as simple as having some quiet time in prayer, reading scripture, chanting psalms, singing songs, hymns, and spiritual songs. Then there’s the sacraments of Baptism and our Lord’s Supper. Those work out just fine for us. Experiencing God through His Word and Sacraments. You know something about that.

Second of all, show us how to do something with our faith. Give us opportunities to be in the world but not of the world. We don’t want to withdraw from culture or shield ourselves from it, but we don’t want to sell out to it either. We need to share Christ with our culture, to have that kingdom of the right intersect with the kingdom of the left. We’re learning that in the sanctified life, the Gospel is the motivation behind the Law. Tell us more about that. Make the Gospel real. Share the joys of the law.

Finally, show us how to work through politics. It’s so easy to get disillusioned with the negativity and games of politics today that it’s a very real temptation to drop out. Many of us grew up feeling like our one vote won’t change the world, and besides, we’re just supposed to do whatever the government tells us to do regardless of utopian dreams and tyrannical schemes. But now we’re learning that’s not it. We can be activists, engaged in the culture. How do we do that without confusing the two kingdoms?

How does this world look different through Lutheran eyes? How do we see Christ in the world around us? These are the questions of the next generations of Christians. The Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod of tomorrow is asking for your leadership. Will you step up and be strong and courageous witnesses?

The Lord be with you.

Gen X

(This was originally published in Around the Tower, Concordia Seminary - St. Louis's student newspaper.)