Seek

So those who know me know that I’m allergic to the terminology of “seeker services”.  Now, I know what is meant by the terminology so often I smile and nod and hide the rash…

…but…

The notion that the church exists to create events that are attractive to people who do not know Christ seems unbiblical to me.  …and, I think it’s also out of touch with reality.

Of course that’s just my opinion…

I may be wrong on this but I see nothing in the scriptures that suggests unbelievers are expected to be seekers.  I think the idea comes from an era that was characterized by people (young people in particular) who decided to turn their backs on what their parents, culture and institutions told them life was all about.  Instead, they decided to engage in a very public, very communal journey of self discovery.  Parents, powers, institutions and culture was shocked and embarrassed but they couldn’t shut it down because it was not a bunch of individuals on random reckless journeys it seemed like it was a whole generation.

I’m no sociologist, psychologist, philosopher etc. but it seems to me that in North America that questioning generation shifted from the question of “Who are we?” to “Who am I?” to “Who the he--[1] cares?”

The church is still trumpeting, “Jesus is the answer!!”  but nobody is asking questions anymore… nobody is seeking.  At least, not in the way that the church still uses the term.

Maybe it’s just different where I am, but it seems to me that people (again, young people in particular) are fed up with being fed answers to questions they aren’t asking.  They don’t care what you think they should be doing –

“If you think I should be doing XYZ why don’t you shut up and go do it!  Why are you telling me to do something you can’t / won’t do?”

They don’t care about your answers –

“If that’s really the answer (to whatever question) why hasn’t it had any impact on your life?”

What they see, and IMMHO reject is the notion that life exists to collect stuff (that you will inevitably leave behind), that life is about money (why would I waste my life working at a job I hate to make money I can’t spend because I have to work?) that it will all make sense in the hereafter  (follow these steps and Jesus will make it make sense… when your life is over…?!?!)

Again, I’m no expert but here’s what I’m hearing:   I have this thing called life and I want to do something meaningful with it!

The problem is that in the absence of being offered something worth giving their lives to many have given up. 

For some, in the absence of something meaningful to live for they’ve opted to just be noticed.

…a world filled with people who want nothing more, and will do anything just to be noticed becomes a frightening place to live…

…just sayin…

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[1] I was thinking ‘heck’… I’m not sure what you were thinking….