Know Your Rites

Over the years, our society has developed many different rites of passage. From circumcision, to baptism, to a bar mitzvahs, getting your driver's license, sweet 16, college, weddings, first child, first real job and retirement are passages that we go through as people that define where we have been and where we are going. Within the church we have some rites also, some especially within the Methodist church. Children are born into the church with Baptism, 8th graders are given the option to go through confirmation, Salvation, Sanctification and first communion are all rites that help our students/adults find out where they are in their life. These rites are defined to help our children/students understand where they are going.

I Corinthians 13:11 talks about putting child like events and growing up. I believe we give our kids mixed signals when it comes to growing up. As parents, we want our kids to act grown up as soon as possible. We give them the ability to make decisions that affect them for the rest of their life, but not always giving them the tools to make those decisions. Then if they mess up, we treat them like children. I sat in on a seminar that talked about how the age of adolescence in the 1900's was less than 4 years, but today adolescence spans almost 15 years. I know that kids today are growing up too fast. I see kids making decisions that they shouldn't even be thinking about. Sex, drugs and rock-n-roll are pushed into the lives of our students when they are children, rather than as adults. The age of first having sex is getting younger and younger. Jr Highers are getting drunk and high almost before having a first girl/boyfriend.

Some of our society has lost the rites of passage and students aren't sure where they fit within our little boxes. My goal as a youth pastor is to help students become grounded in their OWN faith. Not the faith of their father or mother or family, but a faith where they have questioned and found the answers they are looking for. Our faith is strongest when we know WHY WE BELIEVE.