At retreat centers and youth and young adult conferences around the country, this rhythmic anthem has become widely known as the musical backdrop for an especially popular energizer1. More significantly, it is a song that asks a very vital question – the answer to which might dispel some other clichés about young adults and our commitment to the Church: Do we want a revolution? Do we? Are we – the young adults who comprise the majority of attendees at these retreats and conferences – prepared to participate (even lead) a “revolution” within the Church?
In my opinion, most signs emphatically point to a collective “yes” among high school students, collegians, recent graduates, and young adults. More than ever, I sense that many of the people of these two generations (Generation X and Millennials) are passionately concerned by how the church can seem stagnant and sluggish whenever the issue of change is raised. And too many church leaders seem unresponsive to the opinions, ideas, and leadership potential of young adults.
Many of my peers are tired of the negative, hateful church that the world sees portrayed in news headlines. We are tired of the public’s impressions of Christianity that are reflected, unflinchingly, by leaders like Shane Claiborne2 who makes the claim that much of the world sees Christians, first and foremost, as being anti-gay, judgmental, and hypocritical (paraphrased).
Where do I experience hope? Where can you experience hope? The past two years of the College Conference (held in Montreat, N.C.) generated some revolutionary energy. I’ve been told that for the better part of a decade, the College Conference struggled to get 100-125 young adults to attend. Two years ago, the conference featured the writer Donald Miller, and it attracted 500 college students. Then, this past year, more than 800 college students packed in Montreat’s Anderson Auditorium to celebrate the theme: “Hope Has a Voice.”
Shane Claiborne (author of The Irresistible Revolution); Ishmael Beah (author of the nationally best-selling memoir, A Long Way Gone); and survivors of the Virginia Tech massacre of April 2007 joined together to inspire and lead the participants in considering what it will mean to reflect the living witness of Christ in ways that will — at once — transform and unify the Church. (For information on this event, see two articles, “Hope prevails for Virginia Tech students,” and “Shane Claiborne, Ishmael Beah bring hope to college students,” in the Outlook issue of Jan. 28/Feb. 4, 2008.) Over four days in January, a catchy conference theme — “Hope Has a Voice” — turned into a sustained rallying cry for the retreat attendees.
Energized by my experiences at the College Conference, I began to seek ways to sustain the momentum and feelings ignited. Six months later, I took part in the new Church Unbound conference.
At first, I confess feeling a little disappointed at the relatively low turnout of college students and recent college graduates. However, our sisters and brothers of Generation X showed up and gave voice to a commitment that a broad range of young adults share — a desire for participating and perpetuating a “revolution” in the Church and throughout our world. Leaders like Rick Ufford-Chase, Bruce Reyes-Chow, Jose R. Irizarry-Mercado and many others each affirmed the fact that people are starved, even desperate, for a new kind of church. Again, it was Shane Claiborne who seemed to best capture the spirit of stubborn hopefulness when he stated: “If we lose a generation, it is because we didn’t challenge them, not because we didn’t entertain them.”
The good news is, I believe, that young adults are committed to “unbinding” the church from the comfort zones that have, perhaps, slowed us all from going out in the world to work for peace, justice, and the love of Christ. For years, the church has kept young people “bound up,” expecting them to fall in line with tradition and “how we’ve always done things.” Some parts of the church have also seemed to be responding too sluggishly to the injustice, pain, and pervasive spiritual need that fills the pews, as well as the pathways beyond church walls. All the while, young people are appalled that not enough seems to be being done.
So … yes, Kirk Franklin! Yes, we do want a revolution! Generation Y, the Millennials, Generation X, many of us desperately want the chance to faithfully embody the call to become the Church that Christ called us to be, a way of life more than an organization or institution. There is much work to be done in the church, which means we must start talking more! How can we expect the church to listen to us more if we aren’t being more vocal? If we want a revolution in the church we must continue to unite our voices and unite in action.
I hope that many, many others will read, respond, and contribute to this Ruach column — not necessarily to my article — but to the forum that is being provided for us. May retreats, gatherings, conversations, and columns all contribute to amplifying the radical message of Christ in this world. Hope has a voice, many voices. My hope is that this conversation will become embodied by action.
Mike Watson recently completed his first year of seminary at Union-PSCE in Richmond, Va. He is passionately committed to retreat leadership and participation; the New Wilmington Mission Conferences have been particularly inspiring to him. For submissions or suggestions, please contact the editor of the Ruach column, David Lindsay at davidslindsay@gmail.com.
1“Energizers” are dances, movements, activities that the conference/retreat attendees do together to get energy flowing and the spirit moving.
2Shane Claiborne was a Keynote speaker at the 2008 College Conference and the Church Unbound conference (last month).
