I Apologize to my Elders

I want to apologize to my elders.

Youth blinds.  Wisdom arrives with years.  We have all made the mistakes, the assumptions, and the assertions that our elders are wrong.  We have accused out elders of being archaic, out of touch, too strict, to old fashion, etc.  Time has the ability of changing one’s outlook and making the judgment of the elders look extraordinarily insightful.  I would like to publicly apologize to the elders on behalf of a like-minded generation.

I apologize for music.  Yes, I said it.  It was a popular opinion among the youth that contemporary music was the only way to go.  If only the church would ditch the hymnals and implement a worship team, the church would grow.  Young people would start coming.  Guess what happened next?  The worship wars.  I have lived through this unfortunate paradigm shift in the church over the last 30 years.  The worst mistakes I have made as a pastor was dealing with music. I brought into the worship wars 100%.  I was wrong.  Music or style of music does not make a strong church.  Wise pastors made little of music and much of preaching and pastoring.  I apologize to my elders and anyone that has ever been hurt in the worship wars.  I don’t know the answer to the worship wars other than music is not the answer. 

I apologize for pettiness.   The older generation has lived long enough to know that to overlook faults, attitudes and words is a great expression of grace and shows great maturity.  Youth does not overlook petty things.  Every phrase, line, text, is analyzed and assumptions are made and offences are built.  Youth pride themselves social intelligence.  A wise person will overlook a fault or offence at the risk of being viewed as socially inept or incapable of holding their own.  The older I get the more I realize to let go of offences requires great maturity. 

I apologize for thinking the elders as too simplistic.  As a young person I gravitated toward those that had a new, fresh word.  I gravitated toward complexity and those that presented a new thing.  It seems to me that the elders were too overly concerned with old boring subjects like love, unity, kindness, use of the tongue and simple faith in Christ.  I wanted teachings on Bible prophecy, extra ordinary spiritual gifts, and the next world-wide revival.  Now I realize that there is nothing new under the sun.  Character development is the greatest expression of Christian maturity, not understanding Biblical prophecy.  The elders are right, love, unity kindness and Christian hospitality is the foundation of faithful Christian expression. 

I apologize for thinking the elders too old fashion.  Old fashion being defined as stuck in the past in terms of modesty, a slow life pace, and conservative in morals.   Can’t the older generation just change with the times?  Can’t they understand that the sexual revolution has happened?  Can’t they understand that people dress a different way now.  I think they knew all too well.  In their wisdom, they hung on to old values that are relevant no matter the generation.  Modesty is relevant now.  Sexual purity is relevant now.   Living a slow purposeful life is wise.  The scripture advises us to consider our ways.  The scripture advises to seek out the old paths and walk in them. 

Here are just a few thoughts as I reflect upon some life experiences.