Series: Flowers in the Desert
Isaiah 40:28-29 ESV
Psalm 90:1-2 ESV
One of the characteristics about God that is difficult for humans on earth to truly understand is the everlasting character of God.
Scripture tells us in Isaiah 40:28-29,
“Have you not known? Have you not heard?The Lord is the everlasting God, the Creator of the ends of the earth.He does not faint or grow weary; his understanding is unsearchable.
He gives power to the faint, and to him who has no might he increases strength.”
As finite beings, humans understand the beginning and the end.
The idea of everlasting is foreign to us, especially in the post-modern world. Without getting into a lengthy discourse on how our current culture processes information (including theological information) we will look at how we communicate with God and others, how our culture views truth, and how we define right and wrong. Ultimately, we will propose how we can best relate to God…that’s the ‘spoiler’ that may surprise you.
As a communication junkie (University of Missouri B.A. Communication) one of the underlying concepts we looked at when communicating is our audience and the culture (or sub-culture). Think of it this way: my Mother is part of the Silent Generation known as the Traditionalists, I am a Baby Boomer, my oldest child is Gen X, two of my children are classified as Millennials or what some call Baby Busters. There is crossover at this point for children born in 1979. They are Millennials but are also Bridgers…that includes my third born child. My youngest child is currently called a Bridgers. Four of my grandchildren are Gen Z and four are Generation Alpha and all are currently referred to as Mosaics (all were born after 2000).
Why does that matter? Every generation has characteristics that relate to how they communicate, how they think, and how they make decisions.
It’s difficult for us to separate those characteristics from how we view God, how we communicate with God, and how God speaks to us to help us make decisions. In addition to that, the church tends to approach communication from a different perspective (which is okay). Churches are mostly comprised of people who think alike. At some level they agree theologically.
However, on the street we are diverse. When we break down one of the reason why we see things differently and how we relate differently we notice our age, our experiences, and our historical factors.
For example, how generations view truth can be different. It can depend how we define and value truth.
Defining right and wrong can be different because of your “people” who are your peers.
Faith components of truth and right/wrong can also have different definitions from different generations. Bear in mind that we are classifying truth and right/wrong as what’s most important for that generational group. We are not dealing with clear-cut wrong (which would be harmful to another human). Even psychological wrong is not okay…ever. For example, common respect is right; bullying is never okay.
If we asked someone from each generation who God is and how God relates to us, we might see variation based on their experience with God.
In general the Silent Generation values economic stability, strong family values, and hard work. They are hands on. They do not value technology. Believers go to church (usually smaller churches) to learn about God.
Baby Boomers were movers and shakers. Many boomers were rebels when it came to traditional ideas about church. I am a boomer. We did rebel, but not only about the church building. Our ideas about God were not traditional. We were more apt to believe that God could do or be anything. We were anything but traditional.
Baby Busters tend to be social creatures. One of my ‘buster’ children is an extreme introvert but he is a social creature. He has his people and he’s fine with his people. My youngest child is a bridger and oh my he builds bridges! He is an extreme extrovert and he loves people!
I’ve noticed that while my children grew up in church, their faith is not singularly tied to the church. They build relationships. All of them, introverts and one extrovert look to build strong relationships in their circle. They have a relationship with God. They value personal growth and personal relationships.
My oldest grandchild was born when my youngest child was sixteen. He was in high school when he became an uncle. Both of them understand technology and I’d say both have an open mind when it comes to gender roles. In contrast to that Mother’s generation didn’t know how to define different gender roles. Gender roles were cut and dried.
From the oldest born in 1928 to the youngest born in 2016, we are all vastly different and diverse. Our view of the church is different and our views of God may vary slightly.
Yet God is everlasting. God in us is everlasting. Because we turn to God, we are everlasting.
Even though our response (how we act out our faith) may be different, some things never change.
The beautiful Pearly Everlasting flower blooms in the dry arid desert even though the soil is not lush and rich. It can thrive and survive in the sand. In general, different plants evolve in different ways because of their environment.
Like the diversity of generations that all have a different focus, we thrive and evolve while we worship the same everlasting God.
Psalm 90:1-2 tells us, “Lord, you have been our dwelling place in all generations.
Before the mountains were brought forth, or ever you had formed the earth and the world, from everlasting to everlasting you are God.”
Through all generations though we ‘be different’ and see things in various ways, You remain the same.
You are everlasting.
Spiritual Practice: Everlasting Generations
Consider the future of the generations. Pray for your young friends and family members that they will know God everlasting.
In God, Deborah
Comments