Do you get frightened when the team you work with becomes divided? Does it feel worse when this team is the youth ministry? I have been thinking of a way to write this post tactfully for about a year now. But I cannot seem to come up with something that is satisfactory. But this is a matter that I don't think I can put off any longer. So let's just throw tact out the window.
29 May is just weeks away. And that day signals a new era for the PMCYM. Will it be something to remember? Or will it be something to forget? It's up to the SGLs to decide. Let's not make any mistakes here; the PMCYM is falling apart, there is division among the youth. Those of you who cannot see it are simply blinded by pride. Being the ministry head of One Voice allows me to stand in front of the YM nearly every Sunday. And let me say it's not the same YM that I used to lead worship for in 2001.
Where is the joy? The joy of salvation. It's no longer there. Why? Because the foundation is weak. We use our service as the foundation of our love for God. And what happens when we see our service fall? When we don't see the youth responding. Our love for God falls as well.
It should be the other way round. Our love for God should be the foundation of our service. The Bible captures a church that got their foundation wrong. It was the church of Ephesus.
"I know your deeds and your toil and perseverance, and that you cannot tolerate evil men, and you put to the test those who call themselves apostles, and they are not, and you found them to be false; and you perseverance and have endured for My name’s sake, and have not grown weary. But I have this against you, that you have left your first love. Therefore remember from where you have fallen, and repent and do the deeds you did at first; or else I am coming to you and will remove your lampstand out of place – unless you repent.” – Revelations 2:2-5
Sound familiar? Sounds a lot like our YM to me. That was the passage that was given to me, along with a vision last year. It was confirmation of what is it that we must do. Return to our First Love. To understand the Gospel and what it entails all over again. And for many, to meet Jesus for the first time and find the joy of salvation.
It is very sad, that when I lead worship with the GB. I see a whole lot more joy in their faces, a desire to sing praises to God. And half of them are not even Christian. Perhaps, this One Purpose Camp is not so much for them to come to know us, but for us to come to see the joy that they have, and find our First Love once again.
Failing which; the consequence is obvious. The YM is starting to divide; it will fall. But we can still do something about it. And that is to shore up our weak foundations and learn to love Jesus above our service, above our self, above all the things that we hold on to too tightly. And from there, let the younger youth see the joy in their salvation again.
Are we too caught up in seeing the division that we forget to see something else?
In mathematics, multiplication considered to be a stronger binary operation than division. Why? Well, for one thing, multiplication is commutative and more importantly, division can always be expressed as multiplication. In fact, in fields, we can actually do away with division altogether and just let multiplication do the job. I guess, in some abstract sense, we can always see division as a “form of multiplication” as well.
Are we too caught up in seeing the division that we forget to see that multiplication is at work as well?
The division that is taking place in the YM; let us look beyond that. Look to the future, look to after the renovation, and more importantly, look at the Cross again. The Gospel is not a mere story for believers; it is the basis of our faith.
We will see the multiplication take place in our Youth Ministry again IF AND ONLY IF every single one returns to our first love.
Think about that, and think about it whenever you sing this:
Once Again
Jesus Christ, I think upon Your sacrifice
You became nothing, poured out to death
Many times, I’ve wondered at Your gift of life
And I’m in that place once again
I’m in that place once again
And once again I look upon the cross where You died
I’m humbled by Your mercy, and I’m broken inside
Once again I thank You
Once again I pour out my life
Now you are, exalted to the highest place
King of the heavens where one day I’ll bow
But for now, I marvel at your saving grace
And I’m full of praise once again
I’m full of praise once again
Thank You for the cross
Thank You for the cross
Thank You for the cross, my friend
© Words and music by Matt Redman
