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Overview
Millennials are an odd breed. They often feel misunderstood, and others admit to finding them hard to understand. This is true also for those of the generation who profess a belief in Christ (even though they might question the label “Christian” for various reasons).
In #TBH, author Regan Blanton King seeks to encourage his fellow millennials to wake up (before 2:00 p.m.) and smell the coffee (single-origin fair trade pour-over). Millennials must challenge themselves to be better and do better for God, family, country, and self. King does not hold back in highlighting millennial problems. While this examination of millennial lifestyles acknowledges feelings common to the generation, it focus is not feelings but rather facts. King desires millennials to be awakened to objective facts that can then impact and change how they feel and relate to the world around them.
Written from a Christian perspective and aimed at millennials and those hoping to understand them, this self-help guide advises a generation of people to grow up, get real, and get a life.
Product Details
| ISBN-13: | 9781458221599 |
|---|---|
| Publisher: | Abbott Press |
| Publication date: | 04/04/2018 |
| Pages: | 110 |
| Product dimensions: | 5.98(w) x 9.02(h) x 0.26(d) |
About the Author
Regan Blanton King is a Christian who pastors the Angel Church, in the Angel, Islington, area of London, England. He is a communications officer for life issues with Christian concern. A millennial, Regan lived on both sides of the Atlantic, growing up in Tumbling Shoals, Arkansas. He regularly travels to teach, preach, and train others from the Bible and holds a degree in theological studies from Highland Theological College at the University of Highlands and Islands.
Read an Excerpt
CHAPTER 1
Yes, Christianity is religion
If you skipped the Introduction, go back and read it you thoughtless, lazy individual. Ok, perhaps that is a little OTT, but I didn't just write it for kicks or to fill out pages. It's there for a reason. Read it. (If you did skip, perhaps you can INSTAGRAM a pic of this page and transparently confess to your misdemeanour with the hashtags #skippedit #suitablyshamed. ... or not ... just an idea.)
Yes, you read the chapter title correctly. Christianity is a religion and features religion. Totes devs. How do you define religion? You and I don't earn special life perks that allow us to make up our own definitions for words as we go along.
Just Google 'religion definition'. The top three definitions given are:
1. The belief in and worship of a superhuman controlling power, especially a personal God or gods.
2. A particular system of faith and worship
3. A pursuit or interest followed with great devotion
Christianity is the belief in and worship of the God of the Bible and all that entails. It is monotheistic. There is one Triune God. He is personal and relational. He is all powerful and is in control. Christianity is a particular system of faith and worship with its foundation in the Old Testament and God's special relationship with the descendants of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob (Israel). This foundation is filled up and completed in the New Testament with Jesus Christ fulfilling God's promises to Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Moses, and David in particular.
The whole of the Old Testament points to God's promises and the nature of their fulfillment in the coming Messiah or Christ. The whole of the New Testament is the testimony of how we can know that the Messiah is Jesus who was born of the virgin Mary, lived sinlessly, died on the cross taking our sin on himself, and is resurrected assuring us of God's grace and mercy to all who repent of sin and place faith in Him.
Alongside this testimony is the crystal clear example of how the early church operated and worshipped. Read the New Testament book commonly called Acts. Read church history books that value primary sources. These clearly show the gathering of Christians together as a church in particular local places.
Yes, they did meet together. Yes, worshipping on 'the Lord's Day' mattered and was the norm. Yes, they engaged in practices that some may refer to as rituals, though they were practiced in meaning-filled ways with Christ as the centre of worship. Yes, baptism as believers mattered - indeed it is the only baptism of which the Scriptures speak. Yes, there were those recognised as members of the church body and those who were not. Yes, songs were sung, Scriptures read, and prayers prayed. Like it or not, sermons were preached and some went on for a pretty long time. Yes, fellowship meals were held and the elements of the Lord's Table observed by those who were baptised believers in good standing with the local church.
The Apostle Paul cautioned against making the Lord's Table a full, albeit special, meal - something many millennials I have met seem to entertain returning to without thinking through why it was abandoned. People were abusing the time and were gorging themselves and getting drunk while others had nothing. The goal of the Lord's Table was not to eat and drink to fullness or past fullness, rather it was an act of remembrance. Hence the reason, whether preceded by a fellowship meal or not, most churches to this day partake in token symbols of the body and blood of Jesus in the form of an unleavened bread cube and a small cup of grape juice or wine.
All of this originates in the New Testament and all of it fits the Googled definition 'religion'.
Christianity is the pursuit of holiness in Christ by God's grace through faith. It is an all-consuming interest. Real devotion sees great sacrifice. Real devotees are so convinced of the value in their pursuit they rarely will consider their sacrifices as loss - such is the value of life, hope, and help in Christ and his promises.
Devotion goes beyond commitment, it spends itself sacrificially for the cause it is sold out to. In Christianity the spirit of this devotion can be summed up with the words 'for me to live is Christ and to die is gain' (Philippians 1.21). If we live, we will seek to live for Christ's fame and glory. If we die in the process, our death is only gain. In Christ, death loses its sting so what is there to fear? (1 Corinthians 15:55)
'But the Bible never speaks of following Christ as religion. It is all about relationship!' runs the objection of the average contrarian, debate-hungry millennial.
Really? Show me that in the Bible. You won't be able to make a convincing case unless you twist definitions to suit your preferred definition of 'religion'.
Certainly, Christianity is all about being reconciled in our relationship to God through Christ. We have been estranged from God our Father. We have run away. We have thrown away God's gifts and lived supremely for self. Jesus comes to make us right with God. Jesus calls us to turn around from the destruction, sin, and shame that characterises so much of our lives and enables us to run back to our Heavenly Father with whom we can enjoy a personal and fulfilling relationship.
As Christians who are a part of the bride of Christ, the church, we often wander away. As churches we often go off track and get things wrong. We can become estranged from our husband, Christ. We start doing things our way. We slide on our backs first to discouragement, then to despondency, then to disillusionment, and very often then to destruction evidenced in departing from the faith.
The Holy Spirit, keeps those of us who are truly born again safe from the final destructive element, and mercifully we can be reconciled to Christ again, knowing he is good, gracious, and will not give up on His people.
As Hosea (Old Testament prophet) was faithful to his whore-wife Gomer and welcomed her back in love, so Jesus' faithfulness remains and he welcomes us back in love. As the Prodigal son's father ran to meet his repentant son with rejoicing, there is rejoicing in heaven when one of God's wayward children returns (Luke 15:11-32).
So yes. The Bible talks a lot about our relationship with God and has different pictures for illustrating this (Father/estranged son and Husband/unfaithful wife). What's more it makes it very clear that being right in our relationship with God enables us to be right in our relationships with each other. It sets a model for reconciliation, renewal, and righteousness in any sphere of relating to our fellow man whether in the home, the workplace, or just chilling with your bros.
To agree that Christianity is all about relationships is not to deny that it is very much a religion, particularly when the Bible does speak of Christianity as a religion and defines what real and pure religion should look like. James writes:
If anyone thinks he is religious and does not bridle his tongue but deceives his heart, this person's religion is worthless. Religion that is pure and undefiled before God the Father is this: to visit orphans and widows in their affliction, and to keep oneself unstained from the world. (James 1:26-27)
James acknowledges that some people's religion is worthless, invalid, and hypocritical. Nevertheless he does not throw the baby out with the bath water. James affirms that there is pure religion that is right and undefiled and that is desired and good before God.
The evidence James gives of pure religion should not be extracted from its historical and cultural context and misapplied. Millennials could look at this and conclude Christianity is all about social justice. Let's start some protests and stuff and let's change the world. Let's have a 'die-in' somewhere and show we care. Without denying the importance of justice in society or appropriate democratic campaigning action, this isn't at all what James is talking about.
Widows and orphans were on the scrap heap of society. Literally. Seriously. They would often sit outside the city gates on refuse heaps begging. They were hated and considered worthless. They were discounted by anyone and everyone as Grade A, 1st class losers with a capital 'L'. James' call is to a revolution in attitude towards these people. He calls for them to be cared for and loved with the compassion of Christ. This would have been explicitly Christ-centric as opposed to self-congratulating moral kindness.
Often overlooked in this is James' call to 'keep oneself unstained from the world.' Certainly, this is linked to James' previous call to be doers as well as hearers of God's word and relates to his statement 'Faith without works is dead' (James 22:14-26). Similarly, it cannot be separated from the context of the Christian church community from which and to which James is so clearly writing.
Throughout the New Testament any idea of 'lone-ranger' Christianity is shunned. 33 individual local churches are mentioned by name in the New Testament along with 6 regions where there were clusters of local churches (eg. Galatia). Hebrews 10:25 is a pointed and specific call to not be like those who avoid gathering for worship in church. Indeed, the principle of church and its gathering is a consistent remedy to the reality that 'the one who isolates himself breaks out against all sound judgement.' (Proverbs 18:1)
Yes Christianity is all about relationship and those relationships are all defined by 'religion that is pure and undefiled.' Get over it and get out there and live it unashamedly.
CHAPTER 2Yes, rules do matter
Millennials have a complicated relationship with rules.
On one hand, it's totes obvs that rules matter. You wouldn't just show up at your Ultimate Frisbee tournament grudge match and not follow the rules would you? You would certainly find it hard to play your Monopoly: The Legends of Zelda Collector's Edition or Settlers of Catan properly without rules. It's up to you whether you formally keep score and declare a winner at the end of the game or not, but in your heart you know that in following the rules there are literal winners and losers.
That said, millennials often act like everyone should get a medal for living life, whether by the rules or not! On another level, millennials are ok with rules ... so long as they make them. In yet another millennial subculture, rules are to be challenged and in many cases hated. Breaking rules frees yourself from the status quo and the slavery of social expectations.
Let's acquaint ourselves with these different types of millennials.
Adulting millennials
What about the so-called 'game of life'? I mean, rules are, like, a core part of adulting right?
Adulting?
Wait. You do know what I'm talking about?
Just in case you are a millennial who has been fortunate enough to not come across this term, I apologise now for introducing it to you. I deny any liability that may result from your exposure to this freakishly zombified social construct. Please don't faceplant too hard at the definition.
Slang-savvy and web-based Urban Dictionary defines 'adulting' As "to do grown up things and hold responsibilities such as, a 9-5 job, a mortgage/rent, a car payment, or anything else that makes one think of grown ups."
Perhaps you are blown away by this definition. Maybe you are even a little confused. If so, you probably understood the definition. To clear any confusion up, let's use it in a short mock social media post by someone we will refer to as 'Millennial Mike' who is 28.
'Wow! Rad day today bros. Got up early - like 8.00am lol! Made it to work on time rofl and stayed 15 minutes over. Got home, paid some bills, fixed a meal, swept the floor, washed my undies, and ironed some clothes all before chilling to netflix. Got this adulting thing nailed. #adulting.'
Yes. You read that right. Millennial Mike had a pretty standard day doing normal things that any able bodied teenager should know how to do let alone an adult. What is also more than a little disturbing is that Millennial Mike has also felt a self-congratulatory public pat on the back in the form of a Facebook post is in order.
Well done Mike. Well done for doing something that is literally standard adult behaviour. You clearly know the rules of being an adult ... but most adults don't act like doing laundry is a rule of life that when fulfilled deserves a mention much less a medal.
My way or the highway millennials
Of course rules matter. So long as you make the rules. A 2012 TIME magazine article notes several characteristics of the average millennial in working environments.
1. Millennials require your immediate attention.
2. Millennials want casual Fridays almost every day.
3. Millennials work when they want to work.
4. Millennials aren't all about the money.
5. Millennials really like transparency.
6. Millennials see the work environment as flat.
In the first instance, instant-access news, and the ever-plugged in and present nature of life on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram has produced an unhelpful, time-consuming, me-centric attitude to the workplace. Previously, workplaces functioned with a manager who gave instructions that were fulfilled. In an office full of millennials, the manager must also play role of mentor and with particularly needy individuals, mother. If this expectation is not fulfilled, millennials can become unsatisfied and leave.
The second shows a lack of social awareness. Go on and moan about limiting social constructs, but there are appropriate forms of work attire for different jobs. If you are working in a job that requires a tie but you want to wear a t-shirt you have one of two options a) grow up and wear the tie as the management requests, no questions asked or b) find a job that allows you to wear a t-shirt.
This same trend of overt casualness has crept like a cancer into almost every sphere. Sure, I love wearing my hoodies, t-shirts, and jeans. I am a fairly laid back and casual guy. But when I am working in the city, meeting a former boss or colleague for a nice meal, or attending a wedding celebration I do have an understanding of what is expected and appropriate and I will not draw unnecessary attention to myself by rocking up in my everyday clothes.
As for work - I understand the philosophy behind flexible working hours and do quite like the idea. That said, here are the facts. If you accept a job that is described as 9-5, you need to work 9-5. It's called respect. It shows a realisation that the business is not your own. If you want a different schedule or are discontent with your office's rules, start your own business. Of course you will not be the first millennial to do just that. The referenced TIME article asserts: "Half of the members of Gen Y surveyed said they would "rather have no job than a job they hate." This may help explain why unemployment of millennials is 40% higher in the US than Generation X.
Finally, transparency - while important in business - has its bounds. It is not the human right of a receptionist, errand girl, or janitor, to know why the CEO or manager has made a particular decision. And yet millennials seem to crave being at the centre of a company's vision as they, after all, are more in touch with the world today. This attitude has led me to conclude that millennials, also known as 'Generation Y' could accurately be dubbed 'Generation Why' or 'Generation Whine".
Perceived lack of transparency and the incessant complaining of millennials in the workplace could also add to the toxic atmosphere that makes a workplace feel flat, likely contributing to high staff turnover.
Rule-breaking millennials
Rule-breakers are awesome. Anarchy rocks! I mean, it's like really cool when someone just doesn't give a care what others may think or feel about them or their behaviour. So rad. If someone looks at you and sees something that goes against their ridiculous expectations, that person's the one with the problem not you. Don't even give them the time of day - you don't need that kind of negativity in your life.
(Continues…)
Excerpted from "#TBH"
by .
Copyright © 2018 Regan Blanton King.
Excerpted by permission of Abbott Press.
All rights reserved. No part of this excerpt may be reproduced or reprinted without permission in writing from the publisher.
Excerpts are provided by Dial-A-Book Inc. solely for the personal use of visitors to this web site.
Table of Contents
Acknowledgements, vii,
Introduction, xi,
Chapter 1: Yes, Christianity is religion, 1,
Chapter 2: Yes, rules do matter, 8,
Chapter 3: Yes, structure is important, 19,
Chapter 4: Yes, words matter, 33,
Chapter 5: Yes, History matters, 45,
Chapter 6: No, it is not right to 'question everything', 56,
Chapter 7: No, you are not promised an 'awesome' and easy life, 71,
Glossary of Millennial terms, 85,