Faith and Works

It was Graduation Sunday at church last week. Many were surprised at how many teens we had graduating. Obviously, they haven’t been very visible on Sundays. Before anyone judges that teens aren’t interested, I want to give you the rest of the story.

These short vignettes were a response to questions some of us from the Divinity School asked Youth Ministers to explore for us in the churches they serve. All the names have been changed.

1. All on his own, Jake decided to do something about the poor people he saw near the ball field. One Saturday, he was making sandwiches when his mom asked what he was doing. “It’s my own money, mom. I need to do this.” Jake started making sandwiches because he saw a need, and in the last few months he made about 150 sandwiches and just gave them away to hungry people. Jake said, “If Communion doesn’t mean a peanut butter sandwich, I don’t need that bread and wine.”

2. Martha didn’t like the big box she saw in the back of church. When she looked inside it was full of clothes for the poor. Some were folded, others just tossed in. Martha, a sophomore, started to take the clothes home, re-launder, fold and wrap them with bright wrapping paper. She’d add a description on front. “Would people give Jesus clothes like were in that box?” She stopped going to church on Sunday.

3. David remarked, “Whenever someone asks if they want people to pray for someone, it’s always JUST sick people we pray for. We all know who is having an affair. We all know who got an abortion. We all know that the Smiths are living on borrowed time. Why doesn’t anyone ask for prayers for them? That’s why I don’t go to church anymore. It’s not authentic. At least to me, it doesn’t work anymore.”

The church is changing. Young people are not buying the rituals without authentic follow-up action. Church on Sunday, to many, is nothing more than a social club where all come together for an hour before the Sunday sport games begin.

We have lots more reflections like these. They do make sense. We are going to share with adults in parishes involved. As for me, I had some tough thinking to do.

I wonder: if Bill and I would have had enough trust in our community to stand up during the Prayers of the Faithful and ask for prayer because we were having rough spots in our marriage, what would have happened if they prayed over us? How would it have affected our faith community? Would it have helped others?

Would we still be married today?

Pat Pickett, OblSB

Photo by Photo by Tolu Akinyemi on Unsplash