Biblical Studies & Youth Ministry

2011-04-06T10:14:00.000-07:00

I had a great adolescence, don't get me wrong. I had loving parents, great friends, and a wonderful community of faith.

However, I always struggled with ideas surrounding the Bible. It was always this hovering, unknowable presence. All of my youth ministers & Sunday School teachers had extremely good intentions, but most of what they presented me just added to my confusion.

I can remember one time when our youth group was walking the "Roman Road." We were examining the phrase: "For we hold that a person is justified by faith apart from works..." (Romans 3:28). Our youth minister was describing how we are saved only through faith, and that is the only way to view the Gospel. A friend of mine got an inquisitive look on her face. She said that she remembered reading something similar to what Romans says, except in the book of James. She raised her hand and read, "You see that a person is justified by works and not by faith alone" (James 2:24). She wasn't challenging him. She simply had a question about how the same Bible (that our youth minister told us had the same, unchanging message) could say such two opposing statements. His eyes began to glaze over. He gave her a good Christian "Hmm," and then said, "Let's pray" (which is, of course, Christian code for: Lesson over).

It really bothered me that her question was not acknowledged or addressed.

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Sometimes youth ministers can be the least knowledgeable people when it comes to the Bible. Instead they see their job as simply planning camps, going on trips, and making sure there is enough Mountain Dew flowing. All of those are important tasks.

However, often engagement with the Bible is neglected. And by that I do not mean leading a Bible study from some curriculum (doesn't most youth group curriculum make you want to staple yourself in the forehead?). I mean allowing your students to feel the entire gambit of the biblical narrative. (In my youth group growing up, if I had heard one more lesson out of the Pauline epistles I think I would have bled from my nose. Seriously.)

Recently, our Senior High Bible Study has been digging through Ecclesiastes. And, believe me, we have not been cherry-picking in any way, shape, or form. We are digging into the hard, difficult, confusing, and (at times) sexist passages. We are acknowledging that the writer of Ecclesiastes did not believe in heaven or hell. We are allowing ourselves to feel all of the disjointed emotions that can come with this book.

And the experience has been amazing. We have been engaged and interested in the flow of this book, and how God can speak to us from even this strange writing. Basically: it has taught us how to be more human in the midst of God's graciousness.

I'm thinking about going through Leviticus...

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I understand sometimes youth ministers are not interested in some of the more difficult questions regarding the Bible.

But their students are interested.

Your students want to know:

Why would a loving God use a flood to kill the entire planet except for one family?

What is hell?

Why is this passage racist?

Do we know what happens after we die?

Why are the Gospels so different from one another?

Did Jesus have to die on the cross? Why?

These are actual questions from some of my students, by the way.

And I am not saying that we should have a pat, black-and-white, easy-to-understand answer to each of these questions. In fact, doing that may have more harm than good.

How about instead of trying to be an answer provider, we simply acknowledge the difficulties of wrestling with the Text. We acknowledge that we too are on a journey of understanding. But we affirm that is okay to wonder, doubt, poke, and prod at the Bible. It's a big book; it can take it.

Maybe the most comforting thing we can do for our students is not to lecture at them or simply to ignore their questions. Maybe the most pastoral thing we can do is just admit our own doubts, and walk alongside them.

But not on the Roman Road.

Selah.

Walking.

Biblical Studies & Youth Ministry