opinionated old men or youth?

Speaking as a pastor again, here is something I am thinking about: the church. Duh! Yes, I’m still reading Jack Good’s book, The Dishonest Church. But aside from that, I continue to think about the church with love and concern. In an earlier blog, I referred to my teenagers and the younger generation in general. How will they compose the church? Where’s their place? Are we presenting a Jesus that the youth will be curious about? My oldest son, who lives in another city: will he find a church he feels accepted in, and one that he will be attracted to? These are real questions for me. I enjoyed teaching on Sunday because there was lots of feedback and discussion. Even the young people there were engaged because I wasn’t dominating, mumbling alone at the front. It was interesting because of the conversation that was taking place in the community. Martin Luther, way back in the 1600s, said this:

“I have great hope… that as Christ, when rejected by the Jews, went over to the Gentiles, so this true theology, rejected by opinionated old men, will pass over to the younger generation” (Roland Bainton, Here I Stand. A Life of Martin Luther, p. 66).
I don’t want to be an opinionated old man among opinionated old people. Where’s the Christ that the younger generation will receive?