Guiding the Blind (or what I like to call "Raising Teenagers")

The other day at youth group we played a game. I told the youth we needed a volunteer who was going to be blind-folded and another volunteer who was going to be the guide. We then took the two out of the room while I explained the other details to the rest of the group. I gave them a few minutes too construct an obstacle course through the room. The harder the obstacle course the better.

I then told them that they also needed to include their own bodies as part of the course. And that the blind-folded volunteer will also be carrying a tray of glasses filled with water one-handed, palm up while he traversed the obstacle course.

So they put together a crazy course and placed their bodies throughout and then we had the blind-folded volunteer begin to navigate the course without saying a word, listening very closely to the volunteer guide.

Our bind-folded volunteer actually made his way through the chairs, tables and bodies laid before him quite well. It wasn't easy. But with caution and, at times, just plain being slow as he was guided through, he made it to the end.

Afterward I explained to the youth that the obstacle course represented the teenage years. The blind-folded volunteer represented a typical teenager. The guide represented the teenager's parent.

The fact that they had to lay their bodies throughout the course while the blind-folded volunteer carried a tray of glasses filled with water represents the fact that when a teenager doesn't listen to his parents, it is usually a very messy ending that involves more than just the teenager involved.

Teenagers today are brought up in a culture where every song they listen to, every sitcom they watch is screaming at them to NOT listen to the guidance of their parents. The culture tells teens that they don't need their parents. They have enough knowledge and wisdom on their own without parents interfering and making their life miserable.

But reality is, teenagers cannot see the obstacles that lie ahead of them. That is why parents are so essential in their life. The parent can guide them through every obstacle that the culture throws at them. But the teenager needs to listen to this guidance. Sometimes...scratch that, most of the time, teens think they don't need the guidance and that they can make it on their own, but pain and difficulty are all that kind of thinking brings.

It was just a silly game...but I think we made a pretty profound point. Just read through Proverbs. Over and over again you see the phrase, "My son, listen to my words!" Not too different than guiding a blind-folded volunteer through a crazy obstacle course during youth group.

The Preacher's task

The things that swirl around in a preacher's heart about the flock he oversees, at times, can be quite a burden. The very people that he is trying to help mature in their faith can sink to surprising immature depths at times. He may receive a snarky comment at the door as he is greeting his flock for worship. As he is helping to lead his flock in worship or preach to them he may receive glaring scowls of disapproval at everything from the length of his sermon, to the sermon topic, to the song list, to the temperature of the room.

As he prepares for Sunday throughout the week he may be broken-hearted over the life choices he sees his flock make that, at best may be a very poor witness of faith and, at worst may be a self-destructive sin pattern that will eventually lead them to hell.

Not every preacher does, but any preacher worth his salt, truly cares about growing the spiritual maturity levels of the people he serves. His main task is to help the people he serves filter all of life through the lens of Scripture. For some reason, helping people in that process can be very similar to a forced prostrate exam for some.

Many people are very happy to not have anything change in their worldview. Scripture has a way of violently intruding on our particular comforts and wreaking havoc. The preacher recognizes this, but some are more gentle than others at allowing the Scriptures to do their offensive work in the lives of the flock they serve.

I know this is somewhat of a rant, but it is something that I have been thinking about a lot lately. If you are a preacher and you are coasting into retirement and never want to upset the apple cart...do God a big favor and step down so that He can get busy undoing what you have done.