Gen X
Ik ben geboren in 1973. Meer Generatie X kan een mens niet zijn. Generatie X-ers zijn geboren tussen ongeveer 1961 en 1981. Neem het gemiddelde en je komt bijna op mijn geboortejaar uit. En ik moet zeggen, I’m proud of it. Echt waar, ik vind onze generatie best cool. Cool? Nee, dat woord mag je tegenwoordig niet meer gebruiken, da’s modern, niet post-modern. Eh, vet, chill of relax? Of toch maar iets meer emerging, back to ancient culture (lees de jaren 80)? Dan moet ik kiezen voor ‘lets’ en ‘keun’.
Maar goed, hieronder staat een gedeelte van een artikel dat ik las over de generatie X en de kerk. De moeite waard om te lezen vind ik.
• Xer churches tend to operate by what you might call charismatic leading. Church staffs are smaller and less hierarchical. There’s a strong emphasis on all church members helping out in the activities of the church. These churches take seriously the idea that God is the leader of the church, moving mysteriously and powerfully in individuals’ lives, and so church ministries are not always planned by the church leadership but instead are instigated by church members who feel led by God to start a ministry.
• Xer churches put their emphasis on relationships. There’s a very clear understanding in Xer congregations that programs are means and not ends. Their purpose is the lacing together of souls. Church events, as well as spontaneous gatherings of church members, are less about learning or doing than about just being together. Xers seem willing to take the time that is required for developing relationships; that’s where their priority lies.
• Xer churches emphasize “realness.” Xers don’t seem to care much if the preacher stumbles over his words or the singer is of merely karaoke quality or the small-group leader doesn’t know much about the Bible. But they insist that people be authentic. Don’t pretend you’ve got it all together, spiritually or otherwise. Admit your mistakes and struggles, for then we can work on them together. No posers allowed.
• Xer churches are typically “ancient-future.” That is, the Xer churches have a dual orientation when it comes to time: they are naturally and comfortably up-to-date with the culture (such as by using the latest technology) and simultaneously they have a high degree of respect for the traditions of the Christian past. It’s not unusual for an Xer pastor to refer meaningfully to Thomas à Kempis and Bill Gates in the same sermon. More than one hip Xer Web designer practices the lectio divina.
• Xer churches are more holistic, honoring intellect and emotions, doctrine and intuition. You can see this in Xer preaching, which is highly narrative, emphasizing both the stories of the Bible and the stories of Christians of today. You see it as well in worship, which involves a broader and more frequent use of the arts than ever before. You can see it in Xer apologetics, which is not a matter of presenting evidence and demanding a verdict but rather of urging people to say yes to Jesus on a daily basis.
• Xer churches are more cooperative. It’s not us-them; it’s all us. Xers see, on the one hand, that God is working in the lives of non-Christians and that, on the other hand, Christians are not too different from nonbelievers in a lot of ways. Xers note things of value in other congregations and don’t care for the walls put up between denominations. To many Xers, even the walls between the big three—Orthodoxy, Catholicism, and Protestantism—seem as ready for demolition as was the Berlin Wall.
Comments:
madoedelatoe []
vr mrt 9, 13:22 #
da’s ook niet leuk. Dan ben ik als X’er (77) met een Y’er (82) getrouwd!
Gijs [degijs.blogspot.com]
vr mei 4, 15:02 #
Hé, ik ben vijf jaar te jong voor generatie X. Ben ik dan generatie Y? Heb weleens gelezen dat wij generatie C zijn, generatie Communicatie. Ook wel cool.
linda [www.lindazwaan.com]
vr mei 4, 15:11 #
Ja Gijs, jij bent Generatie Y. Tja, je kan er ook niks aan doen. Dit las ik erover op internet:
‘Twintigers zijn misschien wel de meest vertroetelde generatie die we ooit hebben gehad,’ zegt Greet Brosens, directeur Nederland van Accountemps. ‘Ze zijn enorm gestimuleerd door hun ouders.’ Cadeaus, naschoolse activiteiten, vakanties, aandacht – niets was te dol om hun zelfvertrouwen te stimuleren. En dat is gelukt.
Het kernwoord voor jouw gen. is zelfontplooiing.
Ach, is ook leuk.