Generations
“Great is the Lord and most worthy of praise; his greatness no one can fathom. One generation commends your works to another; they tell of your mighty acts. They speak of the glorious splendor of your majesty — and I will meditate on your wonderful works. They tell of the power of your awesome works — and I will proclaim your great deeds. They celebrate your abundant goodness and joyfully sing of your righteousness.”
Psalm 145 : 3 – 7
Does anyone else think of the 70’s when they hear the phrase “thirty years ago”? Here's the reality you may not want to hear today: the 90’s were actually thirty years ago. Yes, we are a few generations removed from the 90’s (sorry to break the news, Mom!), and even more so from the 70’s. Each of those new generations is an off-shoot of the one before, bringing into it a mix of the old and a flair for the new. From party lines to car phones, car phones to cell phones, and cell phones to smart watches, technology certainly changes throughout generations. Fashion does as well, though what was old tends to become new again in this arena (shout out to all of the bell bottoms I have seen downtown). While many things fade in and out, there are yet a few things that stand the test of the generations. Praise of the Lord is one of those things – the most enduring and timeless of all things, in fact.
The Psalmist sings of this practice in Psalm 145. “One generation commends your works to another; they tell of your mighty acts.” The praises of the Lord are like echoes through the generations. That analogy breaks down here, though: echoes lose volume over time. The Lord’s praises (should) become louder and louder as they reverberate through the generations of the Church.
How are you "speaking of the glorious splendor of His majesty” through the generations? Perhaps you share with your family members when you get together or your co-workers when you take them to lunch. Maybe you could consider serving in a community youth outreach program or in the Children’s Ministry. Maybe you want to be an Adopt-A-Student family or mentor for our college students (If so, click here for more info!).
Because the Lord has created such an intergenerational culture here at UBC (there are 105 years between our oldest and youngest church goers), it seems only fitting to let you hear from one of our younger students. Reese Ryan, a high school sophomore, just got back from the high school mission trip to New York City. Here is what she had to say about it, the younger generation “commending [His] work to another.”
"Hi, my name is Reese. July 8th-14th I went on the high school mission trip to New York City. While we were there, we helped with community projects, park ministry, and ESL community classes. For park ministry we went into a community park, played with the kids and told them about God and His love for us. I saw the Lord working in the kids and in their families and how they were excited and willing to learn more about Jesus and the Bible. While I was there, the Lord taught me how to build relationships with new people."