Ulterior Motives and Baby Boomer Codes

Today's entry will deal with the Last Day of Unleavened Bread services yesterday in Largo, Florida. I was pretty tired, and rather puzzled by both sermons (the morning sermon was from Mr. Veller, and the afternoon one from Mr. Treybig) . In both messages there was a heavy amount of taking someone to task. It's not really my business (unless I was among those being taken to task, but I don't think I am). What made it particularly mystifying was that both messages were heavy on ulterior motives (unless I'm just paranoid, which is possible) and had large amounts of baby boomer codes (which I really dislike...it's a generational thing). Mr. Veller's message ended well, with a rousing account of the First Day Unleavened Services from the same Largo Cultural Center back in 1995 (which I was a part of as a precocious 13-year old). However, the sermon contained lost of HWA quotes, which really bother me. I'm not a particular fan of HWA, who I consider to be rather tyrannical, anti-intellectual, and idolized in the Church of God community to an unhealthy extent. Besides, he's been dead for almost 20 years. As far as I'm concerned, if you bring up HWA in a sermon, you might as well bring up Polycarp or Polycrates. It's about as relevant to my life. That sermon was full of sarcastic references to those who post secret articles online (I didn't see that as involving me, because not much that I write is a *secret*) or who think they "know" a lot and who have been to 25 or more feasts (again, that's not me, because I haven't been alive that long). Still, it was annoying. I called Mr. Veller and left a message, because I want to talk to him and find out why there have been so many Sabbath harangues lately, rather than edifying sermons for the entire congregation. Mr. Treybig's sermon contained a lengthy digression on those who don't tithe because they're in debt. Personally, I don't tithe right now because I don't have an income. I don't know who he was talking to in this case, but I can't stand those who use the term "values." The term "values" reeks of baby-boomer moral relativism. One should use terms such as "morality" or, better yet, "virtue." I'm assuming that both people were trying to talk to Baby Boomers of various stripes, either in the St. Pete congregation, or, more likely, Tampa. Still, as a Generation Xer it bothers me when ministers use baby boomer linguistic codes in sermons, since I abhor them greatly, as they strike my ears as condescending and self-righteous. Of course, when I speak (or, more often, write) in Generation X lingustic codes, as I tend to do, it sounds rather rebellious to said Baby Boomers. Words such as "accountability" and "personal responsibility" and "democracy" and "local church government" tend to alarm people who are in power in centralized beaurocracies. That's not a slam, that's just the way it is. When it comes to politics, we see things as we are, not how they are. Only God has the sufficient perspective to rule properly, and he hasn't been giving that gift out in spades to those of us on earth right now, not since Abraham Lincoln anyway (that's another rant, for another time perhaps). Still, there is something rotten in the state of Denmark, and I'm not sure what it is. But I'd appreciate sermons that edified the congregation instead of bashing certain members. Perhaps that's a matter of personal taste, but admonitions for "unity" when repeated several times in the past two months in messages from the pulpit strike me as somewhat self-serving, and very troubling. If there are people in congregations who are serving to be divisive, one should talk to them privately, and not speak anonymously but insultingly from the pulpit. Like I said, though, I called Mr. Veller so I can speak with him about the matter personally. I'm pretty sure he doesn't intend to come off badly, and he may not even realize that what he takes for granted as a baby boomer who went to AC and knew HWA while he was alive does not translate very well to the next generation, who doesn't know (and, for the most part, isn't particularly interested) in HWA. Perhaps ministers should try to speak without using annoying Baby Boomer codes, especially if they intend to reach people who don't share their particular language, or outlook. Just a thought.