Contemporary Adults
So, over the past 24 hours or so, I have endured much harassment and banter from my esteemed friends. We had some people over last night to celebrate my upcoming 30th birthday. They found out that I was nervous about turning 30 and have since had "fun" with me.
Okay, okay, I will try not to be so over dramatic about turning 30. Nonetheless, it is still somewhat strange. The other night as I lay in bed, I kept saying to myself, "I am 30." It sounded very strange and kinda felt surreal. I know that 30 is not old, truly. I guess I never thought I would ever get older.
Paula and I have volunteered to lead the Adult Ministries in our Corps (church). With this thought of growing older, I have been thinking about a few things. One of those things is how The Salvation Army defines Young Adults. Young Adults are defined by The Salvation Army as those individuals ages 18 - 35.
Now, there are some people that we hang out with that are in the low 40's, including our corps officers. These individuals have "the feel," if you will, of what "Young Adults" are supposed to be, yet fall beyond the defining age range. I think that now, in a day and age where 40 is the new 25, 50 is the new 30, and 60 is the new 40, this category of adults should be redefined.
Most of these individuals, as a whole, are not as traditional as adults that were the same age 20 years ago. These individuals are the pioneers, if you will, of contemporary worship. These are the individuals that first challenged the status quo of the modern traditional church.
Aside from tastes in worship styles, there are obvious changes in relational experiences. People today, on average, are starting families later in life than they did 20 years ago. Look at Paula and me, for example. We both turn 30 this year and we do not have any children yet.
We are in a new time. The things that defined us 20 years ago, sometimes need to be updated, as they are outdated definitions.
...just some food for thought.
I am going to bed.
The age of 30... this I shall survive.
Wayne
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9:39 PM
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