You're quite welcome. I too was a teen in the early 60s. In fact I was a teen in 1960.
I don't really have a problem with some of the threads getting a bit heated, and bantering back and forth, but I have a BIG problem when a thread is designed to heap scorn and ridicule on those Christians who may have a different perspective than the OP's.
Some of the young pups (meant lovingly, of course) on the forum sometimes seem to think their experiences, background, and education are the only valid ones. They fail to understand that it was those old timers, like us, who built the churches, colleges, and seminaries where these young people got their upbringing and educations.
His major problem seems to be that he has very little understanding of the older generation and what they believe.
For instance, he says:Wrong right off the bat. We don't love "old hymns." (And the correct way of using the quote is to put the quote outside the period. Maybe he didn't attend one of the colleges/seminaries we founded. Had he done so he would have a better understanding of English grammar.
) What we love are the "traditional" hymns sung in the traditional manner. Even the traditional hymns can grate on our ears if played/sung in a "rock and roll" manner, and many of the best songs and hymns were written in and by our "old" generation! Bill Gaither, writer of some of the very best songs, is a member of our "old" generation (Bill is 76).
Wrong again. What we love is the tender hearts of God's people who recognize their own sinfullness and the Holiness of God and are willing to bow the knee and the stiff neck before His Throne.No, but we do love the powerful preaching of the word of God, but unless the camp has an air conditioned chapel and comfortable pews these old bones would prefer our church's beautiful auditorium. Yes, we stand for the old faith. You may have heard of it. Jude mentions it in verse 3. "Beloved, while I was very diligent to write to you concerning our common salvation, I found it necessary to write to you exhorting you to contend earnestly for
the faith which was once for all delivered to the saints."
The Book? Yes, we stand firmly planted in the revealed word of God. I am now retired but prior to my retirement I used the NKJV. The church where I presently attend uses the ESV in the pulpit and Sunday School. The ESV is an excellent English translation.
The Blood? Yes, we believe in the Blood, also known as the substitutionary atonement of Christ. The only alternative to His sacrifice is works based salvation.
The Blessed Hope? Yes, we believe in the Blessed Hope of the return of Christ. After all that is one of the Fundamentals of the Faith. To deny the return of Christ is to deny the clear teaching of the Scriptures. However, the timing and manner of His sure return is certainly open for discussion, at least among those with open minds.
It is funny that he refers to us as "old" but the things he mentions are much older than most of us but they are not "old!" LOL!
No, young man, we do not make the mistake of thinking our church culture here in the US is "old." We know when and where these things had their beginnings. Perhaps you could lay aside your critical spirit long enough to understand us, our faith, our preference in worship styles, etc., before you post more inaccurate and disrespectful nonsense about the senior saints on the forum.
Just a little aside. You say you have been a pastor for 11 years. Good for you. Keep up the good work. I spent 40 years in the ministry, 26 years as Senior Pastor of the same church. I also spend 25 years as a bible college and seminary professor. I saw a lot of young people who thought their preferences were the only ones that were correct and those who had different preferences in types of music, or bible of choice, etc., were stupid old fogies who were only good for laughing at. But, by the grace of God most of those young people grew out of their arrogant assumption that they, and they alone, had all the answers. Sadly, the ones who did not grow out of it ended up with a shipwrecked ministry and, for the most part, are no longer serving God in any full time ministry. Beware you do not stumble over the same arrogance and self righteousness that tripped up so many other good men who could not see past their own preferences, nor could they grant others the Christian liberty to have their own preferences.
(By the way, our youngest will be 39 next month. Our oldest will be 49 next December. You say that it was my generation that lost America. I contend you are wrong. My generation was the last to fight for our liberty, and the liberty of others all around the world. My brother-in-law flew 212 missions over "flak alley" (from airfields in England to bomb Berlin) during WWII. My brother was an Army Sergeant during Korea. I served during Vietnam. It was your generation, given the vote by means of the 26th amendment in 1971 that began the downfall of the once great country I, and my brothers in arms, fought for.)
