Faith, What a Rush! Following Jesus, Not the Adrenaline

By D. Scott Miller

Let’s admit it. We’ve all been there, sitting around with volunteers, celebrating a well-run program that had enthusiastic attendance and the sense that everyone got it. We’ve done a high five after a well-received teaching or sermon. We’ve rested in that well-deserved moment of contentment after that counseled young person seems to have really gotten his act together.

These are moments when our work is an adrenaline rush and our ministry is high adventure—all without taking risks greater than trusting ourselves and the patience of the senior pastor. We’ve all been there. We anticipate, almost lust for, the next experience of glory. (Look, Ma, I’m published in Youthworker!)

Adrenaline Moments

A home run rips out of the ball park; the crowd roars! Does it drown out the recalled voice of former MVP Jose Canseco who suggested that 85 percent of professional baseball players use steroids? In the post-9/11 era, the national anthem or “God Bless America” still gets us. The economy, the war, and society’s woes take a mental backseat as we give proof through the night of our loyalty and patriotism.

In the 1972 movie, The Candidate, Robert Redford plays Bill McKay, a young, handsome, storefront lawyer in California approached to run for the Senate. Surprising the state, his handlers, and himself, he wins the election. The movie closes as he can’t find anyone to answer his question, “What do we do now?”

Adrenaline rush. A winning home run. Devotion in times of adversity. Achieving a goal after a long fought campaign. Bungee jumping. Yelling “On belay!” and taking that first step up the rock face. All involve moments of transcendence. But, of course, all our best moments in youth ministry should be about transcendence—an opportunity to know the presence of a loving God. Youth ministry, what a rush!

Are our moments of transcendence in youth ministry, our faith based adrenaline rushes, real or manipulated? Do they invite conformity or transformation? Are we guilty of effectively marketing an adrenaline-laced faith, or are we conspiring with the Spirit in discipling young people out of their own experiences?

The Whys and Hows

The recent scandal of sexual abuse within the Catholic Church and throughout our society should have changed the environment of our ministry. Every teen’s parents, no matter their faith, should be carefully scrutinizing the tactics and motives of the adults entrusted with their children’s care. All youth ministers should be engaged in a serious self-evaluation of the whys and hows of their ministries.

Why do we do the voodoo that we do? In the spirit of open confession, I must admit that I got into ministry to keep involved in the positive experiences as a recipient of the experiences provided by those before me. True ministry should replicate itself. But my motivation when I was in my early 20s isn’t the same during my pilgrimage through my 40s. (That motivation also doesn’t involve high pay, great hours, or society’s esteem for my profession.)

Recreating Nostalgia

In Jim Carrey’s recent Capra-esque movie, The Majestic, an entire village longs for a return to the days when the younger generation lived among them before the losses of the war. When they believe one of the lost generation has returned, they all pitch in to recreate the spirit of a time past.

“Maybe you had worries and problems out there, but once you came through those doors, they didn’t matter to you anymore. Would you remember if I told you how lucky we felt just to be here? In a place like this, the magic is all around you, the trick is just to see it.” (From The Majestic)

It reaches a happy conclusion as the lead character doesn’t move into the past but is infused with the spirit of the community, interpreting the communal spirit and values into his own life.

If our ministry is about recreating our own nostalgia, then we’ve likely completely missed its mark. It may be working for us, but it probably isn’t working for very many others. “If I speak in the tongues of mortals and angels, but don’t have love, I am a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal” (1 Corinthians 13:1).

The Sin of Manipulation

What are we doing in our ministry? Do we invite young people to avoid sinful elements of the world and seek refuge in faith and community? Do we raise emotions within our worship and community experiences? Do we encourage, provide incentives, and praise the successes of young people? We must recognize that we might walk along what sometimes is a very thin line to the tactics of distrust, insecurity, anger, intimidation, bribery, and flattery identified in the book Unmasking Sexual Con Games (Boys Town Publications).

As we attempt to emulate the Good Shepherd, we must note the care for his flock of disciples. There aren’t many stories in the Gospel accounts of hardships beyond those of daily communal living. Jesus used parables, humor, and presence to communicate about the reign of God. His style lacked psychological games, positioning for influence, and self-interest.

Dead to Self

Humility and “adrenaline rushes” are often seen as incongruous traveling companions. It’s hard work to trust in our own personal giftedness, place ourselves on the edge, and then, when it all works out, offer the praise and glory to God alone.

A continual reminder of our baptism commitments is helpful. If we have died to a life of sin and enter into life with Jesus, it cannot be just about us—we’re dead. And this can’t be just something we pay lip service to with teens; we must know it’s true.

“Then Peter said to Jesus,’Lord it is good for us to be here; if you wish, I will make three dwellings here, one for you, one for Moses, and one for Elijah’” (Matthew 17:4). Jesus came so that we might have life to the fullest. Our intense experiences shouldn’t build emotional or spiritual tents to capture the experience. Our experiences should involve movement to what’s next. “They said to each other, ‘Were not our hearts burning within us while he was talking to us on the road, while he was opening the Scriptures to us?’ That same hour they got up and returned to Jerusalem…” (Luke 24: 32-33).

Pastoral Care

There is something special about working with young people that we all understand. We enjoy the openness, enthusiasm, energy, and creativity that abounds within this age group. We’re honored by the trust placed in us, especially since it’s so emotionally challenging to grow up as a young person today. The expectations are high, and so are the anxieties regarding safety and security. We need to recognize that the work of faith is still very much an emotional effort.

Our young people join our efforts with varying amounts of emotional baggage, which will challenge them and their peers, as well as our programmatic efforts. The American Catholic Bishops, in response, clearly identified pastoral care as one of the essential components of effective youth ministry.

We have a responsibility to respond to the concerns of our young people. One of the earliest tasks for a new youth pastor beginning a ministry should be a complete familiarization with the resources available within the collaborative village it will take “to raise the child.” Granted, there is often minimal adrenaline rush to be found in a referral, even in preparing to be capable of making a referral.

Adrenaline rushes come from experiences often described by our kids as, “intense.” Beyond checking our own motivations, we have a responsibility for the emotional care of our young people. It’s irresponsible to travel for an intense experience or extended timeframe with young people without having first attempted to understand any special concerns or issues they might have. Larger groups should consider assigning lifeguards whose responsibility is to discern the emotional state of the group and the emotional needs of individuals. Lifeguards would have enough knowledge about pastoral care to know when to intervene and when to refer to other youth-serving professionals.

Furthermore, we should begin to consistently plan and offer after-event options for our young people to continue to grow and advance for the adrenaline-soaked faith experiences. Mentoring options, follow-up publications, Internet sites, and especially more integration into the larger adult faith community are all options to invite the momentary to become the lifestyle. We should never return a kid from an experience; we should always leave them with a sense of being sent forth.

The home run isn’t just a fortuitous moment in a single game. It comes from season after season of batting practice, spring training, and much coaching. The national anthem evokes memories of two centuries of sacrifice, loss, and heroic choices. Any campaign towards a goal should clearly identify the benefits and outcomes of that goal. Everyone remembers the sensation and the rush of the experience. Those who serve the Lord through ministry with young people should remain mindful of the journey, effort, and responsible choices made leading towards those moments.

D. Scott Miller is Associate Director of the National Federation for Catholic Youth Ministry where, among other duties, he coordinates the biennial National Conference on Catholic Youth Ministry.

The above author bio was current as of the date this article was published.

©2003 Youth Specialties