One of the after-effects of viewing The Passion of the Christ was that the viewer’s imagination must consider images of Jesus beyond sanitized, soft, and gentle images. Perhaps a similar image makeover is due for the Church as well. Kenda Creasy Dean suggests that “Substantive faith begins with a substantive God—a God who is worthy of the sacrifice of time and energy religion requires, who offers concern and scope sufficient to merit our obeisance”

There is a scene in the closing of The American President where Michael Douglas’ character, President Andrew Shepherd, takes a surprise press conference and responds to his opponent: Everybody knows American isn’t easy. America is advanced citizenship. You gotta want it bad. . ., Show me that, defend that, celebrate that in your classrooms. Then you can stand up and sing about the land of the free. I’ve known (political opponent) Bob Rumson for years. I’ve been operating under the assumption that the reason.

Bob devotes so much time and energy to shouting at the rain was that he simply didn’t get it. Well, I was wrong. Bob’s problem isn’t that he doesn’t get it. Bob’s problem is that he can’t sell it.

We must portray Catholic Christian discipleship as not being easy. We no longer even hold out hopes that others will want it enough to stick with it. Our problem is that we have settled for being concerned that young people are getting it and have dismissed the higher expectation that they should be able to sell it.

Dean proposes that “communities with a substantive doctrine of God tend to offer young people a community of consequence, in which young people receive a language and a set of practices that enflesh this understanding of God, and opportunities to use them.” Those who aspire to minister with Catholic young disciples must affirm the richness of our sacramental life, the depth and richness of our faith tradition, and the modeling of the communion of saints that have affected our own faith and world view. It is here that we have come into a personal relationship with God. It is here that recognize that our church is a church of consequence where our shared faith and the Spirit transforms our lives and the world.

Dean suggests that “youth must actually participate in practices that embody and teach these doctrines, giving young people a language with which to express their God-images, and opportunities to put these doctrines to use while appropriating them for themselves.” Not only must we value the participation of young people in our churches but we must equip intentionally equip them with the skills and opportunities that give language and experience to the doctrine of faith.