Knowing Your Moment In History

A major part of understanding the call of the Lord for your life has to do with understanding the moment of history into which you were born. We have to recognize the days we live in, lest we live our life oblivious to the opportunity God has given us in our present day. When entering into any type of calling, in any sphere, the proper understanding of the history of that sphere is crucial. Understanding the history knit to your calling is crucial in gaining the right perspective. 

For teenagers seeking to minister on their school campuses, there are some very important dates you should know. One is the Supreme Court decision of Engel v. Vitale, 370 U.S. 421 (1962), not only because this was the decision that removed prayer from school, but because it is a clear example of the effect that prayer (or lack-thereof) can have on our schools. It is extremely insightful to know that the removal of prayer effected the youth culture of the entire nation, from test scores to teen pregnancy - prayer made a difference.

Another reason that decision is insightful is because of all of the other court cases that immediately followed it. Why was prayer the primary battle? And why were so many other things outlawed after prayer was removed? What is it about prayer that the enemy sought to eliminate first? And if the removal of prayer sparked such a downfall, what could the return of student-led prayer spark?

Despite all of our most sincere efforts, no one has been able to "crack" the youth culture "code." We can spend so much time trying to be relevant and inclusive that we actually lose the proper perspective. While relevance and inclusiveness are important, history helps uncover what is actually relevant to our ministry. After 49 since the decision of Engel v. Vitale, youth ministry is worse than ever.

Maybe, just maybe, we need to return to the start and get some perspective on our moment in history. Maybe, we were born into this ministry for such a time as this to reverse the drought of prayer in our schools and raise up a student-led prayer movement across our nation. The harvest is ripe, but the laborers aren't praying...