Who Am I? Who Are We? Who Are We as Christians?

https://www.reverbnation.com/wiltonmckinleyglenn

Tom Groome would say, to answer the question: “Who are we?” As Christians, we ask, who are we as persons made in the image of God?

What do you understand to be some of the major influences on youth and young adult spirituality faith development and how does the use of stories or narratives impact your understanding?

“Who am I?” as a Christian worship leader and even young adult is something everyone in my circle of musicians and worship leaders always asks me and themselves after we really engage each other more about Christ. I think what makes the major influences of youth spirituality come alive that which is passion in our own self-being. I believe that also continual testimony and self-witness and re-examinations of the self and conscience help to reveal who you are to each new person you meet daily. This is better than any Google search, plus as well as being intentional in conversations with the public so that we are self-aware of who we are and let people know unashamedly that our Christian identity is hidden in Christ's blood when it comes to questioning.

This usually doesn’t perturb those solid in their vocational self-being, but more from the Youth, or those that forget their salvation, who wish to “attain” some sort of “degree” towards this particular “calling” as it relates to them as a feeling of wholeness and celebrity status. That "being within themselves" to attain in the church that is not really all that truthful in reality. I speak for my friends who have to give more grace than they want to many times and myself who have to shrug off "the scoffers and chaff in the wind". I do my best of telling stories through music in my original songwriting of either testimonials and either praise and/or worship to let at least youth know, I have been at the same point they are at with wanting to really identify my true positioning in this realm with God and society. I love the song by Hillsong “I Am Who you Say I Am”. It drives my spirit in one with God’s Holy Spirit.

As a worship leader since 15 years old, I relate deeply with the youth who look up to, and engage with me, whether online or off the platform post-worship and even pre-service locally and in any church. When they find out I am Catholic, I always have to debunk mythologies and also rules and traditions, as what they see on stage and in person in that it, no I, am still the real me and no “fake”ness is involved. The rites of passage I went through, which are unquestionable to any Father, Deacon or Bishop and Order that knows me, to still do what I love part of the time (which ministry is 24/7 full time in reality since there is no part time ministry within Gods Universe) and to be able to network that across digital platforms worldwide doesn’t seem real to them. But, when I get to explain to them bits and pieces of information regarding specifics of business they begin to put two and two together, gaining hope, but still wondering how to keep their own faith throughout their struggle of...getting there.

From Dr. Lamont’s writing on her article about religion in “Ministry with Young Adults: Toward a New Ecclesiological Imagination” stating that:

Theresa O’Keefe notes that the process of growing towards young adulthood

involves “questions of identity, vocation, purpose, desirability, belonging, and

romance…” Moreover, this process of self-discovering typically unfolds in the

context of healthy meaningful relationships with others, showing a strong need for=

mentors in the lives of young people.

This is something that I see and hear from young adults and youth consistently. It is always the “maybe I will be ‘this’ someday”. Instead of knowing how to discern for themselves how to path out life from God’s eyes towards them, they lean on other people’s perceptions of what they should do to form who they are. This desiring to become like others whom have reached some sort of would-be attainable goal of “striving for sainthood” or “holy vocation” is often disappointing when unattainable and people their age find that the job in their vocation that they currently are fulfilling maybe isn’t blessing them and their family in some deeper way than they don’t see it.

Sometimes, this is met with the opposition feeling that they will never be able to sing like, preach like, work for the church in this position, or travel the country like this missionary because of money, status, class, opportunity, or lack of education. However, this is something that is common amongst my peers, and those whom I have ministered to. From Pope Francis and O’Keefe I have discovered that:

The 2018 Synod on Young People, the Faith, and Vocational Discernment (Synod

2018) and research in the field of young adult ministry, however, reveal that young

adults report feeling deeply lonely and that they continue to struggle to find quality

mentors or accompaniers.

This sometimes remains true for my own music ministry too. I sense it and hear it back from people not so much involved in their youth ministry or young adult groups anymore as they draw away from the church in our talks. I hear about their stories of being hurt by the Church and seeking to not go back or find some other god not of the Bible at all. I encourage them in speech, writing, and friendship letting them know too that, I am and have been there, and they are not alone. All of us can find that truth of not being alone within the Church with God’s help and others there as leaders too.

Lastly and briefly put, I sometimes do fundraisers with music and songwriting that are originals in video or publicly funded live streams or at least video edited sets that are on Facebook for an organization called To Write Love On Her Arms. TWLOHA is an organization that is about mental health awareness. Usually, if you get into the reasoning and meaning behind the story of TWLOHA, you will support people against suicide and depression and somewhere along the lines understand their reasoning and ideas behind tattoos. I myself have a tattoo of music related symbol on my wrist. Music saved my life, especially worship music For God. And through it I support TWLOHA, support youth who struggle with depression always, and sometimes get a new tattoo every once in a while so I too may not struggle in that way. I'm not going to tell any amounts I've gotten to give straight back to The Suicide Prevention Hotline, but it would pay a single family or mother's home utility bill or two.

All in all, being confident in our Lord and what God has given to us in our experience and our truthful way of being helps young adults know that they too can live out their dreams as best as God sees fit and know that whatever they do is worth it as well. Each person has a ‘holy’ calling.

https://www.facebook.com/willandthewordmusic

Works Cited

Francis. 2019. Christus Vivit! (Christ Is Alive!). Washington, DC: USCCB Publishing.

Lamont, Tracy. Ministry with Young Adults: Toward a New Ecclesiological Imagination. file:/

Users/willlglenn/Downloads/religions-11-00570-v2.pdf. Web. Digital. Accessed June 9,

2021.

O’Keefe, Theresa. 2018. Navigating Towards Adulthood: A Theology of Ministry with Adolescents.

New York: Paulist Press.