correction

I remember when I was 18 and a friend invited me to their church to see a Christmas production.  I had never been to the church before.  As I strolled into the sanctuary and found a seat next to my friend, an older man seated in front of me, whom I did not know, immediately turned around and told me to take my hat off because I was in a church sanctuary.  While I was startled by the man’s abrupt request, the hat was quickly in my lap.

Similarly, I remember when my parents would visit my elementary school teachers to check up on my performance in class.  If my teachers gave any indication that my behavior was not respectful and appropriate, I would hear about it from my parents, along with proper retribution.  My parents never questioned the teacher’s point of view or accused them of unnecessarily picking on me.  They supported the teacher 100% and her/his role in my life.

It seems like the idea and practice of proper correction within the local church, and perhaps even American culture, is becoming a ‘thing of old.’  In almost six years of working with teens (and adults) in the local church, I have heard the phrase, “you are not my parent(s), you can’t tell me what to do,” more and more.  If someone confronts a brother or sister in Christ about a reoccurring behavior or action, many times the confronter is accused of being judgmental or they may be accused of overlooking the planks in their own eyes.  There used to be a time when Christ followers could confront one another in love and it was understood as a necessary and vital role of having a healthy, Christ-centered church… Don’t get me wrong, I am sure there were/are many times when people call others out as a way of making themselves either look or feel good, but we are quickly becoming a culture where the art and practice of ‘casual accountability’ and respect for an older generation is fleeting.  Do you have any thoughts and/or experiences about this?  Agree/Disagree?