DisciplesWorld: May 2009

The latest issue of DisciplesWorld is available in the Narthex, having arrived earlier this week.  And, in my spare time (actually while riding the exercise bike at the gym), I've read through it.

There is an interesting editorial at the front of the issue about the current effort, sponsored by the General Minister and President's office, to bring more accountability and efficiency among the various ministries of the General Church.  I have my reservations about the effort, which I have shared with the appropriate people, though I know that those involved have put a lot of effort into their study and proposals.  But I was fascinated by the editorial's insistence that they put more effort into making these ministries "transparent."  Perhaps it is a trait of the younger generation, but I'm a firm believer of transparency in ministry, as obviously Rebecca Woods and Verity Jones are too (both are on the younger end of the spectrum too, though I don't know either of their exact ages).  Interesting for us to consider in all scales of the church's work, from congregational to international activities.

The cover story is about "the sandwich generation," a generation that is now frequently offering significant care for multiple groups: their own aging parents and their (perhaps underemployed) adult children, who might have children of their own.  This is an issue that will get more and more attention in the upcoming years.  Uncharitably (showing my youth) I would suggest that this is partially because the sandwich generation has always been rather myopic.  But truly, the nature of multi-generational families has changed from previous generations, mostly because our lifestyle expectations have changed.

Today's families tend to be led by adults who are all wage-earners, which is to say that all of the parents below retirement age, whether married or not, tend to work, which creates enormous pressures in how much support you can offer to others in your family.  It creates additional stress and fatigue.  Further, we tend to expect to live a certain lifestyle at all ages, and our families tend to support this tangibly, which adds additional financial and time pressures.  Yes, people are living longer, but they're also living in their own homes longer, which is probably the greater strain.

I wish that the article delved a little deeper into the subject.  As I read it, I just thought of the number of people I've known in my life -- many of whom have passed away -- who did the same things as the so-called sandwich generation because they had no choice.  Grandma moved in because there was nowhere else for her to go, despite the strain it brought on the family.  One imagines that the stress of living through the Great Depression was harder on families than what we face today, but instead of talking about stress or "how we each made time for ourselves" they generally talked about perseverance and sacrifice.  Maybe I've not talked to enough of them.  

On the other hand, knowing how difficult situations are for many people who are included in "the sandwich generation," including many people I know and love now, I'm glad that this issue is beginning to be talked about.  As someone not yet included in any "sandwich generation" I often wonder how best to support those who are facing the emotional challenges of caring for many other's in their family, especially when the heaviest burden seems to fall on them.  From articles such as this, we may better learn how to tangibly offer love and support to the caregivers.

Also of interest in the issue is a photograph toward the back of the magazine from the Wheeling area, where three Disciples churches (Wheeling First, Wheeling Island, and Bethany) raised money to support the St. Baldrick's Foundation, which raises money for child cancer research.  A 12-year-old is shown getting his hair cut off (part of the tradition); I happen to know from his pastor (though the magazine doesn't say) that he was an active fund-raiser in the effort, so I'm glad they printed Jacob's picture.

Lastly, though this may be more interesting to me than many of you, the closing columnist (new to the magazine this month, Lillian Daniel, a UCC pastor now in Chicago who's making quite a name for herself) writes about finding God/Jesus while eating out.  I read an article a few months ago about how most churches do a bad job of reaching out to single adults; here's a single female minister who not only admits that she eats out a lot (part of being single), but finding theological insight in the situation.  A theology of the Lord's Supper that includes McDonald's -- very interesting.