Recently, while attending a musical with my children and niece, I suddenly found my faith in humanity partially restored. The actors performed with confidence and grace, the sets were beautiful and well crafted, and the orchestra below provided harmonious accompaniment all throughout the show.From the beginning to end, the kids and I were immersed in the story and songs, somehow forgetting we were watching and listening to adolescents still in high school.The whole experience reminded me how much is possible with this age group, given the right motivation. They can put in grueling hours, endure severe criticism, and embrace strict discipline, all in the hope of creating something compelling.When those charged with performing the rituals of celebration and devotion only do so out of necessity, their celebrations will inevitably become ugly, superficial, and false.Miraculously, they shunned the temptations of their screens, perhaps realizing that mindless scrolling offers them nothing of substance. The better part of their humanity took over and moved them to make a show for their community.While I take solace in such knowledge, I cannot suppress the frustrations that also arise. If I could only witness a small modicum of this effort from these same students in my English classes, my job would be so much easier.Compared to memorizing lines and music and performing before the bright lights and a large crowd for three hours straight, learning to write a clear and organized essay should be a breeze.These frustrations aside, attending the musical and marveling at the work and energy involved reveal a deeper truth about what stirs young adults to noteworthy action: the intense desire to create something good, true, and beautiful. If the possibility exists to participate in an event or project that merits large audiences, critical acclaim, and thoughtful analysis, this will inherently draw young people to its cause. By contrast, if those events and projects are performed out of a sense of duty and nothing more, those young people will take their talents elsewhere.As many Christians can attest, this dynamic is readily apparent in religious worship. When those charged with performing the rituals of celebration and devotion only do so out of necessity, their celebrations will inevitably become ugly, superficial, and false.The innumerable offenses against good taste and authentic piety afflicting so much of modern Christianity come not only from the infiltration of pernicious philosophies and ephemeral trends but also from a general retreat from the high ideals that formerly animated Christian life and expression.This has resulted in a vicious cycle that drives away more young souls with each round. At some point in the last century, it was decided by pastors and other ecclesial authorities that they could best serve the needs of the Catholic Church by watering down the faith and making it less intimidating.The heavy load that burdened Catholics — that is, the expectation of celebrating and participating in a service that was true, beautiful, and good — would be lifted, or at least lightened. In practical terms, this meant simplifying the liturgy, dumbing down the theology, and substituting superficial fashions for timeless traditions.Never has it been so easy, yet so uninspiring, to be a Christian. Besides transforming Christianity into something cheap and unattractive, the changes wrought in the name of lowering barriers effectively drained the Church of its vitality. For many Catholics, including myself, it is not so much the tacky felt banners and cheesy hymns that bother us, but the general lethargy and mediocrity that underlie such choices. Everything seems to be done out of a sense of familiarity and obligation, not a desire to make something excellent.In light of the brilliant show that I just saw at my high school, I can see all the more clearly what it is that pushes away young people from the faith. Most of them want to create something significant, but churches no longer let them do this. So many parishes have relaxed standards so much that being a practicing Christian hardly feels like anything.RELATED: The Pentagon is trying to restore the Boy Scouts to their former glory William Gottlieb/CORBIS/Corbis/Getty ImagesOlder adults contending with the challenges of raising children, making a living, and participating in their local communities might appreciate these concessions. Younger adults, however, will invariably channel their aptitudes and abundant enthusiasm to singing in a musical, playing in the marching band, or competing in a sport.Moreover, they will even cultivate a quasi-religious zeal in these endeavors. I only half-joke with my students when I tell them they are caught up in a cult. In a certain sense, they are.These extracurricular programs often determine their community and give them a raison d’être. To adults, these shows and games might be wholesome pastimes that help build character; for the students, they offer the kind of fulfillment and meaning that should be coming from their Christian faith.None of this is to argue against the existence of such programs — I hope to attend more musicals with my kids, after all — but for the restoration of these programs’ virtues in Christianity. In order to bring back the youth and reinvigorate today’s dwindling churches, pastors need to bring back the rigor required to realize the true, the good, and the beautiful.Fortunately for Christians, they have a rich tradition of art and scholarship from which to draw and apply such rigor. They only need to overcome their own misgivings and exert themselves as far as they can, doing more both inside and outside worship. Once they experience the joy and satisfaction that come out of it, they will finally understand why such traditions exist in the first place and just how wonderful is our God.