What is this? “Today people are living longer and enjoying better health. Given that fact, it would be wise to gather from their wisdom and value their talent.” This quote comes from a devotion an older man in my congregation handed me. It was quite appropriate, as the two of us were at his home having a lively discussion as to how we might utilize his teaching gifts, ministry, and life experience at our church. He said he’d read that devotion and decided to inquire. Of course, I was all over that. We are looking to teach a class during Lent together, “Growing Old in Christ”. One of my favorite Clint Eastwood movies is “Gran Torino” where Clint is not Dirty Harry or the mysterious stranger in a lonely Western town. No, in “Gran Torino” he is a blustery old man with a bad attitude who gets weary of being patronized by his young priest. He’s annoyed by those who don’t take him seriously. In my church work, that Clint personifies the frustration many seniors feel these days.
What does this mean? In the churches I’ve served, I am constantly amazed by the strength, stability, and sage wisdom present in our veteran saints. As I make the rounds at Peninsula, couples say I’ve been married sixty-plus years while others talk of care-giving their spouses through years of Alzheimer or cancer. Talk about perseverance! Sure, some are tired. They have a right to be tired, they’ve been working hard for many decades. And their memory isn’t as sharp. I always say that older folks have a larger library of memories they must retrieve from than I do. All this you may realize and appreciate. What I am not sure most of us get is how fiery, how weary our elders get from being patronized, and how annoying it is to not be taken seriously. My father, age 83, says he doesn’t like feeling irrelevant these days. This is a man whose always been charismatic, admired, highly successful in business, and the life of the party, at least, from his children’s perspective.
What is the takeaway? I wonder if the Holy Spirit will find a way to channel that one-two punch of fire and faithfulness to reinvigorate the church. Could it be that God of the Church will tap that militant, robust energy and focus that need to use what God has given you to reignite the church? That is my prayer for Peninsula. One of my favorite authors is blunt, “You are not done until you are dead”. God does have a long history of selecting seniors for his service. Noah and Moses were ancient when they went into the ministry. Abraham and Sara were on Medicare when baby Isaac showed up so they could all laugh it up with the Almighty. Old Simeon is the one dude who knows what’s going on when baby Jesus is passed around the temple. Taking the baby Jesus in his arms, Simeon declares, “Sovereign Lord, as you have promised. My eyes have seen your salvation which you have prepared for all the people”. There is something in there about the call for all our seniors. Until Jesus calls you home, along with young people like me (age 56), our eyes have seen, and experienced the great salvation. So keep testifying. We’re not done, until we’re dead.
Pastor Chuck's Takeaway 