Todays Foolish, Foolish Church
As I started writing this post I planned to continue the series The You You Are. But during my Quiet Time God spoke to me a different topic. I strongly believe in obeying God’s whispers those moments when He nudges my mind or heart to do something specific. Whenever Ive obeyed one Ive experienced amazing blessings; in fact, it makes me wonder how many blessings Ive missed when I didnt obey.
I was reading about Simeon and Anna in Luke 2:25-40. Simeon was an OLD man who was righteous and devout. God had revealed to Simeon that he would see the Messiah before he died. Anna was a prophetess who was VERY OLD and worshipped God day and night at the temple. Each of them was present in the temple courts when Mary and Joseph brought their infant son Jesus to be dedicated. Each immediately recognized Jesus was the Messiah, and each spoke a prophetic word and a blessing to the child.
Did you catch the part about Simeon and Anna being OLD? Yet God gave them an extraordinary assignment to confirm the identity of the baby Jesus as the long-awaited Messiah. Standing in the temple courts, surrounded by a sea of people present for the Passover, these two OLD people placed their stamp of authenticity on Jesus. And in their culture, because they were OLD, their prophecies carried far greater weight due to their broader life experience.
Now consider todays Church in the United States. Like our society, the church places a high value on youth and neglects the contributions of the elderly. Many churches unconsciously put senior saints out to pasture preferring to focus their resources on the younger generation. How FOOLISH the Church is to not capitalize on the vast experience, maturity, and wisdom of its older members. Dont misunderstand me. I agree that our youth are the church of tomorrow and should be a major priority of the Church. But don’t neglect those who built up the church!
Most of the rest of the world reveres the elderly who are held in high esteem with deep respect. I witnessed this firsthand in Angola, Africa. Whenever a village faces a major issue they come together for a community meeting. All residents are given the opportunity to present their viewpoint on the issue beginning with the oldest person. The remaining villagers speak in order by age until the very youngest person is allowed to speak. Guess which viewpoint prevails?
Now compare that to todays church. In many churches the full-time staff tends to be in their 20s and 30s. They are full of vim and vigor, ideas and opportunities, and hopes and dreams. But when church leaders are under 40, their leadership is based on a much more limited life experience. They simply don’t have a panoramic view of the challenges of life through its various phases. As someone has said, If theres mist in the pulpit, there will be fog in the pew.
What todays church desperately needs is an intentional and ongoing program of inter-generational spiritual mentoring. Older mature believers must mentor younger emerging spiritual leaders. The older generation can provide helpful advice, serve as a sounding board, recommend useful resources, and support the ministry of the younger generation. But the benefits go both ways. Young people have boundless energy and enthusiasm that tends to fade as people age. Consequently, the passion of youth for ministry tends to rekindle the eagerness of their elders to serve faithfully until God calls them home.
I turned 60 years old this week. Time seems to pick up speed with each passing year. I want to make the most of my remaining time on earth to serve Christ with all my heart. Today Ive decided to talk to a young staff member at my church about beginning a mentoring relationship. The idea is to meet periodically over coffee and talk about our lives and ministries. I plan to let him set the agenda based on his needs and not my interests. I look forward to building into the next generation in a more intentional way.
What about you? If youre 50 or older, ask God to put a younger person on your heart to initiate a mentoring relationship. If youre younger, then ask God to direct you to someone older who can serve as your spiritual mentor.
The time is short. The need is now. The person is you. Move out in faith.
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