"Thou shalt rise up before the hoary head" (Lev. 19:32).
Prepared by Dr. John E. Marshall
Greene County Dynamic Pastors Conference
April 14, 2016
Three circumstances recently happened in my life that caused me to start thinking differently about people, including me, being effectively used in older life in God's service. This lesson grows out of these 3 events.
First, my health improved. I had two heart attacks and a stroke at age 51. I have not obsessed over this through the years, but it has kept me from thinking freely about my distant future. An ablation did not cure my heart, but did make it stronger. For the first time, I now think about old age, about what I want to do in my 70s and 80s. It was a new world of thought to me.
Second, I read an article that stunned me. It was about the shocking improvement in the health of older USA adults. Medicare rates have been reduced in deaths, hospitalization, and medical costs. At first, I thought the article was comparing percentages from the past with percentages from the present. I was wrong. The article was about sheer, straightforward numbers. The aging population increased in size, but its medical problems decreased.
The tallies from 1999 to 2013 are jaw dropping. Deaths fell 16%; that's 300,000 fewer deaths a year. Hospitalizations fell 24%; this is 3,000,000 fewer hospitalizations a year; 45% are less likely to die during their stay; 24% are less likely to die within a month of admission; 22% are less likely to die within a year. Cost for hospitalization patients fell 15%. Hospitals improved service, and public health advances helped. The bottom line is; people are living longer than they used to. In fact, people today will on average live 20 years longer than ones born in the 1920s. In less than a century, more years have been added to life expectancy than in all millennia before. The oldest generation did not learn how to die. They missed school that day. We have a whole different generation we were not expecting.
The generation now turning 60 is the healthiest, best-educated generation to reach this plateau. The church seems woefully unprepared for this onslaught of older people. We have emphasized reaching youth throughout the years of my ministry. We must continue to do this, but we must also do a better job of reaching and training older people. For the first time in USA history, the number of people over age 60 exceeds those under age 15. We are losing an older generation due to not being prepared for them. Other parts of our culture are getting ready for the influx. Condo builders are preparing for it, as are fancier nursing home buildings, and restaurants with their senior discounts. I notice more places are using music from my era for background music. They know where the money is.
In my youth, we thought of life as birth, education, jobs, retirement, and death. Now we have to accept a changing reality. The current paradigm is birth, education, jobs, retirement, live 20 or more years, and death.
Our older generation is "alive"! Fewer than 5% over age 65 are in a care facility. More than 80% carry out the normal activities of daily life.
Third, my Christmas messages focused on Simeon and Anna. After seeing baby Jesus, Simeon "said: Now, Master, You can dismiss Your slave in peace, according to Your word" (Luke 2:28b-29). Since these words imply he would not live much longer, we assume Simeon was elderly.
Anna was an 84-year-old widow or had been a widow 84 years (Luke 2:36b-37a). In the latter case, if she married at the usual age for marriage, 12 or so, and was widowed at age 19, she would have been 103 years old.
I like the fact that the temple welcoming committee consisted of two older saints. I had all four of my grandparents till I was 28 years old. I have always felt a close affinity for the elderly. I feel at home with older folks.
I was taught to respect my elders. I was not allowed to address an adult by only their first name. I always said, "Mr., Mrs., Brother, Sister, Uncle, Aunt, Grandpa, Grandma, etc." We have lost much of this respect for the elderly.
Youth is the new altar of fawning adoration. Some fear looking old. Don't misunderstand me; it never hurts to varnish an old barn. I caution us; don't try to look a lot younger than we are. People are more insightful than we think. I hurt for morticians who must be shocked when they see a corpse that has a 30-year-old face, but an 80-year-old body. Don't dread aging. Prepare to embrace it for God. Focus on, and master, spiritual things.
Christian greatness manifests itself through a lifetime of faithfulness in three vital areas. One, it says to pain, "I will not quit believing." The Christian not only endures pain, but also lets God use our hurts to make us better. Blows the devil hopes will discourage us often improve us instead.
Two, Christian greatness says to death, "I will not fear you." When at our best, Christians not only do not fear death, but actually celebrate what is beyond it. We go through the valley of the shadow of death, knowing that wherever there is a shadow, there has to be light on the other side casting it.
John Wesley told his brother, "Charles, our people die well." Judson said, "When Christ calls me, I shall go with the gladness of a boy bounding away from school." Dean Alford, to describe his view of the grave, had inscribed on his tombstone, "The inn of a traveller on the way to Jerusalem!"
All believers have as the option to die in joy like this. We can all have God's peace at the end. It is not the privilege of an elite few. Are we nearing the end well? Do we have peace about dying? If not, we need to find it.
Three, Christian greatness tells aging, "I will not slack off spiritually." The best of us not only don't slack off, but plan to let their last years be their best spiritual years ever. Older believers, never say you are past serving. Retirement is our chance to serve God at government expense. Paul did this when he took his missionary journey to Rome. He let Caesar pick up the tab.
Good writers fine-tune their craft by saving the best punch for the end. God wants to write His best chapter about us at the end of our book. "Let my life song sing to you," the songwriter said. May its best chords be at the end.
Let God make our last days our best days. Pray and read the Bible more than ever. Go on more mission trips. Volunteer in more ministries. We always said this is what we would do when we had more time. Let's do it.
The capstone matters. When Ruth and I arrived at New Orleans Baptist Seminary in August 1972, its beautiful chapel was stunted, having a steeple platform, but no steeple. While we were there, the steeple was added; the transformation to the building was remarkable. It looked fulfilled, like what it was supposed to look like.
I intend to use three Venn diagrams to encourage my people in how to best serve God in their mature years. They need to do well in three areas.
One, finances. Many of our folks will have to continue working after formal retirement. We need to consult financial advisors as early as possible.
Two, fitness. Physical health: right foods and exercise. Emotional health: are we bringing baggage with us into retirement? Do we have spiritual issues unresolved that bog down our service for God? Make peace with our past. Heal relationships. Ask God to forgive. Spiritual health. Bible reading. Read in Bible daily, all of Bible yearly. Pray a lot. Attend church.
Three, fun. It is ok to enjoy and own stuff. We are not necessarily called to a life of deprivation. You worked hard. It's ok to enjoy the fruit of your labors. Use flexibility to travel. Enjoy discretionary time. Spend time with family, especially grandchildren. Have leisure and hobbies such as woodworking, painting, camping, fishing, hunting, quilting, golfing. I love to read. I plan to read "War and Peace" and all the works of Shakespeare.
Where these three overlap, people can find fulfillment. Help them find what they can afford to do, what they're able to do, and what they like to do.
A drastic change is not necessarily required. Help our people to use these fun interests as ministry. For instance, RV groups do disaster relief. Encourage doing these things with unbelievers.
They want flexible schedules. Short-term commitments. Short-term mission trips are excellent experimental grounds. Shared responsibilities.
Simeon and Anna had white hair, wrinkled faces, and trembling hands, but also had inner beauty that could not be hidden, a loveliness that wore well. Our sun is a good illustration here. Sometimes when the sun is setting it seems to suddenly linger, and hover on the horizon for a while.
Since the day is essentially done, the sun's only purpose at this point seems to be to show off how pretty it can be, and how beautiful its rays can make Nature. Its loveliness makes things in the path of its rays beautiful.
Similarly, as the sun occasionally lingers on the horizon to show off its beauty, God sometimes lets beautiful lives be extended. Most of their years of labor are finished, but God lets them linger in order that people may continue to look on their beautiful lives. I pray this will be the case for us.
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