If I haven’t said it enough before, I’ll say it again – I love my church family! In recent days, I came to learn that (as long as my math is right) about half of our congregation’s members are comprised of those who are ages 60 and older. That was a staggering number to me at first, but then in the next moment I began to think to myself, “What a privilege!” How many churches can say that? What a goldmine of wisdom and experience that is represented in this demographic of our community of faith at Erlanger Baptist Church.
I bring this up, because I feel like the older generation of believers in many churches do not seem to have the voice they once had. Some modern models of church growth and planting have specifically ignored this great group of saints all in the name of reaching the millennial generation. While I appreciate people caring about MY generation and it’s need for the Gospel, do we not commit the greater crime by ignoring the generations that helped get us to this moment?
Even our secular culture can be disdainful towards those older and perhaps even more feeble than we are. They are insignificant, in the way, and in some extreme philosophies of thinking, a burden on society. How reprehensible! How awful that we would be so quick to write off those who do not have the same vigor, mental stamina, or physical prowess as those much younger? Why do we do this? I ask, because as I see it (and Scripture confirms this) we are ignoring what is one of our greatest assets in life, and in our spiritual journey.
Enter Proverbs 16:31. It says, “Gray hair is a crown of glory; it is gained in a righteous life.” Contrary to what culture may say, our senior saints are a vital asset to the Church, to culture, and to our lives personally. God’s Word tells us that one of the obvious signs of aging (the gray hair) is a gift, yes, a gift from God to those who have been on this earth longer than us. Ephesians 6 reminds us that old age is a reward for obedience to God and to our parents while on this earth.
Encouragingly, some cultures did see these people as important and they were given great and honorable respect among the people. In fact, in Roman culture, older people were treated with greater respect than those who were wealthy or in great seats of power. Many of the older generation were revered almost to the point of being gods by the younger generation. It pains me to see that this is not the case in our culture today, and even in our church culture.
We who are younger need to be reminded that the grey hair, the white locks of older age are “a great honor and ornament, as it is a singular blessing of God, a token of great experience and prudence” (from Matthew Poole commentary). The older generation have so many things to share with those of us who have not lived those years of life yet – so many stories to be told, so many testimonies of God’s grace and power in their lives, so many experiences (both good and bad) along their life’s journey.
I’ve learned in recent years to be especially thankful for the older generation in my church. I love to hear them talk about things they have done, what they have witnessed in history with their own eyes, how they have seen the cultural shift take place over the years, as well as all the wise insights they have gleaned from trial and error and those who have gone before them.
But what I enjoy most is hearing them speak about God’s amazing grace – His grace in their salvation, His grace in their darkest moments, His grace in their times of joy, and His grace in the life of their church. Nothing, I believe, compares to these true stories of bragging on God. Like the song we have been singing says, “As saints of old still line the way, retelling triumphs of His grace, we hear their call, and hunger for the day when with Christ we stand in glory.”
As a worship pastor, I praise God that the color of the heads in our congregation is not limited to blonde, brown, black and red. I feel privileged to be able to worship with those who have seen God’s work first-hand in ways that I have yet to experience. Senior saints of EBC, you have my respect, and my thanks, but most of all, I love you all dearly! Friends, thank God for our senior saints! Take a moment today and “consider these things.“
erlangerbaptist.wordpress.com 