One of my pet peeves is “old people” saying “let the younger people do it. I’ve paid my dues,” like serving God is burdensome. Also, the younger generation cannot do the work if they have not been taught. We all slow down as we get older, so we need to share our experience in order to teach others what we do. The church can be lost without the wisdom and experience of older members, just as it will die without young people.
You nailed it. As I have gotten older, I find that when my peers start a convo with, "Back in my day..." or "When I was their age..."
I find my eyes kinda glaze over, I remember my "glory years" quite well. They werent that glorious, and in hindsight I screwed stuff up enough for multiple lifetimes.
The scars are earned and deserved, the memories priceless.
Would I ever want to go back and do it again...Absolutely not.
Not sure I how I survive some of my stupid the first time...
I’m sliding into that older group (late 50s) myself. Sometimes it’s kind of scary to realize the responsibility that comes with age and experience. It’s a lot easier to lean on those in charge (mostly by virtue of age) and to gripe about their failures, blindness, obsolescence than to graciously pick up the mantle and offer help, wisdom from experience, and encouragement to those who are still in the process of figuring out life. What we don’t need to do is denigrate younger people, mock their ignorance, and roll our eyes at them, as tempting as that sometimes may be. Thanks for your thoughtful post.
I've been blessed by the older adults in our church, especially some of the older ladies in Bible study. They have such wisdom! And they are just great people besides. Some of our older adults have taken on mentorship role with our youth, and it is great to see. We need more like that!
Well-spoken, Jack. Laughing a bit...almost my entire small Foursquare church is Elders, at least 60 and older, with three members 90 and older! I am 72, filled with the vast wisdom of having been face-down in the mud many many times. I came back from 35 years as a Prodigal and that is much of what I myself write about. Getting old is tough, no lie there...but learning from the sorrow is paramount and we share what we can, to any who will listen. Youth does not want to listen to age and age does not want to listen to youth. Age was once young...and young will get old. There is the balance of all this and we live for Eternity. Thank you, Jack!
One of my pet peeves is “old people” saying “let the younger people do it. I’ve paid my dues,” like serving God is burdensome. Also, the younger generation cannot do the work if they have not been taught. We all slow down as we get older, so we need to share our experience in order to teach others what we do. The church can be lost without the wisdom and experience of older members, just as it will die without young people.
That attitude could easily be described as Christian *retirement*, that is, I deserve to do only what I want to do when I want to do it.
Yes, that is an accurate term to describe it.
You nailed it. As I have gotten older, I find that when my peers start a convo with, "Back in my day..." or "When I was their age..."
I find my eyes kinda glaze over, I remember my "glory years" quite well. They werent that glorious, and in hindsight I screwed stuff up enough for multiple lifetimes.
The scars are earned and deserved, the memories priceless.
Would I ever want to go back and do it again...Absolutely not.
Not sure I how I survive some of my stupid the first time...
I’m sliding into that older group (late 50s) myself. Sometimes it’s kind of scary to realize the responsibility that comes with age and experience. It’s a lot easier to lean on those in charge (mostly by virtue of age) and to gripe about their failures, blindness, obsolescence than to graciously pick up the mantle and offer help, wisdom from experience, and encouragement to those who are still in the process of figuring out life. What we don’t need to do is denigrate younger people, mock their ignorance, and roll our eyes at them, as tempting as that sometimes may be. Thanks for your thoughtful post.
I've been blessed by the older adults in our church, especially some of the older ladies in Bible study. They have such wisdom! And they are just great people besides. Some of our older adults have taken on mentorship role with our youth, and it is great to see. We need more like that!
Old guys rule!
Only when you live long enough to tell the story
Well… there is that…
Well-spoken, Jack. Laughing a bit...almost my entire small Foursquare church is Elders, at least 60 and older, with three members 90 and older! I am 72, filled with the vast wisdom of having been face-down in the mud many many times. I came back from 35 years as a Prodigal and that is much of what I myself write about. Getting old is tough, no lie there...but learning from the sorrow is paramount and we share what we can, to any who will listen. Youth does not want to listen to age and age does not want to listen to youth. Age was once young...and young will get old. There is the balance of all this and we live for Eternity. Thank you, Jack!