Unknown Apostles, Pastor Joshua Noah - May 17, 2015

May 17, 2015

Unknown Apostles

Pastor Joshua Noah

Here we are, with the eleven remaining disciples – now deemed Apostles by Christ, in this awkward time between the Ascension and Pentecost. Jesus has left the earth – just suddenly lifted up into the sky – but not before he tells the Apostles to wait. Wait until they receive power from on high.

So what do the Apostles do? They do what any people would do, they grow impatient and get to work right away. People are not good at waiting. Just ask anyone waiting in a doctor’s office. And anyone who has ever waited for God to act, waiting is simply impossible. Because time doesn’t pass for God like it does for us. And because time is flexible, it always passes by much more slowly when you are waiting on something, yet seems to fly away when you are having fun.

So like good Presbyterians, the impatient apostles form the first ANC – Apostle Nominating Committee. And together they begin composing their AIF – Apostle Information Form.

On their form, they list the following requirements to be their next apostle: 1) the person must know Jesus personally from the time of his baptism till his ascension, 2) the person must be a witness to the resurrection, and 3) the person must be a man. Yes, a man. Despite the fact that the women who followed Jesus were the ones who did all the cooking and the cleaning. Despite the fact that the women were the ones who financially supported Jesus’ ministry. Despite the fact that the women were the only ones who never abandoned Jesus – even following him all the way to his crucifixion at Calvary while all the male disciples scurried away in fear. Despite the fact that the women were the first ones to proclaim the gospel message that, “The tomb is empty! Jesus is alive!” Despite all that, maleness was a requirement to be the next apostle. Perhaps the apostles were not such good Presbyterians after all.

So the apostles post their AIF and the search for candidates who meet the requirements begins – reading over the 120 Disciple Information Forms that came their way. Two candidates are found – Joseph (who also goes by the name Barsabbas and sometimes Justus) and Matthais. So the ANC is stuck choosing between these two candidates. Both seem equally qualified. Both personally knew Jesus. Both walked with Jesus. Both witnessed to the resurrection. Both are men! How does the ANC – the 11 remaining Apostles – know which person to choose to be the next Apostle? The person who is to be sent out to witness to Christ’s resurrection to all of the world. The person who is to grow the Kingdom of God and share the faith of following Jesus Christ. The person upon whose shoulders the work of Christ is to continue? Not knowing of any better way to choose the right person, the Apostles prayed to Christ – understanding that only Christ truly knows the hearts of all people – and they roll the dice! They cast lots. And the lot falls on Matthais – making him the newest Apostle and restoring them to back to their rightful number of Twelve. All is good with the world.

And yet…that is the last time we ever hear of Matthais. Never again is the name Matthais mentioned in scripture. Neither do we hear of Jospeh/Barsabbas/Justus. There are later Church traditions that speak of Matthais’ life outside of the scriptures. There are even mentions of a lost Gospel of Matthais throughout church history. But we never hear of Matthais again. Of course, there are a LOT of Jesus’ followers who are never mentioned by name – especially the women. And yet, the gospel spreads throughout the world, not just because of the actions of the Twelve, of those who actually get their name in scripture. The gospel message spreads – and the Christian faith grows throughout the world – because of so many unknown apostles of Jesus Christ.

She was born in 1930 – one of 17 children of a Southern Baptist minister and his wife in rural Alabama. She literally grew up in the church – spending days on end in the church helping with church events, attending Sunday School classes, listening to her father give sermon after sermon. As she grew older, graduated high school, and got married, being a follower of Christ was at the center of her identity. Having Christ in her life was important because of the many struggles she faced early in her married life – her husband fought in the Korean Conflict while she lived along with her children in San Antonio, Texas – a two day bus ride away from her nearest family. After the conflict, as her husband’s health deteriorated from diabetes – a diagnosis he received upon entering the military – she had to work multiple jobs to support her family of three children – working mostly as a cake decorator in a local bakery. When her husband died almost 30 years ago, she managed to keep going on because of her faith in Christ. More than anything, she was unafraid and unashamed to let others know that she was a follower of Jesus. She had known Jesus personally since the day of her own baptism. She continually witnessed to the power of Jesus’ resurrection – especially the power of forgiveness that comes from the resurrection. As such, she taught her own children and grandchildren the importance of forgiveness. Of loving and forgiving others, even when they hurt you.

We often forget about these people. These unknown apostles. We forget about them because we encounter them every day. In our day-to-day lives. As we run our errands. As we shop in the grocery store. As we sit at the lunch counter at the diner. They are neighbors, teachers, waitresses, cashiers, sales clerks, friends, even relatives. We don’t always think about the ways in which they have shared the Gospel with us, because they often do so through their actions – through their unconditional love, their great generosity, and their radical hospitality.

The unknown apostle of our story always modeled unconditional love, great generosity, and radical hospitality. When she retired from the bakery, though she made very little, she made sure that every one of her family and friends had what they needed first – new clothes, tuition for school, sometimes even food, formula, and diapers. And she always tithed her 10% to her church. People of all ages were welcome in her home. Whenever her grandchildren spent the night, they slept on a pallet of blankets on the floor beside her bed. And she would recite with them the bedtime prayer that she taught them, “Now I lay me down to sleep. I pray the Lord my soul to keep. If I should die before I wake, I pray the Lord my soul to take.” She never turned anyone away, and even raised one of her own grandchildren. Her grace and mercy earned her the respect of all generations among her family and friends. And when her youngest granddaughter became pregnant as a teenager, the girl didn’t go to her own mother first – out of fear of judgment and shame – she went to her grandmother first, knowing that she would receive unconditional love. And love her unconditionally her grandmother did, along with the great-grandson that arrived soon afterward.

These unknown apostles often taught us more about faith than any preacher or bible study ever did. They taught us the faith of Jesus Christ not just with words, but with their very lives! They showed us that faith and good works are connected. That good works are a joyful response to the gift of grace offered to us freely through Jesus Christ. And they taught us how to live out that faith by living it themselves. They taught us to pray by praying for us when that’s all they could do. They taught us to be generous by being generous to us when we need it the most. They taught us the importance of grace by showing us grace when we deserved nothing but judgment. They taught us how to love by loving us when we were completely unlovable.

For one grandchild, this unknown apostle demonstrated the power of Christ to transform lives. Her grandson struggled with his faith throughout much of his young life. As a young adolescent, he felt the Southern Baptist Church he attended was full of judgment and hypocrisy. Eventually walking away from the church, and from God altogether. But she stuck by him in his faith struggles. Never passed judgment upon him. Never told him he was wrong. Never told him that he was condemned to hell if he didn’t believe. She just continued to show him the love and faith that Christ has always shown her all her life. And most importantly, she prayed for him constantly. Eventually, her grandson met an amazing woman in college – a Presbyterian elder – with whom he would share stories of faith and doubt. A woman he later married. They had children together. At 26, he was baptized, along with his newborn son, and joined his wife’s home Presbyterian church. As time went on, the unknown apostle’s grandson would feel the Holy Spirit’s call to ministry, go to seminary, and eventually end up the pastor of a small town church in Missouri called Grace Presbyterian Church. This unknown apostle of Christ is named Katherine McCullars, but I just call her Nana, and her once lost grandson stands before you today as your next pastor. A lost soul who found his way back to the faith thanks to the power of Jesus Christ through the witness of unknown apostles.

Rarely do we read about these unknown apostles in the newspaper or in books or on our Facebook feeds. Rarely do we hear about these unknown apostles on the television or the radio. And we never read about these unknown apostles in the scriptures – because frankly nearly all of them lived after the time the scriptures were written. Yet how do we know about them? How do we know that these apostles even exist? We know them because we wouldn’t be sitting here today without them! We know them because we probably still have a relationship with them. We know them because we still hear their words within our hearts. When we face difficult times, periods of change, moments of uncertainty, the words of these apostles and the way they lived their Christian faith surfaces within the memories of our hearts. They remind us not only of our faith in God, but of God’s faith in us. That God sent Christ into the world, not to condemn the world, but to save the world. That we are part of the God’s great plan to bring about the Kingdom into the here and now. That by the Holy Spirit, we can live in the hope that God always has a greater plan for us. That even when we journey through life’s dark valleys, we are never alone, for Christ walks alongside us – weeping with us when we cry, comforting us when we are lost, rejoicing with us when we emerge on the other side.

It makes me wonder. I wonder who are the unknown apostles in your life? I wonder how they taught you the faith of Christ? I wonder who is the voice that speaks in the memory of your heart when you struggle? Let’s take some time to wonder about that. And then let’s share some stories of unknown apostles. Of people through whom God worked to bring you here today. Who has a story about the influence of an unknown apostle in their life….and everyone has a story. Our lives are composed of stories!

 

Acts 1:15-17, 21-26

¹⁵ In those days Peter stood up among the believers^[a] (together the crowd numbered about one hundred twenty persons) and said, ¹⁶ “Friends,^[b] the scripture had to be fulfilled, which the Holy Spirit through David foretold concerning Judas, who became a guide for those who arrested Jesus— ¹⁷ for he was numbered among us and was allotted his share in this ministry.”

²¹ So one of the men who have accompanied us during all the time that the Lord Jesus went in and out among us, ²² beginning from the baptism of John until the day when he was taken up from us—one of these must become a witness with us to his resurrection.” ²³ So they proposed two, Joseph called Barsabbas, who was also known as Justus, and Matthias. ²⁴ Then they prayed and said, “Lord, you know everyone’s heart. Show us which one of these two you have chosen ²⁵ to take the place^[a] in this ministry and apostleship from which Judas turned aside to go to his own place.” ²⁶ And they cast lots for them, and the lot fell on Matthias; and he was added to the eleven apostles.

 

Luke 24:44-53

⁴⁴ Then he said to them, “These are my words that I spoke to you while I was still with you—that everything written about me in the law of Moses, the prophets, and the psalms must be fulfilled.” ⁴⁵ Then he opened their minds to understand the scriptures, ⁴⁶ and he said to them, “Thus it is written, that the Messiah^[a] is to suffer and to rise from the dead on the third day, ⁴⁷ and that repentance and forgiveness of sins is to be proclaimed in his name to all nations, beginning from Jerusalem. ⁴⁸ You are witnesses^[b] of these things.⁴⁹ And see, I am sending upon you what my Father promised; so stay here in the city until you have been clothed with power from on high.”

⁵⁰ Then he led them out as far as Bethany, and, lifting up his hands, he blessed them. ⁵¹ While he was blessing them, he withdrew from them and was carried up into heaven.^[c] 52 And they worshiped him, and^[d] returned to Jerusalem with great joy; ⁵³ and they were continually in the temple blessing God.^[e]

Tale of Two Mothers, May 10, 2015

Tale of Two Mothers

Mother’s Day

Exodus 2:1-10, 2 Timothy 1:1-7

May 10, 2015

Grace Presbyterian Church

Rev. Dr. Richard E. Miller

 

Happy Mother’s Day  First of all, I want to wish each of you a happy Mother’s Day since even if you’re not a mother, you have or had a mother. Many thoughts have been written about mothers, but one of the best is from Erma Bombeck. In her book, "Motherhood - the Second Oldest Profession" she writes; "I have always felt that too much time was given before birth, which is spent learning things like how to breathe in and out with your husband (I had my baby when they gave you a shot in the hip and you didn’t wake up until the child was ready to start school), and not enough time is given to how to mother after the baby is born. Motherhood is an art. And it is naive to send a mother into the arena for 20 years with a child and expect her to come out on top. Everything is in the child’s favor. He’s little, he’s cute and he can turn tears on and off like a faucet.”

Another person said that mothers are amazing! They can manage serious problems while remaining cheerful, loving and joyous. They smile when they want to cry out, sing when they want to shed tears, cry when they are happy, and laugh when they are nervous. They battle for what they believe in, rebel against injustice, and do not accept no for an answer when they believe there is a better solution. They love unconditionally. Their hearts are bruised when a friend dies. They are strong when they think they have no more energy. They know that a hug and a kiss can heal a broken heart. However, a mother does have one blind spot - she forgets what she’s worth.

Ann Jarvis One person who never forget what her mother was worth was Ann Jarvis. When twelve years old, she heard her mother, Ann Marie, say that she wished one day a year be dedicated to the celebration of mothers across the nation.

So in 1914, she spearheaded a campaign to help persuade U.S. president Woodrow Wilson to set aside the second Sunday in May as a national day to recognize mothers. She orchestrated a letter-writing campaign to Wilson, lobbied influential politicians and clergymen and distributed brochures arguing the importance of a national day for mothers. However, her greatest regret was that Mother’s Day became so commercialized with the sale of flowers, candy and cards. Examples of what disturbed her are such facts that  Mother’s Day has become the third largest greeting card holiday of the year. Hallmark estimates that 150 million Mother’s Day cards will be sent this year, 50% more than on Father’s Day. It is said that Americans spend an average of $105 on Mother’s Day gifts. The phone rings more often on Mother’s day than Father’s day, but more collect calls on Father’s day. The busiest day of the year at car washes? The Saturday before Mother’s Day.

Tale of Two Mothers I think Ann Jarvis would have been delighted with Jochebed and Eunice. Who are they? Two mothers in the Bible who fulfilled their role of motherhood admirably.

Jochebed was the mother of Moses, Miriam and Aaron [Exodus 6:20], and Eunice was the mother of Timothy [2 Timothy 1-7].

Jochebed First, let’s look at Jochebed whose name means “Yahweh is glory.” Jochebed lived in Egypt where her people were slaves. Yet she gave birth to a political dynasty. Her first born, Miriam, became a great prophetess. Her son Aaron became the first High Priest of the Israelite nation. And her third child, Moses, ended up leading the Israelites to freedom from over 400 years of Egyptian slavery and then received the Ten Commandments from God.

Kennedy If living today, Jochebed might be compared to Rose Kennedy, the matriarch who gave birth to Joseph, a distinguished Navy Pilot, John, the 35th President of the United States, Robert, the Attorney General, and Ted, the long time Senator from Massachusetts. From 1947 to 2009 when Ted Kennedy died, there was a 62-year run of Rose Kennedy’s children holding an elective office in Washington.

Bush  Or perhaps Jochebed could be likened to Dorothy Walker Bush, mother of President George Herbert Walker Bush and grandmother of President George Walker Bush and former Florida Governor Jeb Bush.

Birth of Moses It is in the birth of her son, Moses, that Jochebed’s mothering talents surface. It is a story familiar to us all. Because Pharaoh felt threatened by the increasing numbers of Israelites being born, and realized that the Israelites now outnumbered the Egyptians, he issued an edict that every son born to the Hebrews must be cast into the Nile River. [Exodus 1:22] After Moses was born, Jochebed kept him hidden from the authorities for three months. However, when she could hide him no longer, she carried out a daring plan to save her son. She made a basket out of bulrushes, waterproofed it, put Moses in the basket and placed it among the reeds at the edge of the river right where the Pharaoh’s daughter came to bathe. She then had her daughter Miriam watch to see what would happen. When Pharaoh’s daughter found Moses, he was crying and she had pity on him. Miriam stepped forward and asked if she would like her to get a Hebrew woman to nurse the baby for her. This was agreeable to Pharaoh’s daughter so Miriam ran and brought back Jochebed who ended up nursing her own son. When older, Moses was returned to Pharaoh’s daughter who raised him as her son. So Jochebed, in a very creative way, saved her son from certain death by placing him in the hands of the daughter of the man who vowed to kill him.        

 

Lois and Eunice  The other mother I’d like to highlight is that Eunice, who’s name means “Joyous Victory.” Eunice was the mother of Timothy. Timothy, like many of us, was born into a Christian family. Not only was his mother, Eunice, a Christian, so was his grandmother, Lois. And since their husbands were non-believers, the two women played a major role in raising Timothy in the Christian faith. And according to Paul, the training started young. In Paul’s letter to Timothy, he writes, “I am reminded of your sincere faith, a faith that dwelt first in your grandmother Lois and your mother Eunice and now, I am sure, dwell in you.” [2 Timothy 1:5] “Continue in what you have learned and have firmly believed, knowing from whom you learned it and how from childhood you have been acquainted with the sacred writings which are able to instruct you for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus.” [2 Timothy 3:14-15] Paul called Timothy’s faith which he had received from his mother and grandmother “sincere.” The Greek word from which this is translated means real, genuine, and without hypocrisy.

No doubt Lois and Eunice were heeding these words from Deuteronomy: “You shall therefore lay up these words of mine in your heart and in your soul; and you shall bind them as a sign upon your hand, and they shall be as frontlets between your eyes. And you shall teach them to your children, talking of them when you are sitting in your house, and when you are walking by the way and when you lie down and when you rise.” [Deuteronomy 11:18-19] Thus, Lois and Eunice taught Timothy the stories of the scriptures and instilled within him the words of the prophets and the psalmists. It is estimated that Timothy was fifteen years of age when he left his mother and grandmother to go with Paul and Silas to preach the gospel. As they said good-bye, I’m sure they were both proud God was going to use him in such a wonderful way, and also filled with sadness in his leaving home at such an early age.

Reflections As we look back at the mother of Moses and the mother of Timothy, we find that they each taught their son the faith of his parents and grandparents. And each boy grew up to serve God in very special ways. I know that some of us can relate to this, having been raised in a Christian home. I can’t remember not hearing about Jesus and God’s love. At the same time, some of you were not raised in a religious home and never went to church while growing up. However, because we have accepted Christ into our hearts, all of us can exert a spiritual influence upon children, either our own, or our grandchildren, or those in our Sunday School. As we do this, we are planting seeds of faith in their hearts. I know that some of you had your child baptized, watched them confirmed, made sure they were in Sunday School every week, and yet now that they’re grown, they never attend any church. This can be heartbreaking for you I’m sure.

The Seeds of Faith are Planted  All that can be done is to remember that you planted the seeds of faith. You carried out your responsibility with your child. But remember, sometimes it takes a while for the seeds of faith to sprout and bear fruit before your loved ones return to church. In the meantime, what do you do? You pray for them. It is said that Susannah Wesley, mother of John and Charles Wesley spent one hour each day praying for her 17 children. It is said that children who know their mother and father are praying for them feel the power of God’s Spirit in their lives. As we pray for God’s Spirit to surround and infuse our children with love, we also must accept the fact that not everything in our children’s faith journey depends upon us.

Other Christians come along at the right moment in life and the child suddenly “sees the light” and comes to Christ. That’s one reason why we have the church. An old African proverb states, “It takes a village to raise a child.” Who are members of the village? Sometimes it’s the extended family. Sometimes it’s a congregation such as ours. When children are baptized, you are asked: “Do you, the members of this congregation, and in the name of the whole church universal, join these parents in the Christian nurture of their children that in due time they may accept Christ Jesus as their Lord and Savior?” When you answered “we do” you became a village helping the parents raise their children in the faith.

Not easy living in a Family  However, as important as families are, it's not always easy growing up in one. The story is told of a small girl looking at a family photograph. She noticed her mom and dad and two brothers, but didn't see herself. So she asked her mother, "Where am I?" The mother smiled and replied "Honey, you weren't born yet." "What does that mean?" the little girl asked. The mother tried to explain, but the little girl still didn't understand. The discussion went back and forth for several minutes until her mother, plainly exasperated, said "You weren't in the picture because you were still in heaven!"  The little girl, equally exasperated, replied "Well, one thing’s for sure, I'm not there now!"

On-the-Job Training  Because all family members are unique, parenting is basically on-the-job training.  When actor Robert Young was starring in "Father Knows Best," his teenage daughter asked him, "Dad, how come each week on television you solve the most difficult family problems imaginable, and yet at home you seem so stupid?"  Robert Young laughed and replied, "Well, honey, at the studio I have good script writers."  

Times Change   One reason why parenting is on-the-job training is that our children and youth live in a very different world than when we were growing up. Seventy years ago, the three top disciplinary problems in high school were talking out of turn, chewing gum and running in the hall. The greatest fears of children were animals, dark rooms, strangers, high places, and loud voices. Today they're parental divorce, terrorism at school, being left alone, and bullies on the bus and playground. The need for all of us to discover a solid sense of identity is vital in a world that is changing so much, so often.   

Mother’s and families can provide a part of that solid identity. So whether or not our mothers are with us this day or not, let us always give thanks to God for their positive influence that helped shape our faith, our morals, and our character. As one person put it, “My mom is a never ending song in my heart of comfort, happiness, and being. I may sometimes forget the words, but I always remember the tune.” [Graycie Harmon] Amen.

 

Exodus 2:1-10 NRSV

Now a man from the house of Levi went and married a Levite woman. The woman conceived and bore a son; and when she saw that he was a fine baby, she hid him for three months. When she could hide him no longer she got a papyrus basket for him, and plastered it with bitumen and pitch; she put the child in it and placed it among the reeds on the bank of the river. His sister stood at a distance, to see what would happen to him.

 The daughter of Pharaoh came down to bathe at the river, while her attendants walked beside the river. She saw the basket among the reeds and sent her maid to bring it. When she opened it, she saw the child. He was crying, and she took pity on him. ‘This must be one of the Hebrews’ children,’ she said. Then his sister said to Pharaoh’s daughter, ‘Shall I go and get you a nurse from the Hebrew women to nurse the child for you?’ Pharaoh’s daughter said to her, ‘Yes.’ So the girl went and called the child’s mother. Pharaoh’s daughter said to her, ‘Take this child and nurse it for me, and I will give you your wages.’ So the woman took the child and nursed it. When the child grew up, she brought him to Pharaoh’s daughter, and she took him as her son. She named him Moses, ‘because’, she said, ‘I drew him out of the water.’

2 Timothy 1:1-7 NRSV

 

Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God, for the sake of the promise of life that is in Christ Jesus,

 To Timothy, my beloved child:

Grace, mercy, and peace from God the Father and Christ Jesus our Lord.

 I am grateful to God—whom I worship with a clear conscience, as my ancestors did—when I remember you constantly in my prayers night and day. Recalling your tears, I long to see you so that I may be filled with joy. I am reminded of your sincere faith, a faith that lived first in your grandmother Lois and your mother Eunice and now, I am sure, lives in you. For this reason I remind you to rekindle the gift of God that is within you through the laying on of my hands; for God did not give us a spirit of cowardice, but rather a spirit of power and of love and of self-discipline.

 

There Comes A Time, May 3, 2015

T h e r e C o m e s A T i m e

Psalm 92:1-5, 12-15, 2 Timothy 4:1-8

May 3, 2015

Grace Presbyterian Church

Rev. Dr. Richard E. Miller

 

Registering for Gifts  Jacob, aged 85, and Rebecca, 79, are all excited about their decision to get married. They go for a stroll to discuss the wedding and pass a drugstore. Jacob suggests they go in. He goes over the pharmacist and asks:

"Are you the owner?" Pharmacist: "Yes."

Jacob: "Do you sell heart medication?" Pharmacist: "Of course we do."

Jacob: "How about medicine for circulation?" Pharmacist: "All kinds."

Jacob: "Medicine for rheumatism?" Pharmacist: "Definitely."

Jacob: "Medicine for memory?" Pharmacist: "Yes, a large variety."

Jacob: "What about vitamins and sleeping pills?" Pharmacist: "Absolutely."

Jacob: "Perfect! We'd like to register here for our wedding gifts."

 

Older Adult Week  Today is the beginning of Older Adult Week in the Presbyterian Church. All over our denomination, sermons are being preached about older adults and growing older. As a part of the observation, the presbytery will hold its annual Celebration on Aging this Wednesday at the First Presbyterian Church in Granite City. Each church in the presbytery selects a person or a couple to be honored for the many accomplishments and contributions to their congregation. This year, Grace has chosen Ginny and Dale Wooldridge as their honorees.

 

If You Live Long Enough  So how do you know when you’ve become an older adult and can be honored like Ginny and Dale?

• There comes a time, if you live long enough, when all of a sudden you notice that people are calling you ma'am or sir, and they're whispering to one another, "He looks pretty good for his age, doesn’t he?"
• There comes a time, if you live long enough, when you realize with a start that you are eligible for senior citizen discounts.
• There comes a time, if you live long enough, when the clothing, toys and furniture you had as a child are now considered collectibles and antiques.
• There comes a time, if you live long enough, when your knees buckle, but your belt won’t; when you get winded playing chess; and when you sit in a rocking chair and can’t make it go.
• There comes a time when your high school classmates are so gray, wrinkled and bald, they don't recognize you.
  If some of these statement apply to you, I would ask you this: “How do you feel about getting older? About getting old? About being old?” In our teens, we feel as though we are immortal and that we’ll live forever. And we had definite ideas about age.
  I remember when I was ten, I thought twenty was old. In my twenties, I thought forty was old. And in my forties, I thought sixty was the end of the line.
  Now I feel that sixty is young. And twenty year olds are really young! But no matter what age we might be, we have specific ideas on what it means to grow older and to one day die.
  Do Not Go Gentle into that Good Night   When the Welsh poet, Dylan Thomas [1914-1953], discovered that his father was dying, he said to him:
  Do not go gentle into that good night.  Old age should burn and rage at close of day.  Rage, rage against the dying of the light."  ["Do Not Go Gentle Into That Good Night," Modern English Prose and Poetry , Kubat and Magill, 1963, p. 335]
  Preoccupation with Aging   Through the years many Americans have taken those words seriously. They refuse to go gentle into that good night. They have become preoccupied with aging and with growing old. However, it hasn't been a love affair, but rather a warring conflict. Many do every thing they can to hide the fact that they’re getting older. Remember this ad?  “Don’t lie about your age! Defy it, with Revlon age-defying make-up!”
  People spend billions of dollars each year doing battle with arthritis, wrinkles, gray hair, no hair, hearing loss, sagging skin, dentures and, the worst enemy of all - liver spots! Do you suppose that when Paul said that our outer nature is wasting away, he just discovered that he had liver spots?
  Yes, our preoccupation with aging has been basically negative. We don't want to grow old.  We talk with fear and trepidation about reaching our big "30," "40," “60,” or "80" birthdays. We talk about being "over the hill," and joke that "our get-up-and-go has got-up-and-went.”
  I love the story of a little girl who climbed up on her grandma’s lap. She looked at her grandma’s white hair and wrinkled skin and asked, “Grandma, did God make you?” “Why yes, dear, he certainly did.” “Well, grandma, did God make me too?” “Yes, he made you, too.”  “Well,” said the little girl, “I think God’s doing a better job now than he used to.”
  Stereotypes  We reinforce our negative attitudes by believing various myths and stereotypes about aging. For instance, we hear that when people grow old they decline intellectually, lose all interest in romance, grow more religious, begin to mellow, live in nursing homes, are senile, and are fixed in their ways.
  Even though each of these generalizations is false, people of all ages believe them. As a result, they go through life more concerned about growing old than with living their lives to the fullest for Christ. They focus upon sickness, disability and death rather than upon the gift of life.
  Impact on Church  And these attitudes impact upon the church as well. The church is aging just like society. For instance, in 1900, only four percent of all Americans were age 65 and over. Today, this has risen to thirteen percent. Today, nearly half of all Presbyterian congregations have a majority of members who are 65 or older. One-half of all presbyterians are over the age of 50.
  Scripture   If we look in the Bible, we find varied views of aging. In the 90th psalm we read, "the years of our life are threescore and ten, or even by reason of strength, fourscore; yet their span is but toil and trouble; they are soon gone, and we fly away. (Psalm 90:10)
  Without the assurance of life after death, this is a very normal attitude about aging, for aging leads one closer to death.
  However, there are some positive attitudes about aging as well. In Leviticus we read, "You shall rise up... and honor the face of an old man, and you shall fear your God." (Leviticus 19:32) In the Ten Commandments we read, "Honor your father and your mother, that your days may be long in the land which the Lord your God gives you.” (Exodus 20:12)
  And in Proverbs we hear, "The glory of young men is their strength, but the beauty of old men is their gray hair. (Proverbs 20:29).  (This is a far cry from "washing that gray right out of your hair," isn't it?)
  Finally, Job says, "wisdom is with the aged, and understanding in length of days." (Job 12:12)
  In Psalm 92 we read: “The righteous flourish like the palm tree and grow like a cedar in Lebanon. In old age they still produce fruit, they are always green and full of sap.”
  Value of Life  So old age is to be honored, revered, and even welcomed. And every person, regardless of age, is of great value. Jesus said, "Are not two sparrows sold for a penny? And not one of them will fall to the ground without your Father's will.  But even the hairs on your head are all numbered. Fear not, therefore, you are of more value than many sparrows." (Matthew 10:29-31) This means we are to treat one another as having great value; as being very special, no matter what our age might be.
  Scriptures also affirm the fact that we have need of each other. Paul puts it this way: “For just as the body is one and has many members, and all the members of the body, though many, are one body, so it is with Christ. For in the one Spirit we were all baptized into one body--Jews or Greeks, slaves or free--and we were all made to drink of one Spirit.” Paul goes on to say that no member of the body of Christ should say to another, "I have no need of you." (1 Corinthians 12:14-26) Indeed, we have need of each other no matter what our age might be.
  Carl G. Howie notes, "We need each other in this household of God: the young need the old, the old need the young.  We must not be alienated or separated.  The church and the faith are for all ages." (Aging: A Christian View, p. 15)   
  This means that we older Americans must continue to be role models for the young. They must see Christ’s spirit dwelling in our hearts.
  The story is told of the Sunday School teacher who told her students that they needed Jesus in their hearts. And that Jesus will come to live in their hearts if they invite him to do so. After one little girl arrived home, she saw her father sitting on the sofa. She walked over and placed her ear on her father’s chest. “What are you doing?” asked the father. She told him what her teacher has said and then said, “I’m listening for Jesus in your heart.” The father let her listen for a few moments and then asked, “Well, is Jesus in there?” “Oh yes, he’s in there for sure, but it sounds to me like he’s making coffee.”
  Let Us Cherish Parents and Ancestors   Isaiah wrote: “Look to the rock from which you were hewn, and to the quarry from which you were dug.” [Isaiah 51:1] This means to remember and honor those who have died and entered into their resurrection. And it means that we should live our lives in such a way that our grandchildren and even our ggg-grandchildren will look to us and rejoice that we are their ancestors.
  God Cares for Us Always  God says to us, “Listen to me, O house of Jacob, all the remnant of the house of Israel, who have been borne by me from your birth, carried from the womb; even to your old age I am he, even when you turn gray I will carry you. I have made, and I will bear; I will carry and will save.” [Isaiah 46:3-4]
  We Have A House Not Made With Hands  The message of Christ is that we are mortal. Old age proves that. Death proves that. Yet, "we know that if the earthly tent we live in is destroyed, we have a building from God , a house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens.” [2 Corinthians 5:1] Indeed, our earthly house does wear out. And as this happens, let us live in such a way that we can proclaim with Paul, “I have fought the good fight. I have finished the race. I have kept the faith.”

Psalm 92:1-5, 12-15 NRSV

It is good to give thanks to the Lord,

   to sing praises to your name, O Most High;

to declare your steadfast love in the morning,

   and your faithfulness by night,

to the music of the lute and the harp,

   to the melody of the lyre.

For you, O Lord, have made me glad by your work;

   at the works of your hands I sing for joy.

 

How great are your works, O Lord!

   Your thoughts are very deep!

The righteous flourish like the palm tree,

   and grow like a cedar in Lebanon.

They are planted in the house of the Lord;

   they flourish in the courts of our God.

In old age they still produce fruit;

   they are always green and full of sap,

showing that the Lord is upright;

   he is my rock, and there is no unrighteousness in him.

 

2 Timothy 4:1-8 NRSV

In the presence of God and of Christ Jesus, who is to judge the living and the dead, and in view of his appearing and his kingdom, I solemnly urge you: proclaim the message; be persistent whether the time is favorable or unfavorable; convince, rebuke, and encourage, with the utmost patience in teaching. For the time is coming when people will not put up with sound doctrine, but having itching ears, they will accumulate for themselves teachers to suit their own desires, and will turn away from listening to the truth and wander away to myths. As for you, always be sober, endure suffering, do the work of an evangelist, carry out your ministry fully.

 As for me, I am already being poured out as a libation, and the time of my departure has come. I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. From now on there is reserved for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, will give to me on that day, and not only to me but also to all who have longed for his appearing.