Aging

Topical Study

The poignant and inevitable process of growing older, aging is a pilgrimage toward the City of God with opportunity for sanctification along the way.

In Scripture

Abraham "Abraham breathed his last and died in a good old age, an old man and full of years, and was gathered to his people" (Gen. 25:8).

Leviticus 19:32 "You shall rise before the aged, and defer to the old; and you shall fear your God: I am the Lord" (Lev. 19:32).

"As for mortals, their days are like grass; they flourish like a flower of the field; for the wind passes over it, and it is gone, and its place knows it no more. But the steadfast love of the Lord is from everlasting to everlasting on those who fear him, and his righteousness to children's children" (Ps. 103:15-17).

Turning gray ". . . even when you turn gray I will carry you. I have made, and I will bear; I will carry and will save" (Isa. 46:4).

Alive in Christ "If for this life only we have hoped in Christ, we are of all people most to be pitied. But in fact Christ has been raised from the dead, the first fruits of those who have died. For since death came through a human being, the resurrection of the dead has also come through a human being; for as all die in Adam, so all will be made alive in Christ" (1 Cor. 15:19-22).

"So we do not lose heart. Even though our outer nature is wasting away, our inner nature is being renewed day by day" (2 Cor. 4:16).

Citizenship in Heaven "But our citizenship is in heaven, and it is from there that we are expecting a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ. He will transform the body of our humiliation that it may be conformed to the body of his glory, by the power that also enables him to make all things subject to himself" (Phil. 3:20-21).

Absolute Purity "Do not speak harshly to an older man, but speak to him as to a father, to younger men as brothers, to older women as mothers, to younger women as sisters — with absolute purity" (1 Tim. 5:1-2).

Holy City "And I saw the holy city, the new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband" (Rev. 21:2).

Points to Ponder

Poignancy of Aging Like everybody else, Christians note the poignancy of aging. Joints ache. Parents and friends die. Upper register music sounds screechy. We know a time is coming when almost nobody on earth will understand who we were or what we wanted. Meanwhile, spring is especially depressing, writes William Willimon, especially when you "see young lovers walking through apple blossoms." You feel yourself getting older. "You have more yesterdays on your account than tomorrows. . . . there are more doors closing behind you than opening in front of you." He adds that it was in just this frame of mind that, one day, King David stepped out onto his balcony and spotted Bathsheba.

From Shakespeare One response to the poignancy of aging is in Act 5, Scene 5, lines 24-28 of Shakespeare's Macbeth: Life's but a walking shadow, a poor player, that struts and frets his hour upon the stage, and then is heard no more. It is a tale Told by an idiot, full of sound and fury, signifying nothing.

Rejecting such despair, the people of God acknowledge plainly that "the days of mortals are as the grass of the field" but then we add, just as poignantly, that "the steadfast love of the Lord is from everlasting to everlasting on those who fear him" (Ps. 103:17). Life is not "a tale told by an idiot" but a drama of a living body of people — a body with many parts, in a drama with many parts to play. This is a tale told by God and signifying everything of final importance in this life and in the life to come. It's the drama of the tragic fall of human children and of how a resourceful God has come among them to lift people who have fallen and place them on their feet, and to do it for no reason other than his own chesed, his own lovingkindness.

Everlasting Love of God The only meaning our lives have is a meaning conferred by this everlasting love of God. This is the love that has planted the generations, cultivated and delighted in us, worried over us and worked among us when we were laid low, and which one day comes for us not as a grim reaper to cut us down but as a faithful gardener who wants to transplant his trees to a place where their leaves shall never wither, a place where their leaves can be for "the healing of the nations." These are lives that gain whatever meaning they have in being treasured by God and then in being spent to increase the Divine pleasure. These are lives that actually bless God Himself: "Bless the Lord, O my soul."

Role of People Among Their Gods Isaiah 46:4 reverses the role of people among their gods. Isaiah was amused by the gods of neighboring nations who had to be toted out of town ahead of enemies. Take divine Nebo off the wall carefully, so he doesn't fall on his divine nose, pack him up, and haul him away on a buckboard. Israel's enemies had to carry their gods. But as John Timmer once stated in one of his gleaming sermons, Israel's God carries Israel, so that the big question in any religion becomes, "Who is carrying whom?"

Christians may be unintimidated about their belief in the life to come, when the "new Jerusalem" descends to earth and God's dwelling is with us. This is not "pie in the sky by and by" but a solid hope of a solid new heaven and earth. Aging is a pilgrimage into this hope. With a destination wedding in their future (the city of God is "prepared as a bride adorned for her husband") Christians may age with poise. They are headed for a future more glorious than they can imagine.

Virtues of Christ Meanwhile, the call for aging Christians is to put to death whatever needs to die — impurity, evil desire, greed, idolatry — and to clothe themselves with the virtues of Christ — compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, and love. The call to die and rise in this way is the call to preparation for entry into a new heaven and earth where vices are unwelcome and, finally, irrelevant within a setting full of light and full of wonder.

Scripture quotations are from New Revised Standard Version Bible, copyright 1989, Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

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Advent Waiting Advent resources: a folk ballad, "Every Valley," tells of the times when waiting is hard and hope is needed, a "Community Prayer for Waiting," a banner, a painting, another prayer, and two quotes from Dietrich Bonhoeffer.... Resource type: Song/Hymn Source: Global Worship

Aging from the Perspective of the Cross This study guide by Robert B. Kruschwitz uses Luke 9:21-25 and 2 Corinthians 1:3-7, 4:10 to reflect on the difficulty of aging and giving a Biblical context to one's personal value. Resource type: Study Guide Source: The Christian Reflection Project Author: Robert B. Kruschwitz Christian History Chart: Not your parents’ Middle Ages This timeline shows that the period of history often referred to as the "Dark Ages," actually included four Renaissance, beginning with the ruler, Charlemagne, who is credited with establishing Christendom. Resource type: Article Source: Christian History and Biography Age to Age - A Reflection This reflection shares the insights of a multi-generational group of Christians who met to discuss the book "The Church of All Ages" and the topic of intergenerational worship. Resource type: Sermon (Complete) Source: Calvin Institute of Christian Worship Author: Marc Nelesen Aging with Hope and Wonder Terry Thomas Primer's article about aging uses the story of Abraham and Sarah having their son Isaac at an advanced age to reflect on the hope and purpose God can inspire in later stages of life. Resource type: Article Source: The Christian Reflection Project Author: Terry Thomas Primer Seats of learning Before the late Middle Ages, most Christians would have found our sitting in church extremely odd. Where did pews come from, and why do we spend so much time in them? This article answers that question.... Resource type: Article Source: Christian History and Biography Author: Jennifer Woodruff Tait Age as Accomplishment This devotional reflection by Lillian Daneil illustrates the "accomplishment" of growing older and the importance of acknowledging that age can be a blessing. Resource type: Devotional Source: Day1 Author: Lillian Daniel Aging from the Perspective of the Cross In his article about aging, Stephen Sapp confronts the cultural and human issues surrounding growing old and while providing a Biblical perspective on suffering, discipleship, and human value. Resource type: Article Source: The Christian Reflection Project Author: Stephen Sapp Aging Together in Grace Churches can offer a countercultural message about the gifts of older adults and walk with them through the challenges of aging. Joan Huyser-Honig shares three things that churches can do to make this countercultural shift. Resource type: Article Source: Calvin Institute of Christian Worship Author: Joan Huyser-Honig Hope for the Age to Come The age of injustice in which we find ourselves is doomed, and a new age is about to dawn. A variety of worship planning resources focusing on 1 Samuel 1:4-2:10; Mark 13:1-8; and Hebrews 10:11-18. Resource type: Sermon Starter/Outline Source: Discipleship Ministries Paschal Sermon of St. John Chrysostom A 4th-century sermon is still preached every Easter in Orthodox churches. This poetic sermon is heard but once a year, but many worshipers know it by heart. Resource type: Element of Worship Source: Reformed Worship Author: St. John Chrysostom

Golden Age? A Pentecost Sunday sermon on Acts 2:1-21. Charles K. Robertson discusses that the "Golden Age" is not in the past but it is right now as we encounter the living Christ again and again in unexpected... Resource type: Sermon (Complete) Source: Day1 Author: Charles K. Robertson Full Text Hymns on Aging It is stage by stage to the golden agePD
Rock of ages, cleft for mePD
O God, Our Help in Ages PastPD
See more hymns... How to Preach to a Death-Filled Age How should the Christian pulpit address a death-filled age? In this lecture, George Arthur Buttrick revisits the church's preaching on heaven and hell. Resource type: Audio/Video Source: Theological Commons (Princeton Theological Seminary) Author: George Arthur Buttrick Getting Ready for the New Age A sermon on Luke 3:1-6 from the Arthur Landwehr Sermon Collection. Jesus is our deliverer. Advent reminds us that, as deliverer, he initiates a new age of transformation. Resource type: Sermon Illustration Source: Arthur Landwehr Sermon Collection Author: Arthur Landwehr What Makes All Ages Delight in the Psalms An article covering the experiences of two schools who decided to "dwell in the Psalms" for a year, discussing how it revealed that the Spirit can work through kids and adults of any age. Resource type: Article Source: Calvin Institute of Christian Worship Author: Joan Huyser-Honig Mystagogy in the Digital Age Mystagogy means to lead those, just initiated into the life of the Church, to what it is they are now to become. This Catholic article discusses the unique opportunities for mystagogy in a digital age. Resource type: Article Source: Homiletic and Pastoral Review Author: Michael J. Denk Planning Age-Inclusive Advent and Christmas Services Many children join the congregation in the sanctuary for the first time during the Advent Christmas season. This warrants the special attention of church leaders and worship planners. Carolyn Brown offers tips for age-inclusive worship practices. Resource type: Article Source: Worshiping With Children Author: Carolyn Brown Hours and Days and Years and Ages James Bratt shares a hymn, "Hours and Days and Years and Ages", and reflects on its meaning in the midst of the closing stages of Advent. Resource type: Article Source: The Twelve Author: James Bratt All Ages Needed for Intergenerational Worship Though many churches offer multiple worship options, each pegged to an age or generation, Howard Vanderwell and Steve Burger make a case for intergenerational worship that has families worshiping together. Resource type: Article Source: Calvin Institute of Christian Worship Author: Joan Huyser-Honig "A Meeting in Middle Age" The Collected Stories A summary of a dialogue from A Meeting in Middle Age. Mrs. Da Tanka ridicules Mr. Milesonhim for his insignificant life. An illustration of our dependence on God's loving-kindness being there for all the generations. Resource type: Book Quote Source: Center for Excellence in Preaching Author: William Trevor

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