I Hate Golf and Retirement.

I hate golf and retirement.

Jesus said take up your cross and follow me until you are 65 then you will need to retire and take up fishing.

Fortunately for me Jesus never said this. The reason for my musings and my present ramblings was a visit to my doctor, a lovely Christian woman, who made a wrong assumption.

The other day I had to go to the doctor's for a check up and she referred to me as being retired and asked if I played golf. I objected and told her I was nowhere near retirement. Just because I was not active in a role within my local church she thought that I must be retired. I quickly remedied the situation by explaining that there were many opportunities to teach and preach outside of the local church. I also told her that I hated golf and was the sort of game that spoiled a good walk.

In the minds of many of those in youth focused churches there is a perception that older people and their ministries are no-longer relevant. I would agree that there is a need to reach the next generation for Jesus but we should not do this at the neglect of those who have gone before. At the same time those that are older have a responsibility to realise that this new generation does things differently. There can be no success without a successor.

We need to learn the lesson found in 1Kings 12, a lesson that Rehoboam refused to learn he looked to the youth around him for wisdom and answers more to his liking. Instead he should have listened to the elders. The result was the division of the kingdom and long after his death, exile of the nation.

A successor may feel the need to change things and they should feel free to do so but at the same time they should not disregard that which came before as no longer relevant.

Jesus never called me to retirement, I am here for the duration of my life and I believe that I have a message that is inter generational, a message that is still valid and relevant.

Enjoy 2016