War Room: Finishing Well Starts with Prayer

You’ve probably seen the Geico commercial, pointing out that Pinocchio was a bad motivational speaker. His nose grows as he points to a lackluster gentleman in the audience and declares, “You have potential.”

When we talk about the untapped serving potential of older adults, we know some folks probably expect our noses to start growing as we speak.

We recognize the reality that most adults will face significant physical challenges as they grow older, and practically many serving “projects” grow out of reach.

But we also know spiritual strength can gush like a geyser in older hearts conspiring with God.

The recently released movie, War Room, is a powerful portrayal of the serving potential of an older adult with a heart for prayer and making disciples. We highly recommend it as a poignant YES! Young Enough to Serve illustration---a compelling reminder of the very real impact older, praying adults can have.

We love the idea of investing to help finish wells in third world countries. And we're also grateful for those strategically investing in YES! and other second-half adult ministries in America---seeing the need to dig deeper here at home, tapping into older adults finishing well!

There is a significant spiritual drought in our nation that can be addressed in part by elder adults becoming more intentional in praying and reaching out to younger generations. We love how this potential is boldly proclaimed in War Room and in this prayer from Psalm 71:18 (NLT): 

“Now that I am old and gray, do not abandon me, O God.
Let me proclaim your power to this new generation,
your mighty miracles to all who come after me.”

Please pray that more pastors, churches and Christian leaders will embrace this old and gray potential more deliberately. The potential is very real but must become a greater part of churches’ strategies to reach younger generations.

And it must become a greater part of our own lives, as we boldly surrender ourselves more fully to the Master.

We confess that we've been guilty at times of moving prayer outside its rightful first position:

"When all else fails, pray." 
"If you're not in a position physically to serve or financially to give, you can always pray." 

These have an element of truth, but they treat prayer as our last resort, not our first.

With prayer and financial support coming from those in nearly every decade of life, we're getting more opportunities to spread the mission of YES! throughout America---and gratefully, our noses aren’t growing! :)  

Thank you for standing with us and making a spiritual difference in the lives of those around you.

With help from all generations
YES! inspires adults over fifty
to become more intentional
in praying, serving and making disciples.

We Have Met the Enemy, and He is All Three of Us!

Have you ever noticed how quick we are to point out the faults of others, and how slow to admit our share of the blame for what's wrong in today's culture?

Take traffic for example. We readily complain about traffic when caught in a traffic jam. Do we realize that we are the traffic everyone else is complaining about?

And, it has become way too predictable on Capitol Hill. Republicans rant about Democrats, and Democrats rant about Republicans. The blame always seems to rest outside of ourselves.

My father-in-law, Don Popineau, was a residential house painter and an active deacon in his church before becoming an ordained minister in his early fifties. He jokingly told a group of pastors, "I've only been a pastor for three weeks, and already I hate deacons!"

Okay, so where are we headed with this conversation?

Approaching the end of our seventh year with YES! Young Enough to Serve, we've heard our share of rants about tech-tethered teens, not-so-sacred worship, theatre-like sanctuaries, and even about hipster pastors dressed in jeans, seemingly siding with the young while snubbing the old.

But let's take our punching gloves off for a moment and yank at the plank in our own eyes. Hitting the pause button on our rants, let's assume (or pretend) that WE in life's second half are our own worst enemy . . . all three of us: Me, myself, and I.

It's hard and out-of-character, I know, but we can do this!

“How can you say to your brother, ‘Let me take the speck out of your eye,’ when all the time there is a plank in your own eye?”

— Matthew 7:4

Enemy #1: ME-Mastered Retirement

We live in a nation that nourishes an entitlement perspective regarding vocational retirement---usually in our sixties, followed optionally by a life of leisure. Some ask, "Is retirement even biblical?"

Well, retirement shows up in just one verse, Numbers 8:25, where the Levites had to retire at age fifty. (Whew! . . . a big sigh of relief from those of you who are vocationally retired!) 

While vocational retirement is not taboo in Scripture, it gets very little press.

What is not supported biblically is spiritual retirement, freedom that becomes lazy or self-absorbed, or personal identity grounded in retirement. Not a single verse or chapter support that kind of retirement!

renewing purpose

Let's face it, retirement sounds a bit tired, and it's a lonely word in Scripture. Pop the word 'renew' in your Bible search engine, and you'll find it's much more popular and life-breathing!

We're called to liberty and renewal. Through love we get to serve one another---often even more when the eight-to-five grind ends.

Enemy #2: MYSELF-Mirrored Segregation

This enemy highlights how generationally isolated we've allowed older adults to become in our culture---and sometimes even more so in our churches.

Year-after-year we grow comfortable peer-to-peer, but too often miss out on relationships from generation-to-generation.

We're disturbed by the cocoon or silo approach we find ourselves in, often a picture of only older adults caring about older adults. Are we going to settle for being an amputated body part? (We can't change what we're resigned to tolerate.)

From Paul's teaching in 1 Corinthians 12, the whole body needs to show concern for each part, and each part needs to show concern for the whole body. The head cannot say to the foot, "I have no need of you."

Paradigms need to shift to re-align with Scripture. It's not just about becoming more culturally relevant, attractive and creative. These are byproducts of love flowing in a healthy way from generation to generation (in both directions!). The Bible makes it clear that God wants more than each generation fending for themselves.

Specialized life stage ministries have value, but peer-only approaches leave us with huge generational gaps, nonstick faith as students graduate from high school, and Teflon-coated church attendance as parents become empty nesters.

energizing hearts

We can move some hearts and change some lives peer-to-peer. But to really change a paradigm, we need reinforcements from outside that paradigm: younger generations, saints cheering us on from heaven, and, of course, the Holy Spirit.

We handicap ourselves when we ignore the help of younger, more energetic hearts and minds, along with wisdom from the great cloud of witnesses who have gone on before us. Included in that cloud are poignant examples of the older Paul collaborating with the younger Timothy and Titus.

Helping churches build leadership teams with a broader age swath is a good starting point to combat enemy #2. YES! would love to help you broaden your team.

Enemy #3: I-Centered Salvation

Salvation from sin and the personal promise of eternal life are incredible. You and I as individuals are valued tremendously by God. The Father sent His only Son to redeem us.

But this wonderful redemption plan wasn't intended to stop with just us. We've been redeemed so that we might reach others.

Most American Christians admit to passing up the multiplication tables, opting for a quieter, noncontagious faith. For older, mature Christians who have experienced God's faithfulness over a lifetime, what a travesty when our light is hidden!

redeeming lives

If we're well grounded but not making disciples, what can we do?

One approach is conveniently convincing ourselves that evangelism and disciple-making are outside our wheelhouse of giftedness.

Another ill-advised approach involves beating ourselves up to the point where we add discouragement, guilt and timidity to our ineffectiveness.

The better approach is confessing our sin and asking God to help us become bolder and more deliberate in helping others in their faith journey. Then we look for situations where we can connect with those who are:

• without faith,
• new or weak in their faith,
• or lost in a faith without Christ.

Jesus needed to be around people like this in His life here on earth. We need these people in our lives too.

Candles lit only in bright sunlight make little sense. You are still young enough and bright enough to light up a dark room!

Me, Myself and I

So there you have it. Three temptations 'me, myself and I' might encounter in life's second half: becoming too retired, segregated or noncontagious.

A year ago most of us were blissfully unaware of Ebola and ISIS. They have since become familiar, formidable foes. Apart from praying, though, most of us will at best offer indirect help to those combatting these horrific enemies directly.

But with God on our side we can wage war directly with 'me, myself and I'. We know this enemy inside and out. And this too is a battle we must win!

“Lord, please penetrate our hearts and help us take the steps we need to move beyond ourselves—-so that our lives and the lives of others will be made whole. Amen.”

How Did It Get So Late So Soon?

You gotta love Dr. Seuss!

Some of you enjoyed having others read his books to you as children, then later reading his stories to your kids, grandkids and perhaps even great grandkids.

As more days, months and years pass, we’re pinching ourselves, "Can we really be this old already?"

So we may agree it's late, and late came faster than most of us expected.

The next question, "What are we going to do about it?"

We see a couple extremes in prevailing attitudes.

1. "It's late. Turn out the lights. The party is over."

2. "It's late. Turn up the lights. My remaining time is precious. Let's not waste these moments. God still has a powerful purpose for me in the twilight."

Usually there's quite a bit of good livin' between 'it's late' and 'you're done.' Sometimes we have to plow through major obstacles to remain purposeful. Things around us are changing rapidly, bodies are wearing down, and older adults can often start feeling abandoned.

It's easy to see why and how some people quit before the finish line, but God wants us to press on and give Him our best to the very end.

What Will You Build?

We love Psalm 71:18 (NLT):

“Now that I am old and gray, do not abandon me, O God. Let me proclaim your power to this new generation, your mighty miracles to all who come after me.”

The first half of the verse introduces life’s second half challenges. And the verse’s second half highlights purposeful, God-honoring interaction with younger, first-half generations as a key to the psalmist’s salvation.

We face an important choice. Build a generational wall and live out the old and gray years with the fear of abandonment. Or build a bridge that proclaims God’s glory to younger generations.

The psalmist had to push through some challenges - feeling old, gray, and abandoned - to get to his 'so late so soon' purpose.

Some of your 'new generation' purpose may sit across from you at the dinner table as grandkids or other young friends come to visit. Some might be in the lobby of your church or serve you across the counter at your bank, grocery store or restaurant. And some you may never know this side of heaven.

You have powerful, God-honoring life stories to share. Take time to communicate them now directly and through writing, video or audio recording---while you still have strength and clarity of thought.

Don't forget how much inspiration came into your life from those who were gone long before you arrived on the scene! (Like every Biblical writer, for instance!) 

Welcome Generation X

It’s hard to believe the last of the Baby Boomers turned 50 in December 2014! Generation X began joining the 50+ fraternity in January 2015!

Frankly, many churches with specialized ministries for adults on the plus side of fifty weren't quite ready for Boomers, and most are certainly not ready for Gen Xers. Again . . .

And, of course, fifty is not really SO late. And we don't believe there's a huge contrast between someone turning 50 in December 2014 vs. January 2015. These generational labels are our culture's attempt to make sense of generational nuances.

What we do believe is that connecting older generations with younger generations is key . . . for Gen X, Boomer and Builder generations. Let us proclaim His power to the next generations, His mighty miracles to all who come after us.

A Rapidly Aging America

America is aging and will be for the next several decades. (The 65+ population is on track to more than double between the 2010 and 2050 census, from just over 40 million to just under 90 million!)

Others can reinforce our getting stuck in the first half of Psalm 71:18 by isolating the aged and viewing aging only as a major personal and societal problem.

And we who are older also run the risk of viewing younger generations only through problematic lenses. This near-sighted myopia keeps us from moving beyond the first half of the verse---and makes us feel more and more obsolete, colorless and forgotten over time.   

But there is a better option. We can push through negative generational stereotypes and trust the Lord for fresh opportunities. Again, building a bridge to Part B:

“Proclaiming His power to this new generation, His mighty miracles to all who come after me.”

God’s awesome power has never depended on our age or physical strength. In fact, His power can become even more visible when the batteries on our aging clock run low.

It’s still early enough. And you are still young enough to make a mighty difference for Christ in the lives of others.

So late . . . so soon . . . and so many young lives yet to impact with God’s powerful love!

The Castaways

Young Enough to Serve or Old Enough to Sever?

Pastors and churches have a right and responsibility to shut down Herb & Mabel Castaway’s eight-track tape ministry that is no longer reaching anyone.
 
But where do Herb & Mabel go from here? This depends largely on their level of spiritual maturity and also on how attentive their pastors and leaders are to their continuing need for usefulness in God’s kingdom.
 
We have witnessed Herb & Mabel, with superglue on their baton, fighting until their last breath to hang on to their now antiquated ministry that God birthed in their hearts back in the seventies. They may have already left your church, hurt and angry, taking their eight-tracks and tithe dollars with them. And, except for their tithes, you’re more than happy to let them go---to a less progressive and dying church down the street. Or we might find them sitting at home watching another church on their big box TV (the one with the rabbit-ears antenna).
 
We have also seen some Herbs & Mabels reluctantly accept their own obsolescence and conclude that their days of serving the Lord are basically over. They remain part of your church but feel deflated and useless as your church’s senior adult bus whisks them off to see the lilac fields in bloom.
 
Herb & Mabel are part of the tech-less minority. We support missionaries passionate about reaching out to poor and forgotten folks like them across the globe, but we tend to ignore, blame and marginalize them here at home. They should have changed with the times!  Yes, that’s true, but they didn’t---even under your brilliant teaching and leadership. Now faithful missionary supporters Herb & Mabel find themselves in the fraternity of a hidden people group here in America---not unreached but invisible and expendable.
 
Maybe there’s a better way. Can we help Herb & Mabel shift gears and make disciples? Can we think creatively about their potential to reach out to others, including people like themselves still living sans 21stcentury technology? You know, people on the fringes---the neglected ones Jesus chose to hang out with and surprise with His love.
 
Equip them with basic toolkits to personally visit and share your weekly podcasts with shut-ins in your community who have no computers. Have them serve as class grandparents at your Christian school or kids’ church, and be sure they include a colorful lesson using ancient eight-track technology. (Throw in phonographs, reel-to-reel and cassette decks---and they’ve got a ready-made four-week series that will fascinate the kids!) Do some reverse mentoring, where youth in your church help Herb & Mabel with some basic computer skills.
 
Stay cutting edge but don’t leave Herb & Mabel on the cutting floor, feeling edgy and edged out. Their eight tracks are perishable commodities, but they are imperishable.
 
The head cannot not say to the foot, “I have no need of you.”
 
Of course not! You’re their leader, and you’re not going to let that happen!

Other Resources

Visit Ageless Faith on the YES! resources page for a two-part podcast pertaining to this article; 051 AND 052.

Tale of Two Moms

“YES just has to become a strong, national ministry!”

We heard this comment from a missionary couple from Arizona, who went on to share their tale of their respective mothers.

As they left several years ago for their overseas missions assignment, both of their moms were in their late sixties. One became a poster mom for what YES! Young Enough to Serve represents. The other became the polar opposite, literally pulling the shade on life and sinking into a deep depression.

As one mom approached age seventy, she decided to run for public office. And she won! After serving two years with distinction, she decided to shift gears and write her first book. She saw the silver lining in her empty nest and retirement years, a chance to do more for others and go all out for God.

The other Christian mom settled first into complacency and then despondency. Fear got the best of her, and her last days became very dark.

While no church wants to see older adults shift into despair, this missionary couple perceived that we’re often not doing enough to cultivate potential and to provide a clear early warning to those who might settle for the path of idleness.

The idle path may appear safer, but it’s actually more treacherous.

Thanks so much for standing with us as we seek to multiply the message and invest in leaders who will help adults choose a more fruitful path in their later years.

Streetless in Spokane

What was God thinking when he opened the door for us to leave mildly warm Santa Cruz and head to Spokane in the middle of winter? Aren’t birds supposed to fly south for winter?

In advance of our trip we asked our dear niece Christine, who lives in Spokane, to prayerfully consider creating a church-wide outreach where all generations from her church could get involved. The Lord birthed in her and her husband Brett’s heart a very special opportunity to “get out of our seats and onto the streets.”

It was a catchy title, but who in their right minds would hit the streets to serve the homeless in downtown Spokane on a Saturday in snowy, sub-freezing weather? Maybe a handful? Certainly very few, if any, adults over sixty.

Pastor Kent, the lead pastor at Valley Assembly, his wife Toni and their sons were the first to sign up for this outreach. Several adventurous young adults and teenagers began to sign up.

On Super Bowl Sunday in the Northwest, with an abundance of Seahawk fans eagerly anticipating the big game, Christine celebrated her fortieth birthday by sharing with the congregation her passion for that week’s Saturday outreach with Blessings Under the Bridge. It was powerful and moving.

It was so moving, in fact, that Sharon, a spiritually mature senior adult, darted from the back row to the platform and asked Pastor Kent if she could share a few words. We later learned that this was out of character for both Sharon and this church of a thousand.

It was the perfect, intergenerational ‘one-two’ punch. It was a cry for those of us 'streetless' people, older and younger, who may have never experienced living on the streets, to willingly hit the streets to share food, clothing, toiletries, compassion and dignity with those less fortunate.

Both Christine and Sharon have experienced incredible transformation in their own lives, as God challenged them to begin loving people with radically different backgrounds, including many from the streets.

They shared how God saved many of us (in advance) from extreme hardship, not so that we could:

• Sit comfortably and gloat,
• Sit sheepishly with a sense that we have an unremarkable, inferior testimony of God’s grace, or
• Sit immobilized with thoughts that we can’t relate and have nothing to offer people in such despair.

Yes, he saves us all from lots of terrible stuff, sometimes before disaster strikes and sometimes after, but He also saves us so that we can become an extension of His love to others.

As temperatures dipped below zero by mid-week, we wondered if we should possibly forgo the foot-washing station we had planned for Saturday. But we sensed the Lord challenging us to press on in spite of the weather. And He blessed us with sunshine and a ‘heat wave.’ Temperatures jumped to just over the 20 degree mark! :) And a local rental company, A to Z Rentals, blessed us with patio heating lamps and propane, free of charge.

By Friday an inspiring collage of clothing, accessories, toiletries, backpacks, and food supplies had appeared at the YES!/Blessings Under the Bridge table at the church. Some donations came from older adults physically unable to make it to the outreach on Saturday---but who still found a way to take part.

A group of women, most of whom were formerly homeless themselves, were busy preparing meals for Saturday’s outreach atChrist Kitchen, another local ministry the church was able to engage and bless through this outreach.

Brett & Christine’s daughter Anna was busy making bracelets, excited to use her hobby to bless others.

On Saturday morning a hundred volunteers showed up at Valley Assembly in Spokane Valley for instruction and inspiration. Three very special women from the Women’s Home at nearby Victory Outreach shared important perspective from their prior life on the streets.

Everything fell into place as this courageous team representing every generation within the church, arrived at the downtown serving location. Everyone found their niche, and we all had a chance to shower about 140 precious people with Christ’s love.

As you can imagine, many powerful testimonies emerged from this outreach. And the testimonies show us again how God loves to bless us in special ways as He uses us to reach out and bless others.

With countless cars streaming both east and west on the I-90 overpass above us, countless blessings flowed that Saturday in both directions under the bridge.

It was cold and heartwarming . . . the perfect storm! It was the church in action, the ‘streetless’ impacting the homeless, and the homeless impacting the streetless.

For more pictures, please visit the Blessings Under the Bridge website.