OPINION - Faith in later life

The Bible tells us that God chose us before the foundations of the earth, and that he loves us with an everlasting love. Imagine that - a love that began before we even existed, a love that never ever expires, no matter how old we are! Through His death on the cross, God underlined the extent of his love, in that he sent his son Jesus to die for every single one of us.

Amidst ageist attitudes and behaviours in our society, we can sometimes think that only our earlier years are worth celebrating, and that there comes a time when we will be ‘past our best’, considered incompetent, and even a burden. These attitudes are in stark contradiction to God’s heart, and the word we find in the Bible.

...the prophet Anna at 84 was worshipping God with fasting and prayer in the temple day and night.

In the scriptures we’re reminded that God has no favourites, and we find examples of older people living purposefully for God, being respected in their communities, and sharing wisdom with future generations. Abraham was 99 when God promised to make him the father of many nations. Moses was 80 when he spoke to Pharaoh, and the prophet Anna at 84 was worshipping God with fasting and prayer in the temple day and night. Abraham, Moses, and Anna are just some of those who honoured God well into old age and are now held up as wonderful examples to us.

These examples are not only found in history. Today, older people everywhere are embracing their later years by looking after themselves, learning new things, supporting their families and churches financially and practically, being creative, keeping fit, praying for their neighbours, and still standing on God’s promises.

Our population is ageing, that’s a fact. Fewer babies are being born and more people are living longer. The good news is that whether we’re 17, 42, 68 or 91, most of us will get older. Hallelujah! God designed us to age, and that’s a good thing. If we’re breathing we’re ageing, ageing means living, life is the antidote to death. And the Bible tells us that age is a divine blessing, it’s God’s glory revealed through his creation; you and me.

Older people are so often the lifeblood of the church, supporting and leading groups to help all ages feel welcome and explore God’s love. Judi was 83 when she started leading a dynamic seniors ministry reaching out into the community with the very Good News of Jesus - she’s a blessing to her church, and her role has been a blessing to her, giving her a new lease of life and an incredible purpose in God’s kingdom.

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Each one of us has value for the whole of our lives, and the church is wonderfully positioned and biblically motivated to share this somewhat countercultural message in word and in deed - to help us all know our worth in God’s sight, through every stage of life, in a way that will help us flourish and have faith in later life.

This is important, because having this kind of confidence can become challenging at any age as we face our own ageing, and becomes even more elusive in older age, when we go through a number of transitions which can impact our sense of identity, and our joy of life. Transitions like retirement, caring for a spouse, bereavement, health and mobility issues, financial loss, making unwanted decisions about living arrangements, and ultimately facing our mortality.

Faith speaks hope into every one of these challenges, and the church remains a wonderful family in which to navigate the difficulties of later life with a sense of belonging, purpose, and God’s unwavering love for us.

...the church remains a wonderful family in which to navigate the difficulties of later life with a sense of belonging, purpose, and God’s unwavering love for us.

My work is to help churches minister among seniors as well as possible; helping older people in their communities explore faith for the first time, supporting sustainable and lifelong discipleship, and facilitating an individual response to God’s irrevocable call to help others to know Him.

It’s a joy to see older people come to know Jesus and to find purpose in the church. This is urgent work, and it can be complex when people come with a lifetime of misconceptions about the church, God, and His people, and for some, diminishing cognitive clarity or ability. I heartily encourage faith explorers of all ages to connect with their local church and join in with Alpha courses, coffee mornings, special interest groups, and of course Sunday worship, and to discover that no matter what their life has been like until now, God offers them unconditional love, forgiveness, and eternal hope.

Ernest was recently baptised at the age of 93. Following years of absence from the church, God drew him back in and reminded Ernest of all that he’d learned in Sunday school many years ago, and that His promise of love has been with him his entire life.

There can be some physical challenges to exploring faith in later life. For many older people there is a season when they’re not out and about so much anymore, they’re behind closed doors, perhaps because of illness, or because they’re near the end of their lives, many are offline, and so it’s harder for them to have conversations about faith. Many churches are meeting people where they are; for at home pastoral visits, services and events in care homes, and via telephone befriending ministries. It’s never too late to get to know our heavenly Father!

God has loved and valued us from before the foundations of the earth, and He’ll do so until we meet Him face to face…and beyond. Imagine heading into the most challenging years of our lives really grasping and experiencing this kind of love for ourselves.

In Psalm 92 we read about those who have done just that. It says:

The righteous will flourish like a palm tree, they will grow like a cedar of Lebanon; planted in the house of the Lord, they will flourish in the courts of our God. They will still bear fruit in old age, they will stay fresh and green, proclaiming, “The Lord is upright; he is my Rock…”.

For more information, please visit https://faithinlaterlife.org/