The gift of ageing. Celebrating ageing and faith

This week Lew Hess will be presenting the message at our service.

‘Not everyone has the privilege of growing old. Within faith communities there is often a disproportionate number of older people.. A powerful narrative of lament often exists concerning the absence of youth / families within faith communities and what this might mean for the longevity of the church

Sunday’s session will invite us to acknowledge, reflect on and indeed celebrate our  experience of growing older. What does the disproportionate number of people over 50 in our faith community mean for us both today and into the future ?

You will be invited to comment on a number of curious questions about your experience of ageing, your embrace of life in your 50s, 60s, 70s ..and beyond.  As you age has your faith become stronger, clearer, more certain I or is the opposite also sometimes true ?  What do you expect of yourselves as you age ? What does God expect of us as we become older ? Does Jesus say much explicitly or implicitly about the experience of growing old  ?  In what ways might our faith keep us strong as we become frailer physically and also ( possibly ) mentally ?  What is your response to the sentiment that old people are essentially in God’s waiting room. waiting to be called?

Hopefully our reflections on our individual and collective ageing process might be of assistance to our celebration of the privilege God has granted us in not dying young. What does celebration of ageing look like for us individually and as a faith community’ ?  

Further information and directions can be found here.