Heart and passion as a pastor

 

After God had created man, and despite mans' best effort to mess God's plans up, God needed to ensure that His words and his commands reached as many people as possible. In those days, the only avenue of communication was word of mouth. In allowing such great saints as Moses and Noah to live very long lives, he gave them the opportunity to speak to as many people as possible. Can't you just imagine many generations of kids, grandkids and great grandkids sitting on a knee, as wisdom and instruction were unraveled for them?

As the early explorers made their pioneering way across seas, through jungles and across mountains, their stories needed to be told for the benefit of the generations to follow.

So it is with our seniors of today. Life has become relatively easy for the recent generations, but we still have many people attending churches today who have stories to tell, stories that do nothing but increase your faith in God. The seniors are a rich vein of wisdom and knowledge and we need to tap that well of knowledge for the ongoing benefit of us all. What a blessing that we can still speak to pioneer missionaries in Ethiopia, who went as missionaries but became civil engineers, building on hillsides in a way that the natives never knew was possible. Going as missionaries and becoming the local surgeon or the dentist. No tools, no training, just an unshakable faith in God.

Sure, we can help our seniors finish well. We can arrange programs to ensure they have fun in a life that at times can be lonely. We can visit and support them through illness and pain and sorrow. These things are all a passion for me, but my greatest passion is to ensure that we do not let these saints leave this earth and take their stories to heaven with them. Present generations need to hear of how God stopped native warriors in their tracks just yards from a missionary tent, or how he provided for people when times were desperate and supplies non-existent - how he changed lives in the most extraordinary ways!

We can read the Bible and marvel at God's work through both Testaments, but more than that we can still sit and listen to real life stories that mirror and in some cases surpass Bible stories. Stories that are still so real because those that experienced them are still able to share their experiences.

As Pastor to Seniors and Second Half Ministries, I have the privilege of helping to tap that well of knowledge and experience not only for my faith building process, but for many more who will follow.