Barnabas File

Although Bible commentators suggest that Luke was probably writing his gospel for a Gentile audience, the first chapter of the gospel links directly with the Hebrew Bible and prophecy.  Zechariah and Elizabeth are a righteous couple from priestly lineage who represent the best of that tradition.  There is a bit of humor in Zechariah’s encounter with the Angel Gabriel, his voice being silenced due to his doubt, and an older couple finding themselves pregnant, but the task they receive is serious--they will give birth to and nurture the new Elijah, forerunner of the Messiah.   Elizabeth and her husband represent several things that we should take seriously as we consider the role of senior adults in the church today.   First, they represent communal memory.  They remind us from where we have come. Senior adults today provide link to the rich heritage of faith not only of the Hebrew tradition but now the 20 centuries of Christian faith and practice. ...

This was part of the text for my Bible study lesson this past Sunday:   In the time of Herod king of Judea there was a priest named Zechariah, who belonged to the priestly division of Abijah; his wife Elizabeth was also a descendant of Aaron. Both were righteous in the sight of God, observing all the Lord’s commands and decrees blamelessly. But they were childless because Elizabeth was not able to conceive, and they were both very old. (Luke 1:5-7, NIV)   As I read Adam Hamilton’s commentary on this passage, I was pleased that he devoted a significant portion of his comments to the contributions that the “very old” are still able to make to the work of the Kingdom.   In reality, Zechariah (and Elizabeth) were probably at least two decades younger than I am right now.  As a priest, Zechariah would have been expected to start giving up his duties at the age of 50.  Of course, if someone reached the age of 60 in the New Testament world...

Although Bible commentators suggest that Luke was probably writing his gospel for a Gentile audience, the first chapter of the gospel links directly with the Hebrew Bible and prophecy.  Zechariah and Elizabeth are a righteous couple from priestly lineage who represent the best of that tradition.  There is a bit of humor in Zechariah’s encounter with the Angel Gabriel, his voice being silenced due to his doubt, and an older couple finding themselves pregnant, but the task they receive is serious--they will give birth to and nurture the new Elijah, forerunner of the Messiah.   Elizabeth and her husband represent several things that we should take seriously as we consider the role of senior adults in the church today.   First, they represent communal memory.  They remind us from where we have come. Senior adults today provide link to the rich heritage of faith not only of the Hebrew tradition but now the 20 centuries of Christian faith and practice. ...

Although Bible commentators suggest that Luke was probably writing his gospel for a Gentile audience, the first chapter of the gospel links directly with the Hebrew Bible and prophecy.  Zechariah and Elizabeth are a righteous couple from priestly lineage who represent the best of that tradition.  There is a bit of humor in Zechariah’s encounter with the Angel Gabriel, his voice being silenced due to his doubt, and an older couple finding themselves pregnant, but the task they receive is serious--they will give birth to and nurture the new Elijah, forerunner of the Messiah. Elizabeth and her husband represent several things that we should take seriously as we consider the role of senior adults in the church today. First, they represent communal memory.  They remind us from where we have come. Senior adults today provide link to the rich heritage of faith not only of the Hebrew tradition but now the 20 centuries of Christian faith and practice. ...

As part of the requirement for graduation, the five students in Central Seminary’s 2014 Women's Leadership Cohort in Nashville must complete a Capstone project.   Three of the students are nurses, one works in the health care field, and the other is an educator.   Of the five projects, three consider opportunities for the church to minister to older adults.   (The others address mental health education and breast cancer awareness in congregational settings.) Churches often emphasize ministries with youth, young adults, and families as an investment in the future, but older adults contribute to church health and provide significant opportunities for meaningful ministry. One of the students cited a typology of older adults used by Walter Schoedel in an article in the Concordia Journal . He describes three groups of older adults based on their independence, interests, and matches them with ministry opportunities. The Go-Go's are independent, ac...

Hardly a week goes by without someone posting an article or blog about reaching millennials for the church,  even though the real challenge may well be the internet generation, the next wave on the scene.  We recognize that younger generations have their own distinctive interests, values, and styles.  The face of the young adult population continues to change.  Few seem to consider the changing face of senior adults and the impact this has on the church. If you watch television commercials directed to senior adults, you will see that the advertising community is much more savvy about this age group than is the church.  They realize that not all senior adults are going to be playing golf or bingo (not that there is anything wrong with that!). In fact, senior adulthood may be both the best of times and the worst of times for those who have lasted that long. Although the traditional retirement age of 65 is no longer sacred, this is s...