The other day, I had lunch with two church friends who are
considerably younger than me. We had good conversations, and later began
talking about our personal involvement in church life. I was surprised to
find how much my story varied from theirs.
Later, I thought about what could be the reasons for this
difference. I realized we are all always searching for answers
about the meaning and purpose of our lives, and we seem to express those
answers in how we live. From time to time, and in varying degrees,
we question what is truly important. We build relationships with others
and with God, which we might value greatly or just take for granted. The
searching, expressing, questioning and relating are part of our spiritual self.
As we grow older, our spiritual self will change, along with our physical,
mental and emotional selves.
The spiritual life that satisfied us when we were younger
may no longer satisfy us as we grow older. Coming face to face with our
own mortality often makes spiritual issues a much higher priority than ever
before. We might have been comfortable with just "being", and
"having" and "doing", but our "having" and
"doing" desires now change, sometimes quite dramatically, as we grow
older. Our spiritual quest must adapt to these changes by focusing more
on our own "being" than just on our "having" and
"doing". Relevant spiritual practices are important for
navigating the changing spiritual landscape as we grow older.
Participating in regular church worship is an important and
helpful practice regardless of age. We connect with God in worship as we
celebrate God's work in our world, offer prayers, hear God's Word read and
proclaimed, and offer something back to God in gratitude for our many
blessings. Participating in worship reminds us who we are and whose
we are ---- we are God's.
Older adults are especially vulnerable to doubting their
worth when their bodies begin to fail, which may restrict their activities and
increase their dependence on others. Participating in regular church
worship helps remind them that their value depends greatly on their being,
not just on their "having" and "doing" preoccupations.
Being a member of a worshiping community is vitally
important for older adults, who must cope with many personal losses.
Although we face loses throughout our lives, our losses accelerate as we
age. We lose our health, our spouses, our friends, our homes, our
possessions and even our identities. However, participation in a
Christian church community continually builds new relationships with people of
all ages.
A church community helps us bear each other's burdens.
Depression is not uncommon in older adults, and it can greatly affect a
person's spiritual life. Not being able to feel God's presence can lead
people to question their faith when they most need it. The Christian
community helps each other to remember the times when they have felt closest to
God.
Maintaining a personal relationship with God is important
for meaningful spirituality. Prayer is how we converse with God, and
meditation is how we listen to God. Relationships cannot grow without
conversation and listening.
Worship and prayer offer hope to older adults. Serving
God and serving others plays an important role in the spiritual life of older
adults. After people retire they usually have more time to help others.
Many older adults enjoy going on mission trips. Others become involved in
mission projects closer to home. Some members enjoy making generous
donations to help others. Giving back to God helps us show our
gratefulness for God's grace and our abundance of blessings. When health
begins to fail, service to the church can take the form of more simple things,
like writing notes, making phone calls and praying for others.
Studying the Bible and biblical topics is an important
source of spiritual growth and comfort for older adults. Studying the
Bible helps us find purpose and meaning for our lives. It helps us
understand the vast love of God for all humankind and gives us the confidence
to share that love with others.
The spiritual practices of worship, prayer, meditation,
service and study, enable many older adults to enhance their spiritual lives
and even provide benefits to their physical, mental and emotional health.
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These thoughts are brought to you by CPC's Adult
Spiritual Development Team, hoping to encourage some spiritual growth for you
this fall.
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