Old

I am chronologically a middle-aged woman.

Sometimes I feel young, like on the airplane last week when an 80+ year old was assisted into the aisle seat on my row. But then I felt old when I noticed that she was wearing black fishnets and I was the one wearing old lady shoes.

I feel young when I sit near a group of middle-aged women having lunch in Panera, and overhear them talking about hormone replacement therapy when my only health need is a pair of reading glasses. But then I feel old when I watch groups of cute little U10 soccer players before their first spring game, and it feels like a blink when those were our U10 girls, now comparing their learner's permit photos.

Sometimes I feel young, and sometimes I feel old at denominational gatherings.

I feel young at certain meetings where I am the youngest person in the room by decades - a feeling that is almost immediately replaced by severe depression over the fact that, as a middle-aged person, I should not be anything close to the youngest person in the room. I feel old when I hear the same discussions over the same old subjects over and over and over again. (Weren't we arguing about this in the 80s?)

Age is contextual and has less to do with chronology than with perspectives, world views, attitudes, tastes, auras, personalities, ideas, and hair styles. Friends - if we want our church is thrive in the 21st century, we can no longer staff all denominational teams, councils, staffs, and committees with people who act, think, feel, and look old.

Again: I’m not talking about chronological age here.

Phyllis Tickle - born in 1934 - is not old. Brian McLaren and BBT are in their 50s. Not old.

Imagine these people walking into a worship gathering, planning meeting, or class and everybody else looking like this. [Okay, I can't use pictures of recognizable people here, and I don't mean offend anyone, but I hope you get my point.] When I hear people tell me that they are in charge of youth ministry in their diocese or young adult ministry in their district and they are unfamiliar with YouTube, I am concerned.

It'a not a matter of trying to be something we aren't. It's not about not acting our age. The point is that God loves people we've been too ensconced in our church bubble to notice. Do we know what women think who have never heard of Circle Meetings? Do we care what kids are doing who've never been to a youth group event? Do we wonder how our elders' decisions impact the neighbors who sleep in on Sunday mornings? If we don't care about these people, then we are missing the point. If we don't care, then - in a real way - we are too old to be doing this ministry.

And sometimes we say we care, but our plans remain parochial and our vision remains closed. I'm just saying - there is a fresh way. It's about what is timeless versus what is old.

Painting is Sitting Figure by 83 year old Tyeb Mehta.