Older, Not Old

The Rev. Dr. Skip Ferguson

Manassas Presbyterian Church

Manassas, Virginia

July 16, 2017

Older, Not Old

Selected Texts

The young man was eager to be helpful,

eager to provide the best in customer service,

so he smiled broadly

after he’d rung up my purchases

and asked me,

“Sir, do you qualify for a senior discount?”

The question caught me by surprise.

Me? A senior?

Just because AARP hunts you down

and harpoons you at age 50

doesn’t mean you’re a senior.

I asked him,

“What’s the age for the senior discount?”

He replied with the same broad smile, “60!”

60 a senior?

Hadn’t this young man seen the t-shirts,

the bumper stickers

that say, “60 is the new 40”?

I firmly and adamantly responded, “No.”

Not because I didn’t qualify;

I was more than year past my 60^th birthday.

I said no because I was hardly ready

to think of myself as a senior;

I said no because – I’ll admit it –

I was in denial.

    

It happened again a few months later.

Same grocery store,

different location,

different clerk,

same helpful attitude,

same question;

same forceful, adamant response from me:

“NO”.

Fast-forward a year,

just a few weeks ago.

Same grocery store,

but this time I was going through

the self-check-out lane.

I had just a few items:

milk, bread, and the like.

Purchases done, I pressed the button that said,

“Complete purchase and pay.”

Up popped a screen that asked,

“Any coupons today?”

No.

Up popped the next screen,

one I had not seen before:

“Do you qualify for a senior discount?”

That question now had Velcro

and it was determined to attach itself to me,

determined to confront me until I gave in.

I hesitated as I looked at the screen—

one second, two seconds, three seconds,

finger poised above the screen,

No? Yes?

And then I did it.

I hit the button that said, “Yes”.

Yes, I qualify for the senior discount;

I wouldn’t fight it any longer.

Now let’s be clear.

I may be old enough to qualify for a

senior discount at grocery stores,

but that does not make me old.

Older is not old.

I am not sure that 60 is the new 40,

but 60, or in my case almost 63,

is certainly not over the hill.

Still, ever since I turned 60,

I’ve been thinking about age,

my age;

and I’ve been thinking in particular,

at what age should I step down from the pulpit;

not retire – I’m too young for that,

too young for Social Security and a pension,

even if I do qualify for a senior discount.

             

No, I’m talking more about at what age

should I step aside,

make way for the next pastor,

a younger pastor,

probably a generation younger.

I’ve been around long enough

to have seen pastors

who served too long,

stayed too long;

and I have also seen pastors

who didn’t stay long enough,    

who left too soon.

For the past year or so,

I’ve put the matter squarely before God

as I’ve looked for guidance.

When, God?

And, as God always does,

God answered in God’s time,

and set the answer before me:

Summer 2017 –now.

Time to step down,

time to step aside.

As I thought about it,

God’s answer made sense,

as God’s answers always do.

It’s a good time for our church,

a good time for me to step down.

The church is strong, vibrant, healthy.

We are hard at work implementing the many projects

funded by our incredibly successful capital campaign,

and we’ve been joyfully celebrating

our 150-year history of ministry

in the name of Jesus Christ.

The wisdom of the teacher known as Qoheloth,

found in the book of Ecclesiastes,

tells us in those very familiar words,

“For everything there is a season,

and a time for every matter under heaven.”

(Ecclesiastes 3:1)

And so, there was a time back in 2006

for me to be called

as this Body of Christ’s 27^th pastor.

And in the same way,

there is a time now for me to step aside,

and make way for the one God will choose

as this Body of Christ’s 28^th pastor,

someone who will lead this church

to its 160^th anniversary and beyond.

The process that we Presbyterians

impose upon ourselves in calling pastors

can seem cumbersome, slow,

even anachronistic.

Wouldn’t it be so much easier

if we had an administrative bishop

who would simply appoint the next pastor?

But the process is intentional,

purposeful,

thoughtful;

I’ve seen it from both sides,

lay and clergy,

and as imperfect as it is,

it works.

Last April I met with Wilson Gunn,

the Executive Presbyter

of our National Capital Presbytery,

to share with him my thoughts and plans.

He recommended the Reverend Lisa Kenkeremath

to come in as Stated Supply in September,

to lead worship and provide pastoral care

so there will be continuity and consistency,

something that was and is very important to me.

Later in September the Session will form an

Interim Pastor Search Committee       

to call an Interim Pastor,

the person who will lead this church

during the search process for the new installed pastor.

That process will take 12 to 18 months.

I met with Reverend Lisa on Friday

and had a wonderful conversation with her. 

She just completed an interim term

at another church similar to ours

and she’d would love to come here

and serve this congregation as Stated Supply and,

if it is God’s will, as Interim Pastor.

Melissa worked with her in the past

and thinks quite highly of her.

She’ll come worship with us on August 6

and also meet with our Elders that day.

Presbytery will provide guidance and assistance

throughout the process.

I’ve been in conversation not only with Wilson,

but also with the Presbytery’s

Committee on Transitions

to help make this time of transition

as smooth as possible.

Those of you who remember the process

from 12 years ago,

will recall the Reverend Jeri Fields

as the Presbytery’s liaison,

and she was enormously helpful

not just to the Pastor Nominating Committee,

but also to me.

These are challenging times

for churches of all denominations.

But that is nothing new for us,

those of who gather in the name of Jesus Christ.

Two thousand years ago,

Paul warned his young protégé Timothy,

“For the time is coming

when people will not put up with sound doctrine,

but having itching ears,

they will accumulate for themselves

teachers to suit their own desires,

and will turn away from listening to the truth

and wander away to myths

...without understanding either

what they are saying

or the things about which

they make assertions.”

(1 and 2 Timothy)

Those words could just as easily

have been written yesterday.

But so too is Paul’s advice to Timothy

in the face of such challenges:

“Pursue righteousness, godliness,

faith, love,

endurance and gentleness.”

That’s our call as disciples of Jesus Christ.

Our call even in a time of transition,

for God, our rock, as well as our redeemer,

will be with us every step along the way,

you and me.

And so, we can embrace

the Psalmist’s words as our own:

“You are our chosen portion and our cup, O Lord;

We keep you always before us.

Therefore our hearts are glad,

and our souls rejoice;

our bodies rest secure.

….For you are our shepherd,

we shall not want.

You make us to lie down in green pastures;

You lead us beside still waters;

You restore our souls.

You lead us in right paths for your name’s sake.

Even though we walk through the darkest valley,

we will fear neither evil nor anything else,

for you are with us;

your rod and your staff—  they comfort us.

You prepare a table before us

in the presence of our enemies;
you anoint our heads with oil;

our cups overflow.

Surely goodness and mercy shall follow us

all the days of our lives,
and we shall dwell in the house of the Lord

now and forever.”

(from Psalms 16 and 23)

AMEN