Honoring Our Senior Saints

Honoring Our Senior Saints

By

District Elder M.L. Maughmer, Jr.

OPENING: When I was asked to speak for the Senior Saints luncheon I was very happy and nervous at the same time. I was happy because you thought enough of me and I am truly honored that you did to speak at the Luncheon Honoring the Senior Saints. I was nervous because I didn’t want to say something that might have offended someone unwittingly because like my father says so many times you young whipper-snapper you don’t know anything. When I am preaching if something is said that someone my get offended at I can always say I’m just the delivery guy and possibly get away with it. However, when just speaking like this I was a little nervous. So I said I know what I will do I will start by saying a joke or two just to break the ice. I searched the internet and found what I thought was going to be pretty funny until I started reading and found myself actually being part of this I would like to share it with you briefly.

10 ways to know you’re getting old?

1. Your joints are more accurate meteorologist than the people on the weather channel.

2. You’re grown when you groan every time you get up.

3. You turn the lights out for economic reason rather than romance.

4. You quit trying to hold in your stomach no matter who walks in the room.

5. You’re proud of your lawn mower.

6. People call you at 9:00 pm and ask did I wake you.

7. Your knees buckle but your belt doesn’t.

8. You know what the word “equity” means.

9. You sing along with elevator music.

10. It takes you longer to rest then it did for you to get tired.

Seriously I am truly grateful to be here and speak on honoring our senior saints. The Bible says in Romans 13:7 “Render therefore to all their dues: tribute to whom tribute [is due]; custom to whom custom; fear to whom fear; honour to whom honour”

Hebrew 12:1 says “Wherefore seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset [us], and let us run with patience the race that is set before us,”

If I were to combine these scriptures for this occasion it would read “Wherefore seeing we also are compasses about with so great a cloud of witness, let us render therefore to all their dues: tribute to whom tribute is due; custom to whom custom; fear to whom fear; and honour to whom honour is due.

Today I want to talk about an incredibly valuable and underused asset that we have in the Kingdom of God and that is you our senior saints. You our senior saints pass on a solid foundation of wisdom, stability, and strength that if the younger generation would open their eyes would be able to learn from the examples that are before them and will be able to live a life full of honor, filled with no regrets, and giving glory to God.

We live in a world that often celebrates its young people and mostly everything is geared toward the younger generation. For example technology is geared more toward the younger generation. Computers, iPods, cell phones, and GPS systems oftentimes are a status symbol of success in the eyes of the younger generation rather than a tool used to carry on the function of living.

In our churches we have incorporated in many cases a second Sunday service, the one is called “Traditional” and is geared to the older generation hymnals are used to sing from and the volume of the music is oftentimes softer, while second is called either “Contemporary or Generation X” it is geared toward the younger people, the music is louder, the atmosphere is what has become to be called pumped, and the age of the people in this service usually ranges from 40 and below. Although this is fine because we are able to reach a greater amount of people with diverse worship styles, we must understand and appreciate the value that the senior saints offer to Kingdom of God.

Sadly, many churches and even more young people do not give their senior saints the honor and respect due them. We must realize that many of these men and women that are often times pushed to the other side of the church are the very ones that helped form the foundation of the church. We must understand that the senior saints are truly the stability of the church. Many of the senior saints have the church at heart.

When work needs to done, the senior saints are always there. When projects need to be funded you can count on senior saints to contribute. When the doors of the church are open, the senior saints will always be found there. You the senior saints are the pillars of the House of God upholding the Holy standard! You the senior men and women of the church know God intimately because many of you have been walking with Him for decades.