Silence Is Golden

SILENCE IS GOLDEN (LUKE 1:5-25)

Middle Age is the last laugh before old age is no laughing matter. People in middle-age can identify with his piece of humor titled “Middle Age”:

Maybe it’s true that life begins at fifty, but everything else starts to wear out, fall out or spread out.

There are three signs of old age. The first is your loss of memory, the other two I forget.

You’re getting old when you don’t care where your spouse goes, just as long as you don’t have to go along.

Middle age is when work is a lot less fun - and fun a lot more work.

Statistics show that at the age of seventy, there are five women to every man. Isn’t that the darndest time for a guy to get those odds?

You know you’re getting on in years when the girls at the office start confiding in you.

Middle age is when it takes longer to rest than to get tired.

By the time a man is wise enough to watch his step, he’s too old to go anywhere.

Middle age is when you have stopped growing at both ends, and have begun to grow in the middle.

Of course I’m against sin. I’m against anything that I’m too old to enjoy.

A man has reached middle age when he is cautioned to slow down by his doctor instead of by the police.

Middle age is having a choice of two temptations and choosing the one that will get you home earlier.

You know you’re into middle age when you realize that caution is the only thing you care to exercise.

At my age, “getting a little action” means I don’t need to take a laxative.

Don’t worry about avoiding temptation. As you grow older, it will avoid you.

The aging process could be slowed down if it had to work its way through Congress.

You’re getting old when getting lucky means you find your car in the parking lot.

You’re getting old when you’re sitting in a rocker and you can’t get it started.

You’re getting old when you wake up with that morning-after feeling, and you didn’t do anything the night before.

The cardiologist’s diet: if it tastes good, spit it out.

It’s hard to be nostalgic when you can’t remember anything.

You know you’re getting old when you stop buying green bananas.

The gospel of Luke opened with a dark cloud, a deep sigh and a mood of resignation, the drama increased by the absence of recorded prophetic utterances for about 400 years, the period between the Old and New Testament records. God had not spoken a word for an astounding 400 years! Worse, the king, not the Lord, was in control or in charge. The tyrant Herod the Great had humiliated God’s people by placing idols in the temple. The government’s sword was louder than the people’s protest. Herod’s name was feared more than God’s. However, God’s presence, power and purpose were evident for all who had eyes of faith, but many people’s faith was turning middle-age – the time when faith is getting worn-out, getting washed out and getting no workout. Luke’s gospel began not with the Messiah’s birth, but with His forerunner’s appearance and family. God’s 400 years of silence between the two testaments was broken by a loud announcement, but it was greeted with strong skepticism and outright disbelief by one of His most faithful servants.

What is middle-age faith? Where did the midlife crisis in faith come from? How can believers become young at heart and fresh in faith again?

God Deserves Our Best

5 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. 6 Both of them were upright in the sight of God, observing all the Lord’s commandments and regulations blamelessly. 7 But they had no children, because Elizabeth was barren; and they were both well along in years. (Lk 1:5-7)

Father Joseph went up to Father Fred one afternoon and said, “I am sick of all this clean living. Tonight let’s you and me go out and party. We’ll carouse, drink, whatever we want.” Fred was shocked. “Are you crazy? This is a small town and everyone knows us. Besides, even if they didn’t, they would see our clothes and know we were priests.” Joe was ready for this. “Don’t be silly. We won’t stay in town, we’ll go into the city where nobody knows us and we’ll dress just like anyone else.”

In the end, he managed to persuade Fred, and they went out that night and partied like professionals. When they got back home at 5:00 AM, Fred’s face became pale. “I just thought of something,” he said. “We have to confess this.” Again, Joe was ready. “Relax, I told you I thought this all out in advance. Tomorrow, you go into church and into the confessional. I will come in my regular clothes and confess, and you absolve me. Then I’ll go put on my garments, you come in and confess, and I’ll absolve you.” Fred was amazed at Joe’s brilliance.