Elders

Some Churches have created a position of “Elder” in their operation. While that position is Biblical, others have not formally done so. On the other hand the natural life God created for all men is that they ultimately become “elders” if they live a long life. They do not have to  be part of the Church to arrive at “eldership.”

Elders are what most people think about when they see an old man. They are easy to spot. They are often in the way, and they are doing strange, dumb, foolish, silly and annoying things. Let me share some common characterises.

They are clumsy, alway stumbling over things, dropping things, losing things, forgetting things, and often are unkind to people who don’t give them the respect an old person deserves because  they have made it to a place that is genuinely hard for them to negotiate.

They spill things, say the same things over and over, and don’t realise their pants are unzipped.

They may be really smart, but they have forgotten how to demonstrate that. They can’t find their keys, hearing aids, or wallet. If they still drive, they often run over curbs, turn from the wrong lane, and back over bicycles and such. That often happens, in part, because they have lost their glasses.

I could go on. . and on, but you get the picture. There is a really wonderful reality about them, however. If they are Believers, they are close to the front of the line for Heaven. That’s good for them, and while we will miss them (maybe), we will always have things to talk about when the conversation slows, and we can say, “you remember when he. . . .”