“I was turning 60, and I was scared.”
Joe Novenson was scared of growing old without a deep understanding of what the Bible had to say about aging.
During this time, the then-pastor of Lookout Mountain Presbyterian Church took a sabbatical to find out how older believers were navigating their later years. He interviewed 150 people and was not encouraged by what he found.
“I was alarmed. I was sobered. I was surprised,” he says. “I found more nebulousness than wisdom, more confusion than certainty, more nervousness than faithfulness. I heard notes of sorrow like, ‘I no longer have a voice, no influence.’ ”
Novenson wanted to believe there was more to the graying years than this shakiness. He wanted a vision for the last years of his life that was “robust, vital, captivating, imaginative, engaging, inviting, and purpose-filled.”
In the 13 years since, Novenson has been on a mission to explore what both Scripture and his heroes of the faith have to say about living as an older believer. The result is “The Unfinished Calling,” a multi-part video series and companion study guide produced jointly by Ridge Haven Conference Center, Covenant Theological Seminary, Mission to North America videographer Don Baret, and Committee on Discipleship Ministries.
“The Unfinished Calling” is a challenge to adults of all ages to commit themselves to nurture the next generation of disciples in the church.
Test Pilots
“When we think about growing older, our minds usually go to physical concerns (aches, energy, limitations), financial questions (retirement, security, provision), and family priorities (children, grandchildren, staying connected),” Novenson explains. “Rarely do we begin with, ‘God has kept me alive in order to serve the next generation.’ ”
But what he found as he read Scripture was a deep encouragement to remember the Lord’s goodness to older saints. Particularly Psalm 37:25: “I have been young, and now am old, yet I have not seen the righteous forsaken.”
“If I’m reading the Word of God correctly, the older saints are among the precious gifts and powerful tools for the health of the kingdom,” Novenson says. “Chosen passivity by older Christians is more than simply an act of a choice privately. The impact that has on the wider kingdom can be crippling. If we are passive, we are leaving a hole in the heart of the kingdom.”
Rather, older Christians are to view themselves as test pilots who have the privilege of demonstrating the trustworthiness of God’s story to younger believers.
“You’re like a sergeant in the battlefield surrounded by scared privates. And you can turn to them when they’re shaking in their boots in the trenches of marriage, singleness, work, mission, abandonment, rejection by family and friends, and say, ‘Private, you look at me. I’ve been here twice as long as you have. I’ve known more death, more divorce, more disease, more disaster than you can imagine, personally. And I want you to hear me, not once has [God] bailed. I ain’t lyin’. I’ve flown this plane. I’ve fought this battle. Now pick up the Bible and take another step.’ ”
Novenson explains that this kind of resilience God has built into older believers can be passed along through simple things like writing letters and faithful prayers.
He says he remembers a particular moment when, as a younger pastor, a ruling elder in his presbytery came up behind him while he was sitting at his desk. The man put his hands on Novenson’s shoulders, prayed for him, and sang a hymn over him. That kind of tangible love still lingers with him today.
One Generation to Another
Last fall, Novenson, now retired, was invited to share these lessons as a series of keynote messages at Ridge Haven’s annual Keenagers Conference, a retreat for adults over 50. Videographer Don Baret of MNA recorded the talks and converted them into a video series that is available here. An accompanying study book for small groups or individual use will be available at the PCA Bookstore in early June.
Stephen Estock, coordinator of CDM, says that this is an invaluable resource for churches who are filled with different generations trying to figure out how to relate to each other.
He says grandparents in particular play an increasingly integral role in the lives of their grandchildren. This series and book will help grandparents step into their God-given calling to make disciples of the next generation rather than simply providing childcare.
“[This resource] is calling for multigenerational ministry in the life of the church,” Estock says. “Covenant theology calls on one generation to tell another generation the glorious deeds of the Lord. … Joe understands that our Covenant theology drives us. We’re just recovering what God has always had in mind.”