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In a video I watched recently, a retired Southern Baptist pastor spoke of how often people are no longer retiring to play golf. Instead, like him, they are retiring and using their time to share their talents. Their gift is wisdom, an energy that has evolved over a lifetime. I think that the stewardship these people provide in our church often goes without comment.
In a recent homily, MJ discussed how in "growing" our church we need to look further than growing the congregation. What I heard in MJ's homily is that firstly we need to look at the soil we are providing so that new seeds can be sown and grow healthy.
In my own experience of St Laurence, the people I viewed as elders when I joined the church - who were probably younger then than I am now - had created good soil, and then went further to plant seeds in my heart. They set an example of how we all can continue.
There were many instances, but I have space to name only a couple.
When Geoffrey, my son, was very young, I had to take him to emergency at Rockyview. After spending a restless night in the hospital and still awaiting a diagnosis, Shirley Leacock happened upon me. Although I did not now know her well, in her soft presence I was reminded that I was not alone in my fear. And another time during what we now would call 'conversations', Shirley opened up about her own faith questions. Up to that time, I thought I was alone in those doubts. Shirley made me realize I should not assume I knew what others thought or felt, and that it was safe to question.
Mayda Forsyth is someone else who has made a deep impression on my spiritual life. She opened me to a whole new world of Christian spirituality. At least 20 years ago, Mayda's wisdom brought me to books I otherwise would not have read - John Spong and Lynne Bauman included. Mayda was the one I turned to with my questions and doubts. She kept planting seeds even when they took a long time to sprout. And, Mayda was the one who supported me to start the contemplative worship service.
Elder wisdom is something we often ignore in our society. And it is a huge legacy we have from the elders in our church. I want to acknowledge that and those who continue in this stewardship.
"The strength of the 'outer man' begins to ebb away. This makes possible the most decisive renewal of the 'inner man', the deepest spiritualization of life. Overcoming this final impoverishment there emerges the old man, the wise man, the elder, whose whole strength is in spirit. Perhaps such men say little, or at any rate, little of importance, but by their simple existence they transform the complex of existence and make it transparent. Their 'act' of essential being is the spiritual transparency of the realized meaning of existence." Ladislaus Boros as quoted in The Holy Trinity, Cynthia Bourgeault
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