It's been a full day especially of preaching to the elderly today. In the morning I headed down to a sheltered housing block in Brondesbury on the Kilburn High Road for a short morning service followed by coffee. Our numbers were swollen with the new minister at the nearby Baptist church and the temporary warden (also a minister) joining we usual seven, mostly residents. We looked at the beginning of Mark 14.Then after lunch I headed up to Heathgrove Lodge, a BUPA care home. This is a new venture at the invitation of Lori, the activities organiser. Folk here are more needy (one of the seven or so gathered is over a hundred years old). We sang a little and I spoke from Mark 1 then asked for questions before tea arrived. A lovely Irish lady the played some hymns and other tunes on the organ. Nice time. Seeking to the reach the elderly, especially those who are not really well, is not easy. But we cast our bread on the waters. One hears some wonderful stories of people being converted quite alte in life.
Midweek meeting tonight.
1 comment:
Hi Gary
I remember my first experience of ministering to the elderly in Armagh, about five years ago. I'd been invited along to speak at a day care centre, and was sitting silently waiting amidst a group of senior citizens to be introduced.
An old lady in the corner asked her friend in what can be best described as a 'stage whisper', 'Who's that over there?'. Her friend informed her that I was the new Baptist Pastor in the town. 'Oh,' she said, 'I liked the old one better!'. I hadn't even spoken yet!!!
Like you I have tasted some of the frustrations and yet some of the rich blessings of ministering to senior folks. On the very days when I thought getting the message across was particularly difficult, God blessed His Word in a surprising way.
May the Lord continue to bless you in this vital ministry.
God bless,
Andrew
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