Ageism In church?

 Ageism is a social ill that ridicules and diminishes older people just because they are older. I wonder if this ageist attitude is in our churches. We focus a lot of attention on the young. We target the young in outreach. We disciple the young for future ministry. We treat the older folks like we have to minister to them, not because we value them as they are.

One reason this happens in church is because of our one size fits all approach to ministry. Because we disciple the whole church, we view those who do not, or can not, get with the program with suspicion. Oh, we will visit them if they end up in the hospital. We will talk to them if they call. But it is funny that on Sunday morning you rarely hear a sermon directed at the elderly or ministry that addresses their unique challenges.

In society, people who reach 40 years old already feel old. They have aged out of relevance already. No company markets anything but prescription drugs to them. They are faced with the Sun City approach to aging which is to act young. It seems like the baby boomers, who are aging out of the scene as we speak, have no answers to their own challenges. As long as you can act young you are alright. Until sickness hits or you drop dead. The black and white attitude leave no room for the middle ground where real older people live.

I do not expect special treatment. I do expect to be appreciated even if I cannot participate in your youth-oriented program. But if you think we are more trouble than we are worth, shame on you!