"Retirement"

“Retirement”

 

Not long ago my brother Dave met a man at a special event who had served as pastor of our grandparents’ church in Brooklyn during the 1950’s. He’s now 90+ years old and pastoring a small church on “Lon Gisland.” As Dave spoke with him (he still remembered our family after 60 years) he mentioned that I’d retired from full-time church and hospice ministry to which the pastor replied (Dave wasn’t sure if in jest or seriously), “I didn’t think pastors were supposed to retire.” Either way, does he have a valid point?

I’ve heard some say, “Retirement isn’t in the Bible.” Not so—Numbers 8:24-25 says, “This applies to the Levites: men twenty-five years old or more shall come to take part in the work at the Tent of Meeting, but at the age of fifty they must retire from their regular service and work no longer.” (Emphasis added). The Hebrew word translated “retire” (this is the only place the NIV so renders it) appears over 1000 times in the Old Testament and has the basic meaning “turn back’ (“Return, O Israel, to the Lord your God.”--Hosea 14:1, emphasis added). So what were the “retired” Levites to turn back to? Speaking through Moses, the Lord went on to say, “They may assist their brothers in performing their duties at the Tent of Meeting….” (Numbers 8:26). So the door was open to continuing ministry but in a different way.

As a whole our society sees retirement as a reward for many years of working. But does this mean (as it did to a retired judge years ago) that we sit around, do nothing, and wait to die? Or does God still have a purpose for us when our active employment ends? If we take God’s words about the Levites seriously, we can still be productive as He gives us strength but our type or amount of labor will likely change. Remember, “…He who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.” (Philippians 1:6).

I’m thankful for the doors God’s opened for me in “retirement”: part-time hospice chaplaincy, leading a Bible study, translating the New Testament, and writing this blog (not to mention some golf, travel, time with Karen, and enjoying friends), all of which provide reasons for getting up each morning. And with God’s help I want to continue to be active until He calls me Home to my ultimate retirement: being with Him forever.

 

Blessings!

Jim McMillan