When I read the first introduction to Ecclesiastes it reminds me of one of my great fears - that I will end up a disgruntled old Adventist. There are so many who whinge and complain about the waywardness of the youth, the apostasy of the church, the loudness of the music. Evangelists are particularly notable, maybe because they are so vocal. They either leave their ministry because of some sexual misdemeanour, or they retire ungraciously loudly proclaiming that the church has got it wrong and that we should go back to the days of the pioneers or whenever.
Now that I am close enough to old age to realise that I am not actually immortal, I worry about whether I am going to become a complaining old coot!
Maybe I need some lessons on growing old graciously in the faith. I am not sure that this set of lessons is going to teach us that skill but it it one that we could all afford to learn. I am heartened by the many old adventists who are not vocal crtics though - who live quietly, enjoying their old age as "grandparents" in the church, sharing in the growing experiences of young Christians as they develop their faith. I became a real grandfather a little while ago. I see my grandson every few weeks and we enjoy one another's company. I have had to relearn old skills like "hide and seek", and getting down on the floor and pushing cars around making "brrm-brrm noises. It is enormous fun and is illustrative of the sort of relationship that those of us who are getting older need to develop in our relationship to our church and its younger generations.