The Sanctity of Life…in the Church Pew

This past Sunday was Sanctity of Human Life Sunday in many churches. A day set aside among churches to recognize, celebrate, give thanks, and pray for life as a divine gift from God. While the unborn are rightfully a focus on this occasion, the sanctity of life encompasses life in all its stages—born and unborn, young to old. Because God has created all human beings in his image all life, regardless of its stage, is precious and valuable. As the church we are right to champion all human life.

That’s a fight we need to take to the world. Pushing back against abortion and elderly euthanasia. However, it also needs to be a focus within the church. A recent news article appeared in the Washington Post (you can read the article by clicking here) about a Methodist Church in the suburbs of St. Paul, Minnesota. According to the article the church’s efforts at revitalization and increasing the numbers of younger members has left many of the older members feeling neglected and even disenfranchised. Some older members suggest they’ve even been asked to leave—at least for a time.

I don’t know all the details of the church and its situation; I do know the work of revitalization and relaunching a church is never easy and calls for necessary changes. However, the tension (and perhaps even exclusion) that has appeared among the age structure of the church’s membership is deeply regrettable and contrary to the sanctify of life we defend. If life is valuable it all its stages, then we should value all ages in our churches.

The apostle John, as pastor of the church in Ephesus, provides a glimpse of the age structure within his church when he wrote 1 John 2:12-14:

I am writing to you, little children, because your sins are forgiven for his name's sake. I am writing to you, fathers, because you know him who is from the beginning. I am writing to you, young men, because you have overcome the evil one. I write to you, children, because you know the Father. I write to you, fathers, because you know him who is from the beginning. I write to you, young men, because you are strong, and the word of God abides in you, and you have overcome the evil one.

I believe little children, young men, and older fathers were all part of John’s congregation. Certainly, John has spiritual maturity in mind in designating these groups, but surely it at least connotes physical maturity as well. There’s much to be gained for a church when the age spectrum is broadly represented. There’s new life among the little ones, strength within the young, and wisdom with the aged. When all ages are represented there’s hope for the continued life of the church as the younger grow older, and for the spiritual life of the church as the older model for the younger what it means to walk in the Lord. We need one another. Young and old, and the corresponding innovations and traditions that each will bring.

So, let us consider others, regardless of age, as more important than ourselves. When we do, perhaps what we will discover is that one of the best ways for the church to promote the sanctify of life is right in the church pew. When old and young sit and worship together and recognize the value of all.