Congregate Or Segregate?

When I first adopted Osha, my cute Siamese kitten, I had to make sure I didn't favour her over Hunter, my beautiful Angora cat, who is three years older. I love them both, but, Osha, well, is a kitty. She plays hockey with tinfoil balls, chases her tail, and hides toys and stuffed mice all around my house. I guess I don't have to tell you that Osha is very entertaining to watch. My son Tim enjoys taking pictures of her because she is playful and active and so very cute.

Hunter, on the other hand, is not as active. She likes to sleep in a sunbeam, or anywhere that is soft and comfy. Hunter also greets me in bed every morning to lay beside me and purr in my ear. The only time, she's really active is in the middle of the night when she gets up, goes to my upright piano, and plays random notes on the ivory keys. I smile to myself every time I hear her play. I can't imagine what my life would be like without her or Osha. Their ages make no difference to me. They are both special in their own way.

Because I love them both, they are now at peace with each other and sleep together in the same location.

This is what God would like to see in His Church. Age makes no difference to Him either. He doesn't favour one age group over another. In other words, it isn't His desire to have a church place more emphasis on the youth and young people, and less emphasis on the older people, or vice versa.

If Church leaders view people inferior or superior depending on their age, giving more preference and importance to the favoured age group over the unfavoured one, division and strife will occur, resulting in prejudice and segregation.

Last Christmas, my four sons and I all went to a retirement home to sing and play for the people who live there. The response from the elderly was overwhelming, not because of my sons' talents, but because of my sons' willingness of heart to spend a day during the busy Christmas season to be with people who were old and fragile. It broke my heart afterwards to hear these precious elderly people come up to my sons and say that they were such a blessing and encouragement to them because they felt that young people today didn't care any more about old people.

All people of all ages are equally important to God. A toddler is loved just as much as a teenager, and a teenager is loved just as much as a ninety-year old. As a church, we need to show this equality of God and make a greater effort not to favour one age group over the other, or allow division and segregation to occur. Respect of all ages is a must for a body of believers to be united in a church.

"There is neither Jew nor Greek,

there is neither slave nor free,

there is no male and female,

for you are all one in Christ Jesus."

Galatians 3:28

A good sign that unity exists amongst the different age groups in a church is when the church body and worship team have a balance of ages.

Christians are to come to Church to congregate, not segregate. Unfortunately, I see that many churches today are not a congregation, but a segregation of believers. This is not the will of God, and a very poor testimony to the unbeliever in the world.