One Generation Shall Commend Your Works To Another
During a recent prayer meeting, we were instructed to join with others in the room to pray for healing in small groups. I looked around the room; some found each other based solely on proximity, others felt compelled to huddle as families or in age demographics. I was drawn to Sheila, a lovely elderly woman with cataracts and a full beating heart for Jesus. She sat next to Joyce, a firecracker believer, who swims in the sea weekly, and who always encourages anyone she meets with some gold from her wealth of biblical knowledge. Both had introduced themselves to me a few Sundays before and were well known matriarchs of the faith in our new church family in Dover. Together they had over 160 years of experience on this earth (give or take) and had both been in our church for most of its 100-year history. I just knew praying with them would be a blessing.
A warmth washed over me as the Holy Spirit ministered through us, and to us. We held hands and prayed powerfully for healing. My mind wandered towards my own Grandma of 92, whose hands, similar to these, I had not held for nearly a decade. For a moment, I was weighted by sadness and the loss of being called into ministry in another country. The Holy Spirit continued to minister, and I felt His embrace tending to that painful sting in my distracted heart. I wondered whether my Grandma had ever held the hands of someone like me and prayed for breakthrough in her home church… I was utterly convinced, and assured by the Holy Spirit, that the answer was yes, and that feeling definitely gave me a Kingdom sense of reprieve. We continued to fight in the spiritual for those who needed healing. Somehow, I felt like my heart was being healed in that moment too.
The concept of intergenerational ministry and multi-generational discipleship is not new by any means. It is a practice that dates to the origins of Christianity and is dotted across Scriptures on numerous occasions.
Some Old Testament examples include:
Moses calling the whole assembly of Israel to “Make [the commandments] known to your children and your children’s children,” (Deuteronomy 4:9) and
Ezra reading aloud the book of the Law and the entire community celebrated together (Nehemiah 8:2-3 and 12:43).
And In the Psalms when declaring “One generation shall commend your works to another, and shall declare your mighty acts.” (Psalm 145:4)
In the New Testament, we also see:
Jesus modelling the inclusion of children throughout His ministry by reminding us to consider them (Matthew 10:42)
And Paul writes to the church in Ephesus, asking for the letter to be read aloud to the gathered community. In the letter he specifically addresses a wide range of generational themes, including children (Ephesians 6:1-4).
There is such delight to be had hearing a 4-year-old declare their faith in Jesus, or seeing children dance to worship with sweet abandon. Equally, as it was with Sheila and Joyce, there is something so valuable about standing alongside believers who have weathered the seasons of this life and to listen to what tried and tested faith looks like, gleaning from their experience. A gift that sometimes is taken for granted I suspect.
To ensure all generations have opportunity, to share life, and faith together, to grow, and to edify all those present who are present in the body, regardless of age or other factors, is definitely something worth prayerful consideration. I wonder what changes might happen if we all stopped and prayed about the ways in which we are currently utilising this gift already found within our churches. To implement strategies and reassess the structures we have, to ensure and reinvigorate the gift of the spiritual, and generational family. Maybe there is a season of taking stock and asking the question amongst your church family too. I pray you do, at least, consider it.
As the prayer time for healing concluded that evening, I thanked Joyce and Sheila for praying with me. I shared how encouraged I was and how great it felt to be with my spiritual Grandmas in the faith. They both smiled at me and gave me a hug. Finally, Sheila leaned over, looked me straight in the eyes and then professed an important question…
“I’m sorry… but who are you?”
It didn’t even matter that Grandma Sheila couldn’t see who I was, God moved sweetly through her that night, and He reminded me of what it is to be in a wider Kingdom family, and for that I will forever be grateful.
Rachel Wellard