Retirement

Kopp Disclosure

(John 3:19-21)

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    I wasn't thinking about retiring until one of my two favorite diggers who will take care of my "arrangements" when the role is called up yonder - Bill and Ric already have the music disk - said last Sunday afternoon while eating burgers in Janesville, Wisconsin half-way through a trot with our chrome ponies, "You know, brother, people will be making all of the decisions for us in about 10 years."

    Ouch.

    Order those Depends!

    It was almost as bad as PackMan interrupting me on Main Street in Deadwood as I mocked a trike parade in 2010, "Don't look now but that's our future!"

    Ouch.

    Actually, while this will come as a disappointment to those who hate me in a Christian kinda way who would salivate over news that Grandpa Jacob's cancer has passed on to me or somebody shot me for Allah's sake because I keep siding with members, presbyters, and anybody else who still loves Jesus by the book, I ain't goin' nowhere now or ever but the corner of Lincoln and Main in Belvidere, Illinois to gospel unless Grandpa Jacob's cancer has passed on to me, somebody shoots me for Allah's sake, or the minority that thinks I'm no longer hip enough to be moderator, undershepherd, and head of staff becomes the majority.

    Borrowing a line from Gump, "And that's all I gotta say about that."

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    Parenthetically, as an abridgement of Numbers 6, I'm not trimming/cutting another hair from my grays until every pew in the sanctuary has occupants in the second service.

    Call Duck Dynasty for a cameo!

    If the chapel can be increasingly packed at 7:30 a.m. for worship...

    Yep, I've still got enough vinegar and that other stuff to last me for another two decades at least.

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    Really, why would I retire?

    Sit in McD's all day with the other gossipers/geezers?

    Stand in line for flu shots at Walgreen's?

    Change diapers for grandkids?

    Borrowing a line from Arthur's butler, "I live for it!"

    O.K., I can think of a few things that I'd like to do and few things that I'd like to give up right now.

    Buuuuuuut aside from riding around the nation's perimeter for two months on Return2 with a retirement gift that I forfeited in WSNC and being liberated from compulsory clergy meetings, really, why would I retire?

    How does anyone retire from gospeling, Matthew 25 ministries, and other kerygmatic stuff?

    Besides, ever since my denomination joined you know who in messing up medical care...

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    Sooooooo I'm gonna hang in until I'm hung up by someone about something.

    Moretheless, the Lord keeps filling me with new wine and I'm increasingly intoxicated in/through/for Him.

    I've never heard Him say, "Behold, I make all things old."

    He never talked about becoming rigidly inflexible; to the contrary, He talked about stretching and making room for His new and improved ways of living.

    The apostle echoed Him in saying we can be newed creations rather than reclining geezers.

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    Maybe it's my dad.

    He's in his upper 80s and still practices or plays golf almost every day, sings in the choir, banters and moans about politics with an acuity that dwarfs me, drives on 80 like he's at Darlington, and buys new sticks more often than I trim/cut my grays that I ain't trimmin' or cuttin' again until...

    In fact, my mom was bantering and moaning to me about a new driver and irons that he just bought the other day.

    I said, "Well, just let me know when he stops buying 'em; then I'll clear up my calendar, come to make his arrangements, and preside at his..."

    "Ooooooookkkkkkkay, Bobby, I get your point!"

    Excellent!

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    I'm not demeaning those who retire for all of the right reasons; especially those who've been captive to jobs for purely financial considerations.

    Buuuuuuut if you're doing something that God really wants you to do and you really like what you're doing for Him, what are you going to do when you retire?

    Maybe it's Grandpa Jacob.

    He retired from a job that he really liked, immediately got cancer, and died.

    Coming from a denomination known for its connections, I think there was a...

    Retire?

    Renew?

    Rebirth?

    Think and pray about it before...

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Blessings and Love!