too old to rock ‘n roll, too young to die

As unspiritual as it is, I am thinking today about the old Jethro Tull song, “Too Young to Die” (vintage 1976). The song is basically a rock ballad about a guy whose friends have all abandoned their partying ways because of age and responsibility. He hangs onto the old lifestyle and ultimately dies in the end, crashing his motorcycle into a truck. Edifying stuff, huh?

The point of this post is not the point of the song. My thought is more along the lines of how difficult it is to maintain ministry passion over the long haul . It seems like lots of people get tired and worn down. After years of working and leading, some leaders feel like they are just too “old” to “rock ‘n roll”, or lead. It may not be a matter of age, it may be a matter of miles. Whatever the cause, there are too many people on the shelf, no longer on the front line of making it happen. This is a shame. There is a lot us potential life-changing ministry sitting on the chairs of churches all over the world.

Let me try to inspire you. You are never too old or tired or burned out to lead. Don’t ever believe that you are. Maybe you need a break, maybe even a sabbatical would help. But if you are feeling like the better days of your leadership tasks are behind you (whether you are 20 or 80), think again.

If you are still alive, you’ve got something to share. As our friends, Jethro Tull reminds us in the last line of the song: “No, you're never too old to Rock'n'Roll if you're too young to die”.