With my retirement from public work to working from home in my writer’s studio, still fresh after just 11 weeks versus 40 years, any wording with retirement catches my eye. Today it came from a Louis Armstrong quote in my 1440 emailed newsletter.
“Musicians don’t retire—they stop when there’s no more music in them.”
I appreciate that because, in my ministerial training, the word was that a minister never retires. In reconciling the two, the word to me is: Ministry happens beyond the deathbed, but only if the Good News stays “in me.”
The Apostle Paul said it this way (twice),
“So, as much as in me is, I am ready to preach the gospel to you that are at Rome also” (Romans 1:15 KJV);
“To reveal his Son in me, that I might preach him among the heathen; immediately I conferred not with flesh and blood” (Galatians 1:16 KJV).
Taking Armstrong’s quote literally, which I am not sure is exactly what he meant, there was a limited amount of music one has to give. There would come a time when the music would be exhausted, and there would be nothing left to share.
However, for the minister (and ministering believer), the eternal Christ in us has no end; thus, there would be no culmination. Like Elijah and the widow in 2 Kings 17:8-16, where the barrel of meal and the cruse of oil did not fail, so will the Good News flow from us because of the everlasting Christ in us!
It was an everlasting:
Prophesied in the Psalms,
“Thy throne, O God, is for ever and ever: the sceptre of thy kingdom is a right sceptre” (Psalms 45:6 KJV).
Spoken by the prophets,
“And the kingdom and dominion, and the greatness of the kingdom under the whole heaven, shall be given to the people of the saints of the most High, whose kingdom is an everlasting kingdom, and all dominions shall serve and obey him” (Daniel 7:27 KJV).
Declared by the angel at Christ’s conception,
“And he shall reign over the house of Jacob for ever; and of his kingdom there shall be no end” (Luke 1:33 KJV).
Confirmed by the angel in Revelation,
“And the seventh angel sounded; and there were great voices in heaven, saying, The kingdoms of this world are become the kingdoms of our Lord, and of his Christ; and he shall reign for ever and ever” (Revelation 11:15 KJV).
Simply put, the everlasting in us that springs forth the Good News we share never retires; it just changes venues.
Our words will change from an earthly plea, “Repent, He’s coming again,” to a heavenly praise “Blessing, and honour, and glory, and power, be unto him that sitteth upon the throne, and unto the Lamb for ever and ever” (Revelation 5:13 KJV).
Amen.
