Book Review

'Rethinking retirement: finishing life for the glory of Christ.' John Piper, Crossway.

rethinking-retirement

It's always good to think ahead and find out what challenges are faced by other racial or social groups or, in this case, a different age group. You don't have to be a ‘wrinkly’ to profit from the small booklet called ‘Rethinking retirement: finishing life for the glory of Christ.’(Author: John Piper. Publisher: Crossway. Less than 30 small pages). On that theme also is ‘Finishing our course with joy: Ageing with hope.’( Author: Jim Packer. Publisher IVP, approx. 100 pages.) Both authors have followed Jesus for decades and distill their wisdom on the subject of ‘retirement’. Independently of each other, they both question and expose the emptiness that can exist in the current Western world view on retirement.

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Packer writes:”.... It prescribes idleness, self-indulgence, and irresponsibility as the goal of one's declining years. This, over time, will generate a burdensome sense that one's life is no longer significant, but has become, quite simply, useless.”

Both authors point to the glory of Christ as the goal of the disciple:’Christ must be our Treasure. And the life that we live must flow from this all-satisfying Christ.. the life that flows from the soul that lives on Jesus is a life of love and service.’ (Piper. p.19).

Examples of saints from church history,who persevered in the faith to old age, are given particularly by Piper. Packer highlights the need for “zeal”: ‘Maintaining zeal Godward as our bodies wear out is the special discipline to which ageing Christians are called.’ (See pp.72-77).

This book was written by Packer in his nineties- he has written more books in his ‘retirement’ than he did in his everyday working life,in which he was a prolific author! That is an encouragement and a challenge to us to work for the kingdom and glory of God. In this, Packer reminds us,we are sustained by hope - in the final chapter entitled ‘We look forward”:

The New Testament presents faith in Christ as restoring to us the hope of an unimaginably glorious future. There will be an effectual elimination of evil, an endless extrapolation of good, and ecstatic extension of fellowship with a glorified Christ and glorified Christians, and eternal enjoyment of God’s glory and beauty in ways that we cannot at present begin to conceive.’
Sam Storms on Packer’s book says, ”Don't wait until you’re sixty or seventy to read this book. Start now and finish well.”

These books are worth the investment. None of us is getting younger but we have gifts that are to be used and God to be glorified until we go to ‘an unknown country with a well-known inhabitant.’

Pete Davies

Pete Davies, 26/07/2019

Croeso ~ Welcome
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Planning your Visit

New to us? Newydd i ni?

Welcome! Croeso!

Whether you've just moved to the area, or have lived here all your life, we hope our website helps you to find everything you want to know about us.

Os dach chi'n newydd i'r ardal 'ma, neu wedi bod yma ers talwm - gobeithio bod chi'n gallu ffeindio popeth dach chi eisiau gwybod amdanom ni fan hyn.

New to church altogether? Just want to know more about the Christian faith?

There's a warm welcome for you every week, feel free to contact us if you do have questions, we'll be happy to help. You can read our 'about' page too. Have you thought about Alpha? Alpha is a series of sessions exploring the Christian faith.
Find out when are next course is running here.

When & where? Pryd a lle?

We gather every Sunday morning at the Canolfan Cae Cymro in Clawddnewydd at 10:30 every Sunday.

At present we are not streaming live, but only video the message, this can be found normally within a couple of days on our website under resources/sermons and media.

Kurt Francis
Tel / Ffôn: 07902 874977
email: kurt@rcfnorthwales.com

Canolfan Cae Cymro (Village Community Hall)

Clawddnewydd, Nr Rhuthun
Denbighshire / Sir Ddinbych
LL15 2ND

Plenty of parking is available. Digon o lefydd parcio ar gael.

You can see a map on our contact us page.

What should I expect? Be' ddylwn i'n disgwyl?

We're always happy to meet new people, and visitors to us. We have an informal structure but the morning service usually takes the pattern of Story-Telling, Worship, Breaking of Bread and Prayer, and Teaching from the Bible. The teaching time is aimed at 20 minutes with 10 minutes of discussion time either within or at the end of the talk. Once a month and throughout August we have an all-age service called 'Allsorts' where hopefully there is a little something for everyone! Tea, coffee and biscuits are served after the service where there is plenty of time to meet new people and ask more questions.

Dan ni'n hapus iawn i gyfarfod pobl newydd, ac ymwelwyr hefyd. Mae ein gwasanaethau yn anffurfiol, a fel arfer yn cynnwys amser i addoli, cael cymun, ac i amser i rannu storiau a hanes. Bydd 'na bregeth pob wythnos am ~20 munud gydag fel arfer 10 munud i sgwrsio ac ymateb. Unwaith y mis, a thrwy gydol mis Awst rydym cael gwasanaeth 'Allsorts' i bob oedran lle gobeithio bydd 'na rywbeth bach i bawb!
Lluniaeth ysgafn ar gael ar ôl y gwasanaeth. Digon o amser i sgwrsio, gofyn ychydig o gwestiynau ac wrth cwrs, dod i nabod ein gilydd yn well.

What about children and youth? Be' am y plant a phobl ifanc?

We run a specific program just for children and young people. Most weeks the children stay with their parents at the start of the service as we worship (sing songs, tell our stories and break bread with one another!) together for the first part of the morning. Someone will usually announce when the children need to go to their respective programs. If it's your first time, you will need to go with your children and register them.

Rydym yn cynnal rhaglen benodol ar gyfer plant a phobl ifanc. Fel arfer, dyn ni i gyd yn addoli efo;n gilydd i ddechrau, a wedyn mae''r plant a phobl ifanc yn mynd allan i'w grwpiau penodol. Bydd rhywun yn esbonio yn ystod y bore! Os dach chi'n dod am y tro cyntaf, ewch efo'ch plant i'w cofrestu diolos gwelwch chi'n dda.

Our aim is to make sure every child can be themselves in a safe and welcoming environment. Our children's workers are DBS checked and we have safeguarding procedures in place, we take our responsibility for the safety of children and young people very seriously.

We want the kids to have great fun whilst learning more about Jesus and meeting with Him.

Rydym ni eisiau'r plant cael hwyl yn dysgu am Iesu, a dod i nabod yr Arglwydd yn well.

If you have any questions about the programmes or want to know more about bringing your kids along on a Sunday then please email us or fill in our Contact Us form.

Os oes gynnych chi unrhyw gwestiwn am ein rhaglenni, neu os dych chi eisiau gwybod mwy am ddod â'ch plant chi ar ddydd Sul, ebostiwch ni neu llenwch y Ffurflen Gyswllt.

For more information about what happens in the children's work please visit the relevant age groups for you under church life.

Please feel free to contact us.
Cysylltwch â ni os gwelwch chi'n dda.

Check out our Staff and Leadership page.

Gweler linc 'Staff' yma.