Come, Let Us Age!: An invitation to grow old boldly
In this unique book, Wanda Nash, a well-established writer on spirituality in her late seventies, reflects on growing old with faith and a positive spirit. This compelling invitation to grow old boldly - full of her own experiences and insights - includes Wanda's reflection on her encounter later in life with terminal cancer, and her thoughts on coping with the daily challenges of living a Christian life in her illness and in ageing. Demonstrating a profound sense of the value and purposefulness of 'old age', the author's indomitable spirit is matched only by her fresh vision of the love of God in Jesus Christ.
Title | Come, Let Us Age!: An invitation to grow old boldly |
Author | Wanda Nash |
ISBN | |
Description | In this unique book, Wanda Nash, a well-established writer on spirituality in her late seventies, reflects on growing old with faith and a positive spirit. This compelling invitation to grow old boldly - full of her own experiences and insights - includes Wanda's reflection on her encounter later in life with terminal cancer, and her thoughts on coping with the daily challenges of living a Christian life in her illness and in ageing. Demonstrating a profound sense of the value and purposefulness of 'old age', the author's indomitable spirit is matched only by her fresh vision of the love of God in Jesus Christ. ContentsCome, let us age! An invitation to grow old boldly
|
Details |
|
In this unique book, Wanda Nash, a well-established writer on spirituality in her late seventies, reflects on growing old with faith and a positive spirit. This compelling invitation to grow old boldly - full of her own experiences and insights - includes Wanda's reflection on her encounter later in life with terminal cancer, and her thoughts on coping with the daily challenges of living a Christian life in her illness and in ageing. Demonstrating a profound sense of the value and purposefulness of 'old age', the author's indomitable spirit is matched only by her fresh vision of the love of God in Jesus Christ.
Contents
Come, let us age! An invitation to grow old boldly- 1 The preliminary scene
- 2 What is old age for?
- 3 Would God like an empty space which only he can refill?
- 4 How on earth can we do this?
- 5 Some of the consequences of being old
- 6 Some conclusions about being very old
- 7 God laughing
- 8 The magnitude of God
- 9 Alongside the pain and the hurt
- 10 Feeling awful and playing
- 11 Jesus and optimism
- 12 Jesus and his needs
- 13 Being pierced, but still being welcoming
- 14 Being old and ill: where is God?
- 15 Awareness of God's presence in illness
- 16 Using illness: ministry through illness
- 17 Coping with illness in order to use it
- 18 The best is yet to come
- 19 Finale
Arthur Rank Centre Resources. Review by Revd Elizabeth Clark, National Rural Officer for the Methodist and United Reformed Churches
This is a small book - less than 100 pages - but the subject matter is huge: how to approach ageing and dying gracefully and with joy. Wanda Nash, a well-known writer on stillness and contemplation, began this book in her late 70s. While she was writing it she was diagnosed with terminal cancer.
The book meets the subjects of ageing and death head on; both are to be embraced. Wanda doesn't duck the problems of getting old but looks at them differently, suggesting that if we can no longer rush about filling our days with doing then we must make the most of being. That being takes place in the presence of a God who helps us to not only make sense of what is happening but to use it to minister to others. Ageing is to be embraced and celebrated.
A book like this could be very worthy and dull but instead it is suffused with a sense of fun and enjoyment of life. Even at the worst moments she sees an opportunity to play. Wanda is convinced of the reality of life after death and is 'looking forward to the other side', believing, like Julian of Norwich, that: 'All shall be well, and all shall be well, and all manner of thing shall be well.'
This is an inspiring, challenging but comforting book.
Review by Revd Elizabeth Clark, National Rural Officer for the Methodist and United Reformed Churches