Remembering for All the Saints | Conclusion
As I had envisioned this project, I thought that I would write a nice, insightful, weighty summary to pull together the thoughts of the various guest bloggers throughout this week. However, sitting here at the end of the week, I think it would be a disservice to the work that has been done here to attempt such a summary.
No, what has taken place in the Remembering for All the Saints series is the beginning of a conversation. To attempt to summarize it would be to end a sentence mid-thought. This conversation is does not need a conclusion, it needs continuation. I urge you to continue it: on your own blogs, in your churches, and in your lives. How ought the church react to individuals with severe memory loss? How can we best minister to and with those individuals and their families? And what do such personality-altering diseases say about God and the world that God made?
Continue the conversation. And more importantly, as we end this All Saints Sunday, remember those who cannot remember themselves.
God of all promise, God of all hope,
You are the one who remembered Noah amid the waters,
You are the one who remembered Abraham and Sarah in their infertility,
You are the one who remembered Israel in Egypt,
And, in Jesus Christ, you are the one who remembered the promises made to all those created in your image:
Remember, we pray, all those who are unable to remember for themselves; Remember their families and their caregivers; Remember their lives and their stories; and above all else, remember the covenant you made with them in the waters of baptism.
And remember us, with all your saints, until you bring us to your New Jerusalem, where we will all remember and be remembered.
In the name of Jesus Christ, who live and reigns with you and
the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. Amen.
Posts in the Remembering for All the Saints series:
****(Links have been repaired)****
* Introduction (Pastor David)
* Post 1(Art Ruch)
* Post 2 (More Cows than People)
* Post 3 (Pastor Walt Snyder)
* Post 4 (Pastor David)
* Post 5 (Paul Abspoel)
7 comments:
I like the idea of continuation instead of conclusion - especially for a suject like this. This series was a great idea, David, and thank you for hosting it.
Thank you, Art. It really has been my pleasure, and I have enjoyed what everyone brought to the table.
Thank you for this opportunity, David. It is a good thing that you write and think about this difficult subject. Please check the latest entry on my blog and let's keep in touch!
Pastor David, thank you again for hosting this series. I've enjoyed the insights, the experiences, and the views of each contributor. This is a difficult subject that most people avoid, but all of us will be affected in some way by Alzheimer's or dementia at some point in our lives.
Paul,
Thank you for your contribution to this conversation, and thanks for the link to the series on your blog. Certainly I will be keeping up with your world through your blog - it is one of the amazing things about the internet world, that we can so easily develop connections with those in another part of the world.
Vicki,
It has been my pleasure to host this conversation. I am glad that it has spoken to you.
This is a difference making project. I will be adding a tag to my blog for others to come and read this. I hope your hit count goes through the roof. People need to engage this. Thanks for putting it together in a creative and engaging format!
John
John,
Thanks for stopping in, and for your kind words about this series. Indeed, I do pray that starting the conversation here will start it in other places as well, which I hope will make some difference.
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