Happy Thanksgiving!

This really is one of my favorite holidays. The fundamental goals of Thanksgiving Day are simply to enjoy with gratitude the gifts of God's creation, the gift of family, and the gift of community. What a wonderful opportunity for all of us.

This evening, the family of Saint John Lutheran will gather for our annual Thanksgiving service. Together, we will make the thanks we offer to God the first fruits of our holiday celebration. I hope that you and your family, wherever you are, will do the same.

Enjoy the holiday. Sit back with your family, feast on the bounty provided by our gracious God, and enjoy the conversation. Turn off your cell phones, don't answer your email, and just relax.

And I'll see you on Sunday morning.

Response to a Review

Last week, I posted a review of the book, Jim & Casper Go to Church. Jim Henderson, one of the co-authors and the creative force behind Off the Map, was good enough to stop by and respond to the review. Here is is his response:

David,
Thanks for the thoughtful review. Barbara Tuchman, noted historian, said "in
history,contradictions are always ocurring"

No doubt, our book is a one sided subjective look at much of what outsiders view as contemporary Christianity and as such it certainly dos not represent all that is going on inside of church. Church is about a number of things (one of the reasons I resigned from pastoring btw) but the view we bring is resonating with people for a reason. It isnt so much a rant as it is a cry to those with power to reconsider the "other" and the "outsider".

Since we talk so much about this in church we thought we had a right to raise the issue. You were very fair in your review and restrained to be sure which was very kind of you.

Thank you
Jim Henderson

Sunday Trivia Answer

Well, what an overwhelming response to this week's Sunday Trivia. First of all, thanks to everyone at the RevGalBlogPals for the warm welcome. In amongst the answers were greetings from old friends and people with roots just next door. Thanks to everyone for their words of welcome.

A number of people were correct that the Thanksgiving Classic usually refers to the NFL game hosted by either the Dallas Cowboys or the Detroit Lions. Dave rightly pointed out that the Lions game is much older than the Cowboys game. St. John's webmaster, Hal, was the only one to get right that the Lions game began in 1934.

When the Portsmouth (Ohio) Spartans moved to Detroit, new owner G. A. Richards was looking for a way to increase interest in the new team (which was overshadowed in Detroit by the Tigers). Thus, he invited the Chicago Bears (who were the World Champions in 1933) to play in Detroit on Thanksgiving Day, 1934. Prior to the game, Detroit was at 10-1, and the Bears were at 11-0. Chicago squeaked out a 3-point win that day, 19-16, and a Thanksgiving day tradition was born. (picture at left is of the '34 game, copyright by the NFL archives)

It was pointed out that this year is a re-match of an old Thanksgiving rivalry, as the Lions are playing the Green Bay Packers this year. In the 1950's-1960's this was the Thanksgiving match-up, but the Turkey day line-up has varied in every other period.

We were at home watching a History channel special on Thanksgiving day, and they started talking about Turkey Day football. My wife (a native southeast Texan) was in shock. She didn't realize that the NFL played on Thanksgiving. Like many respondents to this week's trivia, she assumed that the only Thanksgiving football that mattered was college ball, in particular the Texas-Texas A&M rivalry game.

Sunday Trivia (On Monday)

Well, after almost a week of an unreliable internet connection (gremlins seem to have had a hold of it), I am back for this Thanksgiving week Sunday Trivia. As we begin Thanksgiving week, we are giving thanks here for a much needed Saturday night rain (the official Prairie Hill rain gauge says we got 2.5 inches).

What is the traditional NFL game for Thanksgiving, and when did it start?

Jim & Casper Go to Church

I am always interested in new and creative ways to think about how we do church. As such, the website churchrater.com appealed to me: they went to churches, and then reviewed various aspects of the service. The critiques are often not about theology or liturgy, but about how the church seemed to the unintiated. I frequented the site for a while and participated in the dialogue there.

And so, when I saw the book Jim & Casper Go to Church, I snatched it up. Jim Henderson is the driving force behind Off the Map, an organization rethinking the ideas of behind evangelism and being welcoming churches. Matt Casper is the atheist hired by Henderson to give his "outsider's view" of worship at some of the most influential churches in America.

The concept, I think is a good one. Clergy, evangelism committees, worship committees, and property committees are often all people born and raised in the church. Very rarely are we able to set aside our personal histories and look at what we do on Sunday morning with new eyes. Jim & Casper Go to Church gives us just such an opportunity. Each chapter tells of a church visit - usually in the form of the dialogue between Jim and Casper. The churches they focused on are mostly mega-churches - only one of their visits was to a mainline congregation.

I enjoyed much of the book. It was refreshing to see church in a new way. The visit to Joel Osteen's Lakewood Church in Houston in particular elicited some quite enjoyable feelings of schadenfreude for me, as Casper cut to the heart of the matter when asked by Jim how he could object to Osteen's message:

"Right you are," [said Casper], "It'd be like disliking the taste of water. It's so bland, how can it offend? By the same token, how can it inspire? ... And what does this have to do with God or Jesus, he hasn't even said Jesus' name once! ...I could have gotten the same feel-good, keep-your-chin-up message from Anne Landers."

I mean, it is something to say that an atheist thinks you don't talk about Jesus, or even Scripture.

And yet, something rubbed on me. At each church, Casper objected that there was not a strong enough call to action. The preachers did not do enough to encourage and challenge the congregations to turn their faith into action. And anything that was not explicitly pointed outward - whether the words of the preacher or the style of worship - was seen as a departure from the message of Jesus.

Ok. I get it. It's true: the Church is often too inwardly focused. We often have not done enough to care for our neighbor. Jim and Casper will get no argument from me on that point. Where I will take issue is the idea that the outward focus and the call to action is the only point of Sunday morning. Many people in this world are broken and hurting, and I will not say that it is a mistake to focusing our preaching and worship on bringing them toward wholeness and healing. More importantly, much of what is done on Sunday morning is about bringing us into deeper communion with the Triune God, filling us with the grace and gifts of the Holy Spirit so that we might be able to be more outwardly focused. But we cannot turn toward our neighbor if we have nothing to offer - we must fill ourselves up before we can turn and pour ourselves out for others. This emphasis on the call to action over against feeding the congregation is a constant in the book, and one that made it a less enjoyable read than it would otherwise have been.

One of my other favorite moments is the one visit to a mainline congregation. It seemed to be one of the favorites of Casper, and inspired some of the most interesting dialogue in the book. I only wish they would have spent more time in mainline churches, as that is where the majority of Christians find themselves on Sunday morning.

I had some problems with the book. However, overall it is a good read and worth the purchase. I particularly appreciated the ideas that were sparked by the book, and the dialogue that the book encourages. It is not a handbook or a how-to book, but it is the start of a conversation about how to make our congregations more welcoming to those outside of the flock. And in that sense, despite my disagreements, I would have to say that Jim & Casper Go to Church is a success.

Sunday Trivia Answer

(The Journey of the Magi, James Tissot. Public Domain.)

There's just no fooling some people. Hal got this one right off the bat: Scripture does not tell us how many Wise Men (or Magi) came to visit the newborn Christ-child, only that they brought three gifts with them: gold, frankincense, and myrrh. Lore quickly developed around these mysterious figures, one of the most persistent being that because their gifts numbered three, so too did the Magi themselves. The other persistent tradition is that the Magi arrived in Bethlehem 12 days after the birth (or two years and 12 days), thus setting the length for the litugical season of Christmas and the date of Epiphany.

The Wikipedia article on the Wise Men is really pretty exhaustive, and is worth a look. The other wonderful sources for reflections on the visitors from the east are the Christmas sermons of Martin Luther. For example:

These Magi, or Wise Men, were not kings, but learned men in the art of nature. Without doubt they dabbled also in superstition, for they allowed themselves to be guided entirely by the course of the star. They were like philosophers in Greece, or priests in Egypt, or the professors in our universities. Hidden away in their lore is something of Christ and the way of life.

Or again:

We can present our gifts in much the same way [as the Magi did]. He who gives of his goods to help the poor, to send children to school, to educate them in God's Word and other arts that we may have good ministers - he is giving to the baby Jesus.

Dealing with questions

Many of the readers of this blog have either been to graduate school or are currently in graduate school. Many others have encountered this same problem in colleges. The problem: the person in class who monopolizes all of the time with their questions, usually to prove to the prof and/or classmates how very smart they are (or who makes comments because they are sure that the prof was unaware of their very important factoid).

Of course, this doesn't apply to adult education in our churches, where often I wish people would ask more questions and make more comments in order to get discussion going. But it is a welcome relief for those grad school/college settings. (Found at gospel resurgence). I proudly present the "Question & Comment Evaluation Chart" (click for larger image). Feel free to print out and discreetly place on the desk of your classmate who needs it most.

Sunday Trivia

In most churches, plans are being laid for the Advent and the Christmas season. To get us all in the right state of mind for such events, I give you this week's Sunday Trivia:

According to the biblical story, how many wise men visited Jesus and what were their gifts?

Keep that brain working on this day of rest!

Do not let your hearts be troubled

I do not often post my funeral sermons online, for a variety of reasons. However, the homily I preached today is a nice follow-up to some of the ideas that came up in the recent Alzheimer's series. Lillie did not have Alheimer's, but did have a physically degenerative disease for years before she died.

Do not let your hearts be troubled

Grace and peace to you in the name of our Lord and savior, Jesus Christ.

We learn lots of things in school – how to read and write, all about world history and math. But one of the things they never teach you in school is that there is no one right way to react to news such as the Neutzler family received on Thursday.

Most people will tell you that the normal reaction to the death of a loved one is sadness, as you grieve the loss of Lillie. And, for many people, that is the right reaction. When a loved one dies suddenly, unexpectedly, we are often overcome by sadness and grief. But, let’s be honest with one another today: You have been grieving the loss of Lillie for years now.

For years you have been saddened at the loss of your mother, who could chase after you kids making sure you all stayed out of trouble. For years you have been saddened by the loss of your wife, the one who did all of that hard work in your gardens so that they would be productive and beautiful.

Parkinson’s took the mother, wife, and friend we all knew and loved away from us. She was stuck in that wheelchair for two years. She was in Bluebonnet Hills for the last 8 months.

It has been a long, hard couple of years – filled with sadness and grief. Quite frankly, I think that is more than enough sadness for one family to have to deal with without piling on more today.

Certainly there are tears today, but as I was gathered last night with Lillie’s friends and family, I couldn’t help but smile. As I sat there, I heard a room that was filled with conversation, filled with a sense of relief that Lillie’s struggle is over, filled even with laughter.

Now, there are people that will tell you that laughter is inappropriate when I loved one has died. That we should all have long faces and everyone should be able to tell by looking at as that we are grieving. But, nothing could be farther from the truth.

I remember well the first time I met Lillie. With some of our Lay visitors, I went to the Neutzler’s house over on Park street to bring Lillie communion. We talked for a while, we prayed together, and we shared in the sacrament. And, throughout it all, Lillie had a smile on her face. A big, joy-filled smile.

For years, the Neutzlers have watched while Parkinson’s took away the woman that they knew and loved. You have struggled alongside her, filled with sadness as her condition grew worse and worse.

Today, Lillie needs no chair.
Today, Lillie is smiling and laughing as she runs and dances.
For the first time in years, Lillie is her old self – happy, energetic, and whole.

That is the promise we are given in Scripture. That is the promise that was spoken to Lillie when she was baptized here in this font. That is the promise that she trusted in her whole life, and the promise that sustained her through these last years. That is what it means to talk about the resurrection to eternal life.

Today is about an end. An end of Lillie’s earthly life, standing beside us and talking to us. And that is a sad thing. But it is also the end of wheelchairs and doctors, the end of pills and medicine.
And, most importantly, today is a beginning. The beginning of a new life for Lillie, a life of joy and happiness, a life without the pain and suffering of Parkinson’s.

And I don’t know about you, but that makes me want to smile a little.

Jesus tells us that in his father’s house there are many rooms. I can’t help but think that there are also many gardens, and Lillie is – once again – enjoying being able to care for those flowers, making everything beautiful for the day that we are reunited.

Friends, I pray that today, even as we mourn, we might share in a bit of that joy that Lillie now has. That we, as she did, might live our lives trusting the promise of the Gospel, filled with the happiness and joy of the knowledge of all that Christ has done for us.

And Jesus said, “Do not let your hearts be troubled. Believe in God, believe also in me.” Do not let your hearts be troubled. To live with such joy would be, I think, a fitting memorial to our dear sister Lillie.

Congratulations

My friend David has reached a milestone on his path toward becoming and ordained Lutheran pastor. David, who completed his approval essay early in the Fall, just completed his Approval Panel - getting through the ordeal with flying colors. (To read about how the process works, and how close to the end David is, see my description of the process). David still has to get through the grueling assignment process, which hopefully he isn't stressing about yet. So stop by and offer him your words congratulation for this step and encouragement for the rest of his journey.

Show the love

There are a number of different ways to show your support as a reader of postings from prairie hill.

* You can make this blog one of your technorati favorites:



* You can vote for this blog as one of the "best religion blogs":



* You can vote (as often as once a day) for this blog on blog toplist:

At the Banquet of the Lamb

The family of Saint John Lutheran Church lost one of our faithful saints yesterday. Lillie Neutzler passed into glory early Thursday morning.

We will be gathering to celebrate Lilly's life and to affirm the power of the resurrection tomorrow, Saturday November 10, at 2:00 pm. Visitation will be tonight from 6-8 at Memorial Oaks Funeral Home.

Please pray for the family of Lillie Neutzler - and for our family of faith - as we say our earthly good-byes.

An All Saints Baptism

We are told that, in baptism, we "take off our sinful selves" and we are then "clothed in Christ Jesus." As a symbol of this new beginning, candidates for baptism in the early church took off all of their clothes, were baptized nude, and then were reclothed in white robes which indicated their new purity in Christ. This white baptismal robe is the origin of the Alb worn by many clergy during worship services. The idea of being "clothed in Christ" is also preserved in the practice of baptismal gowns - white gowns for children who are being baptized

Layla's baptismal gown served as a connection with the generations that came before. It was made by Layla's Great-Great Grandmother, Serena Hansen. It was worn by her Great-Grandpa Hansen and his three siblings, by her Grandpa Hansen and his sister, and of course by her Dad and his brothers. On the day of Layla's death and re-birth, only a few members of her family were able to be there -- those who are still living and were able to make the trip to Prairie Hill. Yet her baptismal gown reminded us - and someday will remind her - that all of God's faithful saints, including the loved ones of our family, were watching over her on that day.

My beautiful wife and I made an intentional choice for our daughter to receive the sacrament of Holy Baptism on All Saints Sunday. We have both always loved that particular festival, and we liked the idea that it would serve as a constant reminder for Layla that she is surrounded by a great cloud of witnesses. We also both liked the physical connection (the baptismal gown) with the meaning of the festival.

The great Orthodox liturgical theologian Alexander Schmemann has pointed out that we (i.e., all of humanity) are inherently sacramental. By this he meant that we need a physical connection to help us make sense of great spiritual truths. Lutherans have always been hesitant to use the language of "sacramental" to talk of anything except the two Sacraments of Water and Table. But there is much that is sacramental without being a sacrament; to say a thing is sacramental is to say that it is a physical reminder or sign of spiritual grace.

All Saints is a wonderful festival of the church, yet one that can be too abstract a concept for many people. I have found that a sacramental reminder - be it a picture of a loved one, a spouse's favorite shirt, a cross or Bible from a parent - can serve as a wonderful reminder of the great cloud of witnesses that surrounds us. Even now that All Saints has come and gone for the year, placing such an object in the place we say our daily prayers can bring us closer to that Great Communion of all the saints.

(Knowing that some readers of this blog do their own sewing and embroidery work, I have placed a couple of detail shots of the baptismal gown below for your enjoyment)

Layla's Baptism

Here, without comment or interruption, are the photos from Layla Margaret Hansen's baptism (hover your mouse over each photo for a caption. Click photos for larger viewing).

Critiquing Evangelism Links

The Critiquing Evangelism series looked at some common practices and attitudes that hinder, rather than help, our mission to share the Gospel message. Here are the links to the posts in that series:

* Critique #1: Evangelism is not a program.

* Critique #2: Evangelism is not the pastor's job.

* Critique #3: Evangelism is not a numbers game.

Prepare yourselves

On All Saints Sunday, I was given the gift of being able to baptize my daughter. This has been an unusually busy Monday, but look for pictures and reflections on the joyous day later this week - prepare for the unbridled cuteness of it all.

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)

Remembering for All the Saints | Post 5

The following is the fifth post of the Remembering for All the Saints series - a series of posts on pastoral and theological reactions to Alzheimer's and other forms of dementia in observence of All Saints Day.

This post comes to us from the Netherlands, where Paul Abspoel writes his blog But a Poor Reflection.

Hi, my name is Paul Abspoel, a fellow blogger from Hoofddorp, the Netherlands. I am not a pastor and I don't have direct personal experiences with people who are suffering from dementia / Alzheimer, but as a Christian publisher I did publish a book in my own language (Dutch) about the pastoral care for people who are suffering from these mental diseases: Het blijven kostbare mensen (= "Still precious people") The book is out of print now, but it was written by a Dutch pastor who worked in an old people's home for many years. This pastor, his name is Bert Prinsen, told me some touching stories about his experiences.

I especially remember the story about an old lady who didn't want to join the church services, because of 'everything the church had done to her in the past'. The pastor didn't know what happened in the past and he didn't ask for any details. He only said: 'Can I please ask you to forgive us - the church - for what we have done to you?' He prayed with her and she did decide to join the services in the church from that day on! Bert Prinsen never found out what exactly bothered the old lady so much and what caused her painful memories - but he said that he wanted to take away any obstacles that could keep her from attending the church.
I thought about that. Isn't this a great Christian thing to do? Asking for forgiveness for sins that you didn't actually commit yourself, but that you want to take away in order to help somebody else who is still carrying this mental load.

This is just one story that I remember. Bert Prinsen also told me (and he writes about this in his book) that the deepest layers in our human memories are 'engraved' in our younger years. Old people can have vivid memories dating back from their childhood - but they sometimes don't remember what happened just a few minutes ago... But if you start singing an old Sunday school song or an old Church hymn with them - their faces may lid up with smiles and they might even join you in singing these old songs word-for-word.
Even when many memories are 'gone' and mental capacities are low - the souls of people can still be reached with the love of Christ! This is one of the things I learned from this pastor and his beautiful book.

Other posts in the Rembering for All the Saints series:
* Introduction (Pastor David)
* Post 1(Art Ruch)
* Post 2 (More Cows than People)
* Post 3 (Pastor Walt Snyder)
* Post 4 (Pastor David)

Remembering for All the Saints | Post 4

The following is the fourth post of the Remembering for All the Saints series - a series of posts on pastoral and theological reactions to Alzheimer's and other forms of dementia in observence of All Saints Day.

This post is written by the author of this blog, Pastor David.


It is difficult to write with any clarity about what a disease like Alzheimer's might mean for our theology. In the first place, those of us who would think about such things have our memories, full and complete - there is no first-order experiential learning to draw upon. Not to say that our primary way of understanding is experiential, but the absence of knowledge gained from experience certainly leave a whole in our wisdom - and one that must be acknowledged.

Second, this is a relatively recent phenomenon in our theological analysis of life. It is really only in the last 20-30 years that severe memory loss has become an issue at the forefront of our pastoral concerns. Compared with the centuries spent wrestling with other theological and pastoral issues, that time seems a drop in the bucket. And so we find ourselves without the historical resources to draw upon that we would have if we were talking about a different pastoral issue.

And finally, the questions raised by Alzheimer's and other forms of dementia highlight the need for cross-disciplinary conversation. Theologian, operating in isolation, will find themselves at the end of their knowledge on the topic quite quickly. However, if theologians are informed by the medical community, by psychiatrists and psychologists, and - most importantly - informed by those who have struggled with these diseases, they will find themselves more ready to tackle the difficult questions raised by severe memory loss.

We are no there yet. The cross-disciplinary discussions are not in place - indeed, theologians have not even begun to struggle with these issues. But the fact that we are not there yet does not mean that we should neglect to give our best possible answers to the questions - both theological and pastoral - that come along with these diseases. Because, while we might not have the best answers and the process is still stunted and difficult, unless we start answering the questions - publicly, communally, and prayerfully - we will never come to the wisdom we are seeking.

I don't have the answers.
But I am ready to start talking.
Are you?


Other posts in the Rembering for All the Saints series:
* Introduction (Pastor David)
* Post 1 (Art Ruch)
* Post 2 (More Cows than People)
* Post 3 (Pastor Walt Snyder)

Remembering for All the Saints | Post 3

The following is the third guest post of the Remembering for All the Saints series - a series of posts on pastoral and theological reactions to Alzheimer's and other forms of dementia in observence of All Saints Day.

This post comes from Pastor Walt Snyder, a pastor of the Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod who writes the wonderfully insightful Ask the Pastor blog. Pastor Snyder here provides a wonderful reflection on the power and importance of both remembering and forgetting.


Remembering and Forgetting

I’ve ministered to several people affected by Alzheimer’s or other afflictions of the mind. A few close relatives and in-laws have also suffered from dementia — some more noticeably than others. Each person is different, each illness shows itself to varying degrees. Some progress rapidly, others quite gradually. Now that new medications are coming to the market, we may see mental capacities diminishing much more slowly than in the past — at least for Alzheimer’s patients. Those with circulatory and related causes probably won’t be helped by the same medicines.

However, even if we find cures for all forms of dementia, we still cannot undo the root cause. Sin brings sickness and suffering upon all of us and even the most optimistic person will admit, if possessed of a sound mind, that death will cap life’s journey.

The curse of death upon sinners didn’t stop with Adam and Eve.

Culpability continues throughout history: “The soul who sins shall die. (Ezekiel 18:20)”

All are sinners, so all die; all die, so all are sinners — whichever direction we read it, we find ourselves in a world of trouble. Yet we Christians know that God’s free gift is eternal life for all who believe in His Son. God’s Word commands, implores, bestows, and strengthens belief. Perhaps that’s why diminishing memory and irrational thinking worry many Christians even more than they might trouble unbelievers.

After all, how will we remember our Savior when we can’t remember the names of wife, children, or even self? How will we recall and cling to His promises of salvation and eternal life when we can’t recall what we just said? When our world turns entirely into phantom memories and fractured thoughts, how will we lean upon Jesus Christ, the unshakable Rock?

Perhaps we won’t remember Him at all — at least not in conscious manner. His promises may be just as jumbled in our minds as are the faces and names of various family members who occasionally visit us. We may seem unable to continue “looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith. (Hebrews 12:2)” We could forget our Church’s statements of faith, including the Ecumenical Creeds or the Catechisms. We might not even be able to say or comprehend even the simple confession “Jesus Christ is Lord. (Philippians 2:11)”

Nevertheless, we should not worry. Our God will not forget us who are written in the Book of Life. He remembers even when we forget — and this is what matters most. After coming to faith in the brief time before his death, the penitent evildoer crucified with our Lord confessed his faith by asking Jesus to be faithful to him. “He said, ‘Jesus, remember me when You come into Your kingdom.’ And He said to him, ‘Truly, I say to you, today you will be with Me in Paradise.’ (Luke 23:42-43)”

None of the saints will be separated from Christ in later years because of fading memory and dulled comprehension. Faithful to us, Jesus will keep us “faithful unto death”; He will give to us “the crown of life. (Revelation 2:10)”

As wonderful as is God’s remembrance of us, just as vital is His forgetfulness: He maintains total amnesia about our sinfulness. Not only does He graciously forgive us, He also refuses to recall any transgressions in thought, word, or deed. Through Jeremiah, He said of His chosen people, “I will forgive their iniquity, and I will remember their sin no more. (31:34)”

This was no “one-time, never to be repeated” offer, either. Through the author of Hebrews, He reiterated His promise to the New Testament Church, “I will be merciful toward their iniquities, and I will remember their sins no more. (8:12)”

God marked us as His in Holy Baptism. The Holy Spirit has been leading us on our pilgrimage through this life, setting us back on the path when we stray. Christ feeds us His Gospel and His Holy Supper. When we can no longer cling to the words written on our Bibles’ pages or spoken by our pastors, we can rest assured that He shall still recognize us as His own. Our Savior promises, “All that the Father gives me will come to me, and whoever comes to me I will never cast out. (John 6:37)”

Notice who keeps “doing the verbs”: The Father gives, Christ holds, the Spirit guides, God remembers. All the important work of salvation is in God’s capable hands, not our culpable ones. The verbs are done to us, the passive recipients: We have been forgiven, are baptized, have been blessed, and shall be brought to eternal life.

Jesus remembers you; His Father forgets your sins. Fear not even the loss of memory and mind, for you are never removed from the mind and heart of God. Even if rational thought abandons you and delusion marks your days, His promise to you is certain: “I will never leave you nor forsake you. (Hebrews 13:5)”


Other posts in the Rembering for All the Saints series:
* Introduction (Pastor David)
* Post 1 (Art Ruch)
* Post 2 (More Cows than People)

Remembering for All the Saints | Post 2

The following is the second guest post of the Remembering for All the Saints series - a series of posts on pastoral and theological reactions to Alzheimer's and other forms of dementia in observence of All Saints' Day.

This post comes from the creatively named More Cows Than People, a mainline Protestant pastor who blogs semi-anonymously. This is a sermon that MCTP preached for a person who suffered from the loss of memory.

She could not remember, but she is remembered.

She could not remember, but she is remembered. D is remembered. Remembered canning, cooking, and spreading impressively thin layers of blackberry jam on toast. Remembered taking care of her children’s needs long before she’d attend to her own. Remembered in the kitchen baking away or stealing baked goods when she didn’t think anyone was looking. Remembered playing Pinochle, pinching her partner D when he made a mistake. Remembered flying first class to California and enjoying every minute of her visit with J and F, seeing every attraction, only to come home and tell D and V she didn’t do anything. Remembered fiercely rocking children to sleep, rocking clear across the room at times. Remembered in that one blue robe, all the new robes still in their boxes. Remembered hissing cats away. Remembered as the grandma who bought sensible gifts for years and then gave money, but it was clear the money was intended for sensible purchases only. Remembered as the daughter of a trickster who had a bit of spunk in her herself. Remembered as a mother giving string to her children to entertain them in church. Remembered as so appreciative of the care D and V provided her as she aged. Remembered telling the nurses at the hospital that she was allergic to food she just didn’t want to eat. Remembered playing bingo every Tuesday and Friday, spending just so many quarters each time. Remembered as quiet by many, but by those who knew her best as funny, and mean- in the best sense of the word I’m sure. She could not remember, but she is remembered in so many ways.

She could not remember, but she has been remembered, not only by those who love her here on earth, but also by Jesus, God with us. When our loved ones are subjected to such long suffering, it is natural to ask question about God, and the reality of God’s love for us. As D asked more frequenty, at first discreetly, then less so, “Who is that?”, as D grew more and more confused, and as this stretched on for so many years, surely, at times, those who loved her might have wondered if she had been forgotten. No one wants to end life like D did, a long, slow goodbye. It seems cruel and unusual. Its alright to be angry that D suffered so. Its alright to ask questions about God’s place in all this. Many of the questions we ask however cannot be answered, particularly the biggest question of all, Why? We’ll never know why. But if we ask the question, Where, Where was God in all this? That we have an answer for. God was in the suffering body of Jesus side by side with the suffering body of D. God suffered with D, never abandoning her nor forsaking her and surely never forgetting her. As she remembered less and less, I am certain that she was remembered more and more. The witness of Jesus on the cross, of God experiencing profound suffering on the cross, is all we need to know that God was with D through it all. She could not remember, but she was remembered.

But a God who merely has the power to suffer with doesn’t seem like a God terribly worthy of our worship or praise, and so we must remember that the story doesn’t end with a body on the cross. One of the men suffering on a cross next to Jesus said “Jesus remember me when you come into your kingdom.” And Jesus said “Today you will be with me in paradise.” Paradise. Our epistle reading spoke of eternal glory beyond momentary affliction. We know that three days after Jesus suffered and died, he rose from the dead, he walked out of his tomb, opening the way to life beyond death for all, assuring us that suffering and death do not now and will not ever have the final word. D could not remember, but she is remembered today, in paradise at last, in glory forever. She could not remember, but she is remembered.


Other posts in the Rembering for All the Saints series:
* Introduction (Pastor David)
* Post 1 (Art Ruch)