This time, I want to spend a little time talking about the place of faith in the life of a senior citizen. When we are senior ministers, we need to recognize that one of the great privileges that we have is to enter into another person's spiritual life  and talk with him about who the Lord is in their life and how their relationship  with Jesus is in to be able to listen to what they have to say, and enjoy it. For  example, one time, I stopped in to see this older gal, and, you know, don't want  to call her an elderly person, because you're the one that elderly at that point  yet, but she was over 65. And I stopped in to see her she had been a widow for  a long time. And when I, when I was there, she asked me to come in their  kitchen and have coffee. And so we're sitting talking and I'm, I'm looking around  the kitchen, and there I see on the wall, several certificates of, of something, and each one was prominently showed the number of the year, etc. I said, you know, what, what are all these and she very proudly, went and took one off the wall  and showed it to me. And it was a certificate to verify that she had indeed  participated in a program with a Bible Society in which they read through the  Bible, in the course of a year. And she had 12 of these 12 consecutive years  where she had read through the Bible. In the course of that year. It was  amazing. And what really struck me was how would I knew that I could tell here  was a person who knew the Scriptures. And it was very important to her to be  able to say that she knew the Scripture she had read through the Bible 12 years  consecutively intended to keep going with that, and for as long as she could. A  friend of mine, some 30 years would ask what I should not forget to address  during this course was, please address the place of faith in the life of a senior  citizen. And so as a minister to seniors, she said, be sure that they're aware of  the need to nurture faith. We shouldn't look at a senior citizen is somebody  who's got it all together. As somebody who's been a Christian for so long, what  could possibly be big? Could there be that we would need to? To help them with  or to, to explore with them? What? What could there be that this person who has all these, these years on us? What could we possibly do for them. And yet, what I discovered is that senior citizens want to know, the scriptures. They want to  know what God has to say to them, they want to have someone, lead them in a  study of the Lord's work. The friends that I was telling you about that I get  together with on a weekly basis and don't go into it up. began, that group began  as a Bible study. One of the individuals had spoken with a few of the others and  said, you know, why don't we ask Bob if he's willing to have a Bible study with  us? And I said, Well, sure that that would be great. And for the next two years,  we met weekly, on Tuesday morning, for about an hour and just talk about what  God had to say to us in his word. It was a most enriching time. Not just for me,  but for them. And they, they often would say, Gee, thank you for showing us and  studying with us. It's it's just so good for us to be able to know that God is  interested in us. Then then interested that God is still interested in us For the  senior, knowing what we hope for being certain of what we do not see is a 

critical aspect of life and the end of life. Knowing what we hope for being certain  of what we do not see none of us. None of us has seen heaven. None of us  knows just what it's going to be like. Bible tell tells us that we will be away from  the body and at home with the Lord. But what does that really mean? We don't  really know for sure. And when I was thinking about this, this topic of faith in the  life of the senior citizen the story of Leroy and Eleanor came to mind, I want to  tell you something about these two people. Eleanor was a wish there was a  person, I would say at the time, she was about 75 years old, she had led a  reclusive life with her husband. It had been some 25 years since she had really  interacted with anyone except to go to the doctor, and sometimes the grocery  store. But mainly she just stayed in the house 25 years, never spoke to anybody. But then one day, both she and her husband, Leroy needed to have some help.  She had fallen on the floor. And Leroy when trying to help her, had kind of over  exerted himself and he had passed out and so he was lying on the floor. And  they didn't know what to do. So they managed to get to a telephone in their  house, and Leroy called his nephew. And he asked Ralph, if he would please  come over to help. Well, of course, Ralph would do that he hadn't, even though  he hadn't talked to Leroy, his uncle. For decades. It had been over 25 years  since he had spoken with him. But Ralph went to help. Well, they Eleanor ended up in the nursing home and Leroy as well, because both of them were really not  well enough to be staying at home. And they were they were there and Ralph  went to visit them every day. And one day while they were sitting there talking,  Ralph, had said to to them, Do you know what's going to happen when you die?  And they said, No, we really don't. And so he said, Well, can I have? Can I have  our pastor come and meet with you? I'll come here with him. He said and and  then we'll we'll just sit and talk for a while. How's that sound? They said, Well,  that would be that'd be wonderful. So that afternoon, I went and we went along  with Ralph and went see Leroy and Eleanor and and they were sitting in  wheelchairs. Next to the bed, I sat on the bed. Ralph sat in the only chair that  there was in the room. And we sat and we talked for a little bit. I had seen Leroy  a couple of times when I had gone to visit them and had gotten up to the front  door where I've met with Leroy but you know now now we could talk some more  because they were open to talking they wanted to talk about dying. And so this  is about two weeks after they'd first call that they needed help and and as I was  sitting with them, I said well would you like to know for sure. And they both said  oh yes. Yes and I want to know for sure. Husband Leroy had led that same  reclusive life he was in the nursing home now with his wife. Do you want to  know for sure I asked him that And he too, yes. I want to know for sure, I want to know that God cares for me. And so what I did is I opened the scriptures for  them. And I shared with them various texts about how God so loved the world  that He gave His one and only Son that whoever who ever believes on him will  not perish, but will instead have everlasting life, you can be sure that this is 

yours. You just need to know and, and believe that when God promises in His  Son Jesus is really for you. And I said, Now that Let's pray together. And I  prayed for God's blessing to be on them that God can give them the assurance  that yes, they were loved, they were cared for, that they were his children. That  all all the doubt would be gone all the hesitation to, to think of God as their father was gone. So then, if only God would just give them that assurance, we prayed  for that assurance. And we we asked God to please make it possible for Leroy  for Eleanor. To know, that which they hoped for, and to be convinced of that  which they could not see, even though even though a couple hours earlier they  couldn't have said that that was true for them. And after the prayer, and I looked  up and tears were running down both of their faces, and they were so happy is  the only way to describe it. They were so happy. And I said to them, now I want  you to understand that God has his hands around you. It's not what you need to  do for God. It's not what you have to say, it's not what you need to do. You just  have to be His child and be held in his hands. And to let him hold you even  though you're walking through the valley of the shadow of death. Does that does that speak to you I asked them? And they both said, Oh, yes. No. Now do you  feel like you're sure of what's going to happen? Oh, yes. They said that. We  prayed. And God. God made a difference for us even while we were praying.  What was interesting is that literally it was that evening, while they were sitting  at the dinner table in the nursing home that Eleanor's lucidity left her she might  have had just a very small stroke or something but no longer could she  communicate. She just kind of sat there to think within four or five hours of being able to say for the first time in her life. I know. God cares for me. She lost her  lucidity. She died two days later. Leroy lived another couple of months. I went  saw him a couple times a week. And one day, a day when I was with him he said I want you to to pick up you know this box that sitting here next to my bed. I  want you to take a look at it. And when I did it was a 3d relief carving. Plaster  molding I guess, of the Lord's Supper kind of like the one that's on the the scene as its portrayed here on the illustration but it's in it's in plaster and it's just a very  beautiful piece and and Leroy said I want you to have that Because Eleanor and I had said that whoever did our funeral should have that. And he said, I know  that I'm going to die soon. And so I want you to have that. And I thank you. I  thank you for speaking with my wife and I, before she died before I die. I have it  hanging on my wall. It's a gift, which is a reminder of Leroy and Eleanor and  then I'll never forget that the nurture of faith in a senior citizen is so wonderfully  important. It's such a privilege to hold their hand, and to help them to know that  they're safe in the hands of the Lord. Now, really, when we're ministering to  seniors, and if they're in the nursing home situation, for example, there's some  activities which we can do, which, which kind of is like a chaplain, it would be the kind of thing chaplains might provide for nursing home residents. And they apply just as much to those who are not specifically called to be chaplains in nursing 

home, but to be senior ministers. And so one of the things that there is, is to  visit, some years back a social worker, in my church who worked at a nursing  home, asked if, if we as a church would be willing to, to challenge people to take up the names of one or two people at her nursing home, who literally had no  visitors and said, if we could just have people go to see them every other week,  that's all just once every 14 days to take little time, for somebody who literally  has no one come to visit them, unless they're paid to do so as somebody on  staff, at the nursing home and then that's all just business like. Another another  thing which we do with senior ministry is to to be kind to the staff at senior living  facility, it's very difficult to work and they deal with dying residents all the time,  it's very low pay, it's just difficult for for them. And they need somebody who  cares for them, as well and and who smiles at them and who encourages them.  Another thing you might do is to share meals together with with people who are  on staff or, or with people in the nursing home when they're sitting at their tables. It's it's an opportunity to break bread together. And there's something very, very  special very meaningful about that. If you read through the Scriptures, you'll see  two of the the biggest or most moving miracles that Jesus did were feeding  people feeding the 5000 out on the hillside, feeding the 4000 out on another  hillside some time later. Sharing food with another person in the name of God is  always something wonderful to do. Perhaps you can be a person who is present as the sign of God who is in this person's life. You can be with them just to be  sometimes we think what what good is and just to be just to sit there. Maybe you don't need to say anything sometimes when people are in deep distress. Chatter is not what they need. But they need somebody to sit there and to hold their  hand and to care. Somebody who will pray with them. For others what they need is somebody who will play games things like a card game play Scrabble or  another board game who knows. If a senior needs advice on a specific matter  like finances, no whom you can refer the person and be present if they have no  one else. There literally are people who are dying alone. And you can be a  person Who is present in that person's life? To be sign of who God is. That's a,  that's a wonderful opportunity. And the purpose of all of these activities is to be  present in their lives so we can serve their deepest fears about their faith with  them, that's we have to be there. We have to be present in order to be able to  serve. No one needs to speak with you until you have shown that you care  enough to hear what they have to say. Sometimes people I've seen them come  walking in and and they they want to clarify things with Uncle Joe. Uncle Joe, do you know Jesus? Uncle Joe, this, you know, they do you have your your house  in order, and have you dealt with all of your financial issues. Uncle Joe isn't  interested in talking to somebody he hadn't seen in years. But Uncle Joe would  be happy to speak with you, once you've been there for a while and you, you've  demonstrated that you really care. Nobody really needs to speak with you, until  you've shown that you care enough to hear what they have to say. And then the 

wonder of wonders is that God gives you the opportunity to actually be with  them as their friend. Some points just to remember, you're a witness, you're not  a prosecuting attorney. There's a big difference. If you watch crime shows or  court dramas on on television, the witnesses come in, they talk about what they  know. Whenever they start speculating about something else. They're they're  told that well, that's speculation, that's hearsay. We just want to know what you  know. And that's what you are going with when you're going to visit someone,  you're not going there to prosecute a case you're going to just to bear witness.  You're there to be a servant and not a master. You're there to to show them that  you are you're there to help them in a way that you can. There's something that  you shouldn't be doing. I had an individual one time I visited him his nursing  home and he asked me if I would please help get him on the toilet. Now. He it  was something that, that you needed two people to do that. And I said, Ricky,  I'm really sorry, I number one, I don't work here. And number two, you really  need two people. And a couple minutes later, when when I was gonna get ready to leave as is. Yeah, never mind about that bathroom thing that's over now. And,  you know, he it was kind of funny at that point, the way he handled it. But he  understood what I said, I really can't do that. That that was a legitimate thing to  be to be saying. And also keep in mind, you're a friend of this person, you're not  a parent, nor are you a child. Your your friend. Seniors want to be sure but but at a time, when it's okay with them. Not when we manufacture a situation, they  want to be sure of various things. But we need to be able to talk with them when they're ready. We can't manufacture that situation. I couldn't manufacture that  situation with Leroy and Eleanor. That simply wasn't going to happen. But when  it was okay with them when they wanted to know. It was then that I needed to be there. You need to know the Scriptures and give assurance of people no one, no one needs to have an individual come alongside them in their senior years who  accuses them of wrongdoing 50 years ago. And others there's the I recently  heard a pastor speaking with the in his sermon to his to a church and he told  them about an event that had happened 50 years before and and he wanted to  be sure that they knew that this had happened. He didn't say that. There was  the assurance and God gave forgiveness and so on. He just wanted for them to  be sure that they knew what had happened. Jesus said come to me all who are  heavy laden and I will give you rest. That's the promise of God and His Son,  Jesus Christ to all of us. And so please love the people that you come into  contact. One of the things sometimes people have asked, Should we bring the  Lord's Supper to a person who has dementia. Len was a man with advanced  dementia, he, he was in a nursing home, he, he really couldn't walk anymore,  but he still had very good use of his hands. And he had a, what I would call a  vivid imagination, and he kept seeing little specks of dust floating in front of him.  And he would, whenever I would be there, and his wife would be, she would  always apologize for this, but But he'd be reaching out to grab the little specks of

dust that he saw. And it was, it was distracting, shall we say. But at the same  time, when, when I would go there to bring the Lord's Supper and to share  communion with Him. He knew what communion was, even though he couldn't  have communicated much and he knew what was going on. He took the bread  very, very seriously as a as a sign and seal of God's love for him took the cup as a sacred thing. And then it would be over again. But in that moment, you could  tell his spirit and his soul were nourished, unto life everlasting. That's what's  really wonderful. In Hosea 11. God expresses his disappointment with his  people. When Israel was a child, I loved him. And out of Egypt, I called my son.  But the more I called them, the more intent they were on running away yet it was I was I who taught Israel to walk. It was I who took the free him by his hands and led him through the desert. It was I who fed him with heavenly food. But they're  so intent on going away. And God says, I'm going to I'm going to destroy you.  The sword is going to flash in your cities, it's going to cut down your gates, it's  going to be a terrible situation. And then, and then God says, or how can I give  you up? Oh, Israel? How can I treat you like the cities of the plane around  Sodom and Gomorrah? My heart is turned within me. And I love you, Israel.  That's the gospel. We may have turned our backs on God, but God still wants us as His children. He still hold out his hands. He still welcomes us home like the  father of the prodigal son. He's watching for us to come home. When people are elderly, and they're feeling like there's something that stands between them and  God, they need to know that God forgives. And that God welcomes his children  back. That's why God came to be with us. The Word became flesh and dwelt  among us. And we saw His glories said the apostle John, we saw his glory is on  the one and only begotten to the Father full of grace and truth. It was  Emmanuel. seniors need to hear that, again. They need to experience that  Emanuel and when you and I can be present in their lives. and bring the  presence of God to them. It is a gift beyond imagination. Hebrews 11, we're  going to end with this talks about people who are people who live by faith and  the author of Hebrews says all these people were still living by faith when they  died. They didn't receive the things promised, they only saw them and welcome  them from a distance admitting that they were foreigners and strangers on  Earth. People who say such things show that they are looking for a country of  their own. If they had been thinking of the country they had left, they would have had opportunity return. Instead, they were longing for a better country, a  heavenly one. And therefore God is not ashamed to be called their God. For He  has prepared a city for them. That's what God is doing for all of us. He is  preparing a city for us. And we live by faith, and we look for a country. We look  for a city whose builder and architect is God. And we long to be there because  that's where our faith draws us faith. That is sure the things we do not see and  convinced that which we do not know. help seniors with their faith. It's a great  gift



Modifié le: vendredi 22 décembre 2023, 07:13