Wednesday, February 10, 2021

Reflection - Health and Frailties - Losing Our Memory

Source (book): "Growing Old Gracefully", Following Jesus to the End, PART IV: HEALTH AND FRAILTIES, Chapter 29, "Living with the Fear of Losing Our Memory", Question 1, Page 192.
By Robert M. Solomon, Bishop of the Methodist Church in Singapore from 2000 - 2012


What are some fears that seniors have of 'losing their minds'?
PHOTO: What are some fears that seniors have of "losing their minds"?
A disease like Alzheimer's poses several significant theological questions. Will we be able to function properly as human beings if we lose our ability to remember? In a thoughtful book on Alzheimer's disease, Christian historian David Keck directs our attention to the dilemma of people who cannot remember whose they are. To forget whose you are is to lose your identity.


Reflect on your own fears and concerns over this matter.
One of my own fears is unable to function properly as human beings if I lose my ability to remember. I have unhealthy conditions of the 3 highs - high blood sugar (diabetes), high blood pressure (hypertension), and high cholesterol (LDL cholesterol too high, and HDL cholesterol too low). I need to remember to take many types and doses of medicines to sustain the poor health. Without the memory to remember them could have undesirable consequences. Without the required help, there will be confusion with the normal daily activities, like exercises, appointments with doctors, and other Activities of Daily Living (ADL).

I may experience tension and frustration when considerable effort is needed to remember dates, names, and other details. Hence the possible occurrence of frequent swing in moods and behaviours. I would then become an unreasonable and grouchy old man. A loathed old man who is always irritable and bad-tempered, grumpy and complaining. Always repeating the same speeches over and over again.

Also to loss the memory of God, or spiritual amnesia, is equivalent to forget whose I am, and that is to lose my identity. I could probably ended up as a prisoner of the past, doomed to ultimate insignificance.


What do you know of advice given by experts to help maintain our cognitive abilities?
To forget whose you are is to lose your identity.

What a terrifying thought! Keck, writing from personal experience with his mother, an Alzheimer's sufferer, finds a solution in the need for the Christian community to remember our story and past - what Keck calls "churched history". Alzheimer's patients can be sustained through the collective memory of the community.


Read 2 Timothy 4:13. Why do you think Paul requested for his scrolls and parchments (Scriptures, writing and reading material)?
"When you come, bring the cloak that I left with Carpus at Troas, and my scrolls, especially the parchments." (2 Timothy 4:13).

Paul, at this point, didn't need the "parchments" any more for argument or for evangelism. He needed it for his own personal growth (or refreshment and maintenance), and blessing. Paul wanted to spend the rest of his fleeting life reading and meditating on the books of the Old Testament and probably which ever books of the N.T. that had been written by 64 A.D. (the time that this was written).

Every verse or chapter memorized will be a treasure to him. Just like us, Paul could have known that his memories could be fading. He could have suffered the same fears which we have, and hence the need to revised, and refreshed the Words of God.

He probably knew and understand the reasons why the biblical tradition places great emphasis on the discipline and act of remembering. That is, to keep the intellectual abilities strong in old age. The past should not be absolutized (declare perfect, complete, or unchangeable) and idolised to such an extent that the future and the present are sacrificed for its sake.


What does it say about keeping our intellectual abilities strong in old age?
The biblical tradition places great emphasis on the discipline and act of remembering. The main message of the book of Deuteronomy, in which the word "remember" appears 14 times, is to call Israel to remember God, His covenant with her, and the history of Israel, especially her enslavement to Egypt, the deliverance of the nation and exodus (the departure of the Israelites from Egypt), and her entrance into the Promised Land. Israel got into trouble whenever she forgot her history. Revival came whenever the nation's memory was stirred and she remembered her history and God's dealings with her.

Remembering the past can be both helpful and unhelpful. When people face the great uncertainties of the future, they may cling to the past in a neurotic and obsessive way. When this occurs, a sentimental nostalgia sets in and people get stuck in a glorified past. The past is then absolutized (declare perfect, complete, or unchangeable) and idolised to such an extent that the future and the present are sacrificed for its sake. In the history of the early church, there were several Jewish Christians who were guilty of clinging to the past in such a way that they were insensitive to the leading of God.

We must avoid the two dangers we have noted - spiritual amnesia and sentimental nostalgia for the past. In other words, we must neither ignore nor idolise the past. Spiritual amnesia, or the loss of memory of God's dealings with us, seems to be the greater danger today, and leads to a loss of our identity. No matter how active and vibrant a church is, without an identity rooted in history, it is doomed to ultimate insignificance. At the same time, the church must avoid a sentimental nostalgia which makes her a prisoner of the past. Amnesia and nostalgia must both be replaced with a proper remembering of God and the story of His people. Such a memory-rich church can offer help to Alzheimer's patients.
 

A senior leader in a local church, whose ministry was among his fellow seniors, told me about some funny moments in his ministry. He related an incident when a lady in her senior years called him urgently from the airport; she was unable to find her parked car. He drove to the airport and they searched the car park thoroughly, but could not find the car. Finally, he drove her home. When they arrived, they found her car parked there. She had forgotten that she did not drive to the airport. It was a most embarrassing moment for her.


A lady in her senior years called a senior leader urgently from the airport; she was unable to find her parked car.
PHOTO: A lady in her senior years called a senior leader urgently from the airport; she was unable to find her parked car. He drove to the airport and they searched the car park thoroughly, but could not find the car. Finally, he drove her home. When they arrived, they found her car parked there. She had forgotten that she did not drive to the airport. It was a most embarrassing moment for her.
[Photo: Lambert/Getty Images]
Picture posted by Art Markman, Fast Company, PhD is a professor of Psychology and Marketing at the University of Texas at Austin and Founding Director of the Program in the Human Dimensions of Organizations.
https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTSovj8erZVVIDR8WafEUmc74S9jWIDXytkXUvIpKfTLfC3uLWz5Gl3K3Ih8pMtc63kIuuIdTJPbTG9qdI6LsRLoNc_00_iK3UN062aOH53MYF3U_17V9VfW5snaVT-9SzxBjWU-7DbE8/s611/3067168_1.png
https://www.fastcompany.com/3067168/is-worrying-about-losing-your-memory-making-you-lose-your-memory


Losing our ability to remember can be humorous at times, but it is also a concern, especially if it becomes more frequent. Tension and frustration mount when considerable effort is needed to remember dates, names, and other details. Coming across people who suffer from dementia and the dreadful and debilitating Alzheimer's disease (which affects memory, language, and thought) may create apprehension in ageing people of the possibility that they too will suffer such serious loss of memory. [105]


Losing our ability to remember can be humorous at times, but it is also a concern, especially if it becomes more frequent.
PHOTO: Losing our ability to remember can be humorous at times, but it is also a concern, especially if it becomes more frequent. Tension and frustration mount when considerable effort is needed to remember dates, names, and other details.
Picture posted by ed Nasmith - Nienor Awakes 1
https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizQiTaG7V7dxGk0EgaOf_BBZbNtOZAjKPYqu1Vgl0juJ4pJbBv-0EhIZuq4ongfbU-1QDJfnOSYtAMVBjkgSSuZvQQQy7wqAKTJTvdqTvq0q_lAnTfw8Hy_drAylkRqi3GABt9Vm9s1xY/s450/TN-Nienor_Awakes_1.jpg
http://tednasmith.poverellomedia.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/07/TN-Nienor_Awakes_1.jpg
https://www.tednasmith.com/tolkien/nienor-awakes-1/


What would life be like if you forget most of your key memories? What is a person without his or her memories? Will people lose their identity when they forget who they are or have been?


What would life be like if you forget most of your key memories?
PHOTO: What would life be like if you forget most of your key memories? What is a person without his or her memories? Will people lose their identity when they forget who they are or have been?
Illustrator Denis Gordeev.
Picture posted by book-graphics on Monday, 25 January 2016 - The Children of Húrin Graphics
https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyEZ-sNAy6VMiT1TmdRu5GVW7ek9GVB0lwM5CyAXGuWUUhhHsX8tcKoj35n-IzralK98Iw8quQuyTI585U6-PMEdETsga6cKIncTRZzLFPyJS1HaLXZKn5g0Up6Iiu9ZUGRcdoreP7gi0/s1003/0_b8447_e5d69bec_orig_1.jpg
https://img-fotki.yandex.ru/get/66529/24302342.227/0_b8447_e5d69bec_orig
http://book-graphics.blogspot.com/2016/01/the-children-of-hurin.html


Whatever our beliefs may be in this matter, the fact remains that the past is connected to the present and future. We live in historical time, and one event leads to another. We cannot ignore yesterday's decisions, relationships, commitments, and experiences.


Whatever our beliefs may be in this matter, the fact remains that the past is connected to the present and future.
PHOTO: Whatever our beliefs may be in this matter, the fact remains that the past is connected to the present and future. We live in historical time, and one event leads to another. We cannot ignore yesterday's decisions, relationships, commitments, and experiences.
Illustrator Denis Gordeev.
Picture posted by book-graphics on Monday, 25 January 2016 - The Children of Húrin Graphics
https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNLQNqtHBQ3urUSJJAgQyEuiTJyc6euYITi4hNftEX_Ox9chgOwCVpSyQsknv1FVmSfdFiGvoq4Bnt5lY3Ew-qukptvXUd37tAAVcpngnCFCI01QwYjcOw1ieZKohCCVwMlYPRHzCEDBQ/s988/0_b8448_dd85cea_orig_1.jpg
https://img-fotki.yandex.ru/get/16143/24302342.227/0_b8448_dd85cea_orig
http://book-graphics.blogspot.com/2016/01/the-children-of-hurin.html


What are some fears that seniors have of "losing their minds"? Reflect on your own fears and concerns over this matter. What do you know of advice given by experts to help maintain our cognitive abilities? Read 2 Timothy 4:13. Why do you think Paul requested for his scrolls and parchments (Scriptures, writing and reading material)? What does it say about keeping our intellectual abilities strong in old age?

What are some fears that seniors have of "losing their minds"? [1]
A disease like Alzheimer's poses several significant theological questions. Will we be able to function properly as human beings if we lose our ability to remember? In a thoughtful book on Alzheimer's disease, Christian historian David Keck directs our attention to the dilemma of people who cannot remember whose they are. [106] To forget whose you are is to lose your identity.


To forget whose you are is to lose your identity.
PHOTO: To forget whose you are is to lose your identity.
Some fears that seniors have of "losing their minds" are 'will we be able to function properly as human beings if we lose our ability to remember?' Christian historian David Keck directs our attention to the dilemma of people who cannot remember whose they are. To forget whose you are is to lose your identity.
Illustrator Denis Gordeev.
Picture posted by book-graphics on Monday, 25 January 2016 - The Children of Húrin Graphics
https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxZ6gwHgyiyBX3nxpwKflQmcku0GX0aNmoE3nTHlXkRfo2ZstxrhaE87VNqSWCkVpOeE5cslerEVJd6E1LC94ezQRg2gozZHEdczv4vMpkoVJLlGSBspH6bs7zPKHaiTglfI_AWokPymg/s989/%25D0%2594%25D0%25B5%25D0%25BD%25D0%25B8%25D1%2581+%25D0%2593%25D0%25BE%25D1%2580%25D0%25B4%25D0%25B5%25D0%25B5%25D0%25B2%252C+%25D0%2594%25D0%25B5%25D1%2582%25D0%25B8+%25D0%25A5%25D1%2583%25D1%2580%25D0%25B8%25D0%25BD%25D0%25B0+27_1.jpg
https://img-fotki.yandex.ru/get/69089/24302342.227/0_b8445_9c0b7123_orig
http://book-graphics.blogspot.com/2016/01/the-children-of-hurin.html


Reflect on your own fears and concerns over this matter.
One of my own fears is unable to function properly as human beings if I lose my ability to remember. I have unhealthy conditions of the 3 highs - high blood sugar (diabetes), high blood pressure (hypertension), and high cholesterol (LDL cholesterol too high, and HDL cholesterol too low). I need to remember to take many types and doses of medicines to sustain the poor health. Without the memory to remember them could have undesirable consequences. Without the required help, there will be confusion with the normal daily activities, like exercises, appointments with doctors, and other Activities of Daily Living (ADL).


There is fears of unable to function properly as human beings if we lose our ability to remember.
PHOTO: There is fears of unable to function properly as human beings if we lose our ability to remember. Seniors can have unhealthy conditions of the 3 highs - high blood sugar (diabetes), high blood pressure (hypertension), and high cholesterol (LDL cholesterol too high, and HDL cholesterol too low). Hence there is a need to remember to take many types and doses of medicines to sustain the poor health. Without the memory to remember them could have undesirable consequences. Without the required help, there will be confusion with the normal daily activities, like exercises, appointments with doctors, and other Activities of Daily Living (ADL).
Paintings by John Lautermilch
Picture posted by artpal.com
https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgM20pWtWXTGXLYWWpdxEwYgtsxh344cbmOHLGH3v4NOdzMT-JE0FGa2-mun-BQlajJUXKQ-yudwWIn6UYh-9xo5rHi0_vM_0rLLs1jLDkiLdc0Wmx7gdM6OiFigB83horfBV8kpTN0CQU/s720/684-13-11-17-8-17-24m.jpg
https://img.artpal.com/22/684-13-11-17-8-17-24m.jpg
https://www.artpal.com/?i=22-684


I may experience tension and frustration when considerable effort is needed to remember dates, names, and other details. Hence the possible occurrence of frequent swing in moods and behaviours. I would then become an unreasonable and grouchy old man. A loathed old man who is always irritable and bad-tempered, grumpy and complaining. Always repeating the same speeches over and over again.


Old age may experience tension and frustration when considerable effort is needed to remember dates, names, and other details.
PHOTO: Old age may experience tension and frustration when considerable effort is needed to remember dates, names, and other details. Hence the possible occurrence of frequent swing in moods and behaviours. We would then become an unreasonable and grouchy old man. A loathed old man who is always irritable and bad-tempered, grumpy and complaining. Always repeating the same speeches over and over again.
Picture posted by avopix on 22 October 2013
https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgInNRr-cytgwFfCySc9wgRI7xvTDnvR8k6Ytgecng9DrW9Evd0e0nsXitTnrFfowkRg7CQQryQdA_DTiqecZmmK54I-n7fibVIx1HkaCr2mJ9T5SM0wR9NqnzNnk9hgrQiK8irznQCLxs/s1600/159507098_1.png
https://avopix.com/premium-photo/159507098-shutterstock-closeup-portrait-of-an-old-man


Also to loss the memory of God, or spiritual amnesia, is equivalent to forget whose I am, and that is to lose my identity. I could probably ended up as a prisoner of the past, doomed to ultimate insignificance.


Also to loss the memory of God, or spiritual amnesia, is equivalent to forget whose I am, and that is to lose my identity.
PHOTO: Also to loss the memory of God, or spiritual amnesia, is equivalent to forget whose I am, and that is to lose my identity. I could probably ended up as a prisoner of the past, doomed to ultimate insignificance.
Picture posted by Iva Ursano, Amazing Me Movement
https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXJpdNH5NVUGhAwBHRaViaP1MJys8SdhewRRtHHES6e-SgCY9FtGfQQhyphenhyphenBGQrG8ro7Bo5B4C_kWl9JjN16RCWQjhxB4SjOBsWYb_1orSKuXcXcLdpRnLYB6NwoFaNWjD8fPMGkmWyrwSk/s1024/Depositphotos_24532109_l-2015-1024x862.jpg
https://amazingmemovement.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/08/Depositphotos_24532109_l-2015-1024x862.jpg
https://amazingmemovement.com/how-your-soul-energy-affects-others/


What do you know of advice given by experts to help maintain our cognitive abilities? [1]
To forget whose you are is to lose your identity.

What a terrifying thought! Keck, writing from personal experience with his mother, an Alzheimer's sufferer, finds a solution in the need for the Christian community to remember our story and past - what Keck calls "churched history". [107] Alzheimer's patients can be sustained through the collective memory of the community.


An Alzheimer's sufferer, finds a solution in the need for the Christian community to remember our story and past - what Keck calls 'churched history'.
PHOTO: An Alzheimer's sufferer, finds a solution in the need for the Christian community to remember our story and past - what Keck calls "churched history". Alzheimer's patients can be sustained through the collective memory of the community.
Picture posted by Medicalxpress on 16 December 2019 - Collective memory shapes the construction of personal memories
https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXtGzFZ5M1Vt8VvsfJdayRj_u9nomi9DjdbaZkwt9rh_hgUsQ6tYHSn3X3oZm2lAKgJ2DT8mSq_Tb8MFUoGjBxcrrNg1tRbe41NMXd9KTtCVcFETGR4aOjCgUb65EyAoC1zCCIlhd_A-U/s1920/1-memory.jpg
https://scx2.b-cdn.net/gfx/news/hires/2019/1-memory.jpg
https://medicalxpress.com/news/2019-12-memory-personal-memories.html


Read 2 Timothy 4:13. Why do you think Paul requested for his scrolls and parchments (Scriptures, writing and reading material)?
"When you come, bring the cloak that I left with Carpus at Troas, and my scrolls, especially the parchments." (2 Timothy 4:13).

Paul, at this point, didn't need the "parchments" any more for argument or for evangelism. He needed it for his own personal growth (or refreshment and maintenance), and blessing. Paul wanted to spend the rest of his fleeting life reading and meditating on the books of the Old Testament and probably which ever books of the N.T. that had been written by 64 A.D. (the time that this was written). [2]


Paul, at this point, didn't need the 'parchments' any more for argument or for evangelism.
PHOTO: Paul, at this point, didn't need the "parchments" any more for argument or for evangelism. He needed it for his own personal growth (or refreshment and maintenance), and blessing. Paul wanted to spend the rest of his fleeting life reading and meditating on the books of the Old Testament and probably which ever books of the N.T. that had been written by 64 A.D. (the time that this was written).
Picture posted by 1st-art-gallery - Apostle Paul in Prison
https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOB7e6lfImMU1VyZ6iuqFRCmtXL0C_uYK9cnX67u1yaRY_WYdPlpQh54WUfCM7j82gQjNxxGo_uCb23wG1xdIF4lNnUfQSjbhCexPtnHML2XCS05WRrpR6JoE6OCCibTvDopxJaDVx-o0/s1216/9743094.jpg
https://www.1st-art-gallery.com/frame-preview/9743094.jpg?sku=Unframed&thumb=0&huge=1
https://www.1st-art-gallery.com/Rembrandt-Van-Rijn/Apostle-Paul-In-Prison.html


Every verse or chapter memorized will be a treasure to him. Just like us, Paul could have known that his memories could be fading. He could have suffered the same fears which we have, and hence the need to revised, and refreshed the Words of God.


Every verse or chapter memorized will be a treasure to Paul.
PHOTO: Every verse or chapter memorized will be a treasure to Paul. Just like us, he could have known that his memories could be fading. He could have suffered the same fears which we have, and hence the need to revised, and refreshed the Words of God.
Painting by Julian Fałat (1853-1929) - Praying old man
Picture posted by Arleta Wencwel on 30 October 2018
https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8eegw-xYqNkwSlmGYGit4-B9ZDznweW0YhFUBL01uj9tcHYqHSFSFxrdBkrT0ZxarRZxsZkxJuXhsxJMkDGkmsbx9rwztJ7L-_rl01L4YD_7WjaEWINmF2cbazetx6yHtMtgqvif4qw0/s1117/zaduma-2.jpg
https://www.opiekun.kalisz.pl/media/images/publications/2018/10/22(535)/zaduma-2.jpg
https://www.opiekun.kalisz.pl/listopadowa-zaduma/


He probably knew and understand the reasons why the biblical tradition places great emphasis on the discipline and act of remembering. That is, to keep the intellectual abilities strong in old age. The past should not be absolutized (declare perfect, complete, or unchangeable) and idolised to such an extent that the future and the present are sacrificed for its sake.


Paul probably knew and understand the reasons why the biblical tradition places great emphasis on the discipline and act of remembering.
PHOTO: Paul probably knew and understand the reasons why the biblical tradition places great emphasis on the discipline and act of remembering. That is, to keep the intellectual abilities strong in old age. The past should not be absolutized (declare perfect, complete, or unchangeable) and idolised to such an extent that the future and the present are sacrificed for its sake.
Picture posted by Amazon
https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9KV6hFgLAkVWZy-auKg7vY8lVjnL4nERQKauBCqg5KKemLTGG9B_XhdlbnDQOOmAWM_KW760qHj6xz8elYn3RTQbcAcInxAPnFfNhyphenhyphenjlACnETbGhwO67D2aCWUlUHRsGVSYiuD6RvydM/s676/1484002318964._SX1080_1.jpg
https://www.amazon.com/gp/video/detail/B017HLN64Q/ref=atv_dp_amz_det_c_UTPsmN_1_3


What does it say about keeping our intellectual abilities strong in old age? [1]
The biblical tradition places great emphasis on the discipline and act of remembering. The main message of the book of Deuteronomy, in which the word "remember" appears 14 times, is to call Israel to remember God, His covenant with her, and the history of Israel, especially her enslavement to Egypt, the deliverance of the nation and exodus (the departure of the Israelites from Egypt), and her entrance into the Promised Land. Israel got into trouble whenever she forgot her history. Revival came whenever the nation's memory was stirred and she remembered her history and God's dealings with her.


The biblical tradition places great emphasis on the discipline and act of remembering.
PHOTO: The biblical tradition places great emphasis on the discipline and act of remembering. The main message of the book of Deuteronomy, in which the word "remember" appears 14 times, is to call Israel to remember God, His covenant with her, and the history of Israel, especially her enslavement to Egypt, the deliverance of the nation and exodus (the departure of the Israelites from Egypt), and her entrance into the Promised Land. Israel got into trouble whenever she forgot her history. Revival came whenever the nation's memory was stirred and she remembered her history and God's dealings with her.
Picture posted by luvnotestodaughters on 14 November 2020
https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBdX5vu8CraD_ikUftMDdioFoOi1QHfgHLO_SdUpYKfAI2H-_4gGzJJTNBRdP1P3eAS7bZJPgQL9Cw2lcsVB9MBTDHTIBMXd3VS6I2NqnN417M-F-NmJqKihlg7IdbuHLJWJVX8B1hI9Y/s1024/sinai.jpg
https://luvnotestodaughters.files.wordpress.com/2020/11/sinai.jpg
https://luvnotestodaughters.wordpress.com/category/basis-for-truth/


Remembering the past can be both helpful and unhelpful. When people face the great uncertainties of the future, they may cling to the past in a neurotic and obsessive way. When this occurs, a sentimental nostalgia sets in and people get stuck in a glorified past. The past is then absolutized (declare perfect, complete, or unchangeable) and idolised to such an extent that the future and the present are sacrificed for its sake. In the history of the early church, there were several Jewish Christians who were guilty of clinging to the past in such a way that they were insensitive to the leading of God.


Remembering the past can be both helpful and unhelpful.
PHOTO: Remembering the past can be both helpful and unhelpful. When people face the great uncertainties of the future, they may cling to the past in a neurotic and obsessive way. When this occurs, a sentimental nostalgia sets in and people get stuck in a glorified past. The past is then absolutized (declare perfect, complete, or unchangeable) and idolised to such an extent that the future and the present are sacrificed for its sake.
Picture posted by Psychosomaticc on 27 December 2006
https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhKOytgTfNL9Id7dVc5NNSY82ymRGXOONC4avV5FlrBABsbPX_SZjf-cx4TB1fE3pwf23jnUBOnMQ_wSnjoUKPmYuGs1NcDF50u1rcN_jt0h21zhWv9R-Uac_HbPS6Gyxh56Vz7OLozgM/s666/_for_p_ii__by_psychosomaticc_dr0wup-fullview_11.png
https://images-wixmp-ed30a86b8c4ca887773594c2.wixmp.com/f/b1f0fb92-3325-435f-9390-af58347adde7/dr0wup-aacc012e-9c8d-41c9-a7a6-b89b4eefc3b5.jpg/v1/fill/w_800,h_666,q_75,strp/_for_p_ii__by_psychosomaticc_dr0wup-fullview.jpg?token=eyJ0eXAiOiJKV1QiLCJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiJ9.eyJzdWIiOiJ1cm46YXBwOiIsImlzcyI6InVybjphcHA6Iiwib2JqIjpbW3siaGVpZ2h0IjoiPD02NjYiLCJwYXRoIjoiXC9mXC9iMWYwZmI5Mi0zMzI1LTQzNWYtOTM5MC1hZjU4MzQ3YWRkZTdcL2RyMHd1cC1hYWNjMDEyZS05YzhkLTQxYzktYTdhNi1iODliNGVlZmMzYjUuanBnIiwid2lkdGgiOiI8PTgwMCJ9XV0sImF1ZCI6WyJ1cm46c2VydmljZTppbWFnZS5vcGVyYXRpb25zIl19.x6_GnlbfbkzvNx_RmnvrjxatzI7SWqHVt96L4BhCNlw
https://www.deviantart.com/psychosomaticc/art/For-P-II-45392209


We must avoid the two dangers we have noted - spiritual amnesia and sentimental nostalgia for the past. In other words, we must neither ignore nor idolise the past. Spiritual amnesia, or the loss of memory of God's dealings with us, seems to be the greater danger today, and leads to a loss of our identity. No matter how active and vibrant a church is, without an identity rooted in history, it is doomed to ultimate insignificance. At the same time, the church must avoid a sentimental nostalgia which makes her a prisoner of the past. Amnesia and nostalgia must both be replaced with a proper remembering of God and the story of His people. Such a memory-rich church can offer help to Alzheimer's patients.


We must avoid the two dangers we have noted - spiritual amnesia and sentimental nostalgia for the past. In other words, we must neither ignore nor idolise the past.
PHOTO: We must avoid the two dangers we have noted - spiritual amnesia and sentimental nostalgia for the past. In other words, we must neither ignore nor idolise the past. Spiritual amnesia, or the loss of memory of God's dealings with us, seems to be the greater danger today, and leads to a loss of our identity.
Amnesia and nostalgia must both be replaced with a proper remembering of God and the story of His people. Such a memory-rich church can offer help to Alzheimer's patients.
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Dear Lord
 Dear Lord
PHOTO: "Dear Lord, we learn that whatever our beliefs may be, the fact remains that the past is connected to the present and future. We live in historical time, and one event leads to another. We cannot ignore yesterday's decisions, relationships, commitments, and experiences.

Lord, we pray for your help for seniors who have fears of ‘losing their minds’. A disease like Alzheimer's poses several significant theological questions. Will we be able to function properly as human beings if we lose our ability to remember? We need help to overcome our dilemma of whose we are. To forget whose we are is to lose our identity.

Please help us who has fears of unable to function properly as human beings when we lose our ability to remember. Without the required help, there will be confusion with the normal daily activities, like exercises, appointments with doctors, and other Activities of Daily Living (ADL).

Help us seniors who may experience tension and frustration when considerable effort is needed to remember dates, names, and other details. Hence the possible occurrence of frequent swing in moods and behaviours. We would then become an unreasonable and grouchy old man. A loathed old man who is always irritable and bad-tempered, grumpy and complaining. Always repeating the same speeches over and over again.

Lord, we have the fear to loss the memory of God, or spiritual amnesia, which is equivalent to forget whose we are, and that is to lose our identity. We could probably ended up as a prisoner of the past, doomed to ultimate insignificance.

Lord, give us the community to help us remember our story and past. We asked to be sustained through the collective memory of the community.

Lord, help us to learn from Paul too. In 2 Timothy 4:13, Paul, at this point, didn't need the ‘parchments’ any more for argument or for evangelism. He probably needed it for his own personal growth (or refreshment and maintenance), and blessing. Paul wanted to spend the rest of his fleeting life reading and meditating on the books of the Old Testament and probably which ever books of the N.T. that had been written by 64 A.D. (the time that this was written).

Let every verse or chapter of the Bible memorized will be a treasure to us. Our memories could be fading and hence the need revised, and refreshed the Words of God. This could be possibly be the reasons why the biblical tradition places great emphasis on the discipline and act of remembering to keep the intellectual abilities strong in old age. We pray that our past should not be absolutized and idolised to such an extent that the future and the present are sacrificed for its sake.

Help us to avoid the two dangers we have noted - spiritual amnesia and sentimental nostalgia for the past. We pray that we neither ignore nor idolise the past. Protect us from the dangers that lead to a loss of our identity. Because no matter how active and vibrant a church is, without an identity rooted in history, it is doomed to ultimate insignificance.

We pray for help to avoid a sentimental nostalgia which makes us prisoners of the past. Make amnesia and nostalgia both be replaced with a proper remembering of God and the story of His people.
Through Lord Jesus Christ we pray. Amen!"
Picture posted by Gabriela Borges
Reflection - Health and Frailties - Losing Our Memory
Source (book): "Growing Old Gracefully", Following Jesus to the End, PART IV: HEALTH AND FRAILTIES, Chapter 29, "Living with the Fear of Losing Our Memory", Question 1, Page 192.
By Robert M. Solomon, Bishop of the Methodist Church in Singapore from 2000 - 2012


Other Books

Also from the same author, Robert M. Solomon

"Faithful to the end", A Preacher's Exposition of 2 Timothy, @ 2014 by Robert M. Solomon

'Faithful to the end', A Preacher's Exposition of 2 Timothy, @ 2014 by Robert M. Solomon<br>
Reflection - Faithful to the end (Links)
https://veryfatoldman.blogspot.com/2017/06/reflection-faithful-to-end-links.html


"Finding rest for the soul" Responding to Jesus' Invitation in Matthew 11:28-29, © 2016 by Robert M. Solomon

Reflection - Finding rest for the soul (Links)
Reflection - Finding rest for the soul (Links)
https://veryfatoldman.blogspot.com/2018/10/reflection-finding-rest-for-soul-links.html


"God in Pursuit" Lessons from the Book of Jonah, © 2016 by Robert M. Solomon

'Reflection - God in Pursuit (Links) - PART I-III, posted on Saturday, 10 August 2019
Reflection - God in Pursuit (Links) - PART I-III, posted on Saturday, 10 August 2019
https://veryfatoldman.blogspot.com/2019/08/reflection-god-in-pursuit-links-part-i.html


"God in Pursuit" Lessons from the Book of Jonah, © 2016 by Robert M. Solomon

'Reflection - God in Pursuit (Links) - PART IV, posted on Saturday, 10 August 2019
Reflection - God in Pursuit (Links) - PART IV, posted on Saturday, 10 August 2019
https://veryfatoldman.blogspot.com/2019/08/reflection-god-in-pursuit-links-part-iv.html 


"Songs of Christmas", The Stories and Significance of 20 Well-Loved Carols, © 2018 by Robert M. Solomon

Reflection - Songs of Christmas (Links), posted on Friday, 24 April 2020
Reflection - Songs of Christmas (Links), posted on Friday, 24 April 2020
https://veryfatoldman.blogspot.com/2020/04/reflection-songs-of-christmas-links.html



Reference
[1] From "Growing Old Gracefully", Following Jesus to the End, Copyright © 2019 by Robert M. Solomon, ISBN 978-981-14-1836-5, PART IV: HEALTH AND FRAILTIES, Chapter 29, "Living with the Fear of Losing Our Memory", Page 187-190.

[2] University Church, II Timothy 4: 13, The Cloak, The Books and the Parchments, posted on 09 March 2003, http://theuniversitychurch.info/oldWebsite/public_html/sermons/030903.html

[105] See Kua Ee Heok, Colours of Aging: 30 Years of Research on the Mental Health of the Singapore Elderly (Singapore: Write Editions, 2017).

[106] David Keck, Forgetting Whose We Are: Alzheimer's Disease and the Love of God (Nashville: Abingdon Press, 1996).

[107] Ibid, chapter 8.


Links


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