Pastoral Letter 85

Dear Members of St. Andrew’s Uniting Church, Friends and Adherents,

Grace and peace to you all.

God willing, we will get out of lockdown in a few weeks’ time. Everything looks good and promising and hopefully Monday 18 October will be the Freedom Day for those who have been fully vaccinated, as we are. Unfortunately, that news comes as our Premier Gladys Berejiklian announced her resignation from NSW Parliament. It’s sad to see her go like this, after her steadfast leadership through crisis after crisis – from devastating bushfires to months and months of the coronavirus pandemic. I wish her all the best, and I’m sure she will remain a big part of the local and Armenian community.

According to responses we have received from you, you all have been fully vaccinated, which means we will be able to come together to have our face-to face services and greatly missed fellowship and weekly programs soon. We have received a pastoral letter from the UCA NSW and ACT Synod Moderator, Rev. Simon Hansford, and an update, COVID 19 Guidance Note 39 from the Synod office, which clearly outlines the changes and way forward. Attached you will find the copies of the letter and the Guidelines. These guidelines are promising, and we will be able to reopen our doors for worship. As I have indicated earlier in my previous pastoral letter, we will celebrate St. Andrew’s Day together at the end of November and go into Advent season preparing for Christmas and New Year celebrations. The Elders and Council met on Wednesday and decided to reopen our doors on Sunday 21 November as a start and the following Sunday 28 November, there will be an official celebration with singing inviting our neighbours to the service, followed by special Morning Tea with some food. Details will come later.

On Monday, our very healthy beehive was split into two by Dr. Judy Friedlander, Francesco and the young lady who came over to do the split. Nicky, Penny, Chris and I were there to see the amazing hive and thousands and thousands of busy bees, who have worked hard for the last 18 months producing some honey and designing their beautiful hive. One part of the hive was taken to a local school and ours was replaced with a new half and reinstalled to keep the bees busy for another year.  Sadly, we were not able to get the ‘jar’ of honey that we hoped for but tasted the honey with the tip of our finger.

In the coming weeks we will keep you updated with our plan, as we move toward normal times. Please pray and be patient, as we look forward to better days and back to our regular programs, which include Morning Tea, Time4U, Movie Night, Bible Study, etc. Always remember that God is good and is always with us, leading us on our way forward.

Lebanon continues to face a desperate situation and deepening economic and financial crisis, an economy in the brink of collapse and a currency in free fall. The suffering people need our prayers and support. If you are happy and willing to support, you can make a donation in response to the AMAA’s appeal for the Lebanon Emergency Relief. Please pray and if you can, donate.

Please join the rest of the members on Sunday morning for worship from home following the attached Order of Service, light a candle, sing along to the hymns chosen, have a small roll or a piece of bread, a small cup of wine or juice and read the Bible Readings and the Message, which comes again from our dear friend Bob Minton. On this Seniors Sunday, Bob is leading the Crows Nest Uniting Church Service and he offered to share his sermon with us. Thanks, Bob, for your willingness to share your messages with us.

Continue to pray and remember to advance your clocks, as daylight starts this Sunday early morning.

Here are some prayer points for this week:

1. Pray for tomorrow’s service and join in prayer with all the churches, praise, and worship God.

2. Pray as the COVID-19 restrictions are easing and we look forward with hope to reopen our doors.

3. Pray for the poor, the sick, the vulnerable, the struggling and the stressed.

4. Pray for Lebanon as people are still in desperation and need help.

Please let me know if you or anyone else has prayer points.

Krikor

MESSAGE

Seniors Sunday

What Does Aging Well Mean to You?

1 Timothy 5:1-5 and Mark 10: 17-31

Let us pray.

O Lord, we pray, speak in the calming of our minds and in the longings of our heart. Speak, O Lord, for your servants listen. Amen!

When I was a teenager, I thought people in their 60s were pretty old. Now that I have recently celebrated my 78th birthday, I’m not so sure! 

So, how do you know when you’re getting old?

Well, here’s what some “old people” had to say.

You know you’re getting old when…… 

All the names in your little black book begin with Dr. (Doctor).

You look forward to a dull evening at home.   

It feels like the morning after the night before, but you haven’t been anywhere.

Your knees buckle but your belt won’t.

Scientific advances and the consequent progress of medicine have made a huge contribution in recent decades to prolonging the average duration of human life. Not to mention COVID 19 vaccines over the last 2 years and now booster shots for 2022.

The term “third age” now embraces a large segment of the world’s population: people who have retired from active employment, yet who still have great inner resources and are still able to contribute to the community around them.

To this huge “third age” of “young old”, that is, those aged between 65 and 75, is now added a so-called “fourth age”, now called the “older old” – those over 75 years old. And those numbers are growing at a great rate.

In Australia the number of people aged 85 years and over is projected to almost triple to 1.2 million by 2040. So, this lengthening of average life expectancy, and by the way, a decreasing birth rate, have given rise to an amazing demographic transition: the age pyramid that existed less than half a century ago has literally been turned upside down. 

That’s right – the grey nomads are taking over!! And that’s not all bad. 

Do you know? The most productive years of a person’s life can be the retirement years! 

For example: 

Moses was 80 when God called him to lead the children of Israel out of Egypt.  

Abraham was 75 years old when God called him to leave his home; 86 when his first son Ishmael was born to Hagar; and 100 when his son Isaac was born to his wife Sarah.

Socrates gave the world his best philosophy at age 70.

The Greek philosopher Plato was only a student at 50, doing his best work after his 60^th birthday.

Michelangelo painted the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel when he was almost 90.   

Noah Webster wrote his monumental dictionary at 70.

And Winston Churchill became Prime Minister of Great Britain at age 65. 

You see, growing old doesn’t have to mean growing obsolete. In fact, it can mean greater opportunity for many people.

Remember in Luke 2:22-38 the story of Simeon and Anna who waited daily at the temple for the Messiah to come. Simeon was “a great age” and Anna was 84 years old!!

However, the “silent revolution of an ageing population” goes far beyond just statistical data it poses social, economic, cultural, psychological and spiritual challenges.

Statistical data:

Now whilst the United Nations, and thousands of other government and community organisations around the world grapple with trying to solve the problems of living in a contemporary, multigenerational society, Jesus makes an interesting reference in today’s Gospel reading. As Jesus was setting out on His journey, verses 17-19 tell of a man running to Jesus, before it was too late, possibly with the expectation that he would be asked to follow Jesus on his way. 

He is a “young” man only in Matthew 19:20; he is a “ruler”, that is, an important man in the community, in Luke 18:18; and simply “a man” in the story in Mark. Whatever the identity of this man, he asks Jesus “What must I do to inherit eternal life?” 

In answer to his question, Jesus quotes the Ten Commandments – but not all of them.   

The Commandments expressed by Jesus are those of the second table, which emphasise social obligations and human responsibilities.

On this Older Persons Sunday or Seniors Sunday, the final commandment “Honour your father and mother” prompts us to explore further what God tells us in the Bible about how older people should be treated.

In his first letter to Timothy (1Timothy 5:12), Paul instructs Timothy as to how people in his congregation should be treated. He says: “Do not rebuke an older man harshly but exhort him as if he were your father. Treat younger men as brothers, older women as mothers, and younger women as sisters, with absolute purity”.  

Paul sees the church as a family. Specifically, in traditional translations, God says exhort them in (vs 1). Now that word is rich in meaning and is translated in various ways in our New Testament. Sometimes it is translated “encourage”, at other times, “support”, “help”, or “comfort”.  The word literally means: “Come alongside and help”.

So, God wants us, as members of the church, to when one is hurting, to support come alongside each other, and to help of each other, to comfort in practical ways. This is especially true of older people…… Paul says: “We must treat them like family”.

Uniting is an organisation of the Uniting Church working in response to God’s call to treat our older people like family. Uniting works with older people to help them stay as well as possible, and live full and rich lives as they are able. 

Uniting was initiated by Presbyterian and Methodist congregations, who had the foresight to plan for the care of their elderly church family. Uniting is still proudly an expression of the Uniting Church, and all its work is infused with the Christian faith tradition. This is reflected in the organisation’s Vision, which says:

“Uniting:  The Church at Work. A creative leader enabling communities to age well, and individuals to live to their potential”. 

Everyone is equal, united by our common humanity and capacity for love and care.  Everyone is welcome, regardless of age, race, nationality, religion, sexuality, gender, or social status. 

In particular, Uniting welcomes people who have had to live on the margins of society at some time in their lives because of poverty, prejudice, disability or illness.

At the heart of the organisation’s work is a desire to honour the unique spirit of love, life and aliveness in every person. 

This way of seeing the world drives the way Uniting plans, resources and provides the services offered.

As a church organisation, Uniting is not driven by market forces to make money for shareholders. Any surpluses are reinvested into improved facilities and services. Most importantly, the Uniting community is made up of many people. It is a very large family……  

Over 7500 aged care beds in over 60 sites in New South Wales. More than 350 people living in affordable housing, 2800 independent retirement living units, 8200 clients who live in the community; With over 9000 staff; and over 1500 volunteers.  

Uniting Customer Promise, Customer Charter, are a reflection of Jesus’ final Commandment. Its key promise is to put the customers at the heart of everything the organisation does –

to treat people like family,

to honour and exhort them.

Uniting says: “We will always treat you with respect and dignity and ensure you feel valued and supported”.

The contributions made by congregation members is a unique part of Uniting, and a powerful force behind the success of the organisation. Many Uniting facilities grew out of church members’ efforts, and that commitment continues. Many volunteer hours are given by congregation members and others, spending time with older people in programs, offering companionship, and enjoying sharing activities in their daily lives, particularly before COVID interrupted our lives.

The America Jewish Rabbi and author Abraham Joshua Herschel said in his 1965 book titled “Who is Man”, that “The affection and care for the old, the incurable, and the helpless, are the true goldmines of a culture”. 

So, God calls us as a church, to treat older people like gold….

To come alongside and help seniors, to visit them, to spend time with them, not to dismiss them or ignore them. To honour them. To value them. To give them the proper recognition they deserve. 

It is good to know that 2000 years after Paul wrote his instructions to Timothy as to the way to value the older people in his congregations, the Uniting Church, through Uniting, and congregations is following the word of God, and valuing our seniors as part of our church family. 

Amen!