Series on the Family: Caring for the Aged
Pope John Paul II said, “A society will be judged on the basis of how it treats its
weakest members, and among the most vulnerable are surely the unborn and the
dying.” This excellent quote sets the stage for the first installment of a sermon series on the family. This week’s lesson looks at how we treat some of our society’s weakest members: the aged.
Throughout August, I will be preaching about the unique situations of today’s families. This won't be your typical sermon series about families. I won't propagate the stereotypes about happy mom, dad, 2 kids and a dog/cat. I have nothing against normal, happy families, and one of my sermons will talk about marriage. But the situations faced by today's families are far more complex than what stereotypes can handle.
The apostle Paul’s comments on this subject were perhaps more stark than the pope’s. He wrote, “Anyone who does not provide for their relatives, and especially for their own household, has denied the faith and is worse than an unbeliever” (1 Tim 5:8). Although Paul clearly opposed free-loading, his strongest words were for families who failed to care for their most senior & vulnerable members.
Caring for aging parents (and other family members) is perhaps one of the greatest challenges facing our society and therefore our church. Our society values independence over solidarity—a trend that suits the healthy and opportunistic while sidelining those who cannot make it on their own.
How can our Christian community and the families in our church provide a counter-witness to our society? How can we care for our aged? How can we support those who find themselves with the enormous burden of looking after the weaker parts of their “household” (to use Paul’s term)?
This Sunday, I want to find ways to encourage the families in our midst as we look for ways to stand beside one another in the face of cultural forces that tempt us to look out only for our own interests.
Throughout August, I will be preaching about the unique situations of today’s families. This won't be your typical sermon series about families. I won't propagate the stereotypes about happy mom, dad, 2 kids and a dog/cat. I have nothing against normal, happy families, and one of my sermons will talk about marriage. But the situations faced by today's families are far more complex than what stereotypes can handle.
The apostle Paul’s comments on this subject were perhaps more stark than the pope’s. He wrote, “Anyone who does not provide for their relatives, and especially for their own household, has denied the faith and is worse than an unbeliever” (1 Tim 5:8). Although Paul clearly opposed free-loading, his strongest words were for families who failed to care for their most senior & vulnerable members.
Caring for aging parents (and other family members) is perhaps one of the greatest challenges facing our society and therefore our church. Our society values independence over solidarity—a trend that suits the healthy and opportunistic while sidelining those who cannot make it on their own.
How can our Christian community and the families in our church provide a counter-witness to our society? How can we care for our aged? How can we support those who find themselves with the enormous burden of looking after the weaker parts of their “household” (to use Paul’s term)?
This Sunday, I want to find ways to encourage the families in our midst as we look for ways to stand beside one another in the face of cultural forces that tempt us to look out only for our own interests.
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