(a four week sermon series preached by Nathan E. Lewis at Evergreen Presbyterian Church and Chehalem Valley Presbyterian Church)
(click here for audio sermons)
Part One: Created in God’s Image : Genesis 1:26-28
The Presbyterian Church in America publishes By Faith Magazine, which you can read online at evergreenpca.com. In a recent issue, Stephanie Hubach, member of our sister congregation, Reformed Presbyterian Church in Ephrata, PA, wrote an article titled, “The Dignity of Every Human.” Listen to the first three paragraphs:
Flipping through the newspaper on a quiet Sunday afternoon, my eyes fell on an article entitled “The Toll of Alzheimer’s Disease” by syndicated columnist Dr. Peter H. Gott. Since a close friend from church suffers from an early-onset form of dementia, I was eager to read the piece. Alzheimer’s and related forms of dementia are, undoubtedly, dreadful diseases for both recipients and their family members. Due to the degenerative nature of these disabling conditions the road is long, the effects are heart-breaking, and the outcome is certain.
As Christians, when we encounter this type of struggle it should call forth our deepest compassion, inspire us to provide practical supports, and encourage us to invest in ethically-based preventative research. But there is also a point at which we must be careful in our thinking. Listen to Gott’s description of end-stage Alzheimer’s disease—but most importantly, listen to the conclusion that he makes from his observations: “This eventually ends in a catastrophe: extreme confusion, loss of judgment, inability to recognize loved ones, belligerency, and the failure to be able to carry out everyday chores and activities of daily living (including bathing, dressing and eating). In the truest sense of the word, the advanced Alzheimer’s patient has lost all the qualities that make him or her human [emphasis mine].” Continue reading »
Several years ago, Cris and Margaret Simpson and their two children joined Evergreen Presbyterian Church in Beaverton, Oregon. Both of them plugged into the ministries of the church. Soon it became clear to many of us that Cris is a gifted teacher. (At Evergreen we encourage every member to use his/her gifts to serve in the name of Christ. We do not consider the gift of teaching or the office of pastor to be more desirable than any other gift or office.) It just so happens that Cris has the gifts and personal skills to make a fine teacher and a good pastor. Our congregation nominated Cris for the office of ruling elder and after a year of training and prayerful consideration we ordained him an elder. Continue reading »
