“Many whom God has, the Church does not have; and many whom the Church has, God does not have” (St. Augustine, De Baptismo).
Though the church is no longer the dominant public voice in Quebec, pastoral care to seniors represents an emerging and authentic ministry.
St. Andrew’s Home, where I serve as chaplain among seniors living with memory loss, is a badly needed, publicly managed residence in the bosom of Notre Dame de Grace in Montreal. Its mission of compassion and hospitality was broadened before my time to include convalescing non – Presbyterians. This suggests Presbyterian distinctiveness is about the relationships of faith we enter rather than the specific title.
Envisioning St. Andrew’s Home as a ministry which belongs to God is not easy when a presbytery must follow in the way of costly grace. We discern Jesus’ cross by surrendering our need for past glory.
Douglas Hall, in Negative Theology, made an important observation of the Reformed tradition: “The true church—the company of the Elect as Calvin called it—is known only to God. It is the creation of the Holy Spirit. It cannot be ascertained by human beings, however learned or authoritative. One believes—one hopes, one acts as though!—the true church is found also among the membership of the church visible but no ecclesiastical body can identify or name those who have truly been touched and transformed by the testimonium Spiritus sancti internum.”
I believe the ministry of God’s inclusive love flows from the inner testimony of the Holy Spirit, who corrects notions of election that have degraded into elitism as an outgrowth of fear and anxiety. Such feelings are common in memory loss and lead to meaninglessness and a general de – rootedness. The gospel calls us to empathize with the fragmentation of memory and the lives in need of communion with the Living Word, to whom we point as the Spirit makes the words of scripture come alive. This should lead our seminaries to prepare candidates for team ministry in spiritual care of the aged, desiring to hear their identification with the fragmentation in Jesus’ cross and hope for resurrection life as we “do this in remembrance of me” (Luke 22:19).
Such service dignifies the lives of our seniors and extends to relationships in residence. A pastoral presence was important to Catherine W., who came to the Presbyterian Church from the Baptist confession. She shared with me the pain of her decision to marry outside of her denomination against her parents’ wishes, and remained devoted to her church. Her dying words were: “No one has ever asked me about that.” Then she sighed, “You came into my life too late.” I read her favourite scripture, prayed with her and pronounced a blessing. She died peacefully that night.
Our orientation toward a hope – filled future requires that we recognize our present as lacking fulfillment (see Waiting for Gospel by Douglas John Hall), and as we struggle with questions of authenticity and what we mean by “the tradition.” This painful struggle may bear fruit as a gift from the Lord as we listen to and accompany the aged in their spiritual need to tell their stories.
I wish to encourage others in their ministry among seniors, assuring them that the Spirit of the Crucified One can transform their and our own anxiety and meaninglessness into hope. Jesus’ call to “Do this in remembrance of me” comes to life as we become part of the living memory of our seniors.
About Kosta Theofanos
Kosta Theofanos is chaplain at St. Andrew's Home, Montreal, Que.