THE LUTHERAN August 2016

N A TIO N A L M A G A ZIN E O F THE L U THE R A N C HU RC H O F A U STRA LIA

AUGUST 2016

LIVING with

DEMENTIA

The Lord :12 PS A L M 1 1 5

VOL 50 NO7

Print Post Approved PP100003514

Making church dementia-friendly

Vol 49 No7 P209

LUTHERAN

CHURCH OF AUSTRALIA

Sister act Rebekkah, Caitlyn and Madalyn Uebergang cooled their heels while holidaying on the Coral Coast of Fiji – and enjoyed catching up on the latest Lutheran news at the same time. The siblings are members of St Paul’s Lutheran Church, Yandilla, in Queensland.

EDITORIAL Editor Lisa McIntosh p 08 8267 7300 m 0409 281 703 e lisa.mcintosh@lca.org.au Executive Editor Linda Macqueen p 08 8339 5178 e linda.macqueen@lca.org.au

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OF AUSTRALIA The Lutheran informs the members of the LCA about the church’s teaching, life, mission and people, helping them to grow in faith and commitment to Jesus Christ.

The Lutheran also provides a forum for a range of opinions, which do not necessarily reflect the opinions of the editor or the policies of the Lutheran Church of Australia.

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The Lutheran AUGUST 2016

Mother and carer Enjoys hairdressing and gospel singing Fav text: The book of Ezekiel

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AUGUST

Special features Living with dementia

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Our memories are an important part of who we are.

Making church dementia-friendly

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Along with photographs and other keepsakes, they keep us linked to loved ones who are no longer with us. And, as we age, they are the only bridge back to our youth (albeit one we can only look over, never cross).

Why I’m not celebrating the 500th anniversary

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Lunch first for young campers

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Music stirs memories

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500 years on, what would Luther say?

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EDITOR'S

Letter

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Is that the real reason we fear losing our memory to a disease like dementia? It’s not our memory, so much as our memories, our sense of self, we can’t bear to lose.

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My dad died when I was only five. The vague mental pictures I have of him building me my first bicycle, giving me shoulder rides, and teaching me how to fish are important to me.

But there are many other memories I treasure from my childhood, too: spending time with my grandparents in the country; holidays with my beloved cousins; Christmas Eve at church with carols, lollies and the beautiful big tree; going to the second-hand bookshop with my pocket money to buy a ‘new’ Snoopy book; rushing home after school to see whether there were any new ‘babies’ in the chook pen; and the time my mum scrimped and saved to take me to the ABBA concert.

Of course there are some things we would prefer to forget. But forgetting things we want to and need to remember is frightening – being bamboozled by a simple task, for instance, or failing to recognise family members or close friends.

Such symptoms and the fact there is no cure make dementia a dreaded diagnosis. But neither is it without any hope. We can arm ourselves with information and look for opportunities for support. We can take practical measures to assist ourselves or others living with dementia, and we can put our complete trust in the one who gave us memories in the first place.

In this issue we can draw on the wisdom and learning of people who have studied, researched, ministered and worked in this field.

I pray their words will coax us to be more proactive in bringing Christ’s hope and light into the dark shadows that dementia can cast. We may forget what we did five minutes ago, but God remembers us and every tiny detail about us, even our oldest, dearest memories. As he says in Isaiah: ‘I can never forget you!

I have written your name on the palms of my hands’ (Isaiah 49:15–17 Good News).

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Regulars 14

15

Heartland

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Little church

12

Reel life

14

Go and Grow

15

Inside story

24

Directory

27

Notices

28

Letters

29

Coffee break

30

22

We will always be God’s precious children. It is precisely when we are the least able to help ourselves that his love, grace and care for us shine brightest. He has written our names in the book of heaven, and no-one can remove them. No matter what we forget – who God is, even our own name – God remembers us.

Lisa Our cover: Photo

from iStock.com

JES U S I S G OD'S LOVE. HE G IVES U S NE W HE ARTS TO L AY AS IDE O UR OL D WAYS, TO B EL IE VE AND FOL LOW HIM, TO L IVE WI T H HIM E VERY DAY.

heartland

REV JOHN HENDERSON

Bishop Lutheran Church of Australia

JESUS C OMES TO FIND US On my 21st birthday, my mother gave me a jade ring, which she had bought in Hong Kong on her way home from China. She died a few years later, and that ring is one of the few things of hers that I still have.

I was wearing it recently during the Western Australia district Mission & Ministry Conference. One evening I went for a brief dip in the ocean between sessions and, you guessed it, the ring slipped off my finger.

The sea was churning with small surf and I knew I would never see that ring again.

I guess my attitude was one of resignation. I always try not to cling too hard to material things, and here was a test of whether that held true. I had kept the ring for 38 years, and that would have to be enough.

God is expert at finding what is lost ... He finds human beings, right when we think the cause is lost.

The beach was almost deserted, but earlier I had noticed an elderly prospector some way off, with a waterproof metal detector. He now was only about 30 metres away.

Carefully measuring my footsteps so that I could retrace them, I moved towards him, until I could call out and ask for his help. I couldn’t hear his reply, but when I turned to go back, he slowly followed me to the spot. He was an expert with his gadget and, within a couple of minutes, had recovered the ring from the chest-deep water.

He didn't ask for payment, but I couldn’t help rewarding him. This was not because the ring has much cash value, but because it means a lot to me personally.

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The Lutheran AUGUST 2016

Like that old prospector, God is expert at finding what is lost. What God finds is much more precious than that old ring. He finds human beings, right when we think the cause is lost. God dives in to find them, lift them up, restore hope to them, and wrap them in his love, love that knows no favourites.

Everyone who is found receives the same love, freely given. We are one family in him.

By ‘him’, I mean Jesus Christ, of course.

Jesus is God come to find us. Jesus is God who loves me just as I am.

Jesus places himself between God and us, and between us and other human beings. He bears the guilt, the pain, the barbs, the insults, the death threats, the murder, the hatred, and the violence that kills us.

He doesn’t just find us: he dies when we should die. He lives that we might live. He gets the justice we deserve, and gives us the life God wants us to have.

That day at the beach, I knew I would never find that ring, no matter how much I searched. It took just the right person to come and find it.

Jesus is that person. He came to look for and to save people who are lost (Luke 19:10). That’s how it is for you and me. That’s how it is for the church.

That’s how it will be for family, friends, strangers, and enemies, and all who are lost, when we pray for them, help them in their need, tell them of Jesus, and love them just as he loves us.

LIVING with

by COLLEEN

FITZPATRICK

NO CURE BUT GOD’S PROMISES My confirmation text offers me comfort and encouragement and is one I often recall: ‘I thank my God every time I remember you. In all my prayers for all of you, I always pray with joy because of your partnership in the gospel from the first day until now, being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus’ (Philippians 1:3-6).

And if dementia should be your DESTINY, God will always be there for you and for those dear to you.

The promise in that text applies to all of us – no matter what age we are, or what frailties we have.

My husband has his birthday in August and I’m wondering what sort of tacky messages will emerge on his birthday cards.

Will there be references to uncontrollable bodily functions? Or will there be bottles of wine (he likes an occasional glass), golf clubs (he has terrible ball skills), or sailing boats (he comes from Port Adelaide)? Or a reference to the fact he is getting older and must be entering his dotage?

One of the challenges of ageing is the increasing frailty of people around us. We also develop a growing awareness of our own declining health and wellbeing, whether physical, emotional or mental. One of the scariest possibilities may well be dementia – whether it is a personal diagnosis or affecting someone near and dear to us.

Some people choose to accept what is happening, and adapt their lifestyle accordingly. Others will seek information and treatment if it is available. Both are valid choices.

There is no magical cure for dementia. But you can get help and support from sources such as Alzheimer’s Australia at fightdementia.org.au or on 1800 100 500 or, if you are in New Zealand, www.alzheimers.org.nz or 0800 004 001.

And if living with dementia is your destiny, God will always be there for you and for those dear to you.

I love the pictures in these words: ‘There is no-one like the God of Jeshurun who rides on the heavens to help you and on the clouds in his majesty. The eternal God is your refuge, and underneath are the everlasting arms’ (Deuteronomy 33:26,27).

What is dementia?

Dementia relates to loss of memory or cognitive impairment. It is estimated that more than 340,000 Australians live with dementia.

Is dementia a disease of the aged?

Dementia mainly affects people over 65. While uncommon, younger-onset dementia has been diagnosed in people from 30 to 40 years of age onwards.

Can dementia be prevented?

No. However, better cardiovascular health, and maintaining a physically, socially and cognitively active lifestyle through middle age are thought to probably protect against developing dementia.

How is dementia detected?

Regardless of a person’s age, a full psychological and medical assessment is required to eliminate other causes and correctly diagnose dementia.

What are the symptoms?

They may include gradually increasing memory loss, confusion, unclear thinking, loss of problemsolving skills, agitated behaviour or delusions, becoming lost in familiar circumstances, loss of interest in usual activities.

What causes dementia?

There are many causes, but no specific disease is responsible.

Most common are Alzheimer’s disease (50-75%) and vascular dementia often caused by a stroke (20-30%).

From the Lutheran Media fact sheet Dementia Searching for hope

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Recently I wrote a booklet on dementia for Lutheran Media. Through it I shared the stories of some courageous and generous people, regarding their experiences living with this debilitating and seemingly indiscriminate disease. For them and all of us, there is hope through the promises of God. The following are excerpts from that booklet.

A N N A ND TIM OT H Y

s not want you to feel sorr y for My friend Ann has dementia. She doe -old wife to Tim and mot her her. This is Ann’s stor y: I am a 62 year -law. I was a former nurse, nurse to four adu lt sons and a daughter-in dinator of prog rams for the adm inistrator and more recently coor Thi ngs have really cha nged! At aged and for people with dementia. memory problems, and the the end of 2011 , I star ted experiencing you nger-onset dementia – quite next year I was given a diag nosis of Tim and I were shocked is an likely Alzheimer’s. I was 59. To say that of the futu re. In order to help stay underst atement. We both had a fear in the com mun ity, I beca me socially engaged, and to contribute (Adelaide) for homeless people. a volu nteer at The Hut t Street Centre I feel a keen sense of satisfact ion, I love my volu nteer work. Not only do dness for my fam ily and our but I also feel appreciated. Tha nk goo be cert ain about the futu re, we sense of humour! Although we can’t us in His hands. know that God holds the futu re and

R AY MO ND A ND DE LI A (not their rea l names)

My friend Delia’s husband Ray mon d has Lew y Body Dement ia. He is now in a residential aged care faci lity. One of Delia’s coping strateg ies is her use of Facebook. Through it her friends are able to track Ray mond’s high poi nts and the cha llenges that he and Delia nee d to add ress. This medium provides her wit h immediate suppor t from her circle of friends and fam ily. Mes sages of encouragement and offe rs of prayer suppor t flood in. I know that bot h Delia and Ray mond’s fait h has been an integra l par t of the ir lives. Ray mond has now lost his ability to respond to prayers or hym ns or rites. But Delia knows that he is still a child of God and tha t God ’s promises remain relevan t for Ray mond and for her. Not everyo ne is as blessed as Ray mond in hav ing a car ing spouse to visit and sup por t them. Car ing people make a difference to someone wit h dem ent ia. Maybe you cou ld be visiting a friend or relative who cou ld be socially isolated.

(not their rea l names) NA NC Y A ND M AU R EE N

e facilit y who had been in an aged car I recall hea ring about Nancy gressed tors, and her dement ia had pro for some time. She had no visi ureen, who cated a volunteer visitor, Ma sig nif ica ntly. Nancy was allo t ed to her for some time wit hou came and sat wit h her and talk would she t tha ed lain exp en ure h visits, Ma a response. After severa l suc to d wa lke ‘good-bye’ to Nancy. As she not be com ing back and said it means.’ at wh w kno ’t don ce say ‘You the door, she hea rd a fra il voi was able cy unt il Nancy died. Maureen Maureen continued to visit Nan ple ways. re wit h her in increasingly sim to provide contact and to sha

To order a copy of the booklet Dementia a real life challenge, or to view videos or listen to radio interviews on dementia, go to www.facetoface.org.au/dementia A former director of Lutheran Community Care in South Australia, Colleen Fitzpatrick is a member of the Committee for Lutheran Aged Care Australia, a gathering of representatives from aged care organisations from around Australia.

Making church

dementia-friendly

ST I MU LAT I N G ACT IVITY IDEA S • Walk on the beach with a person living with dementia, talk about what you can see, hear and feel • Have an ice-cream and talk about being a child • Play dominoes or Scrabble.

It doesn’t matter if you don’t follow the rules – the idea is to have fun!

• Make a jigsaw puzzle from photos of people important to the person with dementia.

When you or someone you love is diagnosed with dementia your world changes forever. Dementia affects thinking, behaviour and the ability to do everyday things.

Alzheimer’s disease is the most common cause of dementia and typically begins with memory loss.

Other types of dementia bring different dysfunctions, but ultimately people with dementia face increasing impairment.

by CHRIS MATERNE

Social gatherings and Bible study groups may also be enjoyable for those living with dementia.

People with dementia may not remember activities they have been involved with, but the feelings they experience will remain. There are many small things we can do to make our churches more ‘dementia-friendly’.

For example: •

Encourage members to wear clearly visible name tags

•

Print off PowerPoint slides as older people may miss having something to hold and read in church

•

Ensure signage is clear and easily recognisable

• Do some gentle exercise together

While there is no cure for dementia, neither the rate of decline, nor the trajectory of declining capacities is set in stone or predictable. Drugs may slow the progression of dementia for some people, but these are not always well-tolerated.

•

• Do a craft activity – even if they can’t follow a knitting pattern, they may be able to knit squares that could be sewn together as a blanket, or wind wool for another knitter

There are, however, many things we can do to support people with dementia to ensure they have good quality of life.

There is strong evidence that social engagement has positive benefits.

Set up a space a person with dementia can retreat to if they feel overwhelmed

•

Pray for and with people living with dementia

Churches and faith communities provide opportunities to help people with dementia maintain social connections.

The rhythm of familiar worship practices can be comforting, while music can have a strong effect that may result in better memory and ability to converse with others (see Heidi Smith’s story, pages 10-11).

•

• Find out whether a local men’s shed has familiar tools they may enjoy using

Ask a person with dementia whether they would fold the church bulletins. This type of contribution can have a powerful impact on self-worth

•

Be flexible to help people living with dementia feel supported and encouraged – something that has been enjoyable once may not be on another day.

• Look at photos of places they have visited and talk about them • Take a drive and look at autumn leaves, full reservoirs, grapes on the vine, Christmas lights …

• Go together to a local amateur sporting event • Read the newspaper together • Listen to music and sing along to favourite songs and hymns • Read the Bible or pray together, and start a prayer journal to record what you have been praying about

Dr Chris Materne completed a PhD in 2012 after investigating memory rehabilitation in people living with dementia. She was previously employed at the Flinders Centre for Ageing Studies at Flinders University and Domiciliary Care, before taking up the role of LCA Church Worker Support Department manager this year.

WHY I’M NOT CELEBRATING the 500 th anniversary

by STEPHEN PIETSCH

As part of the lead-up to the 500th anniversary of the Reformation in 2017, an ecumenical working party of Lutherans and Catholics has been planning a program of projects and events to jointly commemorate the occasion. One project is a series of articles, written by Lutheran and Catholic authors from around Australia, to be published in both Lutheran and Catholic publications. The third article in our series of six is

by Rev Dr Stephen Pietsch, lecturer in pastoral theology and homiletics at Australian Lutheran College, Adelaide.

Now, please do not get the wrong idea!

I fully intend to mark this event and give thanks for aspects of it. I am enthusiastic about Luther and his legacy to the church. But I will not be celebrating the 500th anniversary of the Reformation.

For many centuries the western church has been divided and its catholic and apostolic integrity has been fractured. Its testimony to the world has been damaged. On the Lutheran side, some have What has come to fashioned a ‘hero-protestant’ light for Catholics and Luther, who ‘refounded’ Christianity. The Reformation Lutherans through this was seen as a renewal almost as profound as Pentecost. dialogue is shared joy; On the Catholic side, Luther joy in Jesus Christ and has been seen as the ‘wild boar who was let loose in his reconciling grace. the vineyard’, who brought sectarian schism and mayhem not only to the church, but to all of society.

Both mythologies are well off the mark. It is now widely realised that the tragic split of the church was neither inevitable nor necessary. In his fascinating 1996 article, The Catholic Luther, Luther scholar David Yeago observes: …the Reformation schism was brought about … by contingent human choices in a confused historical context defined less by clear and principled theological argument (though that of course was present) than by a peculiar and distinctively sixteenth-century combination of overheated and ever-escalating polemics, cold-blooded Realpolitik, and fervid apocalyptic dreaming.

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Human weakness resulted in what might have been a true reformation becoming a deformation.

So what can be salvaged from this terrible separation? I believe God has already begun his healing work. Common theological understanding is slowly being rebuilt through receptive ecumenism, dialogue and joint participation between Catholics and Lutherans in Australia and throughout the world.

What has come to light for Catholics and Lutherans is shared joy; joy in Jesus Christ and his reconciling grace. The writers of the joint Lutheran-Catholic document entitled From Conflict to Communion observe: To this joy also belongs a discerning, selfcritical look at ourselves, not only in our history, but also today. We Christians have certainly not always been faithful to the gospel; all too often we have conformed ourselves to the thought and behavioural patterns of the surrounding world. Repeatedly, we have stood in the way of the good news of the mercy of God. It is a time not for celebration, but for humble, sober and hope-filled repentance. Ironically, the first of Luther’s 95 Theses begins with these words: ‘When our Lord and Master, Jesus Christ, said ‘Repent’, he called for the entire life of believers to be one of repentance’.

Perhaps, as we come to this 500th commemoration, this word from Luther can serve as a pointer to the healing of Catholic-Lutheran division. en Step h ch t Pie s

LUNCH FIRST

FOR YOUNG CAMPERS

by ANDREA CROSS Ninety Victorians made history on 29 June, but it had nothing to do with the upcoming federal election or end of the financial year!

Reformation Day, it doesn’t mean we can’t attach it to any other church celebration throughout the year.

There are many opportunities to share the gift of service through hospitality.

They all participated in the first Here’s a couple to consider: Longest Lutheran Lunch (LLLu) in the world for 2016! These people Victorians are celebrating the 50th were campers, cooks and leaders anniversary of Lutheran Youth of at Christian Life Week (CLW), held at Victoria (LYV). They have Tandara Lutheran Camp, earmarked the weekend of Sharing Halls Gap, in Victoria’s Reformation Day to reminisce Grampians National Park, and remember – a perfect the gift of and hosted by Lutheran opportunity to make Saturday’s HOSPITALITY Youth of Victoria. lunch a Longest Lutheran one!

I was chief cook and, along with my assistant Dee Simons from Dunkeld, prepared more than 1000 meals and served 52 litres of ice-cream during the week for the campers.

and SERVICE isn’t confined to just one day of the year.

As the whole LCA, we are also celebrating our 50th birthday.

So it’s no surprise the LLLu will be running under the 50.500 banner this year. We encourage you to use the theme ‘Service’ when you plan your lunch (or dinner). Think about ways your get-together can reach out into your community.

Service is this year’s theme for the annual Longest Lutheran Lunch and the young people at CLW learned about servanthood during their week at camp. They shared their faith and their Christian love through service, which reflects the very purpose of the LLLu.

Please share your plans and ideas on the Longest Lutheran Lunch Facebook page.

CLW’s history-making lunch is proof that sharing the gift of hospitality and service isn’t confined to just one day of the year. While the LLLu is designed to fit on or around 31 October,

ad y to Ry an W er ne r re Eli se Dy mke an d W CL se rv e at

www.50500.lca.org.au

If you’re stuck as to what to do, contact me so we can build any grain of an idea into a fabulous service event. We want to encourage everyone to consider how our congregations and communities can be places where people see God’s love coming to life.

Andrea Cross is the coordinator of Longest Lutheran Lunch.

Contact her on 0400 425 254 or at hello@longestlutheranlunch.org or follow the Longest Lutheran Lunch Facebook page. See ‘Gap’ year with a difference, page 20

if e W e e r is t ia n L rs a t C h e p mp m a a C c e ra n H appy a ra L u t h at Tand

Z I ON P UN CHES ABOVE IT S WE I G HT It wasn’t until after CLW was over that it dawned on me that 15 per cent of members from my church, Zion at Vectis, a small country congregation in rural Victoria, shared their gifts of service at CLW. In addition to me being the cook for the camp, Lacey Rudolph was camp coordinator, Vaughn Maroske and his wife Lisa were camp parents, their daughter Chloe was a camp leader and son Otto was a camper! The only role Vectis members didn’t fill was camp pastor! From a statistical stance, 60 per cent of the congregation makes up the Vectis parish executive! Did someone mention something about service? God be praised for evermore!

– Andrea Cross

During this synodical term, 2015–2018, the LCA/NZ reaches two significant milestones: in 2016 the LCA’s 50th birthday; and in 2017 the 500th anniversary of the Reformation. 50.500 faith.freedom.future invites us to celebrate and commemorate these special anniversaries – with thanks to God for his past blessings, and in the sure hope and confidence that he is building the LCA/NZ for the future.

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