by Tania Nelson
The LCANZ’s Ministry with the Ageing local mission department has a wide range of helpful resources on our webpage – www.lca.org.au/ministry-with-ageing
A great place to start is with our Ministry with the Ageing: a beginner’s guide booklet. Divided into three sections, it addresses ageing as a personal journey through the topics of ‘Post-work years’, ‘As the years pass’, and ‘In the twilight of your life’. It’s a great resource for ageing folk, as well as for the family and friends who support the ageing.
You can download a copy from our website or request a copy by phoning the LCANZ Churchwide Office on 08 8267 7300 or by emailing cma@lca.org.au
Excerpt from ‘A Prayer for all Ages’
God of all creation, you are timeless and beyond all ages.
We who are growing old give thanks
for the years you have given us –
for family, friends and all those
who have enriched our lives.
We who are not yet old give thanks
for the older people in our lives:
for grandparents, loved ones, friends
and all who generously offer
the wise counsel of their years.
We who are growing old pray for prudence and sweet timing,
in offering our wisdom to the next generation,
while respecting their energy and creativity.
We who are not yet old pray for openness
and humility in receiving
the advice and guidance of our elders.
God of endless love, help us to understand
that we share a common life journey,
a call to live life to the full
and to strive to enable all creation to come
to the fullness of the Cosmic Christ. Amen
From the LCANZ’s Ministry with the Ageing: a beginner’s guide. Used with permission of Australian Catholic Social Justice Council.
More useful resources
Resources on the Ministry with the Ageing webpage on the LCA website also include informative videos; dementia resources produced in conjunction with Lutheran Media; ‘Worship and the ageing – a list of ideas’; the devotional litany resource ‘Respecting our Elders’; the God’s love – our care booklet, which covers the theology underpinning the practice of Lutheran care; discussion papers on aged-care and end-of-life issues; information about parish nursing; ministry scholarship information; and reports and presentations from the LCANZ’s Aged Care and Community Services Gathering.
Stay updated
You can sign up for the Ministry with the Ageing eNews by visiting www.lca.org.au/enews and following the instructions to sign up. Ministry with the Ageing is part of the churchwide list of bulletins.
Dr Tania Nelson is LCANZ Executive Officer – Local Mission.
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