Honor Your Father and Mother

In God’s great (and concise!) directions of how to live a faithful life – also known as the 10 Commandments - the Episcopal Church understands the first 4 commandments to be how to love God and the other six of how we are to love our neighbor.  (I find it interesting we need more direction on how to love each other, but I digress).  The first thing we are instructed to do for our neighbors is to “honor your father and mother.” 

While in some ways this seems obvious, we also have to think about a culture that needed everyone to contribute in order to have the resources necessary to live.  This included (perhaps) getting water, tending livestock, hunting, gathering and a multitude of other jobs just to eat and have some where to live. The only real health care was what one’s family provided.  What we might consider a simple injury or infection might have been fatal.  Caring for someone not contributing was a drain on resources and caused extra work. From that standpoint, some might have justified leaving the elderly behind to fend for themselves.

Fortunately, God, knowing human nature, established this moral covenant to care for those that cared for us.  We can even think of it as the first retirement plan!  There would have been no fear of doing all one could for as long as one could, because, when the day came that one could no longer do those things, one was assured by God that she or he would be cared for by the community. An added benefit is that the community doesn’t rid itself of all the knowledge and life-experience of their elders, an invaluable resource that might be overlooked.  Sharing stories and know-how with the following generations enables survival and prosperity.

A society that values their elders demonstrate both its faithfulness to God, as well as a deep respect for those that helped the following generations succeed.  As such, we should take a moment to honor and give thanks for the elders in our lives for all they have done for us.

The Diocesan Ministry for Older Adults started such a movement several years ago with an Evensong celebrating the ministry of older adults.  The truth is many of our churches were established and supported by our elders, and it is incumbent upon us to notice and celebrate all they have done – and continue to do – in the lives of our churches.

Last year St. Barnabas nominate Stephanie and Tom Carr for this recognition, for their numerous and dedicated ministries. This year, we have nominated Dorothy Hamby and Nick Hrinkevich.  The Evensong honoring them and other honorees will be at Trinity Cathedral on Saturday, September 30th at 2 PM.  Please come and support these two wonderful individuals.  We will also recognize them at our services on Sunday, October 1st.

There are many worthy people at St. Barnabas for this honor, so if you have a suggestion for next year, please let me know!  We are blessed with a wealth of experience and knowledge in this congregation.  If you have never talked with one of our elders (and, please, no one be offered if you are thought of as an elder!), have some holy curiosity and ask them about their life and faith.  I find it fascinating to hear about transformation and perseverance in their faith stories.  Even then times were difficult, they knew Christ was with them.  What more of a gift could we want!

Thank you to Dorothy and Nick for all you have done and continue to do at St. Barnabas.

In Christ,

Rev. Valerie+

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