Connecting the Generations

Did you see the story about the two moose ? A man in western Alaska discovered two pairs of antlers sticking up out of the ice. It seems two moose had been fighting and one had been injured. Unfortunately, while fighting the antlers locked and the moose that had won the fight—so to speak—was not able to free itself from the injured moose. The result? Both moose were dragged to their death and frozen in time. People can unite to do good or evil. This story illustrates what can happen when people come together to do wrong. We might think we can hurt one another and then simply move on, unscathed, but we are wrong. The truth is that we are inextricably linked as human beings. And as Christians, we are “one body,” the body of Christ. If we come together to cause harm to a fellow human being or a brother or sister in Christ, we will suffer the same hurt as they. Unity comes with a price: In unity, what affects one will affect the whole. So, the next time you are tempted or inv

Not only do seniors make up a large proportion of my congregation, these Traditionalists and Baby Boomers are also among the most dedicated and hardworking members I have. They love their church and they are faithful in attending services. They preserve the history of the church—its growing pains and glory days; and when they share the testimonies of how they “got the victory,” they build our faith in God and make us wise. They are the prayer-warrior generation; and I know I can count on them to hold their pastor up in prayer. As our faithful seniors age, they encounter health challenges that can affect their ability to attend services and contribute to the life of the church. One of these health challenges is Alzheimer’s disease. Alzheimer’s is a disease of the brain that impacts our short-term and long term memory and our thinking ability as more brain cells become damaged and eventually die. The disease also affects our mood, emotions and behaviour, as well as our ability to perf