Horizons Sample

NOV-DEC 2011

Horizons magazine is published by Presbyterian Women (PW) the national women’s organization of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.).

Issue link: http://horizons.epubxp.com/i/52581

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Believing in Stories Yet To Be Realized Perhaps we can remember that aging and dying persons are interesting not only by hearing and telling their sto- ries, but by recognizing the ways they hear and affirm our stories. Even when they cannot speak, even when they will not take a bite of food, they often—with absolute conviction— know that we are capable. They believe we can go out into the world and live the interesting lives to which God calls us. They believe we can feed people on our porches, or fill pulpits that need filling, or collect box tops in our base- ments. They know we can do these things because they were able to do them. They know we can do whatever we are called to do, because they believe the God who never abandoned them will be ever faithful to us. Theologically speaking, hearing and keeping stories is the work of the great cloud of witnesses, the communion of saints. Whenever we say the Apostle's Creed, we confess that we "believe in the Holy Ghost; the holy catholic church; the communion of saints; the forgiveness of sins; the resurrection of the body; and the life everlasting."* In that place where the saints live in many mansions (Jn. 14:2), I believe my place where every one is fully known—where we see ourselves no longer "dimly," but "face to face" (1 Cor. 13:12)—all fear of being boring is, no doubt, gone. Protestants traditionally have been wary of valuing "saints." Our concern, understandably, is not to let anything interfere with the direct relationship we believe human beings have with God, through Christ, by the power of the Holy Spirit. When we confess the communion of saints, then, we are never suggesting we need someone to mediate between God and us. What we are confessing, rather, is that we are in a very real (though mysterious) way united with those who have gone before us and those who will come after us—those whose stories we have heard and told and those whose stories have yet to be realized. Held in Memory and Hope One of the greatest gifts many elderly persons offer is that they are able to see ahead because they can look behind. They genuinely believe that those they will leave behind are interesting and will lead interesting lives. When they can no longer tell their stories, we should work hard to remember and to tell them on their behalf. As scripture At the same time, we also should recognize that the elderly—particularly those who have already taken one step into that great, eternal communion— in their own ways also know and affirm our stories. They believe in the stories that are still underway; the sto- ries that still lie ahead; the stories of the people who sit by their bedsides and try to remember; the stories of future saints whose faces have not even, yet, been formed. They look ahead to these stories, and, in doing so, have made them already interesting by virtue of their conviction and endorsement. What a blessing this is, this belief in the rest of us! This "hearing" of our stories to come is a gift the elderly give that cannot be matched. It is a gift that pulls we who follow behind, forward and into the interesting call- ings of our lives. It is a gift that will surely help keep us until that day when we ourselves enter into full communion, joining hands with all the saints who have gone before us, and who are even now holding us, in memory and in hope. Cynthia L. Rigby is W.C. Brown professor of theology at Austin Presbyterian Theological Seminary. She enjoys speaking to church groups around the country and is the author of The Promotion of Social Righteousness (Louisville, KY: Witherspoon, 2010). *"The Apostles' Creed," in The Presbyterian Hymnal (Louisville, Ky: Westminster John Knox, 1990), 14. d ᑁᑃᑆᑄᑇᑅᑂᑃᑆᑀ ᑈᑱᑥᑡᑨᑠ ᑀᑩᑢᑀᑉᑩᑠᑀᑗᑨᑠᑀᑒᑱᑩᑰᑤᑡ! ᑄᑀᑀ ᑅᑀᑈᑡᑧᑥᑨᑥ !ᑀᑕᑤᑡᑩᑦᑩᑣᑥᑙᑗᑦᑀᑓᑡᑗᑠᑥᑨᑣᑀᑩᑢᑀ !ᑤᑡᑀᑇᑩᑧᑧ∀ᑨᑥᑩᑨᑀᑩᑢᑀᑔᑗᑥᑨ! ᑀ ᑑ+ᑀᑓ ᑩ,ᑡᑢᑥ∋ᑨᑀᑐᑂᑀᑖ#ᑨ∀&#∀ᑀ ᑗᑥ∗ᑀᑠ#%ᑱᑉᑀᑒ#∀∋ᑩ∀((! ᑕ∀∋ᑥ%∀ᑡ∋ᑩ#∀ᑡ ᑁᑀᑄᑈᑈᑇ ᑖ#ᑨ∀&#∀ᑁᑀᑡᑀᑙ#!ᑡ∀ᑀᑒᑡ∋ᑨ# ᑩᑣᑁᑀ ᑨᑥ ∃&ᑀᑘ%#∋ᑥ&∋ᑡ∀∋ᑀᑢᑥ ᑩᑥ)ᑥ%&ᑀ %ᑥᑦ ᑥᑣ∋ᑀ∃%#ᑤ(ᑣ∋ᑩ)ᑥ +ᑀ#∀ᑀ∗ᑨᑡ∋ᑀ∋ᑨᑥ ᑣ#!!(∀ᑩ#∀ᑀ#ᑦᑀ&ᑡᑩ∀∋&ᑀᑩ&ᑀᑡ ᑀᑡᑢ#(∋ᑂ 6 ᑐᑥ!ᑙᑤᑡᑨᑀᑕᑗᑘᑦᑡᑀᑖᑥ ᑠᑩᑧᑀ ᑑ+ᑀᑙᑡᑣᑨᑥ ᑀᑗᑡ#!ᑩᑀᑙᑥ!ᑥ∀ᑀ ᑗᑥ∗ᑀᑠ#%ᑱᑉᑀᑘᑥ∀ᑧ(ᑩ∀ᑀᑔ%#(∃ᑁᑀᑅᑃᑃᑆ ᑑ#ᑀᑉᑱᑗᑨᑠᑢᑗ!ᑤᑡᑱᑁ ᑀᑆᑦᑡ ᑥᑨᑣ ᑄᑀᑔ!ᑩᑱᑥᑡ ᑀᑩᑢ ᑔ!ᑱᑡᑨᑣ!ᑤᑂᑀᑓᑡᑢ∀ᑣᑡᑀᑗᑨᑠᑀᑆᑡᑦᑩᑨᑣᑥᑨᑣ ᑑ+ᑀᑙᑡᑣᑨᑥ ᑀᑗᑡ#!ᑩᑀᑙᑥ!ᑥ∀ᑀ ᑗᑥ∗ᑀᑠ#%ᑱᑉᑀᑑᑥ%ᑱ ᑥ+ᑀᑘ(ᑢ ᑩ&ᑨᑩ∀ᑧᑁᑀᑅᑃᑃᑃ ᑑ#∋ᑨᑀ#ᑦᑀᑙᑥ!ᑥ∀−&ᑀᑢ##ᑱ&ᑀ!#ᑤᑥ ᑀ∋ᑨᑥ ᑤᑩ&ᑣᑩ∃ ᑩ∀ᑥᑀᑡ∀ᑤᑀᑰ#+ᑀ#ᑦᑀᑨᑥᑡ%ᑩ∀ᑧᑀᑡ∀ᑤ ᑨ#∀#%ᑩ∀ᑧᑀ∋ᑨᑥᑀ&∋#%ᑩᑥ&ᑀ#ᑦᑀ#∋ᑨᑥ%&ᑃ grandmothers' stories will never be forgotten. I imagine platters of (the very best) peanut butter sandwiches, homemade quilts for all, and the utter absence of collected box tops. In that teaches us, we should develop the habit of telling our children the stories of "what the L "when [they] came out of Egypt" (Ex. 13:8). did" for our forbears ORD</p></div><h2>Articles in this issue</h2><div style="max-height:200px;overflow-x:hidden;margin-bottom:30px;padding-right:20px;"><ul class='nav'> <li><a href="http://horizons.epubxp.com/i/52581/0" title="read article: HOR_991">HOR_991</a></li> <li><a href="http://horizons.epubxp.com/i/52581/1" title="read article: HOR_992">HOR_992</a></li> <li><a href="http://horizons.epubxp.com/i/52581/2" title="read article: HOR_1">HOR_1</a></li> <li><a href="http://horizons.epubxp.com/i/52581/3" title="read article: HOR_2">HOR_2</a></li> <li><a href="http://horizons.epubxp.com/i/52581/4" title="read article: HOR_3">HOR_3</a></li> <li><a href="http://horizons.epubxp.com/i/52581/5" title="read article: HOR_4">HOR_4</a></li> <li><a href="http://horizons.epubxp.com/i/52581/6" title="read article: HOR_5">HOR_5</a></li> <li><a href="http://horizons.epubxp.com/i/52581/7" title="read article: HOR_6">HOR_6</a></li> <li><a href="http://horizons.epubxp.com/i/52581/8" title="read article: HOR_7">HOR_7</a></li> <li><a href="http://horizons.epubxp.com/i/52581/9" title="read article: HOR_8">HOR_8</a></li> <li><a href="http://horizons.epubxp.com/i/52581/10" title="read article: HOR_9">HOR_9</a></li> <li><a href="http://horizons.epubxp.com/i/52581/11" title="read article: HOR_10">HOR_10</a></li> <li><a href="http://horizons.epubxp.com/i/52581/12" title="read article: HOR_11">HOR_11</a></li> <li><a href="http://horizons.epubxp.com/i/52581/13" title="read article: HOR_12">HOR_12</a></li> <li><a href="http://horizons.epubxp.com/i/52581/14" title="read article: HOR_13">HOR_13</a></li> <li><a href="http://horizons.epubxp.com/i/52581/15" title="read article: HOR_14">HOR_14</a></li> <li><a href="http://horizons.epubxp.com/i/52581/16" title="read article: HOR_15">HOR_15</a></li> <li><a href="http://horizons.epubxp.com/i/52581/17" title="read article: HOR_16">HOR_16</a></li> <li><a href="http://horizons.epubxp.com/i/52581/18" title="read article: HOR_17">HOR_17</a></li> <li><a href="http://horizons.epubxp.com/i/52581/19" title="read article: HOR_18">HOR_18</a></li> <li><a href="http://horizons.epubxp.com/i/52581/20" title="read article: HOR_19">HOR_19</a></li> <li><a href="http://horizons.epubxp.com/i/52581/21" title="read article: HOR_20">HOR_20</a></li> <li><a href="http://horizons.epubxp.com/i/52581/22" title="read article: HOR_21">HOR_21</a></li> <li><a href="http://horizons.epubxp.com/i/52581/23" title="read article: HOR_22">HOR_22</a></li> <li><a href="http://horizons.epubxp.com/i/52581/24" title="read article: HOR_23">HOR_23</a></li> <li><a href="http://horizons.epubxp.com/i/52581/25" title="read article: HOR_24">HOR_24</a></li> <li><a href="http://horizons.epubxp.com/i/52581/26" title="read article: HOR_R1">HOR_R1</a></li> <li><a href="http://horizons.epubxp.com/i/52581/27" title="read article: HOR_R2">HOR_R2</a></li> <li><a href="http://horizons.epubxp.com/i/52581/28" title="read article: HOR_R3">HOR_R3</a></li> <li><a href="http://horizons.epubxp.com/i/52581/29" title="read article: HOR_R4">HOR_R4</a></li> <li><a href="http://horizons.epubxp.com/i/52581/30" title="read article: HOR_25">HOR_25</a></li> <li><a href="http://horizons.epubxp.com/i/52581/31" title="read article: HOR_26">HOR_26</a></li> <li><a href="http://horizons.epubxp.com/i/52581/32" title="read article: HOR_27">HOR_27</a></li> <li><a href="http://horizons.epubxp.com/i/52581/33" title="read article: HOR_28">HOR_28</a></li> <li><a href="http://horizons.epubxp.com/i/52581/34" title="read article: HOR_29">HOR_29</a></li> <li><a href="http://horizons.epubxp.com/i/52581/35" title="read article: HOR_30">HOR_30</a></li> <li><a href="http://horizons.epubxp.com/i/52581/36" title="read article: HOR_31">HOR_31</a></li> <li><a href="http://horizons.epubxp.com/i/52581/37" title="read article: HOR_32">HOR_32</a></li> <li><a href="http://horizons.epubxp.com/i/52581/38" title="read article: HOR_33">HOR_33</a></li> <li><a href="http://horizons.epubxp.com/i/52581/39" title="read article: HOR_34">HOR_34</a></li> <li><a href="http://horizons.epubxp.com/i/52581/40" title="read article: HOR_35">HOR_35</a></li> <li><a href="http://horizons.epubxp.com/i/52581/41" title="read article: HOR_36">HOR_36</a></li> <li><a href="http://horizons.epubxp.com/i/52581/42" title="read article: HOR_37">HOR_37</a></li> <li><a href="http://horizons.epubxp.com/i/52581/43" title="read article: HOR_38">HOR_38</a></li> <li><a href="http://horizons.epubxp.com/i/52581/44" title="read article: HOR_39">HOR_39</a></li> <li><a href="http://horizons.epubxp.com/i/52581/45" title="read article: HOR_40">HOR_40</a></li> <li><a href="http://horizons.epubxp.com/i/52581/46" title="read article: HOR_41">HOR_41</a></li> <li><a href="http://horizons.epubxp.com/i/52581/47" title="read article: HOR_42">HOR_42</a></li> <li><a href="http://horizons.epubxp.com/i/52581/48" title="read article: HOR_43">HOR_43</a></li> <li><a href="http://horizons.epubxp.com/i/52581/49" title="read article: HOR_44">HOR_44</a></li> <li><a href="http://horizons.epubxp.com/i/52581/50" title="read article: HOR_993">HOR_993</a></li> <li><a href="http://horizons.epubxp.com/i/52581/51" title="read article: HOR_994">HOR_994</a></li> </ul></div><h2>Archives of this issue</h2><a href='http://horizons.epubxp.com/read/archives/i/12658/52581'>view archives of Horizons Sample - NOV-DEC 2011</a></div><div class='clr'></div> </body> </html>