Brief conversation in passing  -  ‘It makes a difference if one is talking about receptive or expressive faith.'
Expressive faith I understand as how we live our faith, the action that it prompts, the faith that we can speak of.
Receptive faith takes us back to ‘grace’ and the simple fact that faith is a gift of God through the Holy Spirit.

Derek - a friend of Maxine and Chris’ - a ‘simple’ faith that was easily recognised by others because of things he did because of his faith. Yet, he was not able to express it theologically. There is a sense that  while his faith was expressed, it was done in an instinctive way rather than in a reasoned way.


Reflection:
How then might folk living with dementia ‘receive faith’.

• hearing Bible stories
• being loved in a way that allows them to be themselves (as they are!)
• creating
• experiencing beauty
• hearing the stories of others

etc…...
These things are what should shape the life and activity of a church community anyway.

Important note:   As with all that I have identified that seems relevant for those living with dementia, so this is equally applicable to anyone!  This reinforces the recurrent message that while people living with dementia need to be treated in an appropriate way, so does everyone and there need be no ‘singling out’ or the creation of special ‘identities’ or groups.

Jim - a retired Anglican priest living with dementia. I met him for a conversation on a ‘good day’ and while the conversation was perhaps not very ‘deep’ Jim was quite clear on two things:
Question: ‘As one who has enjoyed keeping abreast of theological developments through your ministry, how do you sustain your faith now that your intellect is failing you?'
1. "I value going to church now much more than I have ever done."  (Jim and his wife attend the church where they met, were married and all their children were baptised. It is to do with the fellowship within the elderly congregation, as the building burnt down some years ago.) The worship is high Anglican liturgical where there is much to engage the senses and prompt memory and faith.
2.  I depend for everything on Irene (Jim’s wife). She is better than I at expressing faith in practical ways, in dealing with the family etc.

Jim’s personality allows him to be very much at ease with his situation - accepting those things he can no longer do, while continuing with what he can. He is not frustrated by his dementia that can leave him in limbo, not knowing where he is or what he is doing etc.

Out of this  -
The centrality of relationships to faith  -  with those we love and who care for us and with those in the church family who share our faith. 
The importance for someone with a life-time within the Church of the familiar liturgy etc.
For Jim a sense that he lives within the grace of God and at ease  -  not an attitude that is necessarily available to all who live with dementia.

A very useful conversation with the Director of the Gift of Years (BRF) - leading my thoughts around ‘Sensing God’ and the spiritual life of people living with dementia back to the practicalities of local church life.
Much talk about the Generations Project as a whole and the similarities with Anna Chaplaincy - highlighting the fact that Anna Chaplaincy has a heavy focus on liturgical worship while GP has tried to incorporate sensory activities in its worship to a greater extent.
My ‘bee in the bonnet’ was in mind - namely the relationship of chaplaincy to the mission of the local church, so I was again stressing the ethos of the GP as enabling the church that already exists in care homes, rather than ‘taking it in’.  In relation to people with dementia this is as important, so we are not viewing a ‘category of people’ who need particular care, but enabling and encouraging individuals in their spiritual lives.
The ‘one-to-one’ nature of ministry to older folk and those in care homes was emphasised between us, which is even clearer in relation to people with dementia - in that ‘when you have met one person with dementia you have met one person with dementia’.
Both because of the use of sensory activity and because BRF sponsor Messy Church this was part of our conversation. BRF are promoting MC for older people ‘Vintage Messy’.

Reflections

• Need to ensure that what is done with those with dementia particularly in mind is done generally with all. This so that folk are not singled out but also to support the notion of a ‘dementia friendly church’. (concern that guidance to enable churches to be ‘dementia friendly’ tend to identify those with dementia as a distinct group).
• Continuing the development of sensory activity as part of ‘worship’ in care homes, but also creating opportunities in SURC, enabling those who may find the intellectual demands of regular worship to explore faith in different ways.
• Focus on ‘one-to-one’ - seeking how it is that individuals discern God in their lives. This reflected also in each using the ‘language’ of their choice to express their faith.

A conversation with Diane, a past colleague of mine in Birmingham Churches Together. Diane shared her reflections and experience both of her work as a Carer and also as a Visitor within a project of the Society of St Vincent de Paul in Rugeley.
Our conversation served to highlight the riches of human life, even when affected by dementia, as people all have 'their history', which can be explored in various ways, do have moments of recollection in the midst of all that is lost.
The value of each person as an individual is central even when sometimes that 'personhood' and their 'memory' is held by others - family, friends and community. It is within relationships and the community that individuals own their worth. And, of course, that worth is found most of all in a relationship with God.

​

Sparked off by reading an internet article I have written down some first thoughts relating to intellectual and emotional faith (here).
The basic thrust is that intellect is an essential element and gift. Where an individual does not have this gift, for whatever reason, then it is held by the community. This is true for all of us, as we depend on others to frame our own viewpoint and our own faith. The central role of the Church as a community is thus highlighted and needs to be explored further.

I have come away to Anglesey for some holiday and, at the beginning of my sabbatical, to unwind and purge my thoughts of the everyday nitty gritty of ministry. How fortunate that the weather is offering blue sky and sunshine and tomorrow is meant to be the authentic 'flaming June'.
We visit Margaret, a family friend. At 93 she has no real signs of dementia although some memory lapses are natural. It is a wonder that she still lives on her own without any formal 'care', especially given that she has almost no sight remaining. Margaret travels around locally on the bus and friends take her to church on a Sunday. 
Should I go to church tomorrow, I wonder? 
It is Church in Wales and perhaps familiar Anglican liturgy, but a bilingual service, while interesting, will be a challenge and how does one truly 'worship' while concentrating on the language?
It is likely that I shall seek out a place for worshipful reflection. Penmon is always so peaceful and a likely candidate. I can sit on the shore with tthe sound of waves lapping around the rocky headland. In one direction the sea disappears over the horizon in another the mountains of Snowdonia loom out of the summer haze and in a third the Great Orme reminds that the busyness of Llandudno with it's crowds and trappings of a seaside resort are not far away. Here I can sit and recognise a quiet sense of awe at the riches of creation. Even in the quiet peace the lighthouse witnesses to the fact that this could be a different place with an angry sea and the threat of death for unwary sailors. And, of course, the pretty Menai Straights are deceptively very dangerous waters to navigate.

I will worship as I anchor these thoughts of creation, life, joy, peace, wonder and loveliness in the God I know in Jesus Christ and learn of in the Bible. Margaret's worship will be somewhat different as it is wrapped in a cherished liturgy and familiar languages and , perhaps, anchored more firmly in formulated faith.
Though familiar I trust that I might be truly aware of the God who is almighty and beyond my fullest understanding. But what if, like Margaret, I could not see and craved the familiar and found God in the trust and faith required to navigate the everyday? 
What if the confusion of unfamiliar language and perception of the world around results from a failing mind? Can I rely only on the threads of what I know or is there something truly fresh and new in my perception of things that can continue to speak of God? And what of Jesus, the loved one I knew so well whose words are becoming like the sea fog?
Is it right to wonder at such questions and worship the God who is mystery or am I witness to the fallen nature that needs Christ's healing and salvation?
I wonder!

A meeting today has 'signed-off' the suggested theme for my sabbatical journey, so I now have to get down to putting some firms plans together.
If you are engaged in Christian work with people with dementia in any setting and would like to share insights that you have gained from your work, please do get in touch.
All updates will be added to sensing-god.weebly.com

Having been offered the possibility of a sabbatical period from my ministry I now have the tremendous opportunity to give time to exploring and reflecting upon some of the key things that have shaped my ministry over the years. 
An early-morning unloading of thoughts onto a mind-map (view here) has begun to shape some of the directions this exploration might take. 
I have decided that the best way to record this is through a website that will enable a wide range of people to share it and participate in it.