Then I think of my mother so graciously providing for my father in the last years of his life, leading up to his death last May. Tenderly, yet firmly, she finally had to insist that he no longer drive. My sister, Miriam, and I had to support her in that decision. It took just everything in her to realize that she no longer could provide his round-the-clock care and she would have to surrender that to the care unit of their retirement home. But, every afternoon, she was there for two, three, four hours at his side — reading to him, praying for him, and even singing together, as the last to go was the long-term memory of the hymns of the faith and the words of The Lord's Prayer.

Now for Mother, who has just turned 91 herself, how important it is that Miriam and I are there for her, to bring joy to her life, to encourage her autonomy in those areas in which she is able to be self-sufficient and, at the same time, to reassure her she is not alone if something goes wrong. This text is a reminder to me of my ongoing responsibilities. And it is a reminder to you.

Third, There are those extreme situations in which the church becomes the family.

Paul refers to a special category of women, then in the latter years of their life who had served the church with dignity, that the church make some charitable provision for them. Our circumstances are a bit different today, with social security, insurance and other economic supports.

Yet every church I have served has had some people for whom we have borne responsibility through the Deacon's Fund and through other kinds of provision in which the church has literally been their family.

I could embarrass some people by name right now who have accepted God's call to provide care for individual persons who are mentally ill or physically disabled. I could give specific examples of people who are helping a single mother deal with the ups and downs of the job market, helping that person with baby-sitting, the loan of a used car, or some cash that arrives anonymously to help spruce up the holiday season. How thrilled I have been to see the outpouring of so many of you who, in addition to your tithes to support the local and world-wide ministry of St. Andrew's, give extra gifts to the Deacon's Fund, which we try to steward wisely, providing just that bit of encouragement to help someone in a time of great need.

How important it is that we do not cop out of our relational responsibilities.