Topeka Presbyterian Manor
Lessons from Ecclesiastes SEPTEMBER 2021
By Mary Bridges Chaplain, Salina Presbyterian Manor Editor’s Note: This is a guest column from the chaplain at Salina Presbyterian Manor. In a nod to our Presbyterian heritage, we will be periodically sharing columns from our community chaplains in your Community Matters newsletter.
In July, the Rev. Elwyn Holmes of Salina’s First Presbyterian Church led our first worship service in over a year. He used the familiar words from Ecclesiastes 3:1-13 for his message. The reverend said that these words from centuries ago continue to remind us that life isn’t always great and it often brings things into our lives that we don’t like. He used “The Message” translation by Eugene Peterson. These words gave me renewed hope for our world. If you really want to stimulate the brain, you need to “bump up against” new ideas.
Intellectual health essential part of Topeka Presbyterian Manor’s approach to wellness Society tells two stories about how aging affects the brain. We praise the wisdom of older adults, accrued through decades of life experience. At the same time, we accept that cognitive decline is inevitable in our older years.
Health – continued on page 2
Jeffery Kranz, an author who lives in Bellingham, Wash., tells us that “Ecclesiastes explores the unpredictability of life: we have an idea of how the world should work, but it rarely goes that way. And no matter how wise we are, or how hard we work, or how strong our faith is, we don’t have any guarantees and we are encouraged to be loyal to God and enjoy the simple things in life — because we really don’t know what’s going to happen tomorrow.”
DEVOTION – continued on page 4
Get the latest on visitation and COVID-19 at our campus at TopekaPresbyterianManor.org/covid-19.
1