Older adults find comfort and companionship in spirituality

  • By Jackson Holtz, Herald Writer
  • Thursday, February 23, 2012 9:54am
  • Life

Rev. Rollin Carlson has learned during five decades of ministry that sometimes serving the Lord means meeting parishioners’ needs.

“Whatever need a person is feeling, we’re going to respond to that,” Carlson, 74, said. He’s a retired pastor at Bethany Christian Assembly in Everett. He helps run “The Young at Heart,” a ministry within the church that caters to people over 60. There’s even a subset of people over 90, Carlson said

Whether facing serious illness, coping after the death of a spouse or simply looking to join with other people your age, belonging to a faith community can provide resources, camaraderie and spiritual solace.

“The churches seem to have a bumper crop of older people,” said Greg Magnoni, a spokesman with the Catholic Archdiocese of Seattle. “Interest in living their faith fully is that much greater as well.”

Regardless of denomination, churches, synagogues and other houses of worship in Snohomish County open their doors to seniors, often making accommodations, hosting special activities, even creating separate services to make people feel welcome.

“These people in the older age bracket need to have some kind of resource and we try to help with that as best we can,” Carlson said.

That sometimes means holding prayer services during the day, meeting with parishioners at their homes or in the hospital or checking by phone daily to help them navigate a crisis.

“Every human being and every family sometime in their experience faces a trauma,” he said.

Being engaged with other people of faith can help individuals and families cope.

“The community in Judaism is central,” said Rabbi Jessica Marshall of Temple Beth Or in Everett.

Throughout the year, at weekly services or during special holidays, young and old congregants mingle.

Participating in temple activities are a “nice opportunity to connect to other generations in the community,” she said.

Ancient commentary and texts also provide some sign posts to help navigate the complicated questions.

“There’s a lot of richness there seniors and older adults can draw on for guidance,” the rabbi said.

For example, the Jewish tradition invites families to gather with the community on the anniversary of a loved one’s death.

Mourners stand in the synagogue to observe the Yahrzeit. Sharing grief with others adds meaning, Marshall said.

“It’s so much more healthy for our mental and spiritual well-being as well,” she said.

Some people, including one avowed atheist, find religion and spiritual community only when faced with end-of-life issues, said Rev. Bill VanDerMerwe, 79, a pastor for seniors at Westgate Chapel in Edmonds.

An elderly man had invited VanDerMerwe into his home several times, but refused to pray.

Then, as cancer started to ravage his body, he asked for spiritual assurance.

During a visit, the pastor heard water running.

“He took the initiative and said he wanted to be baptized,” VanDerMerwe said.

Westgate Chapel offers an alternative, more traditional Sunday morning service that many seniors choose to attend.

People who belong to the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints have several opportunities to perform church work later in life, said Ashley Wiltbank, a spokeswoman for the Mormon stake in Everett.

Seniors can go on missions to foreign lands or can help the community closer to home, she said.

“That’s a great way to keep them sharp and keep them learning,” Wiltbank said.

Being a Mormon also allows for friends to discuss some of life’s more difficult questions.

There’s almost always someone to talk with, which can uplift the spirit and bring someone closer to God.

It’s a gift to provide that comfort, she said.

“Anyway that helps a person feel comfortable and really feels the love of the Savior and allay their fears,” is good, Wiltbank said.

Talk to us

> Give us your news tips.

> Send us a letter to the editor.

> More Herald contact information.

More in Life

Brandon Hailey of Cytrus, center, plays the saxophone during a headlining show at Madam Lou’s on Friday, Dec. 29, 2023 in Seattle, Washington. (Olivia Vanni / The Herald)
Lynnwood-based funk octet Cytrus has the juice

Resilience and brotherhood take center stage with ‘friends-first’ band.

FILE - In this April 11, 2014 file photo, Neko Case performs at the Coachella Music and Arts Festival in Indio, Calif. Fire investigators are looking for the cause of a fire on Monday, Sept. 18, 2017, that heavily damaged Case’s 225-year-old Vermont home. There were no injuries, though a barn was destroyed. It took firefighters two hours to extinguish the blaze. (Photo by Scott Roth/Invision/AP, File)
Music, theater and more: What’s happening in Snohomish County

Singer-songwriter Neko Case, an indie music icon from Tacoma, performs Sunday in Edmonds.

Dominic Arizona Bonuccelli
Tangier’s market boasts piles of fruits, veggies, and olives, countless varieties of bread, and nonperishables, like clothing and electronics.
Rick Steves on the cultural kaleidoscope of Tangier in Morocco

Walking through the city, I think to myself, “How could anyone be in southern Spain — so close — and not hop over to experience this wonderland?”

chris elliott.
Vrbo promised to cover her rental bill in Hawaii, so why won’t it?

When Cheryl Mander’s Vrbo rental in Hawaii is uninhabitable, the rental platform agrees to cover her new accommodations. But then it backs out. What happened?

The Moonlight Swing Orchestra will play classic sounds of the Big Band Era on April 21 in Everett. (submitted photo)
Music, theater and more: What’s happening in Snohomish County

Relive the Big Band Era at the Port Gardner Music Society’s final concert of the season in Everett.

2024 Honda Ridgeline TrailSport AWD (Honda)
2024 Honda Ridgeline TrailSport AWD

Honda cedes big boy pickup trucks to the likes of Ford, Dodge… Continue reading

Would you want to give something as elaborate as this a name as mundane as “bread box”? A French Provincial piece practically demands the French name panetiere.
A panetiere isn’t your modern bread box. It’s a treasure of French culture

This elaborately carved French antique may be old, but it’s still capable of keeping its leavened contents perfectly fresh.

(Judy Newton / Great Plant Picks)
Great Plant Pick: Mouse plant

What: Arisarum proboscideum, also known as mouse plant, is an herbaceous woodland… Continue reading

Bright green Japanese maple leaves are illuminated by spring sunlight. (Getty Images)
Confessions of a ‘plantophile’: I’m a bit of a junky for Japanese maples

In fact, my addiction to these glorious, all-season specimens seems to be contagious. Fortunately, there’s no known cure.

2024 Hyundai IONIQ 6 Limited (Hyundai)
2024 Hyundai IONIQ 6 Limited

The 2024 Hyundai IONIQ 6 Limited is a sporty, all-electric, all-wheel drive sedan that will quickly win your heart.

The 2024 Dodge Hornet R/T hybrid’s face has the twin red lines signifying the brand’s focus on performance. (Dodge)
2024 Hornet R/T is first electrified performance vehicle from Dodge

The all-new compact SUV travels 32 miles on pure electric power, and up to 360 miles in hybrid mode.

Don’t blow a bundle on glass supposedly made by the Henry William Stiegel

Why? Faked signatures, reused molds and imitated styles can make it unclear who actually made any given piece of glass.

Support local journalism

If you value local news, make a gift now to support the trusted journalism you get in The Daily Herald. Donations processed in this system are not tax deductible.