Dementia - and learning to 'wait upon the Lord'
- debbiethrower0
- 6 hours ago
- 2 min read
An article that is an arresting read in this Dementia Action Week (May 18-24) appears in the Church Times. It is by a man who says: 'I am clinging by my fingertips to the Church I have loved since my confirmation'.
Stuart Ware writes vividly of the challenges of feeling part of a church congregation when thoughts and words become jumbled:
'I do my best to make conversation with the person sitting next to me, in the hope that the words I say make sense. She smiles back, but her reply swirls around my brain, as if her words were trapped in a bowl full of murky water. The words I hear and wish to say are floating in and out of view. There is a breakdown, although temporary, in my connecting with the world outside my body.'
Stuart Ware is in the process of writing a book, Dementia: Ageing, faith, and spiritual well-being. In the article he quotes the late Bishop Richard Harries; the former Archbishop of Canterbury Dr Rowan Williams; the writer and researcher Dr Peter Kevern; and another author (and BRF Ministries' vice-president) whom we often mention in relation to Anna Chaplaincy training, Professor John Swinton.
Such writers, clearly, speak into his experience and daily struggles, 'to find the patience that will enable me to “wait upon the Lord” when I can see no way forward. It is as if there were a battle going on inside my head to accept that I can no longer achieve all I would like to do.'
He describes having vascular dementia and other age-related health issues, including muscle depletion.
'But, while my dementia is increasingly taking over my physical and mental activities, I am growing spiritually stronger.'
This thoughtful piece from a man who was once CEO of a charity helping to support older people on their release from prison gives insights into the spiritual difficulties of coping with dementia:
'I cannot halt the ageing process and its further impact on my diminishing life with dementia. But I have found that I can slow it down and manage my decline daily. This would not be possible without the intervention of the Holy Spirit in my life. So my spiritual journey is now one of an evolving relationship with God and with others, which give me meaning and purpose.'
You may read the full article in Church Times here: https://www.churchtimes.co.uk/articles/2026/15-may/faith/faith-features/faith-dementia-and-learning-to-wait-upon-the-lord
And Ware says he would be glad to hear from others with relevant experiences.
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