It’s Alzheimer’s – It’s Time For Extraordinary LoveSample

Can a person with dementia still have faith in Jesus?
By Pastor Curt Seefeldt, Director of Church Relations at The Lutheran Home Association

Sometimes people worry that a person with dementia will lose his or her faith in Jesus. After all, Alzheimer’s robs a person of the ability to remember. People also observe that Alzheimer’s takes away a person’s ability to communicate his or her faith. For example, a Christian man who has spoken openly about his faith all of his life reaches a point where he says nothing about it at all. Such a situation can make Christian loved ones feel uncomfortable.

Let us remember that it is not the ability to communicate our faith that makes us Christians. Rather, faith is a simple trust in the promises of God. Said another way, faith means that we stand on the promises that God makes, relying on his Word. Saving faith is a conviction that was first given to us by God the Holy Spirit, and it is a gift that remains with us by God’s grace through his Word and Sacrament. 

Remember, too, that God worked saving faith in the hearts of many Christians through Holy Baptism when they were children. In Acts 2:38-39, Peter proclaimed, “Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. And you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. The promise is for you and your children.” That is why we are confident that infants believe, even when they possess the limited mental capacity or do not have the language skills to express their faith. We are sure of this because Jesus himself praises the humble faith of little children. In this respect, he even uses them as an example for every Christian when he says, “Whoever humbles himself like this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven” (Matthew 18:4). People with Alzheimer’s may not have the ability to express their faith, but we have every reason to believe that they still possess it.

Yes, it is hard to see a loved one lose his ability to speak of Jesus as he or she once did. The granddaughter of a person with Alzheimer’s may ask grandpa to sing a familiar hymn. She remembers that he taught it to her years earlier while she sat on his knee. But now he looks at her with no clue of what she is talking about. It does not mean that grandpa has lost his faith. 

Our faith remains even if we lose some knowledge of the Bible verses we memorized, the ability to memorize new ones, or the ability to be an active participant in devotions and prayers. We are happy to know that we rest securely under God’s promise of salvation even if we become more like a young child in our comprehension of Bible truths. We can also find comfort remembering how our loved ones expressed their faith in Jesus in their healthier days, before the disease. 

It may help to know that many pastors and family members who have offered devotions to people with Alzheimer’s have seen them making efforts to participate. They will pray along with some of the phrases of the Lord’s Prayer or mouth a few words of a favorite hymn. This can occur long after Christians with Alzheimer’s lose their ability to engage in casual conversation. 

More than that, since many people with Alzheimer’s retain their ability to listen, we continue to lead them in prayers and read Scriptures. Caregivers notice that individuals with Alzheimer’s disease are calmed when they listen to music, including recordings of familiar hymns.

Prayer: 

O Holy Spirit, you work through the words and promises God announces in his Word. Our trust in Jesus’ forgiveness is the miracle of faith that you work in our hearts. Bless the verses I speak and the Christian songs I sing to those affected by dementia. When I look in their eyes, help me see your work of comfort as I share the hope we have in Jesus with them. Amen.