So here we are in church. It's the sixth Sunday after Easter—you know the day when Jesus was resurrected from the dead. As Christians we hold fast to the promise that nothing can separate us from the love of God. But as humans, we can't help sometimes but to be afraid of death and of dying.
The whole thing has gotten a lot more complicated as medical advances force more and more unfamiliar choices on us. No one wants to give up the second chances that come with successful cancer treatment, anti-retroviral therapy, or surgery for broken bones. And there's no reason why we should. But as recent stories in the news and our own experiences make all too clear, medical treatment doesn't always provide a winning solution.
That's why this morning I urge you, if you haven't already done so, to make out a living will and fill out a healthcare proxy form. Of the two, the healthcare proxy is the more important document because it designates someone to make medical decisions on your behalf if you are unable to do so. These include decisions that might ultimately save your life or give you a second chance at life as well as those that acknowledge the strife is o'er, the battle done.
But, of course, if you're going to ask someone to make such a momentous decision for you, it's only fitting to give them at least some idea of what your values and wishes are. That's where the living will comes in. It sets down in writing what you would like to have done or not done if, in the best judgment of your doctors, there is no reasonable chance of your recovery.
Now living wills are not perfect documents. They cannot cover every contingency and they have a tendency to misplace themselves at crucial moments, which is why our church has started a program to keep living wills and memorial service wishes on file here in the church office. And it's true living wills are easily ignored by both medical staff and family. Sometimes they seem more of a testament to our desire to want to control every aspect of our lives than anything else.
But they are guideposts that help us understand our own values, our own dreams for dignity, and share them with others. They relieve some of the burden on those who are called to make medical decisions on our behalf. And sometimes, although there's no guarantee, they help avoid family fights.
This morning we have copies of living wills and healthcare proxies for you to look at, take home or sign. The healthcare proxies need to be witnessed and though the state of New York doesn't require them to be notarized, that may make it seem more credible in the eyes of hospital staff. You can find notaries in many banks and some drugstores.
Designating a healthcare proxy makes a lot of sense for anyone who is at least eighteen. I know 18 sounds so young. But often the biggest family fights and legal struggles happen over folks in their teens and twenties in part because they didn't have a living will.
Ultimately, of course, we put our lives in God's hands. We trust in the promise of the Resurrection. But I can tell you from personal experience that filling out a living will and healthcare proxy can, despite the legal terminology, be a very moving act of faith. It's a commitment to God to try to be a good steward of this body we have been given. And a promise not to be greedy about the great gift of Life.
Will you join me in prayer. Gracious God, we hold fast to Your living word written in Romans that "neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor rulers, nor things present, nor things to come ... will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord." Watch over us, we pray. Amen.
For more information about the Health Care Proxy Form and to download copies, go to www.health.state.ny.us. For more information about Living Wills, and to download copies, go to www.palliativecare.org.