Funeral Sermon for Dementia or Alzheimer’s: We Are Remembered by God
Funeral Sermon Title: We Are Remembered by God
Scriptures: Isaiah 49:15–16, Psalm 139, Romans 8
Theme: Identity is not lost to time or disease. God remembers even when we forget.
Hymn “When Memory Fades” View it here. Amazingly written.
Introduction
Today, we gather in grief, in love, and in remembrance. We gather for someone who, in the final seasons of life, struggled with memory—perhaps forgetting names, faces, moments, even parts of themselves. But today, we proclaim something deeper and truer than disease:
This person was never forgotten by God.
Even when memory faded, dignity remained. Even when confusion clouded the mind, their identity in God was never erased.
A Life of Love and Loss, Dignity and Change
Memory loss is a painful thief. It slowly pulls away what we once held close: conversations, routines, recognition, connection. It can leave loved ones heartbroken, wondering: “Do they still know me?”
But underneath all of that sorrow is the enduring truth that love is not erased just because it isn’t always returned the way it used to be.
And divine love? That never fades.
When someone loses their memory, it does not mean they’ve lost their soul, their value, or their place in God’s heart. A person is not a sum of their mental clarity. A person is a child of God, made in the image of God, and held in God’s hand—through every stage of life.
“Can a Mother Forget?” — Isaiah 49:15–16
In Isaiah 49, the people cry out, “The Lord has forgotten us.” But here’s God’s answer:
“Can a woman forget her nursing child, or show no compassion for the child of her womb? Even these may forget, yet I will not forget you. See, I have inscribed you on the palms of my hands.”
What a promise. Even when a mother might forget, God does not. Our names, our stories, our very lives are written on the hands of God.
This person was never forgotten by God.
Not in confusion. Not in illness. Not in death.
Even when they forgot who they were or who others were, they were still fully known by God.
“You Know Me Completely” — Psalm 139
Psalm 139 tells us:
“O Lord, you have searched me and known me…
You know when I sit down and when I rise up…
Even before a word is on my tongue, O Lord, you know it completely.”
This psalm assures us that God’s knowledge of us goes beyond our cognition. God sees us from the inside out—always has, always will.
Even when someone doesn’t remember their past or present, God sees the whole person. The essence of their being is never out of sight.
And then, in verse 18, David writes:
“I come to the end—I am still with you.”
Even at the end of life’s journey, we are still with God.
Even when the brain no longer functions as it once did, the soul rests securely in God’s care.
“Nothing Can Separate Us” — Romans 8:38–39
Finally, we hear the bold words of Paul in Romans 8:
“For I am convinced that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor rulers, nor things present, nor things to come… nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.”
What about memory loss?
What about confusion?
What about a mind overtaken by disease?
Not even that can separate us from the love of God.
God’s love does not rely on our remembering. It’s not a transaction. It is a gift.
And it continues—relentless, unshakable, eternal.
The Image of God Is Never Erased
We live in a culture that often equates a person’s value with their productivity or mental sharpness. But Scripture teaches that our worth is not based on what we can do or remember—it’s based on who made us and who loves us.
“God created humankind in His image…”
This image of God in us is not fragile. It is not erased by aging or memory loss. It remains. Even as earthly memory fades, eternal identity remains.
To the Family
To those of you who loved this person deeply—who sat through hard visits, who answered the same question again and again, who were grieved by the forgetfulness—thank you.
What you offered was holy work. The love you gave, even when it wasn’t always returned or remembered in the same way, was not wasted.
God saw every moment of compassion, every ache, every faithful act. And God will remember the love this person showed in their life and the love they received in their final days.
You were not alone in this. God was with you.
Conclusion: Remembered and Held
Memory loss is a tragedy, yes. But it is not the end of the story.
The end of the story is this:
“I will not forget you.”
— Isaiah 49:15
“I am still with you.”
— Psalm 139:18
“Nothing will separate you from my love.”
— Romans 8:39
We give thanks for this beloved child of God who is now fully at peace, fully whole, and fully remembered—by the One who never forgets.
May the peace of Christ, who knows us deeply and loves us forever, be with you all. Amen.
