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CANADIAN RURAL CHURCH NETWORK Index
News Up Dates United Church of Canada National Consultation on Rural Church International Rural Church Association 2007 ConferenceRural Ministry (Life & Faith) Spiritual Nurture and Pastoral Care in Rural MinistryA Discussion Paper by Joyce Sasse, October 2006 Pastoral Care, in my opinion, is the most important element in the Practice of Rural Ministry. It is provided both through the work of the church leadership, including clergy, and through the people. If it is adequate, it not only enriches the lives of individuals, but it helps to ensure the quality of life of the congregation and the community it serves. Central Question A central question that needs to be asked by persons initiating such a dialogue is "Where have you come from? What joys and / or pain are you experiencing? And what are you discovering of God on your journey?" The resultant discussion becomes a process of mutual sharing, with the recognition that no individual and no institution has ultimate answers. Yet, by prayerfully moving forward together, we are able to discover spiritual truths that nurture our souls. Pastoral caring is about a journey in which we can become aware of how the Presence of God touches our lives. Role of Clergy and Church Leaders Clergy and church leaders have special opportunity to "equip the saints" with a spiritually nutritional diet on a regular basis: through worship, ritual and sacraments; through public prayer; through sharing and interpreting meaningful hymns, stories, and meditative resources, etc. Also, leaders within the Community of Faith, and the extended community, have a unique opportunity to facilitate networking among individuals who can be mutually supportive to each other. While this needs to be done with discretion and with respect for each individual's personal privacy, such support-building can be one of the great strengths of small communities. Work of "The People" On the one hand, sharing personal and community celebrations is an important part of the work of the people. At the same time, when illness, death, or other tragedy strikes, those most in need of pastoral care are often unable to access traditional supports, such as attendance at public worship. Their time and energy are often consumed by the procedures and arrangements needed to deal with their crisis, or they may be physically removed to some distant hospital or situation. At this point, they draw on the spiritual reserves they have brought together, and they depend on the nurture received from friends, family and caregivers. Also, they can be supported by way of what the extended community provides through prayer, expressions of concern and support, and individuals who can attend to their needs. Individuals who have faced similar crisis in the past are very aware of required practical needs. These multiple ministries feed the soul. Traditional Values of Rural Communities Traditionally, rural spiritual values have included: respecting community life, and being aware of the pain experienced by community members; recognition that the land is central to the health of the community; and a sense of the on-going presence of God throughout Creation. Since urbanization has become so pervasive, the passing along of these rural values has often been neglected. They were the warp that held the fabric of community together through generations, and they can be the unique gift rural people offer that will enable the survival of today's global society. Spiritual Health of Extended Community A significant part of the practice of Pastoral Care for rural churches, through their leaders and their members, is to tend to the spiritual health of the extended community. ♦ As a Faith Community, the Church has traditionally been respected for its liturgical role in the extended community. Prayers of invocation and blessing at community gatherings, funeral services conducted for those not traditionally connected with a congregation, and functioning as a religious presence in times of crisis are all important contributions the local church makes to the local community. ♦ As a community concerned with issues of justice, the Church can provide a forum for the discussion of issues, or for giving leadership to help the local community deal with emerging threats to its well-being. ♦ As an institution, the Church has facilities, members, equipment, etc to offer that enables citizen-groups to organize and take action concerning matters that threaten the community it serves. So Much to Offer Reporting on the gathering of the Rural Chaplains Association (USA), held in Sept, 2006, Canadian delegate Liz Richards writes - "I return with a renewed appreciation for the common rural characteristics of courage, strength, humour and determinations that I heard in everyone's story." By the Grace of God, we have been blessed ... and we can be a blessing to many. Questions that could be used for Discussion 1) What questions or ideas does this paper bring to mind for you? 2) Out of your experience, what have you learned about pastoral care and spiritual nurture ... as a care-giver? ... as a person in need of this kind of support? 3) How can a congregation offer pastoral care to persons who are unable to attend services / activities? 4) How do members of a caring community know when someone is facing a difficult time? Who insures that the correct information is passed along? 5) What does "equipping the saints" mean to you?
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How do you see your
faith community: Letters in the Night Paul speaks about "sighs too deep for words" and reassures his readers that God hears even our most "inarticulate groans". Such thoughts bring comfort when we face moments of despair. I believe there are ways we can assist this process by gifting people with words to help them get through the long, dark nights. By writing prayerful phrases that reflect the groaning person's fears, or feelings of helplessness, or the things that have brought joy, we can provide a means by which they can find focus and feel comforted. "Letters in the Night" can be just that. Short epistles, written boldly so they can be easily read, with ink that tears cannot smudge, can become an envelope of comfort. For the 90-year old whose deafness suddenly became total - "O God, I feel abandoned and alone. I long to hear the sound of another voice. They do not realize how frightening it is to be locked into one's self. In the night I cry out to you. At the break of dawn the sound has not yet returned. How will I know when you speak? Do not be deaf to my voice..." For the person ready to "go home". "Lord you have been my companion for so long. My trust is in you. When you are ready, take my hand and lead me beyond this place and this time. I thank you for family and loved ones ... and for this place where I feel safe and cared for. "Let the silence enfold me, reassure me, and comfort me. Be ever with me so that I may walk through the rest of my days with dignity and grace ... and be ready to entre the Rest that you have promised. Amen." "Those who wait for the Lord shall renew their strength. They shall mount up with wings like eagles ..." When I Had Mine Joyce Sasse A few years ago Anita Diament introduced the image of "The Red Tent" as she told the story of the women who were part of the Tribe of Jacob. This book tells a story of how the women of biblical times might have kept the spirit of womanhood alive in a patriarchal society by withdrawing to their women-only tent during their menstrual period. Over the past summer, as I faced a difficult health issue, I felt drawn into the remnant of the "red tent" sisterhood. Once word was out that I required a hysterectomy, old friends, new acquaintances and medical personnel in the local clinic shared their own "when-I-had-mine" stories. The pain, the tears, the waiting, the time in hospital, the recovery - deep, heart-felt stories that say "I've been there too and I understand"! Now younger women with their computer savvy tell me to be sure to register with www.HysterSisters.com . This is the place where they find support and advice. That website does provide more information about hysterectomies than I'll ever need to know, and it invites members to join inter-active chat sessions. But no website takes the place of a living community of caring individuals who make opportunity to share your journey. All tribal women, regardless of their social status, came together in Diament's "red tent". Through their sisterhood the stories, rituals, secrets and traditions of the generations were preserved and passed on. Each made a contribution. In turn, each was gifted with the accumulated wisdom of the generations. Whatever condition we find ourselves facing, similar support groups can emerge as we build communities of caring persons who are there to support us and help us treasure the time that is ours. Let us be diligent to insuring this kind of community-building survives. Givers Lives Are Enriched Joyce Sasse Care-giving drains one's reserves. But I am shocked to read about the extent of elder abuse prevalent in our society. (Prairie Messenger, Oct. 11/06). We need to find more support for care-givers and help them talk about what they do. From my own limited experience supporting others, I've come to treasure the gifts I received from those I cared for. I was gentled as I sat at the bedside of a frail, elderly friend who'd barely survived open-heart surgery. Overcome with weakness, she was vulnerable to noise, quick movement, or "a crowd" in her room. She needed to be cushioned in quiet gentleness, and called forth in me a quality I didn't realize I had. I learned to listen for deeper meaning by my shut-in mother who insisted we change the living room drapes and decor with each new season. It seemed a waste of money and effort, but gradually I realized how, because she couldn't come and go, she had to make changes in the space where she spent her time. Getting a new Sears Catalogue was as exciting as a trip to the city! I learned, also, to put myself in the shoes of another. Though I thought my mom could never again leave the hospital, she announced she wanted to go home. She couldn't possibly...! Eventually I understood her need was to go back for an hour or two to say goodbye to this place where her whole being had been centred. ... Those tender, tearful, healing moments helped her prepare for what lay ahead. These kinds of experiences underlie the Gospel story. As Jesus followed Jarius to his daughter's bedside, as he stood by the tomb with Lazarus' sisters, as he felt the touch of the the woman in the crowd, he found meaning in the moment, and those moments nurtured him in his own hour of need.Worship Resources Anna and Simeon (A Christmas Script) - Iona Community It was the custom of Jewish parents to go to the Temple in Jerusalem and there dedicate their child. When Mary and Joseph did this, they were greeted by two elderly people, Simeon and Anna. They had been waiting and praying for God to send the Messiah, and recognized that their prayers had been answered. Not for the first time, God uses older people to be the midwives of a new age. Simeon: Anna ... (from "Cloth For the Cradle: Worship resources and readings for Advent, Christmas & Epiphany", Iona Community)
A Cracked Pot An elderly Chinese woman carried two large water pots on a pole that rested on her shoulders, according to the storyteller. One pot had a crack in it. When she returned from the well, it was only half full. She made her trip daily, bringing home one and a half pots of water. The cracked pot was ashamed of its imperfection and confessed to the woman how inadequate it felt as it compared itself with "the other pot". The woman smiled and said "Have you noticed the flowers on your side of the path, and that there are none on the other side? Because I've always known about your flaw, I planted cosmos seed along the way. Every day as we walk you give those seeds a little drink." She told how she enjoyed watching the flowers grow. Occasionally she picked some for her tiny home. "Without you being the way you are, we could have none of this." Each of us have unique flaws. "But it's the flaws we have that make our lives together so very interesting and rewarding." That story reminded me of the major health problem I've had to face, and how I might better handle the situation. Instead of lingering under a cloud of despair, I can think of this as a unique opportunity, unsolicited of course, to see myself from a different perspective, and to trust myself into the hands of others. In slowing down, I've had time to reflect, to notice how friends and family support me, and to think about how I can better understand and support others. Hopefully I can use my cracks to nurture life. The Creator finds wise and surprising ways to involve each of us in the great Cycle of Life. "For everything there is a season..." Other Helpful Resources Worship As Pastoral Care Written by William Willimon There's no better handbook on the clergy's role in pastoral care than William Willimon's classic "Worship as Pastoral Care", published in 1979. Confusion arises, he points out, when we equate the one-on-one function of pastoral counseling with pastoral care. The former involves a technical expertise borrowed from the medical therapeutic model. The central theme of the book is that public worship services (including weddings, funerals, and baptisms) are "the principle sphere of pastoral activity and care". Parishioners voluntarily gather for worship, where they participate in a community experience. They come expecting that, through a sharing of the Scriptures, the traditions of the Body, theological insights and prayers, they will feel cared for and nourished. The pastor is their authorized leader, who has covenanted to fulfill this function by virtue of his or her office. Worship is the principle occasion for the community to so gather. Clergy should approach this liturgical work "with pastoral sense and sensibility", Willimon advises. Their preparation begins through the week, not just in the office and library, but as they listen "at the bedside, and in the kitchen, and in the counseling session". It demands sensitivity, engagement and solidarity. It asks, what is the Word of the Lord for these people in this place? "Guiding the people of God in a liturgy whereby they are able to meet God and have God meet them" is an awesome responsibility. But, by the grace of God...! The author gives wonderful examples of how the liturgist is able to help "nourish and sustain the flock" and equip them "so they carry on their ministries in the world". (Notes by Joyce Sasse - November 06)
From "Jayber Crow" Jayber Crow observed life from behind the barber chair in the small community of Port William, Kentucky, in Wendell Barry's novel. He tells his readers what he saw, heard and thought. The following quote is about his reflection on the church where he was the volunteer janitor. This congregation, like most, has many shortcomings. But for all that, Jayber came to an understanding about its significance... "My vision of the gathered church that had come to me after I became the janitor has been replaced by a vision of the gathered community. What I saw now was the community imperfect and irresolute, but held together by the frayed and always fraying, incomplete and yet ever-holding bonds of the various sorts of affection. There had maybe never been anybody who had not been loved by somebody, who had been loved by somebody else, and so on and on." He speaks of "a community always disappointed in itself, disappointing its members, always trying to contain its divisions and gentle its meanness, always failing and yet always preserving a sort of will toward goodwill ... My vision gathered the community as it never has been and never will be gathered in this world of time, for the community must always be marred by members who are indifferent to it or against it, who are none the less its members and maybe none the less essential to it. And yet I saw them all as somehow perfected, beyond time, by one another's love, compassion and forgiveness, as it is said we may be perfected by grace." (notes by Joyce Sasse - November 2006) |
