Pastoral Care Quotes and Resources
Quotes and Resources about Pastoral Care
10 minutes A Fruit of Gospel Order by Bill Tabor, Friends Journal p.24-25 July, 1989
30 minutes Being the Church: Pastoral Care blogpost by Emily Province
A Quaker Theology of Pastoral Care: The Art of the Everyday Pendle HIll Pamphlet #281 by Zoe White
Broadly, I define pastoral care as the work of mediating God’s love to others and to the world. We all participate in and share this work of mediating God’s love and it happens through many aspects of the life of the community of faith. Historically, for Friends, it happened through the work of traveling ministers and they sought out “opportunities” with Meetings, with families and with individuals. Today, pastoral care happens in specific ways through the watchful guidance of Elders and Overseers, and through the spoken ministry in Meeting for Worship. Pastoral care may also happen through informal conversation, through social gatherings, as well as through discussion groups and in more intentional spiritual friendships where two people agree to share their faith journey together in more depth.
Pastoral care is concerned to nourish relationships between all people of the community of faith. It therefore calls for elements of presence, fellowship, communion and commitment. The task is reconciliatory and healing in nature, involving us in gathering and binding the whole family of God. It is not to be seen as the special responsibility of any one group or person within the community of faith; rather, it is a work of the people, for the people. It is a work of faith for it is with the intention of building the community into a closer resemblance to God’s vision for humanity and for the earth.
Grounded in God: Care and Nurture in Friends Meeting Articles from Pastoral Care Newsletter Edited by Patricia McBee
From the introduction:
The central element is to be grounded in faithfulness to the Divine. We seek to hold an awareness of that of God in each of our beloved meeting members, no matter how difficult or needy. We seek the guidance of the Spirit as we discern our leadings in caring for one another. In the process of giving this care we deepen our awareness of God’s presence in our lives which, in turn, increases our ability to give care that is grounded in God.
Many writers lift up the importance of the meeting community. All of the delicate issues that caregivers are called upon to face become easier when the caregiver and the person cared for have come to know one another in the life of the meeting. It is easier to ask for help from someone you have learned to trust through working together to get out a mailing, sharing a meal, participating in meeting retreats, worship, and worship-sharing. By giving attention to deepening the connections in the community, we lighten our load as pastoral caregivers and make it easier for meeting members to know and respond to one another’s needs.
Another recurring theme is that we must not be stopped by a sense of not knowing how to approach someone in need–or by the fear of being intrusive. As you read along you will find yourself reminded to reach out, even if you are feeling hesitant. Many of the articles refer to cases where meeting members were hurt because the meeting did not seem to notice or care when they were going through a difficult time. It is better to err in the direction of reaching out and being rebuffed than to fail to respond at all.
Our writers concur that the key tasks of pastoral caregivers are in being present and listening. It seems so simple as to go unnoticed. Can these simple gifts really help? For nearly every problem, the first step is to be there listening with loving openness. Sometimes nothing else can be done except to be with someone in her pain. Sometimes listening is all that needs to be done to help a person discover the needed direction. Sometimes being present and listening is the starting point for discovering more concrete next steps.
And finally, you will find yourself repeatedly reminded to know your limits as individuals and as a committee of caregivers. While some situations may be best addressed by a friendly inquiry made by a delegated member of the committee, other situations may call for the involvement [of] two or three members of the committee rather than one. Some situations of care require the contribution of many members of the community. On the other hand, there are some matters in which the meeting’s role should be a limited one. Perhaps our role is to help strengthen the family’s response, or to refer the member to appropriate professional assistance, or to stand supportively by while a person finds his own inner resources. Every instance of pastoral care calls for discernment–”what is our rightly ordered response in this situation?” As Friends we believe that when we ask that question in faithfulness and openness, an answer will come sometimes in the still, small voice and sometimes in finding a path of caring opening before us.
60+ minutes Quaker faith & practice Fifth edition The book of Christian discipline of the Yearly Meeting of the Religious Society of Friends (Quakers) in Britain
