There are many good causes and occasions commemorated by special days, weeks or months as the year rolls along.
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Recently the Chaplains Association – now known as Spiritual Care Australia – had a period focussed on pastoral care which attracted my attention.
The word pastoral has a variety of connotations, including the care of people of faith in various churches, the sick, the imprisoned, to those living in aged care facilities, the lonely and housebound, the disabled and those who live on the margins of society.
There’s also the wider usage describing people who cultivate the land, look after the environment, and struggle to maintain clean air and fresh water.
While each of these situations differ in many ways, they all have something basic in common.
Pastoral care describes a frame of mind wherein people take the trouble to look and act with kindness and compassion without judging, condemning or making demands.
I like to describe it as a state of being as opposed to one of doing.
A pastor or pastoral carer has a primary responsibility of presence and availability.
People seeking pastoral assistance are more likely to make a casual approach rather than a formal appointment.
The shepherd looking after a little flock of sheep has to become a familiar presence and learn to recognise each individual rather than just a conglomerate mob.
It’s in a context like this that the pastor is most likely to notice and be able to respond to needs as they arise.
Early in my experience as a chaplain I came across what I called the lynchpins of pastoral ministry – healing, guiding, sustaining and reconciling.
Healing rarely happens in a flash. Most often it takes time and effort and can sometimes be a difficult path to travel.
Having a companion on the journey can be a blessing in disguise.
A guide doesn’t give orders.
He or she may offer suggestions, possible alternatives, point out the dangers and the hazards along the way, but the traveller remains free to choose, albeit somewhat foolish if choosing to disregard sound advice.
A pastoral carer needs to be there for the long haul.
People who feel the need to unburden their minds and souls often feel the need to develop a respectful relationship with the other before they feel courageous enough to let another into their private space.
Sustenance is like food and nutrition: Just one hearty meal occasionally won’t fill the bill.
Reconciling is something we all need to understand and practice. The Serenity Prayer sums this up very well.
‘God, grant me serenity to accept the things I cannot change, the courage to change the things I can, and the wisdom to know the difference.’
When we carry un-forgiveness, bitterness and resentment in our hearts it is like feeding a monster.
It eats away at our inner peace, destroys our well-being, and leaves us dejected and miserable.
We need to take these lynchpins into our attention to the environment as well if we are to ensure sustainability and respectful care of our planet earth.