Visit
A favorite gospel word has punched me in the gut and left me awestruck.
In his wonderful book on pastoral ministry, The Jesus-Driven Ministry, Ajith Fernando quotes a classic seventeenth century manual of pastoral care by George Herbert. Herbert sets forth the exhortation that the good minister…
“…holds the rule that nothing is little in God’s service; if it once have the honor of that name, it grows great instantly. Therefore neither does he disdain to enter into the poorest cottage, though he even creep into it, and though it smell ever so loathsomely. For both God is there, and also those for whom God died.”
Do you ever wonder if we’ve forgotten the lost art of visiting the needy?
It’s as if the default answer is, “oh, someone else will do it.”
What if we are that someone else?
We being you because you’re still reading this.
We being me because I’m writing this.
Here’s more:
I had a patient whose wife was an artist, and their situation meant that she was the only one available to care for him. She was struggling with this because she had an artist’s temperament and needed some space and time for herself. She was burning out and needed help. I encouraged her to call one of the local “mega-churches” nearby, thinking that surely they would have a caring person who could come and simply sit with her husband for an hour to give her some respite.
However, when she called, the person in the church office couldn’t seem to understand her request—“No, we don’t have anyone to do that. Are you a member of the church? Is your husband a Christian?—we could send an evangelistic team over. No, that’s not what you want? Well, do you belong to one of our small groups? I could direct you to our small groups pastor and he could take your information and maybe get you connected there, and you could attend a small group meeting and maybe someone in the small group could help you. No, I’m sorry, none of our pastors is available right now. Do you want to make an appointment to meet with one?”
Pray that my church, your church, the church, never succumbs to this mode of operation.
Jesus follower.
Comment by Bill (cycleguy) on January 7th, 2010
Good thoughts Shawn. I do believe the church has lost the art of visiting the needy although maybe there is hope with the current emphasis on caring. I hope we aren't too late.
Comment by Shawn Wallace on January 7th, 2010
Me, too. It's as if we forget that following Christ is about bringing people to Him, and visiting those in their time of greatest need is, well… that's what He did.
Comment by Lisa on January 9th, 2010
I think there are times when we have as a church and as individuals forgotten to look beyond ourselves and reach out to those within our church walls and outside to be God's hands and feet. I hope this year will be a year to grow and give of ourselves in those areas.
Comment by Brad Gross on January 13th, 2010
Sometimes I feel like I forget about the little things so much, and reading through the Gospel I keep seeing Jesus doing the "little" things that matter in people's lives: being with them, speaking with them, loving them. Thanks for sharing that quote.
Hope you're well.