ebook img

Caring ministry: a contemplative approach to pastoral care PDF

159 Pages·1999·6.26 MB·English
Save to my drive
Quick download
Download
Most books are stored in the elastic cloud where traffic is expensive. For this reason, we have a limit on daily download.

Preview Caring ministry: a contemplative approach to pastoral care

CARING MINISTRY This page intentionally left blank CARING MINISTRY A Contemplative Approach to Pastoral Care Sarah A. Butler continuum NEW YORK • LONDON 2004 The Continuum International Publishing Group Inc 15 East 26th Street, New York, NY 10010 Copyright © 1999 by Sarah A. Butler "The Method of Centering Prayer" by Thomas Keating © 1995 St. Benedict's Monastery Unless otherwise indicated biblical quotations are from the New Revised Stan- dard Version of the Bible, copyright 1989 by the Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the USA. All rights reserved. All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form or by any means, electronic, mechani- cal, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without the written permission of The Continuum Publishing Company. Printed in the United States of America Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data Butler, Sarah A. Caring ministry : a contemplative approach to pastoral care / Sarah A. Butler. p. cm. Includes bibliographical references. ISBN 0-8264-1159-2 1. Pastoral psychology. 2. Contemplation. 3. Church work. I. Title. BV4012.B89 1999 253.5'2-dc21 98-51343 CIP Contents Acknowledgments 7 Introduction 9 1. Pastoral Care as Contemplative Journey 13 2. The Role of the Caregiver 22 3. The Gift of Listening 29 4. Focus on Feelings - Part 1 38 5. Focus on Feelings - Part 2 48 6. Compatibility Checking 56 7. Understanding Loss, Grief, and Death - Part 1 66 8. Understanding Loss, Grief, and Death - Part 2 74 9. Ministry with the Wisdom People 83 10. Care during Crisis 94 11. Substance Abuse, by Anonymous 101 12. Specialized Ministries 111 13. The First Caring Visit 128 14. Meditation on Suffering 137 15. The Grace to Say Goodbye 143 Appendix: The Method of Centering Prayer, by Thomas Keating 151 Bibliography 157 This page intentionally left blank Acknowledgments I want to express my deep appreciation to the community who helped give birth to this text. Canon David Morgan, Margaret Johnson, and Diane Smith, who have assisted me in teaching the Caring Ministry program also provided valuable input and sugges- tions. Diane Smith collaborated with me on "Understanding Loss, Grief, and Death." None of this could have come about without the computer wizardry of Robert Francisco, who spent countless hours interpreting my handwriting. My thanks go to the staff of St. John's Episcopal Cathedral and especially to the Very Reverend Charles E. Kiblinger for making writing time possible. And finally I want to thank all the caring ministers at St. John's for receiving this material and claiming their own gifts of ministry. This page intentionally left blank Introduction "Do not be afraid, little flock, for it is your Father's good plea- sure to give you the kingdom Make purses for yourselves thatv do not wear out, an unfailing treasure in heaven, where no thief comes near and no moth destroys. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also." (Luke 12:32-34) In this world of fast food, microwaves, seven-second commercials, e-mail, high stress jobs, cell phones, and superhighways, one of the best gifts we can offer each other is a listening heart. Many of us already regard ourselves as good listeners, until, that is, we are challenged to observe our own responses and attentiveness. To listen to another is to carve out a safe sacred space where we encounter the mystery of suffering in another human being. This in- deed is a journey of courage that requires of us some preparation and fortification. If we are to become effective caregivers, we need to fill our purses with that which does not wear out and with that which will serve us and others in this continuation of Christ's ministry. We take a step of faith each time we walk into the hospital room or the grief-stricken home. We do not know what we will find, but God has gone before us and is already at work creating a space for healing. Just as the spiritual director learns that his or her primary function is "not to get in the way," the pastoral caregiver learns that a vital piece of ministry is to discern when not to speak. The awe- filled posture toward the other often requires less articulation and fewer words on our part rather than more. Our ability to listen and to set aside our compulsion to share what's on our minds reveals our willingness to cooperate with the movement of the Holy Spirit and to trust God's healing presence. Caring ministry is about what we know and who we are. We share the fruit of our intimate relationship with Christ. Our cultivation of

See more

The list of books you might like

Most books are stored in the elastic cloud where traffic is expensive. For this reason, we have a limit on daily download.