Care of the sick must rank above and before all else so that they may truly be served as Christ who said: “I was sick and you visited me” (Matt 25:36) and “What you did for one of the least of my people you did for me” (Matt. 25:40). Let the sick on their part bear in mind that they are served out of honor for God, and let them not by their excessive demands distress anyone who serves them. Still, the sick must be patiently borne with, Because serving them leads to a greater reward. Consequently the prioress or abbot should be extremely careful they suffer no neglect.

The Rule of St. Benedict, Chapter 36: The sick

This quote from the Rule of St. Benedict provides a theological and practical basis for a pastoral care ministry coming out of St. Luke's Episcopal Hospital in Houston Texas. This ministry is called the Community of Hope. Word of this ministry came to us from Jennifer Sassin who moved to this area from Texas last year. Jennifer and her husband served as lay chaplains in their church's Community of Hope ministry.

The Community of Hope ministry is grounded in Benedictine Spirituality—a Christian rule of life that has been working in community for 1500 years (that's right—fifteen hundred years). The primary focus of this ministry is to be a ministry of presence—to be present to the other who may be sick, hurt, and lonely. The basic service goal is to provide pastoral care within the parish. The fundamental element of this care is to engage in the simple and profound healing act of listening, so that the Body of Christ may be built for the glory of God.

We are prayerfully examining the means to implement this ministry at Pohick Church. Since last fall a small group of interested folks have been meeting to listen to Jennifer's story and exploring the possibilities around incorporating this ministry here.

In June I plan to go to a conference to learn more about how to implement this ministry at the parish level. More to come….

Blessings of joy and peace,

Jane+