Introduction
In the universe, every living person has been created by God for a purpose. As such, some people are called to professional fields such as entertainment, education, medical, business, or vocational service. Men and women experience a personal relationship with Christ through prayers, reading His Word, and reaching out to individuals who have been hurt.
Based on this background, those undergoing hardships more often seek help from local churches, life coaches, and counseling centers. Similarly, my personal pastoral experience as a healthcare chaplain has enabled me to discern how to be a community helper offering both spiritual and emotional dimensions in the healing process. In Philippians 4: 13, Paul says that we can do all things through the Lord who strengthens us (Nelson, 2016). As such, this inspires me to carry out my cumbersome duties. For instance, leading in counseling, praying for the sick, offering therapeutic care and support to people during grief, and assisting to resolve conflicts among other duties.
Conversely, I find inspiration in my pastoral journey as a health care chaplain from William H. Willimon’s book Worship as Pastoral Care. In this book, he intertwines care and worship hence making it a blend that enriches and sustains both spheres. In addition, he uses his experience in pastoral psychology to explore the impact of Christian worship on people. Further, he shows that care can only flourish in an active community of faith. In addition, this book sensitizes me to the various ways in which Christian worship can blend hence supporting and enriching one another. It encourages pastors to expand their grasp on the importance of their major role as priests. Therefore, this reflection paper expounds on Willimon’s book by looking at practical, pastoral theolog and care as well as baptism, funeral, and wedding in reflection on my role as a chaplain.
Theology of Pastoral Care
Importance of Pastoral Care
Based on a faithful ministry, pastoral care is immersed in a religious community to provide for people’s needs on a personal level. It arises from a mutual concern for one another, caring for humanity as a worthy cause, and mutual responsibility (Johnson, 1964, p.171). Therefore, pastors are called and ordained for the main purpose of providing in the ministry. Moreover, when one has been conferred to lead a congregation, he is tasked with various responsibilities. First, he is not only a priest before God but also, he has to lead the people to Him through worship. Second, the person becomes an administrator who supervises church finances, properties, and other activities. Third, he organizes and appoints committees, plans church programs, and forms groups aimed at building public relations. Fourth, he is the preacher who calls people for repentance. Fifth, the pastor ministers to those dying, visits the sick, comforts and consoles the brokenhearted, and cares for the oppressed and neglected. Perhaps, the last responsibility outweighs other duties when comparing my chaplaincy duties to the community.
However, this begs the question: how can one individual perform all the aforementioned tasks? The work is overwhelming hence when a pastor has been ordained to the church in line with performing the duties, the situation becomes self-defeating (Johnson, 1964). As such, a religious community becomes in handy since it communicates with one another thus providing a humble and facilitating environment for the pastor. Previous research on the protestant minister’s activities reveals the servant of God to be overburdened and distracted by the many tasks. As a result, much of the time has been taken by administration and organization leading to neglect of pastoral care and preaching. This has led to the void and disconnect between the overworked man of the cloth and the people he is supposed to lead. On the other hand, in response to the church paradigm, Johnson (1964) highlights why the lay church members cannot assist the pastor since they are unable to understand the church’s purpose in ministering to others. Therefore, theology in pastoral care is the backbone of religious faith concerning the church traditions.
Similarly, while commenting on the relationship between pastoral care and the community, Willimon (1979), highlights that even though counselors play an important role, they cannot on their own reflect the caring and sharing embodied by a community that believes in worship. However, unlike the secular counselor, a pastoral health chaplain has an advantage since he works within a worshiping community. Therefore, my work expounds on the therapeutic and institutional setting that does not only enhance worship but also, affirms my theological responsibility to the church. In addition, while the work of a healthcare chaplain is addressed from the pastoral viewpoint, there are instances where a community member can begin to delve into a reflection on the pastoral work. However, a counselor reaffirms the transcendental nature of the work and hence can share these insights with the members.
Nevertheless, the challenge arises in the interpretation of the activities from a psychological and theological point of view. As such, this should be enriched by continuous study and reflection thus enhancing their steadfastness in dialogue and communication. As a result, pastoral work can manifest the reflection of God’s power through the assistance for those seeking help; health, and holiness, providing an opportunity for the people to share their frustrations, suffering, and pain.
Liturgy of Worship as Pastoral Care
Many have over the period assumed the synonymity of counseling with pastoral care. However, according to Willimon (1979), the emphasis on the oriental one-on-one encounter view envisaged in counseling has both deepened and limited the practice. Further, the New Testament categorizes worship in a comprehensive manner that describes the existence of a Christian in a wholesome manner. Similarly, liturgy encompasses work carried out by people inside or outside the church. Conversely, there has been a clear distinction between worship and work among people. Therefore, church ministers who are undertaking their obligations can testify to the unlikely differentiation between pastoral work and priesthood. For example, when a pastor offers counseling services to his parishioners be it in his study, around the kitchen, or in the hospital, he performs his godly duties such as he does during baptism and weddings. Through this, he guides the people in a liturgy, enabling God and them to interact (Willimon (1974). In addition, when the pastors lead the congregation in Holy Communion, in prayer; they are performing their duties just like in counseling and other pastoral care duties such as guiding, healing, and reconciling those under their care.
On the other hand, the history of pastoral care by the church during ancient times has gone through tremendous changes. In the first two centuries, Christian worship was marked with vicissitudes to save souls since it was believed the world was coming to an end. Therefore, the Eucharist became the backbone of supportive and sustenance acts enabling society to survive during difficult times (Willimon 1979). The years that followed saw the persecution of Christians worldwide as those remnants lapsed and fell from the faith due to pressure and fear of being killed. However, after the turmoil in the church’s history, the reconciliation phase began building lapsed souls back to faith through penance as this became the main focus for souls. In addition, pastoral care’s prominence gained momentum when Constantine elevated Christianity as a state religion. Further, during the medieval period, healing became part of the main functions of churches as its sacramental system became the means through which it healed maladies that afflicted people. Thereafter, Renaissance and Reformation saw many churches focusing on reconciliation with God while the Enlightenment embraced the sustenance of souls in the challenging modern world.
Surpassing the Enlightenment era, pastoral care faced challenges originating from the church and society as a whole. During this period, the essence of church sacraments and rites was queried. As a result, healing disintegrated into a secular affair unlike before when it was solely a church domain. This led to a foray of questions on the efficacy of the old ways of the church on individual well-being as many souls resorted to seeking healing, reconciliation, and guidance elsewhere. Further, the 19th century saw the introduction of volunteerism and pluralism that resulted in guidance elucidated by personal convictions rather than from the church (Willimon, 1979). The Reformation orchestrated by the protestants led to a crisis in the church. Similarly, the authority vested on the pastor shifted swiftly to the guidance of the Spirit through the bible. His identity had been seen as a conveyor of the healing grace and sacraments but changed to a servant who has been called and ordained to preach. As a result, the Reformers’ practices and beliefs such as public worship and sacraments lost their importance. The aforementioned history of pastoral care leaves us with the question of where we are as a church and under whose guidance do the community seeks help.
In addition, some theologists have expounded that a pastor is ordained to lead others (community members) into God’s work of love hence his work of caring stands for teamwork. Johnson (1964, p.175), explains that if people are mindful of each other, then there will be care for all. On the other hand, the work of Clinical Pastoral Education (C.P.E) as pioneered by the Protestant church has brought much help. Willimon (1974), asserts that his training at the seminary would have been void without the clinical work. However, he draws the line between the practicability and relevance of C.P.E in the current church. He argues that there is a disconnect between the clinical healthcare pastoral training and the practical scenario in the church community. As such the seminarians find themselves disfranchised and dismayed after realizing how contemporary theology and church are in constant flux. Therefore, it is important to find common ground between care and counseling since the two are geared towards serving God in the end.
The Link Between Pastoral Care and Liturgy
While liturgy and pastoral care are used interchangeably, their relationship cannot be overlooked. Further, looking at them closely, they intersect on various fronts hence contributing to the church community. As such, they both deal with the same subject matter ranging from guilt, grace, sin, and love to reconciliation and hope. For example, a community member loses a job and informs the priest, and on Sunday is one of the congregation members in the church. Besides, a man seeks counseling from the pastor and eventually joins the worshippers’ assembly (Willimon, 1979). Second, pastoral care and liturgy involve the stories of God and man in their narratives.
While it has been argued that the former is prone to individualistic views that turn to psychology in counseling leaving the mention of God, the latter is bound to focus on the Lord’s story hence forgetting the people. Therefore, there is a need to integrate stories about the people and God hence the intersection between the two. Third, while caregiving is an ingredient in soul-saving, the spiritual state of a community concerning God forms a basis of love for one another hence the relationship between liturgy and pastoral care. Fourth, another intersection point is realized through the community where suffering people are reached and brought to the group of worshippers.
Since time immemorial, pastoral consolation has been used to help those suffering by bringing them to the company of believers hence strengthening them. However, to show the interdependence of the two functions, Willimon (1979) highlights the suggestions by another theologist who is concerned with the new ethical accentuation and pastoral care implications. Therefore, he alludes that this has resulted in the overlooking of its moral-theological and communal aspects hence resulting in peoples’ problems. Further, he asserts that counseling, be it for a group, or one-on-one in church plays an important role since pastors see themselves as firmly fixed in the community of believers. On the other hand, writing on liturgy and leadership, Willimon (1979) denotes that there is timidity, avoidance, sloppiness, hesitance, and lack of attention by pastors during sermons on Sunday. Further, he highlights that the sources of the loopholes are multifaceted and can be looked at from different angles. As such, this includes the perception of pastors, their understanding of the ministry and the church; personal weaknesses and strengths; assessment of people’s expectations, and theological factors.
As a result, he noted that the failure of Protestant seminaries to prepare pastors for the role of worship leadership led to the disconnect experienced. In addition, the lack of recognition of the importance of liturgy in transforming worshippers and its centrality within the church had led to the aforementioned malfunctions and disconnect between the pastors and the church community (Willimon 1979). Therefore, pastoral care and liturgy are inseparable and they all work for the benefit of God.
Practical Theology
Meaning and Functions of Practical Theology
One of the challenges scholars have faced over time is to find a common definition for practical theology. Its practice takes place in our daily lives in a variety of genres and compositions. While expounding on the compound nature of theology and its manifestation, Ward (2017) asserts that Godly expressions are not limited only to sermons. Further, he says that in everyday life individuals express their faith in many ways. For instance, the word church has varying meanings depending on the time and place of its use. First, it can be used to refer to a place of worship or building where people go for sermons or get married. Second, it refers to the way of living; a congregational communal life. As such, people often express their joy in being part of their local church or how they miss it when away from home. In nutshell, the believers are not talking about the building but rather about their fellowship with each other.
Similarly, the desire for many scholars and students to internalize the Bible comes from the belief that an elaborate understanding will bring a difference in their daily lives. Further, the inclination arises from the need to know more after realizing that little is known. Conversely, when a student has been tasked to lead a Bible study group, he is likely to prepare well in advance. This might involve a rigorous compilation of materials including an online search, reading books, and magazine articles. However, there is a probability that the combined resources used may consist of theological materials that can be used by the learners of the Christian faith hence becoming practical theology (Ward, 2017). On the Other hand, it takes place in the daily life of church communities or Christians. As such, by participating in the practices such as absorbing, remembering, selecting, noticing, and expressing; they become practical theologians (Ward, 2017). In addition, the paraphernalia of academic intrigues revolving around methods, teaching curriculums in colleges and seminaries comes back to the church which is the loci of the Christian faith. As a result, the congregation is drawn to study hence moving towards practical theology.
Perhaps, the application of theology to problems enhances answers put forward to practical questions arising from daily existence. How can the quality of church unity in a community be differentiated and understood from a theological perspective? This can be answered by looking at community experiences arising from different group worship meetings and social interactions. The importance of togetherness in a Christian community remains the cornerstone for practical theology; Paul says in Romans 12:4 that in Christ, we form one body as each person belongs to the others. Therefore, he stresses the importance of church unity as one body (Nelson, 2016). Willimon (1979) discusses leadership in such settings by referring to the pastor’s role in the unification and stewardship of the Christians.
Moreover, the points out that as part of his duties, the leader must go out to see the hurting and save the lost. Further, there is no difference or a substitute between a church leader who visits and the one who is aware of the lives of his community members (Willimon, 2016, p.104). However, this is made possible by the pastor through his knowledge hence leading the worshipers in church and assisting them in their daily lives through the application of practical theology.
The Importance of Pastors in Practical Theology
While the work of pastors cannot be re-emphasized, my reflection on Willimon’s special attention to their role reaffirms my appreciation for the numerous contribution he continues to make in pastoral care. He points out the need for people’s psychological and physical healing. To that end, they are encouraged to imitate Jesus’ example in their ministries; availing themselves to those seeking help as well as preaching the Good News (Willimon, 2016). Further, through the book of Ezra and Nehemiah in the Bible, pastors have been mandated to be interpreters of the word of God. Arguing on the same, Willimon (2016) asserts that the Old Testament was written during a different era and as such it must be interpreted according to the current times through the inspiration of the Holy Spirit by pastors. Furthermore, they must interlude by reading the scriptures and following the teachings in discernable and faithful ways hence helping people to seek the word of God (Willimon, 2016). In addition, Willimon expounds on the gift of preaching by encouraging pastors not to be dismayed due to the lack of people during sermons because they will be assisted by the Holy Spirit.
To broaden their knowledge, they must listen to other sermons, read extensively, talk to people and make discoveries through Bible interpretation. Therefore, for a preacher, it is important to prepare the sermon well as he is called to serve the Lord. Similarly, the correlation between a pastor and a counselor cannot be ignored. As aforementioned earlier, pastoral care has gone through tremendous transformations ranging from priestly, corporate, and liturgical to psychological and individual-oriented techniques. As such, pastors are different from secular psychotherapists since they assist troubled souls among the parishioners. Therefore, to help those in need is equivalent to foreseeing Christ through the pain of the parishioner. Further, a pastor is a teacher whose function outshines other roles as they follow the example of Jesus and His apostles in the Bible. Willimon reiterates that in most of the suffering witnessed in church, members are not ailing from psychological maladies but rather, a lack of direction (Willimon, 2016). As a result, pastors must teach the parishioners who in turn shall pass it to the next generation of believers.
Similarly, theologists agree on the importance of reflection by the Christian faith on the worshippers and pastors since the congregation is comprised of the human character in service of God. While commenting about the church and the role of pastors, Willimon (2016) points out that many a time, the clergy laments about what their followers ought to be instead of understanding their nature. As such, they are concerned with innovative worship resulting from their theoretical principles without consideration of the followers’ limitations. Further, they curtail their perception of what entails true fellowship and, in the process, fail to realize what the people worship on their own. The resultant effect of such myopic leadership in the church is baffling and bewildering for the pastors when their theological views on a construed liturgy are rejected and resisted by the people. Therefore, much of the historical and theological concerns realized arise from pastoral commitments thus indicating the importance and crucial role these leaders play in the church.
Purpose of Practical Theology and Liturgy
There is a misconception by some people that practical theology has no purpose. According to Ward (2017), the belief can neither be true nor false since there are suppositional incidents to the idea. On one hand, the theological academic forms are abstract and seem to be irrelevant to the lives of the believers while on the other hand, the practice is authentically embedded in every Christian activity. Consequently, practical theology serves the function of connecting faith and work according to the scriptures. It is the talk about God revealed through Jesus Christ as the gospel is available everywhere, communicated through the fellowship of members (Ward, 2017, p. 24). Similarly, normal activities in the church are theological thereby, making it hard to point out Christian work that is not theological. By echoing Williams, Ward (2017), asserts that its function does not have a specific starting point or a methodological framework. As such, theological conversations and ideas grow and flow into the congregations of the church.
Further, it becomes part of the Christians by sharing their ideas and lives hence making the believers become ordinary theologians. Therefore, as believers take part in practices such as absorbing, remembering, noticing, and expressing they transform into part of practical theology. Moreover, the main purpose of practical theology is being the ministry to the world and the church at large. To elaborate on this, Browning (1995) asserts that unlike during the ancient days, the practice has gone beyond clericalism. Further, he reiterates that theology at universities involves the training of professionals for the church. However, to some point, it entails clerical training and is not a science as required for the professional carrier centered on the people and the world (Browning, 1995). Consequently, the current training is geared towards care for those in the church and the large society beyond the congregation hence both groups become the concern and main purpose of practical theology.
On the other hand, there have been arguments about whether practical theology serves a purpose. While trying to show its importance, Harp (2007) through a poem says that continuous arguments do not matter; only the work of God that requires us to prepare. This is aimed at showing that practical theology is solely to implement what has been learned in the realm of Christianity. To show the significance of the link between a pastor and a priest as they are synonymous, Willimon (1979), gives an analogy through personal reflection. He recalls serving as a pastor in rural Georgia on one Sunday when he administered the Lord’s Supper and invited worshippers for Communion but was surprised to realize that only a few partook. This made him inquire from a member if he had made a mistake during the sermon to warrant such a low turnout. However, he realized that the worshippers shied off since they felt unworthy to undertake the Communion.
Nevertheless, following the aforementioned reflection, Willimon says that one member quoted the book of Corinthians on drinking and eating Communion in an ungodly way. As a pastor, he decided to sit down and study with the congregation the relevance of Paul’s sermon at Corinth and wondered with them whether it was the case witnessed in Georgia. Further, he suggested to them that Jesus Christ had eaten and drank with the sinners (Willimon 1979). Surprisingly, Willimon reveals that in the next Communion sermon when he preached how Jesus ate at Levi’s house, every member participated. To show the intertwining nature of liturgy and pastoral care, he finishes his reflection by asking the reader whether he behaved as a pastor, a priest, or both in the aforementioned reflection. This does not only challenge the reader but also, underpins the interdependence of pastoral care and liturgy hence challenging me as a healthcare chaplain to find a common ground as I work.
Similarly, how can this be of use to practicing healthcare chaplains? To reflect on that, practical theology forms a cornerstone for my work as it shows me that I can help people as a professional while at the same time practicing my Christian values. Through care and love, God’s purpose for His creation transcends all challenges hence spreading the gospel through healing.
Pastoral Theology
Meaning and Functions
Pastoral theology bridges the gap between the people and the gospel by interpreting, creating meaning, and applying the word of God in their daily lives through the action of the Church. In addition, it is characterized by diverse concerns regarding the nature of its task; aims and objectives, and guiding principles conveying the dynamics inherent therein when receiving and giving care (Graham, 1999, p. 432). Further, within the Protestants, the unity between ethics and pastoral theology has been refocused on the community as the central point for Christian inquiry. Therefore, there has been a shift to care and emphasis on the congregational traditions among protestants that have become a replica of a parallel pastoral theology movement among the Catholics (Graham, 1999). In the past, church monitoring and maintenance were carried out by moral and pastoral theology. However, in the present times, the entire work of the church has become an embodiment of pastoral practice which is seen as the expression of God’s mission on earth. Graham (1999), denotes that it is theological since it reflects and magnifies maladies affecting the current church.
Furthermore, its pastoral nature can be seen through the engagement of concrete circumstances with afflictions affecting the congregation. According to Willimon (1979), there are four main ingredients for pastoral theology. These include things such as an act of God involving the pastoral ministry in the church; linking the pastor to a congregation; a community of believers in Christ and the challenging nature of the ministry (Willimon, 1979). In addition, he introduces ordination by saying that it is from God and meant for the welfare of the church.
Furthermore, it’s a gift from the Holy Spirit which guides those who are to be priests leading the people. In addition, the ordained ministry is seen as a service to the servants of God. However, the author points out on the American culture is a historical, anti-intellectual, and utilitarian affair in nature where history and theology have become cerebral diversions from the reality of life (Willimon, 1979). As such, pastors are sometimes made to attend to and console people during a crisis without necessarily giving their theological thoughts during such situations. This, he quips, arises from the assumption that a pastor’s personality is seen to be important as compared to his beliefs on the faith of the community. To counter the problem, it is paramount to assist the people by refining their theological thoughts and their faith. Further, while the focus is on worship, pastors are reminded that they should not lose direction and exclude other commitments and norms but rather, accomplish all that entails their input.
Many a time a find myself was torn between attending to those in need in an observatory manner and yet, I have an opportunity to administer to them the importance of faith in healing. However, I get encouraged by Willimon from his numerous anecdotes where he gives real-life experiences and how one can apply them in the ministry as we are reminded to be faithful, especially in our faithful endeavors of beneficence.
Leadership
Leadership is the core function of pastoral theology and its measure or mark can be seen in the number of people following an individual as a manager. On the other hand, spiritual leadership involves formation as a learning process that entails being shaped in a godly manner. While teaching about leadership, Willimon (2020) asserts that authority is only necessary if one is accountable for a more important objective than his survival. Conversely, many leaders vainly promote warm relationships or aspire to be perfect managers not of their will but rather, because they are conditioned to behave like that by organizations. This is due to the status quo of the enterprises that reward those who benefit them. However, amicable caregiving involves friendly leadership and is less costly in the long run when compared to courageous leading.
In addition, it is hard for people to thrive without continuous repositioning and transformation, especially in Godly institutions. As such, those in authority put their organizations into problems they have been avoiding for a long time by utilizing the resources hoping the rewards from their undertaking will bring more rewards (Willimon, 2020). This is one way of growing as an organization since if the investments are utilized well, then benefits abound.
While addressing the current church, Willimon (2020) reiterates that if one likes the outlook of a fence and hopes to maintain the appearance, then the posts must be repainted yearly. Further, he elaborates by asserting that no faithful church can grow or be maintained without continuous reformation and no change can take place without a Spirit-induced leadership that sometimes makes people uncomfortable. Therefore, a courageous pastoral leader performs tasks such as connecting the worshippers to their pain, helping them to see the possibility to overcome, accompanying them throughout the chaos and challenges, and supporting the learning and reframing required for the transformation.
Consequently, in leadership, truth should not surprise the church pastors every Sunday since their method of preaching has a disturbing effect on the congregation. For instance, some church leaders on Sunday, while giving a sermon are bound to tell the people that it is time to have a serious and honest conversation. This is unbelievable and ungodly since Jesus could not say anything of that nature to His followers (Willimon, 2020). However, he asserts that the tension among the Christians in the church and the text becomes a friend of the preacher since trouble challenges listeners to engage, question, and participate in the pastor’s proclamation.
In his book, Worship as Pastoral Care chapter one, Willimon (1979) asks, “Why are we concerned?”. This is a question posed to church pastors on the challenges that arise as a result of leadership. Further, he highlights that the pastor’s authority comes from God and the people he leads while his efforts result incorporate concerns. However, they are reminded that they have a responsibility for the community’s upbuilding through worship just like Christ gathered believers around the table. In addition, as shown by the Holy Spirit during the day of Pentecost when various races were integrated; so is worship a unifying act for the community.
Reflecting on his work as a pastor, Willimon (2020) recounts when he accompanied church people on a work team where he prepared a sermon about Jesus during a storm in Mark six. Although he wanted to preach the same, he was smacked by verse 48 and instead, offered a different authority hence showing that sometimes for one to lead, he is bound to endure pain. It is easy for one to use a simple and comfortable style that works always than reinventing; but for a true leader in the church, refashioning is inevitable. Churches today are unlikely to reward their leaders or pastors for carrying out what they want to be done but punish them if they challenge their authority. However, a pastor’s ability to confront, challenge, and willingness to be rejected in bringing the gospel to the people becomes a vocational asset hence leading the congregation to the expected place of God.
Preaching and Worship
While we have extensively discussed pastoral theology, it is a broad subject, and as such, exhaustive coverage is a near to impossible task. Nevertheless, the basis of this immense topic is the understanding of the set of church beliefs where its worship and life revolves. This does not only include the awareness of decision making, but also the composition comprising of deacons and elders. Further, there are major issues such as the Lord’s Supper and baptism in worship and their meaning in the Christian church. Consequently, writing on liturgy and identity, Willimon (1979), expounds that his question about personal identity is concerned with baptism. Further, he says that every Sunday, the church gets an opportunity to reach him and answer his question although he is used to the worship rituals such as hymns, creed, the Lord’s Table, or sermons. Therefore, the principal continuing way he experiences his identity as a born-again Christian is through baptism. However, a close examination of its efficacy reveals that it has lost its relevance.
For example, those who undertake infant baptism have given it euphemistic names such as dedication and christening a reminder to the parent to get the baby into Sunday school. Later, the infant is processed in a confirmation class hoping for conversion when one becomes an adult. In addition, those who advocate for the conversion of believers through baptism have failed too. For many churches, the practice has become an afterthought compared to the main work of converting people before baptism. As a result, many view the confusion brought about by theology and the backbench taken by the aforementioned practice in the believers and the church as a whole hence concluding that baptism is ineffective. To address the shortcoming, Willimon (1979), argues that since this is part of the Christian life, it’s the lack of clarity on its meaning among people along the way has led to uncertainty. Consequently, when those who have been baptized realize their whole lives; they are likely to change according to life in Christ. Therefore, pastoral care needs to assure the people by reaffirming that they are new beings in Christ. Conversely, viewed from the orthodox perspective, baptism serves the purpose of forgiveness and remission of sins as well as a rite through which immortal life is bestowed upon an individual (Guroian, 1985, p. 336). Furthermore, it is a corporate public affair performed by the church whose effectiveness is not dependent on personal faith, but rather on Christ. On the other hand, there is a correlation between being born again and the sacrament of partaking in the Lord’s Table. To that end, the meaning of baptism becomes relevant when we reflect and reaffirm what the church has since time immemorial proclaimed that sacraments signify God’s offering to the people. Christian theology emphasizes the importance of God as an actor and the church as the recipient of His sacraments thus he has infinite love for people by graciously giving himself to them (Willimon, 1979). Further, he is a self-giving God through events and acts, and a communal experience.
Similarly, in liturgy and life’s crises, the funeral has been analyzed as a ritual that helps people to cope during crises. As such human life is always in a flux of continuous transition across different identities. These movements result in calamities among relatives of the deceased. However, the church as the source of worship uses a series of complex liturgical and rituals acts to steer people during the difficult transition moments (Willimon, 1979). Moreover, the wedding as highlighted in liturgy and learning signifies care for the difficult change from being single to
Marriage. Here, Holy Matrimony is seen as a ritualized process through which people are educated about new status in life. However, this leads to a reflective question on liturgy about the regulatory principle: while undertaking all these, do we follow the written script in the Scripture or the broader view of worship?
Conclusion
In summation, Willimon has extensively expounded on pastoral care as a foundation based on faithful ministry providing for people’s personal needs. Further, he highlights that due to the many duties a pastor has to perform, some crucial church tasks are bound to be unattended. Therefore, there is a need to find a common ground between the community’s needs and the church as all the work is endeared towards the fulfillment of God’s will. This resonates with me as I have to balance my work to meet people’s health needs while bringing them close to the church. Similarly, liturgy and pastoral care are inseparable as their main purpose is to bring the congregation to the Lord since they both involve narratives about God. In addition, through practical theology, the book denotes the church as a building; a way of living, and a fellowship of worshippers. This inspires me to perform my work knowing that true understanding and application of theology to problems enables one to find answers to daily challenges.
Further, the book asserts that leadership is a core function whereas a good pastor should be in a continuous state of transformation and repositioning in the service of the Lord. My understanding resonates with the author as I reiterate that for one to be productive, he should be transformative to accommodate others’ ideas and current trends in healthcare while striving to be a difference in the ministry. Lastly, Professor Willimon discusses with passion acts such as the funeral, baptism, the wedding, and the Lord’s Supper as major forms of worship. The rite of death signifies a ritual among people that assist during crises as life is in a continuous flux of transformations. Furthermore, Holy Matrimony signifies care during the transitional period from one status to another. The sacrament and baptism are activities that involve a change in Christian life. The main question that propels me to be steadfast in my calling as a healthcare chaplain is: should we follow only scriptures when we undergo the aforementioned acts or follow the broad view of worship?
References
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