The Pastoral Task

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THE PASTORAL TASK (My Understanding) Reflections by Wayne S. Hooker for January 21,2012 The Pastoral Task, and we might add Care, because to me the task cannot be separated from the care. This seems to be mostly what the pastor does. She/He cares for his/her (flock) congregation. And this care takes on many forms and varied service and duties. The Pastor is responsible for seeing to it that spiritual needs are met but there is so much more that must be done in the effort to get to that basic need. This is what I'll attempt to explore a little more in this writing. The nature of the Christian Community provides for its members to have Pastoral Care in their personal and communal lives. Christians are called upon to care for each other, not just on Sunday but also in their daily lives. They share joys as well as sorrows, supporting each other during the good times and the bad. Ruling elders, deacons and pastors also have special responsibilities. I mention elders and deacons here because as we'll see later this is more than one pastor can do alone. In this reflection I will mention a few of these special duties and responsibilities. In chapter one of his book, “The Christian Pastor”, Oates aptly describes the duties of the pastor during crisis. He says that, in a single day a pastor may visit the mother of a new born baby, give guidance to a person who is becoming a Christian, talk with high school or college graduates about their life work, unite a couple in marriage, comfort a person who is bereaved, call upon someone who is facing a serious operation, listen to the last words of a patient who is dying. Two thousand years of Christian ministry have conditioned Christians to expect their pastors to be with them during these times of crisis. As an Elder, it has been my good pleasure to serve as a care giver and to visit the sick and shut-in members of
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