In one church I served, the three pastors (I was an associate) learned that a woman was more than slightly miffed that none of the pastors came to visit her during her 3-day stint in the hospital. While of course we were sorry, the sad truth is that she, nor anyone else for that matter, notified the church office that she was in the hospital! Just can’t visit when one doesn’t know. Therein lies the subject of this Pastor’s Corner.
I’ve never understood why some patients fail to let the church know, or have a family member contact the office. It seems that some people expect another visitor to do that. It is not their (the visitor) responsibility – unless they’ve been asked so to do. I’m not sure how the patient expects the pastors to know. After all, hospitals do not call churches to inform them of a member being in the hospital. Even chaplains can’t be counted on to do this.
Why is it when people may most need the church they fail to let the church know? It’s beyond me. The same holds true for other illnesses, accidents, etc., that don’t necessarily cause confinement in a hospital. As a pastor, I appreciate when I’m told. In one church, a member always would call me when she heard of a hospitalization or other medical need. She would apologize for calling, but my response always was, “Betty, thanks for letting me know.” Even if umpteen other people had called, I appreciated her call.
I encourage calls. If you’re in the hospital, or have some other need, please don’t hesitate to call to let us know. If it is of concern to you, then it is of concern to us. We can’t intuit when someone is hospitalized or has some other medical condition. For us to act, we have to be informed. Now, if that happens and we don’t make contact, either by phone or in person, well, that’s another story. When they know, Deblynne and Kelly will call me. And if I’m not available immediately to go to the hospital, Jon Snape usually is.
Each day I pray for the needs of the church, both those I know about and those I don’t. I like to pray specific, i.e., for that particular concern you have. I can’t do that if neither I nor the church knows. Please help us out. If you or a family member are unable to call, ask a friend who may be visiting. Or request that a chaplain call. But don’t ask a nurse. They are very busy and do not have that luxury to make phone calls on behalf of all their patients.
Your church and its pastor and staff are concerned about each of you. We depend on the members of the church to keep us informed. Oh, and if I receive a lot of calls regarding one person, wonderful! Never assume someone else already has called. Thanks for your help! See you on the road.
Grace and peace,
Mike
September 27, 2015