A New Take on the Pastoral Visit

A recent "Dear Abby" column presented a different take on the pastoral visit. Apparently, many church members consider the traditional pastoral visit to be an unwelcome intrusion. They would rather see the pastor at church; and the pastor who wants to get acquainted with church members is advised to do it at church gatherings and fellowship activities. I don't know how accurate this is; but it does reflect changes in our culture over the last fifty years or so. I have actually been criticized in a couple of instances for not making enough pastoral calls in non-crisis situations--even though I have always believed that the best way to get to know the members of my congregation is to see them in their natural habitat. (A few members seem to have thought I should visit them every few weeks, whether they actually needed a visit or not.) The traditional pastoral visit is more difficult now because of more two-income households, more activities in which the kids are expected to participate, and, in some cases, just the distances required to travel between and among our various spheres of interest. Yet, Christians are expected to practice hospitality. This is mentioned throughout Scripture. Pastors are expected to love and guide their flocks. I have had situations where church members definitely did not encourage a visit by the pastor. Times are definitely changing. What this tells us about the future of the relationship between the pastor and the church member, I am not sure; but I do know that as I begin this new pastorate, I will have to be very diligent and discerning as I seek to determine how best to minister to each member and each prospective member of my church, not to mention ministering to the wider community.

Hebrews 13:1-7, 15-16; August 27-September 3, Year C:

For the most part, this passage consists of general exhortations--a common method of concluding New Testament epistles. Most of these do not strike us as particularly controversial; but they do take on additional meaning when we remember the context in which they were written. These Hebrew Christians were encouraged to show brotherly love and to extend hospitality even to strangers. This was quite a lot for these people to take in. For one thing, most of these were Jewish converts to Christianity who were not used to being friendly to Gentiles. For another, showing hospitality, especially to fellow Christians, could be a matter of risking one's life or livelihood. The Christians, it must be remembered, were often persecuted--and for nothing other than worshipping Jesus Christ. Most of us are not inhospitable to anybody; but sometimes, we get so caught up in our own schedules or personal concerns that we forget that by showing hospitality to strangers, we could be "entertaining angels unawares"--a clear reference to the Old Testament story of Abraham and Sarah in Genesis 18. The writer then reminds these Christians to remember those who are in prison or ill-treated, an obvious reference to those who are being imprisoned for their faith, since he goes on to say that "you also are in the body." I wonder if most of us pay enough attention to the plight of the persecuted church around the world. The writer goes on to speak of such vices as sexual immorality and the love of money. We sometimes do not like to remember that the early church, though very conscious of God's grace, was also very conscious of the other aspects of God's character. They knew that no sin was acceptable to God. These Christians were urged to remember that God was their Provider and their Teacher. Scriptures are quoted to remind them of their heritage in God. This was a powerful way to affirm the communal nature of Christianity, pulling together the truth from every culture and generation. The most precious sacrifice to God may well be the sacrifice of praise and the willingness to do good, in the name of Jesus Christ.

Hebrews 12:18-29, August 21-27, Year C:

I hope to begin publishing these comments on the lectionary epistle readings again on a regular basis. I realize this one is a little late for use this Sunday; but I wanted to get a little practice first--kind of like pre-season or spring training! (Grin.) The real reason I wanted to comment on this reading is because of its companion reading from the Gospels. The Gospel reading today from the lectionary is Luke 13:10-17, the story of Jesus healing a crippled woman in the synagogue on the Sabbath. The linkage in the Revised Common Lectionary between these two readings reminds us of the many attributes of God and encourages us to adopt what I called in my sermon this morning a "balanced Christianity." Whenever any one theological doctrine or attribute of God gains such a dominance in the church that other biblical concepts are virtually abandoned or omitted, the result is a Christianity that is out of balance, and therefore a congregation or denomination that is at a great disadvantage. In times past, the wrath of God has no doubt been emphasized almost to the exclusion of His grace and mercy. At other times in churchhistory, the doctrine of the Second Coming, or the person and work of the Holy Spirit, or some other aspect of the faith has been preached and taught to such an extent that the church truly suffered. Today, we are eager to speak of the love and the grace of God. The principle message of the Gospel surely is liberation in Christ. But God's law and His holiness and justice must not be neglected; for as Hebrews 12:29 points out, "....Our God is a consuming fire." Of course, some will claim that these are simply contradictory concepts of God and that the New Testament God of love and compassion is at odds with, and an advance beyond, the God of the Old Testament with His wrath and anger and fire! But Jesus Himself speaks of fire and wrath. Our Westminster Confession of Faith lists over 30 attributes of God. Just as we know people who have many complex sides to their personality, so we worship a God who is perfect in all His ways and infinite in all His attributes. Emphasize the God of wrath without teaching the God of love and grace, and you are teaching something other than Christianity; but teach God's mercy and compassion without including His holiness and glory and justice, and you make Christianity and its Gospel message unnecessary.