and filled in without a hitch (they did have an on-call minister available to them for advice and referral if needed, but as I remember such a call was never made). Simply put, PCPs extend the reach of the ordained ministry in the church, ensuring that no member in need is left unattended.
In addition, we are called by our principles and by the traditions of our liberal religious movement to a lay ministry of pastoral care. To act upon our belief in the worth and dignity of every human being does not require a search in some far-off third world country for people who are hurt, sick, or in some other way needing our services. Such folks sit next to us every Sunday in our pews. Often their pain is concealed, but it is there, uncommunicated. There will be congregants—friends—who are experiencing job loss, divorce or other relational upheaval, substance abuse, the death or slow decline of a loved one. We may never learn about these troubling circumstances until we prepare ourselves as a church to discover and respond to each such person. And we will need multiple response systems, since no parish minister can handle all the pain and suffering in her congregation, especially among those who suffer protracted or chronic health challenges that require ongoing, long-term attention. Our church can be a place of sanctuary and hope for all our fellow members as we ourselves develop our capacity to serve one another through an active lay pastoral care program. The promise we make in embracing such a program is as meaningful a commitment as a human being can make: We accept responsibility for the well-being of every person in our church. No one who seeks it will go without our compassionate concern and support. If we truly believe in the worth and dignity of every person, we are obliged to consider the needs, the very local needs, of our fellow congregants.
Finally, there is one more WHY. Life offers us no greater gift than the opportunity to care for another. I had a psychotherapy professor who used to say that we do not become adults until we take responsibility for the well-being of another. The ministry of lay pastoral care is a path to an ever-deepening personal spiritual growth, growth that is just an illusion without a cultivation of the habit of reaching out to others.
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