Meredith Workman kneeling in prayer during evening worship. |
At a Glance
Theme:
Church as Caring Community
Faculty Speaker:
Dr. Tonya Armstrong
Lectionary Texts:
Micah 6:6-8; Psalm 113; Galatians 6:2; Mark 12:28-34
Reflections on the Lecture
Today Dr. Tonya Armstrong used a combination of small-group exercises and
PowerPoint presentation to lead DYA toward a deeper understanding of “The Church as a Community of Care.”
Dr. Armstrong began by asking participants to pray for one another in pairs, using a series of “icebreaker” questions to enable more effective prayer. The talk that followed challenged us to care for those who may be experiencing grief or other troubles.
Dr. Armstrong reminded us of the biblical mandate to love our neighbors as ourselves, illustrating her point with various biblical stories (the Good Shepherd, Ruth and Naomi, the Good Samaritan) which describe acts of love for those in need.
She further pointed out the rich traditional resources of the Church for pastoral care, such as repentance, confession, and the spiritual disciplines. More recent modes of care include spiritual direction, lay ministries such as the Stephen Ministry, and small accountability groups.
Dr. Armstrong called our attention to gifts and skills that enrich our practices of pastoral care, such as presence, hospitality, compassion, patience, confidentiality, and “active, nonjudgmental listening.”
The plenary closed with a session of personal testimony in mentor groups. One person in each group described his or her spiritual journey to the others, who responded with questions and dialogue punctuated by a period of silence. This exercise brought home vividly the importance of listening to one another’s stories and immersing ourselves in the complexities of others’ lives, rather than going for the quick fix.
Dr. Armstrong’s talk left us with a richer understanding of the need to care and of the rich resources we have as Christians in order to do so.
Some of Dr. Armstrong's quotes...
“There are not enough of us [professional therapists] out there” (exhorting us
to engage in practices of spiritual direction to complement the activities of
trained psychotherapists).
“There are losses of dreams” (describing the various kinds of loss that may
lead to a need for pastoral care).
“We suffer because we are creatures of God. Because Christ suffered, we suffer;
but we also know that we will be redeemed as Christ has been redeemed.”
“Traditional pastoral care is necessary but not sufficient.”
Overheard in the halls of the divinity school...
“Serving communion makes me feel more connected to God than taking communion.” – Meredith Workman
“This has put all the other growing sorts of experiences that I’ve had to shame.” – Andrea Voll
“I was rejected as Jesus was but Hallelujah! Christ has prepared a place for me at his table!” – a reflection from Jessica Choate
“Sometimes we think it’s better to not say anything or even avoid someone who is struggling, but it is often much better to engage the person.” – Peggy Boone reflecting on effective pastoral care
What's ahead...
Dr. Amy Laura Hall will lecture tomorrow on the church and living into the Spirit.
We will partake in a solidarity meal with Rev. Julia Webb-Bowden from the Society of Saint Andrew, who will lead us in reflection and discussion about poverty and hunger.
In the afternoon we will participate in some of the ancient and contemporary prayer practices of the church.
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Duke Youth Academy
for Christian Formation
The Divinity School,
Duke University
Box 90966,
Durham, N.C. 27708-0966
919-660-3542,
DuYouth@div.Duke.edu | 
