The Liturgy of Pastoral Care: A worship shaped ministry of care

What if our pastoral care encounters are not just a check in the box or an obligation we must meet? What if our pastoral care encounters are an opportunity for us to worship, and not to just take care of those whom we visit? What if our visits are a chance for us to grow too? More of our pastoral life is worship than we thought - in fact, it all can be.Notice the rhythm and flow of your pastoral encounters; they are worship. Pause, enjoy, reflect on the worship you share with those you visit; it will not only change their lives but yours as well.Our counseling, as pastors and chaplains, is a sacred act, and there is a rhythm to it. That rhythm is the liturgy of our pastoral care, and that is a sacred interchange between us and those for whom we care, and especially the God whom we serve. That liturgy is our time of worship.In this brief but powerful book we take time to explore the fact that a pastoral visit or encounter is so much more than the few minutes we may spend with each other, but also an encounter with the holy. In this book, we explore the fact that we all develop a pattern to our pastoral care encounters that can also become a pattern or liturgy of our own pastoral care, and also a time of worship. Here, the pastor/chaplain/rabbi/imam/priest is encouraged to go beyond the obligatory visit to a person but to see it as an opportunity to encounter the holy themselves.What is the liturgy of your pastoral care?