August 28, 2017
Newsletter Article September 2017
INTIMATES
We met for the first time in September 2005 and I thank God, every day for my dear friend, the Rev. Dr. Kathy Middle, for introducing us. She died six years ago today.
I am told that when we are kids, a week seems like a year, and as we age a year seems like a week. Time has flown by and yet we have accomplished many things in our time together as Pastor and congregation. Even though some experts have written that pastoring in the future, of churches that are growing will be more CEOish, (concerned with administrative matters and able to herd a large staff), I believe that establishing intimate relationships will never go out of vogue.
I am certain some Methodist fundamentalist’s hair has curled at my use of the word intimate, but I am convinced that Jesus’ relationships with his disciples were most certainly intimate relationships. One can’t spend 24 hours a day, 7 days a week with folks and not know them intimately. By the way, the word intimate (verb, noun or adjective) comes from the Latin “intimatus” meaning closely acquainted, very familiar. It also means intrinsic or inmost, which might explain why women’s undergarments are called intimates – but I digress.
When I was in Seminary one of my fellow students, said: “You’d make a great hospital chaplain.” They assumed that my familiarity with sick patients in hospitals would keep me from swooning when I was confronted with tubes, and machines and more. I realized myself, in very short order, that I would be a terrible hospital chaplain. I am an ICU nurse, and if the person I am praying for is in trouble, I’ll drop the prayer, and go into nurse mode. It’s who I am.
During my one and only interview with the Cal-Pac Board of Ordained Ministry in 2011, someone intimated that it was time I decided whether I was a nurse or a pastor. In other words, she expected me to choose one or the other profession to practice. How very silly she was to tell me that!! The truth is, I am both a nurse and a pastor, and will always be both. If not for my skills as a nurse, some church members would not have received much needed assistance in a time of crisis. Yes, I have cleaned up soiled church members, tended to wounded ones and helped caregivers understand how to utilize the medications that the in-a-hurry-Hospice-people “dropped off.” I have counseled any number of church members about how to converse with their doctors regarding their symptoms, as well as helped them understand what their medications are for. I have given folks special diet resources, and counseled others about the misuse of over the counter medications. This kind of intimacy is born of a mutual trust.
If not for the intimacy we share as pastor and congregation, you would be hesitant to ask me for help, or tell me what’s on your mind, confront me about a problem, or one of my numerous missteps. Because we are intimates you offer your help and expertise in the administration of the church. Have you noticed, “parking lot politics” have all but disappeared and I think that’s because over the past eleven years we have become intimates.
God Bless you!
Rev. Amanda
http://www.etymonline.com/index.php?term=intimate
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