A Piece of the Action
Your Mission Offerings at Work in Iowa District East
University of Iowa Health Care
University of Iowa Health Care
University Hospitals and Clinics, Iowa City
CHALLENGES OF OUR LORD’S MINISTRY:
To provide pastoral care to all members of The Lutheran Church – Missouri Synod. We also provide pastoral care to patients and families that I am referred to by pastors, families, patients and hospital staff members. We also work to provide pastoral care to members of the hospital staff (over 7,250 people provide medical care to over 50,000 in-patients and over 750,000 out-patients a year.)
To provide information to the members of Iowa District East about the many multifaceted needs (spiritual, physical and emotional) of our Lord’s people as they come for treatment of many different and often quite complex physical and emotional illnesses (including several organ transplant opportunities, premature babies, severe accident victims and a tree rolling on one of our members). Our great Creator has blessed the medical world with considerable resources of technology, medications and procedures. There are many ongoing opportunities for us to make life and death decisions with our Sisters and Brothers in Christ. This information is provided in Bible Classes and worship services. There are presentations at congregations for various groups regarding Advanced Medical Directives (Living Wills), lay ministry to people in hospitals and long term care facilities, death and dying; etc.
THERE ARE UNLIMITED OPPORTUNITIES to provide pastoral care to our Lord’s people 24 hours a day, seven days a week. So many people are inactive in relation to their home congregation. It is beautiful to see the Holy Spirit at work in His people as they lay on their hospital bed looking up. People recall what their basic Christian Faith beliefs are God created them with life. The Holy Spirit worked faith in their hearts, souls and minds. Now, not only do they want reassurance of eternal salvation by Christ’s suffering and death on the cross, but also a caring companion to walk with them through their medical challenges. They want to celebrate and live out Christ’s resurrection by having a resurrection of their own from their present medical, physical, emotional and spiritual needs. Most often they do!
OUR LORD OF THE CHURCH BLESSES HIS MINI-STRY here day after day, hour after hour as healing takes place physically, mentally and spiritually. We can get sicker than ever before and still live to tell about it because of the blessings of modern medicine. Once in awhile a patient will share his concern that he is dying. After briefly listening to such a conversation, I will stop them and state that I want to check with the nurse or doctor about their situation and will come back soon. Usually the message is that the person truly is getting better. However, since they had not been so sick ever before in their life, they were convinced that they were dying. What a joy to celebrate the healing of body, soul and mind! It is quite an honor and blessing to be with patients and families as our Lord calls a person home to Himself. This is a very holy time. To have the Holy Spirit working with the patients, families, hospital staff and myself as we go through all the decisions, emotions and spiritual struggles is very fulfilling as the power of God is at work in a very, very meaningful manner.
