Proverbs 2: Ministries of Presence

"For the Lord gives wisdom; from his mouth come knowledge and understanding. He holds success in store for the upright; he is a shield to those whose walk is blameless, for he guards the course of the just and protects the way of his faithful ones" (Proverbs 2: 6-8)

Earlier this week, I was commenting to Troy, one of the campus ministers at Wash. U that I find the notion of "ministry of presence" beautiful but frustratingly vague.  Everybody talks about chaplaincy as a "ministry of presence" as if that paves the way to everything bright and beautiful in pastoral care.  I understand the basic idea, that as chaplains our primary role is simply to be with people; for there's no 'right' thing to do or say, but only that truth which flows from being truly attentive to a person and everything they share in conversation.  More often than not, it means listening rather than talking.  But, I contended, it still seems that "ministry of presence" still leaves an awful lot of room for awkwardness.  I mean, seriously, what do you do if you're sitting with someone in what you think is supportive silence, but they don't get what you're there for?  Eh, explain to them, "Oh, I'm being a minister of presence to you!"? (Cringe. Pastoral care FAIL)

Troy laughed, but then pointed out usefully that there are always multiple presences.  Just as a campus minister is present in very different ways when interacting with students at coffee hour or in deep one-on-one conversations, so too a chaplain's presence is an adaptable thing.  Where I went wrong with the 'ministry of presence' idea was in imagining it as some kitchy posture of generic receptivity.  (I have seen this happen with freshman YDS students taking "Pastoral Care" for the first time, as they go overboard trying to practice their 'being nice' skills on everyone else at the Div School, asking with that too-kind smile if you are really okay.)  But a true ministry of presence is not at all generic.  Its attention is specific, and its response is specific.  Of course! This resonates with what I know of ministry from working in church and school settings.

Indeed, God is present to us in specific ways, as Proverbs 2 reminded me tonight.  Sometimes God is the challenge of wisdom, sometimes the voice of understanding, and other times the shield and guard that protects us.  I don't yet know exactly how that translates into hospital chaplaincy, though I do know it has worked that way in my ministerial experiences so far... God has usually helped me know what to do.  At St. Martin de Porres middle school this past year, I certainly sometimes challenged, sometimes comforted, sometimes defended, and sometimes just listened.  Yet the hospital will be much, much harder - so I'm praying for the ability to be present in the appropriate way at the appropriate time.