Including the Sick

[Marie_Gregg]

I wasn’t able to attend church today. As someone who suffers from Chronic Fatigue and Immune Dysfunction Syndrome, there are many days when I am simply too ill or weak to do much more than take a shower and lay down on the couch. I try very hard to keep connected to God through worship music, prayer and Bible reading, but there are days, like today, when I become sad and lonely. I ache for the fellowship of other believers.

So, how do you include the sick in your life? How does your church reach out to and include the sick? I’m interested in all points of view here. I have come to learn the hard lesson that many people are deeply uncomfortable around the sick. It is so much easier to ignore that which makes us uncomfortable than it is to do the hard work of extending a hand of compassion. The church, sadly, isn’t immune.

 

[Matthew_Holford]

I wasn’t able to attend church today. As someone who suffers from Chronic Fatigue and Immune Dysfunction Syndrome, there are many days when I am simply too ill or weak to do much more than take a shower and lay down on the couch. I try very hard to keep connected to God through worship music, prayer and Bible reading, but there are days, like today, when I become sad and lonely. I ache for the fellowship of other believers.

So, how do you include the sick in your life? How does your church reach out to and include the sick? I’m interested in all points of view here. I have come to learn the hard lesson that many people are deeply uncomfortable around the sick. It is so much easier to ignore that which makes us uncomfortable than it is to do the hard work of extending a hand of compassion. The church, sadly, isn’t immune.

Contact your parish. I’m sure they’ll have a ministry for sick people. This may include Communion being brought to you on Sundays; visits from the priest to hear your confession; inclusion in the parish’s prayers; social visits from parishioners.

 

[JonNC]

Contact your parish. I’m sure they’ll have a ministry for sick people. This may include Communion being brought to you on Sundays; visits from the priest to hear your confession; inclusion in the parish’s prayers; social visits from parishioners.

This is not unlike Lutheran practices. Additionally, LCMS parishes have a board of Elders who assist the pastor in the psiritual health of the congregation.
I, to, would urge Marie to contact here pastor or other members of her church.

Jon

 

[SteveVH]

Contact your parish. I’m sure they’ll have a ministry for sick people. This may include Communion being brought to you on Sundays; visits from the priest to hear your confession; inclusion in the parish’s prayers; social visits from parishioners.

Except that the OP is not Catholic. I’m not sure what provisions are made for the sick in the Church of the Nazarene, but Christ was explicit that we should visit the sick. The Catholic Church does this quite well, IMO, but that is mostly due to the fact that we have sacraments (Eucharist and Reconciliation) and understand the importance of the sick being able to receive them. It’s just the Christian thing to do.

Marie, I will pray for you this evening.

God bless.

 

[Marie_Gregg]

Thanks to those of you who responded to my “woe is me” post.

It’s so hard to be consistently sick. I guess I just have to remember that even Paul had a thorn that God wouldn’t remove. Maybe this is mine. You’re all right - I need to talk with my pastor about this.

 

[Matthew_Holford]

Except that the OP is not Catholic.

I did not check her tag. I often don’t. I’m sure some of my advice might have been useful: a minister of her denomination and fellow parishioners/congregants visiting her. As for the sacramental aspects of my advice, like you, I don’t know about the Church of the Nazarene.

 

[SteveVH]

I did not check her tag. I often don’t. I’m sure some of my advice might have been useful: a minister of her denomination and fellow parishioners/congregants visiting her. As for the sacramental aspects of my advice, like you, I don’t know about the Church of the Nazarene.

Yeah, the only reason I mentioned that is that the sacraments bring a sense of urgency to vist the sick, whereas just “visiting” someone who is sick is somewhat different. I brought communion and prayed the rosary with Catholics in a nursing home for several years. There was a real sense of duty to make sure you visited them because of the Eucharist, but it also provided an opportunity to just ask them how they were doing and if they needed anything else, and to just hang out with them for awhile. I know how much they looked forward to those visits. It is really important.

By the way, I’m sure your advice was useful to the OP as well and wasn’t trying to criticize you in the least.

God bless.

 

[Denise1957]

I wasn’t able to attend church today. As someone who suffers from Chronic Fatigue and Immune Dysfunction Syndrome, there are many days when I am simply too ill or weak to do much more than take a shower and lay down on the couch. I try very hard to keep connected to God through worship music, prayer and Bible reading, but there are days, like today, when I become sad and lonely. I ache for the fellowship of other believers.

So, how do you include the sick in your life? How does your church reach out to and include the sick? I’m interested in all points of view here. I have come to learn the hard lesson that many people are deeply uncomfortable around the sick. It is so much easier to ignore that which makes us uncomfortable than it is to do the hard work of extending a hand of compassion. The church, sadly, isn’t immune.

I am sorry to hear about your situation, Marie. I have a sister who suffers from Chronic Fatigue, and her life is very difficult.

I don’t have a regular parish that I attend, but the one I attended formerly included a list of parishioners in the bulletin who needed prayers. I’m not sure if anyone there visited the sick, but I think it’s a good idea.

I should visit the sick myself, but I pray for them instead, which is easier, I guess. I’ll pray a daily decade of the Rosary for you for the next two weeks, if that’s okay. I hope that you feel better soon.