There are moments when a pastor just needs to show up.
You get a phone call:
“Pastor, there’s been an accident.”
“Pastor, we just got bad news from the doctor.”
“Pastor, my husband and I really need to talk to someone about our marriage.”
When a pastor or elder gets that kind of phone call, there’s only one thing he can do. He needs to go. Yes, he will need to listen to them, and advise them, read Scripture together, and pray together. But it all begins with going.
In my eighteen years of being a pastor, I learned that so much of my pastoral work was a ministry of presence. God’s people need you to be there for them, literally.
It’s the pattern set by Jesus himself. In John 14, He commands his disciples not to fear, even though He was going to ascend to heaven: “Let not your hearts be troubled” (v. 1). Then He joins that command to the promise of his presence; He says that by his Spirit, He will always be near (v. 18):
I will not leave you as orphans; I will come to you.
“I will come to you.” Presence matters, both in Christ’s ministry to us, and in our ministry to others—especially to those who are suffering.
Nancy Guthrie wrote an excellent book about how to support those who are mourning loss. At one point, she sums up all of her counsel to those seeking to help the grieving, and she does so with a simple, two-word action plan: “Show up.”
That is wisdom which can be applied to many pastoral situations. It’s always easier to give a phone call, or just send a text message, or try to connect with them on Sunday after worship. But it demonstrates the love of a pastor’s heart to just “show up,” even if the visit is a brief one.
It’s the reassurance of having a servant of Christ present, someone who can listen in love. It’s the blessing of having a pastor or elder who is prepared to open Scripture with his people and pray with them.
In a way, you should want to be the predictable pastor: your members know that you’ll come. You’ll be there at the hospital. You’ll be in their homes, for their moments of need and in their moments of joy.
There are limitations to this, of course. A pastor cannot be everywhere, and at all times—he’s only human. The minister is also not the congregation’s only shepherd, because God has entrusted this task of caring to the elders of the church, too. Likewise, the deacons have a ministry of mercy, in which they help the lonely and assist the struggling.
Nevertheless, a pastor should develop a shepherd’s instinct for when he should “show up”—being there so that he can help.
For instance, he should come when crisis hits a family—like when there’s the sudden revelation of a grievous sin, or when a teenager abruptly leaves the home—when there’s a crying need for pastoral guidance or encouragement.
Or after a serious medical diagnosis, and there is a deep craving for the peace of Christ.
When someone is approaching the end of their life, and there’s a need for a reassuring gospel word. And then also when Jesus calls the loved one home.
Or before a major surgery, when someone needs to talk through their fears.
It’s not all bad, only hard situations and difficult moments. Pastors are privileged to share in the happy occasions too, like when a child has been born. Or when there’s a significant anniversary to celebrate, a wedding, a profession of faith. Then too, a pastor should show up and lead his people in giving thanks to God.
In all of this, we can assume that a pastor or elder will have a ministry of visiting, and not just at the moments of crisis or celebration. Think of the apostle Paul, who described his years in Ephesus like this, “I have taught you publicly and from house to house” (Acts 20:20). Not just in church on Sunday, but in the living room on Monday, and at the kitchen table on Thursday night, the pastor gets to share the love and truth of God.
This is the calling of pastoral care: bringing the Word of God, and showing the love of God, to the people of God.
We don’t do it for their praise, but sometimes they’ll even say it, “Pastor, thank you. Thanks for coming, just when we needed it.”
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