What 3 Senior Saints Taught Me About Ministry This Week

Dear Friends,

One of the most satisfying aspects of ministry is the opportunity to be around God’s children on a regular basis. On this past Tuesday I was blessed with a spiritual trifecta.

A personal visit and two phone calls left me with so much gratitude that I could hardly sleep that night.

I visited one of our senior saints-Ethel Halvorsen-who is in her 90’s- in a Rehabilitation Care Center in Wall. Esther used to come in every Tuesday during my first interim here at New Monmouth (yes, I was here before, and believe it or not they invited me to come back again), and she faithfully ran off audio tapes of the Sunday messages. Precise and detailed, she was a perfect fit for the position. 

This past Tuesday I walked into her room, and she was resting in bed while receiving oxygen. She was having some trouble breathing, but despite her oxygen challenge, she was in good spirits while wearing a smile on her face and sporting a twinkle in her eye. Hopefully her demeanor was an indication of her pleasure in seeing me. 

We had a wonderful time swapping personal stories, and then she changed the direction of our conversation and spoke to me about a therapy dog that had recently visited her, and so we wound up talking about our dog experiences. While I didn’t know she loved dogs the way I did, she told me about “Sockeye,” a Terrier that used to roam the rugs of her home. And then she surprised me by commenting on her aversion to dogs that had a habit of kissing their owners. We continued our conversation for a while and when I had prayed and was ready to say goodbye, something within caused me to awkwardly blurt out, “Ethel, I know you what you said about kissing dogs, but how do you feel about kissing pastors?” I was mortified as I listened to those words that just slipped from my mouth, and embarrassed by them I just stood there waiting and wondering how in the world she was going to respond to my ill-chosen question. While hugging comes naturally to me, I don’t normally go around asking people if they mind me kissing them, especially those in the hospital, so don’t worry if you ever see me slipping into your room at Riverview, kissing patients is not a part of my normal visitation protocol if you know what I mean. 

Ethel initially acted a little taken back by my question and then smiling at me she said yes, I would love a kiss, and so I bent over and kissed her on her cheek, and as I did I felt her arms tighten around my back as she hugged me in a kind of embrace that I don’t think I will ever forget. It was at that moment that I recognized that in loving her, even if doing it awkwardly, she was loving me back. As I walked out of that room, I couldn’t help but feel that she had made a significant difference in my life as I hoped I had made in hers. 

That evening I decided to call a couple of our past pastors just to let them know that I was thinking of them. I wasn’t prepared for the wonderful fellowship I would enjoy. Jonathan Bosse, who touched many lives in the years he was at New Monmouth and who always fostered’ jealousy’ within me when I would hear the stories of his legendary ability to walk into a room of 20 people and within minutes be able to recall their every name. During his pastorate with us in the 90’s, he touched many lives with his preaching gifts, and he raised up a significant number of young people who entered full time service as a result of his influence.  We shared information about our ministries and our families, and we agreed to not let so many years pass (it had been seven) since we last talked.

After talking with Jonathan, I felt the urge to call Pastor Bruce Seymour who served with us during the early part of this century and whose vision  and leadership were responsible for the erection of the Family Ministry Center. While I had previously thanked him in writing for the part he played in the construction of this magnificent ministry resource, I had never personally expressed my thanks to him. Bruce has been physically impacted by his struggle with Parkinson disease and has had to retire from his teaching position to take an administrative role within  his seminary. He had little idea of the magnitude of the ministry he left us, through the completion of the Family Ministry Center, and I was so happy to relate the impact of his leadership: Upward Basketball, Rhythm Gymnastics, Middletown Helps Its Own, Home School activities, Men’s Basketball, Fall Fest, Family Fellowship Hours, and Sandy Relief  to name a few of the programs that commemorate his legacy. I immediately could sense the pleasure he felt as I related how his vision and leadership had contributed to so many church outreach opportunities.

As I laid my head on the pillow that past Tuesday night, I could hardly contain my gratitude, as I thought to myself how blessed I am to “get” to do this kind of ministry without ever feeling I have “got” to do it,  and what a difference the two perspectives make.

Ethel, Jonathan, Bruce, thanks for all you have done to make all our lives richer, and fuller and for your service that has brought much joy to your Savior.

Yours in faith and friendship,

Pastor Tom