I recently uncovered a classic work by Dietrich Bonhoeffer titled Spiritual Care. One of my favorite quotes in the introduction spoke to the need for Christians to follow Jesus in community.
“Christianity offers no place to ‘do your own thing.’ The aim of spiritual care is the integration of the person with the human community, beginning with one’s relationship to God in the community of faith.”
Bonhoeffer spends much of the introduction setting the stage for the role of the universal priesthood of all believers, rooted in the primacy of the Word, functioning as “priests” for one another. This was at the heart of the Reformation.
Bonhoeffer says believers function as a “priest” for one another in three ways. I agree.
1. Praying for the person
Christians need to pray for one another consistently. Intercessory prayer offers the balm of Christ to the hurting soul. Every Christian should grow in their comfort in offering personal prayer for a brother or sister in Christ in need of a reminder God has not left them.
Imagine if Sunday mornings (not to mention Monday through Saturday) were saturated with believers offering intercessory prayer for one another. The level of spiritual depth and kind hospitality would intensify if this were the case.
2. Teaching however you can
To Bonhoeffer, this meant two things. One—sharing Christian stories with one another. Love this! We are storied beings. We live in story. Imagine if you became so immersed in the Word of God that you could not help but listen to others and invite the Holy Spirit to bring to mind stories that would give the believer the promises of God, creating and sustaining a firm hope in Christ! Everyone can do this for one another!
The second thing this means to Bonhoeffer is a mutual exploration of the meaning of faith. This sounds like conversations around the application of God’s Word to your present situation. It probably includes questions like, “Where is God calling you to trust His promises? Where is Satan tempting you to doubt God’s promises?” An honest conversation around these questions will drive your friend back to the never-changing promises of God in Christ.
3. Mutual exhortation and consolation among Christians
This is so needed today. I love the focus on the word “mutual.” Life is best shared. Deeply shared. Exhortation drives us mutually back to God’s love. Consolation includes confession and sins forgiven.
A habit of being “priests” for one another in this way builds a “shared network of images, stories, and rituals, especially the shared entry into faith through baptism, the common sacrament which unites us all in Christ with one another in the church.”
My dream is that there would be no baptized member of the body of Christ who does not have someone that shares in mutual exhortation and consolation. We need friends to consistently and kindly proclaim God’s Word into our ears.
Some of you may ask, “What is the role of the called and ordained pastor if the body of Christ is caring for one another like this?”
Preach.
In season and out of season—preach. Granted, you do more than preach, but preach you must.
Bonhoeffer reminds his readers that the sermon remains the “encompassing element of spiritual care.” True spiritual care “joins with the sermon to uncover and banish true sin.” Simply said, spiritual care launches from the sermon and leads back to the sermon.
Listen carefully. Between sermons, pastors must be involved in spiritual care for their flock. Yet, there is no way a pastor can personally care for the spiritual wellbeing of their entire congregation (unless it is quite small). Nonetheless, I would make the case for developing spiritual care team members regardless of the size of your congregation in anticipation of the Lord bringing more souls to care for. Faithful with a little, faithful with much.
Let’s be honest, not every attender on Sunday is called and equipped to deeply care for souls. This may be due to lack of gifting or maturity. Nonetheless, I have found more are eager and willing if invited by their pastor. Historically, the church established the office of diakonia (deacon) often in areas of service, education or spiritual care. Bonhoeffer argued that this role related closely to the universal priesthood of all believers, supporting the Office of Holy Ministry.
Hello, Stephen, the first martyred proclaiming deacon.
The LCMS is unlikely to formally bring back the office of deacon anytime soon. This is unfortunate. Nonetheless, pastors are well within their biblical and confessional rights to identify and train men and women in the congregation who have been gifted to care for the souls of others within the congregation. Your congregation will thank you.
The ULC is here to help.
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