HEALING AS A PASTORAL CONCERN
THE challenges facing the church in Africa
In our day the debate about miracles is related to the evaluation of the Charismatic movement as a whole .Pastoral theology can defined as that branch of theology that discusses the duties, obligations and functions of the priest in the care soul.(Oden, 1964).
Second, people who are preoccupied with the extraordinary and the spectacular need to recognize their immaturity (1 Cor. 12-14).
Those who are enamoured with the extraordinary need to learn to appreciate God’s presence in the apparently ordinary. This attitude cures the lust after the extraordinary. To a person who seems preoccupied with the extraordinary and who is prone to says, “A miracle happened to me today. The miracles it always happened especial if u believe, because even in African cultures if you do not believe in muti it cannot work for you.
The religious situation has undergone a transformation in the world. Religious pluralism is accepted by most of the modern states. Under this pluralism, the long discussed subject of Church and state is accommodated to include those issues of religious policy of the state, religious freedom, the relation of law and religion, and the relation of religions and Government in the state. The Churches preached the word of God who is One and Creator of all. People accepted their equal status before God. Hence, the unity of people was a result of common mission and vocation of religious communities ( Barret, 1968).
The Essay on Paul the Spirit and the People of God
Paul, the Spirit, and the People of God by Gordon Fee lays out a prescription for true spiritual success to cure what ails churches of all kinds. The main treatment is the Holy Spirit-led life. Fee’s major work “God’s Empowering Presence” is foundational in the area of Pauline pneumatology. This book successfully condenses the heavy exegesis of the larger work into an ...
The other problem facing the African church is the denied and believes of the witchcraft. The financial support attached to solutions‟ to poverty from the West itself makes them attractive to cash strapped African communities. But they do not work. The educational solutions that Africans suggest are frustrating for many Westerners. Africans tend to blame the Devil or Satan -often used as a synonym for witchcraft- for their problems. The defeat of the Devil ushers in „progress‟ (Harries 2006:153).
Secular Westerners shake their heads in disbelief at this apparent ignorance. The existence of evil as a personalized experience is to many Westerners the creation of a wild imagination. Western churches practice “disbelief in the reality of witchcraft” (Murray 1970:28).
Witchcraft is for Westerners a not real invention. The reality however is that hard work can be counter-productive in witch-bound societies because it results in somebody being bewitched by the jealous. The readiness of Westerners to scoff at the reality of witchcraft and deny the existence of witches has been damaging to development.
A working Definition of Health
Health is the general condition of a person in all aspects. It is also a level of functional and/or metabolic efficiency of an organism, often implicitly human. “The state of being frees from illness or injury” and according to WHO health was defined as “a state of complete physical, mental, and social well-being and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity”. But according to the Christian the healing that occurs in the physical world is but a simple shadow of what God desires and makes possible for our spiritual disease through Jesus Christ. The parallels are so great, that it seems that the presence of disease and death, health and healing, are really reflections, shadows, of the real substance, which is the Gospel. Then providing health care to people is really a spiritual enterprise, because God is revealing Himself and working in people’s lives through their disease, healing, and health.
Healing and the Church
Praying with those who are sick and those who are dying is one of the most crucial ministries of the parish, but they are also a way to deal with that. There are four different kinds of ways mentions by the priest, first the priest, who can perform all of the rites, give blessings, hear confessions and minister the anointing of the sick. Second, the deacon, who as an ordained minister can perform many of the rites, but does not hear confession or minister the anointing of the sick, because of its close connection with the sacrament of reconciliation. Third, the lay chaplain or lay pastoral minister, who has the skills and training to bring comfort and peace, and is able to lead some of the prayers as outlined by the Church. This category includes the extraordinary minister, as he or she is to be trained in this ministry by the parish. Finally, the friend or relative: this person, while not trained for this ministry, can benefit by using some of the prayers from the ritual that the Church has given for their loved one. (Oden, 1964).
The Essay on Promote Person Centred Approaches In Health And Social Care
1.0 Understand the application of person centred approaches in health and social care 1.2 Evaluate the use of care plans in applying person centred values. Care plans outlines every piece of information known about each individual person, from allergies to what hair colour they have. All medical information and next of kin etc. When done properly you should be able to read each care plan and gain ...
In other words the priest must also allow the family to their ritual things.
Pastoral care for victims of HIV & AIDS
The problem of the church to help the people that they affected with HIV & AIDS is a fear, we have a fear and that result to the discrimination. Therefore We must confront our fears with facts, put judgmental and prejudice behind us, and get on with the privilege and obligation of ministry. A person infected with HIV will eventually die. So will a person who is not infected by HIV. All will die; none of us knows when death will arrive. Therefore, our focus needs to be on how we will help the person who is infected as a church. Focusing only on death gives the impression that we have given up hope and are just waiting for the person to die. Focusing on life declares that the person has a lot of living yet to do.
Pastoral care for the sick and Dying
It is also a truth that pastor cannot heal everything but God can do. We cannot heal every wound and solve every problem in one hour. Pastoral care with someone whose life has been touched by sickness requires time, patience, and the development of a relationship. Our role is to come along side of people and support them, to be present with them. It is not to answer every question and give the solution to every problem. We must be patient as people work through the stages of grief and the many of issues that surround the patients .
The Term Paper on Why Do People Buy Hybrid Cars?
Abstract This article reports on the underlying dimensions used by petrol-electric hybrid and conventional car buyers when evaluating a vehicle with the intent to purchase. Buyers of conventionally fuelled vehicles reported that they considered quality and performance as the most important determinants of choice. They rated as least important, the image they derive from driving a particular car ...
To be a Pastoral care you need to understand and allow the people to do their thing and you need to avoid to be judgmental especially if you are in the different community where by people do their things in their ways .
REFERENCING LIST
Oden, 1964.Pastoral Theology: Essentials of Ministry. London: Harper and Row Publisher.
Barret. D, B.( 1968).
Schism and Renewal in Africa. London :Oxford University Press.
