Call to mind the image of the Body of Christ, many parts - different roles; many gifts/charisms - different work. As one part changes all are affected: to thrive or to suffer.As those whose role and work is to offer spiritual leadership, our spiritual health - regardless of what we say or do - impacts the Body, we need to tend our own garden. It is not selfish to care for ourselves. We need to do our spiritual care: to keep us growing spiritually; to become more mature in our own faith; to be grounded in the depth of who we each are as a child of God. Then we are what we offer in each encounter with other people, family, friends, parishioners.

We have a Spiritual Care Network in our Conference. At the network retreat in May 2009 we wanted to explore the relationship between these two types of caring: spiritual care and pastoral care. How are they the same? How are they different? How are they related? And how are we (those in paid accountable ministry) receiving care.

I could describe Pastoral Care as the welcoming of support from other people to help me respond to a trauma or crisis and make better choices for my well being.

I could describe Spiritual Care as asking God to continue, at deeper levels, my transformation through discernment of my true self, a child of God, in the struggles and joys of life. There is much more that could, and has, been said. But let this suffice to “prime your pump”. Ultimately we want you to assess how you are getting a daily dose of both pastoral and spiritual care.

To start our conversation at the retreat we moved physically to find a place on an imaginary line across the room. This line was a continuum, with a neutral point in the center, between some contrasting, but not exclusive, phrases, actions, people, consequences or concepts. Most of us were frustrated with having to make a choice at some point in the process, shouting “both/and”. And we were able to have some fun with this.

We’ve printed the eight continua twice in this newsletter. Here is one you can do it yourself, and on this one you can see what the group did. Don’t over think your choice and then enjoy reflecting on where you placed yourself on the line before checking the responses of the group.