Pastoral and Spiritual Care
Pastoral and spiritual care is vital in pastoral care. It uses a narrative approach to finding the practices and meanings formed within the crucible of joy, suffering, and stress. Relational trust is considered vital for pastoral and spiritual care. It mainly involves opening a space to co-create meanings making spiritual and emotional sense within the narrative context of the communal and personal life. The pastoral caregivers are oriented to the narrative, and they follow the meanings emerging as the story unfolds. The reflection used in this care is inductive and collaborative. The people are part of the recovery process (Doehring, 2015). The narrative approach is mainly about assessment. The theological meanings emerging from the conversations in the biblical theologies and spiritual care involve seeking boundaries in both the known and unknown. People's struggles are the center of care seekers since the suffering calls to question the sacred values and ultimate beliefs. The respectful and compassionate care relationship provides a trustworthy space to explore new meanings (Doehring, 2015). People can give pastoral and spiritual care only if they are given the proper theological training and education to help them handle issues.
The care process starts when the caregivers begin stories with a sense of humility, awe, and wonder. Narratives such as religious symbols and communication mysteries are part of the care since they show the people the core values and beliefs (Doehring, 2015). They are also part of the communal spiritual practices in intercultural care. The caregivers embody compassion and kindness of God and humanity, which is part of the theistic traditions as part of the spiritual and pastoral care (Doehring, 2015). Showing body language and spiritual and emotional presence is vital since it opens up people to the mystery of suffering and assists them in integrating grief into their lives to create a more creative and sustaining way of living.
References
Doehring, C. (2015). The Practice of Pastoral Care: A Postmodern Approach (Revised and Expanded Edition). Westminster John Knox Press.
