The Art of Ministry

Our administrator at First Unitarian (otherwise known as the brains of the outfit) was by herself in the office. It was getting late in the afternoon, but there was lots and lots to do. Always is…

A member of the college-age group, a senior at the large university that surrounds our church walked in. Being one of those kids who are very involved in things small and large, she’d been serving as a liaison for an older returning student, who although a freshman was the same age as our member.

She looked like she’d seen a ghost.

The young man she’d been guiding, helping to integrate into campus life, had been hit by a car and killed while walking across a street.

The student asked if I were around.

But I wasn’t.

She asked if she could just sit in the Meeting House sanctuary for a little.

Our administrator walked her over to the Meeting House and let her in.

Then sat with her.

Later, when we talked about this, she said, “I didn’t know what to do. I’m not a minister. I just sat with her and we cried together.”

That, of course, is the art of ministry.

That’s the whole thing in a nutshell…