Loading...The Rev. Dr. Helen Jones retired from her position as Pastoral Associate at St. Matthew's Episcopal Church, Louisville, on March 2. In addition to serving as deacon, and later priest, in the parish, Jones served as Director of Pastoral Care at the J. Graham Brown Cancer Center and as Senior Chaplain at Norton Hospital. She also worked with HIV patients at University Hospital and as a spiritual director.
The Rev. Emily S. Crouch shared these words from Jones' reflection on her ministry: "Remember to bring the concerns and love of the community to the bedside, sitting down with families in the waiting room or in the hospital room or with families at odds. To be there, like neighbors, like family, and at the end of life, to revive the old practice of sitting vigil. In a world where telephone calls and mail go unanswered, we can answer. In a world based on a profit motive in which caregivers cannot take the time to treat old people, we can be the ones who wait for those old people to make their way from the waiting room; we can walk with them; we can be the ones who are not timing our visits, anxious to be off to the next event or person…We can show up. We can sit down. Pastoral care is about sitting down with people."
Read the full article from the Rev. Emily S. Crouch below. Photographs from Helen's retirement party can be viewed here.
Reflections From Three Decades of Ministry
By the Rev. Emily S. Crouch
This past week I was privileged to talk with the Rev. Dr. Helen Jones about her life, ministry, faith, and her upcoming retirement. Her ministry has extended over the past 32 years to include: work as Director of Pastoral Care at J. Graham Brown Cancer Center and as Senior Chaplain at Norton Hospital; work with HIV patients at University Hospital; serving as deacon, priest and spiritual director at St. Matthew’s Episcopal Church. She has also served in other capacities, with a heart for service in her community and a voice for those with little voice (including her own passion for inclusion and inclusive language in our churches).
In speaking with Helen I am inspired by the depth with which she speaks about her faith and constant yearning to feel connected to God and others. Helen speaks about a very personal God; a God who calls her into relationship with her community, with the dying and lonely and with deep friendships that sustain her.
As Helen leaves the clergy staff at St. Matthew’s she will certainly not be leaving her love for community and long standing relationships behind. Helen plans to continue to worship and participate in the life of care at St. Matthew’s. But she also hopes to “revive” her sculpting, visit children and grandchildren more, spend time listening to chamber music and reading poetry. And of course more time with her husband Tom.
Finally, I leave you with a piece of wisdom written by Helen. When asked the following question, I was very moved by her response. I think we all can learn a lot from her witness and life.
If you could pass on one piece of advice to people in ministry (lay or ordained) what would it be?
Remember that the opposite of the contemplative life is not the active life but the reactive life.
Remember to bring the concerns and love of the community to the bedside, sitting down with families in the waiting room or in the hospital room or with families at odds. To be there, like neighbors, like family, and at the end of life, to revive the old practice of sitting vigil. In a world where telephone calls and mail go unanswered, we can answer. In a world based on a profit motive in which caregivers cannot take the time to treat old people, we can be the ones who wait for those old people to make their way from the waiting room; we can walk with them; we can be the ones who are not timing our visits, anxious to be off to the next event or person...We can show up. We can sit down. Pastoral care is about sitting down with people.
Remember that, as a Christian community, we are meant to be as much family as biological families. And family needs to come together.
