Prayer in the clinic

As many of you know, I serve as the pastor of Christ Lutheran Church in Allison Hill in Harrisburg, PA. I also serve as the executive director of the health ministries of Christ Lutheran Church. We host three free clinics that serve the people of Allison Hill with a variety of health care needs.

When I am out and about people often ask what it’s like being Christ Lutheran. It’s a blessing and a challenge all at once. Maybe both lead into each other. Today I want to share just one small aspect of what ministry is like in this setting.

A few of weeks ago I started spending an hour a week in the waiting room of the clinic wearing my pastor’s collar and having a “free prayer” sign next to me. Off the bat I knew it would take some time for anyone to come over, sit down with me, and ask for prayers. It takes consistent showing up for people to trust that you’ll be there, that you can be trusted, and that you don’t have some kind of alternative motive. I’m really just there to listen to people and offer prayer based on the conversation. It’s kind of like offering a free spiritual clinic to people in a health clinic. Health is more than just physical. To me, this is about something that I’ve been focused on for a while — seeing the humanity of those around me. I’m not there to judge. I’m there to listen and pray with people.

Last week was the first time someone came over to ask for prayers. It was a wonderful moment where the person shared their concerns for themself and for their friends. And we prayed. Other conversations…