12 June 2025

I discovered a book,  written in the nineteenth century,  about a Scottish liturgical initiative. It was described as a first edition and rare. It was a scholarly work which has not been replicated in more recent decades. I decided to buy it.

The acknowledgment of my purchase came with a welcome piece of correspondence. The bookseller recognised my address and deduced that I was a minister. She had known of two other ministers by the same name.

She had lived in Scotland for some time before moving south. She described one of these ministers as ‘very kind and friendly even though I was not in the Church of Scotland and didn’t know him very well’.  I was greatly heartened by her distinctive memory.

In my reply, I wrote back,  ‘It is always good to hear about the parish element of a minister's work. It always extends beyond the immediate congregation if a minister is fulfilling his vocation.’ Her comment confirms two important things about parish ministry.

Firstly, kindness is a good foundation for pastoral care. In the book of Ruth we learn about Naomi’s kinsman, Boaz, who was kind to her foreign daughter-in-law. One of the significant threads in the book is our relationship with people who are different. Kindness leads us to treat them as kin.

Secondly, a minister who is taking his responsibilities within the parish seriously  will not only be exercising a ministry of kindness but will also be unaware how far this kindness travels into the hearts of the people to whom he ministers, their family, friends and neighbours. This is the mysterious, unplotted work of the Spirit.