VISIT THE SICK
Ministering God’s grace in times of illness
By Brian Croft. Day One. 92 pages. £5.00
ISBN 978-1-84625-143-6
On books about healing in theory and testimony there seems to be no end. It is, therefore, very refreshing to come across a very readable yet down-to-earth book about sickness and the church’s responsibility and opportunity. Brian Croft writes from much personal pastoral experience, undergirded by a medical background.
Pastoral visitation is often a neglected aspect of ministry today. Difficulties abound but they can be overcome by diligence, ingenuity and prayerful determination. I can speak with much empathy, having built a lifetime of local church ministry on the assumption that home visits form an essential foundation. The old adage that ‘a housegoing parson makes a churchgoing people’ may no longer be so true and is probably not the highest motivation. But the call of Matthew 25 remains.
There is a helpful blend of theology and practical application here, not only inspiring present or would-be pastors to launch into the deep and knock on a few doors, but also to help train lay members of the church to share in the task. A full-time minister has certain special advantages but a layperson can often get nearer to the real person behind the closed door.
I have a habit of skipping appendices. That would be tragic here. All are good and the final one, a lengthy quote from dear Bishop Ryle, makes the perfect ending — or beginning!
Philip H. Hacking,
retired Anglican vicar and itinerant preacher
