Dear Letters Page,
I am just recovering from a severe and debilitating illness which has had me bedridden for ten days, though thankfully cared for wonderfully by an amazing husband. My grown up children, my very elderly dad and even older mum-in-law have been in daily contact, but where has the church been? Our oldest member has emailed daily, enquiring and offering help (and snowdrops!) and a much younger couple of short membership duration have texted every day. I’ve received the odd ‘get well soon’ on Facebook but from my young pastor and his wife – not a dicky bird, or even a text.
Which all leaves me feeling very sad. My husband and I were in pastoral ministry for 20 years and mobiles were hardly widespread in our day so every sick member (and our last church was three times the size of this one) received regular phone calls, visits if appropriate and suitable cheering gifts. The average age of the church I’m in now is about 35, nearly 50% are aged under 18, and it seems to me that young people only know how to care for their peers – and their many children. Is my church going to be able to rise to the challenge when a real crisis comes?
