October 21-27, 2018 Spiritual Care Week

Hospitality: Cultivating Time

Spiritual care has a wonderful history of cultures and religions that build communities’ sense of support and meaning.  This year’s theme continues the emphasis on hospitality with a focus on cultivating time.  The welcoming and belonging associated with hospitality require time that is treated as precious in developing relationships.

This nurturing of connections requires an attitude of listening and appreciation. For those involved in the task-oriented dimensions of health and support, there is a temptation to achieve the quantitative dimensions of the profession and miss the depth of relationships that requires time.

Time allows the cared-for to express the real problem, the deeper implications and the meaning or despair that is felt at a soulful level.

Cultivating and nurturing time is a challenge in an age of instantaneous communication and multiple sources of connection. Human presence flows back and forth – it takes time for mutuality and trust to develop. 

Cultivating time conveys to the recipient a treasuring of them as a person no matter what they are going through. We hope that this year you might appreciate even more the time taken in spiritual care which conveys preciousness and healing at every stage of life.