nursing homes

The Longer I Serve Him

/ pastorpete51 / 2 Comments 
I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. Henceforth there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, will award to me on that day, and not only to me but also to all who have loved his appearing. 2 Timothy 4:7-8 ESV



Even as a young person, I always kind of liked this song, though it really was neither my style nor my story at the time. I kind of figured it had been written by one of the old fuddy-duddys at some church far away and long ago, but it did have a sweet feeling to it. Recently when I began singing it for the residents at various of the nursing homes which I visit, I began looking into the origins of the composition and was shocked to discover that it had been written by Bill and Gloria Gaither before they even turned thirty!


That is the way it is with God’s inspiration. He shares His riches with those whom He likes, and they have a timeless appeal, precisely because the music comes from Him. I hope you will be touched and blessed by my simple rendering of the Gaither’s classic, “The Longer I Serve Him The Sweeter He Grows”. I also pray that as you embark upon the challenges, difficulties and adventures of the New year, that you will discover how sweet and great a blessing it is to be serving Jesus no matter what your age!

Go! Tell it on the Mountain!

/ pastorpete51 / 5 Comments

And how can anyone preach unless they are sent? As it is written: “How beautiful are the feet of those who bring good news!” Romans 10:15 NIV

I will bet that you have never heard the above verse read during a Christmas service. But what the shepherds did after going down to see baby Jesus in the manger, is exactly what this scripture is all about! Those shepherds didn’t need an evangelism course; they simply couldn’t wait to tell everyone that night in Bethlehem that “Jesus Christ is born!” This anonymous hymn sung in many African American churches during the middle 1800’s was eventually published and arranged by John Wesley Work Jr. in 1901. Though its words and melody are simple it is deservedly as well-loved as “Hark the Herald Angels Sing”, written by another Wesley (Charles). I do hope you will enjoy listening to our precious residents singing along and that perhaps you will join in and “Go tell it on the mountain!”

Learning to Listen

/ pastorpete51 / 3 Comments 
Understand this, my dear brothers and sisters: You must all be quick to listen, slow to speak, and slow to get angry. James 1:19 NLT

I wrote this article a few years ago about listening in nursing home ministry, but it is just as applicable in other kinds of outreach and even within our own families (a good thought to carry as we plan on Thanksgiving gatherings!)

When my wife and I were learning Portuguese, from our friends at the Brazilian church where we served on staff, we had to learn be quiet and pay attention as people spoke. One fun way we found was to join in during worship time. As others were singing around us, we tried our best, a tiny bit at a time to join them with our own voices. Then, little by little, as we increased our vocabulary and improved our dreadful accents, we were able to enter into conversations with our friends.

I have discovered that same kind of listening is important in nursing home ministry. It does little good and sometimes much harm, to simply come in with all of my own ideas of what I think people need to hear. Life in long-term care, whether it is assisted living, memory care or a traditional skilled nursing facility is entirely different from living in the outside world. Just as when we were learning Portuguese, it is hard for most of us to be quiet long enough to hear what people are saying. In spite of the fact that we have two ears and one mouth, most of us find that talking is far easier than listening! But only listening long enough to know the hearts of others, will teach us how to share the message of the love of Jesus Christ in a language that they can understand. So, lets close our mouths tighter and open our ears wider and ask God to help us to listen. And most of all, remember that our God, the Great Creator, the Almighty, the all-knowing Eternal God, stoops low to listen to our prayers!