Henri Nouwen and His Ministry of Companioning with Wil Hernandez Part VI
Conclusion
Henri Nouwen was truly a man for others. When he companioned others, he gave unreservedly of himself because he had a full self to give, a self anchored upon his true, spiritual identity before God as God’s beloved. His effectiveness to reach out in love to the world was directly contingent upon the extent to which he allowed God’s love to reach in to the very depths of his experience. Living “from the center of our being, where our identity is defined by God, not others,” Nouwen pointed out, is what enables us to care and thus minister with real depth and effectiveness. It is true that in ministry, you can only give what you have—and who you are. Nouwen was effective in his ministry of spiritual caregiving because he knew who he was as a minister. Thus the more he embraced that truth and claimed it for himself the more empowered he felt to extend himself to others in ministry. Ministry, to him, is precisely that—“the giving of self.”
Henri Nouwen ministered to others in a soul-deep capacity that distinguishes him as one of the most effective spiritual care providers of all time. Whether in his role as a priest, a pastor, or a prophet, Nouwen shepherded people as one who truly and deeply cared for their spiritual well-being. Behind his intensely personal and caring focus to ministry also lies the conviction that such an approach holds relevance for our technological age: “Scientism cannot replace personalism. Techniques cannot replace ministry. Rationalism cannot replace sensitivity.” Given this conviction, Nouwen decried the growing tendency of “professionalization” in ministry. In his commitment to dismantle the constant elevation of hierarchy in ministry, Nouwen stressed the fact that “[w]e are all healers who can reach out to offer health, and we all are patients in constant need of help. Only this realization can keep professionals from becoming distant technicians and those in need of care from feeling used or manipulated.” Ministry relationship, Henri Nouwen insisted, “can never completely be understood within the logic of a professional contract.” By his own example, Nouwen functioned in every way, as a fully alive, engaged spiritual companion in the journey of people’s lives.
In a life-giving way, Henri Nouwen ministered personally, spiritually, creatively, holistically, and most of all, integratively. The integrated dynamics he utilized in his ministry of formation proved to be effective not because they represented workable tools anyone could dispense on demand but because they embodied his very being—the integrated person that he was. Simply put, his entire ministry was characterized by a ministry of integration primarily because he, first of all, lived out a spirituality of integration. His ministry was but an overflow of his spirituality. Unquestionably, Nouwen ministered out of who he was as a person—a person of deep integrity.
Henri Nouwen’s work of soul care and spiritual formation was never about techniques. Neither was it about programs and curricula—important as they are in ministry. More importantly, it was definitely not about “roles” even though multiple roles have been attached to his person. In the final analysis, it is about the person of Henri Nouwen that made his ministry distinct and undoubtedly fruitful. It is Nouwen’s lived spirituality flowing out of his integrated being that made all the difference. Nouwen, from the start, espoused a unified schema of spirituality which he himself lived out consisting of three integrated movements: to self, to others, and to God. It is a spirituality of integration rooted in the Great Commandment with its equally unified and intersecting dimensions: the love of God, others, and self. This is what made Henri Nouwen a soul companion par excellence!
 Along with being an author and spiritual director, Wil works with the Leadership Institute in partnership with the Denver-based Spiritual Formation Alliance Network as coordinator of the Southern California Spiritual Formation Partners. He also teaches courses on the spirituality of Henri Nouwen at Fuller Theological Seminary, Haggard Graduate School of Theology at Azusa Pacific University, and the Center for Religion and Spirituality at Loyola Marymount University. You can find his two books, Henri Nouwen: A Spirituality of Imperfection and Henri Nouwen and Soul Care on Amazon. You can also visit the website he hosts called Nouwen Legacy. |
OMG!! (as in “Oh my gallbladder!!”) I wish you have written this 20 years ago, and that I have read this then, at a time when I thought spirituality can be programmed, that discipleship requires adherence to a pre-set curriculum or plan, that Christian maturity is just seven steps away (or was it ten?
). I know there’s nothing wrong per se with having clear ministry goals, structure or programs but I guess too much emphasis or reliance on these – at the price of real relationships taking root – defeats the purpose of ministry. We do tend to forget that Christian growth is a Spirit-led process that takes place in the context of relationships, not a customized, personal development plan that can be programmed and measured by one’s ‘victories’ or ministry accomplishments.
“Living from the center of our being, where our identity is defined by God, not others is what enables us to care and thus minister with real depth and effectiveness.” (AMEN!)
I know exactly what you mean Tita! Nouwen did revolutionize the way I thought about ministry. Isn’t it freeing and empowering though? That’s why soul care is soul work because it involves penetrating through people’s inner lives. Ministry is not just transferring materials; it’s about influencing lives by our own lives. Amen too!
Wil, I have really enjoyed your blogging on Nouwen. I would like to read some of your books – it may take me a while because I get a bit overwhelmed by my Fuller Theo. required reading!
Your post today was insightful. I think Nouwen’s message subverting our technological misnomers needs to be shouted from the rooftops. In today’s world we are so willing to give all of our “self” over a text/email/tweet/FB post, but unwilling to look a close friend in the eye and be totally vulnerable. I would say (and I think Nouwen would agree) that all this “openness” online is to our loss and not gain.
Eddie Gibbs told me once he only uses email and texts to set up appointments, but always tries to have the conversation or discussion in person. I’ve tried to avoid replacing relationships online for relationships in person – but I have to admit it’s getting harder and harder to do, to have real life person-to-person connecting happening.
I agree with you Dustin! Technology is both a blessing and a curse, boon and bane of our existence. It’s real easy to resort to these kinds of substitutes (which I’m by no means undermining) and veer away from the more challenging face-to-face interaction with people. I think that we should be more intentional than ever before to not lose this more direct, relational component of ministry even though the competition is escalating on all fronts. Our souls though are meant to be touched deeply by other souls, not by mechanisms!
Wil,
‘Henri ‘ a person of deep integrity’ had a full self to give, a self anchored upon his true, spiritual identity before God as God’s beloved. He knew who he was as a minister and embraced that truth “the giving of self” and became effective through ministry as a spiritual care provider.
Stressed the fact we are all healers and patients and only this realization can keep professionals from becoming distant technicians and those in need of care from feeling used or maniputated’
Henri’s example learning how to trust God more fully on his path of ‘thorn’s’ freely moved him to embrace his ministry, others and self, was stunning to discover how we are si in need of these ‘palaces build on pillars’ of truth, acceptance and love.
Thanks
Wil,
A great conclusion to an excellent series on how Nouwen approached companioning. I love the heart of this conclusion that he gave his true self to others, encouraging the priesthood of all believers as well as the importance of being personal, ministry focused and sensitive. Thank you so much for being an honored guest to this blog, even during it’s transition to a new server. I hope to have you do a series in the future. Again, much thanks.
Amen to all that Sonja. Thanks for participating actively in the conversation. I enjoyed your input and your insightful remarks on the different subject matters we covered.
To JR, Tom, Sonja, Dustin, Joe H. Curt, Nic (Parepidemos), Glendale, Sally, Ruth, JP, Leila, Tara, Kerry, Joe C. Jesse, James, Miriam, Tita, and to everyone who visited and read the blogs,
Thanks for joining in the conversation on Nouwen’s companioning ministry. I have thoroughly enjoyed interacting with many of you during the entire series. Special thanks goes to JR for your persistence in convincing me to blog even though I’m not a natural blogger like you. Thanks so much for hosting this series. I loved the process. I loved it so much that I’ve been seriously considering running the same series, perhaps beginning in July, through my own blogsite (http://nouwenlegacy.blogspot.com) in order to give opportunity for others to come on board in the discussion. You are most welcome to still participate so we can continue the conversation together. I felt like I discovered a new community of likeminded folks through this blogsite. If you wish to be on my Nouwen Legacy Associates email listing and you want to be posted on the Nouwen events that I do everywhere, I invite you all to sign up and be an official part of the Nouwen Legacy Associates (NLY). You can sign up on my website: http://www.nouwenlegacy.com if you haven’t already done so. Or simpler yet, just email me straight and I’ll add your email address to the list myself: wil@nouwenlegacy.com. A million thanks to all, including the ones who checked out the site but never got to post any comment (remember, we’ll run it again soon, maybe in July or August).
With you on the journey,
WIL
Hi Wil! I’m a little late in catching your blog (Thurs., June 18, 8:15 PM), but thanks for telling me about it! I just now enjoyed reading everyone’s thoughts in the above messages! What a great community of friends and companions along the journey! Although I’ve never blogged (this is my first time!!), I can see how meaningful it can be! Thank you all for sharing your wonderful insights! – Annette
HI Annette,
Never too late! Thanks for reading the posted comments. Like I said, you still have the chance to enter into the conversation as I run the same series later on through my own blogsite (why didn’t I think about that before? Thanks to JR’s idea and encouragement to blog about this!). So hopefully we’ll get to interact on this subject further. I’ll let you know when I put it up on my site.
Blessings,
W
I am an assistant chaplain at San Joaquin Community Hospital. YES, I have had many graced moments with our patients who have allowed me to be a part of their lives’ journey and who have asked me to join with them in special prayer experiences and stories of their lovely stories of family and the journey to God. I can only say that I hope that He continues to work through me in a caring compassionate and appropriate way.
On the cutting edge of life’s journey,
Joanna Barge..here 24/7