Family Life Ministry Moment
Matilda Maschmeier “Mattie” to her church friends, “Til” at home, and “Grandma” to me, lived to the wonderful age of 102. Well, if you asked her, as soon as she had a birthday, she was already turning the next age, so she would say she was really going on 103.
Mattie Maschmeier was a lifelong LCMS Lutheran who loved her Lord and Savior with all her heart. In our weekly conversations, she would often ask me where I was going and what I was doing that week, and she always reminded me to call when I arrived if I was traveling. Worry relief may have been part of that request, but at its center was her devoted prayer life.
She would often say, “The Lord is keeping me alive to pray all of you back and forth from your travels.”
Her mornings were spent in the study of Scripture and in prayer. Her afternoons and early evenings were filled with chatty phone conversations, with laundry and baking mixed in, along with the everyday care of her home. She lived alone during her last five years, after Grandpa went to be with the Lord, and she did so with quiet faithfulness.
During those final years, Grandma was considered a shut-in. She would leave the house for a doctor’s appointment or an occasional outing with a family member, but she could no longer attend worship. And yet, though physically shut in, Mattie Maschmeier remained deeply connected to her congregation. She followed the life of the church closely and faithfully prayed for every aspect of the ministry.
In many congregations, there is a tendency to see shut-in members primarily as service opportunities, people to be cared for through cards, visits, and prayers. These acts of mercy are good and necessary; however, we quickly overlook that often shut-in members may also have the capacity to serve and support others within the body of Christ.
Consider the mom and dad in your setting overwhelmed by busyness. The empty nester navigating a new chapter. The member who has just become a widow or widower. What if we brought these prayer and support opportunities to our shut-ins? This could be as simple as sharing the name of a family or individual, telling a bit of their story, or even bringing a photo and asking the shut-in to pray specifically for them. In doing so, we strengthen the body of believers and create meaningful avenues for service and connection for those who are homebound.
Who are the “Mattie Maschmeiers ” in your setting? Someone who could be a prayer warrior and support for the families you are seeking to encourage and equip in the daily walk of faith?
Perhaps one of the most encouraging gifts we can give our shut-ins is not only care, but purpose and connection, equipping them to love and serve their neighbor through prayer.
Deb Jurchen serves the District as Congregational Consultant for Family Life Ministry. In this role, she will share articles and resources to encourage congregations to connect with and serve the families in their community. Click here to learn more about Family Life Ministry.