Mary Van Rheenen
CBF Field Personnel Netherlands
“A need is not a call.” My husband Keith Holmes wrote those words on the bathroom mirror for me recently. I had been having a tough time with ministry-related boundaries, and these wise words were much-needed. This was not the first time I’d needed that reminder. I first heard these wise words from Rick Landon.
Rick and Judy Landon served for many years as “member care” for the CBF Romany Team. “Member care” are professional mental health providers who volunteer to be resources for CBF field personnel. At the time, Rick was co-clinical director of the Interfaith Counseling Center in Lexington, Ky., and taught spiritual formation at The Lexington Theological Seminary. Judy is a warm and thoughtful person. We first met them more than 20 years ago on the steps of the (then) International Baptist Theological Seminary in Prague. We had just arrived for a CBF Romany Team meeting and were not sure who these pleasant people were or why they were there. We soon found out.
Rick and Judy led a session on loss. As part of the workshop, we split into pairs. Judy was my partner. “So,” she said, “tell me about your losses.” I about lost it. A few months earlier we had returned from our first “home assignment” in America. While we were there, we discovered that a dear old friend had died and that we were just in time to make it to her funeral. This was followed by the death of my favorite uncle. A month or so later, Keith’s mother unexpectedly passed. And after we returned to the Netherlands in January, my 16-year-old dog died. Rick and Judy hadn’t known about these losses, but the Spirit had led them to prepare this topic.
In following years, Rick and Judy led retreat days at our team meetings, made home visits, advised, encouraged and even opened their home to us when we passed through Lexington. On another of those team retreats, Rick led us all through lectio divina, a way of listening to and praying Scripture which was new to me. It was something that my spirit needed at that time. For years afterwards, using lectio divina with the lectionary Scripture readings for that week became a vital part of my daily time with God.
And now, Keith is reminding me that “a need is not a call,” just when I need to hear those words again. Rick and Judy have retired, but their legacy continues to minister to us.