Skip to main content

Saving The Chaplain

As a chaplain working in a health care system, you are told to expect it all. You try to prepare yourself to hear and see pretty much anything and to be able to try to find a calm presence from within that you can bring to a situation – be the voice of reason at times. So when you visit a patient and they want to know more about you and your faith you know things are going to be interesting. Whenever someone immediately starts deflecting things and making the visit about you, you know you're in trouble.
I worked in a hospital that is in the Bible belt and attracts folks who are steeped in conservative American based Christian traditions. It was not uncommon for me to meet folk, men almost always, who were missionaries. Most would be polite and figured if nothing else I could be the person to fluff the pillow or get some water. I figured that was as much ministry as was going to happen in those situations and I was cool with that. Then I meet "the one," he believed he was sent by God to save me from myself as I found out later. I worked the cardio floors so I got to see him before and after his open heart surgery and recovery process. Our first meeting was the normal "I'm one of the chaplains, I'm here if you want/need me and I also handle advance directives." I watched as this man's whole energy changed. He fluffed himself up as best he could and informed me that he was a missionary of a particular very conservative movement and that he wanted to pray for me. I was cool with him praying so I sat and listened. His prayer was all about me knowing the love of Jesus and for Jesus to come into me and show me the right way. Okay being that I have a love Christology I translated the prayer and had to move one.
I say him the next day in recovery and then, probably because of the drugs, I got the greet questions of faith. Do you believe in God? Do you believe in Jesus? Do you believe that Jesus died for your sins? I'm rolling with this but then the kicker. Do you know that Jesus wants you to be a good woman? Do you know that what you're doing is wrong? That a man should be doing it? Needless to say the gut wanted to rip some tubes out of his body and see what happened but then the rational side came out. I learned many years ago that you are never going to "win" an argument with someone who believes that they are so "right" about their faith. My response was, "Mr. so and so, I understand that from your faith tradition and background that you may not want a woman chaplain and I'm fine with that. I'll be happy to have a male chaplain do any follow up visits with you. However, I know my relationship with God is secure and I firmly believe I am doing what God has told me to do by being here. I will respect your faith and leave now but I ask that you respect mine please. Blessings in your recovery." I heard later from the nurses that this missionary then spent quality time praying, loudly, for me since he could see me in the hallways.
It's interesting to be "saved" when you don't want it. Maybe I did need to be saved - but I doubt that it was being a chaplain in that moment. Maybe being "saved" means having someone to walk with on the journey of faith to help guide or offer alternatives verse this idea that it's all Jesus and 1 person's belief to know God. I hope and pray that if I ever come off like this man that someone smacks me upside the head.
Labels:

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Can you quote the Bible?

In a conversation with a more conservative Christian then me (take in mind I call myself a bed-wetting liberal and I’m also a big time Process Theologian) the person started rambling off scripture quotes (proof texting really) to make a point. I have never claimed to be a great memorizer of anything. And even though I have read the Bible many times and own many copies of the Bible, I am still not a person who can just pull out scripture references in mid conversation. I do have several verses that I turn to and love dearly but I can’t tell you word for word what John 2:5 or Ruth 1:4 says. This got me thinking, why do Christians really feel the need to qualify their faith based on the amount of scripture that they can recite from memory? While it may be very handy to be able to quote scripture in a variety of situations, I believe that this can be dangerous. Proof texting (pulling scripture, from any religion, to support an argument without careful and learned consideration for its cont
2 comments
Read more

Conflict in a Church - 1

As I watch a congregation I’m very familiar with spiral out of control I’m forced to sit and reflect on what went so wrong? Why does it seem like the only options are to either fire the minister or close the doors? When I think back the problems began before this minister was even hired. This is a congregation that wants to and likes to say that it’s a welcoming and friendly place. But in reality it isn’t and hasn’t been for the 20 some years I’ve known it. Groups of people made sure that other people knew that they were below them. They were operating then on the mentality that we did this 50 years ago so we need to keep doing it. And as for being welcoming… well with you weren’t middle-class, preferably upper middle-class and white well don’t bother walking through the door. These are all issues that existed 20 years ago and were never addressed. And shockingly these are still issues in the congregation today. Clearly this church has decided to put its head in the sand and live in th
3 comments
Read more

4th of July Worship

I am an American; born here in the USA, lived here all of my life. I do like this country. I don’t always agree with the way it works or who’s running it but I’m here and I know that there are millions of people who are less fortunate in the world then me. I am thankful that I have the rights that I have and the access to so much. I know the “Star Spangled Banner” and I sing patriotic songs and like most of them. However, on July 4th Sunday (or the Sunday closest to the 4th of July), I find it hard to be in worship in congregations that structure the theme around God Bless the USA/America. I find it hard to sit there and look at church chancels that are adorned with the American flag and if people noticed where I sit it’s so it’s not in my eyesight while I worship. It bothers me that people get all festive, wearing red, white and blue to worship, but can’t remember the colors of the liturgical year. This bothers me because as Christians we are called to worship the God of all people
3 comments
Read more