Chaplaincy Studies

Final Essay for Chaplaincy Course

By Robert Nelson

               This is a wonderful course.  As a former military chaplain I wondered if I would benefit from the course and I am very happy to say that I benefited greatly.  The course covered every aspect of being a chaplain from the calling, theology, and liturgics to the nitty-gritty logistics of this type of ministry.  I think there is enough detail here about the actual functioning of a chaplain that it would benefit anyone interested in this type of ministry including chaplains in the U.S. Army's Basic Chaplain Course or even chaplains with several years experience such as myself.

               For me personally there were several areas that were especially beneficial.  I thoroughly enjoyed the sections on the logistics of ministry.  I think this is a weakness for many chaplains who confine themselves to an office and seldom venture into the world of those they serve.  For me, ministry of presence is the essence of chaplaincy.  Reverend Moore highlighted this in several ways as he wrote of learning the institution.  But to conduct this ministry effectively it takes a certain amount of preparation and I think the concept of creating "tool boxes" is probably the best idea I have heard in a while for organizing and preparing for this type of ministry.  I have used this concept to a certain extent myself in the past but think I can do it much better with the intention and detail that Rev. Moore suggests.  In the past my tool box might have been whatever I threw in my pocket but now I think I can do much better by intentionally creating a tool box for the situations in which I will be serving.  My tool box for working with homeless people will be different from that I will use at a nursing home or the one I will use when working with veterans.  I am really excited about this concept and have great hopes for its application.

               I also found the lesson concerning sacred space, objects, and symbols to be particularly beneficial.  As a counselor I have long conceived of the creation of a safe space as an important step in counseling and now this concept has grown to involve the creation of a sacred space (and even a sacred time) as part of ministry.  Certainly this involves a certain logistical reality but to a greater extent it is a function of the attitude and spirituality of the chaplain.  Years ago I discovered that as a chaplain I was much more useful in the motor pool or on a road march than I was sitting in an office in the chapel.  I was able to provide more ministry to more people.  Now I see that when I was most effective I was creating a sacred space or perhaps more accurately, carrying a sacred space with me as I traveled around in my ministry of presence.  This involves logistical factors such as in some cases some sort of privacy and a certain amount of comfort but it also involves creating at least an illusion of having plenty of time and through symbols, actions, and interactions the creation of a sacred space.

               Sometimes this sacred space is created with little more than a smile and a prayer.  At other times it might involve more elaborate interactions and symbols.  But whether it involves a full-fledged altar and vestments or simply the reading of a scriptural passage and a prayer, it is essential to the ministry of a chaplain.

               The sections on counseling, especially grief counseling, were interesting to me since I have spent most of my professional life doing some sort of counseling.   Even at that I found that the section on grief counseling was both interesting and informative.  This highlights another aspect of the course which was valuable to me – the rehearsal of basic principles.  There is often little to be said that is completely new.  We are after all speaking of religion, spirituality, and ministry – ancient activities which are based in ancient traditions of wisdom and which at a certain level are fundamental to being human beings.  But newness is not a requirement for wisdom.  It may be important to fashion and marketing but for ministry it is less important than ancient, profound fundamentals such as compassion and spirituality.  I believe that the pursuit of excellence requires a frequent rehearsal of fundamentals.  This is certainly true in such things as sports where the athletes who are best at fundamentals such as running, jumping, blocking, tackling, and throwing are the ones who are usually victorious.  The same is true for other areas of achievement and such basics as reading, writing, performing arithmetic, and so forth.  So it is with ministry and especially chaplaincy.  Certainly there is a value to gaining as much knowledge as possible and exploring advanced aspects of hermeneutics, liturgics, and homiletics.  But in the end it is the basics of caring, connecting with others, and being present that will bring the most comfort to those we serve.  It is the remembrance of our calling and our personal spiritual foundation that provides depth and meaning to our ministry.  Rev. Moore has reminded me of that principle and has provided a useful handbook for the frequent rehearsal of some of those fundamentals.

               The section on avoiding traps is one of those important fundamentals.  Rev. Moore has spelled it out clearly and reminded me to beware of the temptations and even the appearance of evil.  I have seen far too many ministers who have ruined their calling and their lives through various traps involving sex and money.  I have seen many more flounder because of the trap of pride.  These traps are with us always and frequent, even daily reminders, are important to help us stay the course.

               I am not sure what I could improve in this course.  There are things I would do differently  but that is more a matter of personality and preference than of a critique of substance.  As I was going through the course there were times when I thought something should be added or expanded but on later reflection I felt that some of this was more cosmetic.  In other words, I liked this course.

               My personal goal is to shift gears in my career.  I have been mostly a counselor since I got out of the Army.  I have done some limited volunteer chaplain work with the Veterans Administration and among the homeless but hope to expand that aspect of my life.  I'm looking forward to completely the complete chaplain program and the D.Min. program and expanding this ministry with my wife into a holistic ministry and health education among several populations.   I hope to continue working with the homeless and to expand my ministry among the elderly and veterans.  Together with my wife I hope to also do ministry among people who are interested in improving their health.  I would like to get an endorsement from the ULC as a chaplain. 

               Thanks for the inspiration and direction.

Rev. Bob Nelson, Ph.D.

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