Chaplaincy Training: The Debrief

Saturday was my long-awaited chaplaincy training at the hospital. It was an 8 hour affair and required some serious focus due to the massive amount of information that we received in that short time. There were 3 other volunteers being trained as well, all women in their late 50’s/60’s.

My initial conversations led me to believe that the work would primarily be caring conversations at the bedside and in-the-moment trauma support in the ER. I did not, however, realize that there would be so many pastoral tasks required of me.  For example, I’ll be expected to:

• Baptize individuals who are dying (mostly babies, but sometimes adults too)
• Pray blessings over stillborn babies
• Receive confessions
• Support families during acute grief reactions such as wailing, rolling around on the floor or throwing their body on top of the dead person (our job is to ensure their safety while allowing them to express their grief naturally)
• Pray extemporaneously (out loud) with individuals and groups, making up the prayer as I go based on previous information they have shared with me
• Be aware of various religious traditions insomuch that I would not say something during a prayer or conversation that would offend them (as interfaith chaplains, we do our best to use inclusive language)
• Talk to individuals who arrive after failed suicide attempts
• Take late-arriving family down to the morgue for a last viewing if the deceased is going straight to cremation

I would be lying if I said that this list didn’t make me nervous. Lots of feelings of unworthiness come up when thinking of myself performing pastoral functions. The unfolding of this feels so divinely inspired though that I trust God will guide me in my words and actions. I have no doubt that it’s going to deepen my spirituality in addition to providing me with soul-stirring service work.

Photo Credit: Used with permission by Vinoth Chandar in Creative Commons.