PlainViews

Re: a walk in time, Rev. Jerry Griffin (PlainViews, 12/6/2006, Vol. 3, No. 21)

"a walk in time" poem by Chaplain Jerry Griffin is so visually descriptive that I felt like I was walking amongst the Griffin family grave markers with Jerry and his brother. Thanks for the word picture and the reminder of what these family plots mean to us living today.

Chaplain Jennie Malewski, MDiv, BCC, CT
KU Hospital, Kansas City

Re: Where You Go, There I Shall - Book Review, Rev. Stephen Harding (PlainViews, 12/6/2006, Vol. 3, No. 21)

Thank you! Thank you,Stephen Harding, for hearing, for your willingness to read and be drawn into our experience with us, to walk with us. Sometimes I fear our "little" book has already been forgotten then I read your insightful review and feel that others are still being supported and "heard" through our book. Thank you.

Jane J. Parkerton, Co-Author

About Pastoral Counselor Loris Buccola

Pastoral Counselor Loris Buccola, AAPC Diplomate, wrote a moving piece in PlainViews in March of 2004. He was one of the first contributors to PlainViews. He wrote about having ALS and about being wounded but still healing, and how shared vulnerability leads to a deeper connection with clients. (3/3/2004 Vol. 1, No. 3)

The Managing Editor was informed of his recent death. Here is part of the content of the e-mail notification:

It is with a sense of deep sadness that we share (in Loris' own words) that early yesterday morning, December 7th, Loris "entered into the bliss of eternity."

A query concerning family viewing rooms in hospitals

I am interested in learning whether anyone has set aside a particular room in the hospital for family "viewing" of a body after death. This would be other than the room where death occurred, or the morgue. A new cardiologist has suggested this to me, and I have never heard of doing it. Is there any literature regarding this practice? Thanks for any info you can provide.

Phil Cox
Phelps County Regional Medical Center
Rolla, MO
Email: pcox@pcrmc.com

Re: Cultural Hospitality in a Foreign Land, SeungJin Yun (PlainViews, 11/15/2006, Vol. 3, No. 20)

SeungJin's article on Cultural Hospitality in a Foreign Land, was warm, real, enlightening, and humbling. She offered great pastoral care to Mr. A who was dying physically, and who had already died spiritually. Truly she revived his spirit. What a marvelous blessing, unto the Lord and this vocation.

George A. Teachey
New York, NY

Re: A Case for Peer Consultation Groups, A. Meigs Ross (PlainViews, 11/15/2006, Vol. 3, No. 20)

I agree fully with Meigs Ross when she encourages those in professional chaplaincy and clinical pastoral training to seek on going peer consultation. Those of us in the College of Pastoral Supervision & Psychotherapy have staked our professional lives on such a process of ongoing peer consultation as lived out in the CPSP chapter. CPSP understands ongoing accountability through peer consultation as the gold standard of continued professional development. In the CPSP community our trainees are encouraged to understand that supervision points beyond itself to ongoing peer consultation as the best means of self care and professional accountability.

George Hankins Hull Dip. Th., Th.M.,
Director of Pastoral Care and Clinical Pastoral Education
University of Arkansas For Medical Sciences-Medical Center

Re: 'Existential' Yoga, Amy Snow (PlainViews, 11/15/2006, Vol. 3, No. 20)

Amy Snow's reflection is apropos. I am an Episcopal Priest and a Yoga Instructor. Yoga is praying with the body and the breath (contemplative prayer). It is a way to release spiritual conflict ("dying to self"-the ego) and to deepen one's unity with God.

Peace,
Mark Bigley
Toledo, Ohio

Information on Enneagrams use sought

I am wondering if any hospital chaplains use the Enneagram in their ministry with patients i.e. spiritual assessment, bereavement, oncology, palliative care, dialysis? Also, is there anyone who is using the Enneagram in AA groups of any type? Thank you. Please respond to: nbeckenh@cchseast.org

Nancy Beckenhauer
Hilcrest Hospital
Cleveland, OH

Re: Anger as a Pathway to Holiness, Daniel Coleman (PlainViews, 11/1/2006, Vol. 3, No. 19)

I think that Chaplain Daniel Coleman's article on 'Anger' is thought-provoking and quite insightful. It is worthy of great contemplation for me. As my Rabbi Bonita would say, "Great Job."

George A. Teachey
New York, New York

I was in need of something biblically based on the subject of "anger" and found the article by Daniel Coleman in today's e-mail from Vol. 3, No. 19. A Christian lady friend of mine lost her husband 2.5 years ago - totally unexpected - and yesterday confessed to me that she was not only angry at God, but also angry at her husband. It was good to hear "truth" spoken, a truth that is very normal under those circumstances, but now I can hand-carry this article to her and pray that it will open her mind and heart to begin a road of healing. Please thank Chaplain Coleman for me.

Louise M. Hutchinson, Chaplain
Fall River, New York

Information on ministry to healthcare teams requested!

I have been a subscriber since you started publication and love the issues.

I am looking for information/research on ministry for healthcare teams, e.g., one on one support, group opportunities to build staff morale and help staff retention, etc. If any PlainViews readers have any ideas where I can find articles written on this subject or if they have done any programs around these issues, I would appreciate their contacting me.

Thanks for any help you can give.

Julie Beitelschees
Chaplain
Julie.Beitelschees@ProMedica.org

Re: Asking Questions May be the Answer, Gordon Putnam (PlainViews, 10/18/2006, Vol. 3, No. 18)

Thanks to The Rev. Gordon Putnam for his article. You have confirmed for me my stance with families for many years - "be the smartest dumb person in the room". This has been very helpful working with patients, families and other health care workers. I preach this stance to my CPE students. Having been a professional hospital chaplain for over 30 years, I know a lot about what happens between physicians and families. I can ask some of the simplest questions in the presence of the family and physician that allows both parties to remain in dialogue. Serving on the Ethics Team I would only add support to Rev. Putnam's observation that the most difficulty is in simple communication, not major differences.

D. James Stapleford, D. Min., MBA
Director of Spiritual Care and Education
Phoebe Putney Memorial Hospital
Albany, GA

Re: Development of Palliative Care in the Ukraine (PlainViews, 10/4/2006, Vol. 3, No. 17)

I just wanted to say you that we have received some letters already from different chaplains in US, and they are interested in palliative care in Ukraine. They learned About Us in Plainviews. So thank you very much.

Continuing the report about the palliative care development in Ukraine, I would like to inform you that All-Ukrainian Council for patient’s rights and security had organized or initiated some events connected with World Hospice and palliative care day. Leaders of greatest Churches of Ukraine supported the initiative of All-Ukrainian Council of prayer for dying and incurably ill persons on 7th October 2006. Also, the press-conference about the World hospice and palliative care Day was held.

The representative of Ministry of Health Mrs. O.Kolyakowa, Vice-President of All-Ukrainian Council Mr. W.Serdiuk, representative of International Renaissance Foundation, Ms. M.Sawchuk, and President of Palliative Care Association, Mrs. S.Martyniuk-Gres participated in it. Four TV channels broadcast it and five publications in newspapers were issued. Also, the second meeting of Task Force on improving of legal acts on palliative care took place. At the meeting, deputy mayor of Kharkiw city proposed to begin the pilot project on palliative care implementing it in Kharkiw. He accented the possibility of financing of hospices and creating of palliative care system in Kharkiw from the budget costs - 2007.

Reaction of the Kharkiw administration is very hopeful. Task Force activities on needs assessment consolidate efforts of regional enthusiasts and creates good basement for new activities and initiatives directed for patients rights advocacy.

The activities of the Task Force had shown that basic directions of activities in palliative care in which the technical support and additional resources needed are:
- Analysis and monitoring of needs in palliative care
- Analysis of barriers (legal, educational, organizational etc) and monitoring of access to adequate anesthetization
- Forming and implementation of the National protocol of the pain syndrome
- forming of educational programs, books and other materials to educate palliative care specialists
- Elaboration of legal acts which regulate implementation and development of palliative care in Ukraine (on both regional and national levels)
- Intensive experience exchange with international experts (seminars, conferences workshops etc)
- Improving of actual material base of palliative care providing

In this regard, could you kindly tell us, in which measure the collaboration with Ukraine in the sphere of palliative care implementation and its integration into the system of health care in Ukraine is interesting for you? In which measures are you interested and can participate in technical support, for example, in the form of supporting the preparing and publishing training and educational materials?

In which measure you could support the training of Ukrainian specialists in countries where palliative care is developed? Could you support improving the actual material base of palliative care?

Looking forward into collaboration and thankful in advance,

Alexander Wolf
Palliative care in Ukraine advocacy Director
alexander@tb.org.ua

Call for Abstracts!!!

I have been invited to sit on the NJ ELNEC Committee of Rutgers University School of Nursing for their upcoming spring of 2007 meeting. This group focuses on end of life issues (EL). Their conference is focusing on spirituality and cultural issues at the end of life. They are asking for abstracts. This is a great opportunity for chaplains to participate, especially since I was asked to be part of the committee to look at what will be presented. For further info on the abstract info (due Nov. 8th) check http://nursing.rutgers.edu/cpd.

Chaplain Cynthia Brady, BCC

Re: Doing Nothin' is Somethin', Jeffrey Palmer (PlainViews, 10/4/2006, Vol. 3, No. 17)

“Stand still. The trees and bushes beside you are not lost. Wherever you are is called HERE. And you must treat it as a powerful stranger, must ask permission to know it and be known. The forest breathes. Listen. It answers, ‘I have made this place around you.”’

What a powerful quote! I very much appreciated this entire article, but this quote made my day. I have Metis background (French and Aboriginal) and one of the things Aboriginal children are taught is to stop and wait for the forest to speak to them when lost. It is a principle I have respected since my youth, but I have never heard it better expressed.

Blessings,
Glenn Robitaille
Ontario, Canada

Re: The "Dance of Disaster," Caroline Walles (PlainViews, 9/20/2006, Vol. 3, No. 16)

I was very impressed with Caroline Walles' article about the disaster chaplain project in Nebraska. I have two questions: Do other states have "disaster behavioral health as part of the immediate or first response to a disaster ... written into the state’s formal disaster plan"? (If not, is there a way to spread the word so that it is?) Second, is there a network of disaster chaplains in other states working on this same issue? I think it would be wonderful if information could be shared across the country so that each state doesn't need "to reinvent the wheel!" We can always learn from each other. I believe that this is a vital need and a most-worthy project and I support, whole-heartedly, what Caroline and her colleagues are doing.

Fred Walz
Pueblo Colorado
Retired Presbyterian pastor
Pastoral Counselor: Fellow in AAPC

Re: What Would You Like to Learn?, George Teachey (PlainViews, 9/20/2006, Vol. 3, No. 16)

Thanks George Teachey for a wonderfully humorous and accurate portrayal of our CPE process. I laughed out loud with the "Now you are becoming a chaplain." I am glad you were called to do this!

Mark LaRocca-Pitts
Staff Chaplain
Athens Regional Medical Center
Athens, GA

Re: CaseConferences

I want to thank you for the postings of cases and their resolutions. I have found them to be most helpful. As a missionary for twelve years working with people in geographically isolated area (bush) and in the prison system; I am now faced as a Chaplain in a hospital setting with some new challenges.

The cases presented to date have been thought provoking and have caused me to reflect on how I would have dealt with those same situations. Thank you for the insight and opportunity of looking at how to do things differently and even better than I am now.

In Christ Jesus' service,
Rev. Diane Juckes
Miramichi, New Brunswick, Canada

Re: Response to Spirituality/Medicine Interfaith Conference (PlainViews, 8/2/2006, Vol. 3, No. 13)

In response to Gary Batchelor's comment in the above issue of PlainViews, this letter was received:

Gary,

Congratulations on a well worded and well written response in PlainViews. I agree that we have now created an environment for dialogue and I am excited to see how Dr. Hamdy has responded to the overtures of our profession. Without a doubt the response that I wrote (I would let Chaplain Wintz speak for herself) may well have caused defensiveness on the part of Dr. Hamdy. For me, when I wrote my response, I did not think it would be published as it was and even suggested a rewrite to Martha, since, as in all my first drafts, my emotions dictate my rhetorical choices more than my mind does. But Martha said she liked that it was forceful and she wanted it to evoke a response, so I let it ride as was. That being said--and it did indeed evoke a response!--it may well be that without putting Dr. Hamdy on the defense, he might not have been as willing to dialogue. Also, without such a forceful response, it, as well as other responses, might not have galvanized our profession into action with the result that we are now at the table, though just barely.

When it comes to other healthcare professions claiming expertise in our field, a frontal offensive may be of value when done at the right time. "Finding our place at the table" may sometimes involve taking it, and then afterwards dealing with any ruffled feathers, as you and many others have done. However, your implication that I (again I will not speak for Chaplain Wintz) would use this same tactic in a patient-care situation--as suggested by your example of a chaplain causing patients to get defensive--approaches an ad hominem attack. As you yourself know, there are vast differences in the relationships of power between a professional chaplain and a physician negotiating roles and responsibilities in a healthcare setting and between a chaplain and a patient. I am not sure why you felt it necessary to chide your colleagues before you could make your otherwise most excellent points. We need wisdom and patience--Yes!, and then within the dictates of that wisdom and patience we may at times need to "cleanse the temple," or else run the risk of having the "temple" stolen by dabblers, charlatans and wannabes.

Dr. Hamdy's intentions with the Southern Medical Association's Spirituality/ Medicine Interface conference were good and still are good, but good intentions alone are not sufficient for the provision of good spiritual care in a healthcare setting. His intentions are now backed by actions and that is a result of our advocacy, both offensive and defensive.

I would hope that as qualified professional peers we may find ourselves at the same table at this conference.

All the best,
Mark
Mark LaRocca-Pitts, PhD, BCC
Staff Chaplain
Athens Regional Medical Center
Athens, GA

Re: Responses to Volunteer Chaplains - Yes or No, Marshall Scott (PlainViews, 8/16/2006, Vol. 3, No. 14)

WE ARE NOT IN KANSAS ANYMORE

A recent opinion offered in PlainViews is harmful to the advocacy of professional chaplaincy, which I would define as: the disciplined, clinical, documented intervention of health care providers/practitioners whose competency is assured and affirmed by recognized (governmental) agencies. The standard, most commonly, is Board Certified Chaplain.

The writer states that physicians, and (most notably) the nursing profession “have developed levels of practice, with various levels of training …”and delegate much of the hands-on care to the less-trained, “including volunteers”. Based on this erroneous assertion, chaplains are then accused of failing to follow this model of “levels of function”because we do not “recognize ourselves in the context of ministry”, the “normative context of the believer”, nor the “normative clergy”role. The suggestion is that we think of (and establish) ourselves as “advance practice”ministers/clergy who are extensions of local congregations, and extend our ministry through volunteers.

With due respect to my colleague, I strongly disagree, and offer another view.

It is to the detriment of our discipline when we promote our priority function as advanced religious ministers, as opposed to health care providers whose clinical, medical education and practice finds normal expression in the health care field. Our primary utilization and training is focused on a patient, not a believer (or non-believer). The inability of organized professional chaplaincy to gain full recognition in the health care context is only impeded by resistance to conceive, comprehend, and cast our role in correlation to other disciplines with which we function.

Ill informed administrators, nurses, and physicians (and other health care providers) can not be blamed for misperceptions about our part in the healing art. Yes, volunteer ministers can minister to those believers who desire such help; let the “Pink Ladies”coordinate this. Chaplaincy is a documented clinical intervention accomplished by a highly trained, certified, and well paid health care professional. Chaplaincy should not be entrusted to volunteers.

Melvin Ray, Board Certified Chaplain
Director of Pastoral Care
Hunt Memorial Hospital District
Greenville, Texas

In response to Marshall Scott's article on Volunteer Chaplains, I would like to say that I think volunteer chaplains are an easy way out for budget focused administrators. I think the discussion is worthwhile, but I don't think it needs advocacy, as it's already too prevalent. Nor does it need to take up Advocacy space in PlainViews. I would suggest Chaplain Scott and other single-chaplain pastoral care departments first explore ideas of becoming a satellite CPE program, or at least having a CPE student or two from a nearby program assist with their pastoral care needs....or partner with a nearby seminary or faith-based college to start a field education assignment. The Kansas City area, and especially St Luke's Health System has ample resources to access without advocating for volunteer chaplains.

Chaplain Richard Cathell, Ph.D., BCC
St Joseph Hospital
Bellingham, WA

I would like to thank Chaplain Marshall Scott for broaching the subject of whether there ought to be volunteer chaplains. He makes a good case that there sure ought to be volunteer chaplains as this simply follows the practice utilized by other professionals.

I agree with this argument. I can further personally attest that had I not had the opportunity to volunteer as a pastoral health care worker I never would have gone on to further CPE training or even known about it!

Armed with a degree in Religious studies, I approached one of the few chaplains at a major hospital in Seattle. Fr. Rebhahn, a Jesuit priest, had to go through hoops reaching up to the CEO of the hospital to get permission to allow this unheard of practice of utilizing a chaplain volunteer. It was during this time that I saw a pamphlet in the chaplain's office that mentioned about CPE and training. Of the 4 or 5 hired chaplains none had actually had CPE themselves although Fr. Rebhahn was classified as a "Supervisor" by the NACC as he had attended a weekend workshop at some point in his career. He told me that from what he knew he probably would not be able to stand taking CPE. Not discouraged by this hint, I hunted out a program and started my chaplain career. That's the way things were in 1978. Because of my experience I was a big supporter of volunteers. However, tragically it seemed to develop that many chaplains saw volunteers as competitors or potential competitors for the job position. Along with that was the whole idea of "professional" versus "non-trained" and the emphasis on "professional practice" versus "naive activities". The argument was that a doctor doesn't let an amateur treat his patient, so why should a chaplain (sniff) let a volunteer treat his patient. What was missing was recognition of what faith brings to the practice of chaplaincy that training doesn't supply. Again, tragically, I saw a diminution of enthusiastic volunteers who did have a calling to the healing ministry due to prejudice and lack of training (which in part means training for the medical culture and not rocking any boats). Volunteers were discouraged and frankly rejected. The end result is that organizations like the NACC are losing membership and the patients lose out too as chaplains spend more on administration time and less on pastoral care. Besides this there seems to be the endless talk and project about how chaplains need to tell the world how great they are and how we need to educate other professionals about this. Maybe, rather, we ought to be saying how great many others are who have a calling to health care ministry! I welcome this discussion started by Marshall Scott.

Chaplain John Stangle
NACC Chaplain Emeritis

I just feel led to make a couple comments regarding volunteer chaplains.

1. I agree they need to have training, official type training, and maybe CPE. Why? I've heard too many complaints about volunteer chaplains from families, nurses, and physicians.

And why is that? Their training, their expectations, etc., simply are a bit 'unreal'. For example, not too long ago a couple new volunteer chaplains at a local hospital, contacted me to check as to what benefits I received: sick days, overtime, insurance, etc., (I am a pastor/chaplain and was employed by the same facility); they felt they should be receiving the same benefits as the other chaplains on staff, and when I tried to gently let them know about professional education/certifications, etc., they told me they had just been through intensive training to be chaplains, too. That surprised me as I didn't know of any intense training program for volunteer chaplains; well, it turned out they had just completed the regular two day orientation required for all new employees and volunteers at this institution; then they had spent half a day with the lead chaplain to go over paperwork and pagers.

I'm sorry, that to me is not intensive chaplaincy training.

Though they believed themselves to be professional chaplains due to that 'training,' they didn't get anywhere with the administration in regards to benefits, and soon after gave notice they would no longer serve as chaplains.

I've worked too often with volunteers who mean well, but simply don't have the training in communicating, in working with those of other faiths/cultures, or with those in crises. At times that simply has given chaplaincy a bad name, and affects all of us.

2. When working with hospice volunteers in the past, I've been very impressed with their intensive training, which I believe is part of NHPCO, and with their mandated yearly meetings to meet annual competency checks. Other than CPE, I don't know if there is a quality program to train volunteer chaplains; I've not heard of annual competency checks either; there needs to be something that is regulated.

Rev. Barbara Jackman, MDiv, BCC, MS, MS, FT
Lesueur, Minnesota

The chaplains that spoke with you at the APC Conference sound like Syndrow, from the movie The Incredibles: “Help-me Help-me the volunteer chaplains are taking over my job.”My questions to them are: where is your compassion towards others?; didn't you go through training "CPE" to be where you are right now as a full time chaplain?; didn't you, once in your life, want to volunteer as a chaplain to provide pastoral care to others that are in need? Finally, I would say to them, “get over it. You are not the only chaplain that God has call to provide pastoral care to patients in the hospital.”If a hospital has volunteer chaplains, train them to be the best chaplains in the hospital.

I think these chaplains need to retake CPE and learn how to "recover the soul," not only from patient, but from themselves.

Sincerely,
Chaplain Ramos, Jr.
Dallas, Texas

Staff Education materials sought...

I’m interested in any staff educational materials you can recommend for training staff in the importance and function of “Spirituality in Health Care”(videos, handouts, etc.).
Thank you!

Pamela Weber
Day Center Manager
412 464-2107
weberpm@upmc.edu

CPE, Social Action and Mother Earth

When I attended Andover Newton Theological Seminary many decades ago, those of us who felt conscientious or were merely neurotic glommed onto the mantra "relevance" for our ministry. There were two tracks that followed from that. Social action, and what we learned in the then required but scary summer of clinical pastoral education at Boston City Hospital. Those two tracks were polarized towards one another, each
criticizing the other, each feeling more relevant and superior to the other. Is it time to find a way to integrate the two? The link below may reverberate to a call to integrate the other track into our clinical ministry, and find a way, without evangelizing, to encourage others who, thank god for the transference, believe we have some corner on truth and
wisdom.

Rev. Dr. Bill Zeckhausen
New Hampshire

http://www.boston.com/news/globe/editorial_opinion/oped/articles/2006/08/24/finally_fired_up_over_global_warming/

Re: A New Listserv for CPE Supervisors-in-Training

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/CPESITS/ is a forum for CPE Supervisors-in-Training to discuss all things related to the process of becoming a CPE Supervisor. This may include theory papers, committee meetings, theology, disappointments, celebrations, etc. It is limited to current SITs and those that have been out of an SIT program for up to two years, whether tor not hey were certified.

The Rev. David W. Fleenor, M.Div., S.T.M.
Moderator, CPE SIT Listserv

Re: On a Life of Chaplaincy, Pincas Zohav (PlainViews, 7/19/2006, Vol. 3, No. 12)

Thank you to Rabbi Zohav for the magnificent poem "On a Life of Chaplaincy." I have been a chaplain in hospice and geriatric settings as well as hospitals for almost twenty years and there are days when I wonder if I have accomplished any good. The repetition of the phrase "with no one to be with you" captured so well the heart of my ministry. Thank you for the reminder; I needed it today.

Blessings.
Rev. Fran Bates
Midwest Palliative and Hospice Care Center
Libertyville, IL

Re: Book review of Anne Lamont, David J. Zucker (PlainViews, 7/19/2006, Vol. 3, No. 12)

Thanks for pairing Rabbi David Zucker and Anne Lamont. Ms. Lamont communicates with such refreshing honesty. I have had the pleasure of sitting under Dr. Zucker in a couple of workshops, and he shares with much the same bright honesty. Rabbi Zucker lets you know clearly where he stands, yet in the same breath offers a welcoming embrace. I believe Dr. Zucker captured well the delight of Lamont's writings. I wonder who Bill Mahr's "Politically Incorrect" would cast opposite the team of Zucker/Lamont for a lively discussion of theodicy and a load of dirty laundry.

Peace,
Rev. Robert W. Duvall, BCC
Gwinnett Hospital System
Lawrenceville, Ga

FYI

From Southern Medical Journal, Volume 99, Number 6, June 2006 issue (pages 663-64), there is a wonderful article entitled "Best Practices in Professional Pastoral Care" by George F. Handzo, MDIV, MA. I highly recommend it.

Margaret M. Crowell, AB, BA, MDIV
Certified Catholic Chaplain
Maine General Medical Center
Waterville, ME

Thanks to the editor of PlainViews

Anyone who has served as an editor knows the HOURS that it takes to put together a good publication. Solicit articles. Wait until the writer writes. Be patient while you are waiting. Edit the writing when necessary. Try and find a balance between stories. Be provocative but not offensive. Find a balance between various constituencies. Take a deep breath when someone takes aim at you because you rejected her/his contribution. Get out the publication on time.

Be interesting. Be newsworthy. Do not take it personally when either your public does not write to say "Thank you" or people write to criticize your best efforts.

I will claim that I am not neutral on the subject of the Editorship of PlainViews. I sit on the Editorial Advisory Board. I also offer articles to our colleague, the PlainViews Editor, the Rev. Dr. Martha Jacobs. She is generous and accepts most of them, but not all. Ah well.

The fact is that PlainViews is a superb publication. It has readers world wide, and its reputation is deservedly excellent. I do not know how Rev. Dr. Jacobs manages one success after another. I do know how I look forward to each issue. Time and again, I am impressed with what I read. The current issue (7/19/06, Vol 3, No. 12) was typical: exciting, informative, practical and well-balanced.

We all benefit from her hard work. Thank you, thank you, thank you. You enrich our lives.

Rabbi Dr. David J. Zucker
Chaplain
Shalom Park
Aurora, CO

Program Ideas Sought

I am the Director of Spiritual Care/Chaplain for a small regional hospital in Colorado. We are expanding rapidly and I will soon be bringing on additional Chaplaincy help so that I might spend more time focusing on programs for staff. I would appreciate any ideas you might have for programs, seminars, celebrations and forms of encouragement and emotional and spiritual support to the staff of my hospital. You can reach me at pattyharris@sopris.net

Patty Harris
Valley View Hospital
Glenwood Springs, Colorado

Re: Butterfly Whisperer, Marty Emery Hoffman (PlainViews, 6/21/2006, Vol. 3, No. 10)

Reading Chaplain Marty Emery Hoffman's poem "Butterfly Whisperer" reminded me of an experience some years ago when I was a CPE trainee on Long Island, NY. I was called to a patient's room whom I had not meet. It was late and I had no information about her. The room was silent as I entered. The patient's husband and daughter were on the bed with her. Her two sons, one daughter in law and elder Aunt were there seated around her. After I greeted them I was asked to lead them in prayer. "Tell me a little about her" I requested. It was as if I had given them permission to tell her life's story. At some point, the youngest son asked me if I thought it was possible for the dead to contact the living. "I think it happens frequently" I responded. He fled the room, his brother followed him, the conversation continued with everyone vigorously participating. Shortly both sons returned to the room, excited and breathless. "You won't believe this" they clamored. "There was a Butterfly that landed on the window seal and we put our fingers on the window and the butterfly came to our fingers and it was as if it was kissing our hands." The butterfly was their mother's most favorite thing in the world. (We were on the fifth floor. Can a butterfly fly that high?) "Mom wants to let us know that she loves us and that she's OK." It was as if they now had permission to leave the dead because it was clear the dead was alive!

James Beasley
New York, NY

Kudos to Marty Emery Hoffman for her potent poem. Do we ever wonder why butterflys never fly in a straight line? Spirits, including G_d,are constantly reminding us to be at peace with our brokenness. Well done, Marty.

William Whalen
Providence St. Peter Hospital
Olympia, Washington

Is Failure an Option?

Failure - inability to perform, lack of success. But what defines success; who determines performance? I suppose we have our inner criteria and certainly we have outer imposing standards for failure, success, and performance.

I was once berating myself and my failure to a friend. His response was, “Well, at least you are a bad example"! This really lifted my spirit - I felt like I was contributing something to humankind! I, in turn, slightly changed this response when an elderly bedridden patient bemoaned her uselessness. Said I, "At least you give the doctors and aides a job". She smiled and her spirits lifted too.

Early on in my theological training I had a professor who had written a book called, "The Theology of Failure". Like many students I rushed out to buy my professor's book and to devour it. I long ago misplaced the book and I recall nothing said in it in particular. However, I do retain an impression of its main thesis - mainly, that Jesus was a failure! As I said, I don't recall how this was set up, but surely at the time of his death Jesus was seen as a failure by other's and perhaps himself. In dark moments, something to keep in mind.

Peace and Blessings,
John Stangle,
Chaplain Advanced Emeretis,NACC

Re: Nothing Can Separate Us from the Love of God, Sueng-Jin Yun (PlainViews, 6/7/2006, Vol. 3, No. 9)

Sueng-Jin Yun for her insightful comments. It is important to understand the unique dynamics that each culture gives to its people. Her willingness to tell her story is useful to us all. She helps us understand the mind and spirit of Korean people who come into our CPE programs.

Likewise, I appreciate Yun’s description of her supervisors’ recommendation of scriptural texts to look at the issues of anger and acceptable cultural practices to express it. That to me is best practices of CPE Supervision. The other side of CPE supervision is imposing set formulas (e.g. “you must express your anger no matter what…”) to fix old New England Protestant issues about anger, relationships, etc., on people who issues don’t come from Puritan roots.

Thanks to Yun for her story.

John Moody
CPE Supervisor
Honolulu, HI

Does the Collar Matter?

Many years ago as a fresh chaplain armed with 4 units of CPE, and thereby confrontive in group dynamic skills, I bounced into a room. " Hello", I announced, "I'm the chaplain and I'm here to visit you". "I don't need the chaplain", said the patient. "You don't need the chaplain," said I - remembering to repeat back the question as learned in counseling skills. "No," said the patient, "I just saw Sister go by the open door and I know I'm in G_d's hands."

Who was "Sister"? Sister was an 80 plus year-old Catholic Religious and she dressed in a white habit. She would visit many patients every day, sticking her head in the door and saying "hi" and then making a check mark on her list. In this particular case she hadn't even made a visit, merely walked by the patient's open door.

How deflating to one so highly trained as myself, thought I at first. Does the collar matter? I'll leave this open question to further anecdotal thoughts.

John P. Stangle
Chaplain
Advanced Emeritus, NACC

This letter to TalkBack is not necessarily for my colleagues in chaplaincy unless you choose to print it; it is, rather, for the editors of PlainViews. I enjoy this publication and love getting it online (it's great to read while I eat, on the rare occasions that I can steal a quiet lunch at my desk!). I have a proposal for your consideration, and it comes after reading an article in the May 3 PlainViews. Since lunchtime doesn't afford the pleasure of reading Plainviews in its entirety, I choose articles based on how interesting their titles sound. Today, I liked the sound of "Different Perspectives on the Same Conversation", so I went there first. In this article, Rev. Priscilla Denham refers back to an article from an earlier issue, one I had not read. It was obvious that Rev. Denham was feeling the need to defend herself so, after reading what she had to say, I went back to the article she was referencing, "Do Clothes Make the Chaplain?" (Rabbi Sandra Katz). And all I could think as I read Rabbi Katz' article was, "Wow, did she ever have an ax to grind with her former supervisor!" Rabbi Katz actually might have had some good points, but for this: why was it necessary for her to use (and for you, as editors, to print) Rev. Denham's name? Rhetorical question, because the answer is, "It WASN'T necessary." Rabbi Katz' points would have been made just as clearly if she had begun her article by saying something on the order of "the supervisor I had when I was a CPE resident..........." or something along those lines. Who the supervisor was, is irrelevant. The only thing relevant to the point Rabbi Katz was allegedly working toward was what the supervisor said. And I use the word "allegedly" quite purposefully: it appears to me that her REAL reason for writing "Do Clothes Make the Chaplain?" was to use a public forum in which she could openly criticize, under the guise of interest in research and education, her CPE supervisor. Otherwise, why call her supervisor's name?

My proposal is this: should it ever happen again that someone uses your publication as a place to throw barbs at someone else, could you as editors please read carefully to consider whether the writer's point could be made without use of the name of the person whom they are criticizing? If the name isn't necessary, surely you have the editorial license to remove it without changing the essence of what the author is saying.

My sympathy to Rev. Denham; I would certainly hope that if someone wanted to disagree with me in such a mean-spirited way, they would have the courage to do so privately and to my face, rather than to do it the cowardly way that Rabbi Katz has done.

Chaplain Marty Koontz
Knoxville, TN

Response from the editor to Chaplain Koontz:

Thank you for your comment. When I read Rabbi Katz's article, I did not see her comment about Rev. Denham as derogatory. Nor do I think that she meant it to be derogatory. Nor did I take Rev. Denham's response to be a negative reflection on Rabbi Katz.

I will take your comment under consideration. Thanks.

Blessings,
Martha R. Jacobs, Managing Editor

Request for information from military chaplains

I am researching the training military chaplains receive regarding posttraumatic stress, both primary and secondary. I am also interested in staff care for chaplains in the military...is there any? if so, what does it consist of?

The Military Ministry of Campus Crusade for Christ is interested in providing information about posttraumatic stress from a spiritual perspective, as well as staff care, to chaplains. In order to be effective, we are first researching what is already available.

Any information you can give me would be greatly appreciated. Names of individuals, written materials, conferences, organization...all would be helpful. I reached your publication by way of the John Templeton Foundation, and then The HealthCare Chaplaincy.

Thank you, in advance, for your assistance.

Elizabeth D. Akers, MA
Professional Counselor
Assistant to Rev. Rahnella Adsit,
Director of Staff Care
Military Ministry, Campus Crusade for Christ

APC Retrospective publication available:

The APC has just published Compassion, Commitment & Consistence: The Rise of Professional Chaplaincy, co-authored by John Rea Thomas and Mark LaRocca-Pitts. It will be available together with a DVD of some 20 past presidents in a few weeks from APC headquarters, 1701 East Woodfield Road, # 760, Schaumburg, IL 60173. It is an 80 page book on 8 1/2 x 11 with three appendices, giving the history of College of Chaplains, AMHC and since 1998 their successor organization, APC.