Good Monday morning...

… and this week is spiritual care week at Hospice of the Valleys where I serve as director of spiritual care services.  The theme of this national designation is “Healing Through Presence and Grace” and the Kintsugi Heart is the symbol for the theme.  If you are not familiar with the Kintsugi Heart, it is the result of gluing the shattered pieces of a broken heart back together, but instead of using invisible glue it is done with gold, silver or platinum lacquer to highlight the mends, not cover them up.  The result is transforming, making what was broken into something more beautiful and valuable. 

As hospice chaplains it is our job to “walk beside the brokenhearted and offer healing, not by fixing, but by being present” (see spiritualcareweek.org).  I like to think that God is using us to hold people, to gently support their brokenness while the mending work that He does takes place.  It’s a humble position, but one that I am familiar with.  As a young boy, I used to hold the flashlight for my dad when he was working on a car at our home.  It was not my job to remove, replace, or repair… just to hold the light steady so he could see what he was doing.

As hospice chaplains we represent God’s presence, the healing presence and the holy presence of God.  Not because we’re all that and a bag of chips, but because He has chosen us to hold those sacred spaces in kindness, understanding, gentleness and respect for the dying and their family members.  The thing about holding these sacred spaces for God is that we often get to witness the beauty of restoration and the relief of suffering as evidenced by the gratitude of the patients and their families.  It is far from a thankless job, rather it is one that overflows with thanksgiving.

So, what is in this for you?  You’re not called to be a chaplain or a pastor, you say.  It’s a good thing we are not all called to be chaplains or pastors, I say.  But the work of restoration and trust in a God who mends the brokenhearted is one that we can all appreciate and support.  Keeping in mind that the Healer is also the Master.  He can use each one of us in his overall mission to restore and repair broken humans.  Salvation, the work that was completed on the cross by Jesus, is done.  But the ongoing work of getting along with one another, of recognizing the image of God in the existence of every neighbor, friend and foe, is all our jobs.

Please allow yourself to recognize the healing beauty of God’s work in your life as you consider the role of the spiritual care provider during this national “Spiritual Care Week.”  You are the beloved, and it is our (spiritual care provider’s) job to extend His grace.

For His glory,

Pastor Mike