Every Day is the Last Day


This is my last on-call day at the hospital. Whew. I have responded to the victims & families of those involved in shootings, heart attacks, car crashes and every imaginable malady that's known here in South Carolina. I have never imagined before how pervasively death & violence surround us. What (sinful) relish we take in our collective refusal to believe that none of this really touches us.

While the work here is sometimes quite overwhelming, I think that I have learned a great deal about the importance of critical reflection on my own bearing in the midst of these crises-- and about pastoral skills, and theological reflection.

My classroom experience with CPE has mostly been disappointing, but I appreciate the space to reflect and the supervision under which to do so in a disciplined manner. I remain deeply suspicious as to the assumptions guiding this supervision, but the tools I've gained and (for the most part) the guidance I've internalized have been useful to me in my ministry.

The Lutheran magazine recently highlighted a resolution of my home synod (Southeastern) along with some others (Southeastern Iowa & Southwestern Washington), "to correct 'the departure from the rich historical tradition of Lutheran leadership in the field of chaplaincy, pastoral counseling and clinical pastoral education,' and reverse a dramatic decline from 1988, when 1,000 restored ministers served such calls to 2005, when only 690 did so."

I don't know why pastors, chaplains, counselors and pastoral educators are leaving these fields for sure. However, I have to wonder whether there are fewer Lutheran CPE supervisors because of the bankrupt theology that is guiding the institution. Whatever the case may be, I support my synod's resolution. There does need to be more Lutheran leadership here and more people bearing witness to the one holy catholic & apostolic Church and its traditions.

Thinking as I have been about secularism & the social sciences and their relationship to theology (particularly ecclesiology), I was lucky to come across an address given by Rowan Williams. He is a fascinating thinker, in my opinion, and I can never quite make up my mind whether I love his thought or not. Whatever the case may be-- and I will try to digest this material some more over time-- I am captivated by what he has to say. I appreciate his postmodern sensibility and the depth & breadth of his reading.

Perhaps Archbishop Williams & Pr. Schneckloth-- who has a very interesting recent post on the connection between Christ as maximus peccator & the presence of sin in the Church-- will help me digest my thoughts more.