Powerful Words - The Role of Chaplains in the Public Sphere

Report from David Pettett

At a conference recently in Sydney several chaplains presented papers on various aspects of prison, hospital and community chaplaincy. Organised by New College at the University of New South Wales the conference was titled Powerful Words.

Papers from the conference have now been published in CASE No.44/2016 (A Quarterly Publication of the Centre for Apologetic Scholarship and Education at New College, University of New South Wales.) You can see the issue here http://www.case.edu.au/index.php/case_magazine/case_44_soul_care/ where you can download some of the papers for free or buy a PDF of the whole issue for $AU7.95 here http://www.newcollege.unsw.edu.au/publications/case-magazine. The issue is entitled “Soul Care” and, in an interesting mix with chaplaincy in the public sphere, includes articles on gender complexity by the renowned Patricia Weerakoon and her son, Kamal. Patricia Weerakoon is a medical doctor turned Sexologist and Writer. She is an evangelical Christian, married to Vasantha and her son Kamal is a Presbyterian minister. As a Sexologist Patricia has translated her passion to bring good holistic sexual health to all people into practical sex education, sex research and sex therapy. This issue also includes a contribution from Dan Anderson, Chaplain at Menzies College, Macquarie University, on Chaplaincy in a Residential College.

The keynote speaker at the chaplaincy conference was Dr Rhys Bezzant, Dean of Missional Leadership and a Lecturer in Christian Thought at Ridley College, Melbourne. Rhys encouraged us to have God’s timeframe when encountering suffering. He spoke from Psalm 102 and the lament, “How long O Lord?” “Our days may be short, so ultimately we need to understand them in the light of God’s own timing, his years.” This is the God who has broken into history, who does not remain distant from the human condition but makes a covenant with his people.

With acknowledgement of the uniqueness of the Christian tradition of pastoral care and its distinctive message that God has spoken in his Son, Rhys says, “Using the Scriptures when appropriate is a sign that there is a venerable tradition of soul care which predates the chaplain’s labours, and will outsurvive him or her as well.”

“Psalm 102 has taught us to value words, to care for people by connecting their story of God’s purposes for history, and to value our own unique creatureliness despite our suffering or sin. … God’s care of us is ultimately located in the Lordship of Christ, in whom every part of our life finds meaning.” Rhys argues that the chaplain must have good conversational skills if he or she is going to bring God’s ultimate care by speaking one on one with a person who is suffering.

David Pettett spoke on his experiences of being a prison chaplain in two very different maximum security settings. He highlighted the questions prisoners ask, speaking to those questions of life that most trouble them. While on remand and going through the legal processes of arrest, charge, hearings, court, judgement and sentencing a prisoner is in a high state of anxious uncertainty. In this context the question most often asked is, “Where is God?” Often the prisoner translates this question into a reflection on their own behaviour that got them into trouble, “Why did I leave God out of my life?”

Once sentenced the prisoner’s question will sometimes turn to, “How can I be forgiven?” Acknowledging that their crime has caused significant harm that cannot be undone, the criminal is confronted by painful, unrelenting reality.

These are the questions prisoners have. As a prison chaplain, David came to understand that these questions were more prompted by the Holy Spirit than anything or anyone else. The chaplain’s role here is to simply engage in conversation. It is the Holy Spirit who continues His work in the life of the questioner. “Prison is a unique context, and chaplaincy in prisons is intense and rewarding. People are forced to face matters that are easily brushed aside in the busyness of normal life – the meaning of life, sin, judgement, repentance, forgiveness – matters that point questioners to God. … Christian chaplains have the privilege of being part of the work of God, bringing the good news of Jesus into this often hidden part of the public sphere.”

Peter Frith spoke about his role as a chaplain during and after the Lindt Café siege in Sydney where people were taken hostage and held for hours by a lone gunman before he began shooting in the small hours of the morning. The gunman and two hostages were killed. “What did you say?” friends asked after Peter had spent the night with relatives and then with rescued hostages. “This was a daunting job”, Peter says. “The tension was high and emotions raw. … [m]y training kicked in – not just disaster response training, but also the basic training any chaplain must undergo. … What was not said was more significant. “How are you feeling?” is not helpful. Often, after I introduced myself and invited someone to tell me of their experience, the rest was about listening.”

Peter Ellem as a hospital chaplain recognises that hospital chaplaincy takes place in the face of human suffering. It is a ministry at the cross roads because suffering has crossed a person’s path and brought them to a hospital within which God might be discovered. This is ministry that is present both with the patient and with God. This presence is a great gift. Peter says that chaplaincy is grounded in three realities. 1. The character of God. 2. Chaplaincy is cross shaped, standing in the movement of God towards a broken world. 3. Chaplaincy is about liberation. “Chaplains … see, hear, and show concern, but it is God who liberates. … Faithfulness to the cross of Christ means, in part, being able to bear with the suffering of the world and to stay there with it when everyone wants to flee.”

Kate Bradford spoke to us about the story of Job and in a creative way, at the end of the day, presented, with the help of others, a dramatic demonstration of the interaction between Job and his friends. Kate says that what Job’s friends got wrong provokes us to ask what good care might look like. Because Christian care usually takes place in relationship there is the need to listen to the other. Good listening does not necessarily mean that we agree with what the other is saying. It means that we give our time and provide an affirming presence, acknowledging the reality of the experience for the person who has the experience. At the same time Christian care listens to God. We know God’s word and what He says about human experience. At the same time we are sensitive to the prompting of the Holy Spirit and what He might be directing us to say or not say. Thirdly we listen to ourselves. Kate says, “It is critical to become aware of thoughts and responses that arise within ourselves. We all have an inclination to project what we feel onto others, things we think and feel ourselves, be they strong sympathetic responses, or feelings of revulsion or condemnation. … Reflective practices call the carer to dwell on their own internal and external responses.”

This conference on Powerful Words and the role of chaplains in the public sphere attracted participants from all over Australia. It was clear there is a need for those engaged in this ministry to have opportunity to continue to reflect together on how to do this well. Blogging Chaplains welcomes contributions on evangelical chaplaincy in the public sphere. Please send contributions for consideration to dpettett@bigpond.net.au