• Embed Doc
  • Copy Link
  • Readcast
  • Collections
  • CommentGo Back
Download
 
(
BLESSEDTO
BEA
BLESSING
TOTHECHURCH.TOTHEWORLD
upmcc
1968-1983
 
fCltiA\IVILA\
II~.~~
tCt()
11:2~
I~
11:2
MinisteringtotheSick
AsfollowersofJesusweareto"lookafterthesick"(Mt. 25:36NIV).Thisisaministryfunctionwhichmanylayand clergypeoplefinddifficultifnotimpossibletomeet.Withthe AIDScrisis,thisaspectofourcallingnowloomsatus-itis unavoidable.Visitingafriendwithabrokenlegisonethingbut ministeringtoapersonwhoisveryilland/ordyingmeetsa resistanceinmanyofus.Whatarethesourcesofthisresistance? Howmayweovercomeit?Howdowemakesuchvisitsfruitful forthepatientandus? Afrequentfearisoftheinstitutionandthebuildingitself.A fearofgoingintoandthroughthehospital.Ifyouareaclergy- personordeacon,acalltotheChaplain'sofficeorpublicrelations officeoftheinstitutionwillusuallyresultinatourofthehospital andanexplanationofprocedures.Youmayfinditwellworth yourwhiletodonateacoupleofhoursaweekforthreetosix monthsasavolunteerworkingwithpatients.Bothoftheseare helpfulinbreakingdowntheinstitutionalbarrierandnotjustfor thathospitalbutforothersaswell. Anothersourceofresistanceisthefactthatweconfrontour ownmortalitywhenweencounteranotherwhoselifeisnearer theend.Thisdreadmaybesemi-consciousratherthanacknowl- edgedwithinus.Webegintoovercomeitbyrecognizingourfear andtalkingaboutitperhapswithacounselor.Forspiritual growth,spendsomestudy/meditationtimeonresurrection scriptures.Thiscanhelpshiftourattentionfromthefinitudeof thislifetothemagnitudeofourlifeinJesustheMessiah.Wewill befreedtomorefruitfulministrybyopeningourselvestoGod's healingofthisinhibition. Stillanotherinhibitionmaybeevenmorehiddenandless acknowledgedwithinus.Itsrootisafaultyassumptionofmuch ofChristianity-thatChristiansareperfect,wholepeople.That faultyassumptiontellsusthatpersonswithillnessessuchas cancer,AIDS,etc.mustbeimperfectandoutofGod'sgrace. Thisirrationalresponsenagsatusthatcontactwiththesecarriers maysubjectustoGod'swrath-aguiltbyassociationresponse. Notcontagioninthemedicalsense(althoughwemustaddress thatfear,too)butaspiritualcontagion. Onceagain,recognitionofthisinhibitorisanimportantstep toovercomingit.RecognizethatGodisthebearerofgoodand throughJesuswehavebeenpromisedalifeofabundance,in- cludinghealth,notofplagues.Thediseasehasitssourceoutside ofGodandwearethebearersoflifeandhopeasGod'sservants. Beforeenteringaninstitution,stopandsayaprayerrequest- ingtheHolySpirit'scleansing/protectivepresenceforthepatient
2JOURNEY,OCTOBER1983
byNancyRadc/yffe
CollectiveWriterandSeniorChaplain
andyou.Thenrequestananointingtobethechannelofblessing, ofcomfort,ofhope,ofpeaceandyes,evenofhealing.Then trustthatGodhasgrantedthese. Thisbringsustowhattodoonceweareactuallyinthe presenceofthepatient.Haveacoupleofopeninglinesready.I trytomakethemlightandfunny.Iamtheretobringlife. Peoplewhoaresick,includingthedying,wanttotalkabouttheir concernssurroundingtheillness.Thesemaybehealth,financial, socialorhowothers,especiallylovedones,arebeingaffected. Astheirpastor,deaconorclosefriend,youareanideal persontolisten.Providetheopeningsforthepatienttotalk.If theydonotthenthat'salright.It'stheirchoicetotalkornotto talk.Donotfeelthatyoumustfindresolutionstotheexpressed concerns.Agoodlisteneristheirneedatthispoint.Assuring statementslike,"I'msurethat'sdifficult,""Yes,itmustbe painfulforyou,""Ourlovedonesarealwaysabigconcern,aren't they?"Showyouhearandcare.Youmaybeabletoaddress someneedsuchasgettingthelovertotalk.However,donotfall intothetrapoffeelingyoumustfindtheanswersorsolutions. Prayerisveryappropriate.Iwillusuallyaskiftheywant prayerand/oranointingwithoilandIaskwhattheywantmeto prayaboutandthenrespondaccordingly.Readingabrief relevantscripturemayaccompanythis.TheAmericanBible Societyhassomeinexpensivescriptureflyersandbookletsforuse withthesickandbereaved.Bringingandservingcommunionis anotherministryespeciallybeforesurgeryorwhenpatients havemissedworship. Inthe17thand18thcenturieshymnalswereusedasprayer andinspirationbooks.Thewordsofahymnwouldbereadasa prayertoguideorcomfort.Whenthesickwerevisited,the hymnalwentalong.Thisremainsasourceforusaswell.Choose ahymnyouknowthepersonlikesorletthemchooseoneoryou maypickoneyoufeelisrelevant.Readit.Thisprovidessome- thingtodowhilevisitingandfrequentlyprovidesablessingfor listenerandreader. EmbracetheseoccasionstoministertrustingthatGodwill provideallthatyouneedtominister. NewSLACCCnumberis(213)465-4227.Mailto:P.O.Box 691566,LosAngeles,CA90069.
 
r
I
COLLECTIVEEDITOR.
Paula].Schoenwether
COLLECTIVEMEMBERS:
CoryAllison, TonyGotlibowski,BruceKassalow,Sue Kirkland,KurtKreisler,PaulNance,Ravi Verma,FrankZerilli
COLLECTIVELIAISON·
TroyPerry
COLLECTIVEWRITERS:
BobArthur, JudyDahl,R.AdamDeBaugh,JennieBoyd Bull,JeffreyPulling,NancyRadclyffe, NancyWilson,LarryUhrig JOURNEYisamonthlymagazineof UFMCC.ThefocusofJOURNEYisto providenewsandreportissuesofconcern withinUFMCCandtheLesbianandGay community.Contentsarecopyrightedand maynotbereproducedorextensively quotedwithoutpermission. EditorialOffice:
5300
SantaMonica Blvd.,Suite
304,
LosAngeles,CA
90029.
Phone:
(213)464-5100.
Subscriptionrate
$16.80
peryearU.S.,Canada,Mexico.
$20.80
otherareas.PublishedbyUniversal FellowshipPress.PrintedinU.S.A. AllmaterialssubmittedtoJOURNEY mustbeinclusiveofgender,ageandrace. TheEditorwillmodifyanylanguagenot meetingthesecriteria.
2
3
4
5
67
Chaplain'sCorner 15tlzAnniversary Elder'sElection CommissiononLaity FellowshipStaff DirectorofAdministrationContestSEC9BookReview
10
FFO
12
TwoInOneBed
13
FellowshipNews
14
WesternClergyConference RDC
byTroyPerryElder,FounderUFMCC
Aswepreparethismonthtocelebrate the15thAnniversaryofthefoundingof theParentChurchoftheUniversalFellow- shipofMetropolitanCommunityChurches, Istillneverceasetobeamazedaboutthe seemingdichotomythatexistsbetweenthe timewhenMCCwasfounded15years agoand1983. Threerecenteventspointupthe changesandnon-changesthathavetaken placeduringthistimeperiod.Withinthe lastweekofthiswriting,Iwasoneof10 GaypeoplethatmetwithRev.Jesse Jackson,whoisthinkingofdeclaring hirMl-IfasacandidateforPresidentofthe UnitedStatesasapartoftheDemocratic Party.Fifteenyearsago,whenMCCwas founded,nopoliticianinAmericafeltthat therewasanyneedforsupportfromthe GayandLesbiancommunityintheirquest foranypoliticalofficeintheUnited States.Today,atleastasfarastheDemo- craticPartyisconcerned,alloftheseven announcedcandidateshaveactuallysought supportfromourcommunity.Hearing Jacksontalktooursmallgroupanddiscuss aformationofa"rainbow"coalitionmade upofwomen,Blacks,Hispanics,Asians, GaysandLesbiansmademerealizeagain howfarwehavecomeinourquestfor politicalactiononbehalfofourcommunity. Thesecondthingthathappenedtook mebackagaintotheearlydaysofMCC andletmeknowthatinsomeareasitis businessasusual.Iamdelightedthatthree weeksagoIhadtheopportunitytodebate JerryFalwell,headoftheMoralMajority inAmerica,onnationaltelevisionin Canadaviasatellite.Itwaswonderful!I debatedFalwellforabout19minutesandI believethatIcameoutthewinner(if anyonewinsdebates).It'sthefirsttime thatFalwellhashadtodebateanyone
YEARS
OFLOVING
SERVICE
fromtheGayandLesbianreligiouscom- munity.PerhapsIdidtoogoodofajob. LastweekChannel4;LosAngeles'local NBCstation,phonedourofficetoseeifI wouldbewillingtodebateFalwellwhenhe visitedOUrcity.Ita"ldthemthatIwould behappyto,buttheyphonedbackand saidFalwellhadrefused.todebateme. Ibelievewhenyouhavethetruthon yoursideyoucanintelligentlydebate peoplelikespokespersonsfromtheMoralMajorityandwin.Ourdebate,ofcourse, wasontheAIDScrisiswhichisrocking America.FalwellbelievesthatAIDSis God'sgifttopromiscuoushomosexuals, justashebelievesherpesisGod'sgiftto promiscuousheterosexuals.I,ofcourse, tooktheoppositeviewandaskedthe
continuedonpage15
TroyPerry
OCTOBER
1983,
JOURNEY3
of 00

Leave a Comment

You must be to leave a comment.
Submit
Characters: ...
You must be to leave a comment.
Submit
Characters: ...