Mission Moment 7.2.25

Meg Lacy 
Staff Chaplain, Children’s Medical Center, Dallas, Texas  

“Poetry is a natural medicine; it is like homeopathic tincture derived from the stuff of life itself—your experience.

“Poetry is simply speaking truth. Each of us has a truth as unique as our own fingerprints. Without knowing that truth, without speaking it aloud, we cannot know who we are and that we are already whole. In the most profound way, speaking our truth allows us to know that our life matters… that our suffering, our joy, our fears and our hopes are important and meaningful. One of the best kept secrets in this technically oriented culture is that simply speaking truth heals.”
—John Fox, Poetic Medicine

Over the past few years, I have experienced several significant changes in both my personal and professional life. I have shifted from serving a local church, to becoming trained as a pediatric hospital chaplain. I have made not one, but two cross-country relocations. I have navigated changes in my personal and family relationships. Even my day-to-day schedule and responsibilities are quite different than they were just a few years ago. 

One of the things that has helped me stay (mostly) grounded in the midst of all this transition is poem-making. I say poem-making, rather than poem writing, because I am not talking about writing poetry in the traditional sense, in which the goal is to create a beautiful piece of art to share with the world. Poem-making, in contrast, is the practice of writing one’s story, exploring one’s feelings, experiences, hopes, griefs, fears and dreams through the creative process of poetry. The words written may be shared with a close friend or family member, or they may never be shared with another soul. The point is not publication, or elegance. The point is to invite vulnerable reflection and encourage openness to the deep questions and feelings at the core of one’s soul. If I were to name one thing that is saving my life right now, it is poem-making.

I was first introduced to the idea of writing poetry as “medicine” for the soul during my chaplaincy training, through John Fox’s book Poetic Medicine: The Healing Art of Poem-Making. My fellow chaplain residents and I were encouraged to read and write our way through each chapter, using the poems and prompts within as a launching pad for our own writing, to engage with the beliefs, stories, pains and hopes that make up our lives. 

This assignment was twofold. First, as budding spiritual caregivers, it was intended to help us understand our own stories at a deeper level so we could use our stories to connect with those we encounter in the hospital each day. Second, it was a way to teach us about the process of emotional and spiritual healing and how creativity can be a conduit for our wholeness.

For me, poem-making is a deeply spiritual practice. Poem-making helps us listen to ourselves and reflect on our stories. It helps us touch our pain, and also our strength and resilience. It helps us invite God into the places within that need healing, and to pay attention to God’s presence and movement in our lives. And it often brings joy and surprise when words of wisdom and truth come spilling out onto the paper that we didn’t even know we had in us. 

Pray, Practice, Ponder
Read the following poem by Carrie Newcomer. As you read, listen for the line or phrase that stands out to you. Then use this line to start your own poem—penning a few words with your thoughts and feelings today, exploring why this line resonated with you or how it connects with your story. Remember, your words need not be eloquent. Just honest. Use your poem to invite God into the hidden places within your soul.

I’m Learning to Sit with Not Knowing
Carrie Newcomer, Until Now: New Poems

I’m learning to sit with not knowing.
Even when my restless mind begins jumping
From a worried
What next?
To a frightened
What if?
To a hard edged and impatient
Why aren’t you already there?

I’m learning to sit and listen,
To pat myself on the knee,
Lay my hand on my heart,
Take a deep breath,
And laugh at myself.
To befriend my mistakes,
Especially the ones,
That show me how
I most need to change.

I’m learning to sit with whatever comes
(Even though I’m a planner).
Because so much of this life
Can’t be measured or predicted.
Because wonder and suffering visit
When we least expect
And rarely in equal measure.

I’m learning to sit with
What I might never know
Might never learn,
Might never heal.

I’m learning to sit with
What might waltz in and surprise me,
Might crash into my days,
With unspeakable sorrow
Or uncontainable delight.

I’m learning to sit with not knowing. 

Summer Midweek Meals

July’s midweek meal is Wednesday, July 16 at 5:30 p.m. ($11 per adult & $7 for children grades 1–12). The menu will be: hamburgers (with all the trimmings), baked beans, potato salad, slaw and dessert. Please call the church office by noon on Monday, July 14 to reserve your spot in this time of warm friendship and great feasting. Our August gathering will be Sunday, August 17 (details below).

Save the date!  
Our August gathering will be held at the Deep Creek Pavilion on Sunday, August 17,
from 4:00 to 8:00 p.m.  Come join in the fun!

We will restart our WEEKLY meals on Wednesday, September 3
(which is the Wednesday following Labor Day). 

Summer Midweek Meals

July’s midweek meal is Wednesday, July 16 at 5:30 p.m. ($11 per adult & $7 for children grades 1–12). The menu will be: hamburgers (with all the trimmings), baked beans, potato salad, slaw and dessert. Please call the church office by noon on Monday, July 14 to reserve your spot in this time of warm friendship and great feasting. Our August gathering will be Sunday, August 17 (details below).

Save the date!  
Our August gathering will be held at the Deep Creek Pavilion on Sunday, August 17,
from 4:00 to 8:00 p.m.  Come join in the fun!

We will restart our WEEKLY meals on Wednesday, September 3
(which is the Wednesday following Labor Day). 

Mission Moment 6.25.25

Robert Stanley
Manager of Spiritual Health, Wellstar Spalding Medical Center, Wellstar Sylvan Grove Medical Center, Griffin, Ga.  

“Self-care is never a selfish act—it is simply good stewardship of the only gift I have, the gift I was put on earth to offer others. Anytime we can listen to true self and give the care it requires, we do it not only for ourselves, but for the many others whose lives we touch.” 
—Parker Palmer, Let Your Life Speak

As spiritual care providers, chaplains carry so much emotional weight in silence. Our parishioners bring to us news of troubled youth, new health challenges and everyday trials and tribulations they encounter. As we journey with them through these troubling times, we assist them in carrying the weight. Their weight becomes our weight. 

Additionally, if you add on the pressure of being a chaplain, providing support during times of death, how much more weight are we carrying? What happens when a spiritual care provider or chaplain has his or her own challenges to bear or his or her own griefs to process? Who will journey with the chaplain who finds himself or herself as the identified patient?

When we ourselves need a chaplain, we must recognize the urgency of the need. While we have spiritual access to the Father through prayer and meditation, there are still times when we need a more tangible source of support. But where do we turn? 

The need for chaplain support became evident during the pandemic as hospital chaplains saw more deaths in a three-year period than they had seen in their entire careers as clinical care providers. In the midst of so much death, I asked myself, “What is saving your life?”

One thing that screams out to me is self-care. Self-care is so much more than making sure we eat proper meals and get the correct amount of sleep. Three areas of self-care are life-sustaining: spiritual self-care, physical self-care and emotional self-care.

Burnout is a real phenomenon that can end a spiritual care provider’s vocation if the reasons for burnout are not addressed. If we do not refill invest in our spiritual wells but continue to draw from them, we will find ourselves in a position of spiritual drought. 

A connection to the Holy is what saves my life as a professional chaplain. The Holy Spirit directs me in providing care that is beneficial to my flock, and it also guides me to provide silence when needed. I could not do this work without such a connection. My discernment through the Holy Spirit also guides me in knowing when I need my own spiritual tank refilled. 

I also find that attending to my physical well-being is just as lifesaving as attending to my spiritual well-being. My health is a vital part of my livelihood. When there is pain or discomfort in my body, I am not fully available to my flock. Regular exercise helps me be more present mentally and helps me maintain my physical well-being; therefore, regular visits to the gym are also what is saving my life as a spiritual care provider.  

The final measure that I consider to be lifesaving is regular check-point sessions with a mental health provider. These appointments provide a soundboard for many of the critical events that I encounter and allow me a space where I can relinquish some of the emotional weight that I carry. Time to vent and process has been lifesaving for this clinical chaplain. 

Pray, Practice, Ponder 
This week, ponder the Parker Palmer quote at the beginning of this reflection, and consider how you care yourself in these three life-sustaining areas: spiritual wellbeing, physical wellbeing and emotional wellbeing. 

Summer Midweek Meals

Our June fellowship meal (taco-bar) is tonight, Wednesday, June 18 at 5:30 p.m. Below is the summer Wednesday schedule!

  • July's midweek meal will be July 16. 

  • Our August gathering will be Sunday, August 17 (details below).

Save the date!  
Our August gathering will be held at the Deep Creek Pavilion on Sunday, August 17,
from 4:00 to 8:00 p.m.  Come join in the fun!

We will restart our WEEKLY meals on Wednesday, September 3
(which is the Wednesday following Labor Day).