Space

"Meetings, bloody meetings."
"If it wasn't for all these people, we'd get some work done around here."
"OMG One More Meeting. Really?"


At the non-profit where I work, the building has four conference rooms available for any of the tenants to reserve. There is a handy accordion-style wall divider that allows for expansion or shrinkage of any of the rooms, each of which can hold about 20 people. They are comfortably and simply furnished with easy-to-roll-around desks and chairs, allowing each meeting to take on the personality of the topic.

Yesterday, one of the agency directors came into our reception area with a stunned look on his face. He was returning the key to the room in which they had just had an advocacy development meeting. He reminded me what really happens in that space.



"We just had an amazing meeting. I was thinking about how many meetings are held in those conference rooms - all the agencies advocating and volunteering to better our community - it's just simply amazing. That space witnesses so many ideas and with so much energy. I'm just grateful. Thank you."



As he walked away, my heart sensed the Holy Spirit smiling and delighting in the way she made herself known - and continues to do so - amidst simple desks and accordion walls. Love is in the air!



What's happening in your space, in this moment?



"Do not come any closer," God said. "Take off your sandals, for the place you are standing is holy ground." Exodus 3:5

Pro

Last week I shadowed a half-dozen chaplains around the hospital.

Part of my department orientation to being a chaplain at this particular institution is to learn the unique idiosyncrasies. Which set of papers to fill out upon a death, how to contact the morgue if a family wants to view a body, what protocol to follow when there is a Code Blue, how to call the shuttle after hours to go between campuses, how to chart spiritual assessments so that it helps the next person who will visit, how to use the "clock in" time keeping system, etc. etc. etc.

During my year as a resident, I learned the art and science of being a chaplain amidst an institution that was set up a bit differently. The culture was one of learning, exploring, making mistakes, asking questions, reflecting, and doing it again and again and again. Eventually, right about the last week, I finally felt like I could simply show up and even though I didn't know what the pager might bring, I knew how to navigate the space, the system, the relationships, the staff and the paperwork.

Last week I shadowed a half-dozen Pro's. They know their stuff. They know the procedures, policies, charting. They showed me how to connect with the staff. They've been doing this for 7 years, 16 years, 25 years...it's in their blood. They shared their terms of endearment for certain personalities "Big Bob" or insider names of key spaces like "the snake pit."

And, I realized at my supervisor's coaching, I'm now one of them. "Can I actually write *that* on the chart?" I asked. She said, "Yes. You're not a resident anymore. You are a Chaplain."

So my prayer is that with God's help, I will fill the shoes of a Pro Chaplain. As my sister said to me at the 20-mile mark of the Chicago marathon, "You have been training for this day for a year. You are ready. Get up off the curb and run like a pro!" May I remember the encouraging words of my residency supervisor and my yaar-colleague-resident chaplains. My I approach this ministry always with fear and trembling. Amen.

Orientation

On Monday I attended an all-day "Orientation" session at the hospital.

It's a mandatory first-day overview course designed to, well, orient the new employees. [I will be working PRN (on an as-needed basis) as an overnight Chaplain a few weekends per month.] I have to admit that even a day filled with a death-by-powerpoint teaching style, it was helpful. The CEO came in and spoke about what matters - to him, to the hospital, to the community at large. The chief "service" VP emphasized quality. The Human Resources VP expressed how "employees are our best asset."

The more time we spent in the below-freezing air-conditioned theatre, the more we dredged through the practical muck and mire. How and where to park. How to wash our hands. How to stay alert to safety. It was all very predictable, and although I will remember very little, I do feel oriented. This Orientation day is a way to mark the entrance to a new work-a-life - it's a bit like a hazing, too. Here's what everyone knows no matter when they started here. It's an equalizer.

I wondered about getting a God's Love Orientation [day]. Something like a mandatory first-day overview of all creation. Maybe Jesus comes on stage and talks about what is important, to him, to the Kingdom of God, to our hearts. Maybe Peter or Paul come and talk about the importance of Unity. Then perhaps Luke shares about caring for each other, particularly the poor and marginalized. Matthew emphasizes our continuity with our traditional values.

Then, I remembered my baptism.

• Do you believe in God the Father?...
• Do you believe in Jesus Christ, the Son of God?...
• Do you believe in God the Holy Spirit?
• Will you continue in the apostles’ teaching and fellowship, in the breaking of bread, and in the prayers? I will, with God’s help.
• Will you persevere in resisting evil, and, whenever you fall into sin, repent and return to the Lord? I will, with God’s help.
• Will you proclaim by word and example the Good News of God in Christ? I will, with God’s help.
• Will you seek and serve Christ in all persons, loving your neighbor as yourself? I will, with God’s help.
• Will you strive for justice and peace among all people, and respect the dignity of every human being? I will, with God’s help.

Now *that's* an Orientation day. Thanks be to God!

How are you "oriented" in this moment?

So Christ himself gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the pastors and teachers, to equip his people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God and become mature, attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ. Ephesians 4:11-13

Fishbowl

I work in the reception area lobby.

My workspace looks out towards the entry door. To the left and to the right of my space are two long hallways that lead down to the offices. Just above my work area, above the desk level, are large, inviting, open window-like spaces on either side. Behind me is the entry/exit from my work area into the office work room, with the copier, postage machine and my friend, Legion.

Basically, I have no walls in my space, except for the building pillars at the four corners to hold up the second floor. Working in a fishbowl like this, I am learning something about myself:

I'm visible from all sides but I only have eyes in front. This means that my head is constantly turning to see who is coming in the door, which employee is standing on the side by the newspaper talking to me about the daily news, or listening for cries for help from the fabulous but complicated Xerox machine we just received. I'm learning about myself that I spend energy tracking the origin of noises.

This also means that when I am looking one way, someone can approach from the other. This is a bit unnerving, to me. I am taking the time to explain to each person to please not approach me from "the back" but it sounds so petty. I'm learning about myself that alas, I only have eyes in front. When others surprise me, I need to pause and take a breath. It's not their fault I'm a bit edgy.

This also means that anyone can see me when I am on line looking up something personal. Or they walk by when I am putting on my lipstick, or blowing my nose, or checking my cell phone text messages. I'm learning about myself to be more public about personal stuff and to keep the really personal stuff for some other time.

The (not "my") space is public-use. I have exactly one drawer to call "mine" since all the office supplies really belong to everyone in the agency. What's mine is yours! So why does it irritate me when they walk into the (not "my") work space (usually from behind me), reach in the (not "my") top drawer and pull out a pen? I'm praying about this; it's all God's stuff anyway so why do I feel a need to claim it as mine? I'm learning about my lack of capacity to let stuff go.

I'm learning about grace. I'm learning about saying what I need to others, before they become a thorn in my side. I'm learning about humility. I am praying to be respectful.

Therefore if you have any encouragement from being united with Christ, if any comfort from his love, if any common sharing in the Spirit, if any tenderness and compassion, then make my joy complete by being like-minded, having the same love, being one in spirit and of one mind. Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility value others above yourselves, not looking to your own interests but each of you to the interests of the others. Philippians 2:1-4

Faith at Work Redux

It's Tuesday mid-day. Time for team reporting.

Ms. GermanO reports for the manufacturing team. She names the company coordinators who have scheduled upcoming rallies in the next week. Her teammates look on in support with a knowing smile.

Ms. Snacks-R-Us tells about presenting to Sheriff department(s) in our city. She tried to be "warm and fuzzy" at 6am roll call to an audience who wears at least one gun, handcuffs, two or more cell phones, and other unnameable "tools" of the trade around their belt. She gets a kick out of how different each department reacts and how she changed her schpeel mid-stream at one meeting.

Mr. Mom talks about going to a rally at a bank with a box of donuts in hand. The branch manager met him there. He expected at least 25 employees. There were only 4 due to layoffs. They sat at the conference room table, no video, and discussed how these remaining 4 could use different agencies to make ends meet if they, too, lost their jobs.

Our youngest, Mr. Americorps, relays how he used to be really nervous but now, after dozens of presentations, "someone could stop me on the curbside and I could do a rally for them." His growing confidence encourages us all, especially those of us whose rallies don't start until next week.

Our Pacesetter Chair, Ms. WeCanDoAnything, reminds us that it's about relationships. That's why people give, advocate or volunteer. They have a story in their heart and they connect to our story.

I realize this is morning prayer time.

As we name those in positions of authority (the city and county authorities & the United Way management), we are praying for their well being respecting their leadership.

As we compare mileage driven, we are praying for the community through which we pass and ask forgiveness for burning the oil in the meantime.

As we watch and share videos of other community's United Way campaigns, we pray for the welfare of the world and enjoy the robust creativity of the Spirit's movement.

As we meet and shake hands with each of our company campaign coordinators and the participants in the meetings who listen as we ask for them to give, we pray for the concerns of the local community and ask for God's grace to pour out into our presence in that room.

As we share our personal story about why we give to United Way, we pray for those who suffer and those in any trouble. As we pause between appointments and relate to each other our stories of parents and others who have died, we pray for the departed.

As we share a loaves-n-fishes style potluck lunch, we pray in gratitude for all our blessings.

It's faith at work!

In what ways are you praying at work, between the lines?
Be joyful always; pray continually; give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus. 1 Thessalonians 5:17

Possibility

Krista Tippett was on my iPod today, interviewing author Michael Rose :

"... expansive reflection on the meaning of intelligence, not merely to education but to all kinds of work, including physical work, and to human possibility...."

While listening to the interview, the illuminated convergence of learning and intelligence and possibility caught my heart. Moments when teachers show up to a student and students are ready to hear teachers. Remember those days?

Tippett talked about moments in her own life when her mind "came to life" and it was "an ache as much as a thrill." She referred to a piece that Rose wrote,

"...And it was this paragraph that you had to go over and over and over again and underline. Where it made your brain hurt and it felt so good... because it somehow opened possibility. And,...how precious these educational experiences are because [that's when] we get into what my father would call "Real Life," capital "R" capital "L."

Rose replies that these powerful moments can be defining moments,

"... when people talk about either falling in love with a discipline, falling in love with a subject matter, or a teacher who made a difference, it's interesting how often they'll remember a moment...."

I was instantly brought back to my professor for a course called "Operations." I wrestled mightily with the subject, which made me so angry and yet I yearned to get it. My professor said something like "you can understand this - you just have to attack it back." I remember that moment when that professor pushed me. He believed in me: my capacity for work and the possibilities that could unfold for me when I "got" it. But he didn't give me the answer. I worked for it.

Then I remembered several moments in my life when teachers both pushed and inspired and helped me to envision possibilities.

Moments matter.

Today I met with a hospital chaplain for an informational interview. We talked about how vulnerable patients are in the hospital. And how vulnerable chaplains are, too, in the midst of the "we know exactly what we are doing" medical team. As he asked me about how do I integrate vulnerability and presence, I felt a familiar "this moment matters" countenance.

The grace-filled question is still stuck in my heart for an answer. Thanks be to Spirit for showing up in that moment and speaking through us both as we shared new possibilities of being with each other. God really showed up to that moment!

What is your memory of learning moments?

Meanwhile, the moment we get tired in the waiting, God's Spirit is right alongside helping us along. If we don't know how or what to pray, it doesn't matter. He does our praying in and for us, making prayer out of our wordless sighs, our aching groans. He knows us far better than we know ourselves, knows our pregnant condition, and keeps us present before God. That's why we can be so sure that every detail in our lives of love for God is worked into something good. Romans 8:26 (The Message)

Faith at Work

I was reminded today about not splitting my Sunday self from my 'rest of week' self.

As a hospital chaplain, every day was a God-be-present day.

Every morning we prayed - for the world, for each other, for our patients & families & staff. Every hour was marked by Love-relationships and Spirit-learning. Every visit was surprise encounter with the Holy. Every set of eyes beamed Jesus. Every threshold I crossed was prayed over. Every wall-mounted hand-sanitizer "washed my hands in innocence, O Lord, that I may go about your altar; singing a song of thanksgiving and proclaiming all your wonderful deeds..." Every evening on-call was surrender to the Almighty Pager. I felt drenched in God.

So what's changed? my spiritual director asked.

Um, well, it's - you know, WORK. Ahem.

Yea, so? How can you remain awake to how God's working in your whole-life, not just your Sunday-life?

First, I'll begin with prayer.

God help me to remain awake, since sleeping on the job is really not acceptable. Focus on the relationships and allow the interruptions to flow like water. Mark the day with prayer-spots, just as before. Enter meetings grounded. Breathe. Seek and serve Jesus in every person I meet. Extend hospitality - radically - to everyone and especially The Other. Laugh at my box-of-office. Be spontaneous. Speak out for justice. Become disinterested in numbers and love my coworkers, my campaign coordinators, my chief executives, my janitors, my agencies... and I'm going to try, with God's help, to show up. In this moment.


Stay wide-awake in prayer. Most of all, love each other as if your life depended on it. Love makes up for practically anything. Be quick to give a meal to the hungry, a bed to the homeless—cheerfully. Be generous with the different things God gave you, passing them around so all get in on it: if words, let it be God's words; if help, let it be God's hearty help. That way, God's bright presence will be evident in everything through Jesus, and he'll get all the credit as the One mighty in everything—encores to the end of time. Oh, yes! 1 Peter 4:7 (The Message)

How are you remaining awake in your rest-of-week Love Life?