Gone Chaplaining

I'm sorry I've been so remiss lately at blogging. I've started an intensive unit of CPE this summer, and have very little time for much else. CPE stands for Clinical Pastoral Education, but if that doesn't explain it for you, it's basically a hospital chaplaincy internship.

I spend the equivalent of about 6 days/week at a hospital in the western suburbs of Chicago being a chaplain. I have two units that I'm assigned to - the trauma unit of our ICU and a medical/surgical unit in the main hospital. When I'm 'on call' however, which would be in the evenings, overnights or weekends, I may be covering the whole hospital.

I was fairly intimidated by the whole thing initially, and still have numerous moments of humility, however, I'm actually enjoying this experience. I've met a lot of people from lots of places, some more interested in talking with me than others, of course.

Theologically, it's also interesting in that we're forced to be ecumenical. Over half of our patients are Catholic, but so far, I've worked with Lutherans, Methodists, UCCers, 'non-denominationals' and I think a Muslim (though I didn't ask) in addition to lots of Catholics. Completing a unit of CPE is usually a requirement for seminaries around here, including the more conservative ones. It's comforting to me that seminarians who might otherwise be Christian exclusivists, have a chance to meet people for whom other traditions are sacred.

I hope to get posts on here a little more frequently than I have, but I appreciate your patience in the mean time. Keep thinking, keep praying, and keep active!