Caregivers of the Dead

     A short while ago, I responded (with my FD crew) to one of the more gruesome motor vehicle fatalities I’ve seen so far in my time as a fire department chaplain. Sure I’ve seen dead bodies before, but not so many that I’ve “gotten used to it.” This one stuck with me for several reasons, mostly due to the time it took to free the victim from the vehicle. Three hours is a long time to stand around in the Florida heat while a deceased human is slowly extricated from an overturned van.    

     Such times can test your internal constitution, and reveal your capacity to stay focused on the job you need to perform. For me as a chaplain, my job has many layers, most of which are intangible. There can be specific functions to the role, but most often my job is to be randomly encouraging with reassuring smiles, human contact, and what is called “the ministry of presence.” So being “present” for my Seminole County fire crew, the Seminole County Sheriff’s deputies and Florida Highway Patrolmen on scene was really what was on my mind.

     That changed, though, when another team arrived on the scene with whom I had not interacted before: the medical examiner and coroner. I was struck by the meticulous detail the M.E. had to document concerning the entire scene, the apparent cause of death, and even the body itself. Photographs were taken from every angle so as to preserve each view of the vehicle and the deceased. Her singular focus was that of capturing every relevant detail so that the story of the victim’s death could accurately be told. Who would later need that story to be told correctly? The victim’s family? Law enforcement? A jury? The M.E. carries a tremendous responsibility reporting to the living how a soul left this Earth; a story that will have a far-reaching impact, and that will endure through all the generations of the victim’s progeny.

     Another “caregiver of the dead” that gave me pause, however, was the man from the coroner’s office whose role was to transport the deceased away. I imagine that such a profession could become taxing. It’s never your job to transport the living or be involved in their rescue. No…all of your “clients” are dead. Your passengers, whether meeting their demise in peaceful or violent fashion, calmly or through much suffering, all have the same state of lifelessness. These keepers of the dead bear a burden which most are uncomfortable discussing. In film (especially westerns) they are portrayed as macabre characters all clad in black, randomly approaching the stranger in town with a tape measure so as to get a head start on building their coffin. They’re never featured as the happy individual with a normal family, a burgeoning romance, and a network of friends they meet down at the pub. We don’t like thinking about the dead, so we imagine their caregivers as someone we’d rather not be. This is very unfortunate.

     I must confess that I, myself, have been guilty of the above misconception before…that is until this encounter. As I observed the gentle care and attention to dignity shown for the dead by this man, I felt myself developing an entirely different view. With great personal alarm I realized how under-appreciated he has been, and others like him with the same job. My great hope is that I was able to be of some encouragement to him on the spot, for it was in the flashing minutes of standing there in the middle of the road that the epiphany of his necessity struck me. Flooding my mind was all the Biblical references to his role that I had read before, and the great need for his role across cultures.

     To some it might have seemed odd that I wanted to help him carry the body to his vehicle, but to me it had suddenly become a great privilege to assist him in any way. Overwhelmed with this new revelation, I wrote the following Prayer for the Coroner (shown below):

Our Father in heaven…

Who gave to our forefather, Joseph,
    faithful brothers that would carry his body
    to his final resting place in the Promised Land;
Who inspired women to care for the body of our Lord
    before He rose from the dead,
Grant, we ask, your Grace upon those that,
    with gentle care and respect for the departed,
    transport the earthly remains of those that have died
    as such souls leave for their heavenly journey.
Comfort those who must examine and report
    on the remains of people now gone
    in order to tell the story of their passing,
    that the living will know the truth how the deceased left this world.
By Your Spirit, remind these workers of respect for the dead
    of the great importance of their profession,
    and fill them with assurance that their example
    inspires the respect and reverence of others as well.
These things we ask on account of Him who first revealed his Resurrection
    to those who came to care for his body, Jesus Christ our Lord.       

Amen.

    Hopefully we all are able to better appreciate what these people do for us. When the dead leave us behind, our mourning process is facilitated by a chain of dedicated individuals that must care for our deceased loved one along the way; from the M.E. and coroner, to the funeral staff and even those that carry out what is done with remains (burial digging, cremation technician, etc.). Care for the dead is one of those bedrock practices that makes us human, separating us from animals and revealing culture in the archaeological record. Let us show our appreciation for these “caregivers of the dead” and consider the great calling they carry for our benefit.

Ride Out!

With the knowledge you have gained
from a hundred training days,
Ride out!

With trust in one and all
to heed the blaring urgent call,
Ride out!

With courage few can know
and brilliant skills to show,
Ride out!

With honor, grace and pride,
and God ever on your side,
Ride out!

On apparatus prepped with care
to dangers few would ever dare,
Ride out!

To those emergencies to solve
with your leaders' fierce resolve,
Ride out!

To your city, swift and brave,
that prays for God to come and save,
Ride out!

To your neighbors, scared and near,
and family, loved and dear,
Ride out!

As God's caring hands and feet,
knowing what timely needs you meet,
Ride out!

Prayers for a Fire Station

On May 21st, it was my privilege to participate in the dedication of the new station for Fate Fire Rescue. The fire department for the City of Fate, Texas is an exemplary team that has taken a leadership role in Rockwall County, demonstrating excellence that neighboring departments can learn from. Having been their fire chaplain since 2007, it has been my honor to serve them since then, though after moving to Houston in late 2009, my interaction with them diminished considerably. Imagine my joy when they asked I be present for, and participate in the dedication (and "blessing") of their newly constructed, state-of-the-art, station on Main St. Not qualified to offer a sacramental or "priestly" blessing for their station, I performed instead my usual habit of writing prayers for the occasion that we might offer up to God on behalf of those that assemble and serve there. This constituted a "blessing" which could be invoked by any who read them as often as they do. The following were written for the occasion of the station dedication, but will also be framed and given to the dept to display as they see fit (it was suggested that these prayers might be hung in their designated spaces within the station). I post them here for my friends to see what manner of "blessing" I hope that my beloved firefighters will receive as often as such prayers are read among them:

Prayer of Blessing for the Training Room

O gracious Lord, who by your Spirit did train the young men of old in the ways of battle for the service of your people, Grant that by that same Spirit those that have given themselves over to be counted among this department shall receive the excellent training and instruction as is fitting for servants of our God in the care of this fine city. Illuminate their minds to sound precepts and teach their hands for service, that residents may call upon them with confidence of their skilled instincts to save, to the honor of the most responsive Savior, Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

Prayer of Blessing for the Berthing and Rec Areas

Almighty God, who has given space within these walls for them who stand watch over this city, and with utmost vigilance remain ready to answer the call, to receive rest from their labors while sleeping for a time or enjoying such delights as their camaraderie affords, Grant that they may find in here a replenishing respite when not needed for emergencies or such duties as are asked of them to the taxing of their spirits and bodies. So that when running they may not grow weary, and in walking they will not faint, to the glory of your Comforting Son our Lord. Amen.

Prayer of Blessing for the Apparatus and Equipment Bay

Almighty Father, who is the sender of all things fine and helpful into the world, for the benefit of your creatures great and small, and who has provided such excellent equipment for these your helpers to use in service to this city, Grant that this collection of tools and gear may accompany them on the apparatus which, carried along by your Spirit, may enable them to fully bring that help for which you have empowered them, for the reputation he who provides all help to the distressed, Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

Prayer of Blessing for Command and Control

O God our Chief, who has ordered all the world to follow them that lead with excellence, and who has provided as gifts from your gracious treasury such officers as may command your servants in this duty, Grant that they, being ever mindful or their charge, will increase in love and competence for guiding those that so need their leadership. And we entreat you that their devices and channels of communication might never fail them, that through their clear direction and wise admonition, citizens may dwell assured that God has sent his best to them in time of need. To the honor and glory of he who rules from his throne, Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

That's Sacred to Me

Growing up, I heard two contradictory messages from Christian authority figures all around me, though I didn't realize it at the time.

1. God is everywhere and with us all the time. He doesn't need special rituals or spaces to meet with us (as was supposedly the dominant reality of Jewish religion in the Old Testament). "We're not like those Catholics," I was told, "who need rituals, robes and ornate buildings to worship. We don't need all that 'extra' stuff." Buildings, things and job positions aren't particularly "special" to God.

2. "Don't run in church!"... "Don't treat your Bible like that!" ... "Dress in your 'Sunday best'"... "Support your pastor. He's a 'man of God'."

You can see the conflict. There was an overt anti-Catholicism in the Baptist tradition that sought to reject 'elements of the sacred' while intuitively practicing them in many respects. Over the years though, I've come to discover that Protestant traditions rightly maintain this unacknowledged instinct because it has such deep roots among the populus Dei ("the people of God" for all time). What is necessary is not to deny these 'elements of the sacred,' but instead to plainly identify them, properly engaging them in worshiping the Lord. I offer here five categories of "the sacred" that the people of God naturally use in the lifestyle of worship:

• Sacred Times

One of the most easily acknowledged of these categories is the notion of specific times 'set apart' to God for worship or his particular use. The 10 Commandments includes this with "Remember the Sabbath day to set it apart as holy. For six days you may labor and do all your work, but the seventh day is a Sabbath to the LORD your God; on it you shall not do any work, you, or your son, or your daughter, or your male servant, or your female servant, or your cattle, or the resident foreigner who is in your gates" (Ex 20:8-10). Thus the notion of sacred time is introduced in the Old Testament, and carries forward into the New Testament as early Christians gathered on Sunday to commemorate the first day of the week when Christ arose from the dead. Therefore, the Christian Sunday replaced the Jewish Saturday ("sabbath") as the day of the week set apart to the Lord specifically to worship him and enjoy his provision.

However, 'sacred time' was, by no means, restricted to merely a day. Sacred holidays (feasts) punctuated the calender to create the occasional party 'to the Lord.' In addition, even times of day were designated for 'morning and evening sacrifice.' Sacred time is setting aside particular amounts of time for worshiping the Lord and enjoying life with him.

• Sacred Space

Though not listed specifically in the Decalogue, the element of sacred space remains ever present throughout the Bible. Though it's more easily observed in the Old Testament (i.e. Moses removes shoes on 'holy ground,' Jerusalem as God's 'holy city' and the Temple as the 'house' of the Lord), the New Testament makes no effort to counteract this paradigm. The early Church appears to have understood this level of their continuity with the ancient faith of the Israelites, developing healthy appetites for the 'sanctuary' as designated space for communal worship. The "Don't run in church!" admonishment of the Baptist church betrays a heritage beholden to the ancient Church catholic. What's more? The front of the church building differs from the rear of the 'sanctuary' (i.e. auditorium or 'worship center' for mega-churches). Even if horseplay is tolerated among children after service hours, they still are not allowed to rough-house on the stage, around the pulpit or across the communion table. People of faith have an intuitive sense of 'sacred space' that suggests to them, "the Lord communes with me there in a different manner that he does elsewhere."

• Sacred rites

It is only natural that protocols and procedures are in place for interacting with the Divine that acknowledges their superior place over the worshiper. This acknowledgment is essential to demonstrate reverence and appropriate respect to the deity one believes is being worshiped. Obviously, one can get around this by simply not believing that a deity is present or listening, but this amounts to a functional atheism unacceptable to the devout. Communal worship in the Old Testament is the very model of rites and rituals all crafted to reflect the holiness of the God being approached through the system of sacrifices. Though all of these would not be exactly duplicated in the New Testament, echoes of them are found in such NT admonishments to "do everything in a decent and orderly manner" (1 Cor 14:40) and worship descriptions as "They were devoting themselves to the apostles’ teaching [suggests a creedal confession of faith] and to fellowship, to the breaking of bread [suggests sacramental communion] and to prayer [lit. the prayers]" (Acts 2:42). Even church traditions that claim to be "non-liturgical" demonstrate this principle in how accepted practices naturally emerge as facilitating worship during the gathering of the faithful.

• Sacred objects

The tradition is long and obvious that God uses stuff as instruments of his presence and power. Whether it is Moses' staff during the Exodus story, the Ark of the Covenant or the hem of Christ's garment through which a woman was healed, objects have been designated by God throughout redemptive history to convey God's 'localized presence.' The fear of overdoing this instinct into a quasi-idolatry should, by no means, retard the tendency to continue what God has instituted in ancient times. If Paul's quotation of Habakkuk that "the righteous by faith will live" suggests a continuity of faith among the Faithful of all time periods (cf. Rom 1:17; Hab 2:4), then God's use of sacred objects to convey his presence among his people is no less appropriate today than it has ever been throughout time. Thus, abusing sacraments in the NT can carry similar consequences to unauthorized contact with the Ark of the Covenant in the OT (cf. 1 Cor 11:27-30; 2 Sam 6:6-7). One appropriately demonstrates reverent care for those objects used for worship today (i.e. Bible, crosses, communion ware, even worship garments) knowing that reverence employed in handling those objects reflects one's reverence before God.

• Sacred offices

Within a given community, there is always a clear necessity for designated people, set apart and skilled, to facilitate the communal worship rites. This is not merely restricted to the prophets, priests and Levites of ancient Israel. Presbyters, pastors and teachers are listed among the "gifts" God gives to the New Testament covenant community as well. The office of "Apostle" holds special status as the first of Jesus' followers who are trusted with accurately and effectively spreading his message. Thus, it remains necessary for clergy to be ordained by someone that was ordained by someone that was ordained by someone [etc....] ordained by an Apostle and trusted to succeed them ("apostolic succession"). Even now, 'holy men' are consecrated within a given religious community, and recognized as qualified to lead the community in their accepted rites. Being 'set apart' as holding a sacred office, these individuals fulfill an intermediary function, assisting worshipers in connecting with God, reflecting the ultimate and complete manner this function is carried out by Jesus Christ.

These 'elements of the sacred' are clearly evident in the Biblical record, and are reflected in modern Christian practice as well. The most legitimate Christian practices embrace this heritage and seek to maintain the healthy intermingling of orthodoxy and orthopraxy. In addition, we have not even addressed here the concept of 'scared people,' that renders the populus Dei as the official residence of the living God (sacred space), with a lifespan dedicated to God (sacred time), who is his instrument of presence and power (sacred objects), who are invited into his courtly presence through royal protocols (sacred rites) and must bear his image and represent him to the world (sacred office). This notion of sacred people would thus render all sin a defilement of the sacred.

I grew up in a tradition that offered contradictory messages about 'the sacred.' I now operate in a tradition that maintains better harmony regarding these. In my opinion, all Christians would benefit greatly from acknowledging their instincts toward the sacred as given by God, and that those instincts, while needing parameters and direction from Holy Scripture and the wisely authoritative fellowship of the Church, are ignored at our own peril.

A Smoke-filled Room

As the thurible waved back and forth behind me, while I processed into the the sanctuary carrying the cross, I could already smell it. The incense burned sending its smoke rising into the rafters. For some, this is a strong scent that might distract from worship. For me, it's an olfactory journey into the throne room of God. The fumes drift around and invade the atmosphere. Such elements can lead you, literally, by the nose into the images of worship conjured from Revelation 5:8, 8:3-4. When we had arrived at the front of the sanctuary and entered the area of the altar, the priest waved the incense over the altar, the sacramental instruments and toward us acolytes. It's a wondrous thing to worship Christ with "the prayers of the saints" wafting over and around you. In ideal conditions, the air conditioning can be disengaged so that the smoke develops stratigraphic layers of fog rising up to the ceiling (and symbolically up to heaven). Indeed Christian worship can, and should, be a multi-sensory enterprise.

The incense smoke activates a historic "trigger" in the brain that hopes the ancient saints would be pleased with how we have received their "baton" of worship rites. It also powers up a futuristic instinct regarding saints' collective worship of Christ in heaven. It agitates and quickens an awareness of the present-day participation in timeless worship that has been being conducted by angels since their creation. The incense, therefore, has the past-present-future aspects of all legitimate celebration. I have discussed before how this rubric measures the validity of all ceremony and celebration. The finest elements of church practice uphold this philosophy.

The lingering "scents of worship" stay with me throughout the week as I engage in morning and/or evening prayer. Prayers from the Book of Common Prayer contain such creedal truth and ancient language, that I sense I'm still engaged in "common prayer" with those saints I thought about when enveloped by incense smoke. My "smoke" mingles with theirs to waft up before Divine nostrils. The Father, Son and Holy Spirit take a big whiff and say to one another, "Do you smell that? I love it."

For this reason, there's nothing like worshiping in a smoke filled room. For us at the Church of the Holy Trinity, this happens on the first Sunday of the month. O that it was a weekly occurrence! For some in episcopal churches (albeit Reformed Episcopal - Anglican), some elements of worship simply smack too closely of Roman practices, and therefore must be introduced judiciously. Nevertheless, having chosen to "eat the whole buffalo," I've developed an 'appetite' for all that ancient liturgy and practice offers. Our wise and temperate priest is including new/ancient elements with measured incrementalism. My default response remains, "swing that burner at me again, father. Nothing aids an atmosphere of worship like atmospheric worship." The smoke-filled room is exactly the place where I want to pray with all the saints (past, present and future).

The Random God

The Collect for the Tenth Sunday after Trinity reads, "Let thy merciful ears, O Lord, be open to the prayers of thy humble servants; and, that they may obtain their petitions, make them to ask such things as shall please thee; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen."

Having completed the Master of Theology degree at Dallas Theological Seminary, I can confidently say that the dynamic interplay between God and believers in everyday life is more a mystery now than when I started formal training. No definitive pattern can be discerned from either Holy Scripture, or from observing life in general. One appears to receive God's favor, another does not. The wicked prosper while the righteous suffer, but then the trend is sometimes reversed. One man seeks to honor the Lord with his labor, yet is not rewarded with abundance. Another could not care less for the Lord's agenda, yet seems to prosper at every turn. There is no discernible pattern to it.

To add complexity to the enigma, just when the lack of any pattern causes one to throw up their hands in stymied resignation, and declare that there is no pattern because God does not bother himself with the menial concerns of the individual, something occurs that seems to lend evidence that God does indeed "answer" prayer.

The apparent "silence of Heaven" may be a problem for the superstitious Christian that asserts a view of God as the "divine puppeteer," pulling the strings of every daily event (Oral Roberts). However, the seeming "answer from Heaven" remains a problem for the deist that asserts God as a "divine watchmaker" that created the world with various principles to operate it, got it started and then has pretty much left it alone since (Thomas Jefferson). There is such a thing as a Christian-deist hybrid, a sort of "Christian naturalist" that asserts belief in the great Christian creeds, but will assert that one should not expect God's intervention between the first and second advents of Christ. I have tried to avoid this tendency, but life experience has made it tempting.

Nevertheless, just about that time that the "silence of Heaven" has made Christian naturalism intellectually attractive, out of desperation concerning a family need I punt to prayer (for which I'm expecting no answer). When the need is met in an unexpected manner, it seems to jostle the categories all over again. Is the need met randomly by the blind ebbs and flows of human society and interactions? Was the entropic benevolence of someone toward us, who became aware of our need, wholly unrelated to the petition I had offered to God in secret? Is it right to interpret the meeting of the need as related to the prayer for the need? Did God send the money, or did some kind person give it, who arbitrarily decided to show kindness to us?

Clearly the best answer to last question is "Yes."

However, the temptation always remains to attempt learning something about God through such events, to discern his "pattern," discover his "m.o.," figure him out. The temptation to pursue such insight is great, but the folly of such a pursuit is great as well. The best that can be determined from such encounters is that God enjoys his randomness. For reasons that seem good to him, he appears averse to fitting neatly into popular categories concerning his interaction with us in this present world. To figure him out would be to master him in some capacity, and he will apparently have none of it.

The one who has a need met following prayer cannot say, "God always meets my needs when I pray." Likewise, the one who has a need go unmet despite much prayer cannot say, "God never meets my needs regardless of how much I pray." He is mastered by none, and is predictable by none. He holds his own council, and is advised only by himself on matters into which he will intervene. The "puppeteer" and the "watchmaker" are labels that cannot fit his character.

For reasons that seemed good to him, we had a pressing need that was met today. I mentioned this need to him in morning prayer, half expecting that this would be to no effect. Other disappointing life events this year had me persuaded that "Christian naturalism" was a more accurate view of God. Nevertheless, being a Christian, I have not abandoned the practice of prayer, though I did not expect anything to result. When I was approached hours later by an unexpected source with the resources needed, I gladly thanked them. Inside though, I rolled my eyes and prayed secretly, "You're having fun with this, aren't You."

I reckon the lesson was to cease attempting to discern the pattern. The sovereign Lord appears to enjoy his randomness, and he retains the right to involve himself in my life, and my needs, to whatever extent he pleases. I cannot presume upon his intervention (or absence) in any of my life events.