Sermon - 5-28-23
Di
Description
<p>Mid-February, I was inspired to consider pet therapy as part of the Spiritual Care I provide to patients, families and colleagues as a hospital chaplain</p> <p>With the support of hospital management I moved forward to get our Labrador retriever, Daisy, tested and certified as a therapy dog, and began bringing her to work in April</p> <p> </p> <p>/ / /</p> <p> </p> <p>Providing spiritual care to patients and families for about a year</p> <p>caused me to think that I had a handle on the idea of the Holy Spirit,</p> <p>Spirit is “pneuma” in Greek</p> <p>Which literally translates to “wind-breath”</p> <p>So when I hear “Holy Spirit”</p> <p>I think about God’s holy and sacred wind-breath</p> <p>Moving and flowing… blowing through our lives</p> <p> / / /</p> <p>As a hospital chaplain I regularly encounter unpredictable and unique situations with illness, tragedy and death</p> <p>I believe that God’s holy and sacred wind-breath nudges, guides and inspires me</p> <p>to provide compassionate care to individuals and families</p> <p>I’ve become <strong>accustomed</strong> to the support and guidance I believe I receive from the Holy Spirit</p> <p>I rely upon it</p> <p>I count on it</p> <p>Maybe I had even come to think I can predict, manage, or control it</p> <p>Pentecost is a day when scripture cracks open what we think we can predict, manage and control</p> <p>And leaves us with more questions than answers</p> <p>/ / /</p> <p>Working with Daisy has opened up a fresh perspective to me</p> <p>Equipped with my masters degree, 12 months of specialized chaplain training and immersed in an anthropocentric society… I expected Daisy to be a side-car to the work I’m trained to do</p> <p>I expected to be in charge</p> <p>I expected to lead Daisy</p> <p>I expected the Holy Spirit to remain in the box that I had put her in / / </p> <p>I was completely unprepared to witness Daisy engage her own work / /</p> <p>In spite of my absolute belief in the power o
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OscarStar
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