Serving outside the gate, even sometimes on a garbage heap

When someone asks me : "What do chaplains do?" I respond: "They serve outside the gate."

After the questioner blinks his/her eyes a time or two as they wait to see where in the world I am going with that kind of answer, I proceed to say something like this:

"When U.S. military Reserve, National Guard and Active Duty chaplains-- as well as Federal Prison and Veterans Affairs hospital chaplains (or any other chaplains) --put on their respective uniforms with the cross insignia, they are following Jesus' example of being willing to go "outside the city gate" (Hebrews 13: 12).

The "outside the gate" in Hebrews is a clear reference to Golgotha Hill outside the gate and walls of Jerusalem. Golgotha in Jesus' day was known as the "place of the scull" (place of death) and the city's "garbage heap." It became one of the places where criminals were taken by the governing authorities to be placed on a cross and "hung-out" to die as a cruel and vivid warning to the rest of the population to "stay in line or else..."

Somewhat like within the walls of Jerusalem in Jesus' time, the local church today is a vital place of witness, worship, spiritual nourishment and service for Christians . The local congregation's role is invaluable. Yet the many places outside the gate today-- including the hospital ward, the prison block, the military installation, and even a war zone -- are important places of witness and service, and yes, places to promote peace and reconciliation.

In fact we all -- lay persons and ordained -- are challenged by the New Testament writer in the following verse with this: "Let us then go to him outside the camp and bear the abuse he endured" (Hebrews 13: 13). That's a pretty heavy demand!

Yet it gives a clear word-picture of where chaplains and committed lay persons serve -- outside the gate, outside the confines of the camp -- i.e. outside the local church congregation in a less clearly defined terrain.

In fact some folk ask, "What business does a chaplain or any other committed religious person have in such a messy, federal-government-policy-driven, politicized environment?" Perhaps that's a question for a later blog. For now I simply say: Yes chaplaincy takes place in a rather messy environment -- i.e. a risk-filled, line-blurred, grayish place to serve. But aren't we all called at the dismissal of each Holy Eucharist to "go in peace to love and serve the Lord" and doesn't that include any place where God's children are located -- a prison, a hospital, a military unit, etc.?

One of the responsibilities (and joys!) my "boss," Bishop George Packard, and I have is to provide pastoral support for our Church's federal chaplains and other chaplains who are serving "outside the gate."

Most recently I was privileged to visit some of our chaplains in the Pacific Northwest. My first stop was Portland, Oregon where I represented Bishop Packard at our Episcopal Church's Executive Council meeting. (The 38 lay and ordained members of Exec Council meet three times each year to carry out the programs and policies adopted by our Church's General Convention and oversee the ministry and mission of the Church.) In Portland I made our chaplaincy report to the Exec Council's National Concerns Committee which is most-ably chaired by Mr. John Vanderstar an outstanding lay person, retired lawyer, and one who has a supportive interest in the challenges of chaplaincy ministry.

While in Portland I had a delightful lunch-visit with U.S. Air Force Auxiliary --Civil Air Patrol (CAP) Chaplain Annette Arnold-Boyd, an energetic priest who has, among other things, worked with her young CAP cadets, her network of church friends and others to pack and mail many "care packages" to some Oregon military personnel in Iraq. Some of the items have included things military members have requested to distribute to needy Iraqi families, individuals and children.

Also in Portland I had breakfast with Chaplain Dale Carr, a friend who is a priest in the Diocese of Oregon and who serves as a chaplain for a privately owned chain of hospitals. During our conversation it was clear that Dale loves doing ministry in the non-church-connected Portland hospital where he daily represents the presence of our Lord and thus cares for all -- patients and staff, religious and non-religious -- who invite him into their daily lives as he faithfully makes his rounds,"showing up" where pain and death are located.

From Portland I went to Fairchild Air Force Base near Spokane, Washington and visited Chaplain Jeff Neuberger and his wife Kate. Jeff rather recently completed a tour in Iraq at a U.S. Air Force field hospital near Baghdad. He shared with me via conversation and photos the challenging and dangerous environment in which his "outside the gate" ministry took place -- a locale which was frequently a target of mortar rounds being fired at, of all places, a hospital compound.

At Spokane's Fairchild Air Force Base, where Jeff is the Wing (i.e. senior) Chaplain, he ably supervises four younger chaplains-- some of which could possibly be eventually assigned to serve in Afghanistan, Iraq or Kuwait -- all locales that are clearly"outside the camp" of safety. In both indirect and direct ways Jeff is helping prepare those chaplains for their ongoing service outside the more traditional role of civilian priest or minister.

In my next blog I will share two other visits with Episcopal Church chaplains in the Pacific Northwest -- one in an Army hospital in Tacoma, Washington, and the other at Fort Richardson, Alaska.

Meanwhile, as we ponder the two solemn parts of this Eater Triduum -- Maundy Thursday and Good Friday -- en route to the third part, Easter Day, let us renew our commitment to the One who, in his witness as God incarnate (in flesh), showed the deep love of God for each of us by willingly going outside the gate to Golgotha rather than deny the truth of who He was called to be.