Chaplaincy : life in the hush and the hurry

Abstract

Hospital chaplaincy is currently and has been historically a vocation that avoids being put into a neat box that describes what chaplaincy is and what chaplains do. Chaplains live in-between the worlds of the secular and the sacred while performing services for others similar to what both counselors and pastors perform. It is in these in-betweens and uncertainties that the chaplain ministers to patients and loved ones in the most vulnerable times of their lives. Through my chaplaincy internship at Ball Memorial Hospital, I was able to experience firsthand how to be present with those in spiritual and emotional need, patients, family members, and staff. I learned about myself, how I interact with others, and most importantly found a vocation that I feel called to pursue. My decision to attend seminary and pursue pastoral ministry in the near future was a direct result of my internship experiences. This paper is an account of my chaplaincy internship experience and an illumination into the state of mind and being that the chaplaincy process implores on its participants.