hospital visit.

Warning: This post is sort of...gory.  So if you freak out at the thought of hospitals or dead bodies, just pass this one right on by.  There will be more on here later this weekend...like new pup pictures and birthday dinner pictures and stories from our first camping trip!  Sounds a lot better than what's to follow...

Yesterday for class we met at a hospital.  We learned from a Chaplain (Reverend Brenda...yes...a woman!) about hospital ministry.  You know...what to say, what not to say, how to approach people of different faiths, how to be invited to pray over someone, what you do when you're called in after someone has died, etc.  Stomach uneasy yet?  Yea, so was mine.

The Reverend shared a lot of experiences she has had.  Some were very practical to ministry, but some were also very personal to me.  Like the time 20 or so Muslim men were in a hospital room and called for a Chaplain...and here walks in little blonde-haired Brenda.  She said her heart was beating out of her chest, just as mine was beating as she told the story.  She said as she walked in all the men looked at her.  Do you know what they did?  They broke open their circle, let her in, held hands, and let her pray with them.  Amazing, I know.  Silly us for coming to our own conclusions at times.  She taught me a lot about being a woman in ministry and, out of our own insecurity and fear, how we can be our own biggest roadblocks at times.  (There's a lot more here, but I'd rather not unpack all of that right now.)

Then she took us down to the viewing room.  This is the room in the hospital where you would go if your loved one has already passed, to say goodbye, pray, sing, etc.  It looked like a comfy living room so it didn't really bother me too much.  She talked about different traditions, like chanting over the body, anointing with oils, etc.  It really fascinated me because I don't know a lot about that.  (I still don't.)  Then she kept talking about the morgue and pointing to the door right to the left.  Oh yes, you know what's coming next.

"Anyone want to see the morgue?"  Call me disturbed but I did.  And so did about ten of my peers.  It was cold, sterile, and still.  There were the drawers you always see in movies and Grey's Anatomy, and the table where they do autopsies.  I know it seems weird, but I had such a strange peace in there.  I think I've always felt somewhat of a fear over dead bodies.  I think it's mostly because it is so evident that once someone has passed there is no spirit left..it's just an empty body, you know?  It's really so strange.  But yesterday it also brought me a sort of joy to remember we really do live forever outside of these bodies.  It is a good thing that the spirit of people leave their old, broken down bodies.

Then the Reverend started opening up drawers.  What?!  I didn't know this was part of the deal!?  That's what I kept thinking.  Luckily, they were all empty.  Except for one.  So glad there are body bags.  She explained to us the feeling of someone's skin once they have passed.  "You may want to just feel this man now, he died this morning but you'll get the point.  That way when you're at the bedside one day and someone dies, you won't be surprised by the feeling."  She started unzipping the body bad and I saw a white chest and then...I left.  There's no way.  Not ready for that yet.  But I made it as far as I did in there and for that I am proud of myself.

It was quite the experience she gave us in exchange for a hospital tour, thanks to the good ol' H1N1.  Guess I'll have to wait til next Friday to see the babies. :)

Anyhow, this post is mostly for me but also to share with you what I am learning and experiencing in seminary.  So grateful for the joy I felt yesterday in knowing that "the end" really isn't the end at all.