Become a Chaplain

Master of Chaplaincy essay. Colin Burgess.

While in the military my observances of a Padre or a Chaplain (more general term) is a go between.

I was only a private and if I had a problem with my immediate family whereas the Padre was a Captain and could boldly act as a go between for myself and the higher ups I dare not approach, since they have a working relationship with everyone. Their role seems to be very passive or neutral.

Regardless of their religious background (Muslim; Jewish; Christian) their task was as a moral officer and I could choose to seek them on a religious capacity if I so chose to.

I can see the importance of Chaplains not only being trained in their religious views but also in counseling.

In view of disastrous events taking place their training in counseling is much needed. Something as simple as a Chaplain in a mall or an airport (someone who is readily available to talk to) may be what prevents someone from taking their life or someone else. This may be the bit of advice a person needs to prevent their marriage that is on the rocks from failing or falling into an extra-marital affair.
I believe chaplaincy is something (from my Christian perspective) we are all called in some way or another to do. The scripture says in 1 John 2:26-27
“These things I have written to you concerning those who are trying to deceive you. As for you, the anointing which you received from Him abides in you, and you have no need for anyone to teach you.; but as His anointing teaches you about all things and is true and not a lie, and just as it has taught you, you abide in Him.”
My goal through this course (and through other courses I have taken is not to replace what the Holy Spirit is teaching me as I grow in my faith but to polish and refine the way I present it to the world.
Apart from my career goals as a minister I want to be ready with an answer at all times, prepared to counsel; admonish and build up anyone in need.
The job of a Chaplain is not a lot unlike therapist. You are in a position of trust and when you are called upon to function as a Chaplain you are put in a position of trust. You cannot violate their trust (unless their or another persons life is in danger.)
I loved the term in Lesson 2 of this course. “The divine Mark.”
One thing I have certainly notices what separates an army Chaplain apart from the other commissioned officers is their gentleness. Their goal is not to teach people to harm other (they cannot even touch a weapon apart from their pocket knife.) but their goal is to build up and help those in distress from a rough tour or a crisis at home. After seeing how the role these people play it is my desire to re-enlist in the forces to be a mediator between the troops and the higher ups who have forgotten how hard it is to be at the bottom. These young guys need an advocate and I would also love to start Bible studies on the base in my town for the weaker Christians who have gotten caught up in the military behaviour.
One thing that separates a Christian apart from a Christian who preaches the word of God is they really have to hunger and thirst for Gods word. They jealously guard their time alone with God in prayer and reading the word. In order to grow as a Christian you have to feast upon the word of God and in order to help others mature as a Christian you have to be maturing yourself. While doing this you yourself have to be in a position of humility and knowing you too sin and have the same weaknesses. It is you however who has a bit of education and a “WHOLE BUNCH” of Gods Holy Spirit anointing upon you. Without the Holy Spirit your education is dead.
Pertaining to Lesson 3.
I like the listening part. As Chaplains we have accrued a lot of head knowledge and knowledge puffs up. When someone is chattering away we might want to chime in. The best way to help someone is to simply shut up and listen. By the end of the conversation they may have talked themselves through the problem and all is left for you to do is shake their hand.
But in the case of being a teacher. I so firmly believe a teachers Bible must be worn out from use and they are surrounded in their own time by books authored by strong teachers.
I believe teachers should rise early and be on an exercise routine to keep their minds alert as well as their bodies. Their diet is clean and they present themselves well not as an act of deception to mask their inadequacies, but if I see a pastor wearing a stained shirt covered in potato chip crumbs all over his protruding stomach I am going to say, “this man simply does not care.”
Lead by example. Set a good one. This I believe falls in line with Titus 1:8 where it says an elder must be self-controlled. Not given over to their own lusts.
We must also take into consideration before opening taking the role of a teacher or chaplain James 3:1.
“Not many of you should become teachers, my brethren, knowing that as such we will incur a stricter judgement.”
Before acting in the capacity of a Chaplain. Examine yourself first so you can carry out the role not out of an act of arrogance or being tempted but out of a position of being led by the Holy Spirit.
If you yourself catch yourself being led astray I sure hope you have a life line to God through prayer and have surrounded yourself with godly friends. Proverbs 27:17
“Iron sharpens iron,
So one man sharpens another.”
There are so many places that need chaplains.
The course pointed out a few.
- Shopping Malls; Cruise Ships; Police/Fire departments; Militaries; Nursing/Care homes. These are all opportunities to help people with practicing their faith if you share their practices and to pray with them or simply talk. If someone is dying in a hospital you may be the one they trust and you can also offer comfort to their families.
This as lesson 8 puts it building a relationship and not being a random person that enters their lives.
Once you take someone under your wing as a pastor you need to be consistent and follow through with meetings with them or to be somewhat available to them. This may involve getting a cell-phone (no matter how much you hate the things) in order to be reachable. If you seem like a phantom to someone in need this may lead to distrust; discouragement or depression.
　
In the interest of keeping this essay somewhat short and sweet I cannot cover every lesson.
But in conclusion. Pray, pray and pray more. Get into Gods word. He will put you in the position that suits you best.

He may put me in the role of a military chaplain but He may put you in the role of an evangelist that reaches millions on television telling them about the redemptive power of God.
Keep yourself from becoming proud and at the end of your sermon or your teaching no one should know your name so much as they do the name of God who inspired it in you.
So whether you are performing a funeral or preaching to the masses. Do it for God.

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Ordination with the Universal Life Church, is free, legal and lasts for life, so please take advantage of our Free Online Ordination.

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Christian History

Dr. of Christian History Final Essay

By Rev. Patricia Buben

According to the course, Judaism gave us the most perfect system of moral philosophy in existence.  The Jews saw sin as a violation coming from an impure heart that resulted in external sinful actions. Salvation was viewed as being only from God, and not in human ethical works or subjective mystery cults.

Because of the location of Rome, at Christianity's birth and in the first three centuries of its existence, conditions were more favorable for the spread of the Christian gospel throughout the Mediterranean world than at any other time in previous eras. Of all the religions and cults practiced in the Roman Empire at the time of Christ's birth, only Judaism and Christianity have been able to successfully survive the changing course of world history and still be a major influence today.

The life, death and resurrection of Christ began the era of Christianity.  Unlike other traditions, Christ cannot be separated from Christianity.  Christ did not leave a structure—just the apostles and the Holy Spirit from which the apostles were instructed.  The entirety of the church structure came from the apostles with the Holy Spirit working through them and continues to this day.

The members of the original Christian church were Jewish.  It wasn't until the apostle Paul went out to "all corners of the earth" that the Gentiles were invited to hear the gospel message.  This work is still not complete and is the continuing goal of the Christian church.  Although there was splintering of the church, it forced the creation of a canon, organizing the content of the doctrine and eliminating heresies created by those who wanted to wield authority.  All of these challenges served to strengthen, not weaken, the church.

Over the years, many errors entered into the church as a result of pagan influence, scholarly debates and other doctrines brought into the church by St. Augustine and others.  The Protestant Reformation was an attempt at bringing the church back to the purity of salvation by grace through faith alone.

It is interesting that the dogmas and doctrines that have further "defined" Christianity were mainly a result of specific people's interpretations (personal opinions).  I always thought they were inspired by God, like the Bible.  This course gave a great overview of the historical events of Christianity giving timelines and putting everything into sequence—including how doctrines were formed, and who was involved in making these decisions.  It's interesting because these doctrines have always been communicated as fact, not the result of consensus or opinion of the church fathers.

Putting all of this information into the right context can be a challenge because of differing opinions and rhetoric.  This course was very objective in its presentation and outlined the facts.  Therefore, one gets a good sense of how Christianity developed and why it is still viable today.

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The  ULC, run by Rev. Long, has created a chaplaincy program to help train our ministers. We also have a huge catalog of Universal Life Church materials.  I've been ordained with the Universal Life Church for many years and it's Seminary since the beginning and have loved watching the continual growth of the seminary.

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Mystical Christianity

1. How do you view the Bible and how do you use Scripture in your daily life?

HOW I USE SCRIPTURE:

I keep a small copy of the New Testament in my department jacket at all times. It has a glossary of sorts in the very beginning that guides the reader to verses that apply to a great variety of situations. When I need guidance or I need a reminder of God’s presence I turn to the constant companion I carry in my pocket.

HOW I VIEW THE BIBLE:

The Bible serves as an outstanding guideline with which one can live their life. The stories contained within provide illustrations that help illuminate some of life’s most pressing matters. We find these stories in the form of parables: the story of the prodigal son, the light and the bushel basket, and the good Samaritan, just to name a few. Here we learn that God will accept us no matter what we’ve done if we turn to him with a pure heart, we learn that God has given us his light and love and the true sin would be to hide it from others, and we also learn that even those we consider to be our mortal enemies deserve our respect and our aid should the chance to offer it arise.

2. Describe a myth that is currently a part of your life. What is its origin? How does it influence you in a positive or a negative way?

Superstitions tend to play a role in my life to some degree, and these usually contemporary myths with sometimes ancient histories. Here are just a few:

MYTH #1

It’s bad luck to put shoes on the table or a countertop.

ORIGIN:

This myth shows up in many cultures, from Hungary to Ireland. It’s origins stem not from luck, but from the fact that shoes spend much of their time in contact with the ground, which is generally quite dirty. The idea is that you don’t want the dirt from the bottom of your shoes on your table. Even still, if I buy a new pair of shoes, I will not put the box containing the shoes on the table.

MYTH #2

It’s Bad luck to toast someone with water.

ORIGIN:

From what I understand this is an old sailor’s superstition. The first incarnation seems to have centered around the idea that toasting someone with water was actually a curse designed to bring about the drowning of that person. Last I checked, drowning is incredibly unlucky…

3. As you read the first three chapters of the book of Genesis, what feelings do these words evoke? Where are these feelings coming from?

As I read these words I feel a connection with whoever first put pen to paper and decided to write this account of how the world came to be and how we found ourselves in the position we’re in today. Maybe through deep contemplation, meditation, or a divine conversation with the almighty, this person was able to summarize a series of events that we humans have yet to wrap our heads around. This doesn’t just apply to the relationship between men and women or to mankind’s relationship with God; it applies to everything! Genesis, if given the chance, is a beautiful realm within scripture. It’s place where science and religion have the opportunity to share what they’ve discovered; a place where the two disciplines do not cancel each other out, but support one another. Think about the ancients that wrote these passages. There was no conception of physics, of space outside the earth, of an ever expanding universe. These are facts that we know are just as solid as the table my computer is sitting on. Maybe God, knowing that we had limited information, simply said “In the beginning there was darkness… Then I said ‘Let there be light!’ and there it was...” Darkness is nothingness and nothingness is the absence of a universe. Maybe this is just a simple interpretation of what science has come to recognize as the “big bang.” It’s just a metaphor. God and Jesus are both big on metaphors, as we can clearly see from the parables. How hard is it to believe that some of what is found within the pages of Genesis is also metaphorical?

4. What difference would it make to you as a woman or a man to re-interpret these verses of scripture as has been suggested in this lesson?

As I read through this lesson I was thrilled to hear another interpretation of the Genesis account. Throughout my life I have focused less on the equality of men and women, because I believe that we are all equal in the eyes of the Lord. I had no reason to examine the text in this way, because of my own controversial interpretation of what’s written, which implies our inherent equality. I believe that the creation account is the culmination of millions of years of evolution. Scientific evidence points towards evolution as the origin of our species, but that in and of itself does not by any stretch of the imagination rule out the existence and intervention of a divine being. On the contrary, it conjures the image of a God that is far more intelligent than we can even comprehend. The Bible states clearly that God created mankind in his image, however in all the years I’ve been reading and studying I have never found a recipe with which to create mankind. Scripture states that God created us out of dust and clay. It has been theorized that comets and asteroids brought the building blocks of life to this planet, which God must have orchestrated. One of these basic chemicals is carbon, upon which the foundation for all life is laid. God brought life forth from the dust of the earth, that came from space, and slowly molded that life like a sculptor molds clay, into the human form.  If we acknowledge that God is indeed all powerful, then we also realize that with that power comes the ability to do ANYTHING. Is it too far fetched to believe that he worked within the confines of the natural laws that he undoubtedly put in place to create mankind?  By that logic, if God points to a monkey and orders said monkey to evolve, it is indeed going to evolve.

Interpreting Genesis in this light negates the need to see equality spelled out in the words that it is comprised of because equality is implied. Instead we see the emergence of the human species, both male and female, simultaneously.  For scriptural evidence of this fact one need not look further than the verse that reads “in his image he created them, male and female, he created them.”  This verse is found prior to the mentioning of Adam or Eve.  Having said all that, I have to say that any interpretation of the Biblical texts that argues for equality, rather than against it, is an incredibly beautiful thing.

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The Universal Life Church is a comprehensive online seminary where we have classes in Christianity, Wicca, Paganism, two courses in Metaphysics and much more. I have been a proud member of the ULC for many years and the Seminary since its inception.

The Universal Life Church offers handfasting ceremonies, funeral ceremonies and free minister training. 

 

As a long time member of ULC, Rev. Long created the seminary site to help train our ministers. We also have a huge selection of Universal Life Church  minister supplies. Since being ordained with the Universal Life Church for so many years and it's Seminary since the beginning, I've watch the huge change and growth that has continued to happen.

 

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