Movie and Discussion – Chaplains: On the Front Lines of Faith 2/11

When:  February 11, 9:00 a.m.-12:30 p.m., lunch included

Facilitators:  Macauley Lord, Myrna Koonce

This film, produced by Emmy-winning filmmaker Martin Doblmeier, has been recently making the rounds of PBS stations around the country. As you will learn from the DVD, chaplains come from their own faith traditions, but their job requires that they provide comfort and support to people of other faiths and to those who may not follow any religion at all. And yet, wherever they work, they often minister to people at extremely vulnerable times of their lives, when they struggle with the ultimate questions of life and death.  Whether they work in the military, in a hospital, in a prison, in a work place, or in a variety of other settings, chaplains are called to fulfill the spiritual needs of those in the communities they serve.

One of the chaplains interviewed on the film said this:

What a chaplain does is lean into the painful places.”

This is why this is such a compelling film:  it touches on the core of what it means to minister to one another, something we all do.  As disciples of Jesus Christ, as part of what our Presiding Bishop Michael Curry calls the “Jesus Movement,” we are all called to do that one way or another.

You are invited to spend a stimulating Saturday morning with fellow parishioners and stay for lunch.  Although not required, it would be helpful if you would let the church office know if you plan to participate.  It will make planning the lunch easier.