Video Transcript: Chaplains Are Like an Angel Host

Henry - Tom, I love getting at this place in class where we're kind of wrapping it  up and pulling it together and looking for metaphors and, you know, ways to sort of like, like, feel the urgency of the calling and the role. And, you know, and as I  in our team in foreign ministry sciences research, look at this. We we really  

started seeing metaphors, like the metaphor chaplains are like an angel host  bringing visitation like angels. So we're gonna talk about that today. And you are  someone's Angel. Chaplains are modern day messengers. They appear just at  the right time with the presence of Christ, not supernatural, but spirit filled in  sense. And said, Have you experienced that where? Like you had no idea why,  but almost you just like, it's unquestionable the Lord had you at a place  

Tom - frequently, and I like the they appear at just the right time. One of the  advantages, like I mentioned before that, that we as chaplains have is when we  show up in people's lives. That's not unexpected, like if my pastor, right now, I  like our pastor. I appreciate our pastor. I respect our pastor. If he showed up at  my door, we would assume somebody's dead, right? I mean, why else would he  come knocking at my Yeah, right. If he showed up at my workplace  unexpectedly, I would think something had happened many times in chaplaincy,  you're a part of their life, you're at the fire station, you're in the emergency room, you're at the VFW, you're part of the club, you know the Bicycle Club, or you're  you are chaplain of the baseball team, you're already there. And so when these  moments happen, which are moments either because of an unusual opportunity  or an unusual challenge, you're already there, right? And your pastor is not  going to be there because they're split 50 other different ways, right? So you  have an opportunity to be that presence of God in that moment, without it having to be such a shock that, well, the chaplain was there. Well, of course he was  there. He's our chaplain. Wow.  

Henry - Just so interesting. And we do see we use chaplains in this concept of  angels as a metaphor, but we do see the similarity Hagar in the desert like a  chaplain. Angel shows up Abraham's visitors, three chaplains show up, Mary  Joseph and shepherds, the chaplains show up Peter in prison. They don't say  much these angels, but they say always some wisdom in it. Angels come with  comfort, clarity and mission parallels, angels and chaplains both are sent to the  suffering. Both carry Divine Messages. Both serve briefly but meaningfully. Now, in the case of chaplains, long term relationships, that can be a very long term  relationship,  

Tom - sometimes it can, but more often than not, you interact with somebody  over a specific issue, and then, depending on what kind of Chaplain you are,  you may not have that same level of interaction going forward, you might, 

especially if you're in that same community, but it also you'll have a number of  especially when you're dealing with the public, a lot of those will just be one off  

Henry - interactions, and in even the briefly that spiritual moment, I've noticed  that The Country Club in my Chaplain parish, in my parish, I noticed that  somebody will be seeing me. All these will play around of golf, but there's some  moment where, you know, hey, rev, that's their nickname for me. Rev, I want to  talk to you a minute.  

Tom - And if you weren't there that opportunity, because they're probably not  going to find your phone number and call you. It might but more often than not,  it's going to be Hey, you got a minute, right? And then you have a conversation  that can lead anywhere. Right?  

Henry - Both represent God's concern and presence. Hebrews 1:14, are they  not all ministry and spirits sent out to do the service for the sake of those who  will inherit the salvation. Just so crazy. So back to what is a chaplain parish, not  a district, but a zone of divine visitation. And I love again, how even an angel  and parish connect a visitation. Visitation, a sojourn, a hospital room, a  courtroom, they mentioned before, a strip club, an online prayer chat, wherever  God shows up through a chaplain, you know. And I just again going back to  angels. Here's just a little for this is a ministry training crowd, so I'm going to  have the liberty of putting a Greek word in there. So, so the root of episcopas.  Very interesting. That's the bishop or overseer. The root is a visitation or  oversight. Interestingly, so chaplains carry a sacred presence to visit care,  guard. So in a lot of ways we see these early church terms, just how much the  visitation, the sojourning, peace was all about angel like ministry patterns show  up at the right time. Speak peace, truth, strengthen the weary point to Christ, not to self, not supernatural, but supernatural carriers, chaplains bring the spirits  warmth, God's light, Christ's presence, healing presence. They leave behind  evidence that God was near, is near, will be near, I will add so final words, you  are sent. You may be the only Angel someone ever meets. Now again, I believe  God gives angels, and they may never meet them, but you may be that  metaphorical Angel. Be gentle. Be bold, be present. You are part of God's hosts  sent to bring heaven's touch into Earth's pain. Any final thoughts on just kind of  metaphor of Angel and  

Tom - all that well? I think it fits very, very well. I liked how you said that. You  know, the angels, they don't necessarily say much, but what they say really  made a difference in people's lives and to bring heaven's touch to Earth's pain.  That's, that's, 

Henry - that's, there was an old hymn I remember liking from a child, earth has  no sorrow that heaven cannot heal  

Tom - chaplain, and the chaplain is a is a piece of that healing. So it's a  privilege to be a piece of that healing.  

Henry - So we have one more presentation, and I kind of feel sad to have to  leave this class. It's sort of our final words to encourage you to think about that  calling to be a chaplain.