Chaplain’s Corner

Today, a few elders had the opportunity to attend a Holy Week service at the Morgantown Cumberland Presbyterian Church. David Hocker began the service with words of welcome and invited everyone to sing, “One Day.”

Our speaker today was Greg Wallace, Pastor of the First Baptist Church, Morgantown; who challenged us with the question “What do we do with Jesus?” We closed the service by singing “Grace Greater Than Sin” and were dismissed in prayer by Darrin Jones, Pastor of Morgantown and Woodbury United Methodist Churches.

Many from the congregation came and greeted our elders after the service and shared warm smiles and hugs. After the service we took a little spontaneous trip to McDonalds and enjoyed our meal back at MCRC out on the porch. “A wonderful day,” said one of the elders in attendance. A wonderful day indeed!

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Christmas can be a painful time for some. It may be the first Christmas without a beloved family member who has died; it may be a time that has always been difficult.

The constant refrain on the radio and television, in shopping malls and churches, about the happiness of the season, about getting together with family and friends, reminds many people of what they have lost or have never had. The anguish of broken relationships, the insecurity of unemployment, the weariness of ill health, the pain of isolation – all these can make us feel very alone in the midst of the celebrating and spending. We need the space and time to acknowledge our sadness and concern; we need to know that we are not alone.

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This morning Iris Moore shared our weekly bible study. She read from Psalm 118 and talked about worry. I asked our elders if they could think of any hymns or songs that related to worry. We sang, “I Don’t Know About Tomorrow,” “Leaning on the Everlasting Arms,” and “What a Friend We Have in Jesus.” We all so enjoyed our time together around God’s word this morning!

The peace of Christ be with you!

This week we had a small group for chapel. It was a really busy and exhausting day and many of our elders were very tired by the time chapel service began. But we continued on and still had a wonderful time worshipping.

After giving a welcome I offered this prayer as we began:

From the time you fashioned the heavens and the earth
from a formless void, O God,
your creative energy has done marvelous works,
all around us.
May your creative Spirit
be at work in our hearts and minds today
as we worship you and, always,
as we strive to live in obedience to your will. Amen.

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The peace of Christ be with you!

For our chapel service today we had a great crowd! Our theme was God as the great shepherd. After our traditional greeting and welcome I opened our worship with prayer.

We are standing at the gate, o loving Shepherd, not sure about the journey. But you have called our names, and in your voice we hear such love and surety. Bring us safely on the journey and strengthen us that we may serve you in all that we do. AMEN.

David Hunt played a beautiful prelude for us which was followed by our call to worship.

Call to Worship (Based on Psalm 23 & John 10)
Leader: Can you hear the voice of God?
People: We hear God calling us by name.
Leader: Are you troubled or distressed?
People: We come here to find a place to rest for awhile.
Leader: Come and find a guide who knows these lands.
People: We come to praise our Shepherding God,
whose pathways and doors lead to life.

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For National Nurses Week our Chaplain, Derek Cain, had a brief service with some our nursing staff. Their hands were anointed with oil and a brief blessing was offered for each nurse who wished to participate. God bless our nurses; they have a special calling in their lives!

 

What a wonderful chapel service we had today! We began with our traditional greeting of “The peace of Christ be with you!” and the congregational response, “And also with you!” It always does my heart good to hear this blessing.

After this I gave a welcome to all our gathered elders and delivered the invocation.

Almighty God,
Jesus, our risen Lord, was made known to the disciples
in the breaking of the bread.
Open the eyes of our hearts
that we may recognize his presence,
and with his disciples cry, “The Lord has risen, indeed!”
Through Christ, who lives and reigns with you
in the power of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

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Today Shirley Allen filled in for our Elder Bible Study and had a wonderful lesson about John the Baptist. She went on to go around the circle and ask each of the elders what their greatest blessing is. Some said their health, other’s their age, other’s their relationship with God.

Ms. Myrtle Givens even said one of her greatest blessings was being here at Morgantown Care and Rehab with all her friends. Ms. Louella Deweese said one of her greatest blessings was her roommate Ms. Anita Joy Hammers.

Of course Joy blushed and also said what a blessing Louella is. Shirley led us in prayer as she finished her bible study and we followed the bible study with over an hour of sitting around and singing hymns. It was wonderful!

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On Tuesday, April 22^nd, I had the opportunity to go on the air with Shirley Allen, Director of Volunteer Services at Morgantown Care and Rehab, and Kathy Thomason, Morning DJ at WLBQ 1570 AM, known locally on air as “Beech Tree Radio.”

Each week Shirley is on the air featuring various areas of interest at Morgantown Care and Rehab and this week was my debut on Beech Tree Radio. Shirley invited me to come and talk about the Compassion Fund, the non-profit 501(c)(3) charitable organization established by Signature HealthCARE for the purpose of providing emergency relief assistance to the SHC Family – stakeholders, residents, their immediate families and the members of the communities surrounding Signature HealthCARE facilities.

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It was a reunion day with old friends and also a day of meeting new friends. Last Thursday, April 17^th, I was blessed to have the opportunity to go on a wonderful outing with a few other friends from Morgantown Care and Rehab. Where did we go? Only a few blocks away to a community Holy Week Service held at the Presbyterian Church of Morgantown.

Congregational Hymn: “No, Not One”

As I said it was a great reunion day for me. Seeing Mary Alice Black was emotional for me. I’ve known her since I was twelve. Over the years our lives and touched here and there but each time is special. I was so glad to see and hear her play the organ as well as she does. I have both of her CD’s and I told her during our visit that I enjoy them both very much. Greg Wallace, the pastor at the First Baptist Church of Morgantown, was our speaker for the day and he did a fine job with the sermon.

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