HoHum:
I came to Pleasant Ridge in September 2010. It is hard to believe that it has been 6 years since that time. The ministry here is a blessing to me and my family. The church has left an indelible mark upon my children. This is where they came to faith and were baptized into the Lord Jesus Christ. Here I have been able to use my gifts and talents for the good of the church and the Kingdom. My wife has used her musical ability with the piano to glorify the Lord and edify the church. When we moved to Cincinnati to enable Alex to attend a special needs school, this church was so supportive and encouraging and we were so thankful and overjoyed. With that said, I want you to know that this decision has been difficult for me and I have sought the Lord in prayer fervently. While in Louisiana, I volunteered in hospice. When we moved to Cincinnati, I wanted to be more involved in the community and a hospice was willing to let me visit their patients. The stipulation was that I would visit only one patient, one time a week. Evidently they took notice because when their full time chaplain left for another position in February, I was the first one they asked to fill that position. After seeking advice and praying, I turned them down. They came to me again in June asking me to help the full time chaplain. I let them know that I have a full time preaching position in Indiana and my availability was greatly limited. This hospice continues to add more patients and now they have come to me to ask for a third time if I will work with them full time as their second chaplain. After much soul searching, I have told them that I will accept their offer. The Lord keeps bringing me back to hospice and I feel like this is the Lord’s calling. How could I refuse another opportunity like this when they keep coming, begging me to help? I have a heart for those who are on hospice and desire to minister with the patients and their families. It is with deep regret that we leave you. I feel like my time with you has been productive and that the church, myself and my family have benefited greatly. I love y’all and I pray that no matter what the future may hold that we are lead into greater heights of service and an abundant harvest of souls.
WBTU:
This is my decision and no one is forcing me to do this. When I told the elders of my decision there were tears shed (mainly mine) and concerns for me and my family were expressed. The consensus from that night was that I would preach through the Sunday’s in September and depart before revival the first week in October. Next Sunday is my last Sunday with you as the evangelist here. We will be back to visit from time to time (we are not that far away). I, like the church leadership, are concerned for Pleasant Ridge church. If you have any questions or concerns, please talk with the elders and deacons. Be in prayer for the next several weeks and months ahead as changes are in store for all of us.
Thesis: With that said, I want to say a few words about hospice chaplaincy, the ministry where I will be serving in the near future.
A brief history of hospice
In this country, hospice began as a volunteer organization mostly of medical professionals, who sought to provide services for the terminally ill. The first hospices were established in the 70’s and continued to expand and grow through the 80’s. Changes came in the 1990’s as many sought to have Medicare pay for many of the services of the terminally ill through hospice. By the late 90’s the government had passed legislation making Medicare available to patients on hospice care with a diagnosis of 6 months or less to live. To be honest, the government at that time was looking for a way to cut Medicare costs. Ideally the hospice philosophy is to enable patients to spend their last days in their own homes. Hospice patients spend less time in hospitals. With fewer hospital stays involved the price goes down for Medicare so the government agreed to fund hospice through Medicare. In addition, the government stipulated that hospices needed to provide spiritual care for their patients. This is when hospice chaplaincy became more prominent. The hospice hires chaplains and they are to provide the spiritual care for the patients. Medicare pays the bulk of the costs for the chaplains. Another stipulation from the government was that 5% of the services of hospice needed to be performed by volunteers. They wanted to keep the volunteer spirit of hospice intact and to honor the volunteerism of hospice movement.
This is where I started with hospice. After having many positive experiences with hospice and hospice chaplains, when I moved to Louisiana, I became a volunteer. I mainly visited with patients and prayed with them. The hospice chaplain there, an evangelist in the Church of Christ, was constantly encouraging me in my volunteer service. Still not sure where the Lord was leading, we came here to minister with Pleasant Ridge and also to get more education through Cincinnati Bible Seminary. When we moved to Cincinnati I had no idea that a hospice there would offer me a chaplaincy position before my degree was finished.
I will say that hospice chaplaincy will be different from what I am accustomed. The chaplaincy is full of people from all kinds of faith and practices. There are many who claim Christ who work in hospice but there are others who do not. It is like many of your workplaces. Pray for wisdom on how to share Christ not only with the patients and their families, but also with my co-workers. Pray that I will be a good witness of the Christian faith.
Some areas of concern
The step to sign a DNR (Do Not Resuscitate) is seen by some as refusing to seek proper medical treatment. Therefore, hospice is encouraging people to die and to give up hope. No, hospice is for those who, in a doctor’s diagnosis, have 6 months or less to live. Now none of us know when our day of death will be. There are several who have been on hospice for longer than 6 months. As a matter of fact, according to studies, those on hospice care live an average of 28 days longer than those who chose other avenues of care when they receive a terminal diagnosis. Those who take the stand that everything needs to be done to avoid death at all costs probably have not considered the evasive, aggressive, and mechanical means necessary to achieve that goal. We are blessed to have many medical advancements in our day but when the treatment is far worse than letting “nature take its course,” we might need to rethink this. Many times the patient no longer wants aggressive treatments because they are so difficult on them and they wish to stop. Along with hospice has arisen the right to die movement. The right to die movement says that everyone should have a right to die. We are not going to let “nature take it’s course” we are going to end a person’s life when it is no longer worth living. But when is that? The argument is made that we euthanize an animal when they are suffering, the same should be available to a human. But where does this stop? A few states have legalized the right to die ideas. Let me say this: if physical assisted suicide or mercy killings or active euthanasia is made legal in this country, and the hospice organization I am with promotes this, I will no longer be working in hospice. I do not want to play a part in murder.
Also with Medicare working with the government- I know that the military chaplains are going through a rough time. Have headaches over offering a prayer in the name of Jesus. If things get too restrictive or have little freedom to share about Jesus, then I will drop out of hospice chaplaincy.
What are some goals for a hospice chaplain?
The main goal that hospice emphasizes is to keep the patient comfortable in their remaining days. This is a good goal, but I think we need to go deeper than that. Abraham was told by God, “You, however, will go to your fathers in peace and be buried at a good old age.” Genesis 15:15, NIV. King Josiah was told by God, “Therefore I will gather you to your fathers, and you will be buried in peace. Your eyes will not see all the disaster I am going to bring on this place.” 2 Kings 22:20, NIV. Simeon, when he saw the Christ child, said this, ““Sovereign Lord, as you have promised, you now dismiss your servant in peace.” Luke 2:29, NIV.
Need to let the patient and family direct the conversation. Most of the time will be in their home so we are a guest. Unfortunately some overbearing Christians forget this. With gentleness need to direct the conversation to “What are some things you need to do to have peace before your death?” Get a wide variety of answers. Need to see so and so, need to ask forgiveness to so and so, need to get my financial affairs in order, need to go to one more ball game, need to do some life review to answer this question. All of these things are fine but to really have Shalom need to make peace with God through His Son Jesus Christ. “Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ,” Romans 5:1, NIV. My grandmother worked in a nursing facility for many years. Had at least 3 come to faith in Christ and a local minister came and baptized them. Bud Grace came at the age of 88. I pray I see some of that happen through my ministry in hospice.
Also with the families pray that they will see their need to have God help them in their grief. Difficult to have peace over a departed loved one but the blow can be cushioned by faith in God. God can help them with their pain and hurt. Beyond this see the need for the church.
Oh, Davon, rarely will these things happen, what is the point of this? Even if a person is unresponsive and few family are present, I think there is a point to this. I remember Charlie McCardle at his last days. Wife died and people did what they could but Charlie was basically unresponsive so hard to know what to do. Charlie was taken to the hospital and on the day he died I came to see him. He was out of it so I started to watch TV and then read a book while touching his hand. Then I felt like singing so I sang for a while. While I was singing Charlie died. Charlie had nobody and there are others out there who have nobody to be with them in their last days. Maybe I can be a comfort to them. In the parable of the sheep and goats in Matthew 25, Jesus says to the sheep: ““Then the King will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father; take your inheritance, the kingdom prepared for you since the creation of the world. For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.’” Matthew 25:34-36. They asked when did we do this? Jesus answers: “‘I tell you the truth, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me.’” Matthew 25:40. Isn’t that a good enough answer?
