Hospital chaplain

While my wife was in the hospital recently she was visited by the hospital chaplain. This staff chaplain makes it a point to meet new admissions and to offer the services provided by the chaplain's office. The patient's local church is notified, if the patient desires. Often, though, there is no specific congregation or pastor to inform of the patient's hospital stay. In those instances, the chaplain seeks to provide spiritual support for the person as they wish. This is a service of holistic healthcare, offered with no strings attached.

My wife also was visited by two of our pastor friends, and a layleader. It occurred to me, though, that there are large numbers of folks who go through the anxiety and challenge of illness and hospitalization without such spiritual encouragement. The ICU and surgery waiting rooms were always full of families concerned about loved ones who are ill. Undoubtedly they, too, have spiritual questions and the need for a caring Christian friend. Frequently, though, the spiritual focus is on the hospitalized person, just as the medical team is working with the physical issues. Pastors, and other Christian friends are quite aware of the concerns of the ill person's families. But what if a family has no pastor to call? The hospital chaplain may sometimes be a critical link for those folks.