Our coordinator of Presybyterian volunteer ministries, Rev. Steve Spidell, has compiled a helpful list of complementary spiritual practices for use by chaplains and other trained pastoral caregivers. The entire list can be found on the Association of Professional Chaplains webstie, under the resource section. Each week, we will highlight specific spiritual practices which have been incoporated into our care plans here at M. D. Anderson Cancer Center. We hope you find this list helpful, and invite you to offer comments and suggestions via our website message board, where there is a specific message tree that addresses this topic.

ANNOINTING WITH OIL
This is a religious ritual that includes the placing of oil on the forehead and other places of the body. It is often accompanied by the reading of scripture and prayer, and is for the purpose of spiritual blessing. The annointing of oil also symbolizes the bond between the Divine and the community of faith. Often, annointing is provided in the context of illness, with the hope for healing and restoration.

At M. D. Anderson, the practice of annointing with oil is also extended through the practice of chaplains praying prior to chemotherapy, for example. Again, this is understood as a spiritual blessing which takes into account the purpose and intentions of those called to care for the sick, as well as the hopes and desires of the patient,with the recognition that we are partners with the Divine in the healing process.

Here is an additional resource about the spiritual practice of annointing with oil:
"Paths to Prayer, Finding Your Own Way to the Presence of God", Patricia Brown. 2003. Jossey -Bass.

ART
Participation in artistic endeavors is a creative expression which increases one's appreciation for the beauty that surrounds us, often resulting in an attitude of apprecation and gratitude. This, in turn, can help the cancer patient and caregiver(s) to find strength and perspective. At M. D. Anderson, several endeavors , including programs offered by the Place of Wellness, and a tour of an area museum, sponsored by Chaplaincy, offer the opportunity to experience the deep and rich effects which art has upon one's sense of wellness.

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What motivated you to enter Chaplaincy as a career?
I experienced a spiritual "calling" to enter Chaplaincy as a career.

What's the most challenging part of your work?
Staying spiritually centered within me so that I can consistently offer a non-anxious, open, and gentle presence.

What's the most rewarding part of your work?
Hearing, sensing, seeing, and experiencing the inner beauty, struggles, and growth of others journeying with Cancer.

What do you find to be the most helpful when visiting with a cancer patient?
My ability and capacity to be fully present, attentive, and available to my patient's world.

What spiritual or religious resource do you find most personally helpful?
I find prayer, listening, the scriptures, humor, and the spiritual traditions of lament most personally helpful.

What personal characteristics do you believe make an effective chaplain?
Humility, playfulness, empathy, and discerning wisdom.

Are there spiritual/religious topics you personally wrestle with?
I struggle with issues around religious pluralism, racism, and the on-going process of dying to self.

What would you like cancer patients and their families to know about M. D. Anderson?
That MDACC is a complex, competitive, compassionate, comforting and conflicting place at times.

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I recently published an article in the Austin Theological Seminary Doctor of Ministry magazine, Windows, which describes how clinical pastoral educators train future chaplains how to hear and interpret the stories of patients at our hospital.

The full article is available in the Winter 2007 edition of Windows.

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You may find this recent interview with Lifeline Chaplaincy Coordinator and author, Dr. Virgil Fry informative. Virgil has been an important pastoral presence at M. D. Anderson Cancer Center, and a colleague of our Chaplaincy Department.

When did you decide to make a career out of hospital chaplaincy?

My experience in Abilene kind of planted the seed. From there, when I finished my degree, I went to Baylor University Medical Center at Dallas and spent a year in a clinical pastoral education program — a post-graduate work if you want to go into professional chaplaincy. So I had that under my belt. Then I was with the Pipeline Road church in Hurst, Texas, as an associate minister for youth and education for about eight years. While I was in Hurst, the churches in Houston began their search for a chaplain, and I was one of the few who had any clinical pastoral education. So, that’s how I ended up here.

You can read the entire interview at The Christian Chronicle.

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A practical skills-building workshop for clergy and lay leaders. Presented by Partners in Healing of the Mental Health Association of Greater Houston. Workshop participants will be able to: indentify scriptural support to help congregants deal with life problems; promote a healthy and whole Christian lifestyle; identify next steps for building caring and supportive congregations. The workshop will take place on March 22,2007, 9am to 1:30pm at Fifth Ward Missionary Baptist Church Multipurpose Center, 4300 Noble st., Houston, TX 77020. Program fee is $10.00, including breakfast and lunch. To register call: 713-523-8963.

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