Pastoral Care

May/June, 2008
page 4

Stop to Smell the Roses ... and Observe the Lessons They Offer

By Chris Kennedy
Prayer Chaplain Coordinator and Unity Ministerial Student

It was just two months ago that my six-year-old son glanced at the rose bushes in our church rose garden that had been so tenderly pruned to a quarter of their original size and exclaimed with dismay, “Mommy! Look! Someone killed all the rose bushes!” In his innocent eyes someone had butchered our beautiful blossoming rose bushes and left what looked like a pile of dead sticks in their place. I chuckled to myself and I knew he was about to learn and witness the miracle of the changing of the seasons and the beauty of what these rose bushes teach us … What does our rose garden teach us?

It teaches us that we cannot rush nature, rush our growth, rush our seasons. They occur in divine time and divine order and they occur sometimes in spite of us. If we tune in, we will see the natural seasons of life occurring in our lives all the time. Can you imagine trying to rush the blooming of a rose, trying to pry open the petals to bloom quicker? Yet, we often try to rush our own spiritual unfolding or hasten the appearance of the good we desire.

Our rose garden teaches us that hope springs eternal even in the seeming dead of winter. New growth occurs and buds appear both on the rose bushes and in our lives in the form of divine ideas, new thoughts, and renewed hope.

Our rose garden teaches us that, if we merely turn toward the light (God) and let ourselves be watered, sunned, pruned and loved, we will inevitably grow, blossom and share our beauty with others. Can you imagine the rose bush saying, “I refuse to share my blossoms this year. I’m sick and tired of life feeling hard, of not being appreciated and of people being mean. That’s it, I am not opening any of my buds this year; in fact, I am not even going to grow any buds this year!” The thought of it seems ludicrous and yet, how often we think of going there when the rough times occur! We might say, “I can’t do this. Everyone else has gifts to share, but it’s easier for them. This is just too hard and I don’t know how to do it. I don’t even know what my gifts are.”

Our rose garden teaches us that each rose is beautiful and unique, just like us. Can you imagine a rose saying, “Oh, how I wish my red petals were pink! Pink is so much prettier! Or, I wish my petals were white; they are so much more fragrant!” It sounds silly, and yet don’t we do the same when we fail to appreciate our own beauty and gifts?

Our rose garden teaches us that we must prune back, release and trim away all that no longer serves us and some that still does serve us, in order for even greater growth and continued growth to occur. We need to release limiting thoughts and beliefs. We must let go of resentments, grievances and hurts. We sometimes need to clean out our closets and garages and give things that we value away in order to make room for even greater good. AND we must live in the void and the discomfort that sometimes ensues when there is a gap between our releasing and our receiving!

Can you imagine the rose bush saying, “Oh darn it! I shouldn’t have let them trim me back so much, I’m not growing. Look another day and I’m still not growing! Oh dear!” Yet, we do the same when we doubt that our good will be forthcoming and instead we hold on to old ways, old people, old systems, old fears and limitations.

So as we pass our rose garden, let’s appreciate and embrace all it teaches us! And a heartfelt thank you to each of the precious volunteers who have maintained it over the years and to this day!

Blessings of love and light to all of you,

Are You Being Called as a Prayer Chaplain?

A Unity Prayer Chaplain is an individual who has answered God’s call to support this ministry through their consciousness of prayer and service as they:

• Create sacred space;
• Lovingly listen;
• Pray from their heart; and
• Hold in confidence what is shared.

What time commitment is required?

Unity Prayer Chaplains make a one-year commitment in fulfilling their responsibilities, which include:

• Serving at four services each month;
• Being available for one-on-one prayer after services;
• Completing two hours of wellness phone calls each month (which must be completed on church grounds); and
• Attending a two hour Prayer Chaplain meeting each month

What are my next steps?

If you think Spirit is calling you to serve in this way, your next steps are:

• Spend time in prayer and meditation to discern whether this is yours to do.
• Assure you have met membership requirements (Unity Basics I, Prayer I, membership orientation class).
• Attend Prayer Chaplain Orientation on Sunday, September 7, in Rooms 6&7. (Orientation is required to become a Unity Prayer Chaplain.)
• Mark your calendar with all the training dates. Attendance at all training is required in order to become a Unity Prayer Chaplain.

What are the Prayer Chaplain training dates?

Prayer Chaplain Orientation
Sunday, September 7, 1 p.m.

Prayer Chaplain 1st Interviews
September (Dates and times to be determined)

Off-site Training
Friday-Sunday, September 19-21
(Session begins at 6 p.m. on the 19th at an offsite location)

On-site Training
Saturday, September 27, 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.
Saturday, October 11, 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.

Prayer Chaplain 2nd Interview
October (Dates and times to be determined)

Prayer Chaplain Celebration
Thursday, October 23, 7 to 9 p.m.

Prayer Chaplain Dedication
Sunday, October 26, at all three Sunday morning worship services

Is there a cost associated with becoming a Prayer Chaplain?

Prayer Chaplains pay $50 for their training materials and they pay for the cost of the off-site Prayer Chaplain Training weekend which is approximately $110, for a total of $160.

Know that if Spirit is calling, this may be your next spiritual step
and it will be a blessing to you and those you serve!

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