The following excerpts are from articles written by Core Faculty of
The Chaplaincy Institute. Click on the links for the full articles.
"It does not make me less of a Christian to sample the wisdom of other traditions, but it does make me more human. It opens my eyes to the fact that people of every enthicity and religion have the same pain and struggle and hope and aspirations as any other. It wakes me up to the fact that even though our religious traditions can seem to be wildly different on the surface, underneath they address the same fundamental human needs—how to fix what is broken, how to forgive and let go, how to connect to others, how to be in relationship with the Mystery we in the West call God." (From "An Interfaith Feast," by Rev. John Mabry, Ph.D.)
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"Praying for the patient is an integral part of visiting the sick, because although healing is ultimately in God’s hands, it is up to us to forge a vessel and channel for God’s blessings and draw them to the patient through our prayers on her behalf. And while we must rely on God for what is up to God, we are still obliged to do what is within our hands, which is to show the patient the face of human kindness and support in order to help her come to the simcha, the joy, that is the key to all healing." (From "Visiting the Sick or Afflicted: Guidelines from Judaism," by Hana Matt, M.A.)
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"Dreams are multi-layered in meaning. ... Bringing them to life through creative expression is just one of many ways to explore their richness." (From "Discipline: Friend or Foe? Creating a Dream-Inspired Collage Series," by Rev. Amy Brucker, M.A.)
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"In Mystical Judaism it is said that once upon a time, great vessels of light were shattered, and that our work is to gather together those sparks of light and re-ignite the spirit in the heart of all beings and all creation... My painting began to take on the shape of a golden vessel, a golden egg, the womb of life, drawing the sparks back together, re-knitting them into a whole fabric of vibrating renewal." (From "The Golden Chai: A Creative Meditation on Life and Jewish Mysticism," by Rev. Gina Rose Halpern, D.Min.)
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“In the late 20th and early 21st centuries, particularly in the Western hemisphere, there has been a revived interest in remembering dreams and searching for their deeper psychological meanings and creative inspirations, inspired largely by the clinical insights of Jung, Freud, and others. This “lay” dream work movement has also created renewed interest in the more spiritual levels of dream experience, and has led many individuals to add dream sharing and dream exploration to their personal spiritual practice, regardless of the specific religious traditions from which they come." (From "Dreams and Dreaming in the World's Religions," by Rev. Jeremy Taylor, D.Min.)
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"We are each called to weave our own particular basket, a unique container composed of the varied strands of our own beliefs, skills and gifts. As a strong, trustworthy container, we can hold steady, loving presence with others in times of crisis." (From "Basket of Blessings: An Artistic Exploration of 'Interfaith'," by Rev. Gina Rose Halpern, D.Min.)
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"Imagine a stream pouring through you, head to toe, washing out all impurities and troubled feelings. ~ Look uninterruptedly at the patterns formed by water currents in the sunset-dripped light of dusk. ~ Gaze at a night sky ablaze with stars, and contemplate the vastness of the universe." (From "15 Ecospirituality Practices," by Rev. Jan Thomas, MSW)
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"When our students go out into the world to begin their work, their ministry will not be one of answers or certainty. There is no answer to the cancer patient who says, “Why me?” There are no answers for the young parents who have lost their child. There is no explanation for the magic that occurs at a wedding or the birth of a baby. These are mysteries that cannot be explained, circumscribed, or quantified. Our students don’t go into these situations armed with an armload of dogma, but with the same humble openness of spirit that led them to study at ChI in the first place." (From "A Mystery Larger Than Any Answer We Could Ever Know," by Rev. John Mabry, Ph.D.)
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"May God's hand be on your shoulders and relieve your fears.
May the One whose knowledge is so vast be the light on your journey."
(From "Healing Blessing in the Intensive Care Nursery," by Rev. Jürgen Schwing, M.A.)