tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6329600504016968888.post2157837539840834942..comments2024-03-27T15:47:46.091-05:00Comments on Pastoral Meanderings: Going against their wishes. . .Pastor Petershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10653554256101480140noreply@blogger.comBlogger5125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6329600504016968888.post-48344944448283816082013-02-20T23:02:58.973-06:002013-02-20T23:02:58.973-06:00You worked out at 3rd Hill? With a Lutheran chapl...You worked out at 3rd Hill? With a Lutheran chaplain. I went out there on Sunday afternoons and the hospital arranged for time with some of the young children, and later with the older, adult patients for a Sunday school lesson. They loved coming into the special room for the Bible class. The aids rolled those in who couldn't move their own wheel chairs. The children were unable to organize anything cerebral, so we held, rocked, and sang songs. I was told and expected, and then learned it was true that the young children craved hugging and touching, although some could not help but hurt you. There was a head banger who wan't always there, but when he was, I'd hold him so he couldn't do that. It hurts just to see it. And they all wanted holding and I could do that. Some were like little sacks of flour that just layed there with almost no sign of life from them. But, I gave them just as much, but never enough, attention. I talked and held just as if they were active children. I never knew why the 3rd Hill staff chose who would come and it wasn't always the same children, and it was always too many to interact directly with each one before it was time to go. I don't remember a chaplain or anyone in charge of this. I had asked someone out there, I can't remember now (I know page 15 by heart, in case we need to know), but a social worker must have been supervising from a distance. It was mentally rewarding with the older patients because they would respond more with words and talking. I had done this type of activity in Austin at Concordia with a group we called "We who care" organized by Pastor Nau's daughter Carolyn from Hattiesburg, MS. So, although there was no group like that at St. John's Academy/College (gymnasium), I still thought I could do something once I realized what 3rd Hill was and they said I could. I never tried to form a group at St. John's as I was never sure that I was doing things right. I just kept it simple. I understand that 3rd Hill was closed down in the continuing saga of deinstitutionalization. They must have found somewhere to put those non-functional people whose families couldn't handle the stress of caring for such extreme deformities 24/7. I'm glad there was a Lutheran chaplain there with helpers. I was just someone who walked out there and did what I thought might help. You help me now to remember them. Lord in your mercy, hear our prayer. Totally deformed humans were always a challenge to my faith. How could God let this happen, how could he watch and not do. Much later I had occassion to visit the medical school at Tulane U. and entered a large room full of large clear glass containers of every imaginable form of deformity as born and died and saved for teaching specimens at Tulane Medical. That was very hard on my faith. God you are treating us just like animals. We have your image, doesn't it hurt you to do this? I had a dry white spell of unbelief after learning for myself that unbelief was no answer either and led absolutely nowhere near to helping. Sorry to talk so much. 3ed Hill at Winfield, what a blast from the past.Joannehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09777514643611989502noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6329600504016968888.post-82328313236622757522013-02-20T00:55:47.899-06:002013-02-20T00:55:47.899-06:00AmenAmenRev William Smith Jrhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06351249492172507658noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6329600504016968888.post-22461319883662694802013-02-18T15:51:12.048-06:002013-02-18T15:51:12.048-06:00She had Alzheimers big time . . .
Drooling, compl...She had Alzheimers big time . . .<br /><br />Drooling, completely unattentive - the classic model.<br /><br />60 years a member to boot.<br /><br />I do not know what motivated me, but I took a TLH and made page 15 my devotion with her.<br /><br />She began reciting the liturgy with me in the middle of the first sentence of Confession. She was there all the way to The Most Holy Sacrament, so I sinned boldly and conswecrated the elements. She took them and finished the liturgy with me, and sang the Cmmon Doxology.<br /><br />By the time I had cleaned up matters, she had slipped back.<br /><br />I told my Sr. Pastor about it all, and did the same the next week. He was as amazed as was I.<br /><br />Sometimes . . . ya just can't know<br /><br />But color me huge on liturgy.<br /><br />jbAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6329600504016968888.post-23115050120368405872013-02-18T11:56:10.181-06:002013-02-18T11:56:10.181-06:00Amen, Pr. Peters.Amen, Pr. Peters.Christopher D. Hallhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03906949438584923588noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6329600504016968888.post-12036793366197143632013-02-18T08:54:10.266-06:002013-02-18T08:54:10.266-06:00Thank you for saying this.
There is so much bad a...Thank you for saying this.<br /><br />There is so much bad advice out there. I was reading a parenting magazine years ago. In it an article gave advice on budgeting. It advised readers to stop tithing to their church as a way to have more for other stuff. I was stunned. Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com