Musings with NCP Pastor Rev John Groth Over a period of about 8 years, while serving as a chaplain in the Air Force Reserves, I had the distinctively sacred ministry of working with the men and women who process the remains of America's fallen military women and men. My ministry was to the workers in the mortuary, to the flight crews who brought the dead home, to the men and women of the honor guard who would carry their comrade in arms off of the planes and take them to Dover’s mortuary. Though the majority of my ministry was in the back of the mortuary, I would often be out on the flight line, waiting for a plane to land with its sets of remains. When the plane landed, we would do what the military calls a "dignified transfer". It's really a private family service with at least two families present - one is family members of the fallen and the other is the military family - gathered to honor the sacrifice of a comrade. It's a quiet moment - the only words spoken are those of the chaplain offering prayer. After the dignified transfer I would speak to the air crew and to any "escorts" accompanying the fallen home. Once I was on C-17 talking to a young Army sergeant who was “escorting” his friend home. His friend had been killed in a firefight and was now lying in a transfer case under the American Flag. I asked him and the other escorts there that night, “How were you chosen to be the ones to bring these soldiers home?” The sergeant said, “First of all, we wanted to bring them home because they’re members of our own units and they are our friends, we knew them all personally. Second, when we get into the battle zone, we all take a piece of paper and on it we write the name of the person that we want to escort us home should we die.” He paused and fighting back tears, he said, “My friend wrote down my name.” The conversation turned to other things but his words lingered in the back of my mind. I began to wonder whose name I would write down to escort me home. I thought about certain family members, friends in the military, I thought about my wife and my children, men and women from the various churches and ministries in which I have served. I thought about fellow clergy. Symbolically, I took out a piece of paper and wrote down the name of the one that I want to escort me home when I finally fall in this battle – Jesus Christ. Prior to working in the mortuary, I would probably have taken a story like this and spiritualized it even more than I have and for a midweek musing I would have written something profound about ministry and a lesson for all of us. But I no longer have the energy to do that. I battle depression and I battle post- traumatic stress and the best I can muster most days is weakness. And out of weakness comes power and out of depression comes faith and out of death comes life and while I lost that piece of paper long ago, I have this written on my heart - Jesus Christ. An addendum: with tremendous pain, I swallowed my pride and went for professional help for the PTSD and depression - medically and psychologically. I got that help then and I still get it now. You may know that there is no such thing as professional spiritual help - instead I got that from children, from friends, from believers and non- believers, from old church members, from a Corgi and a Yellow Labrador, from music and silence, from storms and sunsets and geese, from verses about seeing God in the land of the living, from a 275-year old congregation, from young college students, from sighs and laughter and from a deeply faithful wife. -John Jesus Click to visit John’s website
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Musings with NCP Pastor Rev John Groth
Over a period of about 8 years, while serving as a chaplain in the Air Force Reserves, I
had the distinctively sacred ministry of working with the men and women who process the
remains of America's fallen military women and men. My ministry was to the workers in
the mortuary, to the flight crews who brought the dead home, to the men and women of the
honor guard who would carry their comrade in arms off of the planes and take them to
Dover’s mortuary. Though the majority of my ministry was in the back of the mortuary, I would
often be out on the flight line, waiting for a plane to land with its sets of remains. When the plane
landed, we would do what the military calls a "dignified transfer". It's really a private family service
with at least two families present - one is family members of the fallen and the other is the military
family - gathered to honor the sacrifice of a comrade. It's a quiet moment - the only words spoken
are those of the chaplain offering prayer. After the dignified transfer I would speak to the air crew
and to any "escorts" accompanying the fallen home.
Once I was on C-17 talking to a young Army sergeant who was “escorting” his friend home. His
friend had been killed in a firefight and was now lying in a transfer case under the American Flag. I
asked him and the other escorts there that night, “How were you chosen to be the ones to bring these
soldiers home?” The sergeant said, “First of all, we wanted to bring them home because they’re
members of our own units and they are our friends, we knew them all personally. Second, when we
get into the battle zone, we all take a piece of paper and on it we write the name of the person that we
want to escort us home should we die.” He paused and fighting back tears, he said, “My friend wrote
down my name.”
The conversation turned to other things but his words lingered in the back of my mind. I began to
wonder whose name I would write down to escort me home. I thought about certain family
members, friends in the military, I thought about my wife and my children, men and women from the
various churches and ministries in which I have served. I thought about fellow
clergy. Symbolically, I took out a piece of paper and wrote down the name of the one that I want to
escort me home when I finally fall in this battle – Jesus Christ.
Prior to working in the mortuary, I would probably have taken a story like this and spiritualized it
even more than I have and for a midweek musing I would have written
something profound about ministry and a lesson for all of us. But I no
longer have the energy to do that. I battle depression and I battle post-
traumatic stress and the best I can muster most days is weakness. And
out of weakness comes power and out of depression comes faith and out
of death comes life and while I lost that piece of paper long ago, I have
this written on my heart - Jesus Christ.
An addendum: with tremendous pain, I swallowed my pride and went for professional help for the PTSD and depression - medically and psychologically. I got that help then and I still get it now. You may know that there is no such thing as professional spiritual help - instead I got that from children, from friends, from believers and non-
believers, from old church members, from a Corgi and a Yellow Labrador, from music and silence, from storms and sunsets and geese, from verses about seeing God in the land of the living, from a 275-year old congregation, from young college students, from sighs and laughter and from a deeply faithful wife.
Presented by the Presbyterian Investment & Loan Program
TUESDAY, OCTOBER 21 AT 7 P.M.
Thanks to PILP, this webinar is offered free of charge to pastors, elders, trustees & committee members.
If this doesn’t fit your schedule, all registrants will be granted access to an on-demand replay of the webinar for online viewing after the live event. For further information contact George Whipple at [email protected] or 800-446-6008, ext. 756.
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Type 2 Diabetes Self-Management Program: support for you and your family: This free six week program from the Division of Public Health provides an opportunity for you to share experiences and to help you solve problems encountered in creating and carrying out your self-management program. It will be held at Limestone Presbyterian Church, 3201 Limestone Road, Wilmington
DE, on Saturdays starting October 18 through November 22, 2014, from 9 - 11:30 AM.
For more information and to register contact Linda Crone at (302)744.1020.
Save the date!! Clergy, Faith Community Nurses, Health Ministers,
Community Workers, Advocates, Consumers, and Others Who Care About Our Senior Citizens:
Come participate in a unique opportunity to learn about how best to help our growing senior population.
Family Caregiving Health
Promotion Workforce Development
October 30, 2014 Easter Seals,
New Castle, Delaware
Sponsored by CVS Health
Easter Seals of DE & MD’s Eastern Shore; DE Ecumenical Council on Children and Families;
Partners on the Path and Task Force on Older Adult Ministries, Peninsula-DEConference,
The United Methodist Church
Westminster/Rehoboth Presbyterian Church will host a workshop entitled "Healing Historic Harms", an experiential workshop hosted by Charito Calvachi-Mateyko, on Saturday, October 18, 2014 from 8:30 AM to 6:30 PM. Westminster is located at 301 King Charles Ave, Rehoboth Beach, DE.
The focus of the workshop will be supporting individuals and community groups in a journey of acknowledgement, understanding and transformation of the legacies and continuing impacts of
historic trauma within their community. Literature will be provided in advance, once you register.
The deadline for early registration is October 10, 2014. Late registration fee $20.00. Checks should be made to the Latino Initiative on Restorative Justice, Inc. and mail to: LIRJ P.O. Box 43, Lewes, DE 19958.
Contact person: Charito Calvachi-Mateyko at 717-951-0905 or [email protected] We hope you can join us!
The March 2015 issue of Presbyterians Today will be a unique guidebook of ideas and resources for church ministry, and we invite you to help shape the content.
Tell us what topics you want help with. What questions do you have? How can we help your congregation deepen its ministry and be more relevant in your community?
Maybe you’d like to know, for instance, about the best ways to get involved when disaster strikes your community or elsewhere—and the common mistakes to avoid. Or maybe you’re interested in the most successful ways to teach faith to children and to youth, where to find resources on short-term mission or stewardship campaigns, or what kinds of support are available to college ministries. Perhaps you’re interested in repurposing your church building and don’t where to go for help. Or maybe you just want to know how to create a decent church website.
Please share your ideas! Our editor ial team will select the most frequently requested topics and give them coverage in this issue.
Does your organization fight root causes of poverty?
Do you work to empower impoverished members of your
community? Then apply for a Speer Grant
at www.speertrust.org
Deadline is October 15th.
Pathways to Clergy Renewal The Middleton Center of Bryn Mawr Presbyterian
Church cordially invites clergy of all faiths to a
series of interactive conversations about things that
matter in a pastor’s life including work-life balance,
personal insight and nourishment, vocational
discernment, and congregational needs.
Work-Life Balance: Maintaining Self While
Giving to Others
Tuesday, November 4, 2014, 9:15 a.m. (sign in
and coffee begin at 8:30 a.m.) through 1:00 p.m. Led by Stephen Treat, DMin, LMFT, Senior
Therapist and CEO Emeritus, Council for Relationships
Clergy are often perceived by their congregants to be
available 24/7. How do they maintain a sense of self
and balance in a vocation which requires that clergy
set their own boundaries? In this seminar, we will
discuss core dynamics of effective leadership and
the need to develop healthy boundaries in pastoral
relationships.
To register, visit www.middletoncenter.org
or call 610-525-0766. Sponsored by The Middleton Center for Pastoral
Part-time Senior High Youth Group Coordinator The group just enjoyed tubing on the Brandywine; they are looking forward to the annual CROP walk, a November hayride and bonfire, a lock-in, and Christmas caroling in December, as well as their regular weekly meetings on Sundays. Do you know someone who would be interested in helping to lead this group this Fall and into 2015 and beyond?
Head of Christiana Presbyterian Church, Newark, DE
Apprentice Choir Conductor to conduct choir rehearsals on Thursday nights and Sunday mornings. This position goes into May 2015.
Presbyterian Church of the Covenant Wilmington, DE
Director of Children’s Ministry for our Sunday morning children’s education program. This person would be responsible for the development and implementation of the vision, strategy and elements for programs, activities and educational aspects for children age five (5) to twelve (12).
EDGE After School Coordinator/Facilitator. This person will be responsible for the development and implementation of the vision, curriculum and all program aspects for children grades K through 5 attending the after school program at Presbyterian Church of the Covenant and Preschool. This program runs at the church from 3:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m. Monday through Thursday, with the exception of school holidays and snow days.