"I love the sense of satisfaction that I get when I’ve done a swimming workout or race, and know that I gave my whole being and heart to God in every moment of the swim. It’s the best worship I can offer him."
Chaplaincy Ministry and the Mission of the Church
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Victoria Slater, London SCM Press, 2015. ISBN 9780334053156
This book sets out to answer two simple questions: “What is chaplaincy?” and “What is the significance of chaplaincy within the mission and ministry of the contemporary Christian Church?” The aim is “to provide a coherent narrative of the significance of chaplaincy for the mission and ministry of the contemporary Church”. It is underpinned by case study based empirical research. Chapter 6 “Doing chaplaincy” presents a helpful structure for implementing chaplaincy.
The front cover has four photographs, one of which is a footballer kicking a ball. However, other than a brief reference to chaplaincy to horse-racing and the inclusion of the Olympic Games, the racing industry and sports clubs in the list of spheres where chaplaincy exists, there is nothing about sports chaplaincy. That said, many of the author’s statements about chaplaincy are extremely applicable to sports chaplaincy. The experience of a chaplain to a retail centre “There are days when the shops are busy and conversations are few, and she wonders what she’s accomplished” will resonate with many a sports chaplain.
The book notes the lack of a coherent and widely accepted theology of chaplaincy, adding that chaplaincy “is almost as slippery a word as spirituality”. This is partly because chaplaincy looks different in different contexts but also reflects the differing theological, ecclesial and vocational standpoints of the chaplains.
A starting point for several chaplains quoted was Jesus’ example of going out to meet people where they were. One chaplain underlined this approach, talking about “meeting people where they were and when the opportunity arose to talk to them about spiritual things.” Another helpful reflection is that chaplaincy “begins with the fundamental theological assumption that God is present and active in the whole of creation”. The book refers to this as a more Franciscan than Benedictine model of engagement where rather than inviting people to “come and join us” it is a case of “Let”s go over there and start praying and see what happens.” Rather than going with the intention of getting people to attend church the approach is: “Please may I come to your place and be part of what you do?”
The book discusses the relationship between chaplaincy and the church, noting a spectrum of practice and theory from where it is understood as an extension of parish ministry to being seen as a differentiated or independent ministry, which impacts whether chaplains feel their ministry is valued by the church. The author suggests that chaplains need to be “trilingual –as they participate in different cultures including society, the faith community and often chaplaincy itself”.
The book helpfully reminds the reader of the rules of engagement for chaplains who are not in "church" territory but operate as “a guest on their ground” or as another chaplain puts it “invited guests who work within other people’s structures”. One chaplain articulated an implication of that, saying: “I hope to live my Christian faith and to stand firm in that Christian faith while not making judgment on other folk who come from a different direction”.
Many chaplains seemed to feel that their ministry was not “valued, validated or understood… in the same way that...parish or congregational ministry was”. They often felt “marginal to or on the edge of the life of the church”.
The issue of name was raised as the author noted that “some practitioners would not want to be called chaplain because of its Christian origins or because of its perceived connotations in cultures such as healthcare”. I recall the diversity of opinion among London 2012 chaplains concerning the wearing of clerical collars, whether it was helpful or otherwise to be in the generic gamesmaker uniform and indeed whether having the word “chaplain” added to the uniform was a positive or a negative.
The book expresses concern that some chaplains work without a job description, which the author sees as “worrying on many levels not least in relation to ethical questions of competence and accountability” but also makes the point that the supermarket where one chaplain served “had no concept of what a chaplain was”. Without doubt the average sports chaplain is more akin to the supermarket than the more formal arrangements in some sectors.
The book included a number of statements about the nature of chaplaincy – some of them by the author, some quotes from books, others statements by serving chaplains, which I felt applied wonderfully to sports chaplaincy. In some places I have used a direct quote in other places I have paraphrased slightly:
• meeting people where they are in the midst of the triumphs, tragedies and tedium of daily life and engaging in genuine dialogue;
• bringing God into people’s lives at a time when they are vulnerable without ramming it down their throats:
• responding to a rapidly evolving culture characterized by constant movement and change;
• coming alongside people in the midst of daily life, engaging with those who have little or no connection with the Church;
• the church laying aside its power and wealth and becoming vulnerable to the local community;
• working outside church structures and alongside people in the midst of the daily lives;
• embodying Church in the public square;
• through chaplaincy the Church is present in places that it would otherwise not be;
• revealing the sacred in the midst of the experience of everyday life;
• an approach based on respectful listening;
• chaplaincy is a valuable way of being Church in the world today.
While I would have loved to have seen more on sports chaplaincy, I thoroughly recommend the book as one from which we can all learn.