Quest Ministries: A Beautiful Home-Going

Thursday, June 29, 2017

A Beautiful Home-Going

I entered my patient’s room for a vigil on a cool May afternoon unaware that I would participate in that person’s beautiful end-of-life experience.

The woman was alone, so I walked to her side and spoke quietly, reciting words from the Scriptures and praying while gently massaging her forehead. After a few minutes, several others entered the room: the woman’s daughter and son-in-law, and her priest and hospice chaplain. A hospice nurse was also present. I retreated to the foot of the bed and joined the semicircle that formed.

The priest approached the patient and explained that he would administer the sacraments of healing. All was quiet as he took a moment to prepare. As he proceeded, we readily participated in the ritual, making the sign of the cross and praying the Lord’s Prayer. Most memorable to me, though, were the words expressed by the priest to the patient: “I absolve you of all sin.” That affirmation prompted a silent collective sigh. All was in order.

Within a short time (was it one minute or two?), the patient took her last breath. We stood in wonder that the inevitable had happened. Death is always a surprise. Yet the priest conveyed contentment, for his prayers had been answered. And chaplain Cary Quigley expressed that the sacraments had given the patient tacit permission to slip away.

Most gratifying to me was the daughter’s amazement and joy over the sequence of events. I’m sure she was grieving, but at that moment she seemed jubilant. It was as though someone had beautifully designed her mother’s home-going, but the coordinator remained concealed. All the daughter could do in the moment was express gratitude.

And I silently relished my sense of joy that I could participate in this momentous moment.

June 5, 2017

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PROFILE

Contact Information:

Experience:

For over forty years Stan has developed people and organizations through preaching, teaching, organizing, writing, motivating, and listening. He especially enjoys interacting with people in one-to-one and group settings.

Stan has a Master of Divinity from Gordon-Conwell. In 2012, he completed a certificate program in spiritual direction from Selah (http://leadershiptransformations.org/selah.htm).

Stan also loves to help people navigate life’s challenges by discussing popular stories. Fiction written by C. S. Lewis, J. R. R. Tolkien, Charles Dickens, Victor Hugo, and a host of others help us understand how God’s Story interacts with our own.

Specialty Skills:

Organizing people, events, and projects

Analyzing challenges, and proposing and implementing solutions

Creative writing

Conversant with computer software and the Internet

Video-conferencing via Skype and other software

Accomplishments:

Stan led an organization that was on the brink of disbanding. Through his leadership it became a more vibrant cohesive group, optimistic about its future. He led its members in group activities. He also worked with its leaders to evaluate and update the organization's purpose, financial health, and organizational structure. As a result, the group became healthier, larger, and more outward focused and welcoming.

He led a group in a ten-week discussion of Tolkien's The Lord of the Rings. The majority of the participants read 100 pages per week to prepare for their sessions. He met with the group for two hours each week to discuss the contents, truths, and applications of this beautiful piece of literature.

For several years Stan led a multi-week training course for an organization. The purpose of the training was to help members understand and communicate the organization's core values with potential members. He recruited people to be part of the training, taught them how to clearly express the principles, and provided the means for them to be in touch with potential members. Leaders emerged from this training program, confident in their ability to communicate.