By David Lichter
Executive Director
Well, they are all that I hoped they would be and more. That was my response after reading the contributions to this issue of Vision. As the posting of this issue coincides with our 2015 50th Jubilee NACC Conference, March 6-9, in Arlington VA, we were hoping for a variety of reflections on the chaplaincy ministry and the NACC. I hope you will experience, as I did, a potpourri of delights and a collage of rich images and impressions of what it means to continue the healing ministry!
They reminded me of a quote from Jodi Picoult’s The Storyteller: “History isn’t about dates and places and wars. It’s about the people who fill the spaces between them.” We are grateful to our authors, the people who fill the spaces of the ’60s, ’70s, ’80s, ’90s, ’00s, and now the ’10s with reflections on our ministry, our call, and the callings we give to one another to serve God’s people and the mission of the NACC.
Not long ago, I was introduced to the book Unapologetically You: Reflections on Life and the Human Experience by Dr. Steve Maraboli, who is a motivational speaker and author. His writing can be provocative and insightful. One of his brusque quotes, with a touch of four-letter humor, was “I want to live my life in such a way that when I get out of bed in the morning, the devil says, ‘aw shit, he’s up!’” It brought a smile to my face, and I thought, “Yes, wouldn’t it be nice to know the devil gets nervous knowing we are up and about doing God’s work!”
As I read the contributions to this Vision, I smiled as that quote came back to me and I thought about each of those who wrote and all those about whom they wrote, each getting out of bed each morning, and the devil saying, “Oh … he’s up, she’s up!” I was moved by the passion and commitment of so many members who have brought the NACC to where it is now!
I pray that 2015 will spark in our newer members, and the many who will join the NACC this year, a call to continue the healing ministry, to contribute to this remarkable profession. I pray that our partnerships will expand and deepen with the many professional associations who have collaborated with us for so many years. I pray that each of us might find a way to improve our professional skills, that we not only feel a deeper pride in our profession, but a deeper hunger to live out our profession at the top of our abilities.
We continue the healing ministry…
Blessings,
David A. Lichter, D.Min.
