question a consideration in your plans or actions?
How quickly should you
act?
Scenario Number Four:
Chaplain Johnson is your brigade chaplain. Due to a series of unfortunate
circumstances, he is experiencing a high level of emotional pain.
Most
recently, he has received notice that he has been passed-over for promotion
to lieutenant colonel. He thinks he can see "the handwriting on the wall"
and he believes that his career is finished. He must now deal with several
issues simultaneously: pain, new career plans, and financial security for
his family.
He needs you as his pastor, but you are unsure of how to
proceed.
You are very busy trying to learn how to be a battalion chaplain and do not
feel certain you have enough time to dedicate to the task of providing the
pastoral care that Chaplain Johnson needs.
Also, you feel awkward about
pastoring someone whose rank is higher than yours.
What should you do? How are you going to do it? Are there any options or
new perspectives you can offer to Chaplain Johnson? To yourself?
Scenario Number Five:
Chaplain Scott Tisdale is a bright and articulate black chaplain. He is a
recent graduate from the Chaplain Officer Basic Course and is anxious to
offer meaningful ministry to the soldiers and families of his battalion.
Chaplain Tisdale grew up in a largely black area of Chicago, attended both a
predominately black college and a predominately black seminary, and has had
limited exposure to other ethnic cultures. He is eager to do his job, but
is unsure how to proceed.
He wants to establish a friendship with you.
Chaplain Tisdale knows that learning the ways of cultures other than his own
is essential to successful ministry in the Army. He is reaching out to you
(a white chaplain) for help.
What should you do?
How are you going to proceed?
How do your own
perceptions of Chaplain Tisdale's culture influence your plans and actions?
Are the opinions or perceptions of your peers (other than Chaplain
Tisdale's) a factor?
Scenario Number Six:
You and your wife have become close friends with Chaplain and Mrs. Blue. On
Friday afternoon, while you are preparing for Sunday worship, Donna Blue
comes to your office.
She shares with you that her husband is having an
affair with his civilian secretary and that he is prepared to announce it to
his commander and resign his commission.
What should you do? What implications for harm are present? To whom? If
you intervene, what approach should you take? How quickly should you act?
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