Thoughtful Reflections on Faith and Life
One of the things that I enjoy about living in the Maritimes is that the army chaplains in 36 Brigade get together regularly. Our brigade consists of Nova Scotia and Prince Edward Island. We have different kinds of get togethers but one of them is an annual exercise where we spend a few days together. … Read More “More Time With Chaplains” »
For the past thirteen years, I have been a reserve chaplain in the Canadian Armed Forces. When we moved to Nova Scotia, it was a non-negotiable for me to continue this ministry. For a variety of reasons, I chose to support two different units. This past week, I got to spend three consecutive days, one … Read More “Time With My Units” »
One of the things that happen in army units at this time of year is the Soldier Appreciation Dinner, or some variety of it. It often includes the serving of food to soldiers by the officers, as a demonstration of our appreciation for them. I am a chaplain at two units. Unfortunately, I was not … Read More “Good News: Soldier Appreciation” »
One of the areas of my life that I really enjoy is chaplaincy in the army reserves. On the chaplaincy side, I am a part of 36 Brigade. While we need to recruit more chaplains, the team we have right now is excellent. This past week, we had a chance to spend a few days … Read More “Good News: Time With Chaplains” »
One of my roles is that of a chaplain in the army reserves. In fact leaving my regiment in Ontario was one of the difficult things about coming to Nova Scotia. The plan was always to start serving with a regiment (or more) here. My transfer is a long process and technically I am still … Read More “Good News: Back in Uniform” »
I have decided to experiment with a video blog. The basic idea is to video myself on my iPhone wherever I may be. No effort will be put into making it polished. There will be no retakes. If someone comes up to me, that will make it into the video. I look forward to seeing … Read More “Video Blog: What is a Padre?” »
You may be a part of the leadership of a church that has a pastor interested in reserve military chaplaincy. Your pastor may have introduced the subject and you are not sure what to think. Why should the church be willing to support a pastor interested in military chaplaincy? Isn’t it just a distraction from the … Read More “Why Should a Church Support Their Pastor in Military Chaplaincy?” »
As a reserve army chaplain, I am interested in both the history and the nature of military chaplaincy. That is why I was looking forward to reading The Sword of the Lord: Military Chaplains from the First to the Twenty-First Century, edited by Doris L. Bergen. This book looks at military chaplaincy from Roman times … Read More “The Sword of the Lord” »
Before I go into this topic I should share two things: 1) I am a Christian, and 2) I am a military chaplain. Based on this you may be able to guess my answer to the above question. Having said that, I have been challenged on this both directly by friends and indirectly in books. … Read More “Should Christians Serve as Military Chaplains?” »
One of the most fulfilling parts of my ministry is my role as an army chaplain (commonly called a padre). I love being a padre and having the opportunity to both get to know the troops and to minister to them. It is a lot of fun and very rewarding. However, I still find that … Read More “The Role of a Military Chaplain” »
