Volume 22
Number 1
The Forum issue of Association of Professional Chaplains
Articles

Poem: Catching the Light

by Rev. Dr. Samuel J. Ross, BCC 
 

Catching the Light
And the light continues to shine
Everywhere and anywhere . . . even in the light.
And the light understands the light
And the light receives the light.
It illuminates and reveals the unknown and the unseen
As one who awakens and remembers the whole dream, every detail.
Light begets light. And everything submits to it.
But then . . . the darkness.
It neither knows, nor sees, nor understands.
It creeps and envelopes and closes in upon everything.
Including itself.
It claims the best territory and the easy prey,
Like boiling lava flowing over a noisy and lively spring forest.
It stifles, shuts down, eliminates, and consumes
Like a fire consuming the poet’s words.
The darkness stalks and suffocates.
It vaporizes hope and dims the light of love and loyalty.
It never loves and never learns. And never shines, And never warms.
It is like a spurned lover stalking one who is infinitely loved.
Lay hold of the light.  Walk in it.  Splash in it. Bathe in it.
Come and see this light with me.
Come and be the light with me.


Articles

A Message from APC President… January 2020

APC President Joseph Perez MDiv BCC Happy New Year APC Colleagues! As we look forward to 2020 and beginning a new decade, let’s take some time to reflect on what is […]

Strategic Partners Issue Progress Report 2

Discussion Update:On November 20-21, 2019, representatives for the Strategic Partners for Spiritual Care gathered in Cleveland, OH to continue to explore ideas to formalize their relationships. The strategic partners began […]

APC Call for Board Nominations January 2020

Serving in leadership is one of the most important ways for members to contribute to and shape the work and mission of APC. As a member of APC you are […]

Coming Soon: Updates to the Palliative Care & Hospice Advanced Certification

In the next few weeks, APC/BCCI will send out updates to the Palliative Care and Hospice Advanced Certification process and procedures.  If you are interested in the advanced certification, you […]

2020 Joint Conference Updates: 

Registration for the 2020 Conference opens soon; a separate email will be sent out to all APC members when registration opens. To learn more about this year’s Joint Conference visit the conference […]

The Impact of Professional Spiritual Care

APC, along with our Strategic Partners, published the digital book “The Impact of Professional Spiritual Care.”  This resource was designed to help chaplains inform colleagues, supervisors, potential employers and others […]

CSU’s Announces Upcoming Dates for “Essentials of Palliative Care Chaplaincy” January 2020

California State University in conjunction with Association of Professional Chaplains is now accepting registrations for a several cohorts for their course “Essentials of Palliative Care Chaplaincy”.  The following start dates […]

National Consensus Project: Clinical Practice Guidelines for Quality Palliative Care, 4th edition

Many people living with a serious illness who are receiving treatment for their condition, whether heart failure, lung disease, cancer or another illness, don’t have access to palliative care, which […]

Resource Reviews for Continuing Education and Reference January 2020:

The Psychology of Religion: An Empirical Approach, Fifth EditionRalph W. Hood, Jr., Peter C. Hill and Bernard Spilka (Boulder, New York: Guilford Press, 2018, 656 pages, hardcover) In The Psychology […]