Connecting the Dots reviewed

 Connecting the dots

The Chaplains and Befrienders (hospital lay visitors) gathered each week day at 9 AM in the chapel for a shortened form of Morning Prayers from the Episcopal Book of Common Prayer. We would read and discuss the Daily Office Scripture and conclude with the prayers. 

The Befrienders would then be assigned a nursing floor and given cards with the names of patients to visit. Later in the morning they returned to the pastoral care office to write a brief description of their visit. These descriptions were then read by the chaplain for a debriefing session with he Befriended. 

The purpose of the debriefing was to help them detach from a more emotional visit and to provide the chaplains with referrals. It was not uncommon to have a patient story connect with both a scripture reading and a Befrienders stories. I came to call this Trialoging to emphasis the connection between the three stories. Steve Jobs reinforced this with the talk he gave at Stanford on Connecting the Dots. The activity and observation disciple moves metaphorically to a number of different places.

The Befrienders did not take to this word Trialoguing . It was a Befriender who moved "connecting the dots" to this three fold experience. We actually had more flexibility because more often it was two fold with in the three fold connection. Patient/ befriender, patient /scripture, Scripture/ befriender. This morning experience became a mutual benefit for all involved. The program had a built in maintenance feature as the years progressed. The program is now 54 years of age, starting in 1966. 

“Abide in me” from John's Gospel became my mantra for connecting the dots. The Holy Spirit as the called one alongside was with us in our journey and learning, aiding us with new connections. 

Our Scripture source for the three fold connection comes from the tenth chapter of Luke where Jesus sends out the disciples and the story gives reference to a brief, a mission, and a debriefing. 

My hope was to include a picture of "Abide in me" as the ongoing mantra for connecting the dots. My expertise needs more training to do what the blog says you can do.

Shalom,

Marlin Whitmer