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Chaplains
Abound
Everybody seems to want to come to Djibouti, Africa. Just after I arrived here in July, Rear Admiral Darold Bigger, Chaplain for reserve affairs, came to Djibouti for several days. Since that time we have had a succession of visitors. The Assistant Commandant of the Marine Corps, General William Nyland, has been here, as has the Army Chief of Staff, General Peter Schoomaker, and various other military dignitaries, all making an appearance in the Horn of Africa. Most recently we have enjoyed the pleasure of hosting several chaplains stationed at various commands around the globe. On September 25th, Rabbi Mitch Schranz, stationed in Okinawa, Japan, came to spend the Jewish High Holy Days here at Camp Lemonier. Though we never met before, he has become a fast friend, and has been a great blessing, not only to me, but also to this command. He's what we call in the military "low maintenance." That's a nice way of saying you don't have to dote over the person and entertain them every minute they are here. Mitch, realizing there was no Jewish religious program on the base, left the relative comforts of the air-conditioned chapel and began hoofing it around the base, introducing himself to soldiers, sailors, airmen and marines. He then prepared services
for Rosh Hashanah on September 27th, followed by Yom Kippur on October 5th-6th. Rosh Hashanah is the Jewish New Year, with much celebrating and thanksgiving to God. This includes the blowing of the shofar (ram's horn). Jewish wine is served and bread is dribbled with honey and served to all. Yom Kippur, on the other hand is a day of atonement, where a prayer is offered that begins like this: "Eternal God, who calls us to repentance, we are grateful for the opportunity to answer Your call, to forsake our sins, and to turn to You with all our hearts." Since Yom Kippur requires a 24-hour fast (abstaining even from coffee), and no work (also includes not shaving), the rabbi has basically remained in his hootch (tent) except to conduct the three services as part of the holy day. He likes coffee as much as I do, and said during last night's service that he'd go crazy if he walked into the chapel office this morning and smelled freshly brewed Starbucks coffee. So I gave instructions to RP1 Baldree not to make coffee this morning! It would be really bad form to have the rabbi going crazy!
Last Thursday, my Navy chaplain friend of eighteen years, Jeff Rhodes, and Religious Program Specialist Master Chief Cindy Blankenship, came to spend a few days. Jeff and Cindy work for Marine Forces Pacific in Hawaii. The evening they arrived, a trip had been planned to visit the Thursday night Mass at the Catholic Cathedral in downtown Djibouti. More than twenty of us from the base signed up to go. This included dinner at a local restaurant afterward with the two priests joining us. The Mass was conducted in English, instead of French. This is a trial effort to see if there is enough interest, since many people who work in Djibouti do not speak the two national languages — Somali and French. At the same time that Mitch, Jeff and Cindy are visiting, Chaplain Scott Brown, who is down here from Baghdad, was visiting Chaplain Chuck Seligman. This past Sunday was Chuck's last before heading home. I asked him to preach in the evangelical service, and he did a wonderful job. But even more than that, two things occurred that I have not experienced before. First, we had our best attendance ever. We usually run about 50-55, but on this day we had 66, and that was with several of our medical folks absent due to training. Second, there were six chaplains in the service!
Here in the Horn of Africa in a very small country on a very small base, six chaplains representing the cross-section of the military services were in one place of worship at the same time. During the evangelical service Sunday morning Rabbi Mitch Schranz asked if he might attend. Chaplain Jeff Rhodes read the scripture. Chaplain Scott Brown offered the pastoral prayer. Chaplain Chuck Seligman preached the Word. Chaplain Hal Scott assisted with communion. And I acted as worship leader and also led in communion. Jeff held the cup of wine. Chuck held the cup of grape juice. Hal and Scott held plates with the host. It was a beautiful time! You should have been there! Of the chaplains here, one is Air Force, one is Army, and four are Navy (Marines get their chaplains from the Navy). Now five of us represent different denominations, and the rabbi represents a different faith. But we were together in the Lord's house and all felt the presence of the Lord. I have read in Psalm 133:1, "How good and pleasant it is when brothers live together in unity!" Amen! Such unity happens when chaplains abound. |
