HOW CHAPLAINCY HAS INFLUENCED MY WRITING

 

I have been a Chaplain in a variety of settings for 30 years. 

In this time I have learnt to express ministry in an authentically compassionate way that thinks, pioneers, develops and responds with innovative, proactive empowerment and solutions.

Story telling has influenced my chaplaincy practice. My chaplaincy practice has influenced my writing. It is interesting how many parallels I have discovered in each. Both Chaplaincy and writing are grounded in presence, empathy, relationship building, narrative theory and story-holding. 

In Chaplaincy I have the privilege of sacred encounters with people every day.

In writing I get to nurture sacred encounters with readers too.

Let us consider some essential tenets of Chaplaincy delivery and how it may inform our writing.

AUTHENTIC PERSON-CENTRED ENGAGEMENT AND EMPATHY

Essentially, I carry a heart of authentic engagement with people from my philosophy and praxis of Chaplaincy into my writing. The alternative pastoral care that chaplaincy offers focuses on creating safe spaces through holistic care methods like narrative, metaphor, art, community development to help individuals navigate life’s challenges and faith transitions (Layson et al 2023). 

As a Chaplain and writer, I aim to express compassionate presence, actively listening to the human experience, and helping individuals or readers process deep emotions, suffering, and meaning. We write for people. People who have souls who require authentic person-centred engagement. As we write we need to ensure we are not caught in a pattern of mechanical content development but have a genuine, empathetic perspective. This requires vulnerability, active listening, and a deep understanding of the audience's needs. The heart of this is to be about redeeming our texts from the potential traps of shallow monologues, thin characters, unrelatable scenarios and weak prose into shared human experiences.

Chaplains exercise deep empathy, utilizing "perspectival knowing" to understand the world as their wards experience it. To write a compelling character, an author must step inside that person's psychological framework. To ensure that a character is relatable this means that an author needs to be able to do the same with their audience

THE EMPOWERMENT JOURNEY. HOLDING SPACE TOGETHER

Chaplaincy expresses a journey metaphor. It means walking alongside care-seekers supporting them as non-anxious companions in unfamiliar or painful territory. Spiritual exploration is viewed as an ongoing process of discovering purpose, meaning, and resilience, rather than a final fixed destination. The journey metaphor honours the unpredictability of human experience, giving people room to process at their own pace.

The "empowerment journey" refers to a shift from rescuing or dictating solutions to instead walking alongside individuals, honouring their agency, and facilitating their own spiritual or emotional growth. Chaplaincy treats the care seeker as ‘the expert’ of their own life and meaning-making process. It is a holistic, participatory process aiming for empowerment, and sustainable change. For me, writing is too. 

Chaplaincy creates a judgment-free zone where the individual (or community) can process grief, uncertainty, and emotional or moral conflict. It means simply being with someone in their time of trouble. It is the sacred practice of ‘holding space’ or ‘with-ing’: being fully present with the people right in front of us that we are caring for (McBride 2025) and -for me- who I am writing for. 

Chaplains act as "story-holders" (Blanco 2024). They create a safe and nurtured space to allow people wrestling with challenges to untangle their own experiences, helping them find continuity and purpose during emergencies, crisis, grief, and trials. Kerry Egan (former hospice Chaplain and author) writes that chaplaincy is less about storytelling and more about “story-holding”.

“We listen to the stories that people believe have shaped their lives. We listen to the stories people choose to tell, and the meaning they make of those stories.”(Egan 2017). 

As writers we craft narrative arcs that give events meaning and help characters discover meaning and life solutions. As writers we create and hold space with our readers as they engage with a well-told story, characters that they empathise with and story arcs that resonate with their own life journey.

Presence is the connective tissue serving as one of the most powerful forms of care we give as Chaplains (Blanco 2024). Simply being present. As I have grown in my role as chaplain, I have been grateful for the opportunity to deepen practices of active listening, bearing witness, staying grounded in the here and now, and ‘holding’ others with respect and compassion. Simply bearing witness to someone’s pain and letting them know they are not alone. In our creativity and storying development we have the privilege of holding countless sacred stories of love and loss and of suffering and resilience, bravery, inspiration and life change crafted with our characters and creating ‘presence’ with and for our readers.

Chaplaincy is empowering, not overpowering. Care is highly person-centred and  often shows radical respect. Chaplains avoid imposing their own dogmas or beliefs and foster self-determination. Chaplains ask open-ended questions that empower the care seeker to identify their own core values, strengths, and personal strategies for coping. While chaplains rely heavily on the unspoken elements of communication—tears, silence, and presence—to build a safe space for healing. Writers avoid heavy-handed exposition by using metaphor and scene. This is the necessary art of "showing, not telling": In both fields, truth is often found in the subtext.

Similar to the chaplain, an author of fiction is not trying to overtly persuade, but is effective in inviting readers towards perceptions of some aspect of the world, perhaps from the points of view of more than one character, and prompts the reader to consider: "How do you feel about this?"…"What do you think?" ... "What would you do?"

 

MEANING AND COPING FACILITATION

At the care seeker's invitation, chaplains aid in the exploration of spiritual, existential, or religious concerns to help them find meaning within their crisis.

Chaplains guide individuals through a process of spiritual discernment, stripping away distractions to help them focus on what they value most. Writers know that editing is where the true story emerges. Effective writing requires cutting away the noise to find the core message.

A chaplain helps individuals access inner reserves and external resources . Spirituality and faith are often used as tools that empower people to cope with adversity.

It is interesting to consider the question :

What internal or external resources have I been able to help my readers to discover?

CATALYSTS OF CHANGE

“Change spawns stories and stories can trigger change”(Brown et al 2009).

Chaplains act as agents of change by introducing new ideas, mobilizing support, empowering local people to take ownership of their own solutions, and facilitating collective action to solve problems.

In Chaplaincy we respond with a spirit that is empowering, grounded, and caring. I think the world needs more of that right now and perhaps can experience it through us as writers and our writing.

God’s desire for us is holistic flourishing, and I have come to realise that through my writing- as similarly to my Chaplaincy - I get to participate in the redemptive work of healing, growth, recreation, love and living.

In both chaplaincy and writing, transformation in others is a sacred privilege. We accompany people as they confront sometimes painful truths, wrestle with questions of identity and meaning, and begin to reframe their own stories.  

It’s powerful to be able to be a part of someone’s journey and to help inspire hope when the ground is shifting under their feet through seasons of change, desperation, suffering, awakening, flourishing and celebration.

Shane Brigg and friend holding space together Central Australia

 

 

BIBLIOGRAPHY

Blanco, J.  Editor (2024) Issue #28 “ Chaplaincy” . Fuller Magazine. Fall 2024

Brown, A.D, Gabriel, Y., Gherardi, S. (2009) Storytelling and Change: An Unfolding Story

Brown, A.D. and Humphreys, M. (2003) `Epic and Tragic Tales: Making Sense of Change', Journal of Applied Behavioral Science 39(2): 121-44.

Egan,K. (2017) On Living .Thorndike Press.

Layson, M. D., Carey, L. B., & Best, M. C. (2023). “The impact of faith-based pastoral care in decreasingly religious contexts: The Australian chaplaincy advantage in critical environments”. Journal of Religion and Health, 62 (3), 1491-1512.

McBride, G. (2025) ”The Weight-ing Game. Friends.  Is There a Right Way to Hold Space for Someone in Crisis? Providing support for someone in tough times is simpler than you might think”. Psychology Today. Posted March 1, 2025

Photos various chaplaincy and missions  contexts I have been involved in. 

Shane Brigg In PNG 'Journeying' and hearing and telling stories

The power of our words

 by Jo-Anne Berthelsen

In my various occupations over the years, I have seen again and again the power our words can have. As a high school teacher way back, as an office secretary interacting with clients of our church’s family support program, then later as part of our church’s pastoral team, I experienced the extra impact my words could carry because of the power of my public position. Now as a writer and speaker and at a different stage in my life, I still see so often the effect the words I say and those I write can have.

Yet, whatever our occupation, our words have the power to touch others’ lives for good or for ill each day – our families, friends, work colleagues or anyone else we meet or contact in some way. And each day, the words of others have the power to impact us in return. Sometimes, they may lift us up and encourage us, but at others, they may discourage and even hurt deeply.

In January this year, my third non-fiction book, Swansong: Start creating your legacy of life-giving words, was published by Authentic Media UK. In the course of promoting it, I recorded two radio interviews and a podcast with organisations based in the UK while sitting right here in my study in front of my laptop. During one for Trans World Radio, my lovely interviewer mentioned something that happened to him when he was growing up. If he ever made a mistake, he told me, a ‘close family member’ would say to him, ‘Oh, you’re so useless!’ Then he hastily added, ‘They probably didn’t mean anything by it – it was probably just a throw-away line. However, it took me many, many years to undo the harm those words did to me.’

My heart went out to him all the way to the UK. However, I also remembered how easy it can be for any of us to speak or write similar ‘throw-away lines’ to others and how hard it can be, as James warns us in his letter, to tame our tongues – or our fingers as we write (James 3). Yet, as Paul reminds us, we can choose whether our words will indeed benefit others or otherwise:

Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen. Ephesians 4:29

What a challenge for us, not only as we speak but also as we write! What sort of legacy will our many thousands of words leave behind when we are no longer here? Will they affirm, encourage or comfort? Will they bring peace and blessing to our readers? Will they perhaps challenge, yet also express empathy, mercy and forgiveness?

Whenever I personally sell one of my own books, I always ask if I can write ‘God bless’ as well as sign my name inside. For me, these are not two glib, meaningless words but, instead, a fervent prayer that God will truly benefit my reader in some way and draw them closer to God. May this always be our aim as Christian authors, in whatever genre we write. May we always remember the power our words can have and seek to use them so wisely and well.

Jo-Anne Berthelsen is a Sydney-based author of seven novels and three non-fiction works. She holds
degrees in Arts and Theology and has worked in teaching, editing and local church ministry. Jo-Anne loves encouraging others through both the written and spoken word and is a keen blogger.

www.jo-anneberthelsen.com

www.joanneberthelsen.wordpress.com

Going Big, Going Small, Making the Most of it All

By Mazzy Adams

The email lands in my inbox filled with punchy phrases designed to provoke and spread excitement about the next big conference in a major US city. It’s only a plane flight away but that’s a fanciful flight too far for my budget.

I press delete.

The state or national writers centre informs me of upcoming events. All very interesting. But the scheduled times clash with other commitments. There is a webinar but that's not the same as being there ...

Delete.

Incoming: A reminder about the early bird discount period for the Omega Conference in Sydney.

If only ...

I spend several minutes organising, if not holding, a personal pity party because the timing’s all wrong. It’s right in the middle of the crucial final countdown for our year twelve students; for their sake I need to be here more than I need to be there.

I know how valuable that conference will be. I pray blessings and safety for those who can make it.

We’ve all been there, longing to gather with like-minded souls, fellow creatives who understand the word-driven psyche. We desperately want to participate, contribute and make the most of any and all opportunities to connect, learn, promote, celebrate, and, er, commiserate. Let’s face it—there’s a unique blessing that comes when chatting to someone who UNDERSTANDS. When I say to a fellow writer, ‘He says, “Just put it up as an ebook”,’ and her spontaneous laughter tells me she KNOWS there’s no ‘just’ about it. She KNOWS it’s not that simple.

(Image by Aleks Megen from Pixabay)

This past weekend, I’ve enjoyed the enormous blessing of sharing these experiences and more at the Omega Writers Toowoomba Retreat. In terms of numbers, we’re not exactly huge. But in my calendar, it’s super significant. Each year, this gathering has been a wellspring of blessing and encouragement to me in my spiritual walk and my writing journey—even the year I was sporting a plaster cast on a broken wrist.

But if the truth be told, the reason this ‘small’ event is such an enormous blessing to me arises from a plethora of tiny moments when I’ve been able to interact with writer friends throughout the year:

• birthday celebration dinners with fellow Quirky Quills
• gluing thank you cards and assembling welcome packs with fellow event organiser, Janelle Moore
• spending an afternoon cheering on fellow author, Jessica Kate, as she shared her experiences breaking into the US market
• learning ‘How to Avoid Literary Speed Bumps’ at a workshop by fellow author, and editor, Nola Passmore
• the spontaneous encouragement of a monthly writers’ chat n share in Pamela Heemskerk’s cosy sunroom—especially when new-to-the-experience-but-longing-to-learn friends, (now no longer strangers), join in
• or the crying-with-laughter emoji posted by a Facebook sympathiser that makes my day.

A hundred and one little moments and short experiences combine to create a gigantic collective fellowship of encouragement (with the odd nag to get on with the business of writing thrown in for good measure; oh yeah, we should do some of that.)

Whether we're writing a six word short story, a three line haiku, flash fiction, blog, devotion, self-help treatise, novella, memoir, novel, epic saga, or multi-book series, a few moments of mutual fellowship and encouragement can make a HUGE DIFFERENCE.

So next time you feel the disappointment at having to let a grand opportunity pass you by, settle your soul with an engaging moment ...  post an emoji, phone a friend, grab a picnic lunch with a critique partner, post a star rating or book review on Good Reads or Amazon, or read or write an encouraging blog.

Above all, be comforted knowing that your little contribution to mutual interaction goes a very long way to make somebody’s day.

Maybe even your own.

Have you experienced, or imparted, a ‘blessed moment’ recently? Big, small, or minuscule, positive connections strengthen and inspire us all.

Mazzy Adams is a published author of poetry, fiction and creative non-fiction. She has a passion for words, pictures and the positive potential in people.

Website: www.mazzyadams.com 

Email: maz@mazzyadams.com