Something of Value
Greg Kremer was a student in our first CPE unit. Even though he had been working in the church for several decades he was learning to live into his newly ordained life. His CPE experience was an opportunity for reflection on the past, understanding the present and discernment for the future. Sometimes what we discover surprises us.
Greg had been thinking about doing a bereavement group for his congregation but didn’t feel quite ready for it. Grief has certainly been a big part of the last year and a half in our COVID world. Another student had talked extensively about how differently she was processing grief with folks in her faith community. She realized that it had to be more distant. No longer was she able to “be at the bedside”. For months, she wasn’t allowed in hospital rooms except by the means of video screens and cell phones. Funerals had to be limited in size, the space had to be socially distant and video broadcast, and burials were postponed. There were few in her community who were untouched by some sort of loss, whether it was a job, missing in-person visits with family, video worship attendance, loss of food security, or losing a sense of control over life. Loss of this magnitude can take years to process and resolve. Episcopal Relief and Development shared these resources about preparing for the long term recovery from a pandemic. It’s worth a look.
As we were meeting for the last time during the CPE unit, Greg brought up the bereavement group and asked about a book that might help him structure meetings. We looked at a few resources and then our time ended. Greg’s CPE cohort got together recently. Greg shared that he had taken the plunge and decided to run the bereavement group. When he finished the CPE unit he felt more confident about his skills and because we had talked so much about community he decided to open it up to those in his Hilton community. To his surprise, no one in his church signed up, but EIGHT folks from the community DID. He ran the 7-week group, and when it came time to end, those folks wanted to continue meeting. It was a source of spiritual and emotional support they did not want to lose. Greg helped to create community where none had existed. Not everyone who takes CPE will have this same experience, but most know themselves a little better after having participated in the unit. That alone is empowering. Consider joining us for a unit, and maybe you’ll surprise yourself too.
