On Being Sent with Style: Reflections on Health Care Chaplaincy

This article has been developed from key points in an occasional address delivered by the author at a Dedication Service for healthcare chaplains in Brisbane, Australia. The metaphors of sheep, serpents, and doves mentioned in the focal verse from Matthew 10: 16-23 are explored and some possible pastoral implications are discussed. It is suggested that being sent as vulnerable representatives, prudent thinkers, and transparent practitioners represent complementary elements in a style of offering spiritual and pastoral care with relevance for contemporary healthcare chaplains and other pastoral workers.