Through the course of my life’s work, there have been many moments in which I have been confronted with death. Perhaps this has made me more melancholy as I age; however, there is for me a realization that many of these places – difficult as they may be, are sacred spaces or “thin places” as the Celtic people use to call them. Thin places were those places where heaven and earth seemed to touch – there is a solemnity to many of these moments and sometimes there is a strange sense of relief, even joy for those that are present when someone they love dies.
In more recent years, there have been several babies and young children whom I have had the privilege to meet, to hold, to bless, to say words over, and be present during those difficult moments. Those are perhaps some of the most difficult for me because of my own children. While many of my years as a hospice chaplain were spent at the bedside of the dying, I found that I began to appreciate my children, especially, in new and profound ways. I watch as the dysfunctional died. I listened as CEO’s expressed regrets for missing out on their children’s lives. I saw powerful stories of reconciliation. I saw hopeless and lonely men and women. I watched many rivers of tears pour from eyes young and old.
One of the motivations from my work has been to bless my children every night that I home to lay them to bed. For today’s post, I leave you with my prayers for my children and often times my prayer for the many whom I have held and have yet to hold who make their way from earth to their Father in heaven.
(Name),
May the Lord bless you and keep you. May the Lord make his face to shine up on you. May the Lord lift the light of his countenance upon you and may he bless you with his peace as you sleep this night.
Amen.
(Name),
May you rest and rise in the great peace of the King of all kings. May he grant you all that you need and the desires of you heart that are the desires of his own. May you meditate on him in the watches of the night and know that he comforts you, he quiets you with his love, his rejoices over you with singing.
Amen.
Blessings,
Rev. Brad Kenney
I meet many men who tell me, “I don’t sing.” Many of these men are speaking from a church context and about modern worship styles and trends 
Pope Francis 
There is perhaps no larger stage for a single sport sporting event than the World Cup – the National Football League’s Super Bowl ranks high on the list with a large American viewer base and the Olympic Games also have a broad global appeal, but in terms of reach – there is no comparing to an event like the World Cup where, literally, the world is watching (some 
Is the world seeing the poverty and social justice issues that are seemingly “behind the scenes” in Brazil? Brazilian street artist 
attention to the larger issues of human exploitation it can often seem that these voices are lost in the deafening roar of the fans of the “beautiful game.” References to “Jesus” saving at the World Cup are little more than 
The imperative for us who follow Christ is to reach out and love as Christ would love, and while expressions of one’s faith and life might well include printed expressions such as Kaka’s (Real Madrid) or Wells Thompson’s (pictured while playing for the Colorado Rapids), our faith needs to go beyond mere words. 
The faith of one who follows Jesus Christ is an active one – where the actions and beliefs are lived out in very tangible ways. Thankfully, both Kaka and Thompson are men who live out an active faith – giving of their time, talents, and resources to love others as Jesus would. Their lives serve as an example for those of us who love and follow the beautiful game – realizing that it is a game, and that there are larger, more important issues at stake. In the least, it should make each of us consider, what is the world seeing when they are watching – whether it is a large event like the World Cup or the way that we live out our faith at home, at work, or at play. We are called to pay attention – not to the star-studded, dramatic happenings on the pitch, but the darker, more desperate issues behind it.
Part of my personal experience with this was when the Colorado Rapids won the Major League Soccer Championship game in 2010. I was there, on the field, as the players and coaches their families and the fans celebrated the first championship in team history (still one of only two championships to come to Colorado since those ’98 Broncos – National Hockey League Av’s in 2000-1 being the other). It wasn’t 45 minutes after leaving the field that coaches were having to determine which players on the roster would be unprotected for the MLS expansion draft – players didn’t even get to celebrate the championship before being told that they might be traded or waived.
Recently, the Colorado Rapids cleaned house – boxes of used team gear were simply taking up too much space in the confines of Dick’s Sporting Goods Park and after the annual “garage sale” for Rapids fans, there was still plenty left over. That’s when team staff contacted Rapids Chaplain Brad Kenney. The text message read:
Chaplain Venegas sprang into action – putting some messages out to contacts in Costa Rica. Is there anyone who could use some team gear and equipment for their church or a local team? Pretty soon, Chaplain Venegas had 4 different project requests coming out of Costa Rica – a player training with a team in hopes of getting a contact in Major League Soccer, a church group praying for new team uniforms, and a couple of reservations with poor, indigenous people. As Chaplain Kenney opened the boxes, it was almost too overwhelming…Do you have an idea of sizes? (read a text message to Venegas).
I just remember looking at all the boxes in my living room, my children were trying to help me sort and count, and I panicked – what were we gong to do with all of the gear? Will we have enough? Too much?
On the last day of 2013, there is occasion to pause for reflection. There is much debate around looking backward in order to move forward in our culture. Some criticism – that the only reason we look back is so that we can make more efficient our practice or modernize our mechanistic attitude. Some wisdom – that we ought to learn from mistakes and strive to not repeat them, to teach our children how to overcome them. Some practical application – goal-setting, resolutions, and the like. Some fantastical dreaming – see above.
I have experienced these times as a sweet time. In the times when I find myself alone, I often pray or listen to music to prepare my heart to engage people and be a representative of God. In the times when there are others in the car, I still pray that my life, my words, my witness would be honoring to God and moving and meaningful to those placed under my care (and in my car) for that moment.