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She
was my first “confirmation student.” Actually, she
was the only confirmation student I had in 2006. The previous
year my class was a rather more traditional assembly of sixteen
ninth graders meeting in a comfy classroom in our church building
in central Wisconsin. I usually met with twenty-something Rana
in a dusty room used for briefings in an old, windowless cracking-concrete
building in Central Iraq. Clearly, some “second article”
words on Christ’s saving grace fell on open ears in a
setting where exhausting work, relentless heat and untimely
death were as near as a mortar round raining from the sky above
or an improvised device exploding from the ground below. Ministry
opportunities were plentiful. People sought and discovered the
presence of the living Lord in the timely word, song, smile,
hug or tear. Learning the Lutheran take on Word and Sacraments
was hardly the most inspirational aspect of deployment for Rana.
She hadn’t been participating in the Lord’s Supper
and we wondered why not. Was it a “denominational thing?”
That wasn’t likely… people of various traditions
came to receive the body and blood and I was glad to be a part
of a tradition that offers Christ’s sacraments freely.
Those seeking Christ didn’t need another prohibitive rule
in circumstances that already had so many. I was delighted to
offer the life and promise of the Sacrament of the Altar to
those who sought it and certainly to the Seabee about to head
“outside the wire” (off base) where the line between
life and death was very thin. It turned out that Rana’s
initial pass on Communion was a simple matter of integrity.
Since she had never received formal “First Communion”
instruction those first personal sessions were streamlined to
move quickly to that very end.
My Battalion was mobilized in January of 2006 and deployed to
Al Anbar province from March through September of that year.
This reserve “Naval Mobile Construction Battalion”
(NMCB) was a group of some 500 men and women who, in the civilian
sector worked as everything from architects to road crew workers.
There were electricians, plumbers, engineers, contractors, artisans,
students, teachers and other professionals who now engaged in
construction, maintenance and various key missions in support
of Operation Iraqi Freedom. The moniker “Seabee”
is both a mascot worker bee and the initials “C.B.”
for “Construction Battalion.”
By mid summer Rana
joined the communion of Seabee-saints at “SWA Hut # 4”
(Southwest Asia, SWA) and while there was rejoicing, it wasn’t
only about what Rana was receiving. It was about what she was
offering…way beyond her construction skills as a “Navy
Builder, third-class (BU3).”
On our
way into Iraq via Kuwait, my RP (that’s the Chaplain’s
assistant, called a “Religious Program specialist”
in the Navy), had heard Rana singing to pass time before we
were flown north. I gladly consented to his idea that she sing
at our impromptu worship service one evening. She had written
her own songs, accompanied by guitar. I would call them folksy
love songs… and I would concur with Luther who insisted
that music was the work of God and when mortals engage in this
art, Satan is troubled. In spite of Satan’s power, Rana’s
music was one answer to our prayer for deliverance from the
evil one. And Christ certainly fulfills the essence of a love
song beyond any other measure.
Rana
Performs her music for a Morale, Welfare and Recreation (MWR)
Assembly
By the time she took
her place at the Lord’s Table, our unit had taken casualties.
Three Seabees were killed in action and three wounded men were
sent home. Rana’s reputation as an artist had grown and
at that first memorial service, before more than 500 assembled
Seabees, Marines, soldiers and civilians, her poetry spoke of
remembrance and lamentation. “I’ve got it locked
away” she sang, speaking for all of us about the memories,
the faces and lives of those who had been killed: “And
in dreaming in the day, I’m dreaming of you. Take it away,
say it ain’t true… You are with me. I have it locked
away.”
Another
song sounded like the psalmist or a prophet, speaking words
of comfort to the afflicted. “War in me” brought
to mind the reality of what has come to be called “Post
Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD).” Some have suggested
the “S” stand for “Spirit” or “Soul”
(disorder), referring to the disordering of deep matters of
the heart and soul. I give thanks that the ELCA is among those
faith traditions that send our clergy to serve as Chaplains.
We are providing “boots on the ground” (or ship
deck-plate) ministry in wide-ranging circumstances of great
extremity. And so are the laity.
Chaplain
Muschinske Leads Worship at Combat Operations Post Worship
Somewhere in Anabar Province, Iraq
A
mantra in the Navy Chaplain Corps is that we “provide,
facilitate, care and advise.” Chaplains advise the command
on matters ranging from ethics to morale to world religions.
Perhaps the largest time commitment goes into the care of all
members, people of every—or no particular—faith
tradition, vulnerable children of God looking for a confidential
ear, a comforting presence or words of counsel. Whether assigned
to a base, a boot camp, or a remote combat operations post,
members of the armed forces seek to have their spirit’s
fed and exercise their faith. On deployments, Chaplains participate
in every aspect of military life (except bearing arms) giving
credibility, access and availability wherever and whenever needs
arise.
The Unit
Ministry Team facilitates the faith practice of numerous world
religions and dozens of Christian denominations. We execute
Command Religious Programs that accommodate diverse religious
requirements including (though not limited to) scheduling, coordinating,
budgeting and contracting. During Passover, for instance, we
insured that kosher MRE’s (Meals Ready to Eat) were provided
for our Jewish personnel. And Chaplains are expected to provide
worship, sacraments and teaching according to our own tradition.
Most Chaplains—without compromising the tenets of their
faith—adapt worship practices in order to welcome as many
as possible in settings where members of the military and corresponding
civilian contractors would otherwise have no worship alternative.
I discovered
that “providing” meant engaging the “priesthood
of all believers” to utilize their God-given gifts for
the sake of one another… providing opportunities for the
laity to minister in their own voice. Yes, the Navy needs Chaplains
and RP’s—and other branches need their corresponding
teams—to provide those First Amendment freedoms. God also
continues to seek faithful disciples like Rana who bless others
with poetry, the arts and all their hearts. Let us continue
to prepare and send lay and ordained leaders to bring the Gospel
wherever it is needed most.
Submitted
by:
Rev. Peter Muschinske
Chaplain Programs Officer
Navy Recruiting Region West
Federal Chaplaincy Ministries
February 27, 2008
“For
where two or three are gathered in my name, I am there among
them.” Matthew 18:20
Chaplain
Muschinske prays with a Convoy Team before their Night Mission
Chaplain
Peter Muschinske returned to active duty in May 2007. He is
currently working in recruiting, encouraging seminarians and
clergy of all faiths to consider a call to Chaplaincy. He and
his wife and their three children now live in the St. Louis
area. You may contact him at peter.muschinske@navy.mil,
314-263-6480. This portion of Rana’s story is told with
her permission and blessing.
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