CARING FOR ALL CREATION
Original art, Elisabeth C. Seymour
"When the field of vision has been unified, the inner being comes to rest, and that inner peaceableness flows into the outer world as harmony and compassion."
--Cynthia Bourgeault, The Wisdom Jesus: Transforming Heart and Mind
"Heal me, LORD, and I will be healed; save me and I will be saved, for you are the one I praise."
--Jeremiah 17:14
1. Nurturing care and compassion for God’s creation
My son likes thrillers and horror stories. He is captivated by Stephen King novels. Growing up in a conservative Christian community, it took some stretching for me to meet my son in this interest. Echoes of past voices whispering, "It’s the work of the Devil,” played at my fear, even if not at my theology.
Darkness is scary, and we humans are afraid of it for a good reason: we don’t know what’s lurking there. “Normal” stories do not usually take us into darkness. But thrillers and horror stories? There, heroes are constantly in the dank, dark maze of tunnels filled with refuse. We, the audience, know the monster is down there. But where? From what shadow will it attack? Will we be able to handle the horror it brings?
An apt allegory for our inner selves and one that allowed me to find peace with my son’s interest and even comfort in meeting him within it. He likes to follow the story of darkness crafted by an author. I like to follow the story of darkness crafted by human living.
Few of us want to go down the sewer holes of life. We want to live on the surface, only thinking about the dark, maze-like tunnels of our emotions and mental health when something gets blocked and causes a backup. As one called to care for the souls of others, I am not afraid of the “horror stories” of living. I seek to be a safe place where people can explore that which is hard to face alone: the horrors of sadness, grief, anxiety, jealousy, greed, dreams unlived, love unmet…the dark places of being human. I believe this is the work of Spirituality. What else can help us face what’s lurking in the darkness of our inner selves besides an expansive understanding and acceptance of ourselves?
It is my privilege to know personally that nothing can separate us from Divine Love. My own work of understanding and integrating this with the help of therapy, mentors, and spiritual supervisors has been and will continue to be the driving force behind my self-care and life balance. It is what allows me to be genuinely present with suffering people’s honest reflective process. It allows me to love and care within affirmation; communicate acceptance; and not be knocked off center by silence, rage, or anything in between.
As a minister, I am called to invite all people—even myself—to face the horror of our own darkness, make peace with the stories of our past, accept what is, and then finally, return to the surface of living life unafraid of the tunnels below; utilizing them as they were intended: to flush and release that which is not serving our personal, communal, and environmental growth, transformation, and transcendence into the Kin-dom of God.
“Having a heart for emotions is one of Elisabeth’s strengths. She is special, creative, and in tune with feelings. She can whirl around with the feelings as they move and can follow with them as they go deeper. She has a natural strength in being able to follow people into those sacred moments of suffering, pain, grief, sadness, loss, and despair.”
--Rev. Crystal Schmalz, M.Div., BCC, ACPE Certified Educator
This photo is from a spiritual retreat where I facilitated the creation of Found Item Prayer Alters. A practice which encourages mindfulness, observation, creativity, and gratitude for the Divine within our natural world.
This photo was taken while my children and I participated in Yoga with Cats. A cute, cuddly, and fun way to nurture both our spirituality and compassion for the furry beings on our planet.
2. Maintaining a basic understanding of mental health and wellness
- Participation in Therapist and Chaplain Community of Practice (2024-Current)
- Helping Relations Training (Summer 2025)
- Participating in personal therapy sessions (2016-Current)
3. . Practicing self-care and life balance.
For years, I explored what self-care and life balance looked like. I kept journals, attended yoga classes, met with mentors, and did all kinds of other activities touted as self-care and tools for a balanced life. To my frustration, nothing seemed to be a path to understanding how best to care for myself. They were all good things. But were they helping me achieve balance? Sometimes, they just felt like something else filling up my schedule.
Then, one of my professors offered his understanding of self-care as honest reflection and adjustment. Of course! This made such sense to me. Self-care is the result of a process, not the process! Honest reflection allows me to recognize my need, identify it, name it, and sit with it. When I honor my need, I can honestly adjust my behavior, schedule, and/or environment to meet that need.
- A few favorite self-care activities:
- Time in nature (especially in a hammock)
- Painting
- Yoga
- Journaling
4. Providing hope and healing to a hurting world
I recently wondered aloud if most of our human pain is intensified because of loneliness.
We feel alone when we are physically harmed, emotionally laden, or spiritually unsure. Being alone in that pain slows and sometimes hinders our healing process.
As a chaplain, I provide an accompanying presence for individuals. I provide hope by reminding individuals that they are never truly alone. This kind of hope is invited by simple acts: a willingness to sit in silence next to a grieving person; actively listening and reflecting back words and feelings expressed by a hurting person, processing thoughts and emotions; or even in offering simple spiritual practices, theological discourse, or words of affirmation and encouragement.
5. Attending to one’s own spiritual and pastoral care, including engagement in supervision as appropriate
- Monthly meeting with mentor
- Weekly meeting with individuals who offer me personal support
- Regular meetings with pastors and ministers within the UCC
- Meetings with Community of Practices (UCC MID and Local Ministers)
- Regular participation in therapy (2016-Current)
- Participation with Life Coach (2022-23)
6. Stewarding the resources of the Church
The Church is rich with resources! We serve a God who lavishes us with abundance! We have God’s promise of our needs being met. I believe this promise is achieved when we all give according to what we have. That is true financially, but even more so with our talents and gifts.
With the money I have, I give. With the time I have, I volunteer.
I have the gift of preaching, so I preach. I have the gift of teaching, so I teach. I have a talent for organizing; so, I organize…people, events, objects…whatever the need is.
I steward what I have—giving and receiving according to God’s plan.
Me speaking to residents at CRC