My pastor, who had a Stem Cell Transplant procedure at Duke University hospital last month, shared on his Caring Bridge about a prayer time he spent in the church’s chapel after he learned that he was to undergo this major procedure and before his trip to Durham. His cancer is described as incurable but treatable. He has been through successful chemotherapy and qualified for the stem cell procedure. It is a daunting experience. His description of his prayer time reminded me of my own experiences with dark times. He began with awareness of the shocking helplessness before the cancer, the draining effect of the chemotherapy and the unknown world of what was coming next. But he came to the end of the prayer with a spirit of hope. I understand this transition as the receiving of an answer to the prayer even as he prayed. The answer was that his life is not over, but God has more living in mind for him. Here is how he tells it:
“This past Saturday, in preparation for both Sunday’s sermon and for the appointment at Duke, I sat and reflected/prayed for a long time in the FBCA Chapel. The only light was the sun spilling through the stained glass windows, and the room was quiet–a quiet that I eventually was able to breathe into my heart and spirit. I read, prayed, wrote in my journal, and tried to listen. Among other things, I heard the familiar words of Leonard Cohen’s “Anthem”: “Ring the bells that still can ring/Forget your perfect offering.” The Spirit has often used those words to speak to me, and Saturday in the Chapel and Monday in the Bone Marrow Clinic, what the Spirit said was “There are still bells for you to ring–music for you to play and to hear.” I know that the Stem Cell Transplant will be a forging experience, for both my body and spirit, in which some “bells” will get melted down, some will get repaired, and, maybe, a new octave will get created. My challenge and joy are to ring whatever I can ring.” He came out of the chapel different from the way he went in.
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