My wife and I have been married for fifty-three years. We have two grown children and six grandchildren, all girls. I recently retired from Hospital and First Responder Chaplaincy with Fire and Police. This volume is about my experiences as a crisis chaplain.
Over the years, I have written simple poetry for family and friends. While preaching in ten countries, I have sent email logs of the day's events. During the COVID-19 crisis, I was encouraged to write a page or two on subjects unrelated to COVID-19 and email it to select hospital staff.
Combining these elements, we present Casting Shadows at Midnight: Poetry, Musings, and Writings of a Crisis Chaplain.
Many of the poems are written to my Bride of fifty-three years. Some were written while riding with the police and fire departments, and others were generic.
In the Musing section, we share thoughts and impressions from multiple crisis scenarios. A sampling of these Musings includes impressions from overseas travels teaching Chaplaincy.
Writings are items that came out of the COVID-19 crisis.
The reader will find a little humor, light drama, and theology, along with personal notes and tidbits that mean something to me. I must admit that I'm neither a skilled comedian nor detailed enough to produce a classic mystery novel. I'm also not an expert theologian who can write a heavy volume to settle the inerrancy question that has plagued people for years.
However, I am knowledgeable enough to write about topics that interest many readers. Some of the writing is deeply emotional and personal. The poetry will not win many awards but will be heartfelt.
Born in Collin County, Texas, Rickey grew up in a tiny town of 254 residents. There were sixteen in his high school graduating class. He attended East Texas Baptist College for two years and then transferred to Dallas Baptist College, where he met his bride, Julie. Their marriage is almost fifty-three years long and growing.
He and Julie pastored churches in Missouri and Texas. He became a chaplain with the Plano Police Department, continued with the McKinney, Texas Police Department, and finally retired from the Department of Public Safety as a Chaplain and the Dallas Police Department as a chaplain trainer.
Undeterred by the demands of his career, Rickey pursued further education, earning a master's degree from Luther Rice Seminary and a doctorate from Master's International School of Divinity. These academic achievements have equipped him to focus on his current role, providing chaplaincy services to patients and their families.
Since retiring from Hospital Chaplaincy, Rickey has enjoyed grandchildren. His son Stephen has two marvelous stepdaughters, and his daughter Christy has two beautiful sets of twin girls. The bigs are identical, and the littles are fraternal.