Faith and Health Wire

Healing Hymns

2010-07-22T18:12:00.000-07:00

Here are three hymns centered on healing. Stacy Smith wrote new lyrics to old tunes. Check them out here:

Hymns of Healing

Christian Health Care Reform

2010-03-25T05:39:00.000-07:00

Dr. Karl Watts, founder and president of Genesis World Mission, talks about what Christians should do about health care (and what to think about health care reform) on HopeandHealing.org:

Christian Sacrifice and Health Care Reform

In terms of the social justice issues, health care in particular, the church has lost its voice and its power. The church has a choice in being involved.

The Theological Significance of the Body

2010-02-25T15:13:00.000-08:00

Joel Shuman, Professor of Theology at King’s College in Pennsylvania, talked to HopeandHealing.org about the Christian tradition and the body. He is the co-author with Keith Meador of Heal Thyself: Spirituality, Medicine, and the Distortion of Christianity.

The Theological Significance of the Body: Q&A with Joel Shuman

HopeandHealing.org: How did you become interested in medicine, health and wellness and how it relates to Christianity?

Joel Shuman: I have been interested the human body and the way it works for as long as I can remember. I converted to Christianity while I was a student in physical therapy school, and it was natural for me to connect what I was learning academically with what I was learning about Christian discipleship. Often in western Protestantism, we overlook the theological significance of the human body.

Lenten Devotional: Walking to the Cross

2010-02-18T15:21:00.000-08:00

This daily devotional provides a journey through Lent.

Walking to the Cross: A Lenten Devotional
by Butch Odom

I have followed the Revised Common Lectionary, writing a thought and prayer for each day's passage. I hope these devotions bring you closer to God and to each other. Let us physically and metaphorically walk to the cross in prayer.

Medical Mission to Haiti

2010-02-16T15:25:00.000-08:00

Sister Ellen Buchignani and Sister Jacinta Powers have traveled to Port-au-Prince, Haiti as a part of Hospice St. Joseph Medical Relief Team. The building at Hospice St. Joseph was destroyed during the recent earthquake. The team has a total of two doctors, two nurse practicioners, two nurses and two people working with Medicines for Humanity, which sponsors the clinic at Hospice St. Joseph.

Healing in Haiti

Earlier this week, we treated a patient we called "Christmas baby" because she had on a red top that said "Baby's First Christmas." She will be lucky if she survives until her first Christmas. Her mother, who has AIDS and TB, brought the two-week-old to our clinic because she was lethargic and wasn't nursing. After our pediatric nurse practitioner hydrated her and instructed the mother about nursing, we sent them on their way.

A few days later we were walking around our neighborhood to get an idea of the earthquake damage in the area surrounding the clinic when a young lady stopped us and asked if we could look at a baby. We retraced our steps and to our surprise, “Christmas Baby” was laying in a Tupperware container on the ground by the side of the road. We had actually walked right past her and didn't even notice her. She and her mother were living there because no one wants someone with AIDS and TB to live with them.

Lenten Resources for Healthy Bodies

2010-02-04T15:43:00.000-08:00

Have you prepared for a healthy Lent? Are you fasting? Are you making a commitment to work out more often? Will you study the Bible more often?

Here are some reflections and resources for a healthier Lent:

Walking to the Cross: A Lenten Daily Devotional by Butch Odom

Cookies, Lent, and the Body by Stacy Smith

Six Weeks of Renewal by Ellen Buchignani

Five Months of Lent by Susan Palwick

Have a reflective and meaningful Lenten season.

Praying through Advent

2009-11-25T07:35:00.000-08:00

Butch Odom wrote this collection of devotionals based on the lectionary readings and designed to help you focus your thoughts for a few minutes each day during Advent. The scriptures often center on this idea of movement which is both physical and metaphorical in nature. As you experience this season of Advent, consider walking daily as a symbolic discipline of your Advent journey:

Praying through Advent

"Advent is the time when Christians anticipate God dwelling among us through Jesus and that time when God incarnate will dwell among us again. It is a time of great anticipation – of birth, rebirth and renewal. Advent is a time of movement – toward a new vision of the world, toward a renewed vision of God and toward a new vision of ourselves living in concert with God’s plan for us."

10 Healthy Holiday Traditions

2009-11-23T07:24:00.000-08:00

We posted 10 Healthy Holiday Traditions.

Please add your own healthy traditions in the comments!

Here is an excerpt from the article:

Advent is a time of preparation for the coming of Christ. For many of us, the sacred aspects of Advent are lost in the holiday shuffle and it becomes the unhealthiest time all year. Unhealthy food seems to be everywhere. Shopping, holiday baking, parties and travelling leaves us tired and stressed.

This season, use these traditions to change some of the unhealthy habits. Think of the holiday season as a time to spend more time with family and friends. Take time to build traditions that encourage healthy living during the most wondrous time of the year.

1) Do-It-Yourself Christmas. Get outside and gather twigs and your own materials from your neighborhood or yard. Create your own manger scene or crèche. Make ornaments. Start a tradition of making a branch tree with your own home-made ornaments. Gathering the branches can be part of your tradition.

2) Sunrise Walk. Take a sunrise walk as a family on Christmas morning. Make time for silence on the walk. Find a stopping point along the way and read the Christmas story.

3) Animal Christmas. Animals surrounded Jesus and his parents in the manger. Volunteer at your local animal shelter and take a dog for a walk – it’s good for both of you.

Read more...

Finding God at a Homeless Shelter

2009-11-18T19:11:00.001-08:00

Monica Donohue, professor of nursing, writes about her experience volunteering at a local homeless shelter. She finds God there.

The Palpable Presence of God

"I often try to figure out why God’s presence is so palpable at the homeless shelter where I work. I’ve learned how to see the face of God made manifest in the wrinkled, haggard, old-before-your-time faces of the residents."

Advice for Med School Students

2009-11-12T18:01:00.000-08:00

Dr. Scott Morris gives advice to people considering becoming a doctor. Every incoming med student should read his advice.

Letter to a Future Doctor

"Congratulations on entering medical school. I know it has been a long, difficult path to get to this point, but you have made it to the beginning of a life-changing experience. What I hope is that it doesn’t change you too much."

Preaching on Healing

2009-11-07T14:02:00.000-08:00

Rev. Barbara Lundblad, professor of preaching, talked about how to preach on healing texts in the Bible. She talked in particular about how to deal with texts where people are literally cured of their illness.

Preaching on Healing

"We need to be aware of and help people see the sheer number of healing passages in the gospels. Jesus cared deeply about people’s bodies, not just their souls."

Running as Prayer

2009-10-13T17:19:00.000-07:00

How can you pray while you run or walk? Rev. Roger Joslin explains his method of prayer and running on HopeandHealing.org:

Prayerful Running

Prayer Shawl Ministry article

2009-10-01T05:53:00.000-07:00

Fredericksburg.com in Virginia published this story about Cornerstone Baptist Church and their prayer shawl ministry:

Shawls feel like an angel's hug
September 26, 2009
By Hugh Muir

The group discusses the names passed on to them of those who need prayer, who are suffering illness or crisis.

"With each stitch, we say a little prayer," Apperson said, "that God will bless the recipient with his loving touch. And the shawls are also reminders to the recipients as to how much they are loved."

Each shawl bears a handmade tag of the Cornerstone Angel Hugs Ministry, and a reference to Mark 11:24, which quotes Jesus saying: "So I tell you, whatever you ask for in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours."

For more resources on prayer shawl ministry, visit HopeandHealing.org's Prayer Shawl Ministry Resources.

Benefits of Church Camp

2009-09-30T11:48:00.000-07:00

Bill Slocum, Associate Director for Episcopal Camps and Conference Centers, wrote this piece for HopeandHealing.org on how camping ignites the five senses:

Coming to our Senses

Walking: a Spiritual Practice

2009-09-22T19:26:00.000-07:00

Arthur Paul Boers, author and professor, hiked the Camino de Santiago and wrote The Way Is Made by Walking from the experience. He talks about how walking in a deliberate way can bring you closer to God in this interview with HopeandHealing.org:

Walking as a Focal Practice

Creative Healing

2009-09-21T07:54:00.000-07:00

Ellen Morris Prewitt discussed the healing aspects of her practice of making crosses with HopeandHealing.org. She recently published her first book, Making Crosses: A Creative Connection to God. Read more about it on HopeandHealing.org:

Creative Healing
Q&A with Ellen Morris Prewitt

Bake Sale Alternatives

2009-09-18T09:44:00.000-07:00

Too many church youth groups use unhealthy bake sales as way to raise money.

Here's a top ten list for alternatives to a bake sale.

Ten Alternatives to a Bake Sale
By Barbara Wheeler and Darlene DiDomineck

Church's Call to Health Ministry

2009-09-17T10:25:00.000-07:00

Rev. Deborah Patterson writes on the church's unique role in the health of our communities:

The Church's Call to Health Ministry

H1N1 Resources for Churches

2009-09-16T04:30:00.001-07:00

HopeandHealing.org has the following resources on H1N1. Make sure your church or congregation is prepared:

H1N1 Frequently Asked Questions by Scott Morris, M.D.

A Big Church's Response to a Small Virus by Stacy Smith

The Role of Worshipping Communities Amid Pandemic by Gary Gunderson

Reflection on Raising a Special Needs Child

2009-04-25T10:30:00.000-07:00

Mike Glenn just wrote this reflection for HopeandHealing.org. As a parent of a special needs child, you realize at some point that you have little control over their future. That's when you can begin to trust in God and know your blessings:

I Know the End of the Story
by Mike Glenn

What a Congregation Can Do on Earth Day

2009-04-20T13:54:00.000-07:00

How can your church serve your community on Earth Day? One way - care for your neighbors with asthma. Check out this practical reflection on HopeandHealing.org:

Think Earth Day, Act Locally
By Butch Odom

One Christian Runner's Perspective

2009-04-17T11:25:00.000-07:00

A Christian runner's perspective on running and her faith:

Fair Weather Runner
By Jodi Miller
Running has taught me this: my daily practice of faith (and wellness) is a journey.

Philip Yancey on the Church's Challenge

2009-04-13T10:33:00.001-07:00

Here is an interview with Philip Yancey on faith, health, and social action.

The Church's Challenge: An Interview with Philip Yancey

From the editors of HopeandHealing.org.

Easter Prayer for Healing Ministries

2009-04-09T17:31:00.000-07:00

Take the time this Easter season to meditate on this prayer by Butch Odom:

Easter Prayer for Healing Ministries

Alcoholism and Faith

2009-01-27T10:37:00.000-08:00

This reflection on alcoholism and faith by Jim Atkinson was just posted on the New York Times' blog "Proof":

Act of Faith

Since I began the road to recovery from alcoholism a decade and a half ago, people have frequently asked me how I have changed. I tell them that the process of recovering from an addiction is a kind of moral de- and reconstruction. You tear yourself apart, examine each individual piece, toss out the useless, rehabilitate the useful and put your moral self back together again.

There remains some degree of controversy about whether this process necessitates a spiritual awakening of some sort. But as was pointed out by a fellow contributor to Proof, the author Susan Cheever, no less an authority than the psychologist Carl Jung certainly believed so. And after a decade and a half of sobriety now so do I.

Read on.

Faith and Health Fellowship

2009-01-02T10:59:00.000-08:00

An opportunity in faith and health from the Library of Congress:

David B. Larson Fellowship in Health and Spirituality

The Library of Congress invites qualified scholars to apply for a post-doctoral fellowship in the field of health and spirituality. Made possible by a generous endowment from the International Center for the Integration of Health and Spirituality (ICIHS), the fellowship is named in honor of the Center's founder, David B. Larson, an epidemiologist and psychiatrist, who focused on potentially relevant but understudied factors which might help in prevention, coping, and recovering from illness.

The fellowship is designed to continue Dr. Larson's legacy of promoting meaningful, scholarly study of these two important and increasingly interrelated fields. It seeks to encourage the pursuit of scholarly excellence in the scientific study of the relation of religiousness and spirituality to physical, mental, and social health. The fellowship provides an opportunity for a period of six to twelve months of concentrated use of the collections of the Library of Congress, through full-time residency in the Library's John W. Kluge Center.

For more information about the David B. Larson Fellowship in Health and Spirituality, visit http://www.loc.gov/loc/kluge/fellowships/larson.html.

Faith and Self-Control

2008-12-31T07:48:00.000-08:00

The New York Times just published this article on Dr. Michael McCullough's latest conclusions that religious practices promote self-control:

For Good Self-Control, Try Getting Religious About It

By JOHN TIERNEY
December 29, 2008

If I’m serious about keeping my New Year’s resolutions in 2009, should I add another one? Should the to-do list include, “Start going to church”?

This is an awkward question for a heathen to contemplate, but I felt obliged to raise it with Michael McCullough after reading his report in the upcoming issue of the Psychological Bulletin. He and a fellow psychologist at the University of Miami, Brian Willoughby, have reviewed eight decades of research and concluded that religious belief and piety promote self-control.

This sounded to me uncomfortably similar to the conclusion of the nuns who taught me in grade school, but Dr. McCullough has no evangelical motives. He confesses to not being much of a devotee himself. “When it comes to religion,” he said, “professionally, I’m a fan, but personally, I don’t get down on the field much.”

His professional interest arose from a desire to understand why religion evolved and why it seems to help so many people. Researchers around the world have repeatedly found that devoutly religious people tend to do better in school, live longer, have more satisfying marriages and be generally happier.

.....

But which came first, the religious devotion or the self-control? It takes self-discipline to sit through Sunday school or services at a temple or mosque, so people who start out with low self-control are presumably less likely to keep attending. But even after taking that self-selection bias into account, Dr. McCullough said there is still reason to believe that religion has a strong influence.

“Brain-scan studies have shown that when people pray or meditate, there’s a lot of activity in two parts of brain that are important for self-regulation and control of attention and emotion,” he said. “The rituals that religions have been encouraging for thousands of years seem to be a kind of anaerobic workout for self-control.”

Howard University Hospital Spirituality and Medicine Seminar Series

2008-12-29T06:35:00.000-08:00

Howard University Hospital is hosting its 12th Annual Spirituality and Medicine Seminar Series from March 26-28:

"Write the Vision"
12th Annual Spirituality and Medicine Seminar Series
Grand Hyatt Washington
1000 H. Street, NW
Washington, DC

Plenary and Worship Experience
Thursday, March 26, 2009, 6:00 p.m. - 9:00 p.m.
Rev. Dr. Charles E. Booth

Day Sessions
Friday, March 27, 2009, 7:30 a.m. - 3:40 p.m.
Keynote Speaker: Bishop Horace E. Smith, M.D.

Reception/Recognition Banquet
Friday, March 27, 2009, 6:00 p.m. - 11:00 p.m.
Keynote Speaker: Bishop Noel Jones, Los Angeles, CA

Prayer Brunch
Saturday, March 28, 2009, 10:00 a.m. - 1:00 p.m
Keynote Speaker: Bishop Shelton Bady, Houston, TX
Musical Selections, The Mighty Men of Reid

Infant Morality Message at Christmas

2008-12-24T14:16:00.001-08:00

Here is a reflection on infant mortality and the Christmas story. It's on HopeandHealing.org:

No Room in the Inn
By Butch Odom

Sometimes I imagine myself as the inn keeper. Late one cold dark night, a laborer and his pregnant wife come knocking at my door asking for a room. The discomfort on the face of the young lady clues me in that she is likely in labor. I know what my first thought would be: what if she delivers in their room and something happens to the baby? Would my business liability insurance cover me? Unsure of the answer and not finding my agent in the office at midnight, I usher them out the door with directions to the nearest hospital, unaware that I have just refused accommodations to the Christ Child.

Click here to read on.

Prayer Shawl Ministry

2008-12-19T20:37:00.000-08:00

HopeandHealing.org published these prayer shawl ministry tips. Nurse and active lay person, Gayle Roberts wrote the tips on her blog and HopeandHealing.org has re-presented them on its website:

Prayer Shawl Ministry Tips
By Gayle Roberts

It has been said that God is in the details. Well, the details are what often snag you up when you begin a prayer shawl ministry. Here are a few things my congregation and I have learned over the years:

1) Only accept new yarn that is soft and suitable for the shawls. We have made shawls with a sturdier yarn for...

Click here to read on.

Gary Gunderson on Faith Partnerships in Health Care

2008-12-16T14:06:00.000-08:00

Gary Gunderson, a Senior VP at Methodist-LeBoneur Health Care in Memphis, TN, has written this article on how faith partnerships can help to fill in the gaps in today's health care system:

Improving Health Care Through Faith Partnerships

By Gary R. Gunderson

What does a mother do when she hears the words “I don’t want to live” from her adult son? How does she respond when he has just been laid off from his job and it will take six weeks to get an appointment at the local community mental health center?

In Memphis, Tennessee, we were able to get immediate help for this suicidal young man through a unique program that links religious communities and their resources with hospitals and health care professionals. The mother asked her pastor for help. And fortunately, her pastor knew about our Congregational Health Network. The network has a program called The Emotional Fitness Center that provides peer mentors and screeners who work in congregations and neighborhoods to provide services and immediate referrals to health care professionals when needed.

Parish Nursing Program on Grieving

2008-12-15T15:04:00.000-08:00

This news article from the Cape Cod Times describes a parish nursing program with an eye toward grieving at the holidas:

Grieving through the holidays
By NORTH CAIRN
December 04, 2008

This year, for the first time, Rose Wagner and her family are not spending Christmas at home.

But they are spending it together — just somewhere other than her Eastham home. For once, they'd just as soon get away from old traditions to be closer to memories they cherish.

Wagner and her children Josh, 24, and Vicki, 20, are still getting over the loss of her husband of more than 28 years, David, who died in June after a long battle with heart disease. This is the first holiday season the family has had to face without him, and like everyone struggling with loss — whether from a death, layoff, divorce or financial setback — Wagner knows it will be hard.

"We need to be away," says Wagner, a nurse and coordinator of the Nauset Ecumenical Health Ministry, a parish nursing program serving hundreds of people on the Lower Cape. Sponsored by three churches — The Federated Church of Orleans, Eastham United Methodist and First Congregational Church of Wellfleet — the program focuses on the healing of mind, body and spirit in recovery from illness or other stress, including loss.

To read on, click here.

Measuring Chaplaincy

2008-12-11T14:02:00.000-08:00

An intriguing article on PlainViews right now:

Rev. Dr. Martha R. Jacobs on a new tool to promote chaplaincy

Can We Measure Good Chaplaincy?

This question is at the heart of a series of articles that were just released in the prestigious Hastings Center Report. ...when I am at conferences displaying PlainViews and when leading workshops with Nancy at APC Conferences on Quality Improvement, I hear from chaplains and supervisors that they do not have any well-respected tools to help their health care administrators better understand the profession of chaplaincy and the current and potential role of the chaplain in the delivery of quality care to patients and their families. Some of the articles in PlainViews briefly address these concerns but, "Can We Measure Good Chaplaincy?" is a more thorough and complete tool – and it is free!!! The essay set is structured in response to requests from chaplains for short, clear pieces they can easily share with colleagues and administrators, to prompt fresh conversations about patient-centered care, and the role of the chaplain in providing that care. You can download it at http://www.thehastingscenter.org/uploadedFiles/Publications/nov-dec%2008%20essay%20set.pdf

John Wesley and Health

2008-12-10T22:17:00.000-08:00

Rev. Scott Morris, M.D. wrote this reflection on John Wesley and healthcare on HopeandHealing.org:

John Wesley, the founder of the Methodist church thought of himself as a physician. He practiced medicine from the time he was 19 until he died. His self-help health manual, “Primitive Physik,” was so successful on the American frontier that it out sold the Bible until the mid-nineteenth century.

In the 18th century, Wesley opposed the common practice of poly pharmacy that existed in his day. He was against leeching, bleeding and the use of quicksilver. He believed a physician should use one drug at a time. In its place, he advocated for clean air, fresh water and more exercise.

To read on, click here.

Faith and Addiction

2008-12-09T09:09:00.000-08:00

This article on recovery ministries was just published on Episcopal Life Online:

Year's most challenging time: Addiction recovery at holidays
By Lisa B. Hamilton, December 04, 2008

Every December, it began like a Norman Rockwell painting. Sometimes, snow even fell outside the picture window as the family gathered to decorate the Christmas tree. Mom and Dad lifted the children to place ornaments on the upper branches, but when their hands were free, they downed martinis. Soon, they would blame each other for choosing a crooked tree and argue over getting lights placed correctly. A few martinis later, the parents were throwing plates at the wall. By then, the children were cowering. As they grew older, "the Christmas tree fight" was embedded in their holiday memories.

At least one of the children, J.C., who asked that his full name be withheld, grew up to be a successful businessman, dedicated parishioner -- and alcoholic. The beers after choir practice became more important than choir practice itself.

J.C.'s relationship with beer exemplifies addiction. "The object of addiction becomes the primary relationship, distancing the addict from one's self, others and God," said the Rev. Kevin M. Cross, transitional deacon...

Click here to read on.

Health Ministry Conference

2008-12-08T16:08:00.000-08:00

Here is an upcoming health ministry conference. The video is of the keynote speaker, The Right Rev. Mark MacDonald:

National Episcopal Health Ministries – Annual Conference for Health Ministry and Parish Nursing – Healing and Hope
Thursday, April 16, 2009 - Saturday, April 18, 2009
Location: Omaha, NE

NEHM will be holding its second national conference in Omaha, NE. This year’s theme will be Healing & Hope, with the Jean Denton Keynote Address delivered by The Right Rev. Mark MacDonald, National Indigenous Bishop of the Anglican Church of Canada and Bishop of Navajoland.

National Episcopal Health Ministries (NEHM) is a network of nurses, health ministers, chaplains, and laypeople who promote health and wellness in Episcopal congregations. It is our experience that health ministries have a tremendous impact on the level of pastoral care for individual congregations and by extension, the community as a whole.

For more information go to: www.EpiscopalHealthMinistries.org

Knitting Prayer

2008-12-07T07:00:00.000-08:00

Writer Susan Palwick wrote this reflection on prayer shawls for her column on HopeandHealing.org.

It's called Knitting Time, and it includes a lovely perspective on knitting and prayer. Here's part of the beginning:

A few months ago, I taught myself to knit. The idea had appealed to me for a few years, and then I started having dreams about it. And then I read about the popular ministry of making prayer shawls, and immediately wanted to make one myself. Prayer shawls are simple, useful projects that mean a great deal both to their creators and to their recipients. At the hospital where I volunteer as an ER chaplain, I often joke with patients that warm blankets are our most potent medicine, far more comforting than morphine. Knitting prayer shawls would allow me to make warm blankets for people I loved.
Click here to read on.

Infant Mortality & Faith

2008-12-06T10:19:00.000-08:00

On the Christianity Today website, Kay Warren wrote about her grandchild's birth as a miracle and reflects on the millions of mothers who don't have access to quality health care.

Needed: More 'Miracles'
My grandchild barely survived birth. Worldwide, too many newborns do not.
"Mom, Jaime's in labor!" My son's voice was full of excitement and fear as he told me our daughter-in-law's water had just broke and they were at the hospital. I tried to sound reassuring, but at 34 and a half weeks, I knew there could be real problems.

At the article's end, she asks, "When will North American Christians decide that what they consider essential for their families is essential for all?"

Aging and Spirituality Conference

2008-12-05T04:21:00.000-08:00

Just came across this conference on aging and spirituality in New Zealand. It's worth checking out the site:

International Conference on Aging and Spirituality

Sunday 30 August to Wednesday 2 September 2009 at the University of Auckland Business School, Grafton Road, Auckland City, Auckland New Zealand.

Hosted by Selwyn Centre for Aging and Spirituality (SCAS)

Journey to Auckland for a Voyage into Faith-based Aging and Care

Evidence-based models of medical care have paved the way for people to live much longer, healthier, physical lives. But has the quality of spiritual guidance and care offered to older people kept pace? Are older people's spiritual needs being adequately met in healthcare and social systems around the world?

The 2009 International Conference on Aging and Spirituality will bring together researchers, aged care practitioners, and anyone with an interest in helping older people find deepest meaning and fulfillment in life.

Disability and Theology

2008-12-04T10:07:00.000-08:00

The Christian Century just published a review by Brian Volck of three books on disability.

Here is the beginning of the review with a link for more:

Wheelchair ramps and assistive listening devices notwithstanding, Christian churches can be inhospitable to those whose minds or bodies fall outside the narrow spectrum we learn to call normal. We know that we should actively welcome persons with disabilities, but we don't often ask why it is that we should do so. Is welcoming people with disabilities a rewarding form of charitable giving? A response to clichéd exhortations about inclusion and diversity? Or are there serious theological implications of our hospitality or inhospitality?

Three recent books by academic theologians consider the theological implications from different perspectives and with particular attention to varying forms of disability. That each writer places the Spirit at the center of what medical science considers mere biomechanical or neurochemical disorders makes these approaches all the more welcome.

For more, click here.

Also, see Faith & Health Wire's older post on Disability in the Church.

World AIDS Day Resources

2008-12-01T14:24:00.000-08:00

For World AIDS Day, HopeandHealing.org posted this listing of resources:

Prayers

For Advent and World AIDS Day
By Cliff Reed

Worship Resources for World Aids Day
FromThe General Board of Discipleship - The United Methodist Church

The Maryknoll AIDS Task Force Prayer
From the ELCA

Praying the Prayer Jesus Taught Us
by the Rev. Kelvin Sauls

Resources

Leadership: Stop AIDS. Keep the Promise
From�The United Methodists Committee on Relief

For the Healing of AIDS: 52-Week Church Bulletin Mediation
From�The Balm in Gilead

National Catholic AIDS Network

World AIDS Day Resources

USSBC Publications

World AIDS Day Resources
From the Lutheran AIDS Network

Plan for World AIDS Day
From the International AIDS Ministries

Blessing of the Hands Service

2008-07-15T08:06:00.000-07:00

This is a selection of a Blessing of the Hands Service from PlainViews, a chaplaincy website:

BLESSING OF THE HANDS SERVICE

When we reach our hands out to provide care, to do our work as part of the care of others, we are saying to others, “You are important to us, and you are cared for by the efforts of many who value you and your needs.”

Please hold your hands in front of you and observe their appearance. Think of all you do with your hands each day that contributes to the health care needs of our community.

You have chosen to bless others with your hands in the work you do. Now we are going to bless your hands in recognition of the holiness of what you do everyday. Please place your right hand in the palm of your left and extend your hands to receive the blessing.

O Holy God, bless these hands that they may continue to be a blessing to others. Amen

For more of the service, click here.

Health Ministries Conference

2008-07-10T09:38:00.000-07:00

The United Methodists are holding a four-day conference on health ministries in September:

4th Annual Congregational Health Ministries Conference

September 21-24, 2008
Lake Junaluska, NC

The 4th Annual Congregational Health Ministries Conference, Connecting Health Ministries of Congregations, Conferences and Communities around the World will be held at Lake Junaluska Conference and Retreat Center, North Carolina on September 21-24, 2008. It is sponsored by the General Board of Global Ministries and the General Board of Pension and Health Benefits.

For more information contact Patricia Magyar, RN, MPH, Executive Secretary, Health & Welfare, General Board of Global Ministries, pmagyar@gbgm-umc.org

Sir John Templeton dies at 95

2008-07-08T12:50:00.000-07:00

Sir John Templeton died today. His foundation often supports studies and projects related to faith and health. Here is an article on his death and legacy:

Sir John M. Templeton, Philanthropist, Dies at 95

Sir John M. Templeton, a Tennessee-born investor and philanthropist who amassed a fortune in global stocks and gave away hundreds of millions of dollars to foster understanding in what he called “spiritual realities,” died on Tuesday in Nassau, the Bahamas, where he had lived for decades. He was 95. ...

The Templeton Foundation, based in West Conshohocken, Pa., was established in 1987 to administer the prize and promote “projects to apply scientific methodology to the study of religious subjects,” with room for theoretical physics, evolutionary biology, cognitive science and researches into love, human purpose and the nature and origin of religious beliefs. Today, with a $1.5 billion endowment, it largely sustains the controversial modern movement to reconcile science and religion.

Foundation projects have included a multimillion-dollar study of forgiveness, and a two-year study to demonstrate the effect of prayer on 600 patients about to undergo surgery.

Photo by Ed Wheeler, nytimes.com

Christian doctors serving poor

2008-07-02T06:21:00.000-07:00

Check out this article on Christian doctors serving the poor:

Christian network's doctors earn less to serve poor
By Daniel Connolly, Memphis Commercial Appeal
Tuesday, June 24, 2008

Dr. Kristy Bryan said she used to cry after a day of work at Christ Community Health Services, a faith-based clinic for the poor.

The 33-year-old internist said she was taking home the problems that patients confided to her, ranging from grief over a son's murder to anguish over bad relationships and money problems.

Bryan said reducing her hours has helped her deal with the emotional strain, and that she's happy in a job where she's just as likely to prescribe medicine as she is to share biblical perspectives on suffering or try to help a patient whose heat has been turned off.

Working at the clinic isn't just emotionally difficult. It also pays much less than many medical jobs. Recruiting more doctors to make personal sacrifices for the poor is the goal of Christian Community Health Fellowship, a nondenominational network of academics, health care workers and others.

Click here to read more.

A reflection on living with a chronic illness

2008-06-26T07:06:00.000-07:00

A personal reflection on living with fibromyalgia from Christian Women Today:

Being an Esther:
Having fibromyalgia has taught me to see what's really important in life
by Bridget Gazlay

I have been a Christian pretty much my entire life. But like many other people, I didn't think I needed God. What I didn't realize was that God loved ME and that He had a plan for my life.

My personal relationship with God began during my second year of college in 1995. It was then that I found out that I had a chronic illness called fibromyalgia. Fibromyalgia is characterized by chronic fatigue, intense muscle pain, sleeping problems, stomach problems, headaches - whatever is associated with the nerves and muscles. A person cannot die from this illness, but it can be very debilitating (and is lifelong).

I was totally devastated at the time of my diagnosis, as I was only 19 years old. I still had my whole life ahead of me. I didn't know what I was going to do. ....

Click here to read on.

"Redeeming Both Body And Soul"

2008-06-19T07:08:00.000-07:00

This article from the Washington Post shows how congregations are reclaiming the church's role in caring for our bodies and spirits:

Redeeming Both Body And Soul

By Henry G. Brinton
Special to The Washington Post
Tuesday, June 10, 2008

Open the Sunday worship bulletin at Fairfax Presbyterian Church, and alongside the prayers, scripture readings and hymns you'll find an invitation to have your blood pressure checked and announcements about church members running 5Ks and marathons, as well as a notice about an upcoming workshop on balance exercises for seniors, offered by an 80-year-old juggler named Don Rapp.

Our focus on physical fitness at Fairfax Presbyterian represents a growing trend in American houses of worship. Congregations are now reclaiming the ancient biblical truth that human beings are created with a unity of flesh and spirit, not with an antagonism between the physical and the spiritual popularized by dualistic Greek philosophy. After thousands of years of separation, body and spirit are coming back together.

Click here for more.

Christian Gym

2008-06-06T13:20:00.000-07:00

From today's New York Times:

A Gym Designed to Cater to Christians

By KATIE ZEZIMA
June 6, 2008

CLERMONT, Fla. — Jason Russell, a fitness buff, had long found it difficult to combine his Christian faith with his job as a gym manager, which required him to be around women in spandex and men concerned only with how macho they are.

“Me being a single guy and trying to walk the Christian line, it was difficult,” said Mr. Russell, 30. “I needed not only to protect myself, but as a leader, to help others with their spiritual journey.”

Mr. Russell had been planning to open a gym of his own. Then he discovered Lord’s Gym, a 10,000-square-foot fitness center here that meshes prayer and push-ups. Its goal, says its owner, Paul Sorchy, a chiropractor, is to provide a modest setting where members can feel comfortable exercising. Mr. Russell is now its manager.

The gym offers classes including “Yogod,” its take on yoga, and “Chariots of Fire,” a spinning class. Spaghetti-strap tank tops and short shorts are not allowed, and women’s tops must cover their bottoms. ....

Spiritual Perspective on Hospice

2008-06-02T20:45:00.000-07:00

This reflection is in the June-July issue of United Church News:

Chaplain: hospice care offers sacred passage of hope and healing
By Janet M. White

Frequently, as a hospice chaplain, I am asked, "Why not a different ministry? Why that one?"

It is a complicated question with a simple answer. My soul is passionate about hospice. It is a privilege to partner with patients and families during this tender time of sacred discovery. ....

Hospice is about living, not dying. We focus on the distinction between curing and healing. While curing eliminates disease, healing focuses on wholeness and peacefulness as we journey toward the end of life. Curative measures may see death as failure. Healing includes death as one of the sacred, natural outcomes of life.

We connect with our vulnerability when we identify our needs for wholeness. Our journey may include releasing old hurts through forgiveness of ourselves and others. We recognize that forgiveness is a gift to ourselves. It does not suggest that we are compromising our dignity or our sense of right or wrong. Rather, we are claiming peacefulness for ourselves - setting our soul free from spiritual unrest.

Prayer Bears

2008-05-29T18:32:00.000-07:00

The United Methodist News Service just published this story:

Church gives out prayer bears to struggling people

By Heidi Robinson
May 21, 2008 | ELK CREEK, Va. (UMNS)

Wayne Johnson recalls the day his doctor told him to go home and get his affairs in order. The 52-year-old was not expected to survive surgery to remove his tumor-filled kidney, particularly on the heels of an earlier heart surgery.

"My two kids were sitting right there with me," he recalls. "Can you imagine what that was like? A doctor tells you to figure out things like wills and where you want to be buried."

Waiting for the surgery proved to be the hardest on Johnson and his family. Too sick to work at his coal company and too weak to leave the house, "I just prayed to God to let me live to raise Nick and Ashley," he says.

Hope came from an unexpected source: a stuffed teddy bear from a local United Methodist church –– and the prayers it symbolized.

"I was literally sitting there dying," says Johnson. "My daughter’s friend Taylor came in to the house after she’d been at church. I was so sick I didn’t even get off the couch. And she handed me this bear."

Click here for full story.

A UMNS photo by Heidi Robinson

Muslim clinics fill health care needs:

2008-05-14T08:17:00.000-07:00

More facilities popping up to aid the underserved

By ALEXIS GRANT Copyright 2008 Houston Chronicle

Elena Lopez needed diabetes medication and was due for a medical exam, but the 64-year-old had no health insurance.

So her daughter, Rosa Ramirez, took Lopez to the Ibn Sina Foundation community clinic in southwest Houston, where she paid a small fee to see a doctor on a walk-in basis.

"Otherwise, I couldn't afford to take her to the doctor," said Ramirez, who lives near the facility.

The clinic is one of many Muslim health facilities popping up across the country, according to a report by the Institute for Social Policy and Understanding, a national nonprofit, policy-research organization. Most have a base cliental of Muslims but serve the broader community.

The facilities "represent a new trend in the American Muslim community to sort of claim a space in the public health movement in addressing fundamental health problems," said Lance Laird, a professor at Boston University School of Medicine who wrote the report.

He studied 10 clinics in four cities with large Muslim populations: Houston, Chicago, Detroit and Los Angeles. Most rely largely on volunteers and provide primary care to underserved, low-income communities.

Houston is home to at least two groups that provide such care: the Ibn Sina Foundation, which has one clinic in the southwestern part of the city and another in Clear Lake, and the Houston Shifa Services Foundation, which runs a clinic in Sugar Land.

Aijaz Ali Khowaja, chief executive officer of the Ibn Sina Foundation, said he doesn't like to call the southwest clinic faith-based, even though it was originally located next to a mosque.
"We never ask about their religion," he said of patients, as he demonstrated dental equipment at the facility. "We give services to everybody."

About a third of patients there are Muslim, he said. The patients also are racially diverse: About 45 percent are Asian, a third Hispanic, 12 percent African-American and 10 percent white, he said.

Like Lopez, most patients have no health insurance and pay only a small fee. The clinic, which opened in 2001, is supported financially by independent and group donors, including Houston Endowment Inc., a private philanthropic foundation, and St. Luke's Episcopal Health Charities. The Ibn Sina Foundation plans to build more clinics in underserved areas north of downtown in the future.

Salvus Center provides health care to working poor

2008-05-13T08:33:00.000-07:00

Monday, 05/12/08
From: The Tennessean in Hendersonville, Tennessee

Statistics show there are approximately 780,000 uninsured in Tennessee; of that total there are 16.600 living in Sumner County.

That number is expected to grow with TennCare terminations to a total of 22,458. The uninsured do not have access to ongoing healthcare. This group often depends on emergency rooms in area hospitals for treatment of urgent needs; this is a costly and ineffective means for health management. Because they lack a personal physician relationship, chronic illnesses are not managed causing severe exacerbations of their disease, which result in more costly treatment and care. These costs must be recovered for the facility which means higher costs for all healthcare consumers.

Inspired by the Biblical mandate to care for the sick and the needy, a diverse group of Sumner County’s leading citizens came together in the fall of 2004 to found Salvus Center, a faith-based 501(c)(3) organization dedicated to providing healthcare for the working uninsured in Sumner County. In the spring of 2005, Salvus Center adopted the following mission statement: The mission of Salvus Center, Inc. is to be a faith-based health center that seeks to reclaim the historical and Biblical commitment to care for those who are sick and in need so they might experience wholeness, wellness and healing.

Dr. Ted Hill, an internist who has practiced medicine in Sumner County for nearly 30 years, is the Medical Director of Salvus Center. Shelley Ames, formerly with Hendersonville Medical Center, is the Executive Director of the clinic.

The vision of Salvus Center, as defined in its mission statement, is to operate through a model of treatment that includes the whole person including physical health, emotional health and spiritual well-being. Salvus Center operates as a health care clinic for the residents of the county who work but do not have health insurance. Patients are seen, treated and pay for their service according to a sliding scale.Additional diagnostic testing is available through arrangements with Sumner Regional Medical Center and Hendersonville Medical Center. Physicians from a wide range of specialties have agreed to see patients referred from Salvus Center who are in need of additional medical care. Volunteer physicians and nurse practitioners also donate time to work in the clinic.

Salvus Center is located at 556 Hartsville Pike, Suite 200, in Gallatin. The clinic is open during hours that are convenient for those who are working. The hours are Monday, Wednesday, and Friday from 7:30 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. and Tuesday / Thursday from 12:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m.

Since opening for patient care, Salvus Center has seen nearly 450 patients, many of which have not had access to quality healthcare in several years.

A great deal of support for the clinic has come from the entire Sumner County community. The Memorial Foundation, Sumner Regional Health Systems, United Way of Sumner County and Hendersonville Medical Center are among the top supporters. Financial grants have also been received from the HCA Foundation and the BlueCross/ BlueShield of Tennessee Health Foundation.

Salvus Center not only provides healthcare for the working residents of Sumner County who are uninsured but also develops relationships with patients to empower them to lead healthier lives.

Cooking with the Shakers

2008-05-01T15:25:00.000-07:00

National Public Radio just released this historical feature about the Shakers and cooking:

Simple Gifts: The Shaker Way to Cook and Eat
by D. Cameron Lawrence

.... The Shakers left many recipes for simple, wholesome food prepared with exactness and imagination. At a time when the typical American diet revolved around fatty, preserved meats and starch, the Shakers understood nutrition. They emphasized natural, unadulterated food, whole grains, fruits and vegetables. Things recognized today as nutritious — cooking many vegetables with skins on, saving the liquid from boiling vegetables for soup — were routine Shaker practices. ....

Churches start drive to cover uninsured

2008-04-30T09:08:00.000-07:00

Monday, April 28, 2008
Kim Kozlowski / The Detroit News

Angel Kreutzans has been hobbling around for a month since her minivan broke down and the vehicle ran over her left foot as a truck began towing it.

Her husband keeps telling her to go to the emergency room, but the mother of three reminds him that she is among the 1 million Michigan residents without health insurance.

"I refuse to go to the hospital because I cannot afford it," said Kreutzans, a Warren resident.

That's why Kreutzans, 37, signed a petition Sunday at her church, Mount Calvary Lutheran Church, to push an initiative onto the November ballot that would require Michigan lawmakers to come up with a plan for universal health care.

The Warren-based church was among 200 Protestant and Catholic churches across the state that worked to collect 20,000 signatures for the Health Care for Michigan campaign, which began in January and needs 375,000 signatures by July 7 to appear on the November ballot. The effort has garnered 110,000 signatures.

Read the entire article

Uninsured in Tennessee

2008-04-16T05:52:00.000-07:00

This article recently appeared in the newspaper The Commercial Appeal (Memphis, TN). Here are some excerpts and links about the Congregational Health Network discussed at the end of the article:

Study: 13 working-age Tennesseans die each week for lack of health insurance
Group finds rate of 1 fatality a day in Arkansas, Mississippi
By Mark Watson
April 13, 2008

A new study by an advocacy group says almost 13 working-age Tennesseans die each week due to lack of health insurance, and more than 1 person dies each day in Arkansas and Mississippi for the same reason.

The Families USA study notes that the uninsured often go without necessary care until it's too late.

"The problem with this study is that it had to be done," said Dr. David Mirvis, a University of Tennessee Health Science Center professor of preventive medicine. "We've known this for years, that it costs lives, and the numbers have gone up, not down. There are lots of excuses, but people are dying."
....
Dr. G. Scott Morris, Church Health Center executive director, puts it in more human terms.

"The majority of Tennesseans would tell you the people who got kicked off TennCare were bums and derelicts," Morris said. "That's not my experience. We had a convenience-store clerk come in here. Her right leg had been amputated some time ago, but on the day she got dropped from TennCare, she fell and tore up the prosthetic leg and couldn't afford to replace it. But she had to work, so at the end of the day, it took her two hours to close her store, because she was hopping around on one leg mopping the floor."

Mirvis and Morris, whose agency serves about 50,000 uninsured people a year, agree that society would get a bigger bang for the buck if it paid more attention to preventive care and healthy lifestyle changes.

But they also think health insurance reform is a good idea -- albeit a remote possibility. ....

Gary Gunderson, Methodist Le Bonheur Healthcare senior vice president, said his organization tries to meet the needs of uninsured people through a Congregational Health Network.

"This shared ministry emphases early stage interventions and prevention education," Gunderson said. "But without a just, fair universal insurance system, families will continue to experience a precarious journey."

For more information about the Congregational Health Network:

Global Model to be Replicated to Improve Health in Memphis

Medical leaders debate ways to measure effectiveness of religious affiliation

Faith & Illness

2008-04-11T07:15:00.000-07:00

What is it like to find out you have an illness? What about losing certain abilities? Where can I turn for support? In Faith & Illness: Reflections on God's Sustaining Love, Nancy Groves, M.S.W., offers reflections, questions, and prayers for the many stages of illness from diagnosis to the end of life. It's accessible, practical, and devotional. For someone living with disease, this book could provide a daily source of comfort or an opportunity for deeper reflection. For others, it could be a window into a loved one's struggle with chronic illness. Groves writes most of the book in verse:

"I am becoming an illness
to be diagnosed instead
of a person who is
suffering."

This style makes you focus on each aspect of the process. She includes six major emotions: shock, anxiety, anger, depression, guilt, and shame. I found these reflections on emotions the most compelling aspect of the book. Groves' simple style yields many moving and thought-provoking moments.

If you are interested in further information about this book, contact Nancy Groves directly at nangroves@yahoo.com.

Faith-based Clinic opens in Corpus Christi

2008-04-10T15:08:00.000-07:00

This article was published this week in the Caller-Times in Corpus Christi:

Low-income clinic opens today
Charges to be based on ability to pay

Amistad Community Health Center doctors are opening doors today that they hope will provide help to those who have trouble finding and paying for medical care. ....

The center is a faith-based nonprofit organization governed by a board of directors. Graham said she sees her medical practice as a ministry.

"A lot of patients don't have insurance, don't feel like they can go into a doctor's office because they don't have X amount of cash," she said. "Here they don't have to have X amount of cash. It's a sliding scale. I don't think they'll be as intimidated to go to a doctor's office."

Children's Ministry: Special Needs

2008-04-06T11:16:00.000-07:00

Check out this short post with some good discussion on the Church Relevance blog:

Special Needs Ministry for Autistic Children

By its very nature, children’s ministry is challenging, but special needs ministry takes the challenge to a whole new level. Any children’s pastor familiar with teaching special needs children understands the importance of developing a unique approach and relationship with each child. .... Read On

We blogged about this on F&H Wire a couple months ago: Special Needs Ministry

Nothing But Nets

2008-04-03T09:49:00.000-07:00

The United Methodist Reporter just released this story:

Nothing But Nets: A slam-dunk effort to prevent malaria

By Mary Jacobs
Staff Writer

Bishop Thomas Bickerton began to really understand the spontaneous enthusiasm that Nothing But Nets generates when he spoke in July at Youth 2007 in Greensboro, N.C. After the bishop explained how each $10 contribution buys a bed net to protect a family in Africa against malaria, a young person in the audience tossed a ten-dollar bill onto the stage, landing at the bishop’s feet.

During the next few minutes, some $16,000 came flooding onto that stage spontaneously.

And the money has kept coming.

In its first year, some $18 million from 60,000 donors has been raised by Nothing But Nets, a global, grassroots campaign to save lives by preventing malaria, a leading killer of children in Africa.

Caregiving Event

2008-03-26T09:54:00.000-07:00

This educational event is in a week and a half, but it still might be of interest:

"Building a Continuum of Caregiving Support"
Friday, April 4, 2008, 8:30 a.m. - 4:00 p.m.
Holy Cross Hospital
Professional and Community Education Center
Silver Spring, MD

This program explores approaches to inviting God's presence in the stewardship of caring for one another and how we can offer hope and practical assistance in the journey of caregiving within the faith community.

Presenters:
Denise Dombkowski Hopkins, Ph.D
Professor, Wesley Theological Seminary

Suzanne Geffen Mintz
President, National Family Caregivers Association

James L. Brooks, M.Div.
Executive Director of Project Compassion

Target audience: Faith community nurses, health ministry team members, clergy, chaplains, pastoral care counselors, visitation teams, registered nurses, social workers, lay health promoters, community outreach workers.

For more information call Carmella Jones at 301.754.7066 or Susan Roach at 301.754.7007.

Doctor-Patient Prayer

2008-03-24T09:21:00.000-07:00

On the New York Times' health blog "The Well," Dr. Robert Klitzman posted the following on prayer and doctors:

Prayer, Faith and Doctors

By Robert Klitzman, M.D.

“I will pray for you,” a senior psychiatrist told my patient.

His comment surprised me. I was in training, and the patient was a petite Latina woman who had remained despondent despite medication, psychotherapy or anything else I did. Would he really pray for her?

Click here to read on.

Faith-Based Alternatives to Health Plans

2008-03-20T08:21:00.000-07:00

Check out this article on Health "Assurance" from Charlotte, NC:

The Charlotte Observer on Tuesday examined the "small but growing number of people enrolled in faith-based alternatives to health insurance." Such organizations collect monthly donations and distribute them to help members pay medical bills. The three major "faithcares" operating in the U.S. are Medi-Share, Christian Healthcare Ministries and Samaritan Ministries, the Observer reports.

Most faithcares offer high-deductible, low-cost assistance and are limited to Christians who attend church regularly, do not smoke, drink only in moderation and abstain from sex outside of marriage. Officials with Medi-Share and CHM said they have paid about $800 million of members' medical bills. Members can receive up to $1 million in benefits,depending on the program they join. However, the organizations do not cover physician visits, dental or vision care, or prescriptions and may not provide much benefit for people with chronic diseases, such as cancer or heart disease,the Observer reports.

Click here for the full article

"Author pushes faith-based approach to youth exercise"

2008-03-19T07:36:00.000-07:00

Good book review from the Chattanooga Times Free Press:

Author pushes faith-based approach to youth exercise
From Chattanooga Times Free Press
By Kathy Gilbert
March 17, 2008

Chattanooga pediatrician Dr. Joani Jack has long struggled to maintain a healthy weight. When her daughter started slipping into the same mold, she took action.

"We started making changes in our diet. But she was rebellious, resentful," Dr. Jack said.

Then Dr. Jack discovered a book, "Thin Within" (http://www.thinwithin.com/), by Christian nurse Judy Halliday. Billed as a "Biblical approach to lasting weight loss," the book was a revelation, Dr. Jack said.

Rather than feed her hungry soul with food, Dr. Jack learned to satisfy her faith needs with spiritual food and physical hunger with physical food. "She talked about relearning our cues of hunger and fullness, and it really made sense to me," Dr. Jack said.

Early this year, Dr. Jack and Ms. Halliday released their first co-authored book "Raising Fit Kids in a Fat World" (Regal/Gospel Light Books, 2007, $20). "Fit Kids" extends the "Thin Within" program to children and their parents.

Chattanooga physicians, like their counterparts around the nation, are seeing more overweight children in their offices every year, Dr. Jack said. Only three areas have more overweight children ages 10 to 17 per capita than Tennessee, according to statistics. Twenty percent of Tennessee children are overweight. Washington, D.C. has the highest proportion of overweight kids. West Virginia is second. Kentucky is third.

The childhood obesity rate more than tripled from 1980 to 2004, federal data show. Obesity in childhood can lead to diabetes, heart disease and stroke in later years, federal data show. So doctors feel concerned.

Click here to finish reading.

"Faith in health care; Medical leaders debate ways to measure effectiveness of religious affiliation"

2008-03-19T07:27:00.000-07:00

Great article about integrating faith into the life of a hospital:

Faith in health care
Medical leaders debate ways to measure effectiveness of religious affiliation
The Commercial Appeal (Memphis, TN)
By Daniel Connolly
March 14, 2008

Although many hospitals have some type of religious affiliation, these associations are often just window dressing, says Gary Gunderson, a senior vice president at Memphis-based hospital group Methodist Le Bonheur Healthcare.

"For the most part, it's not seen as an asset in the serious work of running the hospital," said Gunderson, 56, an ordained Methodist minister.

Gunderson said Methodist, which is launching a Center of Excellence in Faith and
Health, does take its religion seriously. And he says he and colleagues worldwide are working hard to answer fundamental questions about what running a faith-based health care system really means.

Among them: How should operating such an institution be different from running a secular one? If someone is running a faith-based institution, what can you measure to show it is done well?

As part of this ongoing debate, about seven health care leaders met in Memphis this week in an effort that is an offshoot of a mental health project from the World Council of Churches.

Gunderson said he didn't expect answers right away, but that he hoped the process would eventually lead to better outcomes for patients.

He said Methodist is looking around the world for answers to its questions because relatively few hospitals are taking the same approach to faith.

Gunderson's global outlook was shaped in part through his public health work with The Carter Center, an Atlanta-based organization that promotes conflict resolution and international medical care.

One of his old contacts is Morten Skjorshammer, chief executive officer of a hospital in Oslo, Norway. Skjorshammer came to the meeting this week.

While Methodist's hospitals are located in a city that has active church congregations, Skjorshammer, 60, is operating a Lutheran-affiliated hospital in a society that has largely turned away from religion. Few Norwegians go to church, and nurses at the hospital were embarrassed even to ask patients about their religious beliefs, he said.

Skjorshammer, a Methodist, said his hospital aims for a holistic approach that takes into account the fears and existential questions that a sick and vulnerable person faces.

"We want as Christians to be present at that point in life," he said.

Click here to continue reading.

Wheat Ridge Ministries' Symposium on Health and Hope

2008-03-17T09:03:00.000-07:00

An upcoming faith-and-health conference from October 2-4 in Milwaukee:

Wheat Ridge Ministries' 2008 National Symposium on Health and Hope
Living Well! The Body Language of Faith

The theme of Wheat Ridge Ministries' 2008 National Symposium on Health and Hope is "Living Well! The Body Language of Faith." This Symposium will provide a rare opportunity for leaders to be resourced and renewed in their ongoing work of being effective agents of health and hope within the diverse communities in which they live, work, play and pray.

Keynote Speakers:

Dr. Joye Carter
Chief Forensic Pathologist, Marion County Coroner's Office, Indianapolis, Indiana

Ms. Sandy Dukat
Medal Winner, United States Paralympic Ski Team, Vail, Colorado

Dr. Gary Gunderson
Senior Vice President for Health and Welfare Ministries, Methodist LeBonheur Healthcare, Memphis, Tennessee

Rev. John Nunes
President, Lutheran World Relief, Baltimore, Maryland

Domestic Violence Conference

2008-03-14T08:53:00.000-07:00

Duke is hosting the following conference:

Domestic Violence & Sexual Assault: Providing Competent Medical and Spiritual Care

Duke Divinity School and the Duke University Health System will present a conference at Durham Regional Hospital on April 12 addressing various issues related to domestic violence, sexual abuse and childhood trauma.

Participants will learn about dynamics surrounding different forms of abuse, what victims and survivors need, and community resources and reporting requirements. The conference also will address ways to respond to the spiritual impact of abuse, from a Christian perspective, and how to identify and respond to domestic violence in the health care setting.

It is intended for clergy, lay leaders and others in ministry to families, health care providers, social workers, counselors, faculty, students and others.

"Oldest Man to Run Marathon"

2008-03-13T09:51:00.001-07:00

Check out this funny and fun story about a 101-old man who is running a marathon. There is no faith angle to this story, but it is an incredible health feat:

Oldest Man to Run Marathon

Here are some posts on running and faith:

Runner's Prayer

Runner's Prayer, Part II

Also an online community:

Christian Runners.org

Two Great Faith-and-Health Articles

2008-03-07T11:30:00.000-08:00

The Rev. G. Lloyd Rediger, author of numerous books, has written two important articles for the faith-and-health movement:

"The Church Must Help Lead the Health Crusade"

How should body-mind-spirit ministries be provided? The simple answer is, in the most effective ways possible. The complex answer is, through the good models already available, and through prayer and study of needs in our local and national settings. Most denominations offer some helpful resources, but printed materials and videotapes are only a beginning. A few congregations and seminaries offer a limited variety of healing and health programs, but these fall woefully short of the concerted efforts needed. We need policy and programmatic changes at denominational, ecumenical and seminary levels that do healing and health, beyond lip-service.

If the Bible and ministry of Jesus are our guides, and human needs (including our own) are our calling, we may expect that God will empower our prayerful efforts to meet this awesome challenge.

"A Gospel of Fitness"

This is not a replacement for the traditional Gospel of the Newer Testament. Nor is it yet a formal theology. It has elements of both, however, for it is “good news” in a health-challenged society. And its rationale is based upon responsible disciplines of body-mind-spirit, respect for each other, and ecological stewardship.

Copyright 2000, G. Lloyd Rediger. All rights reserved.

Special thanks to Dale Fletcher for alerting me to it in his blog.

Check out his post.

"Faith in the Future"

2008-03-06T10:56:00.000-08:00

Check out this trove of videos on faith and health from the Templeton Foundation hosted on Counterbalance:

Faith in the Future: Religion, Aging and Healthcare in the 21st Century

Some highlights:

Harold Koenig: Symposium Overview: Religion/Spirituality, Aging, and Health

Greg Jones: Bodies of Faith: Reclaiming the Links of Theology Medicine, and Religious Communities

Tillie Burgin: Putting Faith into Action - Mission Arlington

Kirbyjon Caldwell: Urban Challenges and Victories: Rebuilding African-American Communities

Honor your Temple; Work off pounds while praising your higher power

2008-03-05T07:41:00.000-08:00

Publisher: Ebony
By: Lynette Holloway

About a year-and-a-half ago, Reggie Brooks was at the top of his game. He received good money for lectures on real estate investing, and was listed on the same programs as Donald Trump, he says.

But just as Brooks was to speak before about 350 people at a conference in Chicago in the fall of 2006, he could not make it to the podium. His body shook uncontrollably, his muscles convulsed and he broke into a sweat, Brooks recalled recently from his home in Los Angeles. The talk was canceled.

"My assistant said she could see my muscles moving underneath my shirt," he says. "They wanted to rush me to the nearest hospital, but I kept saying, 'No. I just need to rest.' I thought I was Superman."

Brooks, 59, recovered and business is still good. But it was the scare of a lifetime. His kidneys, liver and spleen were all on the verge of failing, the result of a poor diet, lack of exercise and stress. That forced Brooks to change his diet and begin exercising. To do so, he received help from a higher power, he says.

Read entire article

Faith-Based Organizations in Zambia

2008-03-04T06:35:00.000-08:00

Here's a good post from the blog Global Development: Views from the Center (part of The Center for Global Development). The writer, Lindsay Morgan, argues that the people who shape our international development policies should recognize the vast networks that faith-based organizations offer (and the work that they are already doing in countries like Zambia). A worthwhile post for anyone interested in international development:

February 25, 2008
Faith and Development in Zambia
Posted by Lindsay Morgan at 11:33 AM
....
Faith-based organizations and communities are doing development work (especially health and education) all over Zambia, in every village, in every city in every district across the country. According to a 2007 World Health Organization study, almost a third of HIV/AIDS treatment facilities in Zambia are run by FBOs. FBOs have long histories in the country; a Salvation Army mission hospital I visited in the rural village of Chikankata was established in 1945. FBOs, partly because of their longevity, and because spirituality is important in the lives of so many Zambians, are well-integrated in communities; many of their employees are locals; they partner with the government and with other programs and players; and their collective reach is enormous. Further, because most Zambians identify themselves as religious (the Central Statistics Office of Zambia indicates that approximately 85% of the population is Christian; 5% are Muslim; 5% adhere to other faiths, including Hinduism and the Baha'i Faith; and 5% are atheist.), they tend to respond well to and appreciate the approach and values of faith organizations.

Leading Causes of Life

2008-03-03T07:27:00.000-08:00

Faith-and-health professional Gary Gunderson has written several books worth checking out. His most recent, Leading Causes of Life, argues that we need to focus on what makes life worth living rather than how to stave off death. This approach inevitably concentrates more on prevention and healthy habits.

Check out the website for Leading Causes of Life.

Gunderson, who is over Health and Welfare Ministries at Methodist Healthcare in Memphis, TN, also blogs with a couple other faith-and-health professionals.

Here is an excerpt of his latest post on the implementation of a new medical device that is saving lives:

What I see is wires, but more precisely, wires allowing the leading causes of life to flourish. The whole response is highly social -- it's a team. And any time there are two or three in some relationship to each other, there will be life going on. In this case, the new level of connectedness, illuminates dramatic new levels of agency possible for the team. When you hear the team report on this powerful innovation, the voices vibrate with coherence -- this kind of life giving work is what they have organized their life around since they entered school. .... The word blessing pops up in this kind of conversation as something experienced not just by the patient, but by everyone involved.

"Clinic at a Time"

2008-02-29T07:46:00.000-08:00

This article from Nursingmatters features a nurse, who grew up in Ethiopia, working to improve health conditions in that country:

Local nurse works to improve health in Ethiopia
By Teresa Peneguy Paprock, managing editor, Nursingmatters

For Mulusew Yayehyirad, memories of the suffering she witnessed as a child growing up in Ethiopia are never very far away. But today, Mulu – a registered nurse at St. Mary’s Hospital in Madison and the mother of four children – believes she can help to bring about change, one day at a time and “one clinic at a time.”

Mulu has founded Clinic at a Time, a non-profit charitable organization to raise funds to help build new public health care facilities and provide health education to the people of the Gojjam region of five million people, where Mulu grew up.

...

Much of her energy comes from her faith: “I think my faith helped me to become a better person and to do good for people,” she says. “It also helped and still is helping me to hold on to the things that I believe in and to have a positive attitude about all the things I do and whatever is going on in my life.”

"Faith in the Operating Room"

2008-02-28T04:46:00.000-08:00

This post (excerpted here) comes from Well: Tara Parker-Pope on Health (part of The New York Times):

Faith in the Operating Room

Dr. Campbell tells his story in an article called "Listening to Leviticus" that appears in this week’s Journal of the American Medical Association. It starts off as a detailed look at a surgeon’s efforts to remove a tricky tumor from a patient’s thyroid gland. The reader senses Dr. Campbell’s growing unease as the baseball-size tumor refuses to yield.

The reason for his distress, explains Dr. Campbell, is that his patient is a Jehovah’s Witness, a faith that forbids blood transfusions. Before the surgery, his patient ordered him in no uncertain terms that he was not to be given blood in an emergency.

Tomato Ministry

2008-02-25T08:41:00.000-08:00

The Interpreter Magazine highlighted this ministry that puts fresh tomatoes in the hands of those in need:

Men create tomato ministry

All year round, men at Emory Chapel United Methodist Church in Newnan, Ga., give away tomatoes as an outreach to the community.

The Tomato Ministry started several years ago when church member Howard Russell started sharing tomatoes from his garden with others in the congregation...

"Faith & Health Connection"

2008-02-20T12:04:00.000-08:00

Faith & Health Connection is a great faith-and-health resource on the Internet. Run by Dale Fletcher, F&H Connection provides resources -- many produced by Fletcher -- and a frequently-updated blog. Fletcher also speaks regularly at churches and other institutions.

His blog has some wonderful reflections to check out, especially the Weekly Health Scripture:

If Jesus Was Your Personal Trainer

Weekly Health Scripture: Proverbs 14:30 & 4:23 - Your Heart & Your Health

A Holy & Healthy Resource on the Web

Faith Communities during Disasters

2008-02-13T14:30:00.000-08:00

Last week, tornadoes hit areas across Tennessee, Arkansas, and other nearby states. Over fifty people died, and many were injured. The faith community was there, of course:

Churches Vital After Deadly Storms

(AP) On the way to this storm-ravaged community, a billboard bubbling with fresh paste rises over a rural road with a message from the Gospel of Matthew: "Blessed are they who mourn, for they shall be comforted."

When an emergency strikes, how can faith communities respond effectively? Some church bodies have organized at the national level, and some organizations, like the Red Cross, hold seminars and trainings for houses of worship (which are well-positioned to be key gathering places in emergency situations). Below are some resources or organizations.

Church World Service Emergency Response Program website features many useful resources for domestic disaster and beyond, including a Guide to Disaster Ministry in Your Congregation.

From the National Health Ministries of the PC(U.S.A):

Pandemic flu, hurricanes, tornadoes, floods. Are we starting to feel like Job yet?

Congregations can be a communication network — a wonderful source of information — especially for people who may not be connected to other health information sources. Parish Nurses, Health Ministers, and Health Professionals in the congregations have an opportunity to inform members and allay unjustified fears. The information posted on the Web site is geared to support what congregations are already doing or preparing.

Also, check out this pdf from the CDC posted on Prepared Citizens on how faith communities can respond to a pandemic, specifically an influenza outbreak.

St. Anthony Messenger reviewed a variety of books on disaster and emergency situations here in particular Harold Koenig's book In the Wake of Disaster: Religious Responses to Terrorism and Catastrophe.

The Red Cross of New York is holding seminars on emergency preparedness for faith communities:

Prepare Your Community: A Leadership Forum for Faith and Community Leaders to Build Resiliency for Emergencies

These conferences will focus on equipping faith-leaders to skillfully lead disaster preparedness, response and recovery initiatives. Participants will engage in scenario exercises, workshops, and panel discussions. Most importantly, by providing progressive steps for leaders to best prepare for all emergencies, the conferences will help empower NYC’s local faith leaders and congregants to better understand their communities’ vulnerabilities and ensure ongoing engagement with disaster preparation.

Another organization working in New York City is NYDIS (New York Disaster Interfaith Services) with the following services:

NYDIS provides mitigation education and preparedness training to clergy, religious leaders, houses of worship, and faith-based agencies, building their capacity to respond to all hazards with spiritual care, emergency relief, and long-term recovery services.

Top photo courtesy of http://www.noaanews.noaa.gov

A 21-Day Fast

2008-02-11T08:10:00.001-08:00

Louisville's Courier-Journal published this great article on one congregation's 21-day January fast:

A church's feast of faith
Congregation fasts to feed the spirit

By Peter Smith
The Courier-Journal

When members of her church prepared to go on a 21-day fast this month, Debra Carman didn't hesitate to sign up.

She had undergone shorter fasts over the past five years and believes God "shows up more with his signs and wonders" amid the hunger pangs.

Check out a complementary video here.

See my other posts on fasting: here and here.

The Christian Medical Professional

2008-02-09T14:04:00.001-08:00

I have been reading Daniel P. Sulmasy's The Healer's Calling: A Spirituality for Physicians and Other Medical Professionals. Sulmasy's book carefully describes the terrain of hospitals, clinics, and other medical arenas, and he articulates how spirituality exists within these worlds. Here is an excerpt on a Christian medical professional's relationship with patients:

The Christian physician or nurse will bring to the bedside the perspective that sees the presence of God in the wounds of patients and hope in the midst of illness. The Christian physician or nurse lets the patient know, often through very subtle gestures and words, that this is a perspective to which the patient is invited and a perspective the patient is welcome to share with the physician or nurse. The Christian physician or nurse is, in this sense, hospitable to the patient, giving time and space to the patient so that this perspective might be nurtured.

Sulmasy also points out not far before this passage that the words hospital and hospitality are related for good reason as he writes: "To be hospitable to patients is not to treat them only as a series of problems." This book includes many such insights and is a must-read for medical students and professionals interested in faith and health.

Quote from The Healer's Calling, Copyright©1997 by Dr. Daniel Sulmasy

Episcopal Medical Mission to Haiti

2008-02-08T16:38:00.000-08:00

Published on Episcopal Life Online about medical missionaries to Haiti from the Diocese of Alabama:

ALABAMA: Diocesan medical team arrives in Haiti

A team from several churches in the Episcopal Diocese of Alabama is spending a week in Haiti providing medical care to people unable to afford the cost of healthcare. The seven-member medical mission team arrived in Port au Prince on February 2 and will return home February 9.

The team members will operate mobile medical clinics in Croix des Bouquets -- a suburb of Port au Prince -- and in the outlying villages of Gorman, Thoman and Fond Parisian.

Fasting during Lent

2008-02-07T05:31:00.000-08:00

The season of Lent has begun, and many Christians throughout the world have begun Lenten practices. In the February issue of The Lutheran, they include an article on Ash Wednesday and Lent which highlights the practice of fasting:

'But God can'
Ash Wednesday reminds us God renews, reforms, revives our lives
By Glen A. Bengson

...“When you fast” brings us back down to earth. These words connect us once again to our dependence on God for all that enables life. We are dust. Only the breath of God’s Spirit gives life.

Fasting means far more than striving for a smaller waistline or even healthier eating habits. How can we not “fast” when so many go hungry, unable to enjoy our luxury of voluntary fasting? How can we not fast when earth cries out for relief from the burdens of greater and grander human demands on its resources? How can we not fast when we find ourselves succumbing to the tempting come-ons of consumerism?

Fasting is about disciplining our personal lifestyle as well as our corporate behavior as stewards of God’s creation. ...

Also, check out Faith & Health Wire's previous post on fasting.

Clergy Health

2008-02-06T08:44:00.000-08:00

This blog post by Mary Jacobs on the United Methodist Reporter blog goes after clergy (specifically UM) and how we can improve the health of clergy overall:

At the General Conference briefing in Fort Worth this past weekend, a session on health and wellness reported that the ranks of people insured by the denomination are showing up as “worse-than-average” for problems like obesity and metabolic disorder.

The reason?

High-fat, high-sugar church suppers and, for many of our clergy, non-stop stress. It seems there’s nothing pastoral about life as a Methodist pastor. You’re on call 24/7. Parishioners have very high expectations for your output and very low expectations as to what you ought to be paid or what you owe your family in terms of time and attention.

Read the full post here.

Mental Health & Christianity

2008-02-05T14:16:00.000-08:00

Christian Today published this story about the inadequacy of mental health services in the United Kingdom and what people of faith are doing about it:

Faith, race equality groups alarmed over mental health ward squalor

Church, faith and race equality groups have condemned the catalogue of failures in mental health services revealed by the Mental Health Act Commission's new report.

The biannual report, entitled Risks, Rights and Recovery, has brought to light the vermin and cockroach infestations on wards, and broken, dirty and inadequate toilet and bathroom facilities within mental health hospitals.

Also a blog on mental health and Christianity:

I Trust When Dark My Road
A Lutheran Blog exploring the theology of the cross, depression, and mental illness in the light of our Lord's resurrection

Save The Date - Mental Health Conference

2008-02-05T08:43:00.000-08:00

"Where Does My Help Come From? The Healing Power of Faith Communities"

Menlo Park Presbyterian Church's 2008 Mental Health Conference will be held on Saturday, May 3rd in Fellowship Hall.

Keynote Speaker is Stephen Hinshaw, Ph.D, Professor and Chair of the Department of Psychology at UC Berkeley, speaking on:

"Mental Illness in Families: Stigma and Disclosure".

Workshops will cover a wide variety of mental health topics. Registraton starts in early March. Contact: Diane Lopez, 650.329.7421.

Location:
950 Santa Cruz Avenue
Menlo Park, CA 94025

"Lourdes: 150 years of God's Healing Care"

2008-02-04T09:47:00.000-08:00

St. Anthony Messenger Press just published The Miracle of Lourdes: A Message of Healing and Hope, by John Lochran, which they have excerpted in this month's issue of their magazine, St. Anthony Messenger:

Lourdes: 150 Years of God's Healing Care
By Father John Lochran

WHEN LOURDES was once described as the “Disneyland of the Catholic Church,” as “God’s Magic Kingdom,” I replied that it is the complete opposite. Disneyland is a commercial enterprise where joy and pleasure are manufactured and paid for. Lourdes is about generosity of spirit where true joy is found in giving time and loving service freely to the sick and those in need.

Also in this month's St. Anthony Messenger magazine:

Mary Beth Peters: A Heart for the Poor
Truckers around the country know her by her C.B. name, "Twisted Sister." The poorest of Cincinnati know her as Sister Mary Beth. By Christine M. Grote

My Autistic Son: Different But Lovable
My autistic son is learning to navigate the strange social space in which the rest of us function. By Cassondra Leigh Givans

Unfortunately, these two stories are only available in the print edition. I have read both of them and would recommend them. Givans includes an especially moving comparison of her son to Joseph and his many-colored coat.

Photo: Copyright©Jean-noël Lafargue

Academic Program Focus: Princeton Seminary's Certificate in Christian Caregiving

2008-01-30T12:41:00.000-08:00

Princeton Theological Seminary has a continuing education department that offers a Certificate in Christian Caregiving. They give this description on the website:

This Certificate Curriculum is for those who find themselves in personal and professional caring situations. Whether you are a deacon in the church, a nurse in a hospital, or simply someone who wants to be a supportive friend, these courses will equip you as a caregiver in ways that draw upon your faith resources.

Some of its courses are:
Listening Skills
Grief and Loss
Spiritual Resources in Caregiving
Understanding Depression
Making Hospital Visits
Resources and Boundaries in Caregiving

Runner's Prayer, Part II

2008-01-29T08:24:00.000-08:00

On running and prayer from the book Running the Spiritual Path: A Runner's Guide to Breathing, Meditating, and Exploring the Prayerful Dimensions of the Sport by Roger Joslin:

To state it simply: Running became prayer. I don't mean, merely, that I began to run in prayerful fashion. It is not that I engage in verbal prayer while I run. (Although, on occasion, I might.) It is not enough to say that I pray while I run. It is, quite literally, that running has become prayer.

I am speaking of prayer as communion with God, as an awareness of His presence, as a conscious recognition of the divine spirit that dwells in each of us. Definitions of prayer are as numerous as the paths to God. My favorite was penned by the most secular of Trappist monks, Thomas Merton, who offered the encouraging and sustaining words: "Prayer is the desire to pray." It is this dynamic of intention that most clearly separates the runner who merely runs from the runner who prays. Running, at its core, is a joyful, invigorating, playful experience. Expansion beyond that, to a spiritual realm, is based on a foundation of intention. Running has become, for me, a way to communicate with God. The act of lacing up my running shoes is the beginning of a prayerful exercise aimed at divine union.

Copyright©2003 by Roger Joslin.

Rev. Joslin, who wrote this book while preparing to become an Episcopal priest, also gave this interview at Grace Cathedral in San Francisco.

Also, check out Part I of Runner's Prayer on this blog.

NYTimes Book Review: "Faith and Healing"

2008-01-26T13:34:00.000-08:00

The Sunday edition of The New York Times includes this book review of The Cure Within: A History of Mind-Body Medicine by Anne Harrington:

Faith and Healing
By JEROME GROOPMAN
January 27, 2008
Is there a medical link between mind and body? A Harvard professor examines the history behind the idea.

Cathedral Mental Health Care

2008-01-24T08:30:00.000-08:00

National Catholic Reporter just released this story:

Cathedral parishioners meet vital need
In an old convent, doctors, nurses, others offer mental health care
By JODI McFARLAND
Saginaw, Mich.

A single mother in suburban Saginaw, Cheryl needed psychological care and had no place to go.

That’s when she heard about Cathedral Mental Health Care, a free clinic providing mental health services to clients who have no insurance or who cannot afford insurance copays for psychiatry visits.

The program is an outreach by members of the Saginaw diocese’s St. Mary Cathedral Parish. Volunteers believe it’s the only freestanding, no-cost-to-patients mental health clinic in the Midwest.

“They’re a godsend,” said Cheryl, 51, who has bipolar disorder and chronic manic depression. “They’re saving lives. That’s how I felt when I went in there.”

David R. Williams at Walla Walla University

2008-01-23T06:08:00.000-08:00

An event tomorrow and Friday from Walla Walla University in Washington State:

Each year, Walla Walla University selects a speaker to present for the annual Distinguished Scholar Lecture. This year’s speaker is David R. Williams, professor of sociology , African, and African American studies at Harvard University, and the Florence and Laura Norman Professor of Public Health at the Harvard School of Public Health.

Williams will present his message in three parts:

“Social Inequalities in Health: Patterns, Causes, Interventions”
Thursday, January 24, 7 p.m., Walla Walla Valley Academy Auditorium

“Moderate Alcohol Consumption and Health: Evidence, Questions, Interpretations”
Friday, January 25, 1-3 p.m., Melvin K. West Fine Arts Center Auditorium

“Religion and Health: Scientific Findings and Unanswered Questions”
Friday, January 25, 6 p.m., Walla Walla Valley Academy Auditorium

All presentations are free and open to the public.

Williams has a history of holding professorships at prestigious institutions. Prior to his professorship at Harvard, his first six years as faculty were spent at Yale University, where he held appointments in both sociology and public health.

Photo Courtesy of WWU website.

Special Needs Ministry

2008-01-23T05:46:00.000-08:00

Baptist Press released a group of articles last week all on special needs ministry. This is a big topic with more importance than most churches realize, which this article points out:

Awareness key to special needs outreach
by Stephanie Heading

This family has a child with special needs and they are hoping to find a church that will minister to their entire family, welcoming their special needs child into the church and recognizing that people with special needs can be a vital part of the church fellowship.

This search may seem unusual, but it is reality for many American families who have a family member with a physical, mental or developmental disability. According to national statistics, as many as 18 percent of children have some sort of challenge that affects their daily lives. Sadly, most congregations don't know these numbers and do not offer any ministry to the special needs community.

BP also offers a practical approach with these article about how to involve people with special needs in congregational life:

VBS curriculum to include special needs

Beginning in 2008, LifeWay's Vacation Bible School materials will feature resources customized for children with special needs.

Special needs community can be involved
by Brooklyn Noel

Walt Micksch has cerebral palsy.

He also has a wife, two daughters, a business degree and years of experience in the field of operations management and logistics.

"From the time I could hear words, I was told, 'God has a plan for your life and there is a reason you are here,'" said Micksch, who credits his parents, Joe and Ella Micksch, and his childhood physical therapist, Dorothy Spark, with pushing him to "be involved in the world" regardless of his cerebral palsy.

Disabled son led her to care for others
by David Roach

MARTIN, Tenn. (BP)--For some parents, having a special needs child could give rise to bitterness and questioning God. But for Evelyn Blythe, it was an opportunity to celebrate life and establish a program that encourages some of Tennessee's most under-appreciated residents.

There are also many books on special needs ministry:

Special Needs, Special Ministry (2003)

The Special Needs Ministry Handbook: A Church's Guide to Reaching Children with Disabilities and Their Families (2007)
By Amy Rapada

Autism and Your Church (2006)
Nurturing the Spiritual Growth of People with Autism Spectrum Disorders
By Barbara J. Newman

Here are some older articles on special needs ministry:

Ministry to people with disabilities
needs lots of hugs, handshakes, smiles
By John Hall
Texas Baptist Communications

Parish aims at fostering congregational inclusion
By Paul Storer
Catholic Explorer

Daniel P. Sulmasy to speak at Duke

2008-01-22T15:38:00.000-08:00

6th Annual David B. Larson Memorial Lecture
"Spirituality and the Meaning of Healing"

Daniel P. Sulmasy, O.F.M., M.D., Ph.D.
March 4, 2008
5:30-7:00 PM

Dr. Sulmasy, a Franciscan Friar, holds the Sisters of Charity Chair in Ethics at St. Vincent’s Hospital, Manhattan, and serves as Professor of Medicine and Director of the Bioethics Institute of New York Medical College, Valhalla, NY. He received his A.B. and M.D. degrees from Cornell University and completed his residency, chief residency, and post-doctoral fellowship in General Internal Medicine at the Johns Hopkins Hospital. He received his Ph.D. in philosophy from Georgetown University in 1995. From 1991 to 1998 he served on the faculty at Georgetown, where he was Director of the Center for Clinical Bioethics and Senior Research Scholar of the Kennedy Institute of Ethics. He was appointed by the governor to the New York State Task Force on Life and the Law in 2005.

His research interests include the ethics of end-of-life decision-making, ethics education, and spirituality in medicine. He is the author of four books—The Healer’s Calling, Methods in Medical Ethics, The Rebirth of the Clinic, and A Balm for Gilead. He serves as editor-in-chief of the journal, Theoretical Medicine and Bioethics. His numerous articles have appeared in medical, philosophical, and theological journals and he has lectured widely both in the U.S. and abroad.

Conference: Spirituality in Health Care

2008-01-17T20:30:00.000-08:00

A conference in Australia:

The last ten years have witnessed a dramatic increase in studies of spirituality, health, and well-being. This research has demonstrated robust links between spirituality and health. It is time now to begin moving from research to practice. The theme of the 3rd Biennial Conference on Spirituality and Health will be Integrating Spirituality into the Practice of Health Care. The Conference will be multi-disciplinary, drawing on distinctive perspectives and practices of social scientists, health professionals, chaplains, and clergy.

Click here for more information.

"Pastor to men: Get thee to a doctor"

2008-01-17T09:15:00.000-08:00

CNN published this story recently:

Pastor to men: Get thee to a doctor

COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) -- After the fourth death in a week, Keith Troy decided enough was enough.

Midway through Sunday services, he looked out at his congregation and asked all the men to rise. Then he asked: Would the deacons and associate ministers please assemble in the aisles with paper and pencil? Would every man write down his name and a phone number where he could be reached?

Too many church men were dying of preventable illnesses related to poor health, Troy told the congregation at New Salem Missionary Baptist Church, a predominantly black church of about 4,500 members, including about 900 adult men.

Live like a monk

2008-01-16T15:20:00.000-08:00

This was posted on The Economic Times:

Live a monk's life to avoid cancer

Athens: Living like a monk may have more than spiritual benefits, with a recent study into one of the world's most isolated monastic communities in Greece revealing that such dietary and healthy living habits resulted in lower cancer rates.

The dietary and lifestyle habits of monks on the all-male community in Mount Athos have shown that the regular consumption of olive oil, daily portions of fish, seasonal fruit and vegetables are among the main contributors towards keeping prostate cancer below international averages, data presented by urologist Haralambos Aidonopoulos showed.

"It is not just the Mediterranean diet that helps but generally a diet consisting of old, traditional standards," said Aidonopoulos.

Photo: Iviron monastery at Mount Athos, Greece. Courtesy of Wikimedia Commons.

Society for Spirituality, Theology and Health

2008-01-15T12:10:00.000-08:00

Another important conference at Duke University:

1st Annual Meeting of the Society for Spirituality, Theology and Health
"Spirituality, Health and Human Flourishing:
Meaning? Measurement? Implications?"
June 25-27 2008
R. David Thomas Executive Conference Center, Duke Fuqua School of Business in Durham, North Carolina

Keynote Speaker:
Bill Roper, M.D., M.P.H.
CEO, UNC Health System

Plenary Speakers:
Ellen Idler, Ph.D.
Jeff Levin, Ph.D.
Kenneth Pargament, Ph.D.
John Swinton, Ph.D.

The goals of this annual meeting are:

* Provide an opportunity for senior scholars (including those from the international community) to present their latest research and discuss with colleagues.
* Allow participants in the membership society to get to know each other, establish relationships, share ideas, and further develop the field.
* Develop opportunities for junior investigators to present their research and discuss with senior scholars.
* Enable junior investigators time to network with one another in a structured setting, and develop relationships and facilitate collaboration.

Clergy Seminar February 10-11, Austin, TX

2008-01-15T07:14:00.000-08:00

This is an event on how clergy can address health care reform:

Health Policy in Your Hands: Equipping Religious Leaders for the Issues
February 10-11, 2008
Austin, TX

Religious leaders are strong and compelling voices for change. As health care reform takes center stage both nationally and statewide, please join us for a conversation that will provide clear, concise policy information and theological reflection on health care and health care reform.

Conference Location and Times:
Episcopal Theological Seminary of the Southwest. Registration begins at 3:00 on Sunday, February 10. The conference ends Monday, February 11 at lunchtime.

Cost:
$30 per person
Scholarships are available
Co-sponsored by Texas Impact, the Baptist Christian Life Commission, Methodist Healthcare Ministries of South Texas, and Texas Health Institute.

SPEAKERS

Camille Miller is the President and CEO of Texas Health Institute, a non-partisan organization that provides leadership in the development of health care solutions to shape the Texas health care environment. Ms. Miller has extensive experience in Health and Human Services policy research and development through her work with several Texas state officials including two governors and two lieutenant governors. Ms. Miller serves on numerous health care-related boards. She currently chairs the State Health Policy Centers Collaborative and is the chair-elect of the National Network of Public Health Institutes. Ms. Miller is also a member of First Baptist Church, Austin.

Bee Moorhead is the Executive Director of Texas Impact, a statewide religious grassroots network whose members include individuals, congregations, and governing bodies of the Christian, Jewish and Muslim faiths. Before coming to Texas Impact, Ms. Moorhead spent seven years as a senior fiscal analyst for the Texas State Comptroller. In this position, she was responsible for public policy issues related to health and human services and health care.

Dr. Eduardo Sanchez is the Director of the Institute for Health Policy in The University of Texas School of Public Health at Houston, an entity dedicated primarily to the study of health policy in Texas. Prior to this position, Dr. Sanchez was the Commissioner of the Texas Department of State Health Services. Dr. Sanchez is a board-certified family practice physician and also served as Health Authority and Chief Medical Officer for the Austin-Travis County Health and Human Services Department from 1994-1998.

Rev. Linda Hanna Walling is the founding Executive Director of Faithful Reform in Heath Care, an organization that seeks to expand the depth and breadth of support for health care reform within the religious community, educate people of faith about the issue, and activate the prophetic voice to promote affordable health care for all the United States as a moral value. Before coming to Faithful Reform in Health Care, Rev. Walling served as the Faith Project Director of the Universal Health Care Action Network for seven years and is co-author and editor of Seeking Justice in Health Care: A Guide for Advocates in Faith Communities.

Quiet Days at General Theological Seminary

2008-01-12T08:37:00.000-08:00

The Center for Christian Spirituality at General Theological Seminary in New York City hosts Quiet Days that offer an opportunity for spiritual reflection. An upcoming Quiet Day on Feb. 23 focuses on healing and the Bible. Info from their website:

February 23, 2008 – “Your Faith Has Saved You”:Reflections on the Gospel Healing Stories and our Baptismal Covenant with Mrs. Helen Goodkin

For Christians, the stories of Jesus’ healing miracles in the Gospels represent great affirmations of God’s powerful love and salvation for his creation, an in-breaking of the Kingdom. Join us for a day of close Bible reading and reflection that seeks to cast new light on Jesus’ healings so that we may begin to see these stories as illuminators of the promises we make in the Baptismal Covenant and as a blueprint for enabling and empowering our ministries to those who suffer.

Helen Goodkin, the former Director of the MA Program and Lay Education at the General Theological Seminary, has extensive experience in medical rehabilitation and disability rights. She is also lay Bible Study Leader and EFM Mentor.

To register for these days please call the Center for Christian Spirituality (212-243-5150, x269 or 888-487-5649 x269), or send an e-mail to ccs@gts.edu. Quiet Days are normally held at the Seminary’s historic Seabury Auditorium normally starting at 10am and ending at 3pm. Lunch is provided. Cost is $30 per person which covers lunch, honorariums paid to Quiet Day leaders and various expenses.

"Giving Thanks, with Cancer"

2008-01-09T06:12:00.000-08:00

This reflection was published yesterday in the Baptist Press. It's by Keith Manuel, an evangelism associate for the Louisiana Baptist Convention. He explores the tension between being angry with God over cancer and giving thanks to God for new opportunities within such difficulty.

Giving thanks, with cancer
By Keith Manuel

Cancer is an ugly visitor. It enters your home without asking. It rearranges your life. It takes over with or without your consent.

For more reflections like this, the ministry Our Journey of Hope has scriptural reflections on its site, and it also provides spiritual outreach to any cancer patient anywhere.

Runner's Prayer

2008-01-07T06:17:00.000-08:00

I've been reading the book Running - The Sacred Art: Preparing to Practice by Dr. Warren A. Kay (published 2007 by Skylight Paths Publishing).

It is a practical guide on how to integrate your spirituality and running. Kay comes from a Christian perspective, but he allows for multiple entry points.

Here's an excerpt:

A Runner's Prayer

When you go for a prayerful run, you can pray as if you are talking to someone right next to you. The words are important, but you don't have to make up your own prayer extemporaneously. You can pray a prayer you have heard before, or one that you learned in your spiritual tradition. I know people who recite the Lord's Prayer on their run and others who have memorized prayers from spiritual leaders in their tradition.

Last time I checked, there is no patron saint for runners. In the Catholic Church the closest one is St. Sebastian, the patron saint of athletes. We fare quite a bit better if we are looking for a runner's prayer. The one I found most interesting was published in Day by Day: The Notre Dame Prayerbook for Students:

Run by my side -- live in my heartbeat; give strength to my steps.
As the cold confronts me, as the wind pushes me, I know you surround me.
As the sun warms me, as the rain cleanses me, I know you are touching me, challenging me, loving me.
And so I give you this run; thank you for matching my stride. Amen.

Prayer by Maureen McNellis and Karen Schulte in Day by Day: The Notre Dame Prayerbook for Students, eds. Thomas McNally and William G. Storey (Notre Dame: Ave Maria Press, 2004), p. 71.