The medical establishment’s narrow view of there being only one way to handle the dying patient–by using every last resource available to try to save her or him–has greatly hindered the quality of our deaths. Physicians are trained to believe that they have done their job only if every last measure is taken, regardless of what value this saps from the patient’s quality of life. This is the model by which the medical establishment measures its success.
What is needed is a paradigm shift in the educational curriculum of medical schools. No one can place value on what any individual considers to be “quality of life” because we all have different bodily functions that we consider more important than others. What one person considers an extraordinary means of intervention, another may see as typical. Furthermore, what is extraordinary at one point in history isn’t necessarily extraordinary at another time.
Tag: counseling
The Alban Institute
If you want to move the world, move a congregation. The Alban Institute was founded in 1974 as a major resource for American congregations facing the challenges of a changing society. While today’s challenges are even more pressing than they were three decades ago, the opportunities have never been clearer for congregations to be vital communities of faith, health, and leadership. Alban stands at the forefront of knowledge and experience regarding congregational vitality and positive trends across denominations and faith traditions. Our work is helping shape the strong congregations of tomorrow.
Seelsorge
When soul is neglected, it doesn’t just go away; it appears symptomatically in obsessions, addictions, violence, and loss of meaning.
God and the Digestive System
Luther suffered from lifelong constipation and urine retention. Thus, “In this creative moment the tension of nights and days of meditation found release throughout his being – and nobody who has read Luther’s private remarks can doubt that his total being always included his bowels.” Thus, for Erikson, there is something profoundly physiological in Luther’s new understanding of God as one who is “no longer lurking in the periphery of space and time,” but is rather “moving from inside” of us, and is thus, in a very real sense, “what works in us.”
From “The Soul as the ‘Coreness’ of the Self” by Donald Capps.
Referral as an act of pastoral care
Referral is one of the most versatile techniques at the disposal of a professional minister. However, it takes considerable skill and training to utilize it to its full potential.
Referral as an act of pastoral care. [J Pastoral Care. 1976] – PubMed result.
Baby Spared Mother’s Fate By Genetic Tests as Embryo – NYTimes.com
A 30-year-old woman who is very likely to develop a rare form of Alzheimer’s disease before she turns 40 has had a baby girl who will be spared that fate because she was genetically screened as an embryo before being implanted in her mother’s womb, doctors are reporting.
via Baby Spared Mother’s Fate By Genetic Tests as Embryo – NYTimes.com.
The Levee
The New Orleans Levee is a critical parody that was introduced to a group of Seminary students in December 2006, when we took a course about disaster response in New Orleans.
COTS (Coalition on Temporary Shelter)
When I attended a course in Detroit in 2008, we meet with representatives from various groups that are trying to change the life of individuals and communities for the better. An example of that:
COTS exists to alleviate homelessness by providing an array of services that enable people to achieve self-sufficiency and obtain quality affordable housing. COTS also exists to advocate for long-term solutions to the problems of homelessness.
More about COTS in Detroit can be found at www.cotsdetroit.org.
Gamaliel Foundation
When I attended a course in Detroit in 2008, we meet with representatives from various groups that are trying to change the life of individuals and communities for the better. An example of that:
The mission of Gamaliel Foundation is to assist local community leaders to create, maintain and expand independent, grassroots, and powerful faith-based community organizations so that ordinary people can impact the political, social, economic, and environmental decisions that affect their lives; to provide these organizations with leadership training programs, consultation, research and analysis on social justice issues; to be a network for mutual learning environments and working coalitions.
More about Gamaliel can be found at www.gamaliel.org.
Cause-Effect
Cause-Effect thinking is a useful tool, or at least it can be. However it is usually automatic re-active thinking rather than pro-active. The world is unfortunately more complicated than cause-effect.
Being a reactive thinking it tends to call for bigger hammer, nicer packaging, or a new program instead of getting us to think about the whole.
Change
Change is not an extreme makeover. Real change happens slowly and through time, when we learn to confront our loss.
Why Me?
Crises force children to ask: What about Me?
The reply we give should be a prayer and asking what they think. We should never ever try give easy answers to that question. After all it is a question about them.
Evidence of working on spiritual growth
Israel Galindo mentions marks of spiritual growth.
the bookshelves in their study contained books more recent than those they bought in seminary (it’s amazing how many pastors seem to stop reading once they finish seminary)
Evidence of working on spiritual growth | G.R.A.C.E. Writes.
Race Relations in America – links to articles
In January 2008 I took a course about Urban Ministry in Detroit, MI. An eye opening class for many unpleasant reasons, and few pleasant too. Here are few articles I read in connection to the class.
The Fire Last Time – washingtonpost.com.
THEOLOGY AND THE CITY: LEARNING TO CRY, STRUGGLING TO SEE by Jim Perkinson
Religious Cancer of racism by James H. Cone
Voices of Liberation and Struggle: Conversation with Dwight Hopkins
Like a thief in the night: Black Theology and White Church in the Third Millenium by James Perkinson
Martin, Malcolm and Black Theology by James H. Cone
Litigation
It pays to be a little paranoid when it comes to counseling, beats litigation at least.
Main Street Forum
Síðustu daga hef ég unnið að frágangi á veftímariti fyrir Healthy Congregations, Inc. En tímaritið er einungis aðgengilegt áskrifendum að þjónustu félagsins. Það er áhugavert hversu fjölbreytileg vandamál notenda eru, en mikil áhersla hefur verið lögð á að hægt sé að prenta tímaritið út á snyrtilegan hátt.