Healing As A Sacred Path

2012-03-05T08:10:00.000-06:00

Revival

by Luci Shaw

March. I am beginning
to anticipate a thaw. Early mornings
the earth, old unbeliever, is still crusted with frost
where the moles have nosed up their
cold castings, and the ground cover
in shadow under the cedars hasn't softened
for months, fogs layering their slow, complicated ice
around foliage and stem
night by night,

but as the light lengthens, preacher
of good news, evangelizing leaves and branches,
his large gestures beckon green
out of gray. Pinpricks of coral bursting
from the cotoneasters. A single bee
finding the white heather. Eager lemon-yellow
aconites glowing, low to the ground like
little uplifted faces. A crocus shooting up
a purple hand here, there, as I stand
on my doorstep, my own face drinking in heat
and light like a bud welcoming resurrection,
and my hand up, too, ready to sign on
for conversion.

Hallelujah

2012-02-29T11:13:00.000-06:00

From the Roches' Zero Church, words by Frankie Harris:

Hallelujah

dear most merciful God
humbly I approach your throne
of grace and mercy
thank you
for putting your hand in the midst
of our trials and tribulations
cause you bless me
so many times in the hospital
when I was afraid
hallelujah

Father I am calling out to you
bless each patient name by name
these are your children
Lord bless their families
and those who do not know
you are in this
go in Lord and touch ‘em
hallelujah

you are the healer
give to the doctor
a heart for compassion
an ear to listen
touch the nurse
may the strength of your hand be upon them
and Lord give ‘em a kind word to say
cause you are the beginning of this
and you are gonna be the end
dear most merciful God
hallelujah

Spiritual and Religious

2012-02-28T10:14:00.000-06:00

In a provocative article on HuffPost, Diana Butler Bass writes about "The End of Church." Her argument is that organized religion is increasingly viewed negatively. People are much more likely to claim to be spiritual but not religious, or both spiritual and religious. People long for a vibrant spirituality that is experiential, relational, connecting, and giving meaning and purpose to life. Religion is being transformed, as are so many other institutions in our lives. It will be a vital, life-giving force for good to the extent that it engages peoples' hopes and longings for love, justice, forgiveness, and peace...

Here's an excerpt from the article, which can be found here: The End of Church

In the last decade, the word "religion" has become equated with institutional or organized religion. Because of crises such as the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks and the Roman Catholic abuse scandal, Americans now define "religion" in almost exclusively negative terms. These larger events, especially when combined with increasing irrelevance of too much of organized religion, contributed to an overall decline in church membership, and an overall decline of the numbers of Christians, in the United States.
There may be hope, however, regarding the future of faith. Despite worry about the word, "religion," Americans are extremely warm toward "spiritual but not religious" (30 percent) and, even more interestingly (and perhaps paradoxically), the term "spiritual and religious" (48 percent). While "religion" means institutional religion, "spirituality" means an experience of faith. Large numbers of Americans are hankering for experiential faith whereby they can connect with God, the divine, or wonder as well as with their neighbors and that lead to a more profound sense of meaning in the world. Maybe Americans once called this "religion," but no more. Americans call it "spirituality."
Some Americans want to be spiritually left alone, without complications from organized religion. But nearly half of Americans appear to hope for a spiritual reformation -- or even revolution -- in their faith traditions and denominations. Congregations that exhibit a vibrant spiritual life embodying a living faith in practical ways succeeding, even in the religion bear market. These sorts of communities are models of what might be possible to renew wearied organizations. But the macro-structures of American faith -- denominations -- have yet to hear this message. They are still trying to fix institutional problems and flex political muscle instead of tending to the spiritual longings of regular Americans.
"Spiritual and religious" expresses a grassroots desire for new kinds of faith communities, where institutional structures do not inhibit or impede one's relationship with God or neighbor. Americans are searching for churches -- and temples, synagogues, and mosques -- that are not caught up in political intrigue, rigid rules and prohibitions, institutional maintenance, unresponsive authorities, and inflexible dogma but instead offer pathways of life-giving spiritual experience, connection, meaning, vocation, and doing justice in the world. Americans are not rejecting faith -- they are, however, rejecting self-serving religious institutions.
The end of conventional church isn't necessarily a bad thing. Christianity after religion, a faith renewed by the experience of God's spirit, is closer to what Jesus hoped for his followers than the scandalous division, politics, and enmity we have now. Will there still be Christianity after the end of institutional religion? Yes, there will be. But it is going to be different than what Americans have known, a faith responsive to the longings of those who are expecting more spiritual depth and greater ethical integrity rather than more conventional church. Indeed, I suspect that the end of church is only the beginning of a new Great Awakening.

This Day

2012-02-24T06:37:00.000-06:00

Today can be about the same as yesterday and the day before. Or, it can be a new, invigorating, exciting adventure.

You can try to drain as much value as you can from this day. Or, you can resolve to fill it with new value through your thoughts and your efforts.

You can complain that this day is just like all the rest, and struggle to get through it. Or, you can greet this day with enthusiasm and find positive, enriching possibilities that you’ve never seen before.

You can, on this day, be filled with resentment over the difficulties with which you’re burdened. Or, you can choose to fill your heart with gratitude for the opportunity to move positively forward, no matter what may stand in your way.

This day can serve as an excuse to be miserable. Or, it can serve as an opportunity to fulfill the very best of your possibilities.

This day is yours right now. Choose to fill it with all the richness that life has to offer.

— Ralph Marston

Ashes

2012-02-22T09:55:00.000-06:00

Today is Ash Wednesday, marked by many Christian mainline churches as a time of repenting and reorienting one's life to align with Christ's gospel of love, mercy, forgiveness, and service. Ashes outline the cross of Christ on one's forehead, along with these words: "Remember that you are dust and to dust you shall return." For many it is a profound moment of facing a deep reality - we are mortal, our lives are fleeting and fragile. And it is a moment for pondering life's meaning: if it is the case that we are dust, how then shall we live? If, in the words of a saying popular in my house growing up: "Only one life will soon be past, only what's done for Christ will last," how then shall we spend our days? For me, having encountered in Christ a God of love and mercy, that is how I believe I should act. Having been shown, in Christ's life, that what matters is loving God with one's whole being and our neighbors as ourselves, that is how I believe I should spend my days. During the season of Lent, of which Ash Wednesday is the beginning, Christians are called to ponder these things and to add into our lives acts of love and service, reorienting our lives to the mission of Christ. Or perhaps we are compelled to subtract some things from our lives that distract us or hinder us from fulfilling that mission. Blessings to all on this holy day.

Decorah Eagles 2012

2012-02-21T17:20:00.000-06:00

The Decorah eagle pair is back on the nest - mom laid two eggs so far. Last night was challenging in the snow - Mom was buried in it - but they all came through okay:

I will be checking in on the eagle cam in Decorah, Iowa periodically, the Raptor Resource Project's Facebook page, and the ustream feed for a live look. It's also on you tube here: Decorah13

I wish the Decorah eagles well and I look forward to watching them and looking for other signs of spring and new life on God's good earth.

Grief Group

2012-02-20T15:37:00.000-06:00

Fairview Red Wing's spring grief support series begins on Tuesday, March 6 and runs six consecutive weeks, from 5:30 - 7:00 p.m. at Fairview Red Wing Medical Center, Red Wing, MN. This group is for adults who are grieving the death of a loved one. It is led by our hospice chaplain and bereavement care provider, Barbara von Haaren. The group is free of charge and open to the community but registration is required by calling Barbara at 651-267-3532.

We also have resources for children, including groups and camps in SE Minnesota.

"A burden shared is a burden halved."

Consuming Better Media

2012-02-17T08:59:00.000-06:00

We're used to thinking of "obesity" in physical terms — unhealthful weight that clogs our arteries and strains our hearts. But there's also an obesity of information that clogs our eyes, our minds, our souls, and our inboxes: unhealthful information deep-fried in our own preconceptions.

In The Information Diet, open-source-Internet activist Clay Johnson makes the case for more "conscious consumption" of news and information.

Highlights of NPR Interview with Clay Johnson

On the similarities between eating food and consuming information
"Our bodies are wired to love salt, fat and sugar. ... Our minds are really wired to be affirmed and be told that we're right. ... Who wants to hear the truth when they can hear that they're right? Who wants to be informed when they can be affirmed? What we do is we tell our media that that's what we want to hear, and our media responds to that by telling us what it is that we want, and sometimes that isn't what's best for us."

On how more information can narrow, rather than widen horizons
"What choice gives us, what choice of information gives us, is the ability to misinform ourselves in all kinds of new ways. If you can have a discussion with someone next to you who says, 'I think X is correct,' and the other person says, 'I think Y is correct,' and then you can turn around to your mutual computers and then build a case for why you're both wrong — then all of a sudden, that synthesis that has really made ... democracy great starts going away. We lose our ability to synthesize when we can always prove ourselves right."

On why fast-food companies aren't entirely to blame for unhealthful eating, and online communities aren't entirely to blame for unhealthful information consumption
"Obesity is a complicated problem. Obviously, obesity has to do with access, and obesity has to do with the economic conditions, but it sometimes also has to do with overeating, and the same thing happens with information. I think a lot of people don't have great access to information and good information, that's for sure, but also in the world of the Internet, we have almost universal access to everything that we need. And that means that we have to make empowered decisions and informed decisions about what it is that we're consuming. It's the only way to sort of 'live right' online."

On adapting Michael Pollan's famous food diet ("Eat Food. Not too much. Mostly plants") for information
"Seek. Not too much. Mostly facts. Eat low on the sort of 'information food chain,' and stick close to sources. If it's an article about a bill in Congress, or even at a statehouse somewhere, going deep and actually trying to read the bill itself is really, I think, advantageous. And it takes a little bit of time to pick up. Bills ... [and] house resolutions are not, the most entertaining things to read for most people. But getting to know what our legislative language is helps us, I think, become better citizens."

On encouraging good habits
"The question is, can we make enough people go: 'Hey, you know what? I'm done. I'm done with the sensationalism of media. I'm done being taken advantage of by media companies so that I can have ads sold to me.' ... If we want to make media better, then we've got to start consuming better media."

An excerpt from the book can be found here: The Information Diet

FYI, here is a resource for helping to understand heath studies and news: Health News Review
Here are the questions they ask of health news stories:

What’s the total cost?
How often do benefits occur?
How often do harms occur?
How strong is the evidence?
Is this condition exaggerated?
Are there alternative options?
Is this really a new approach?
Is it available to me?
Who’s promoting this?
Do they have a conflict of interest?

"If we want to make media better, then we've got to start consuming better media."
---Clay Johnson

Big Spiritual Questions

2012-02-16T14:23:00.000-06:00

Here's an excerpt from a post on the CNN Religion blog from a hospice chaplain who, as a chaplain intern in seminary, was ridiculed by a professor for insisting that as chaplain she talks with people about their lives and families - what about God, what about life's big questions, what about ritual and prayer, the professor exclaimed! Yes, that too, sometimes, but mostly the talk is about peoples' lives and families.

My experience is similar - we do lots of listening to people who talk about their lives and families - that is the way many of us talk about spiritual life, faith, and meaning. My father, in his dying process, wanted to talk about his family - what we had meant to him, his concern for our coping after his death, his hopes and dreams for us, gratitude for love given and received. Fortunately, he was able to talk directly to us, his family, about all these things. Sometimes it's difficult for people to share their fears, concerns, and gratitude directly with theirs. Maybe talking with a chaplain can help normalize these kinds of conversations and embolden people to share these important words with their families. Here is a link to the entire post by Kerry Egan: CNN Religion Blogs

"Today, 13 years (beyond seminary), I am a hospice chaplain. I visit people who are dying – in their homes, in hospitals, in nursing homes. And if you were to ask me the same question - What do people who are sick and dying talk about with the chaplain? – I, without hesitation or uncertainty, would give you the same answer. Mostly, they talk about their families: about their mothers and fathers, their sons and daughters.

They talk about the love they felt, and the love they gave. Often they talk about love they did not receive, or the love they did not know how to offer, the love they withheld, or maybe never felt for the ones they should have loved unconditionally.

They talk about how they learned what love is, and what it is not. And sometimes, when they are actively dying, fluid gurgling in their throats, they reach their hands out to things I cannot see and they call out to their parents: Mama, Daddy, Mother.

What I did not understand when I was a student then, and what I would explain to that professor now, is that people talk to the chaplain about their families because that is how we talk about God. That is how we talk about the meaning of our lives. That is how we talk about the big spiritual questions of human existence.

We don't live our lives in our heads, in theology and theories. We live our lives in our families: the families we are born into, the families we create, the families we make through the people we choose as friends.

This is where we create our lives, this is where we find meaning, this is where our purpose becomes clear.

Family is where we first experience love and where we first give it. It's probably the first place we've been hurt by someone we love, and hopefully the place we learn that love can overcome even the most painful rejection.

This crucible of love is where we start to ask those big spiritual questions, and ultimately where they end."

An Ever-Fixed Mark

2012-02-14T11:40:00.000-06:00

Sonnet 116
by William Shakespeare

Let me not to the marriage of true minds
Admit impediments. Love is not love
Which alters when it alteration finds,
Or bends with the remover to remove:
O no! it is an ever-fixed mark
That looks on tempests and is never shaken;
It is the star to every wandering bark,
Whose worth's unknown, although his height be taken.
Love's not Time's fool, though rosy lips and cheeks
Within his bending sickle's compass come;
Love alters not with his brief hours and weeks,
But bears it out even to the edge of doom.
If this be error and upon me prov'd,
I never writ, nor no man ever loved.

Sharing the Love at Hope Lodge

2012-02-14T08:33:00.002-06:00

Carly Glomstad, 7, is on a mission to generate smiles. So the Maple Grove youngster is spending Valentine's Day with her family delivering goodie bags to people who could use more love.

Smiles all around - here's the link to the StarTribune article about Carly and her mission: Sharing Valentine's with Those in Need

Carly Glomstad, 7, with some help from her brother, Brian, 9, distributed Valentines and goody bags to guests and caregivers at the American Cancer Society Hope Lodge in Minneapolis Monday night. Carly is spearheading a campaign to "deliver goody bags to these people and make them smile." She raised the money for the project herself and marshaled her first-grade classmates to help pack the bags.

How to Get Ready for Death

2012-02-13T09:56:00.000-06:00

A KevinMD post from my friend and colleague Rob Ruff, Director of Chaplaincy Services at Regions, St. Paul... here is the link: How to Get Ready for Death

1) Reject the superstitious belief, common in American culture, that thinking or talking about death makes it happen. It doesn’t work that way. We don’t open the door and let death in just by speaking its name. Take comfort in the words of Fred Rogers (TV’s “Mr Rodgers”) who said, of talking to children about difficult subjects like death, “Whatever is mentionable is manageable.” Yes. Whatever we can talk about, we can deal with.

2) Make a “bucket list” (what did we call it before that movie?) of things you want to do, places you want to go, experiences you want to have in the time you have left. Work at checking things off the list. Enjoy yourself along the way. Realize that having a “bucket list” and working to get items checked off provides a subtle reminder that one day, maybe sooner, maybe later, yours will be kicked.

3) If you are a praying person, use prayer, especially your bedtime prayers, as a way of preparing for death. This too is an age-old practice that was once taught to children, as in the classic bedtime prayer: Now I lay me down to sleep, I pray the Lord my soul to keep. If I should die before I wake, I pray the Lord my soul to take.” You will be more adept at relaxing into the arms of the God to whom you pray as death approaches if you’ve practiced doing so each evening as you drift off to sleep. John Henry Newman’s well-loved prayer is used by many for this purpose: O Lord, support us all the day long, until the shadows lengthen and the evening comes, the busy world is hushed, the fever of life is over, and our work done. Then, in your mercy, grant us safe lodging, a holy rest, and peace at the last. Amen.

4) Read a little poetry. Poets have a unique and insightful way of helping us embrace the not-easily-embraceable truth that death will come, without fail, for each of us. Some of my favorite poems on the subject are these:

“The Death Deal” by Ron Padget. The poet struggles against but eventually begins to look forward to his own eventual death.

“When Death Comes” by Mary Oliver, in which the poet voices her wish to live fully, with amazement, curiosity, and joy before death comes for her “like the hungry bear in autumn…”

And “The Last Thing” by the Irish poet Monk Gibbons. The poet reminds us that death is an experience common to all people. Thus we can approach death’s door bravely, trusting that “where so much greatness and gentleness have been already, you should be glad to follow.”

5) Prepare an Advance Medical Directive. This is a form designating someone to make medical care and treatment decisions on your behalf if you are ever too sick to speak for yourself. You can also describe in this document the sort of medical care you want and do not want, especially as you come to the end of life. A form like this helps your loved ones and caregivers know your wishes, preferences and values. An Advance Medical Directive helps insure you get the care you particularly want. Discuss your wishes with the person you designate as your health care agent. File a copy of the completed form with your primary physician. Every one of us should have an advance directive.

6) Say the most important things to the most important people in your life. In his book, The Four Things That Matter Most, palliative care physician Ira Byock writes of how he learned from dying patients that the most important things to say to our loved ones before it’s too late are:

Please forgive me.
I forgive you.
Thank you.
I love you.

Harriet Tubman

2012-02-09T19:58:00.000-06:00

"Lord, I’m going to hold steady on You, an’ You’ve got to see me through."

Harriet Tubman is perhaps the most well-known of all the Underground Railroad's "conductors." During a ten-year span she made 19 trips into the South and escorted over 300 slaves to freedom. And, as she once proudly pointed out to Frederick Douglass, in all of her journeys she "never lost a single passenger."

Tubman was born a slave in Maryland's Dorchester County around 1820. At age five or six, she began to work as a house servant. Seven years later she was sent to work in the fields. While she was still in her early teens, she suffered an injury that would follow her for the rest of her life. Always ready to stand up for someone else, Tubman blocked a doorway to protect another field hand from an angry overseer. The overseer picked up and threw a two-pound weight at the field hand. It fell short, striking Tubman on the head. She never fully recovered from the blow, which subjected her to spells in which she would fall into a deep sleep.

Around 1844 she married a free black named John Tubman and took his last name. (She was born Araminta Ross; she later changed her first name to Harriet, after her mother.) In 1849, in fear that she, along with the other slaves on the plantation, was to be sold, Tubman resolved to run away. She set out one night on foot. With some assistance from a friendly white woman, Tubman was on her way. She followed the North Star by night, making her way to Pennsylvania and soon after to Philadelphia, where she found work and saved her money. The following year she returned to Maryland and escorted her sister and her sister's two children to freedom. She made the dangerous trip back to the South soon after to rescue her brother and two other men. On her third return, she went after her husband, only to find he had taken another wife. Undeterred, she found other slaves seeking freedom and escorted them to the North.

Tubman returned to the South again and again. She devised clever techniques that helped make her "forays" successful, including using the master's horse and buggy for the first leg of the journey; leaving on a Saturday night, since runaway notices couldn't be placed in newspapers until Monday morning; turning about and heading south if she encountered possible slave hunters; and carrying a drug to use on a baby if its crying might put the fugitives in danger. Tubman even carried a gun which she used to threaten the fugitives if they became too tired or decided to turn back, telling them, "You'll be free or die."

By 1856, Tubman's capture would have brought a $40,000 reward from the South. On one occasion, she overheard some men reading her wanted poster, which stated that she was illiterate. She promptly pulled out a book and feigned reading it. The ploy was enough to fool the men.

Tubman had made the perilous trip to slave country 19 times by 1860, including one especially challenging journey in which she rescued her 70-year-old parents. Of the famed heroine, who became known as "Moses," Frederick Douglass said, "Excepting John Brown -- of sacred memory -- I know of no one who has willingly encountered more perils and hardships to serve our enslaved people than [Harriet Tubman]."

And John Brown, who conferred with "General Tubman" about his plans to raid Harpers Ferry, once said that she was "one of the bravest persons on this continent."

Becoming friends with the leading abolitionists of the day, Tubman took part in antislavery meetings. On the way to such a meeting in Boston in 1860, in an incident in Troy, New York, she helped a fugitive slave who had been captured.

During the Civil War Harriet Tubman worked for the Union as a cook, a nurse, and even a spy. After the war she settled in Auburn, New York, where she would spend the rest of her long life. She died in 1913.

---from PBS' "Africans in America"

Celebrating Different Gifts

2012-02-08T11:44:00.000-06:00

When there has been a time in a country's life when "difference" suggested "deficiency," says the Rev. Dr. James Forbes Jr., history "cries out for an opportunity" to celebrate the richness of the formerly closed-off culture. Here's a link to a brief video of Rev. Forbes detailing why it's important to celebrate Black History Month: Click here

The Rev. Dr. James Alexander Forbes, Jr. is Senior Minister Emeritus of The Riverside Church and President of the Healing of the Nations Foundation.

Receiving Care

2012-02-06T12:13:00.002-06:00

He was a fixture in the community. Long retired from his daily work as a parish pastor, he pitched in and helped with supply preaching, did nursing home services, performed weddings and funerals, and mentored younger pastors. Pleasant in disposition, always giving, the backbone of his family and his community, sharp in mind and strong in spirit, he was a great role model.

But now he was dragged down by cancer which had spread by the time it was diagnosed. Coming to terms with the inevitable decline and facing death were not hard for him. His faith strengthened him, his hope was in the Lord. It would be difficult for her, but his wife would be okay. His son lived in the area and he would see to that.

No, what concerned him now was that he was feeling useless, a burden, and a bother. He had never felt that way before, he always had something to give.

When I visited him in the hospital, he was cranky because he did not like the position he was in. The symptoms were worsening. He realized that life as he knew it was over and he was entering a new, unfamiliar territory. He had walked with people through this landscape, but that was different than taking the journey himself.

I listened to the story of his illness and healing journey and he still had a look of unsettledness about him. “What else is bothering you?” I asked.

“I hate being in this position. What am I supposed to do?” he lamented.

“Sounds to me like you’re in a position of needing care from others. You’ve always been a giver – it feels great to give. But now you need to receive care. Can you allow others to care for you, and do it with gratitude? Maybe that’s what God is calling you to do now.”

He didn’t like it, but he took it in. He loved a challenge. And he began to see that it is a gift to allow others to show their care and compassion, to give – whether that be in the form of a backrub, a cup of soup, a belly laugh, running errands, providing respite care, or many other acts of love. To receive the gifts that others give with gratitude is itself a great gift.

I am glad to say that he embraced this challenge with gusto, typical of this remarkable man. He learned to receive as well as to give and in so doing he enriched the lives of others and enabled them to grow in their capacity for joyful giving. This is part of his legacy to me and to many others: learning to receive as well as to give, with joy and gratitude.

Thank you, God, for all the ways in which you show your love and compassion for us and all creatures. Help me to receive your care with grace and gratitude.

Give Your Best

2012-02-03T13:35:00.000-06:00

Daily inspiration from Ralph Marsden:

Something magical happens when you put your focus on helping someone else. All your own worries, fears, concerns and doubts disappear.
By forgetting yourself you discover the best you can be. In sincerely seeking to give value, you bring great value into your own life.
Give, not because it looks good or even because it feels good. Give, because it fulfills your deepest purpose and brings you completely to life.
Seize the opportunities to be of value and to be of service. Live and act beyond yourself, and it opens your eyes to whole new realms and levels of possibilities.
With your sincerest actions, acknowledge and celebrate the connection you have to all others. In that connection you’ll find a limitless source of joy and fulfillment.
Give your best. And you truly become your best.

The Center of Joy

2012-02-01T14:09:00.000-06:00

Joy is hidden in compassion. The word compassion literally means "to suffer with." It seems quite unlikely that suffering with another person would bring joy. Yet being with a person in pain, offering simple presence to someone in despair, sharing with a friend times of confusion and uncertainty ... such experiences can bring us deep joy. Not happiness, not excitement, not great satisfaction, but....the quiet joy of being there for someone else and living in deep solidarity with our brothers and sisters in this human family. Often this is a solidarity in weakness, in brokenness, in woundedness, but it leads us to the center of joy, which is sharing our humanity with others."

- Henri Nouwen, Bread for the Journey

Hospital / Hospitality

2012-01-31T09:40:00.000-06:00

In its original language, the word "hospital" meant "guest house."
The word "hospitality" meant "generous and friendly treatment of visitors and guests."
Whether patients, clients, and residents come to us or we go to them in their homes, our aim is to foster healing, health, and wholeness through hospitable relationships - open, honest, generous, respectful, compassionate. Here's a link to Spirituality and Practice's 12 Quotes on Hospitality GALLERY

Faith and Health

2012-01-24T12:06:00.000-06:00

There's a great article in the February Metro Lutheran newspaper about Mark Eustis, President and CEO of Fairview Health Services, and his vision for faith / health partnerships. Mark made a presentation recently at Bethlehem Lutheran Church in south Minneapolis entitled “Health Choices: Role of the Church in Creating a New Way to Deliver Health Care.” Fairview, through its support of parish nurse and other congregational health ministries, has long partnered with area congregations to promote healthy communities. Fairview itself has roots in the Lutheran church and we have many shared values.

A similar situation exists in Red Wing, where Fairview Red Wing has roots in Lutheran churches in our area. Called "Christian Health Services," representatives of these congregations continue to have a role in our governance, as they approve the nominations of community representatives to our Board of Directors. In addition, Fairview Foundation funds have been set aside to assist local congregations in starting or expanding parish nurse ministries. We have helped several congregations with this over the past four years in the Red Wing area.

Mark Eustis has a vision for our Faith / Health connection. I'll quote extensively from the Metro Lutheran article here, and the entire thing can be read at: "A Point of Ministry Connection"

Eustis was asked how he sees congregations interfacing with health care providers in a new model that emphasizes preventive care, cost savings, and improved lifestyles for seniors. He responded, “As health care providers take on responsibility and accountability for improving the health of defined populations, I think there is a real opportunity for congregations and health systems like Fairview to form partnerships to do this work.

“We are in the same business — improving the quality of human life — and together we have and can create collective capabilities to do this work,” Eustis added. “Since seniors make up a significant portion of a congregation’s membership, anything we can do together to improve their health and well-being achieves our collective mission.”

How might this work in smaller congregations, Eustis was asked. He said, “I don’t think this work necessarily requires that every congregation have a parish nurse program, but it certainly helps. There may be opportunities for smaller congregations to share a parish nurse. We are also talking about new roles where members of the congregation would volunteer to be what we call ‘community builders’ or liaisons between members of the congregation and health systems. The community builders would be trained to work with ‘navigators’ or care coordinators employed by the health system in helping members of the congregations receive the appropriate care they need. There are tremendous opportunities to engage the power of volunteers who are members of the congregations in doing some of this work.”

Eustis was asked what kind of a time frame such innovations would require, given the quickening pace of change in health care. He replied, “We are already involved in conversations with a number of congregations, particularly those who are part of the Fairview Association. Over many years we have supported the creation of parish nurses in member congregations and offered health education, screening, flu vaccinations, etc., to congregations. As we work to better meet the needs of those we serve, we are interested in furthering this work now as part of your health reform agenda.”

Eustis sees partnering with congregations as a way of extending the care model. That includes:

* Integrating parish nurses with the primary care teams to extend care models,
* Using technology to ‘connect’ and align caregivers and volunteers,
* Engaging congregations in end-of-life care planning through the “Honoring Choices Minnesota” initiative, and
* Completing community health needs assessments together.

Eustis was asked how the Lutheran heritage of Fairview related to the large health services organization it has become. He said, “Fairview was founded by members of the Lutheran faith over 100 years ago to serve and minister to the health needs of those immigrating to this area. The mission and values of Fairview are rooted in the Lutheran faith and have guided us as a healing ministry driven to improve the health of the people and communities we serve and committing our skills and resources to the benefit of all we serve. The Fairview Association has continued to guide us in this quest through the Fairview Association Covenant that reinforces the joint commitment we have to one another and those we serve.”

Mark Eustis, President and CEO, Fairview Health Services, Minneapolis

African Americans and End-of Life Care

2012-01-20T08:55:00.000-06:00

My new favorite resource for cultural competence regarding end of life care is The End of Life / Palliative Education Resource Center. There is a strong religious / spiritual component to African American's preferences (in general) for "doing everything, not giving up" at the end of life. Read on:

From the Medical College of Wisconsin End of Life / Palliative Education Resource Center:

Author(s): Mythili Raghavan, Alexander Smith MD, MS, and Robert Arnold M

Background The care African Americans receive at the end-of-life, as well as African Americans’ attitudes towards end-of-life care, differ in some ways from the general US population. Clinicians’ poor understanding of these differences may lead to ineffectual communication and patient dissatisfaction. This Fast Fact outlines research findings on differences in end-of-life care and values between African Americans and the population as a whole. Note: the differences discussed here represent broad trends and the full spectrum of values and practices within African American communities is diverse and not captured by the following discussion. Clinicians are advised not to make assumptions about individual patients based on population data, and to always explore each patient’s values and wishes.
End-of-Life Practices With respect to European American cohorts, African Americans are:
Less likely to complete advance directives (14, 19), enroll in hospice (15), receive appropriate symptom management at the end-of-life (3, 9), or be satisfied with the quality of end-of-life care and communication (20).

More likely to receive aggressive treatment at the end-of-life (including artificial nutrition and hospitalization) (2, 4, 5, 16), to stop hospice care to seek life-prolonging treatment (11), and to die in a hospital (6, 13). Over recent decades, while there have been more opportunities for patients to die outside of hospitals, rates of in-hospital deaths have declined for European Americans; a similar decrease has not been observed for African Americans (8).

Reasons for these differences have been researched extensively and likely include:
Preferences/Values – In general African Americans are more likely to want life-prolonging and aggressive treatments; to associate treatment limitations and hospice care with ‘giving up;’ and have less interest in completing advance directives (relying more on verbal communication of their wishes with family) (6, 9, 10, 18). These differences are not solely due to mistrust or educational and economic status (similar trends are seen with African American physicians) (3), although they can be attenuated by explicit advance care planning in some instances (19). They likely also reflect deep cultural values stemming in part from the strong religious faith of many African Americans; for instance a trust that ‘death is in God’s hands’ may underlie a reluctance to discuss or plan for terminal care needs (3, 10, 12).

Health Care Disparities and Trust – Historic and current racism and health care inequalities, and the resultant mistrust of health care providers and institutions, likely drive these differences as well (3). African Americans are less likely to be offered hospice care and pharmacies in minority neighborhoods are less likely to stock opioid analgesics (1, 3). There is some evidence that differences in end-of-life care are attenuated where health care is distributed more equitably (such as in the Veterans Health Administration) (7).

Recommendations for Communication
Ask the patient and family about their perspectives about end-of-life care and decision-making prior to making recommendations. Have you thought about getting sicker? What happened when your dad got sick and died? Are you the kind of person who makes decisions on your own or do you want your family to be involved? This allows you to understand the patient’s/family’s beliefs about end-of-life care and make suggestions that are consistent with their values (see also Fast Facts #17 and 26).

Ask about spirituality and religious beliefs (see Fast Fact #19). Offer to involve a chaplain or the patient’s personal spiritual advisor.

Frame the discussion positively. Focus on meeting shared goals, not on what you are not going to do. I want to help you live as best you can, given how sick you are becoming.

Look for issues of trust and address them openly. Seek to understand any mistrust, avoid labeling the patient (e.g. as ‘irrational’), and redress any grievances within your power. Build trust through offering time, careful communication, and close follow-up.

If there is conflict, recognize that we all bring our own values and culture to the bedside, and our conception of what constitutes a ‘good death’ may genuinely differ from our patients’. Seek shared goals and values, focused on the needs of the patient, and recommend what you feel is the best medical care for a patient given their prognosis, options, and goals.

Citations and references can be found HERE.

Forgiveness

2012-01-19T17:14:00.000-06:00

To forgive is to set a prisoner free and discover that the prisoner was you. (L. Smede)

Dr Lewis Smede is a retired teacher and pastor who has given a lot of thought to forgivness and the restoration it can bring to the human life. In his sermon, “Five Things Everyone Should Know About Forgiving”

1)   Forgiving is the only way to be fair to yourself after someone hurts you unfairly.
2)   Forgivers are not doormats; they do not have to tolerate the bad things that they forgive.
3)   Forgivers are not fools; they forgive to heal themselves, but they do not have to go back for more abuse.
4)   We don’t have to wait until the other person repents before we forgive him or her and heal ourselves.
5)   Forgiving is a journey. For us, it takes time, so be patient and don’t get discouraged if you backslide and have to do it over again.

Matilda’s lessons for living, peaceful and poetic

2012-01-17T12:40:00.000-06:00

What would you write as important life lessons? Here's Matilda's list:

Matilda’s lessons for living, peaceful and poetic

Over my life, I have learned:

to see the fun in the world instead of dwelling on the unhappy things

to be involved is to feel useful and fulfilled

to have love for others is to receive love

to give to others but also to accept help gracefully

to make changes for the better when possible, knowing that those changes can become ever widening circles - but if they don’t, that’s okay too

that depression is lightened by doing something nice for someone else

that our minds and bodies are intertwined and that positive thoughts influence our bodies in beneficial ways

that life isn’t always smooth but the rough spots bring greater appreciation for the good times

to not live in the past, but to profit from the past while living in the present and the future

MLK Day

2012-01-14T15:56:00.000-06:00

Drawing inspiration from both his Christian faith and the peaceful teachings of Mahatma Gandhi, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. led a nonviolent movement in the late 1950’s and ‘60s to achieve legal equality for African-Americans in the United States. While others were advocating for freedom by “any means necessary,” including violence, Martin Luther King, Jr. used the power of words and acts of nonviolent resistance, such as protests and grassroots organizing, to achieve seemingly-impossible goals. He went on to lead similar campaigns against poverty and international conflict, always maintaining fidelity to his principles that men and women everywhere, regardless of color or creed, are equal members of the human family.

King was an incredibly eloquent speaker. Here are a few quotes about "the beloved community:"

The time is always right to do what is right.

Every man must decide whether he will walk in the light of creative altruism or the darkness of destructive selfishness. This is the judgment. Life’s most persistent and urgent question is: What are you doing for others?

An individual has not started living until he can rise above the narrow confines of his individualistic concerns to the broader concerns of all humanity.

When an individual is no longer a true participant, when he no longer feels a sense of responsibility to his society, the content of democracy is emptied.

Everybody can be great. Because anybody can serve. You don’t have to have a college degree to serve. You don’t have to make your subject and your verb agree to serve. You don’t have to know about Plato and Aristotle to serve. You don’t have to know Einstein’s theory of relativity to serve. You don’t have to know the second theory of thermodynamics in physics to serve. You only need a heart full of grace. A soul generated by love.

Love is the only force capable of transforming an enemy into a friend.

It is still one of the tragedies of human history that the ‘children of darkness’ are frequently more determined and zealous than the ‘children of light.’

We are prone to judge success by the index of our salaries or the size of our automobile rather than by the quality of our service and relationship to humanity.

I can never be what I ought to be until you are what you ought to be. This is the way our world is made. No individual or nation can stand out boasting of being independent, we are interdependent.

We must develop and maintain the capacity to forgive. He who is devoid of the power to forgive, is devoid of the power to love.

There is some good in the worst of us and some evil in the best of us. When we discover this, we are less prone to hate our enemies.

Forgiveness is not an occasional act; it is a permanent attitude.

A man who won’t die for something is not fit to live.

The ultimate measure of a man is not where he stands in moments of comfort and convenience, but where he stands in times of challenge and controversy.

The true neighbor will risk his position, his prestige, and even his life for the welfare of others. In dangerous valleys and hazardous pathways, he will lift some bruised and beaten brother to a higher and more noble life.

We must accept finite disappointment, but we must never lose infinite hope.

I have the audacity to believe that peoples everywhere can have three meals a day for their bodies, education and culture for their minds, and dignity, equality and freedom for their spirits. I believe that what self-centered men have torn down, men other-centered can build up.

My current favorite King quote: Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere. We are caught in an inescapable network of mutuality, tied in a single garment of destiny. Whatever affects one directly, affects all indirectly.

Link to King Center

Nursing Home Church

2012-01-12T10:18:00.001-06:00

Something special happens weekly at most faith-based nursing homes: worship services. Led by the chaplain or volunteer community pastors and attended mainly by residents, these services underline the fact that these residents are part of a community right here and right now where they live. They may still have ties to their home faith community, but the "nursing home church" is where they come together for solace, inspiration, connection, hope, and meaning in the present, focusing on the joys and the challenges of life right now. It is a very special and meaningful ministry. In our community of Red Wing, area pastors and ministers as well as nursing home chaplains participate in this ministry and it is a good thing. Here are some reflections from Larry Pray from his blog Praytell - the Geography of Healing on a nursing home worship service he attended with his elderly parents:

The Nursing Home Church gracefully accepted the inevitable. There were no prayers that one might not age, that disability wouldn’t come stalking, that youth is the ideal. There were no thoughts that we are “too old,” “too feeble,” or “too demented” to be a congregation. Of course they were old. Of course they were feeble. What does one expect? If only this perception of acceptance could guide us all, who keep thinking disability should somehow “fit in” instead of becoming the common lot.

The Nursing Home Church asked for help. They asked other congregations to lend a hand. They went to the Quakers, who supplied music, even though music is not part of Quaker worship. They went to the Lutherans who supplied the ushers, and maybe a reader or two. Most congregations are loathe to ask others for a helping hand. After all, we compete. “How many members do you have?” “How many kids are in your youth group?” ......

The Nursing Home Church made it a point to work with those disconnected from their home church. My parents can no longer drive, getting them in and out of a car is, to me, dangerous. Yes, their congregation cares, but transportation is a real issue. All those people in the Nursing Home Congregation had churches of their own. But not really. Not anymore. We live in an age of disconnected people. Lots of disconnected people. Where are they? How do we find the disconnections and then do something about it? We tend to focus so much on the “connect"–ten new members, 20 new members–that we forget that "disconnect" guides ministry, teaching, and healing.

The Nursing Home Congregation is Christian. The pastor wears a robe, the readings are from the Bible. But you’d never know it is a “Lutheran” service. There are too many Methodists, Presbyterians, Quakers, Baptists, Catholics, Unitarian Universalists, Seventh Day Adventists to pay attention to one set of beliefs. Instead, the focus is . . . hope, kindness, love, patience. Which is to say, the focus is life. Good job, Nursing Home Church.

Thanks

2012-01-10T18:01:00.000-06:00

All of a sudden I see there have been over 10,000 pageviews of this blog. I thank you all for your support over this past year! If you have comments, questions, or suggestions please let me know by commenting or by e-mailing me at khanso12@redwing.fairview.org

The Art of the Non-Anxious Presence

2012-01-09T11:09:00.000-06:00

Marina Abramovic, performance artist

Over Christmas I had the unpleasant experience of going phone shopping with my mother. She was looking to upgrade her basic cell phone - she didn't want a smartphone with all the apps and the data plans. She wanted a phone that had a virtual keyboard so she could send text messages, and she wanted a camera built in so she could include pics in her texts. Not too large an order, I thought. But we got to the store and we were immediately accosted by a salesman. We explained what we were looking for and he took us to look at smartphones and launched into his opinion of the best android with all the bells and whistles. We explained again what we were looking for and he showed us other smartphones and talked about the best data plan. In the meantime he was looking at his watch, looking at and trying to engage other customers who had walked into the store, and checking his own smartphone. You get the picture. This guy was about as absent and detached from us and our needs as was possible!

The thing that we long for as human beings and what I try to do as a chaplain is to truly connect with others, to be truly present and attentive, tuned in to what the other person is thinking and feeling, trustworthy and patient enough to draw that out and to listen carefully to what is being said, and what is not being said.

Too often we have an agenda when we meet someone. We are thinking about our next meeting or ruminating about a previous encounter. We are task-oriented and we don't have time to sit around just being with another person. We are uncomfortable with silence and we have to fill it with noise. We feel we have to be busy doing something, always having a schedule and a plan, always evaluating and judging.

There was a fascinating exhibit a couple of years ago at the Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) in New York City called "The Artist is Present." It was created by performance artist Marina Abramovic. The ingredients? Marina, silent, seated on a chair in a bare room. An empty chair facing her, on which anyone could take a turn, and on which the sitter could sit for as long as he or she wanted. For two and a half months, during every hour the MoMA's doors were open, Marina was there, sitting. Over 1500 people stopped and sat in that chair and their portraits were taken and became part of the experience. It is truly an amazing gallery of people, some of which are included in this gallery: The Artist is Present - Portraits

Jessica Bratt writes about her reaction to the portraits:

It doesn't take a large sample size to get the point: something powerful happened when people sat in that chair. It looks like they've never seen anything quite like what they're seeing. I have observed people rapt with attention in front of a painting or sculpture in a museum, but not like this. Not radiant with emotion. Not fixated. Not crying.

What was it about sitting across from a complete stranger for a few minutes that could evoke tears?

What I see in those faces, those faces that embody the diverse palette of demographics in an incredibly busy, crowded, fast-paced city like New York, is the deep and universal hunger for authentic human connection. The tears, I suspect, are a sort of catharsis. People were moved because Marina offered them the rare gift of being fully present with them. The interaction was truly immediate -- not mediated by any sort of technology, not defined by an agenda, not propped up with any of the background noise that pervades urban life, not confined by a time limit. Nothing stood between Marina and her guests; even the table that had been placed between the chairs at the beginning of the exhibit was removed. There was no language barrier, no need to translate or explain anything. What each person received was pure encounter.

I am struck as I look at the portraits with the beauty and intensity of the moment as reflected in the faces. I wonder what each person's story is. What drives them, what distresses them, where do they find meaning and purpose. What are they seeking?

It's not, of course, possible to truly encounter everyone every day with unlimited time. But, we can all take a moment in each enounter to look into the face of the other, to be present, to allow a pause, a space for things unsaid to be articulated, to wonder if there's anything else on their mind, to ask if there's anything else you can do. That's where our spirituality, our humanity, our values, and our compassion can shine through. Even in a moment, healing can happen through presence.

"Giving Care and Receiving Care" class

2012-01-04T11:38:00.000-06:00

Fairview Red Wing staff and providers are invited to register for a Spirituality and Healing class called "Giving Care and Receiving Care: Finding Balance for Life as a Caregiver." It is a one-day class that will be given on three different dates. You can select the day that works best for you:
Wednesday, January 25, 2012
Wednesday, March 14, 2012, or
Friday, May 4, 2012.
Class times are 8:00 a.m. - 4:30 p.m. There are 8 CEUs available for completion of this class.
We will meet at the Indigo Room, 325 Main Street, Red Wing.
There is no charge for this class - it is a gift from the Fairview Foundation. Lunch and coffee breaks are also provided. You will need to take a PTO day or come in on your day off in order to complete the class.

Our instructor is David Carlson, B.A., M.Div., S.T.M., A.C.P.E., formerly a Fairview chaplain, now affiliated with Allina, a master teacher of many health care staff who seek to live and work in a holistic manner. The objectives of the class are:
• To explore and identify the core values, beliefs and spiritual resources needed for holistic living personally and professionally.
•To explore the impact of our understanding of religion and spirituality on our practices.
•To identify personal and professional practices for comprehensive wellness and healing actions.
•To expand the understanding of cultural and lifestyle perspectives that others bring to their healing processes.
•To enhance our ability to utilize and engage others holistically for mutual life-giving balance.
•To strategize steps for leadership development for whole person services.

To register please call me at 651-267-5386 or e-mail khanso12@redwing.fairview.org

Teach Us to Number Our Days

2011-12-31T10:23:00.002-06:00

On this last day of 2011, I find myself reflecting on Psalm 90:12 "So teach us to number our days, that we may apply our hearts unto wisdom." It's a plea for awareness of the shortness and fragility of our lives. It's a prayer to live our lives each day with intentionality and purpose, applying ourselves to do that which God calls us to do - love the Lord with our whole being and love our neighbor as ourselves.

In our neck of the woods, a police officer, Shawn Schneider, just died after being shot in the head responding to a domestic disturbance in Lake City. He was only 32 years old. Ten years ago yesterday my dad died of ALS at the age of 71. I am thinking, too, of hospital patients and hospice clients who have died this past year.

Time is fleeting. What is lasting is the love expressed in word and deed. Love never ends. May you number all your days wisely, with love toward all. Happy New Year!

Spiritually Literate New Year's Resolutions

2011-12-30T09:24:00.000-06:00

Here is Frederic and Mary Ann Brussat's list of spiritual aspirations for 2012. They write at: Spirituality and Practice

Spiritually Literate New Year's Resolutions
1. I will live in the present moment. I will not obsess about the past or worry about the future.

2. I will cultivate the art of making connections. I will pay attention to how my life is intimately related to all life on the planet.

3. I will be thankful for all the blessings in my life. I will spell out my days with a grammar of gratitude.

4. I will practice hospitality in a world where too often strangers are feared, enemies are hated, and the "other" is shunned. I will welcome guests and alien ideas with graciousness.

5. I will seek liberty and justice for all. I will work for a free and a fair world.

6. I will add to the planet's fund of good will by practicing little acts of kindness, brief words of encouragement, and manifold expressions of courtesy.

7. I will cultivate the skill of deep listening. I will remember that all things in the world want to be heard, as do the many voices inside me.

8. I will practice reverence for life by seeing the sacred in, with, and under all things of the world.

9. I will give up trying to hide, deny, or escape from my imperfections. I will listen to what my shadow side has to say to me.

10. I will be willing to learn from the spiritual teachers all around me, however unlikely or unlike me they may be.

What's on your list?

New Year's Intentions

2011-12-29T13:35:00.000-06:00

Two women who call themselves The Shift Doctors - one is an M.D. and the other a Ph.D. - make an argument for doing intention-setting instead of making resolutions for the new year. I find it helpful to set an intention, visualizing it and energizing it every day with the choices I make and the priorities I set. Here is their website: Shift Your Life and here is some of what they have to say:

"You’ve got to want it: An effective intention cannot be half-hearted. It needs to be a want, not a should. Get in touch with your deepest self, and discover what it is that you want with all your heart. Then, affirm that or set that intention. What really matters is that you really desire it. The problem with so many traditional New Year’s resolutions is that they tend to be “shoulds” or “oughts” rather than true desires. They are often what we believe others such as spouses, parents, therapists, physicians or friends would want us to do such as diet, exercise, working harder, etc. New Year’s resolutions begin to be seen from a sense of duty, lacking and futility which makes following through with them have diminishing energy and sense of drudgery.

Suspend disbelief: When using New Year’s intentions or affirmations, you don’t have to believe that your affirmation is true right now – but you do have to believe in the possibility of getting what you want. If you allow that nay-saying voice in your head to negate the intention as soon as you say it, it won’t work.

Keep it short, to the point, and positive: The statement should be brief and in your own words, so that you can remember it easily when you need to focus. An affirmation or intention should also be expressed positively such as “I am the perfectly healthy being that I am meant to be” or “I am energized, fit and organized” or “I am happy” RATHER THAN: “I don’t want to have high blood sugar or be sick all the time” or “I will no longer be overweight, tired and I want to de-clutter” or”I’m not upset all the time”. If you think in the negative, then you place your emphasis on lack rather than on possibility, and the latter approach is the likelier to lead to success.

Write it and repeat it: Jot down your statement or intention and post it in a place where you can see it and energize it every day – on your mirror, your computer monitor, your refrigerator, or the dash of your car. You can just think it in your head, but nothing is more powerful than voicing it. Saying you intention out loud sends the vibration of your heartfelt desire out into the ethers for manifestation and implies a commitment that makes it more likely you’ll take actions to reach your goal. There is no magic number of times to invoke your phrase, but repetition helps to solidify it and bring it into reality."

Christmas Truce

2011-12-24T08:29:00.000-06:00

Here is a fictionalized account of the Christmas Truce that took place on this day in 1914. Many men on the Western Front actually laid down their arms, sang carols, even exchanged gifts and played games, as well as buried their dead who had fallen in No Man's Land. This took place only a few months into World War I. The war would rage on for four more bloody years. "The Christmas Truce" by Aaron Shepard

Christmas Day, 1914

My dear sister Janet,

It is 2:00 in the morning and most of our men are asleep in their dugouts—yet I could not sleep myself before writing to you of the wonderful events of Christmas Eve. In truth, what happened seems almost like a fairy tale, and if I hadn’t been through it myself, I would scarce believe it. Just imagine: While you and the family sang carols before the fire there in London, I did the same with enemy soldiers here on the battlefields of France!

As I wrote before, there has been little serious fighting of late. The first battles of the war left so many dead that both sides have held back until replacements could come from home. So we have mostly stayed in our trenches and waited.

But what a terrible waiting it has been! Knowing that any moment an artillery shell might land and explode beside us in the trench, killing or maiming several men. And in daylight not daring to lift our heads above ground, for fear of a sniper’s bullet.

And the rain—it has fallen almost daily. Of course, it collects right in our trenches, where we must bail it out with pots and pans. And with the rain has come mud—a good foot or more deep. It splatters and cakes everything, and constantly sucks at our boots. One new recruit got his feet stuck in it, and then his hands too when he tried to get out—just like in that American story of the tar baby!

Through all this, we couldn’t help feeling curious about the German soldiers across the way. After all, they faced the same dangers we did, and slogged about in the same muck. What’s more, their first trench was only 50 yards from ours. Between us lay No Man’s Land, bordered on both sides by barbed wire—yet they were close enough we sometimes heard their voices.

Of course, we hated them when they killed our friends. But other times, we joked about them and almost felt we had something in common. And now it seems they felt the same.

Just yesterday morning—Christmas Eve Day—we had our first good freeze. Cold as we were, we welcomed it, because at least the mud froze solid. Everything was tinged white with frost, while a bright sun shone over all. Perfect Christmas weather.

During the day, there was little shelling or rifle fire from either side. And as darkness fell on our Christmas Eve, the shooting stopped entirely. Our first complete silence in months! We hoped it might promise a peaceful holiday, but we didn’t count on it. We’d been told the Germans might attack and try to catch us off guard.

I went to the dugout to rest, and lying on my cot, I must have drifted asleep. All at once my friend John was shaking me awake, saying, “Come and see! See what the Germans are doing!” I grabbed my rifle, stumbled out into the trench, and stuck my head cautiously above the sandbags.

I never hope to see a stranger and more lovely sight. Clusters of tiny lights were shining all along the German line, left and right as far as the eye could see.

“What is it?” I asked in bewilderment, and John answered, “Christmas trees!”

And so it was. The Germans had placed Christmas trees in front of their trenches, lit by candle or lantern like beacons of good will.

And then we heard their voices raised in song.

Stille nacht, heilige nacht . . . .

This carol may not yet be familiar to us in Britain, but John knew it and translated: “Silent night, holy night.” I’ve never heard one lovelier—or more meaningful, in that quiet, clear night, its dark softened by a first-quarter moon.

When the song finished, the men in our trenches applauded. Yes, British soldiers applauding Germans! Then one of our own men started singing, and we all joined in.

The first Nowell, the angel did say . . . .

In truth, we sounded not nearly as good as the Germans, with their fine harmonies. But they responded with enthusiastic applause of their own and then began another.

O Tannenbaum, o Tannenbaum . . . .

Then we replied.

O come all ye faithful . . . .

But this time they joined in, singing the same words in Latin.

Adeste fideles . . . .

British and German harmonizing across No Man’s Land! I would have thought nothing could be more amazing—but what came next was more so.

“English, come over!” we heard one of them shout. “You no shoot, we no shoot.”

There in the trenches, we looked at each other in bewilderment. Then one of us shouted jokingly, “You come over here.”

To our astonishment, we saw two figures rise from the trench, climb over their barbed wire, and advance unprotected across No Man’s Land. One of them called, “Send officer to talk.”

I saw one of our men lift his rifle to the ready, and no doubt others did the same—but our captain called out, “Hold your fire.” Then he climbed out and went to meet the Germans halfway. We heard them talking, and a few minutes later, the captain came back with a German cigar in his mouth!

“We’ve agreed there will be no shooting before midnight tomorrow,” he announced. “But sentries are to remain on duty, and the rest of you, stay alert.”

Across the way, we could make out groups of two or three men starting out of trenches and coming toward us. Then some of us were climbing out too, and in minutes more, there we were in No Man’s Land, over a hundred soldiers and officers of each side, shaking hands with men we’d been trying to kill just hours earlier!

Before long a bonfire was built, and around it we mingled—British khaki and German grey. I must say, the Germans were the better dressed, with fresh uniforms for the holiday.

Only a couple of our men knew German, but more of the Germans knew English. I asked one of them why that was.

“Because many have worked in England!” he said. “Before all this, I was a waiter at the Hotel Cecil. Perhaps I waited on your table!”

“Perhaps you did!” I said, laughing.

He told me he had a girlfriend in London and that the war had interrupted their plans for marriage. I told him, “Don’t worry. We’ll have you beat by Easter, then you can come back and marry the girl.”

He laughed at that. Then he asked if I’d send her a postcard he’d give me later, and I promised I would.

Another German had been a porter at Victoria Station. He showed me a picture of his family back in Munich. His eldest sister was so lovely, I said I should like to meet her someday. He beamed and said he would like that very much and gave me his family’s address.

Even those who could not converse could still exchange gifts—our cigarettes for their cigars, our tea for their coffee, our corned beef for their sausage. Badges and buttons from uniforms changed owners, and one of our lads walked off with the infamous spiked helmet! I myself traded a jackknife for a leather equipment belt—a fine souvenir to show when I get home.

Newspapers too changed hands, and the Germans howled with laughter at ours. They assured us that France was finished and Russia nearly beaten too. We told them that was nonsense, and one of them said, “Well, you believe your newspapers and we’ll believe ours.”

Clearly they are lied to—yet after meeting these men, I wonder how truthful our own newspapers have been. These are not the “savage barbarians” we’ve read so much about. They are men with homes and families, hopes and fears, principles and, yes, love of country. In other words, men like ourselves. Why are we led to believe otherwise?

As it grew late, a few more songs were traded around the fire, and then all joined in for—I am not lying to you—“Auld Lang Syne.” Then we parted with promises to meet again tomorrow, and even some talk of a football match.

I was just starting back to the trenches when an older German clutched my arm. “My God,” he said, “why cannot we have peace and all go home?”

I told him gently, “That you must ask your emperor.”

He looked at me then, searchingly. “Perhaps, my friend. But also we must ask our hearts.”

And so, dear sister, tell me, has there ever been such a Christmas Eve in all history? And what does it all mean, this impossible befriending of enemies?

For the fighting here, of course, it means regrettably little. Decent fellows those soldiers may be, but they follow orders and we do the same. Besides, we are here to stop their army and send it home, and never could we shirk that duty.

Still, one cannot help imagine what would happen if the spirit shown here were caught by the nations of the world. Of course, disputes must always arise. But what if our leaders were to offer well wishes in place of warnings? Songs in place of slurs? Presents in place of reprisals? Would not all war end at once?

All nations say they want peace. Yet on this Christmas morning, I wonder if we want it quite enough.

Your loving brother,
Tom

Merry Christmas

2011-12-22T11:15:00.000-06:00

Here's a Christmas verse from our very own friendly beast, Lily Puggles! We wish everyone grace and peace during this holy season!

"I," said the puggle, loyal and bright.

"I guarded Him through the long, dark night;

kissed Him awake at morning light."

"I," said the puggle, loyal and bright.

Merry Christmas to All!

Karen, Kathi and Lily Puggles

With Healing in its Wings

2011-12-21T13:00:00.004-06:00

For everyone who lights a candle against the dark this holy season
who wonders at the mystery of the coming of the light
who delights in the purifying sustained light in a Temple long ago
who celebrates the coming of the Word made flesh in the baby Jesus
who seeks to honor, revere and reflect the divine, the holy, the Righteous One, God Almighty
by doing the right thing
by loving God and serving your neighbor
by living in harmony with and caring for all creation

"the sun of righteousness shall rise, with healing in its wings," (Mal. 4:2)

may you have the gifts of grace, love and joy
in quiet reflection
in raucous family reunions
in worshipping communities
in hale and hearty gatherings with friends
in long walks at dusk
in celebrating cherished traditions and creating new ones
in gazing at warm glowing candlelight
in giving and receiving gifts
in loving and being loved.

All the blessings of the season to you and your loved ones!

Hanukkah is celebrated Dec. 20-28

2011-12-19T10:35:00.000-06:00

Hanukkah is a Jewish holiday celebrated for eight days and nights. It starts on the 25th of the Jewish month of Kislev, which coincides with late November-late December on the secular calendar.

In Hebrew, the word "hanukkah" means “dedication.” The name reminds us that this holiday commemorates the re-dedication of the holy Temple in Jerusalem following the Jewish victory over the Syrian-Greeks in 165 B.C.E., called the Maccabean Revolt. The Temple had been spiritually defiled by being used for the worship of foreign gods and also by practices such as sacrificing swine. Jewish troops were determined to purify the Temple by burning ritual oil in the Temple’s menorah for eight days. But to their dismay, they discovered that there was only one day's worth of oil left in the Temple. They lit the menorah anyway and to their surprise the small amount of oil lasted the full eight days.

This is the miracle of the Hanukkah oil that is celebrated every year when Jews light a special menorah for eight days. One candle is lit on the first night of Hanukkah, two on the second, and so on, until eight candles are lit.

According to Jewish law, Hanukkah is one of the less important Jewish holidays. However, Hanukkah has become much more popular in modern practice because of its proximity to Christmas.

This year, Hanukkah is celebrated from Dec. 20-28. Because many Jews live in predominately Christian societies, over time Hanukkah has become much more festive and Christmas-like. Jewish children receive gifts for Hanukkah – often one gift for each of the eight nights of the holiday. Many parents hope that by making Hanukkah extra special their children won't feel left out of all the Christmas festivities going on around them.

Every night during Hanukkah members of the family will gather around their menorahs and recite a blessing as part of the candle lighting ceremony: "Blessed are You, Lord our God, Ruler of the universe, who has sanctified us with Your commandments, and has commanded us to kindle the lights of Hanukkah."

Spinning the dreidel: A popular Hanukkah game is spinning the dreidel, which is a four-sided top with Hebrew letters written on each side.

Eating fried foods: Because Hanukkah celebrates the miracle of oil, it is traditional to eat fried foods such as latkes and sufganiyot during the holiday. Latkes are pancakes made out of potatoes and onions, which are fried in oil and then served with applesauce. Sufganiyot are jelly-filled donuts that are fried and sometimes dusted with confectioners’ sugar before eating.

"Hanukkah is not just some celebration of miracles performed in the past. Neither is it just a commemoration of righteous people who lived in the distant past. It is a guiding light for people from all walks of life, from all eras in time, to see through the darkness of their personal lives and to become a part of history. It is encouragement for those who face insurmountable odds as a result of personal history. It is a declaration that God will perform miracles for us when we courageously stand up for battle. It is inspiration for us to be our own Maccabees in waging our inner battle. It is also the knowledge that God is with us, even when we lose the battle." ---Yehoshua Starrett

Blue Christmas

2011-12-15T12:37:00.001-06:00

I spoke with a woman recently who was dreading Thanksgiving after her husband died earlier this year. Instead of the happy family gathering she and her husband had hosted for so many years, she was convinced that this year would be awful and that she would be a basket case. She was certain she couldn't handle it. She decided to talk with her family about an alternative plan to celebrate the holiday - one of her children offered to host a meal at their house instead. It turned out the holiday wasn't as bad as feared! There were moments of sadness as expected when you're grieving the loss of someone close. But there were also moments of joy and laughter as grandma and her kids and grandkids simply enjoyed the gift of being together, still a family, but definitely different than what they had known. Holidays and family gatherings can be especially difficult for people who are grieving. Here are some tips from helpguide.org to consider as you plan for the holidays and beyond:

When you’re grieving, it’s more important than ever to take care of yourself. The stress of a major loss can quickly deplete your energy and emotional reserves. Looking after your physical and emotional needs will help you get through this difficult time.

1- Face your feelings. You can try to suppress your grief, but you can’t avoid it forever. In order to heal, you have to acknowledge the pain. Trying to avoid feelings of sadness and loss only prolongs the grieving process. Unresolved grief can also lead to complications such as depression, anxiety, substance abuse, and health problems.

2- Express your feelings in a tangible or creative way. Write about your loss in a journal. If you’ve lost a loved one, write a letter saying the things you never got to say; make a scrapbook or photo album celebrating the person’s life; or get involved in a cause or organization that was important to him or her.

3- Look after your physical health. The mind and body are connected. When you feel good physically, you’ll also feel better emotionally. Combat stress and fatigue by getting enough sleep, eating right, and exercising. Don’t use alcohol or drugs to numb the pain of grief or lift your mood artificially.

4- Don’t let anyone tell you how to feel, and don’t tell yourself how to feel either. Your grief is your own, and no one else can tell you when it’s time to “move on” or “get over it.” Let yourself feel whatever you feel without embarrassment or judgment. It’s okay to be angry, to yell at the heavens, to cry or not to cry. It’s also okay to laugh, to find moments of joy, and to let go when you’re ready.

5- Plan ahead for grief “triggers.” Anniversaries, holidays, and milestones can reawaken memories and feelings. Be prepared for an emotional wallop, and know that it’s completely normal. If you’re sharing a holiday or lifecycle event with other relatives, talk to them ahead of time about their expectations and agree on strategies to honor the person you loved.

Winter Solstice

2011-12-13T16:04:00.000-06:00

Some people love these dark, dank December days. I'm not one of them, though I do love all the bright lights on trees these days. Won't be long until winter solstice and the rebirth of the sun and gradual lengthening of days. It is a spiritually enriching time of dwelling in and savoring the darkness and giving thanks for the coming of the light.

The winter solstice marks the shortest day and the longest night of the year. The sun appears at its lowest point in the sky, and its noontime elevation appears to be the same for several days before and after the solstice. Hence the origin of the word solstice, which comes from Latin solstitium, from sol, "sun" and -stitium, "a stoppage." Following the winter solstice, the days begin to grow longer and the nights shorter.

WINTER'S ENTRANCE
As days shrink
to the size of a small doorway,
darkness dominates
like a protective dome
in the star arched sky.

We frenzied town dwellers
seek security
in hyperactivity:
buy bigger presents,
indulge in more parties.

Beyond the entrance we call ‘Winter’
lies a quiet space, empty
but for a single candle
whose light increases
as dreams and hopes
fuel its incandescence.
Step softly within
where the calm communion
of sitting with silence,
shining with light
brings long sought oneness.

Kaaren Whitney
Winter Solstice 2006

Progressive muscle relaxation for stress relief

2011-12-12T16:51:00.001-06:00

I admit it - I'm very stressed. Tonight I plan to spend time on the elliptical and do some relaxation exercises like this one from helpguide.org

"Progressive muscle relaxation involves a two-step process in which you systematically tense and relax different muscle groups in the body.
With regular practice, progressive muscle relaxation gives you an intimate familiarity with what tension—as well as complete relaxation—feels like in different parts of the body. This awareness helps you spot and counteract the first signs of the muscular tension that accompanies stress. And as your body relaxes, so will your mind. You can combine deep breathing with progressive muscle relaxation for an additional level of stress relief.

Before practicing progressive muscle relaxation, consult with your doctor if you have a history of muscle spasms, back problems, or other serious injuries that may be aggravated by tensing muscles.
Most progressive muscle relaxation practitioners start at the feet and work their way up to the face. For a sequence of muscle groups to follow, see below.

Loosen your clothing, take off your shoes, and get comfortable.

Take a few minutes to relax, breathing in and out in slow, deep breaths.

When you’re relaxed and ready to start, shift your attention to your right foot. Take a moment to focus on the way it feels.

Slowly tense the muscles in your right foot, squeezing as tightly as you can. Hold for a count of 10.

Relax your right foot. Focus on the tension flowing away and the way your foot feels as it becomes limp and loose.

Stay in this relaxed state for a moment, breathing deeply and slowly.

When you’re ready, shift your attention to your left foot. Follow the same sequence of muscle tension and release.

Move slowly up through your body, contracting and relaxing the muscle groups as you go.

It may take some practice at first, but try not to tense muscles other than those intended.

Progressive Muscle Relaxation Sequence
The most popular sequence runs as follows:
Right foot*
Left foot
Right calf
Left calf
Right thigh
Left thigh
Hips and buttocks
Stomach
Chest
Back
Right arm and hand
Left arm and hand
Neck and shoulders
Face
* If you are left-handed you may want to begin with your left foot instead.

Home for the Holidays

2011-12-09T12:10:00.001-06:00

Being at home for the holidays can be stressful. WebMD has some advice on going with the flow and dealing with stressful situations: read more HERE

"Focus on the holiday stresses that you can control. That includes making different plans and changing your responses to situations. Here are four key don’ts for the holidays.

Don’t do the same old thing. If the usual family gathering is causing holiday stress, try something else. If you’re too overwhelmed to host, discuss other possibilities with family members. Maybe a sibling could have the dinner this year.

Don’t expect miracles. If your holiday anxiety stems from a deeper history of family conflict, don’t expect that you’ll be able to resolve any big underlying issues now. Sure, it’s supposed to be a season of forgiveness and good will. But in the midst of a hectic holiday season, you can’t pin your hopes on leading family members to big emotional breakthroughs. You may be better off focusing on your own state of mind and confronting difficult issues during a less volatile time of year.

Don’t overdo it. To reduce holiday stress, you have to pace yourself. Long before the family gatherings actually happen, decide on some limits and stick to them. Stay one or two nights at your parents’ house instead of three or four. Plan to drop by the holiday party for a couple of hours instead of staying all night.

Don’t worry about how things should be. “There’s a lot of cultural pressure during the holidays,” says Duckworth. “We tend to compare ourselves with these idealized notions of perfect families and perfect holidays.” But in fact, most people have less than perfect holiday gatherings -- they have family tension, melancholy, and dry turkey too. If you have negative feelings, don’t try to deny them. Remember that there’s nothing wrong or shameful or unusual about feeling down during the holidays.

Clinical Health Care Chaplains

2011-12-07T10:38:00.000-06:00

An article in the Wall Street Journal highlights the growing roles of chaplains within health care as more and more we understand and appreciate spiritual dimensions of health and healing. Trained chaplains are, of course, the core people doing this work in health care settings. But all of us in health care should be tuned to listen and respond to our patients' and families' basic spiritual needs. Here is the link to the WSJ article: Bigger Roles for Chaplains on Patient Medical Teams

A study published online in July in the Journal of General Internal Medicine found that among 3,000 patients hospitalized over a three-year period at the University of Chicago Medical Center, 41% wanted a discussion of religious and spiritual concerns, yet only half of that group reported having one.

Patients who had a spiritual discussion reported being more satisfied with their overall care, whether or not they said they had desired it.
.............

Of all the medical treatments that cause extreme pain and deadly risk in pursuit of a cure, few are more daunting than a bone-marrow or stem-cell transplant to treat leukemia, lymphoma and other diseases. Patients get high doses of chemotherapy and radiation to kill cancer cells; then healthy cells are administered intravenously in hopes of building a strong new immune system. Even when it works, patients can suffer terrible side effects, dangerous infections and long-term physical limitations.

On the encouraging side, studies have shown that many transplant patients experience enhanced appreciation for life, re-ordered priorities, increased empathy and higher self-esteem. Yet they also often report lower spiritual well-being. "Negative religious coping"—feeling angry, unloved or abandoned by God, or doubting one's beliefs—has been associated with anxiety, depression and poorer social and emotional well-being.

Experts say attending to one's spirituality—be it with yoga, prayer, meditation, music or putting others first—may help turn spiritual struggle into an opportunity for growth.

The Solace of Music

2011-12-06T09:20:00.000-06:00

Minnesota Public Radio's Cathy Wurzer has a story about Bruce Kramer, a dean at the College of St. Thomas, who was diagnosed with ALS, "Lou Gehrig's disease," one year ago. Bruce has also been a church choir director for many years and his passion for music is a healing balm for him as he copes with the effects of this devastating disease. Here is a link to Cathy's story: Music Adds Some Solace to Bruce Kramer's Journey through ALS

A year into his diagnosis, Kramer says he can tell exactly where he's weakening. "It is a very personal disease. Each person will get it where they get it and then it will move at the speed it will move for that person. For me, it presented at first in my left foot with just a dropped foot. My left leg is very, very weak. My right leg has started to weaken." Now, music and directing a choir, as the condition works its course, offers him some solace.
"I'm tired. I find myself as I'm standing and I'm trying to hold my hands out, I feel my right hand shaking a little bit and I have to really concentrate to hold it steady. But at the same time, once it starts it's not about me anymore, is it? It's about the music. "
These days, Kramer always keeps a cane nearby. When he directs the choir, the cane rests near his music stand. It serves as a sort of tangible sign of how his life has changed in just a few short months. And in the coming weeks and months, Kramer will open a window on his world coping with ALS, bringing Morning Edition along for the journey.
The disease "makes you focus on the fact that yes, there's the past, and yes, there's the future but this is now," he said. "Probably the greatest gift I've learned from ALS is to try and live in the moment no matter what it is and no matter how bad or how good, to try and live in that moment."

Breakpoint Conversations

2011-12-05T09:09:00.000-06:00

In "The New Old Age" blog in the NY Times, an interesting post about the importance of what the Swedes call the "breakpoint" conversation - directly discussing the need to shift from curative to hospice care. Read more here: A Conversation Many Doctors Won't Have

"At Home and Hospice Care of Rhode Island, where she’s a medical director, Dr. Joan Teno has grown accustomed to patients being admitted with no clear understanding of their condition or prognosis. “The oncologist has told them, ‘It’s time to take a holiday from chemo,’” she said. “It’s a way not to have a conversation he or she finds hard to do.”
So the hospice staff has to explain, compassionately but directly, what the physician didn’t say: that chemotherapy isn’t working. That the cancer isn’t curable or effectively treatable. That death is near.
Is this too scary a discussion? Too apt to cause the patient grief or fear, or torpedo the family’s hopes?
A Swedish study of patients with terminal cancer, just published in The Journal of Clinical Oncology, provides a solid argument to the contrary.
“In Sweden, we have what we call a breakpoint conversation, a communication about the transition to end-of-life care,” Dr. Gunilla Lundquist, a palliative care specialist at Umea University and lead author of the study, told me in an interview. At the breakpoint, the goal changes from prolonging life to providing comfort and physical, psychological and spiritual support. “It can be days, it can be weeks, even months until death, but you know it’s a short time,” Dr. Lundquist said.
______

"In this country, we tiptoe around the D-word until so late in the game that even now, when more than 40 percent of Americans die under hospice care, about half do so within two weeks of admission. Even expert hospice teams can’t provide many of the elements of a good death — and they believe there is such a thing — in mere days.
We can blame some of this evasiveness on physicians, trained to save lives. But families bear some responsibility, too; they may not seek or seem to welcome a frank assessment. Either way, while many patients do have breakpoint conversations, ignorance often rules.

St. Olaf Christmas Festival

2011-12-02T09:40:00.001-06:00

Last evening, we made our annual pilgrimage to St. Olaf College in Northfield for the Christmas Festival. This year's version is the 100th in the history of the school and it did not disappoint. Music, for me, has always been a healing balm and my soul took it all in once again and was uplifted by the beautiful, well-crafted program of song, readings, and hymn-singing, "Rejoice, Give Thanks, and Sing." Highlights were songs by Britten, Vaughan Williams, Bach, the many Christmas carols, compositions by Steve Amundson and arrangements by John Ferguson and Christopher Aaspas, and of course classic hymn settings by F. Melius Christiansen, founder of the St. Olaf Choir and the Christmas Festival.

Minnesota Public Radio will be presenting the Festival live on classical 99.5 (or streaming online) this Sunday, Dec. 4 at 3 p.m. Public tv is also putting an hour-long program together that airs starting on Tuesday evening, Dec. 20. Here's more on the festival from MPR:

St. Paul, Minn. — Alison Young, Join me this Sunday at 3:00 p.m. for the 100th anniversary performance of St. Olaf Christmas live from St. Olaf College in Northfield, MN

It was a century ago when a Norwegian immigrant named F. Melius Christiansen created this special program at St. Olaf College. His intention was simply to bring together students and faculty - friends and family and maybe a few locals - to take a break from the stress of the holidays and contemplate in word and song the Christmas story - and maybe capture some of the awe and wonder of the time that can often get lost in all the seasonal activity.

Anton Armstrong is the Artistic Director of the festival and tells me that he hopes that the festival can deliver a kind of message, though what that might be is up to us.

"We offer people an opportunity to come in out of crazy lives, hectic moments, and take a moment to sit back and reflect on the good things in their lives, those things in which they struggle, and allow the music to be a healing balm."

Now celebrating its centennial, this festival is no longer simply a Christmas Program, but an expanded festival concert that is carefully planned for nearly a year the minute the last year's festival has ended.

Christopher Aaspas is a graduate of St. Olaf College and heads up the St. Olaf Chapel Choir and Viking Chorus. He says planning this particular year's festival required a lot of looking back and contemplating where they've been and where they're going as a College.

"It's hard to imagine what it must have been like 100 years ago. What was life like not only in this country, but at St. Olaf College? We've come far, especially as a college with a rich Norwegian heritage, as a college of the church, as a college that is seeking as a liberal arts institution to really enable whole human beings to fulfill lives of worth and service. And then to have this celebration of 100 years of the Christmas festival. It's a really rewarding process."

What you'll hear Sunday afternoon are five choirs - including the freshmen men's Viking Chorus; freshman women's Manitou Singers; the largest choir at St. Olaf, the Chapel Choir; Cantorei, a group of both singers and instrumentalists and the famed 75-member a capella St. Olaf Choir, plus a full symphony orchestra.

Pulling together all these forces in a celebration is hard work, but John Ferguson who conducts, arranges and plays organ tells me it's worth it for the students.

"One of the things that the Christmas festival experience does for our students is suggest they understand better the notion of what it means to try and do something well. And I think this transcends into all kinds of things, not just music making. It's a little bit like an onion. You peel away one layer and then you discover there's another layer, and another layer. And so you keep working, trying to polish and perfect and perceive better what it is that you're about. And I think that's a very special gift."

The gift John Ferguson speaks of is something that changes us. The concert is not just entertainment. It's a kind of spiritual journey taking us from the expectation of Advent, to that holiest of moments when Christ was born in a lowly stable to the shouts of exultation and joy from a heavenly chorus. Anton Armstrong again sums it up better than anybody.
"There is this moment, and for people whether they've been coming to this event for 60 or 70 years, whether they're a first timer - they come out of this transformed. They are different people when they entered 90 minutes earlier, and if that is our gift to them, then all the hard work these years, all these gray hairs is well worth it."

Dave's Story On Fox 6 Milwaukee

2011-11-25T09:13:00.002-06:00

Link to Dave's Fox 6 Milwaukee story that I told in "Healing Football" below:

Click here for the video:
Dave Hanson, Assistant Waterford Football Coach

Dave coaches son, Erik and teammates

Now Thank We All Our God

2011-11-23T11:04:00.001-06:00

This is my all-time favorite Thanksgiving hymn. We will be singing it tonight, Thanksgiving Eve, at United Lutheran, Red Wing. I'll play the Sigfrid Karg-Elert festival setting as the postlude. Here's some info on the hymn from Wikipedia.

"'Now thank we all our God' is a popular Christian hymn. It is a translation from the German 'Nun danket alle Gott,' written circa 1636 by Martin Rinkart (1586–1649), which in turn was inspired by Sirach, chapter 50 verses 22–24, from the praises of Simon the high priest. It was translated into English in the 19th Century by Catherine Winkworth.

Martin Rinkart was a Lutheran minister who came to Eilenburg, Saxony at the beginning of the Thirty Years War. The walled city of Eilenberg became the refuge for political and military fugitives, but the result was overcrowding, and deadly pestilence and famine. Armies overran it three times. The Rinkart home was a refuge for the victims, even though he was often hard-pressed to provide for his own family. During the height of a severe plague in 1637, Rinkart was the only surviving pastor in Eilenberg, conducting as many as 50 funerals in a day. He performed more than 4000 funerals in that year, including that of his wife.

During this time, Rinkart was a prolific hymn writer. In Rinkart's "Jesu Hertz-Buchlein" (Leipzig, Germany: 1636), the hymn appears under the title "Tisch-Gebetlein," or a short prayer before meals. The exact date of "Nun danket alle Gott" is in question, but it is known that it was widely sung by the time the Treaty of Westphalia was signed in 1648.

The tune for "Now thank we all our God" is the Leuthen Chorale and is attributed to Johann Crüger and written circa 1647, is used in J.S. Bach's BWV 386 and BWV 657. The now-standard harmonisation was devised by Felix Mendelssohn in 1840 when he adopted the hymn, sung in the now-standard key of F major and with its original German lyrics, as the chorale to his second symphony, known as the Lobgesang or Hymn of Praise. Also, the Late-Romantic German composer Sigfrid Karg-Elert is one of the more recent composers to use this hymn, composing a 'Marche Triomphale' which is a famous piece in the classical pipe organ repertoire. After the Battle of Leuthen in the Seven Years' War, a soldier of the victorious Prussian army started to sing it, and soon all 25,000 joined in the hymn.

It is often used in Christian weddings and other joyous religious ceremonies, and in Germany it is sung on occasions of national thanksgiving."

Now thank we all our God, with heart and hands and voices,
Who wondrous things has done, in Whom this world rejoices;
Who from our mothers’ arms has blessed us on our way
With countless gifts of love, and still is ours today.

O may this bounteous God through all our life be near us,
With ever joyful hearts and blessèd peace to cheer us;
And keep us in His grace, and guide us when perplexed;
And free us from all ills, in this world and the next!

All praise and thanks to God the Father now be given;
The Son and Him Who reigns with Them in highest Heaven;
The one eternal God, whom earth and Heaven adore;
For thus it was, is now, and shall be evermore.

Here is a John Rutter arrangement of the hymn. Happy Thanksgiving, everyone!

Healing Football

2011-11-22T10:02:00.001-06:00

I am grateful this Thanksgiving week that there are many paths to healing. The paths are sacred if they tap into your best self, your connection with the divine, that which gives meaning and purpose to your life, that which upholds your highest values. For some, football is a healing path. I know for a fact it has been this Fall for my brother Dave and his family.

Let me explain. Dave Hanson is a wonderful husband and father, a lifelong member of Norway Lutheran, Wind Lake, Wisconsin, and a lifelong resident of our Hanson Homestead farm, where he built a home for his family probably 19 years ago or so. He is an enterprising businessman, a creative artist, and the kind of guy who will dive right in to whatever needs to be done and get it done. He is also a fine athlete, having quarterbacked his high school football team, and having coached football and basketball throughout his two sons' youth. Now his youngest, Erik, is a high school senior starting defensive end and tight end for the Waterford Wolverines. Just when football workouts began this summer, Dave's advanced prostate cancer began progressing and he started another round of chemo.

The other piece of this story is that this spring a new football coach came to town. In his first meeting with players and parents, Adam Bakken made it clear that a repeat of last year's sorry season, when the team went 3-6 and lost its last 5 games in Southern Lakes Conference play, was not an option. He knew the team had lots of talent to build upon. He said he expects his team to work hard all summer in the weight room, go to as many football camps as possible, and expect to be challenged physically, mentally, and emotionally to the limit. Coach Bakken asked Dave to be an assistant coach and Dave readily agreed, saying of Bakken, "This guy is 'all in.' It's going to be a great season."

And it has been great. Their first game they blew out Brown Deer. Their second game, which I witnessed, they knocked out perennial powerhouse Mequon Homestead 17-15, winning on a field goal late in the 4th quarter. And it's gone on from there, they just kept getting better and better, more mentally tough, physically stronger, more cohesive as a team. Coach Bakken and his staff scouted the opposition's films until their eyes were bleary, but the game plans developed got the job done and instilled even more confidence in the team, knowing they had the tools they needed to be successful. In the end, they accomplished more than any other Waterford football team, finishing as co-champs of the Southern Lakes conference and winning 4 playoff games, elevating their record to 12-1, taking them to the Division II state championship game for the first time in the program's history.

Erik gets another tackle.

Dave has relished every moment of this football season, being at practice, scouting the opposition, working the sidelines during the game, sharing every moment up close and personal with Erik and his talented team. Dave's wife, Deanna, has been involved every step of the way, too, not only supporting Dave in the ups and downs of his healing journey, but supporting Erik and his teammates by feeding them pasta dinners every Thursday evening and hosting overnights for some of Erik's teammates after the games where they could re-live the game and recover in the hot tub!

Dave received more rounds of chemo earlier this Fall, and when it was found the cancer was still progressing, he enrolled in a clinical trial at the Mayo Clinic, testing a promising immunotherapy drug, hoping that it will boost his own immune system to knock down the cancer. Dave hasn't felt great many days, but he still has gone to work, he still has gone to almost every practice and all the games. He could forget about the illness, the knot in the pit of his stomach, the dread of this disease, and just enjoy the moment and enjoy sharing the experience with his son and his family and friends, all of whom have gone to every game we possibly could.

On Friday, Nov. 18, at 1 p.m., Camp Randall Stadium, Madison, the Waterford Wolverines played for the Division II Championship against the Waunakee Warriors. Unfortunately, we were shut out and Waunakee 3-peated as Division II state champions. But Waterford brought home the silver ball. It was the farthest any football team in Waterford's history has gotten! We are all bursting with pride for the job these guys have done. No one was prouder than Dave.

Dave with trophy, Erik is on the far right.

The local Fox News affiliate in Milwaukee did a story on Dave and Erik's season and filmed them in action during the championship game on Friday. The piece aired on Friday night's 9:00 news. In the story, Erik said that he has loved having his dad help coach the team. He honors his dad every game by wearing his blue gloves (blue is the color for men's health). Dave said that it has been fantastic to be a part of this team and that he hopes to continue to coach next year. His attitude continues to inspire me: "A lot of people are living full lives with cancer, and that's what I'm planning to do, too."

To cap off the healing football weekend, Dave and Deanna were guests of a friend who took them to their suite at Lambeau Field on Sunday to see the Packers beat the Bucs. In a lottery, Dave and Deanna also won the opportunity to be on the field during the pre-game warmups. Dave was in football heaven! Today he receives infusion #2 at the Mayo. Love and prayers, Dave, and congrats to all the boys of November!

Dave, Erik, and Deanna Hanson

How to help people who are grieving

2011-11-17T09:08:00.000-06:00

Here are some great suggestions for helping people through grief. Written from a Lutheran Christian perspective, as found on the LivingLutheran (ELCA) web pages:

Prayer. As Christians we receive care from God as well as from others. Offering prayer for people who are grieving is one of the most powerful ways of communicating to them that they are receiving support from their faith community and from God.

Attend funerals and memorials. Funerals and memorials are occasions for the church community to gather to hear the word of God, to be nurtured by God’s love and promises and to offer support. If the service is difficult to attend due to time or location, help the congregation to send a small group to the service.

Being quietly present with people who are grieving is a tremendous gift to give. It may be very difficult to do. To be truly present is to let the grieving person determine how she or he will express loss.

Active listening. There is the temptation to overload people who are grieving with advice or your beliefs to relieve the pain. Active listening is a willingness to hear what the grieving person is expressing even if it may not be what you feel.

Be age/maturity sensitive. Everyone experiences losses but no one grieves the same. Children vary according to age and ability to understand death. Be sensitive about using images about death that young children can apply to themselves or may misunderstand such as, ‘sleeping’ or ‘God called them home.’ Include them in the grieving process even though they may not participate in it.

Offer care of routine needs through your designated church group or pastor. Providing meals, babysitting, watering the lawn or feeding pets can relieve the grieving person from routine tasks and allow energy to be used for grieving or other tasks that need to be accomplished.

Recognize their loss. Send a card to convey your sympathy. When you see a grieving person for the first time, convey your sympathy. The grieving person may not want to talk about it and that needs to be respected too.

Invite people who are grieving to church activities. If the grieving person has lost someone who attended activities with him or her, invite that person to continue attending the activity.
People who are grieving can feel lost in relating to others without their loved ones. You may also like to invite them to something new as they begin to redefine their identity.

Provide a support group in your congregation or refer to a support group at a pastoral counseling center. It may be a comfort to share feelings with others who have similar experiences. Home hospice care may offer grief groups in your area.

Death in other ways. People can experience the death of a dream, a relationship, a job or other losses. Sometimes it is more of a challenge to care for people who are grieving the loss of something other than a person known to the congregation. Although the opportunity to attend the funeral or memorial service is missing, the remaining opportunities of ministry are still available.

Anniversary of the death. The anniversary of the death of a loved one can accentuate the loss once again. Memories and events are recalled and may cause more grieving. The pastor and/or members of the congregation may be helpful as they remember the loved one and cherish those who grieve.

HCMC Trailblazers

2011-11-14T09:42:00.000-06:00

Great to see this article in the StarTribune this morning about the excellent results coming from a small coordinated care clinic within Hennepin County Medical Center in downtown Minneapolis. Managing a pot of Medicaid money to keep patients well and out of the hospital. "Nothing in our toolbox fits, so we need a new set of tools."

The first thing people see when they enter the small clinic inside the Hennepin County Medical Center is Sarah Bruemmer's smile. And that's by design."I know their stories, and they know mine," said Bruemmer, the receptionist and "patient care guide" at HCMC's Coordinated Care Center in downtown Minneapolis. It seems obvious, having a receptionist who recognizes patients and greets them by name. But Bruemmer is part of a trailblazing effort taking shape across Hennepin County, in which clinics are using an intensely personal approach to keep the poorest and neediest patients from bouncing in and out of the hospital. Teams of social workers and case managers have set up shop at places like HCMC's Coordinated Care Clinic to focus on getting patients the social services they need -- such as housing, transportation or mental health care.

The Four Things

2011-11-11T09:25:00.000-06:00

Here is an excerpt from the introduction to The Four Things That Matter Most, written by palliative care and hospice doctor, Ira Byock. His website is DyingWell.org. I find his writing to be wise and wonderful, helping people to grow spiritually even in the final phase of life.

Please forgive me. I forgive you. Thank you. I love you.

These four simple statements are powerful tools for improving your relationships and your life. As a doctor caring for seriously ill patients for nearly 15 years of emergency medicine practice and more than 25 years in hospice and palliative care, I have taught hundreds of patients who were facing life’s end, when suffering can be profound, to say the Four Things. But the Four Things apply at any time. Comprising just eleven words, these four short sentences carry the core wisdom of what people who are dying have taught me about what matters most in life.
Ask a man who is being wheeled into transplant surgery or a woman facing chemotherapy for the third time what’s on his or her mind and the answer will always involve the people they love. Always.
The specter of death reveals our relationships to be our most precious possessions. I’ve lost count of the number of times I’ve met people in my office, an emergency room, or a hospice program who have expressed deep regret over things they wish they had said before a grandparent, parent, sibling, or friend died. They can’t change what was, but without fail their regrets have fueled a healthy resolve to say what needs to be said before it’s too late – to clear away hurt feelings, to connect in profound ways with the people who mean the most to them.
Everyone knows that all relationships, even the most loving, have occasional rough spots. We assume that the people we love know that we love them, even if we’ve had our disagreements and tense moments. Yet when someone we love dies suddenly, we often have gnawing doubts.
We are all sons or daughters, whether we are six years of age or ninety-six. Even the most loving parent-child relationship can feel forever incomplete if your mother or father dies without having explicitly expressed affection for you or without having acknowledged past tensions. I’ve learned from my patients and their families about the painful regret that comes from not speaking these most basic feelings. Again and again, I’ve witnessed the value of stating the obvious. When you love someone, it is never too soon to say “I love you,” or premature to say “Thank you,” “I forgive you,” or “Will you please forgive me?” When there is nothing of profound importance left unsaid, relationships tend to take on an aspect of celebration, as they should.
A deep, natural drive to connect with others lies at the heart of what it means to be human. The Four Things can help you discover opportunities to enliven all your important relationships—with your children, parents, relatives, and close friends. You need not wait until you or someone you love is seriously ill. By taking the time and by caring enough to express forgiveness, gratitude, and affection, you can renew and revitalize your most precious connections.

The Practice of Good-bye

It’s been said that life is a sexually transmitted condition with a terminal prognosis. Having worked for years in close proximity to death, I have come to understand viscerally that we live every moment on the brink. We are, each one of us, at every moment, a heartbeat away from death. Seen against the backdrop of our certain mortality, our differences are dwarfed by our commonality – and the importance we hold for one another.
The stories in The Four Things That Matter Most are drawn from the experiences of people who have stood at death's door, and from their loved ones who learned to use the Four Things in their own daily lives. These stories inspire us to open to the potential for emotional wholeness at any moment in our lives – even in our most troubled relationships.
When I work with people who are approaching the end of life, I emphasize the value of saying the Four Things and I also encourage them to say good-bye. The Four Things offer essential wisdom for completing a lifelong relationship before a final parting. Thankfully, not all good-byes are final – but good-byes can be meaningful. It’s important to say good-bye in a way that affirms our relationship and acknowledges our connection to one another.
The word "good-bye" derives from "God be with you," a blessing that was traditionally given at parting and, in some churches, still is. The protection and God’s help of presence and guidance can be requested whether two people expect to be separated a few hours or forever. In leaving nothing unsaid, we can recapture this original meaning, so that, in saying good-bye, we are actually blessing one another in our daily interactions as well as when we face major life challenges or crises. It only takes a moment to shift the way you say good-bye from a reflex to a conscious practice. Your good-bye and your blessing can become treasured gifts to other people as you part.

Expanding the Realm of the Possible

Our world is bounded by our imagination. This may sound philosophical, but I mean it in a most practical, tangible sense. Helen Keller once wrote, "Worse than being blind would be to be able to see but not have any vision." When a formerly cherished relationship is marred by unkindness, bitterness, or betrayal, we may assume that healing is beyond our grasp, but this assumption can create a self-fulfilling prophecy. Do you really want to have such a limitation on your vision for your life?
The extraordinary experiences of the people whose stories I tell in this book demonstrate that healing and wholeness are always possible. Even after years of alienation, of harsh criticism, rejection, or frustration, you can establish – or re-establish – authentic understanding and appreciation of others with the help of the Four Things. Even as people confront death (their own or others’), they can reach out to express love, gratitude, and forgiveness. When they do, they consistently find that they, and everyone involved, are transformed—for the rest of their life, whether those lives last for decades or just days. Stories and experiences of people who have courageously used the Four Things enlarge our vision and imagination, expanding the realm of the possible for us all.

Restoring Closeness

The Four Things are powerful tools for reconciling the rifts that divide us and restoring the closeness we innately desire. When bad feelings occur in our close relationships, we tend to put off the work required to make things right. We always assume we’ll have another chance…later. That’s understandable, but it’s a mistake. Feeling resentful toward the people we love, or once loved, feeling distant from them, erodes our own happiness.
A brush with death often instills in us a newfound appreciation for the gift of life. Simple pleasures – a cup of tea, sunshine on one’s face, the voices of our children – feel like miracles. When we’ve had a close call that shakes us up, the anger we’ve felt toward people closest to us no longer seems significant. Ill will dissolves in love, appreciation, and affection, and we recognize the urgency of mending, tending, and celebrating our relationships.
Because accidents and sudden illness do happen, it is never too soon to express forgiveness, to say thank you and I love you to the people who have been an integral or intimate part of our lives, and say good-bye as a blessing. These simple words hold essential wisdom for transforming that which matters most in our lives – our relationships with the people we love.

Good Grief

2011-11-07T10:45:00.000-06:00

At a grief conference today with lots of nurses, social workers, clergy, counselors, and psychologists - seasoned travelers who meet the bereaved on a steep path and help trace the path home. It's good work, for many of us a "calling."

Travelers

By Robert Niemeyer

You know the lucky thing about my hip replacement?
she asked, not waiting for the answer.
It made me think about advance directives,
my living will, how I’d like to die.

Yeah, he said, her colleague
who chatted amiably with death
each day, like two old men
playing checkers in the park.
I know what you mean.

This is how it is
with the nurses, doctors, therapists
who walk down the halls of dying
as through the home of a relative,
pausing to leaf through the Geographic,
or straighten a family photograph on the wall.

They have earned their ease
the hard way,
learned to reach through the bramble
to find the fruit, add weight
to the rusty pail.

They have not so much grown inured
to pain as they have learned to savor it,
taste the sweetness in the grapefruit’s bite,
feel the glow of a day’s hard toil.

In the end, we need them
as we need seasoned travelers
met in an unfamiliar land.
They greet us on the steep trail,
in the twisting streets, point the way
to a good taverna, trace the path home.
Most of all, they help us
parse the dark syllables in our hearts,
bare them,

and seek cleansing
in the gathering storm.

Changes coming to Fairview Red Wing

2011-11-05T19:16:00.000-05:00

After weeks of speculation, Thursday it was announced that Fairview Red Wing Health Services is formally beginning talks about entering a long-term relationship with Mayo Health Services. Here is the information from our CEO Scott Wordelman on the process just approved by the three parties involved - Fairview Red Wing, Fairview, and Mayo:

Fairview Red Wing, Mayo to explore formal relationship
In 2009 the Fairview Red Wing Board of Directors began a two-year strategic planning process. Today, I want you to know that Fairview Red Wing Health Services, Fairview Health Services and Mayo Clinic Health System agreed this week to begin a comprehensive process to evaluate whether a more formal relationship between Mayo and Red Wing could better serve the health care needs of the region in the future. This potentially would end Red Wing’s current affiliation with Fairview Health Services. The evaluation process will be thorough and extensive, taking several months to complete.
The Fairview Red Wing Health Services Board of Directors together with the Medical Practice Committee, comprised of physicians at the Medical Center, has been diligently evaluating how to best assure a strong future for Fairview Red Wing Health Services and for health care in Red Wing and the communities we serve.
With payer, consumer and provider expectations all changing, the Board has been asking tough questions about how to best ensure that the communities we serve continue to have access to high quality, sustainable health care services in the future and that our organization can thrive and grow.
Fairview Health Services has been an exceptional partner since 1997. Their support and investments have allowed Fairview Red Wing to grow and flourish as a regional health care system. We have been working in partnership with Fairview Health Services leadership throughout this process to assure that our organization continues to grow and thrive.
We work closely with Mayo Clinic Health System; providing surgical outreach services in Lake City and Cannon Falls and referring patients for advanced care in Rochester. The simple fact of geography often dictates a patient’s choice for care.
We have reached agreement among all three organizations. We are now engaging in a formal process to evaluate whether a long term relationship between Mayo Clinic Health System and Fairview Red Wing Health Services would best serve the health care needs of the region in the future, potentially ending the existing affiliation with Fairview Health Services.
It is important to know that no final decision has been made. Decisions will be made in the next several months.
The evaluation process will be thorough and extensive, taking several months to complete. During the evaluation process, Fairview and Red Wing will continue to work together as we do today, maintaining all existing relationships. Final decisions and next steps will be communicated sometime next year, upon completion of the evaluation process.
We will provide additional information on a regular basis as it is appropriate in the process.

The Practice of Encountering Others

2011-11-02T13:48:00.000-05:00

In health care, we do "encounters" every day and document them in the medical record. Encounters are where healing relationships begin. Here are some words of wisdom from Barbara Brown Taylor about making our encounters a spiritual practice by intentionally looking for the face of God in the "other."

At its most basic level, the everday practice of being with other people is the practice of loving the neighbor as the self. More intricately, it is the practice of coming face-to-face with another human being, preferably someone different enough to qualify as a captial "O" Other - and at least entertaining the possibility that this is one of the faces of God...This spiritual practice requires no special setting, no personal trainer, no expensive equipment. It can be done anywhere, by anyone who resolves to do it. A good way to warm up is to focus on one of the human beings who usually sneak right past you because they are performing some mundane service such as taking your order or handing you your change. The next time you go to the grocery store, try engaging the cashier. You do not have to invite her home for lunch or anything, but take a look at her face while she is trying to find "arugula" on her laminated list of produce.
Here is someone who exists even when she is not ringing up your groceries, as hard as thay may be for you to imagine. She is someone's daughter, maybe someone's mother as well. She has a home she returns to when she hangs up her apron here, a kitchen that smells of last night's supper, a bed where she occasionally lies awake at night wrestling with her own demons and angels. Do not go too far with this or you risk turning her into a character in your own novel. It is enough for you to acknowledge her when she hands you your change.
"You saved eleven dollars and six cents by shopping at Winn Dixie today," she says, looking right at you. All that is required of you is to look back. Just meet her eyes for a moment when you say, "Thanks." Sometimes that is all another person needs to know that she has been seen - not the cashier but the person - but even if she does not seem to notice, the encounter has occurred. You noticed, and because you did, neither of you will ever be quite the same again...
"The supreme religious challenge," says Rabbi Jonathan Sacks, "is to see God's image in one who is not in our image."
---- from An Altar in the World

All Saints Day

2011-11-01T07:45:00.000-05:00

Many celebrate by decorating and lighting candles at their loved ones graves.

November 1 is All Saints Day for Christians. As in the Celtic tradition, it is one of those "thin places" where the veil between heaven and earth becomes more transparent and we can sense that we are all one, both the living and the dead, held and united by the love of God.

Spirituality and Practice comments:
"The 1984 movie Places in the Heart is set in the Depression. Recently widowed Edna (Sally Field) is trying to support her two young children and pay her mortgage by growing cotton on a small farm. She has two helpers, a black itinerant worker (Danny Glover) and a blind boarder (John Malkovich). Together they weather a sea of troubles, including a disastrous tornado, that teach them the meaning of friendship and family.

The closing scene in the film takes place in a church. As the camera slowly pans the congregation receiving communion, we recognize all the characters — those living and dead and departed for other places. This is a beautiful image of the communion of saints."

In God in the Moment: Making Every Day a Prayer, Kathy Coffey comments on a similar image:

"Geddes MacGregor in The Rhythm of God tells of a priest who, when asked, 'How many people were at the early celebration of the Eucharist last Wednesday morning?' replied, 'There were three old ladies, the janitor, several thousand archangels, a large number of seraphim, and several million of the triumphant saints of God.' Such a 'cloud of witnesses' answers a deep human urge to be part of something larger, to not stand alone, to give our little lives meaning. One drop of water, left alone, evaporates quickly. But one drop of water in the immense sea endures."

To Practice: On All Saints Day, during worship, prayer, or meditation, acknowledge all the saints that are present with you.

Halloween Blizzard

2011-10-30T16:54:00.001-05:00

The Northeastern U.S. got hit with a Halloween blizzard of their own this weekend. We here in Minnesota are remembering the Halloween blizzard of 1991 that dumped over two feet of snow on us. Kathi and I had just settled into our home in the University neighborhood of Minneapolis and were supposed to hold an open house that weekend. Instead we ended up digging out, checking on our elderly neighbor, and gathering at Manning's along with most of the rest of the neighborhood grabbing a burger and a beer and sharing war stories.

It was 20 years ago Monday morning when a light, wet snow began falling on the Twin Cities, hours before prime trick-or-treat time. Before it was over four days later, Twin Cities meteorologist Bruce Watson had issued a remarkably bold, and accurate, forecast:
"It will be the most memorable snowstorm in the life of most people alive today, and may well be for the rest of their lives," said Watson, who died in 2004.
Indeed, the great Halloween Blizzard stands as one of those rare events that achieve I-remember-what-I-was-doing status, a milepost in a few million Minnesotans' personal histories and an occurrence that can still define life in Minnesota as, well, different.
"Climbing over and through the drifts was exhausting," recalled Amber Langley of Lakeville, who was in second grade at the time and made the Halloween rounds dressed as a witch. "In my neighborhood hardly anyone was out, and the neighbors were dumping whatever candy they had into my sack so they could shut their light off. I don't think that Halloween is ever going to fade from my memory. It was beyond insane. "
The storm was freakishly early in the season and freakish in its excess, duration, impact and aftermath.
It forced thousands of trick-or-treaters to wear snowpants under (or over) their costumes, and forced parents or older siblings to carry the young ones through the drifted neighborhoods, often scooping snow out of their parka hoods. It turned Halloween parties into impromptu sleepovers.
It also was lethal.
The storm killed at least 20 people and knocked out power for nearly a week across much of southern Minnesota, where the National Guard was mobilized to get emergency generators to farms. It collapsed roofs. It closed the University of Minnesota Twin Cities campus, which didn't happen again for 19 more years -- until another blizzard last March. It also closed 900 businesses, including Dayton's, Honeywell and 3M.

Read more in the StarTribune The Halloween Blizzard of '91: "A Heck of a Trick"

It's Complicated

2011-10-25T19:27:00.001-05:00

From the nytimes Well Blog - sometimes inertia is a good thing in medicine, "When Doing Nothing is the Best Medicine." Good medical care doesn't always adhere to "template" medicine.

An essay I came across in The Journal of the American Medical Association called “Clinical Inertia as a Clinical Safeguard” offered some food for thought. The authors postulated that doctors who tend toward inertia might actually benefit their patients by protecting them from overzealous medical intervention.
They focused on three common medical conditions — diabetes, elevated cholesterol and hypertension — for which there are established clinical guidelines for doctors to follow and “quality measures” that evaluate medical care. For all three illnesses, “lower is better” is the dominant mantra.
But while “lower is better” is probably true for large populations, that is not always the case for individual patients.
In fact, there are some clinical trials in which aggressively lowered blood sugar or blood pressure have been associated with higher rates of dying.
The authors weren’t saying that these medical conditions shouldn’t be actively treated, but they did caution that standard clinical guidelines tend to favor overaggressive treatment in pursuit of “good numbers.” In the stampede toward good numbers, individual patients can be harmed by the side effects of these treatments. Clinical inertia might actually act as a safeguard for such patients.
No one, of course, wants doctors who fail to act when action is necessary. And medical emergencies are a different story altogether. But most chronic illnesses, luckily, are not emergencies, so there is room for deliberation before action. And while insurance companies won’t reimburse for deliberation, and report cards pointedly penalize, it’s interesting to consider that there are many patients who may have been saved by inertia.

Here's the link: click here

Daily Inspiration

2011-10-22T20:25:00.002-05:00

By Ralph Marston

Practice integrity with those things that don't really matter. And your integrity will shine brightly in the things that matter most.
Integrity, by very definition, cannot be turned on and off. True integrity is indivisible.
To be able to act with integrity in any area of life, you must live with integrity at all times, in all situations. Otherwise, you are merely attempting to imitate integrity, and that is an exercise in futility.
Practice integrity even when you're sure that no one else will ever know. That will build in you a true, living integrity that does not need to be announced. Be quick to forgive and slow to offend. For integrity has no use at all for holding grudges.
Live each moment with integrity, and make it who you always are. For a real, living integrity can take you places you otherwise could never go.

Shining Light on the Festival of Lights

2011-10-21T14:05:00.001-05:00

The Hindu celebration of Diwali, the Festival of Lights, takes place October 26.

Article by Padma Kuppa as found at patheos.com
"My neighbor's daughter always knows when Diwali is: it's when my Christmas lights go up. Diwali is also known by other names, such as Deepavali, or in English, the Festival of Lights. It is a holy day for Hindus, Jains and Sikhs, with a different religious significance for each faith tradition. For ethnic Hindus, the various stories associated with it depend largely on their respective regional and cultural customs. It is celebrated across the land where it originated by almost everyone—similar to how Christmas is celebrated here in America,
Deepavali means a row of lights. Traditionally, deepa or diya, small clay lamps filled with oil, were lined up in rows in front of one's home.
Informational articles abound, such as this one from Hinduism Today. Many do not cover the myriad of stories and traditions surrounding Diwali—or only focus on one way of celebrating it, such as the understanding that the Hindu New Year is celebrated the day after Diwali, which is true only for a segment of the Hindu population. A popular story centers around the story of Rama, the avatar of Vishnu and successful hero of the epic the Ramayana, who is said to have returned from exile on this no-moon night. The light of the lamps illuminated the way for the virtuous hero to return home after he vanquished Ravana, the evil king who abducted Rama's equally virtuous wife Sita. Rama is the Prince of Ayodhya and is perceived as the embodiment of all that is dharmic. Lighting the lamps is a metaphor for the victory of all that is good and just over all that is evil and unjust. Light is also knowledge, shining so that there is no room for the darkness of ignorance.
As Hindu Americans, we have seen our country and our communities come a long way to shining the light of knowledge on what people know about Hindu beliefs and traditions. Whether it is my neighbors who are aware of when my family celebrates Diwali, or a congressman who is now aware that Hindus are not Shia or Sunni, Hindu Americans have begun to impact what people know about Hindus and how people respond to this awareness, both locally and nationally.
Changes may often seem simple. For instance, a school where a majority of the families are Indian immigrants reschedules the parent-teacher conferences originally planned for the evening of Diwali so that more parents can attend—which reminds me of another nearby community which held onto its Islamic faith and the American Dream as the football team adjusted practice times during Ramadan. But some are bigger and in the national arena, acknowledging that we as a country are aware of the holiday of the Hindus, Jains and Sikhs who are also part of the diverse religious landscape that is part of a country that prides itself on religious freedom.

A resolution recognizing the religious and historical significance of the festival of Diwali was introduced by the 112th Congress this month in Washington, D.C. Senators came together across party lines and across the country, and the advocacy efforts of the Hindu American Foundation on behalf of the Hindu American community helped pave the way for awareness and understanding, of the festival celebrated here and around the world during the late fall. The two co-chairs of the Senate India Caucus, John Cornyn (R-TX) and Mark Warner (D-VA), cosponsored the legislation along with Senators Sherrod Brown (D-OH), Frank Lautenberg (D-NJ), and Joe Lieberman (I-CT). While HAF has sent delegations to DC to advocate on other issues, this is one where we can celebrate, as it represents years of successful advocacy—I believe that a Diwali resolution was first introduced in 2004, and I know that the first time such a resolution passed was in 2007.
Poet Shel Silverstein wrote, "Red, black or orange / Yellow or white / We all look the same / When we turn off the light." But it's even better when we turn on the lights and realize that we make up one nation—and one world—and honor and respect all religious observances. The responsibility that goes with freedom of religion, the hospitality that goes with welcoming immigrants from all backgrounds to our shores, and the acculturation that goes with appreciating our diversity, means that those strings of lights could be for Diwali, Christmas or both!"

Quiet, Please, Healing Happening Here

2011-10-19T09:44:00.001-05:00

An Excerpt from Care of the Soul in Medicine: Healing Guidance for Patients, Families, and the People Who Care for Them by Thomas Moore
Bestselling author Thomas Moore has written a timely and creative work on enriching and deepening the healing arts and transforming the work of doctors, nurses, and health care workers through soul and spirituality. Here is an excerpt on silence.

"A healing milieu is a quiet one. While it's true that the sound of life and vitality can cheer up a patient who is sad about his illness, excessive noise can make a hospital or medical center a place of torture rather than healing. Studies tell what we know intuitively, that a quiet environment lowers blood pressure and promotes healing.

"But noise and quiet often don't enter the awareness of a busy health-care worker. The sounds of machines, chatter, slamming doors and cabinets, and public announcements and pages are enough to disturb the rest of patients in serious need of calm. They create an atmosphere of excessive activity and frenzy. In the course of my research, many times I met with nurses on their units in messy, busy rooms on floors littered with machinery, computers, and storage cabinets. These created both aural and visual noise.

"Not only patients but workers too benefit from a lowering of decibels. There is enough anxiety about performance on a hospital floor or in a doctor's office. There is no need to intensify that anxiety with noise.

"In an aptly titled essay, 'The Inhospitable Hospital,' nurse Laura Stokowski writes about the health impact of quiet and highlights neonatal care in a hospital, an area where loud sounds are common and yet particularly dangerous for the patients. Stokowski has a few suggestions for decreasing the noise level that apply to all medical environments:

• Lower telephone volume
• Change to ring binders that close quietly
• Dampen cabinet doors and drawers
• Educate housekeeping staff about noise
• Use 'Quiet, Please' posters

"These suggestions are useful. They are practical and detailed. But what we need more than anything else is an overall appreciation for quiet and the personal discovery of how beneficial quiet can be. Learning how to be quiet and understand its value to health could be part of a health-care worker's education and training — a course in silence."

A Walk in the Woods

2011-10-16T16:39:00.003-05:00

After a Sunday morning spent in church playing organ and piano for six hours, I came home to watch the Packers win, then it was time for a walk in the woods with the puppy. It's a sunny, windy day in west-central Wisconsin along the Mississippi at Lake Pepin. The woods are thinning out and the sun slants through them at an ethereal angle this time of year. The leaves are raining down, though not in such numbers as a few days ago. The leaves that remain are toughing it out against 25 mph wind gusts. When we passed the field at the top of our hill, we saw lots of milkweed pods that had burst open and the fluffy seeds were about to take off. I grabbed a handful of seeds and launched them high above the field. They caught some wind and parachuted out nicely. The puppy found this fascinating and tried to hunt them down. I remembered how my mom talked about her efforts as a schoolgirl to collect the downy milkweed fluff for the war effort during World War II. I later read more about that and about other important attributes of the common milkweed:

In World War II, schoolchildren across the Midwest collected thousands of pounds of milkweed fluff to stuff life preservers for the armed forces in the Pacific, because kapok, the normal material used for this purpose, came from Japanese-occupied Indonesia and was unavailable.
Today, you can buy pillows, jackets, and comforters stuffed with this material, which is wonderfully soft and has a higher insulative value than goose down, from a company called Ogallala Down, in Ogallala, Nebraska. Some people believe that milkweed will become an important fiber crop, as one of its attributes is that it is perennial and therefore does not need to be replanted every year. Milkweed stalks also produce a coarse, sisal-like fiber that can be used for twine, which varies in strength from one plant to the next. This possibility has been little explored commercially, but it was well known to Native Americans.

The milkweed is also, importantly, food for the monarch butterfly's caterpillar. To keep that population healthy, we need to also nurture the common milkweed and applaud its tenacity in hayfields and ditches throughout these parts.

Just another reminder of how we are interrelated. What's harmful to one is harmful to all. What's healing to one is good for the whole. A simple lesson from a beautiful fall walk in the woods.

Poetry Break

2011-10-14T13:57:00.000-05:00

Fall Song

by Mary Oliver

Another year gone, leaving everywhere
its rich spiced residues: vines, leaves,

the uneaten fruits crumbling damply
in the shadows, unmattering back

from the particular island
of this summer, this NOW, that now is nowhere

except underfoot, moldering
in that black subterranean castle

of unobservable mysteries - roots and sealed seeds
and the wanderings of water. This

I try to remember when time's measure
painfully chafes, for instance when autumn

flares out at the last, boisterous and like us longing
to stay - how everything lives, shifting

from one bright vision to another, forever
in these momentary pastures.

Healing Communities

2011-10-12T14:33:00.001-05:00

Larry Pray, of "PrayTell, The Geography of Healing," writes eloquently about faith communities as they impact healing. This is very true in the Red Wing area, too: church people visit, care, pray, anoint, talk, support, bring casseroles, give rides, provide respite, provide rituals and services at the end of life, etc... Churches have a huge impact on health and wholeness. I am grateful to partner with so many faith community leaders in our region in order to help provide pastoral and spiritual care that heals.

The essential human task, according to the Jews, is mending an often broken world. That is to say . . . the essential human task involves healing the world. This occurs in many ways. Some of them are deeply personal. Others are both personal and social. I do not know your congregation, but this I do know:
On Sunday morning, or at Saturday worship, we gather for healing. Someone has lost a job. Someone else fears they may be next. Someone’s confidence has shattered, someone found trust to be misplaced. Someone didn’t mean to “say that,” but said it anyway and wonders how the words can be taken back. Someone’s cancer turned out to be malignant. A couple may be in worship but may not speak with each other for the rest of the day. Someone has been praying for the same thing for many years, but nothing has happened so she wonders if God actually cares. Someone’s trusting relationship with a ten-year old child has turned into a series of storms now that that same child is 15. We are not nostalgic, but we would like something restored. We would like something mended. We would like something healed.

We are in God’s presence to receive this and to encourage the perception that mending ourselves, each other, and the world at large is not only essential–it is an intrinsic part of all sacred gatherings. First there was chaos; then order. Then disorder. Then reordering. I say “reordering” rather than curing because for most of us, there is no “cure.” But there is healing, there is acceptance, there is a world of meaning, there is a world of hope ahead of us despite the circumstances.
I often wonder why more churches don’t organize around healing. Are there cancer patients? Are there cancer survivors? Bring them together and talk about life. Are there parents at wits end? Bring them together and talk about life. Are there those who have lost hope? Talk with them. Cry with them. Laugh with them. In other words . . . share life.
And, of course, this is what you already understand. Listen to the talk at the funeral luncheon . . . it is beautiful, healing, empathetic, meaningful, a perfect balance of hope and loss. Nobody teaches this. Nobody instructs this. We understand it. All we need to do, perhaps, is extend it and name it.
To understand our churches, our synagogues, our mosques, all we need to do is find its healing voices. Those Bread for the World letters, those alliances with immigrants, the pursuit of justice . . . it’s all a matter of healing. Which, it turns out, shows what God has had in mind all along.

Here is a link to Larry's site: Praytell

Harvest in Full Swing

2011-10-10T12:00:00.000-05:00

Soybean harvest - Lake City

Behind the Fall

Somewhere behind the autumn days
The winter travels unknown ways,
Across the fields once lush and green
A little guy - Jack Frost is seen,
He sprinkles white on leaves of gold
At summer's end - so stern and bold.

Behind the fall - October's blend
All nature's beauty God doth lend,
It seems so very short a time
That colors bright are yours and mine,
The harvest stored - the air is chill
With browning grass on yonder hill.

We dream of winter just ahead
While catching leaves of crimson red,
Beneath our feet and all around
So much of beauty doth abound,
And then we hear November's call
As winter comes - behind the fall.

~ Garnet Ann Schultz ~

Wellscapes

2011-10-07T13:38:00.001-05:00

Can't get outside for a walk in the woods today? Take a relaxation break via "Wellscapes," an app for iPhone and iPad (no android yet) that combines the photography of Craig Blacklock with soothing music and guided meditation. The app and one video are free, you pay $1.99 to download additional videos (four so far, more to come).

Here is the announcement from the Academic Health Center at the U of MN:

Looking for a way to relax and reduce stress? Well look no further. The University of Minnesota Center for Spirituality and Healing launched a new iApp that will help users reduce stress, elevate their moods and improve their overall health and wellbeing.

Coined "Wellscapes," the app features five unique videos that have been developed in partnership with renowned nature photographer and Center senior Craig Blacklock.

The videos transport viewers to a a northern forest, a creek as autumn leaves float by, a sandy summer beach, crashing waves, and a snow-covered winter marsh.

“While many people intuitively feel that being in nature is healing and restorative, there is scientific evidence that supports the healing power of nature,” says Center director Mary Jo Kreitzer, RN, PhD, FAAN, one of the developers of the new products.

Wellscapes offer an innovative way to bring nature to you, giving you the ability to create your own healing space, anytime and anywhere, through your iPhone or iPad.
The app was developed with a team of experts to provide viewers with the tools to relax and reduce stress by taking five minutes to immerse themselves in a nature experience. Users have the option to watch the video in three ways: in silence, with music and the sounds of nature, or with music, nature sounds and gentle guided imagery. Each video features a message of intention such as awareness, mindfulness, transformation or letting go.

“Nature promotes health and wellness, boosts mental acuity and is even important for our creativity," Kreitzer said. "As humans, we are innately drawn to natural phenomena and find that being in nature can reduce stress and improve our overall sense of health and wellbeing. So being ‘nature-loving’ is actually part of our DNA.”

Palliative Care

2011-10-06T09:18:00.001-05:00

Fairview Red Wing, like an increasing number of community health care systems, offers something called palliative care.
Palliative care (from Latin palliare, to cloak) is a specialized area of healthcare that focuses on relieving and preventing the suffering of patients. Unlike hospice care, palliative medicine is appropriate for patients in all disease stages, including those undergoing treatment for curable illnesses and those living with chronic diseases, as well as patients who are nearing the end of life. Palliative medicine utilizes a multidisciplinary approach to patient care, relying on input from physicians, pharmacists, nurses, chaplains, social workers, psychologists, and other allied health professionals in formulating a plan of care to relieve suffering in all areas of a patient's life. This multidisciplinary approach allows the palliative care team to address physical, emotional, spiritual, and social concerns that arise with advanced illness. The point of palliative care is to relieve suffering and provide the best possible quality of life for both the patient and their family.
If your doctor or health care team don't suggest it and you have a serious or chronic illness, ask for a palliative care consult.
A NYTimes article details the results of a study done last year that showed that starting palliative care at the time of diagnosis of terminal lung cancer resulted in patients who not only were happier, more mobile and in less pain as the end neared — but they also lived nearly three months longer. Click here: Palliative Care Extends Life, Study Finds

The Smiling Pelican Bakeshop

2011-10-05T11:06:00.000-05:00

Rick Nelson and the StarTribune had to go and do it again - urging leaf-watchers to be sure to stop in at the Smiling Pelican Bakeshop in Maiden Rock. That means I'll for sure have to call in my order on Thursday to guarantee some goodies for weekend entertaining. Sandra and Dave are the sweetest, hardest-working folks you'd ever want to meet. And Sandra's creations! Where to begin: cheesecakes, cookies, breads, quiches, pies, tarts. Just one bite of her turtle tart heals whatever ails you!

See their Facebook page for pics and info about their upcoming weekend menu.

Here's the StarTribune blurb:

Sandra Thielman of Smiling Pelican Bakeshop

photo by Tom Wallace, StarTribune

The reason why leaf-watchers in the know prefer the Wisconsin side of the Lake Pepin drive? It's because they can make a pit stop at the Smiling Pelican Bakeshop, and indulge in baker/co-owner Sandra Thielman's remarkable and affordable assortment of sweets, breads, quiches and mile-high banana cream pies, sold whole or by the slice. Enjoy your goodies on the front porch, or in the flower-filled garden. Open 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Fri. and Sat., 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. Sun. Cash only.

Smiling Pelican Bakeshop, W3556 Hwy. 35, Maiden Rock, Wis.
1-715-448-3807

Blessing of the Animals

2011-10-04T14:41:00.000-05:00

Today is the feast day of St. Francis of Assisi, patron saint of animals. Many churches this past weekend incorporated a blessing of the animals into their worship. Here's a clip of a service held at Duke University. Blessing animals is good in itself but it also helps to remind us of our responsibilities in caring for the world and its creatures.

High Anxiety

2011-09-30T09:54:00.001-05:00

A pastoral colleague, Kae Evensen, argues that what binds us together these days as a society is a collective anxiety about the future:

During the last few years, with a global economy that is flailing, extremist religions finding voice, the rise of corporate powers, wars, greater disparities between the rich and the poor, and environmental upheavals, we face our tomorrow not flailing in our fractured ideas about what is true or what is not, but bound by a generalized fear of what will happen to us, whether we locate that anxiety in our retirement accounts, in disagreements about how the government should be run, or in a sudden desire to compost and a penchant toward farmer's markets.

This anxiety is evident in health care, too, as we struggle to make the new economic realities work so we can stay strong and flourish for the sake of our mission to provide exemplary care, body, mind and spirit, to every person at every stage of life. We are used to the new normal of constant change in order to best serve the people of this region. However, the economy isn't getting better, there are more cuts to Medicare and Medicaid coming. And so we worry. We fear for the future. The atmosphere is unsettled - we watch the sky for storm clouds, hoping and praying for a better day.
For me, in my faith tradition, the antidote to fear is love. "Perfect love casts out fear." It is trust in God's promise of abundant life, mercy and justice now and in the age to come that melts our fears and enables us to focus on our mission to love God and our neighbor as ourselves.
For us in this endeavor we call Fairview Red Wing, I believe that the way we melt that high anxiety is to remember who we are and what brings us together - our core values of service and compassion, dignity and integrity. We are here to collectively live out our callings to care and to heal - ourselves, one another, all the people who rely on us for contributing to their health and wholeness. That mission doesn't change even though how we carry it out continues to evolve.
Let's care for ourselves and one another through anxious times, build each other up, and focus on providing the best care possible for all our patients, clients, and residents. Take care, everyone!

Holistic medicine needs to be rescued by physicians

2011-09-29T08:54:00.000-05:00

I agree with this - in the same way, I think that health care and other chaplains need to reclaim "spirituality" from fringe practitioners.

from KevinMD.com, by Stewart Segal, MD

The word “holistic” has been kidnapped by practitioners of alternative medicine and marketers. Holistic has become synonymous with “all natural” treatments and cures. Those who kidnapped the word holistic imply that medical doctors are not holistic. The implication is that docs treat the disease and not the person.

According to the Merriam-Webster Dictionary, holistic means, “relating to or concerned with wholes or with complete systems rather than with the analysis of, treatment of, or dissection into parts <holisticmedicine attempts to treat both the mind and the body>.”

I am a holistic physician.

As a family physician, not only am I trained to look at my patient as a whole being (mind, body and soul), but I am trained to look at the whole of my patient’s existence within the family structure. Yes, medical docs are taught to “dissect” and treat illness. We are also trained to recognize the effects illness have on our patients and their families and provide the care necessary to restore balance to the patient and family unit.

What family physicians aren’t are good marketers of their services. I have been writing on this blog for the better part of a year, marketing health and “Wellth”. “Wellth” is the ultimate in holism. To be “Wellthy,” you need to be balanced physically, emotionally, spiritually, nutritionally, and financially.

It’s time I rescue the word holistic from its captors and restore it to its proper home, the medical home provided by your family docs. Its time family docs start teaching their patients the tenets of family medicine and reclaim their role as holistic practitioners. The primary job of the family physician is to care for you and your family.

Mirriam-Webster defines care as, “painstaking or watchful attention”. I must admit that, on occasion, while taking great pains to uncover what is eating away at my patient, my job demands that I have to dissect my patient into parts, focusing on the source of the individual ailment, in order to restore the whole.

If you ever feel like your physician is anchored to a diagnosis or body part and missing the whole picture, share your thoughts with him/her. You are the most important member of the holistic team. The beauty of family medicine is that, if the physician and patient are missing the bigger picture while anchored to a diagnosis and treatment course, family members can help both their loved one and doc reorient and focus on the whole being/family.

Holistic medicine has been rescued and is alive and well in your family physician’s office.

Walking the Talk of Welcome - part II

2011-09-28T07:39:00.001-05:00

About 80 people from the Red Wing community showed up on Saturday for the Walking the Talk of Welcome workshop. It was an excellent event designed to make our welcome to GLBTQ individuals wider and more real. Tolerance and acceptance are more passive stances, but welcome is an active, engaging stance, showing a real interest in other individuals, in their lives, families, and work, just as with any other human being.

An important part of the day was seeing the film "Bullied: a Student, a School, and a Case that Made History." It tells the powerful story of a young student who stood up to his anti-gay tormentors and filed a federal lawsuit against his school district. The suit led to a landmark federal court decision holding that school officials could be held accountable for not stopping the harassment and abuse of gay students. This film has been shown at Red Wing High School and is available to every school in the country - just contact the Southern Poverty Law Center to get your school's copy. All of us have a responsibility to create safe spaces for kids and to combat bullying and abuse so that all our kids can grow and thrive.

Rosh Hashanah

2011-09-27T08:20:00.002-05:00

"L'Shana Tovah" (Happy New Year) to my Jewish friends and colleagues.
The two-day festival of Rosh Hashanah is observed starting at sundown Wednesday, Sept. 28 and ends at sundown Sept. 30. In Hebrew, Rosh Hashanah means, literally, "Head of the Year," and as its name indicates, it is the beginning of the Jewish year.

"The anniversary of the creation of Adam and Eve, it is the birthday of mankind, highlighting the special relationship between G‑d and humanity.
The primary theme of the day is our acceptance of G‑d as our King. The Kabbalists teach that the renewal of G‑d's desire for the world, and thus the continued existence of the universe, is dependent upon this. We accept G‑d as our King, and G‑d is aroused, once again, with the desire to continue creating the world for one more year.
Much of the day is spent in synagogue. G‑d not only desires to have a world with people, G‑d wants an intimate relationship with each one of us. In addition to the collective aspects of Rosh Hashanah worship, each man and woman personally asks G‑d to accept the coronation, thus creating the bond of "We are Your people and You are our King."
The central observance of Rosh Hashanah is the sounding of the shofar, the ram's horn. The shofar is sounded on both days of Rosh Hashanah (unless the first day of the holiday falls on Shabbat, in which case we only sound the shofar on the second day). The sounding of the shofar represents, among other things, the trumpet blast of a people's coronation of their king. The cry of the shofar is also a call to repentance; for Rosh Hashanah is also the anniversary of man's first sin and his repentance thereof, and serves as the first of the "Ten Days of Repentance" which will culminate in Yom Kippur, the Day of Atonement."

Parting Words from Gina

2011-09-26T09:16:00.000-05:00

Gina Mueske will be leaving our organization and moving to Jacksonville, Florida for a new career opportunity and to be closer to family. We will miss her strong, compassionate presence and leadership and the positive attitude she exemplifies. I asked Gina to reflect on a couple of questions as a parting gift to us.

The questions are:
1) What drew you to work in health care - and how have you maintained and grown your passion for your work (because you clearly do have a passion for it)?
2) What about the "spirit" of Fairview Red Wing will you miss the most and what advice do you have for us to continue to nurture that spirit?

Gina responds:

As long as I can remember I have been in the role of care taker, whether for family or for friends, and I was naturally drawn to the nursing field. I have always believed as human beings we have an obligation to look out for one another other - especially in times of need such as illness or hospitalization. Those of us in health care have the privilege to provide compassionate care to our patients in their most vulnerable time of need. I can't think of a better reason to be in healthcare!

As for how I maintain my passion, I try to be one of those people who "walk the talk" with compassion and integrity every day. In my personal life I want to be the kind of person my children can be proud of and someone they can view as a role model for their own lives. In the work place, when I am surrounded by others with the same dedication to providing safe patient care with compassion and integrity, I find myself continually inspired.

FRW has been a large part of my life for almost 12 years and I have been fortunate enough to have developed some life-long friendships with many of my co-workers. The people doing the day-to-day work are the true face and spirit of FRW and it was an honor to be a part of such a valuable community resource for so many years. Without them, FRW would not exist. I will deeply miss the people, the spirit, of FRW.

My advice would be to never lose sight of the fact that you're all there for the same reason no matter what department you work in or what title you have. There should be no room for ego in health care. Continue to provide safe patient care with compassion and with integrity and treat others, from patients to co-workers, as you would want your loved ones to be treated. It sounds cliche, but it's true.

Thank you, Gina! All the best to you and your family. Thank you for your service and leadership in our community.

At Home in Solitude as a Spirit Recovers

2011-09-23T14:18:00.001-05:00

Beautiful reflection by Dana Jennings via the NYTimes "Well" blog:

To garble Greta Garbo a bit, I want to be at home. More than ever these days, I want to shrink the world to the couple of rooms in my house where I’m most comfortable. I’ve been declining requests for my time, and the social whirl is less compelling than it ever was. To me, a perfect evening often means stretching out in the den and vanishing into a good novel or compact disc.
Over the past year, as I’ve undergone treatment for aggressive prostate cancer — surgery, radiation, hormone therapy — this was something I needed to do. It was part of the healing process, of coming to grips with my new vulnerability.
I have to admit that the impulse is more dangerous now, as I struggle with post-treatment depression. It is a thin line between the womb of healing and cutting yourself off from the world.
Even so, I want to nest. I’m doing well physically — my blood tests couldn’t be better, and I regularly take five-mile walks — but my spirit is still convalescing. I crave homely days built around writing, reading and time spent with family and friends.
I grew up in northern New England, and I’m feeding my inner Yankee hermit who would like nothing better than to live in a cabin a couple of miles down a pocked and rutted logging road. I come from a long and leathery line of ornery, horn-handed men who burned their lonesome days wrestling with snapping turtles, squinting at pickerel, junking cars and picking the dump.
I prefer my coffee — and ale — dark, bold and bitter these days, but I take pleasure in the most gentle rhythms of daily life: walking the dog, meeting a crony for breakfast, getting a haircut. And solitude is an agreeable pal.
I’m still reinterpreting myself in the face of cancer, and that takes time and quiet.
It can’t be rushed, and I can’t do it successfully if I’m caught up in our huckster culture’s unrelenting ruckus.
I don’t want to be among tens of thousands of people shrilling and shrieking at a football game or a Springsteen concert at Giants Stadium. An hour of hushed conversation at Starbucks is more than enough, is the true DNA of our finite lives.
Through all of this I’ve been simplifying my life, both consciously and subconsciously, as if trying to flense myself to something elemental.
I have discovered the deep joy of culling my possessions, rather than being possessed by them. It thrills me to dispense with moldering piles of crispy paperbacks, rickety stacks of compact discs and ragged flannel shirts that look as if they once belonged to Kurt Cobain. I obsessively kill old e-mail messages as if they were cancer cells.
Our younger son, Owen, took our second car to college this fall, and I’m glad it is gone. The more errands I do on foot, the better.
And lately I’ve been gorging on young adult fantasy novels: Books chockablock with magic and mystery by Neil Gaiman and Jonathan Stroud, J. K. Rowling and Rick Riordan, Ursula K. Le Guin and Cornelia Funke.
I feel as if I’m questing after my core boyhood innocence, trying to conjure the dreamy kid who spent hour upon hour on the summer porch writing and reading and drawing as the Boston Red Sox of Carl Yastrzemski and Tony Conigliaro played on the staticky Sylvania radio that had the broken, upside-down “S.”
I miss the boy I was — everyone called me Andy in that time and place — who couldn’t imagine having cancer or doing the zombie shuffle through the shadow land of depression.
As I took the cure in my den recently, inhaling “Inkheart” by Ms. Funke and snubbing (with great relish) the insistent ring of the telephone, I realized that I’m trying to recreate that long-ago porch, trying to make my world manageable enough right now to wrap it about myself like a prayer shawl.

Walking the Talk of Welcome

2011-09-21T16:50:00.001-05:00

News of another heartbreaking suicide of a gay teen, this time in Buffalo, NY, who was bullied and taunted mercilessly, and though he had good support, could not withstand the hate. The NY Times "Well" blog has more, including new studies that are being done to try to help figure out what can help kids negotiate these tough times:
As suicides among lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender teenagers have gotten more attention in the past year, researchers have sought to identify the factors that play the largest role. One study published in the journal Pediatrics in May, which looked at nearly 32,000 teenagers in 34 counties across Oregon, found that gay and bisexual teenagers were significantly more likely to attempt suicide than their heterosexual peers. The risk of an attempt was 20 percent greater among gay teenagers who lacked supportive social surroundings, like schools with gay-straight alliance groups or school policies that specifically protected gay, lesbian and bisexual students.

An editorial accompanying the study said the findings pointed to the need for schools to adopt policies that create “more supportive and inclusive surroundings.”
Read more

Here in Red Wing, a broad coalition of people and groups in our community has created an event that takes place this Saturday, Sept. 24, called "Walking the Talk of Welcome." It is designed to lift up the experience of being GLBT (Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual or Transgender) people in our community, including the experience of being bullied. A short film, "Bullied: A Student, A School and a Case that Made History," will be shown as part of this event. Student and adult panel discussions and a keynote address by David Weiss will round out the day.

Walking the Talk of Welcome community workshop starts at 9:15 a.m. this Saturday, Sept. 24, includes a break for lunch, and ends at 2:30 p.m. at First Lutheran Church, Red Wing. Call Burt or Judy Will at 651-388-7894 to RSVP (helpful for lunch preparations). Cost is $15 for the day, $10 for students. Scholarships are also available.

Fairview Red Wing is a sponsor of this event. I'll be there. I hope you will, too.

Whole-Person Approach to Healing

2011-09-20T14:23:00.000-05:00

I'm thinking through a presentation I will give on Monday to our Parish Nurse Network and consulted an old textbook I used in seminary - Basics Types of Pastoral Care and Counseling by Howard Clinebell, 1984 edition. It holds true today - wise words from a skillful holistic healer:

1) Health is much more than the absence of illness; it is the presence of high level wellness, a concept akin to "life...in all its fullness" (Jn 10:10) There are as many degrees of wellness as there are of sickness.
2) High level wellness involves wholeness in all six interdependent dimensions of persons' lives - physical, psychological, interpersonal, environmental, institutional, and spiritual.
3) The two major determinants of levels of wellness or sickness are one's life-style and the level of chronic stress in one's life.
4) The two keys to maintaining high level wellness are wellness awareness and understanding (achieved through education) and self-responsibility, meaning accepting primary responsibility for living in ways that enhance one's wellness.
To become more effective centers for nurturing lifelong wholeness centered in Spirit, churches must recover their heritage of healing and enable it to flower by integrating it with the insights and methods of the holistic health movement, empowering people to:

1) Take primary responsibility for their own wellness rather than continuing to project responsibility onto medical practitioners.

2) Make friends with their bodies, learning to respect and care for this aspect of themselves lovingly as good mothers-fathers to themselves.

3) Practice eating-for-wellness by learning health-nurturing nutrition.

4) Do vigorous exercise they enjoy several times a week, walking, biking, jogging, swimming, in order to keep their body-mind-spirit tuned up.

5) Evaluate their life-style and the values it reflects, and revise it so that it will foster wellness, not sickness.

6) Learn one or more whole-body relaxation techniques to enable them to reduce stress and center in their "serenity zone" for a time every day.

7) Live in an ecologically sound, environmentally aware and caring way, so as to help protect and enhance the biosphere for themselves and their children and the whole human family.

8) Experience regularly the healing energy of play and laughter (at themselves and the absurdity of life, and with others).

9) Revitalize their body-mind-spirit-relationships by opening themselves through prayer and meditation to the energies of God's here-and-now love and thus renewing the sense of meaning and mission in their lives.

10) Share with others (including their children and friends) their insights and experiences of healing and wellness. Wellness is contagious. It increases as we share the wellness we have at that moment.

11) Use creative imaging regularly for activating the self-healing energies and immune systems of the body, thus participating in their own recovery from illness and in the positive prevention of illness.

Body and Soul - Health Care Chaplains

2011-09-16T11:59:00.000-05:00

A colleague, Brian Brooks, Chaplain at Minneapolis Children's, talks about some of the work we do as health care chaplains in the current issue of Minnesota Medicine:

During the past two decades, Minnesota has seen a significant increase in East Asian, African, and Latino residents. That diversity is nowhere more apparent than at Children’s Hospitals and Clinics in Minneapolis and St. Paul, says Brian Brooks, manager of chaplaincy services and bereavement coordinator. The patient population is both younger and more ethnically diverse than at other hospitals, and the changing family structure is also more apparent. “What we see today is what society is going to look like in another 20 years,” he says.
Because of that, chaplains have to be able to “meet people wherever they are,” Brooks adds. “I’m ordained Assemblies of God, but I’m not saying you need to do it the Assemblies way. … The religion part isn’t as important as the spiritual journey. What’s important for a chaplain is listening to someone, being willing to just be present rather than having to do any religious rites or rituals.”
Chaplains also serve as a bridge between the patient or family and a hospital staff who may not be familiar with a family’s spiritual traditions, Brooks says, citing the example of a young Laotian boy who was dying in the intensive care unit (ICU). The family’s spiritual tradition was to have an altar and a bowl of water with fresh flowers in the room, but hospital policy said no fresh flowers were allowed in the ICU unless they were wrapped in plastic. Brooks was able to intervene on the family’s behalf and explain to the staff why the flowers were important, comparing them with a Christian Bible.
“It’s really a matter of approaching them humbly, listening, finding out what their religious or spiritual needs are, and then kind of creating the space for that to happen,” he says of working with patients and families with varied beliefs.
Read more - "Body and Soul"

Growing the Soul by Caring for Parents

2011-09-15T12:24:00.002-05:00

Very wise reflections on "last things" by Mary Pipher. Rings true to my experience, too: our souls grow deeper and wider through these life experiences if we are present to them and pay attention!

Despite its attendant stress and pain, helping parents through their last years is one of our best chances to grow up. No longer children, we can become truly helpful. If we say no to this challenge, a part of us stays forever young and helpless.
Families that work together through a death reap many rewards. The adult children can say thank you and repay parents for their help. The parents can receive gratitude. They also have their last chance to help their children grow, and they can feel great pride in how their children respond to the challenges of this time.
Adult children gain strength from struggling with the difficulties of this stage—strength they will need later for their own old age. They also learn by observation how to handle illness and goodbyes. Caring for my mother while she died, I observed how well she handled pain. I saw the joy that cards and letters gave her. I learned about patience in the face of frustration. I learned about the importance of small, temporary victories, wrested from the great jaws of defeat. I made notes to myself that I’ll pull out and read when my time comes.
During this process things happen in families that have never happened before. Family history is revealed. Secrets are told. Unmentionables are mentioned, even discussed. Mother talks about her miscarriage or about Uncle Arthur’s suicide. Dad hugs his sons. Parents who were nicknamed the “Bickersons” are suddenly gentle with each other. In the cauldron of loss, new aspects of character rise to the top.
Old-old age can be a time of great sorrow but also of great healing. One of my clients was raised a Catholic but had years ago broken with her faith and become a Buddhist. Her father, who had taken a second job when she was a girl to keep her in Catholic schools, couldn’t believe his oldest daughter would reject the religion that meant everything to him. He believed she wouldn’t go to heaven. He couldn’t forgive her.
My client went home to care for her father in the last weeks of his life. She read him his Bible and prayed with him, something she hadn’t been willing to do for years. He asked her questions about Buddhism. The last day of his life, he said to her, “I think Buddhists and Catholics go to the same heaven. We will be together in the end.”
Another client, Belinda, was disowned by her rural Kansas parents when they learned she was gay. She kept in touch with one of her sisters but had heard nothing from her parents or brothers for 20 years.

Her letters were returned unopened. Belinda was in her 40s and living in a city far away when her sister called to report that her father had developed tongue cancer. She called her mother and offered to help.
Much to her surprise, her mother broke into tears and accepted her offer. Over the years, and especially with her husband’s illness, she and her husband had softened towards Belinda. Impending death can have a way of putting things in perspective. Partly too, her parents accepted her because all the other children were tied up with jobs and children. Belinda was a freelance writer who could work anywhere.
Within weeks, Belinda had moved her office into her old bedroom on the farm. Her brothers came by to see the folks, and while at first they were skeptical about her, when they saw how kind Belinda was to their father, they softened, too. They began joking and horsing around with Belinda the way they had done as kids. Her sister relaxed, too, when she had another sister to share the burdens of her parents’ old-old age.
Belinda’s parents felt she was their savior. It’s hard not to love and appreciate someone who is helping with driving, insurance forms, bedpans, and back rubs. At one point in his six months of dying, Belinda’s dad said, “I’m sorry about the cancer, but I am glad it brought you home.”
I don’t mean to imply that every story has a happy ending. Heroic behavior can lead to bitterness and burnout. Sometimes the caregiver is not appreciated and, in fact, is the focus of the dying person’s rage. My client Darin, for instance, handled his dad’s estate for years, only to be left out of the will because his very demented dad thought Darin was stealing from him. My client Abby’s loving care of her dying mother made her siblings jealous and angry. They never helped out but only second-guessed her, and after her mother’s death she told me, “I don’t care if I never see my sisters and brothers again.” During the last years of her parents’ lives Cheryl’s husband felt she was over-involved with them and had no time for him or the children. During this time, she was depressed and cranky. She lost perspective and control of her life. In the end, she couldn’t work things out with her husband and ended up alone.
Hard tasks like the ones Cheryl took upon herself pay off only if everyone concerned can agree to tolerate imperfection and to stay the course. This stage in the life of a family tests our skills and character. It requires courage, forebearance, stoicism, and a sense of humor and perspective. And it requires the ability to assert needs, communicate openly, and deal with pain.
But how we deal with sick and dying parents will influence the way we ourselves grow and develop for the rest of our lives. Will we be warm or distant, responsible or hedonistic? During this time we all get a chance to “grow our souls,” as psychologist Frank Pitman puts it.
Read more

Healing Our Waters

2011-09-14T11:03:00.001-05:00

"If you wouldn't be happy to swim in it, why would you be happy to send it to someone else?" Bruce Tiffany said on his farm near Redwood Falls. (MPR Photo/Jennifer Vogel)

From the Rochester Post-Bulletin, an editorial praising the pilot projects going on all across the state trying to figure out ways to reduce the nitrate running off farm fields and getting into the water, decreasing its quality. Many new practices are being developed in order to better manage the water, such as drainage and filtration techniques. Others are trying to figure out the optimal use of fertilizer and are mapping its overuse. US Dept. of Agriculture studies show that these efforts are making a difference. Kudos to all the farmers who are concerned about being good stewards of their land.

By month's end, some Minnesota farmers will likely fire up their combines and begin harvesting corn and soybeans. That's when we'll begin hearing hard numbers about crop yields and the effects of this year's unusually hot summer and the drought conditions that are spreading throughout the southern half of the state. But another set of agricultural data is already being collected at several sites across the state, and it, too, concerns what's coming out of Minnesota farm fields: namely, pollution and topsoil.
Funds from the Clean Water, Land and Legacy fund are flowing, not merely trickling, into southeastern Minnesota in an effort to help farmers keep more of their topsoil and fertilizer on their land and out of the watershed. Two projects, Discovery Farms Minnesota and the Root River Field to Stream Partnership, have received more than a half-million dollars in Legacy funds.
That money pays for sophisticated monitoring equipment that measures and analyzes runoff from farm fields. In the past, computer models were used to develop estimates of how much fertilizer and topsoil was running off of erodable land, but the monitors eliminate the guesswork and give farmers specific information about what's happening on their land.
Four sites are being monitored in the Root River watershed, and runoff has varied from less than one pound per acre to 700 pounds per acre. The goal, of course, is to find out what works and what doesn't in terms of crop placement and rotation, erosion control and fertilizer use. As one farmer put it, it makes no sense to over-apply nutrients if they're just being washed away — thus ending up in our creeks and rivers, where they have multiple bad effects on fish and wildlife and even groundwater supplies.
We commend the farmers who are volunteering to participate in programs like these. By doing so, they take the risk of receiving bad news, which will put pressure on them to change their land-use practices.
This isn't a flashy use of Legacy Act dollars, but we like it a lot. More than 40 percent of waterways tested by the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency are considered polluted, and the prime culprits include animal waste and algae that thrive on runoff from crop fields. Science-driven studies like the ones outlined above should help Minnesota farmers try to achieve maximum yields without inflicting long-term damage upon their land or the watershed.

MPR is doing a lot of reporting about how people are working for cleaner water, lake by lake and river by river: Cleaning Minnesota's Water

Happy, Healthy Patients

2011-09-13T09:06:00.001-05:00

Fairview is leading the way in the changing health care environment - paying physicians for keeping patients happy, healthy, and out of the hospital instead of paying them for office visits, tests, and procedures only...

Throughout history, most doctors have earned
money by seeing patients -- simple as that.
But at Fairview clinics in Minnesota, history is about
to change.
Fairview has created one of the most
unconventional pay schemes in the world of
medicine. For the first time, it's paying doctors to
keep patients happy, healthy and out of the hospital.
In April, Fairview introduced a new pay formula for
hundreds of doctors at its primary care clinics.
Under the new plan, fully half of physicians' income
will depend on external ratings, including patient
satisfaction surveys and quality-of-care scores.
By one estimate, only about 20 percent of a doctor's
pay will depend on actual face-to-face encounters
with patients. But for the first time, they will get
credit for communicating with patients by e-mail,
phone, video conference and other alternatives.
"It's a very big mindset shift for physicians," says Dr.
Greg Schoen, the director of physician
compensation at Fairview.

Read more..."Doctors' pay plan is cutting edge"

The Spirit of 9/12

2011-09-12T09:55:00.000-05:00

A good reminder of the spirit of resolve and unity that emerged after 9/11 - healing in the face of loss and powerlessness happens by helping others, survivors become empowered helpers and healers. Here's an excerpt from the HuffPost:

New York Says Thank You

When Jeff Parness heard Mayor Rudy Giuliani say in 2003 that people were forgetting the meaning of September 11, forgetting about the love and support that strangers showed one another, Parness started to reevaluate his understanding of the tragedy. As he thought about 9/11 and the friend he lost, Hagay Shefi, Parness' five-year-old son expressed his concern about the California wildfires. He wanted to send his old toys to the kids who lost their homes.
"I wanted to teach my son a lesson about sharing," Parness said of the conversation he had with his son. "I wanted to honor Hagay."
Parness galvanized about 100 volunteers, packed up a U-Haul with supplies to drive cross-country and painted the words "New York Says Thank You" along the side of his truck. He wanted to thank the communities that had helped his city when it needed it most.
Throughout his first mission, Parness was reminded of how Shefi started every business meeting with the words, "Life is too short ... Focus on what you love."
That's when Parness realized that he could help both those who had been directly affected by September 11 and those who have been overcome by tragedy. Parness decided that "New York Says Thank You" would serve as more than just an inspiring banner, it could function as an organization that invites 9/11 responders, family members and survivors to give back to those who have lost hope.
"The secret sauce is empowering survivors as volunteers," Parness shared. "At one point, all these people were powerless."
Since its inception, New York Says Thank You has rebuilt a barn in Georgia that serves as a rehabilitation center for children with special needs and teens with criminal records. It rebuilt a Boy Scout camp in Omaha where four kids died in a tornado. It built a facility in North Dakota that enables wounded warriors to ski. It gave each state the chance to stitch the 9/11 National Flag back together.
Service projects draw close to 1,000 volunteers, and those who have been helped can travel to the next mission to pay the service forward. They continue to serve as living, breathing examples that hope can -- and will -- prevail over tragedy.
"What does it mean to transform a tragedy into something hopeful?" Parness offered. "It's about 9/12. Never forget the kindness and the humanity."
Read More

A Hymn for 9/11

2011-09-08T10:59:00.000-05:00

O God, Our Hearts Were Shattered

O God, our hearts were shattered on that horrendous day;
We heard the news and gathered to grieve and then to pray.
We cried to you and wondered, “Where did the violence start?”
The world as we had known it had just been torn apart.

We heard of those who perished – Of heroes’ sacrifice.
We paused again to cherish the gifts of love and life.
We worried for the future; we hugged our loved ones then.
We cried, “Can peace be found here?” “We can’t let terror win!”

Some sought to answer terror the only way they knew–
With anger toward the stranger and calls for vengeance, too.
Yet this is not your answer, nor what you would create.
May we live toward a future where love will conquer hate.

God, give us faith and wisdom to be your healing hands;
Give open minds that listen to truth from all your lands.
Give strength to work for justice; grant love that casts out fear.
Then peace and not destruction will be the victor here.

--- Carolyn Gillette

Remembering 9/11

2011-09-07T20:38:00.002-05:00

A small group met today at the medical center to talk about where we were and what we felt on that fateful day. It was amazing to hear the stories, including some who were at work, one at home, pregnant with her child who has only known the world post-9/11, one woman experienced being on the receiving end of sudden fear and mistrust on the job on that day simply because as a person of color she was lumped together with everyone "other" to most of our community. And we were blown away by the story of one woman who was in midtown Manhattan and witnessed the whole event from her building.
9/11 is a day when the river of our lives as a country changed course. We were unified that day in solidarity, in sorrow, in fear, and in grief.
I remember at Hennepin County Medical Center in Minneapolis where I was serving as chaplain, we gathered our community to share, to meditate and to pray. We just needed to be together. Many of my chaplain colleagues also provided ministry - presence, listening, support - in the places where they worked. I appreciated some of the stories of chaplain friends and colleagues at the Health Care Chaplaincy located in Manhattan. Here are some of their reflections, written soon after the event, remembered ten years later:

The Rev. Jon A. Overvold
“I was working at a nursing home on Manhattan’s Upper East Side when the word came in. I gathered residents and staff at each floor for a brief prayer, starting at the 17th floor and working my way down. Along the way I came upon a nurse whose husband worked on the 101st floor of the World Trade Center. He had managed to get through to her by phone, saying I love you and goodbye, before the phone went dead. As I sat with her, her mind was on her children and how she would break the news to them. “That night, at home in Brooklyn, people walked with candles and just came together to draw comfort from one another. I remember how unified we were, all Americans together and not divided, and somehow discovering hope in being together in this darkest of times.”
The Rev. George Handzo
“On the morning of 9/11 I was at New York Downtown Hospital, a few blocks away from the World Trade Center, for a scheduled meeting. I was standing in the elevator bank with the hospital CEO when the first tower collapsed. We heard the explosion and then the cloud started to come and everybody started rushing in. It got dark. It was just like night. That lasted twenty minutes, and then it started to clear. Then the second tower collapsed, and the dust came over again. And people came streaming in, covered with dust. “In the days that followed it became clear that we had to allocate part of our chaplain resources to the responders–to help the police, the firemen, the volunteers. And then there was the issue of self-care. I had to make sure that our chaplains took care of themselves, and that they didn’t serve for days on end without a break, even though they wanted to.”
Claire H. Altman
“On the morning of 9/11, at the wellness center in Lower Manhattan -- Olive Leaf Wholeness Center – where I was then involved, we opened the doors to policemen and firefighters who needed a respite from the search and recover operations. “Over the next three months, we served 250 meals nightly at precincts and provided 14,000 massage and body work treatments to help relieve the stress of these heroes.
Then until 2006, we offered treatment to help reduce the toxins in the bodies of those who worked on the ‘pile.’ “Too many of these men and women have died from exposure to toxins. “Will we as a society recognize the needs of these heroes and begin to provide them the treatment they so desperately need?”
Imam Yusuf Hasan
“ As chaplains we were trained to counsel people one-on-one. At the family center there were long lines of people waiting to get in. So I suggested to the other chaplains that we go outside our comfort zone, out into the street, and counsel them more than just one-on-one. I would walk the line, announce myself as a chaplain, and those people within the sound of my voice – maybe 5 or 6 at a time - would gather round. I would try to give them hope that they were not forgotten. It was comforting to them to know that people from the spiritual care world were out there with them, giving them support.”
Chaplain Eileen McKeon Pesek
“One day after 9-11 I was given a hard hat to go down to ‘The Pit’ as the space that had once been the Twin Towers was called. It was dusk. There were hundreds of workers. Ten feet away a fireman and an iron worker found a body. Everything stopped. They lifted the body from the rubble with the gentleness of a father picking up his newborn child. Eight workers stood in a circle, blessed themselves and wrapped the body in an American flag.
“Suffering makes us bitter or better. This tragedy brought out the best in everyone.”
Postscript on the value of CPE:A study of compassion fatigue among clergy who responded to the 9/11 attacks revealed that those who had Clinical Pastoral Education training fared better than those who had not:“CPE training appears to serve as a buffer against compassion fatigue and burnout.” (The Journal of Pastoral Care & Counseling, Fall 2005, Vol. 59, No. 3)

Cultural Competence Leads to Better Patient Care and Satisfaction

2011-09-06T09:35:00.000-05:00

Quoting Chaplain George Handzo in KevinMD.com:

The best health care providers understand that it is impossible to know all the cultural, ethnic, and spiritual nuances one will confront in caring for patients and families. Thus, the rise of the term “cultural humility.”

We need to be aware that accommodating culture and religion has to be part of our discussion with the patient and family almost literally from the moment we meet them.
Those clinicians who are willing to be humble and to form a team with the patient as opposed to dictating to them or thinking they know what is best for the patient will succeed in helping the patient heal.
At the same time building our knowledge and skills at least about the most common cultures we encounter is necessary and helpful. Here are three resources that can improve your knowledge and skills:
First is A Roadmap for Hospitals, a free online resource developed by the Joint Commission with the expertise of board certified chaplains affiliated with the Association of Professional Chaplains and HealthCare Chaplaincy.
Cultural competency is a particular expertise of board certified chaplains, whose standard of practice and code of ethics requires them to serve all people regardless of who they are or their religious beliefs.
The Roadmap for Hospitals is a guide to inspire and support hospitals as they integrate concepts to improve their communication, cultural competence, and patient- and family-centered care. Example practices and “how to” information are included to help hospitals implement the recommendations and comply with related new and existing Joint Commission standards.
Effective communication is the cornerstone of patient safety. For many individuals, effective communication can be inhibited by language and cultural differences, or by the patient’s hearing, speaking, or visual impairments, ability to understand and act on health information, cognitive impairments, disease, or disability.
Communication issues have been shown to be the main underlying cause of sentinel events reported to The Joint Commission, and the literature shows that communication vulnerable patients are at increased risk of medical error.
There are significant research data documenting health disparities faced by various groups and subpopulations related to race, ethnicity, language, disability, sexual orientation and gender identity or expression. These disparities are linked to poorer health outcomes and lower quality care. As the diversity of our nation continues to grow, there is an identifiable need to provide hospitals with more robust guidance to address the needs of the populations they serve. Read more

End of Summer

2011-09-05T18:11:00.001-05:00

Labor Day weekend marks the end of summer and the end of the state fair, but also the start of school, Rally Sunday at church coming up the 11th, the start of the football season. It is a bittersweet time for many. I hope you had some time to gratefully savor the simple pleasures of late summer, as Jane Kenyon writes:

Coming Home at Twilight in Late Summer

We turned into the drive,
and gravel flew up from the tires
like sparks from a fire. So much
to be done -- the unpacking, the mail
and papers; the grass needed mowing ...
We climbed stiffly out of the car.
The shut-off engine ticked as it cooled.

And then we noticed the pear tree,
the limbs so heavy with fruit
they nearly touched the ground.
We went out to the meadow; our steps
made black holes in the grass:
and we each took a pear,
and ate, and were grateful.

-- Jane Kenyon

9/11 10th Anniversary

2011-08-30T16:35:00.001-05:00

I was working as a chaplain at Hennepin County Medical Center that fateful day. I had a grief group on one of the mental health units that morning. When I arrived, the patients had been watching the footage of the plane crashing into the tower for over an hour. They were already traumatized. It was a difficult grief session - we didn't know what was going on, who was responsible, what else was happening even as we sat together sharing our initial thoughts and feelings. Later that day, we chaplains brought people together in our auditorium to reflect, meditate, and pray. It was a horrible day, a life-changing day. We will gather as a community on Wednesday, Sept. 7, to reflect on what we were doing that day and how our lives and our country have changed in the ten years since 9/11/01. At noon in the 3rd floor training room at the medical center, Mary Steding will lead our discussion. In addition, you are invited to the Meditation Chapel on the 3rd floor in the medical center to reflect on 9/11 and share your remembrances, hopes, and prayers on the occasion of this 10th anniversary.

A Dog's Grief

2011-08-29T09:20:00.002-05:00

Hawkeye lies by the casket of his owner, Navy SEAL Jon Tumilson, 35, at the Rudd-Rockford-Marble Rock school gym in Rockford last Friday (8/19/11). Lisa Pembleton/Getty Images

From Tara Parker-Pope's "Well" blog:

Jon Tumilson, a member of a Navy Seal team, was killed in Afghanistan when his Chinook helicopter was hit by enemy fire on Aug. 6. A funeral service was held for Mr. Tumilson in Rockford, Iowa, last week and attended by 1,500 people. But also in attendance was Mr. Tumilson’s loyal Labrador retriever, Hawkeye. The dog wandered over to his owner’s flag-draped casket and lay beside it throughout the service.

Stephanie LaFarge, a psychologist and senior director of counseling at the A.S.P.C.A., said that while no one can know for sure simply by looking at the image, she believed that the dog was aware that his owner was in the casket. Many dogs go through a grieving process similar to what humans experience after the death of a spouse or friend but with some differences, she said. Some dogs have been known, for example, to stay near or return to the places where they last saw their owners, in many cases their grave sites.

“There are famous stories of dogs returning to a grave site every day for five years, and you can’t account for that by saying he can smell the body there,” she said. “In fact, dogs return to the grave sites of their companion dogs and animals that they grow up with.”

Dr. LaFarge said that while concerns about a pet that shows signs of mourning are normal, dogs and cats do not typically grieve to the point where it causes harm, for example by withdrawing or not eating for long periods of time. “In other words, they do not get depressed and stop responding to life in normal ways,” she said. “Animals can generally miss and grieve and be upset and be sad for the person that they don’t have in their lives and simultaneously live a good quality of life, enjoy life, do all the things they would normally.”

Sounds like pretty healthy grieving to me. What a moving image - a loyal friend and companion.

National Dog Day Aug. 26

2011-08-25T15:16:00.001-05:00

National Dog Day, August 26 - Spoil your dog, on this day and always!

I had no idea a national dog day existed, but I'm glad it does. It's always good to remind ourselves how fortunate we are to have loving dogs as part of our lives and families! National Dog Day founder Colleen Paige writes that she created the day in order "to show deep appreciation for our long connection to each other - for their endearing patience, unquestioning loyalty, for their work, their capacity for love and their ability to impact our lives everyday in the most miraculous ways. National Dog Day wishes to encourage dog ownership of all breeds, mixed and pure - and embraces the opportunity for all dogs to live a happy, safe and abuse-free life.”

Here's a link to the National Dog Day site that has lots of ideas on how to celebrate the day: Celebrating "the Dog"

Here's a link to our local animal shelter: Humane Society of Goodhue County

My darling Lily Puggles

Remembering Dad after Ten Years

2011-08-24T06:37:00.001-05:00

September of 2001 was eventful and unforgettable for me, not only because of the tragedy that happened on 9/11, but because my personal life was also in upheaval. We built our house that summer and fall on property we bought in the town of Maiden Rock, Wisconsin. We sold our Minneapolis house and moved that winter. Most significantly my dad became ill. He was diagnosed with ALS later that fall and he died before the year was out.

Labor Day, 2001, saw lots of our family members gathered together with us, many of them camping at our Maiden Rock home and site. It had been roughed in and we were finally able to imagine what the finished product would look like. My parents also came. Dad was using a cane at that time. He had become more unsteady on his feet over the summer. This was a young 69-year-old farmer. The rapid changes he was experiencing were startling, confusing, and frightening to us. There was lots of medical ruling-out going on but nothing concrete yet.

A bright spot for Dad that fall was watching our new house being built. He thought it was great that we had made shrewd decisions and were able to pull it off financially and he approved of the architect's simple yet beautiful plans. He loved the site overlooking Lake Pepin and the Rush River valley, the raptors soaring overhead. Here we had looked over the plans and are enjoying the site and the beautiful weather along with cousin Kevin:

My brothers were also involved with building our house - Dave has a construction business and component factory in SE Wisconsin.
He brought a crew, including my brother Jim, the crane operator, to the Maiden Rock site and within a week, the buildings were roughed in:

Dad never got to see the finished home. He did see it in November when my parents came to the Mayo and he was finally diagnosed with Lou Gehrig's Disease. He saw it from the outside but he was unable get out of the car to come in and have a look:

Ten years later and so much has changed, but Dad is never far from my thoughts. Reminders of him are everywhere. It was at least a couple of years before I finally remembered that he wouldn't be there at the farm when I drove home for a visit, but he is still with me. Our relationship has changed but it hasn't ended. I am ever grateful for his love, support, and example. Through the trauma and the sadness and struggle of the ALS disease process, Dad was full of determination, hope, and gratitude. As a parting gift, he taught his kids and grandkids how to walk a path of deep healing even in the midst of decay and decline. Love you forever, Dad!

Adapting to Our Changing Climate

2011-08-22T09:10:00.000-05:00

Our Extreme Future: Predicting and Coping with a Changing Climate

Adapting to extreme weather calls for a combination of restoring wetland and building drains and sewers that can handle the water. But leaders and the public are slow to catch on.
Extreme weather events have become both more common and more intense. And increasingly, scientists have been able to pin at least part of the blame on humankind's alteration of the climate. What's more, the growing success of this nascent science of climate attribution (finding the telltale fingerprints of climate change in extreme events) means that researchers have more confidence in their climate models—which predict that the future will be even more extreme. Read more

In Iowa, even without admitting that climate change is real, farmers are acting as if it is, spending millions of dollars to alter their practices. They are adding tile drainage to their fields to cope with increased floods, buying bigger machinery to move more quickly because their planting window has become shorter, planting a month earlier than they did 50 years ago, and sowing twice as many corn plants per acre to exploit the additional moisture, says Gene Takle, professor of meteorology at Iowa State University in Ames. "Iowa's floods are in your face—and in your basement—evidence that the climate has changed, and the farmers are adapting," he says.

Local officials have seen the connection, too.
After the huge floods of 2008, the Iowa town of Cedar Falls passed an ordinance requiring that anyone who lives in the 500-year flood plain must have flood insurance—up from the previous 200-year flood requirement. State Sen. Robert Hogg wants to make the policy statewide. He also is pushing to restore wetlands that can help soak up floodwaters before they devastate cities. "Wetland restoration costs money, but it's cheaper than rebuilding Cedar Rapids," he says. "I like to say that dealing with climate change is not going to require the greatest sacrifices, but it is going to require the greatest foresight Americans have ever had."
Right now, that foresight is more myopia, many scientists worry. So when and how will people finally understand that far more is needed? It may require more flooded basements, more searing heat waves, more water shortages or crop failures, more devastating hurricanes or other examples of the increases in extreme weather that climate change will bring. "I don't want to root for bad things to happen, but that's what it will take," says one government scientist who asked not to be identified. Or as Nashville resident Rich Hays says about his own experience with the May 2010 deluge: "The flood was definitely a wake-up call. The question is: How many wake-up calls do we need?"

Barges on the Mississippi

2011-08-21T17:54:00.000-05:00

A common sight on the Mississippi - our house overlooks Lake Pepin at Maiden Rock, Wisconsin and we love watching the barges go by. The shipping channel runs by Frontenac State Park across the river.

The Mississippi River in Minnesota

No North American body of water has created more legend and lore than the Mississippi River. Mark Twain, himself a riverboat pilot for a time, was the author of such classic river tales as Huckleberry Finn and Tom Sawyer. There was the legendary frontiersman, Daniel Boone, who lived in Defiance, Missouri. Then there was the deep-voiced Paul Robeson singing "Old Man River" in Oscar Hammerstein's and Jerome Kern's Showboat. As Twain said, the river is "a wonderful book with a new story to tell every day."

And there are plenty of them, including your own when you come to visit; so, like Twain always did himself, be sure to bring a journal.

Perhaps you are visiting by way of a Mississippi River cruise aboard the American Queen or Delta Queen; or driving to Minnesota along the Great River Road; or flying in and landing at the Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport, which sits upon the banks of the Mississippi at its important junction with the Minnesota River. Either way, while here do not miss the opportunity to take in as much of the Father of Waters as you can. Read some books ahead of time. When here, take a sightseeing cruise or local driving tour along its banks. Millions have, in one mode or another, for thousands of years.

The present name for the River is credited to the Ojibwe Indians of Northern Minnesota who called it messippi meaning Big River. They also called it Mee-zee-see-bee meaning Father of Waters, so its present name came likely from a combination of the two.

It has its humble beginnings 200 miles north of Minneapolis at Lake Itasca State Park. The narrow stream there is ankle deep and naturally it is a favorite activity of visitors to walk across it. A tad harder to do in, say, New Orleans!

Minnesota and Louisiana are the only states the river passes through, while it becomes the boundary for eight others: Wisconsin, Iowa, Illinois, Missouri, Kentucky, Arkansas, Tennessee, and Mississippi. Its entire length is 2,352 miles (4100 km) ending up in the Gulf of Mexico.

In addition to the ten states it directly touches, its watershed is so huge that it drains water through wetlands and tributaries from 32 states and two Canadian provinces, a territory of 1.2 million square miles.

Heading south down the nascent Mississippi River by canoe, or down the Great River Road by car, here are Minnesota towns and cities you will come upon in north to south order:

Bemidji - Home of the legendary lumberjack, Paul Bunyan and Babe the Blue Ox, whose footprints, it is claimed, formed Minnesota's lakes.

Grand Rapids - Home of Judy Garland, star of The Wizard of Oz.

Aitkin - In the heart of Minnesota's Lake Country

Brainerd - First class golfing, fishing and outdoor recreation

Little Falls - Boyhood home of famed pilot Charles A. Lindberg.

St. Cloud - Largest river city in Minnesota outside the Twin Cities.

Elk River - Where the Mississippi is joined by this tributary.

Minneapolis - St. Anthony Falls, the only true water fall all the way to the Gulf.

Saint Paul - Still a major river port city. Also state capital.

Hastings - Where the Mississippi is joined by the St. Croix River.

Red Wing - Gateway to scenic Bluff Country.

Lake City - On Lake Pepin, an unusually wide spot on the river, and where water skies were invented.

Wabasha - Historic steamboat port. Filming site of Grumpy Old Men films.

Winona - More stunning Bluff Country and river port.

Lake Pepin is filling with sediment and needs lots of care and cleanup.

Here's a link to the Great Mississippi River Cleanup: Living Lands and Waters

tpt series on Honoring Choices

2011-08-18T19:39:00.001-05:00

Are you tired yet of hearing me talk about advance care planning. No? Good - because I have a lot more to say! There is a new collaboration between Twin Cities Public TV (tpt), Twin Cities Medical Society, and the Citizens League that is promoting a series of documentaries about Honoring Choices advance care planning on tpt (Channel 2). The first program airs next weekend, starting next Friday (Aug. 26) at 8 p.m. Here's a link to the schedule: End of Life Planning: Family Stories

The Honoring Choices series will continue into the Fall, so stay tuned and check out the honoringchoices.org website with lots of great information and videos: click here

Honoring Choices Minnesota hopes to inspire and support many community-based conversations regarding end-of-life care planning. We urge Minnesotans seeking to start such conversations in their family, faith, cultural or community group to use this “toolkit” of video, text and web-links to support these conversations.

To access a Fairview Red Wing Honoring Choices MN advance care planning facilitator for yourself, your patients, or your clients, call our hotline: 651-388-4491.

Patients and Their TVs

2011-08-17T14:27:00.001-05:00

A post in one of my favorite blogs, "Well," on the nytimes website talks about patients and their TVs, how they are used to pass the time and entertain, and even connect patients and their caregivers on a purely social basis. Here's the link: A Nurse, A Patient and a Television

It happens once in a while for me, too, when I visit inpatients - they have the news on and we connect around a piece of reporting, or severe weather is coming our way and we commiserate about it. When I used to do on-call coverage at Hennepin County Medical Center in downtown Minneapolis and the Twins or Vikings were playing next door at the Metrodome, I sometimes watched some of the action with patients who had tuned in. You could hear the roar of the crowd for real and not just on TV and that was fun. What's on TV can be a good icebreaker, enabling a quick and easy connection, and it can also help patients feel more human and less like patients, and that's a good thing.
Here is the story of a nurse and a lonely patient who connected around a TV program.
One evening, the patient had asked her to watch one of his favorite detective shows with him. She declined, saying she had a lot to do. Then she thought better of it and sat down with the patient, enjoying the show and chatting amiably:

I had forgotten that television can be social. My patient had made a simple request of me to sit down and watch TV with him, to briefly be a part of his normal outside-the-hospital life that he would soon return to. The experience reminded me that enabling a patient’s humanity is part of every nurse’s job.
“Only connect!” the novelist E. M. Forster famously said, and that night I realized that television is just one way for nurses to enter a patient’s world. I just hope that next time a patient invites me to stay in a room I remember all the reasons why I’m in the hospital, and don’t hesitate to say yes.

These days, our Fairview Red Wing inpatients have another option for their TV programming, the CARE channel. It is special programming designed to help create a healing environment, with soothing, relaxing nature images and music. It is a big hit on the inpatient floor. Here's a demo: CARE Channel demo

Taking Charge of our own Health and Well-being

2011-08-15T09:21:00.001-05:00

Here is another video from the Center for Spirituality and Healing at the University of Minnesota telling about their mission starting out being all about education, then conducting research on spirituality and healing that led them to offer integrative healing modalities, whole systems healing, and health coaching in order to help each of us take charge of our own health and healing and to focus on helping our patients, clients, and residents do the same. Makes sense! Here is the 4 minute video link:

Once again this year at the Red Wing Diversity Fest, Fairview Red Wing will be represented by several volunteers actually doing integrative healing modalities such as healing touch, reflexology, and massage. The fest is held in Red Wing's Central Park and it is slated for Saturday, September 10, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Volunteers from Fairview Red Wing to meet and greet people are needed throughout the day. If you would like to help, please let me know, at 267-5386.

A Christian Prayer for the Hungry and Hurting

2011-08-12T14:42:00.001-05:00

Loving God,
You are our Creator and Sustainer.
When You open Your hand,
You satisfy the hunger and thirst of every living thing.
And so we look to You whenever we are in need,
trusting in Your love and Your abundant goodness.

As You once fed the hungry crowds with five loaves and two small fish,
we ask that You would again fill those who are empty this day.
Pour out Your Spirit on all who hunger and thirst.

We pray for those who are physically hungry—whose stomachs are empty.
We think especially of the people in Somalia and Eastern Africa
who are facing critical food shortages;
who are suffering the effects of malnutrition and starvation;
and watching helplessly as loved ones die.

Lord, in Your mercy, open Your hand.
Pour out Your Spirit, so that they may be filled.

We pray for those who are empty emotionally—
who are lonely and long for companionship and love,
who are caught in the grip of depression,
or overwhelmed with grief.

Lord, in Your mercy, open Your hand.
Pour out Your Spirit, so that they may be filled.

We pray for those who are spiritually empty—
who are troubled, but don’t know where to turn;
who long for purpose and meaning, but don’t know where to look;
who need You, but do not yet know You.

Lord, in Your mercy, open Your hand.
Pour out Your Spirit, so that they may be filled.

God, we praise You for Your abundant gifts in our lives.
Pour out Your Spirit on us as well.
Fill us with Your compassion and love,
so that we would willingly share some of our abundance
with those who have need.

Lord, in Your mercy, open Your hand.
Pour out Your Spirit, so that we may be filled.

We pray in the name of Jesus Christ,
who came so that all of humanity might come to know
the abundant life that comes from You.

Amen.

written by Christine Longhurst

Walking the Labyrinth

2011-08-11T09:19:00.000-05:00

It is a beautiful morning for a walk here in these parts - 70 degrees, good air, sunshine. My puppy wanted to keep going and going this morning on our walk and very reluctantly agreed to go back indoors for the day. Here at Fairview Red Wing Medical Center it is a beautiful day to walk the labyrinth, too. We have the beginnings of a labyrinth in our beautiful backyard. Local master gardeners, led by Pam Horlitz, are working to create healing gardens on our campus, including the labyrinth. Here it is as it looked earlier this summer:

I discovered a virtual labyrinth, too, if you can't get outside today. Using the mouse or touchpad you virtually walk this online labyrinth, calming your mind, posing a question and listening for the answer, pondering and reflecting: click here to go to the webpage.
Here is Dr. Andrew Weil's description of the labyrinth:

Swept up in a dizzying pace, many people today find themselves driven and distracted – cut off from themselves and others, even removed from the cycles of seasons. The labyrinth offers a refuge from a splintered lifestyle. At times mimicking spirals from nature, the labyrinth is an ancient pattern found in countless cultures from around the world. It forms a single circuitous path to a center. But unlike a maze, a labyrinth has no dead ends or surprises. Its purpose is not to confuse, but to calm. A labyrinth can be traveled on foot – a kind of walking meditation – or on a smaller scale, followed with the finger. We use the labyrinth here as a symbol of the age-old pursuit of mental, physical, and spiritual well-being.

Counting Calories

2011-08-09T07:42:00.003-05:00

These days I am tracking the calories I eat and the calories I burn. So I was amazed to see this post in the Well blog of Tara Parker-Pope - Breaking Bread

In an unusual project, Peter Menzel and Faith D’Alusio, a photographer and writer, traveled the world collecting photos and stories about what people eat in a day. They documented the meager meals of a Masai goat herder during a drought, the fast-food diet of an American long-haul trucker and a veritable feast of lamb kebabs and other foods set out by an Iranian bread baker.

Each photograph is accompanied by a calorie count of the food displayed, but the authors warn that it’s not necessarily representative of the person’s average daily consumption. Still, the pictures do give a glimpse into how both hunger and excess coexist on the planet. The listed calories range from 800 to 12,300, beginning with a gaunt Kenyan herder and ending with an overweight British woman who claims to regularly binge on junk food. Their book is What I Eat: Around the World in 80 Diets.

Roseline Amondi, 43, is a mother of four who owns a restaurant in the Kibera slum in Nairobi, Kenya. Her daily meals include pinto beans, ndazi (fried bread), deep-fried tilapia, and sukuma wiki (sauteed kale). Estimated calories pictured: 2,400.

Contrast that with this:

Overlooking his 50th-floor worksite, Jeff Devine, an ironworker, perches on the roof of a high-rise in Chicago. To avoid fast-food restaurants and vending trucks, he carries a cooler of ready-to-eat food from home, including peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, smoked salmon, yogurt, crackers and diet sodas. Estimated calories pictured: 6,600.

What would your picture of daily foods look like?
Food for thought!

Seeing the Sacred in Creation

2011-08-05T13:53:00.000-05:00

Part of walking a healing path is seeing the sacred in the world around us and caring for creation. There are many ways to participate in healing the world - starting with our own consumption, our own garden, our land use. Communities and groups can participate in cleaning up the river, recycling, and supporting local agriculture. Faith communities can do their part, too, by practicing conservation and helping their members learn to reduce their carbon footprints. We need government at all levels to also be engaged in responding to climate change and taking big steps right now to reduce greenhouse gases. It's hard to get even get this issue on the radar in the midst of current economic challenges, but we have to keep pushing it.

If you'd like to do some reading on climate change, here's a good place to start - it's a blog about climate change by climate scientists: Real Climate
I'm also a fan of Paul Douglas' weather blog on the StarTribune website. He talks a lot about our changing climate: Paul Douglas on Weather
Faith communities are increasingly getting involved, too. Here's my own denomination's website on caring for creation: Lutherans Restoring Creation

Seeing the Sacred in One Another

2011-08-03T12:15:00.001-05:00

Thinking about the sacred as that which invokes deep reverence and respect, I think of one of my grief groups. There were ten people in the group. Most had lost their spouses in the past couple of months to couple of years, some had lost a child or a parent. They were at various points in their journeys through grief - some were still experiencing intense feelings of deep sadness and longing, some were beginning to live into a “new normal” without their loved one.

All, it seemed, agreed on the healing power of sharing each other’s stories and carrying each other’s burdens during the time we were together. As we wrapped up our group on the final night, we stood out on the front lawn of the medical center and lit some candles and shared some final words and hugs. One participant said, “This group has been very special to me. In hearing each others’ stories, I have felt like we are walking on holy ground.”

Groups like our grief group do indeed tread on holy ground because people are opening their hearts and their lives, sharing their griefs and their joys, their hopes and their dreams. Our stories are what make us uniquely human. They are a narrative of who we are, what has happened in our lives, what has broken our hearts, what has brought us deep joy, what gives our lives meaning. Our stories are sacred.

Let’s challenge ourselves to listen to each others’ stories. That is part of what it means to see the sacred, to see people not just as a patient or a client with a diagnosis or set of problems, but as a whole person with a story to tell that makes them unique. That kid who comes into the ED with a stab wound has a story to tell. The stab wound will heal, but the kid might heal better knowing that someone understands that the reason he’s on the streets is that his home life is rife with verbal and emotional abuse. That late-middle-aged patient who had her knee replaced will feel more cared for when her caregivers know that part of her motivation for rehab is that she wants to be able to kayak again. That elderly patient with dementia may feel more connected with the human race when someone takes the time to listen to whatever story that is her reality right now, even if it’s about her cat that died twelve years ago.

We’d all be better off doing more listening and less judging, being more open and avoiding making assumptions, meeting people where they are and not as some kind of stereotype, whether cultural, racial, religious or otherwise. To see the sacred is to give deep reverence and respect to each others’ stories and thereby to open the door to deeper connection and healing.

Ramadan Open Houses in the Twin Cities

2011-08-01T13:52:00.001-05:00

As our Muslim neighbors prepare for the sacred month of Ramadan this August, the Minnesota Council of Churches is excited to announce a series of open houses at area mosques organized by the council’s Taking Heart program. Eight mosques and Muslim Community Centers throughout the Metro area will be welcoming their non-Muslim neighbors for a traditional Ramadan Iftar, or fast-breaking meal. For detailed information, click on this webpage.

Good Ramadan

2011-07-29T07:22:00.000-05:00

This year Ramadan, the Muslim month of fasting, starts August 1 and ends August 30 with the feast of Eid Al Fitr, The Holiday of Sharing. Ramadan requires daily fasts of food and water during daytime hours. Typically observers eat a meal before dawn and break their fast at sunset. The fast-breaking meal – which varies by ethnic group but traditionally starts with a handful of sweet dates – is seen by many Muslims as an opportunity to gather with family and friends. Fasting during Ramadan is one of the most important duties in Islam, one that even the not-so-religious typically observe. Children are not required to fast until they hit puberty, though many start building up to it when they're younger with half-day fasts. Also exempt are the elderly, women who are pregnant or nursing, and people with chronic medical conditions. But even for healthy Muslims, the daily fast from dawn until sunset can be grueling. It is a religious discipline undertaken in order to be more at peace with the Creator and with one another. Good Ramadan to our Muslim friends and co-workers.
You can read more about this religious practice and its history by clicking here.
Here is a video of the trailer of "American Ramadan," a PBS program that tells the story of five American families observing the fast and what it means to them:

Burying Eric

2011-07-28T15:02:00.002-05:00

We buried my cousin Eric a few weeks ago at the graveyard of my home church, Norway Lutheran, Wind Lake, Wisconsin. Eric had died August 30 of last year in Seattle. He was cremated and a memorial service was held in his church there and also at Norway Lutheran, where his dad's extended family of Hansons live. Over the 4th of July, Eric's wife and daughter brought his cremains back to the place on earth that he loved the most and his final resting place is next to my dad's grave, at Eric's request, on old Norway Hill. It was a moving committal service at the graveside, led by Beth, Eric's wife. My brother Jim lowered the urn into the ground and we all took turns replacing the dirt. Then we all had lunch together at the Hanson Homestead Farm, my home, where Eric spent many summers of his youth.

Eric was the first of my extended family who had been cremated and it got us into a discussion about that burial option. Many family members think it makes sense. I, too, think that it is a good option. No embalming, just cremation and a memorial service. But I've been reading about other options lately, particularly "green" burials and I believe that is the option I would choose. A green burial involves simply being buried in the earth in a simple shroud or biodegradable casket with no embalming, no metals, no concrete. You are simply returned to the earth, "earth to earth, ashes to ashes, dust to dust," and your grave is maybe marked with a tree or a simple flat stone marker. The graveyard, then, is more like a nature preserve, with trees and natural grasses. I saw an article about an early "hybrid" (meaning regular burial and green burial) church cemetery in Michigan that I shared with my brother, Jim, who is in charge of Norway Cemetery, encouraging him to think about acquiring another section of the cemetery for green burials. Here is the article. And here is a link to the Green Burial Council.

Pray for Norway

2011-07-25T19:59:00.001-05:00

Here are some scenes from the Memorial Service held yesterday at the Domkirke, the Cathedral, in Oslo, Norway.

I am moved by such raw emotion reacting to a horrendous event. Determination to hold fast to their values of openness, freedom, democracy, and community. Participating in rituals that bring people together for prayer, reflection, grieving, and supporting one another. We suffer with our friends and relatives there. Indeed, "Vi ber for Norge" (we pray for Norway) and for our broken world.