Healing Clergy

“One of Christ’s historic roles is that of healer, making the cosmos and all creatures fully well, as he shows through his ministry in first - century Galilee and Judea. Christians have founded hospitals and clinics ever since, demonstrating God’s claim to be Lord even over disease and its distortion of human flourishing.”

Jason Byassee

There are real concerns about the health of clergy.  In a recent book, Faithful and Fractured: Responding to the Clergy Health Crisis. we hear about the efforts of the United Methodist Church of North Carolina.  It is a combination of quantitative and qualitative research results combined with a health promotion initiative.  

I was left thinking how similar their findings are to what we see in the reviews of the health of physicians, nurses and therapists.  We are all looking for a “flourishing” of our lives that is even more than a better lipid profile! 

As a practicing physician, I cherished my time in the pew.  Hearing a larger story and connecting it to the events of my life was a time of sabbath healing.  It is what we all need whether we are clergy of congregant, physician or patient.  

The power of this book is it’s dual authorship, a dialogue between an health advocate and clergy.  We need more of these kind of inter-professional conversations.  We will all find a kind of flourishing when we escape the isolation of our professional silos.

Marvin

References

Proeschold-Bell, R. J., & Byassee, J. (2018). Faithful and Fractured: Responding to the Clergy Health Crisis. Baker Academic.

Hage, M. L. (2011). Our Healing.

http://healingagents.blogspot.com/2011/06/our-healing.html

Hage, M. L. (2012). “Burnout” and a “Path Report”.

http://healingagents.blogspot.com/2012/08/burnout-and-path-report.html

Hage, M. L.  (2012). Equipping Healing Agents: Sustaining Vocation. CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform.

Hage, M. L. (2016). Healing Doctors

http://healingagents.blogspot.com/2016/12/healing-doctors.html

Eye of the Storm

Screen Shot of NBC Nightly News

Each one will be like a shelter from the wind

    and a refuge from the storm,

Isaiah 32:2a (NIV)

At 7:15 am EST on 9/14/18, the eye of Hurricane Florence came to our home in Wilmington, North Carolina.

It is a paradox that coverage of Hurricane Florence’s eye was not seen by the those who were there.  The rest of the nation and world saw multiple views of this large hurricane and the responses across our community. 

One report that captured my community was on NBC nightly news (9/14/18).  I saw my surgical colleagues reaching out with other first responders to provide emergency care.  I saw their physical and emotional exhaustion.  I saw them in prayer for strength and courage.  That was for me a powerful reminder of the power of God’s presence and promise.

We were not in the eye of the storm, but many people from near and far believed we were.  We were blessed by their concern and confronted with communication of our “safe” situation.  The paradox is the hard work of not being there.  We feel drawn to return to be present even though the roads are flooded.  

We will return and in the meantime, we are thankful for our community, grieve for those who suffer and rejoice with those who have been blessed with a new sense of a power stronger than the storm.

Marvin