Today is Good Friday. It is on this day my Lord was crucified. According to Wikipedia the day the Lord was hung on the cross happened on April 3, AD33:
"Based on the details of the canonical gospels, the Crucifixion of Jesus was most likely to have been on a Friday (the day before the Jewish Sabbath) (John 19:42). The estimated year of the Crucifixion is AD 33, by two different groups, and originally as AD 34 by Isaac Newton via the differences between the Biblical and Julian calendars and the crescent of the moon. A third method, using a completely different astronomical approach based on a lunar Crucifixion darkness and eclipse model (consistent with Apostle Peter's reference to a "moon of blood" in Acts 2:20), points to Friday, 3 April AD 33. (Colin Humphreys)"
Good Friday is also known as Easter Friday, God's Friday, or Great Friday (Eastern Orthodox) etc. But the majority of Christians I know still call it Good Friday. The Oxford English Dictionary gives the meaning of the word "good" as "of a day or season observed as holy by the church", i.e. an archaic sense of good, like "good" tide meaning "Christmas" or Good Wednesday meaning the Wednesday in Holy Week. Of interest, in German-speaking countries the Good Friday is generally referred as Karfreitag (Kar from Old High German kara = to grief or to mourn; Freitag = Friday).
According to the Baltimore Catechism Good Friday is called good because Christ, by His Death, "showed His great love for man, and purchased for him every blessing." From the Huffington Post, William Bradshaw blogged “That terrible Friday has been called Good Friday because it led to the Resurrection of Jesus and his victory over death and sin and the celebration of Easter, the very pinnacle of Christian celebrations. Although Christians, from the very fundamental to the very liberal, vary in their interpretations of exactly how the death of Jesus on the cross frees man from his sins and gives him everlasting life, and exactly what everlasting life means, they all agree that it took the death and burial of Jesus on that Friday to make the victory of the Resurrection possible. John simply says: "For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life." (John 3:16 RSV)"
On Good Friday I typically wake up with mixed emotions. I totally understand and accept it in my heart that what Jesus did on this Friday and His subsequent resurrection on Sunday almost 2000 years ago meant that I can have all my sins (past, present and future) forgiven and can claim victory over spiritual death (separation from God) and look forward to an amazing future which begins now on earth. Yet I am supposed to feel His pain and suffering. I had watched numerous Easter plays and cantatas where the vivid picture of Jesus being nailed to the cross was replayed. Sometimes I was moved to tears but other times I found myself emotionless, numbed. Oh may I not forget. May my life show the gratitude and power because what happened on Good Friday.
“He himself bore our sins” in his body on the cross, so that we might die to sins and live for righteousness; “by his wounds you have been healed.” (1 Peter 2:24)
We always carry around in our body the death of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus may also be revealed in our body. (2 Corinthians 4:10)
But thanks be to God! He gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. (1 Corinthians 15:57)
Friday, 3 April 2015
Friday, 27 March 2015
The eye is the lamp of the body
In part 2 of the Maxed Out sermon series, the pastor used the passage in Matthews 6:19-34 (which is part of the Sermon on the Mount by Jesus) to teach us how to rebel against the culture of excess, especially as it is related to money.
I have learned that when Jesus taught the people of His days He used examples and metaphors that were clearly understood by His listeners. For example, in verses 19-21 Jesus used the word treasures to compare treasures on earth with treasures in heaven. "The Greek word that Jesus used for treasure is THESAUROS. The word was used in ancient times to refer to “treasure chamber, a treasure box, a storeroom, or treasure.” Temples often had treasure chambers where gifts and taxes were stored. Jesus used the word to refer to anything that you highly value and, therefore, keep, safeguard, store up, or protect. The Greek word translated as “store-up” in the English actually means “to treasure.” So Jesus did not tell His listeners to “store up” their treasures, He commanded them to stop “treasuring up their treasures.”. Earthly treasures were not safe in Jesus’ day, and they are not safe today. In Jesus’ day moths would eat clothing. Humidity could result in a chemical reaction called rust that would damage coins and other metal objects. What the moths and rust did not destroy, thieves could “break in” and finish the job. The Greek word for “break in” literally means “to dig through.” Thieves in ancient days would actually dig through mud walls of buildings in order to plunder valuables. Today, we have mothballs and synthetic clothing to prevent damage by moths. Our coins contain alloy compounds to prevent rust and corrosive destruction. We may not be concerned about moths and rust, but we are still concerned about modern thieves. So we have insurance to protect our treasures against theft and damage from various elements. If Jesus were here on earth today, His illustrations would be different. Our treasures are still not safe. The watch collector understood this truth. A woman by the name of Hetty Green also understood.
Hetty Green was a miser. She died in 1915, leaving an estate valued at over one million dollars, but always ate cold oatmeal because she believed it cost too much to heat it. Her son had to suffer through a leg amputation unnecessarily because Hetty wasted too much time looking for a free medical clinic. Hetty Green was wealthy, but she chose to live like a pauper. Eccentric? Yes. Crazy? Perhaps! She was so foolish that she hastened her own death when she suffered a stroke by becoming too excited over a discussion about the cost of drinking skimmed milk. (Green, Michael P. illustrations for Biblical Preaching. Baker Book House. 1989. p. 393)
Hetty had a treasure in this life. It is called money. Hetty’s heart was devoted to her treasure. Jesus was correct. Our heart will be devoted to what we treasure." (from Treasuring Your Treasures)
Treasures in heaven are "things which are more valuable than food, clothing and shelter. There are commodities far more precious than automobiles, houses and electronic devices of communication. Treasures in heaven: Things we should value and want to have, because they come from God, bring us close to God, make us better people and prepare us for a happy eternity after death! " (Warren Berkley).
When our home church was studying this next paragraph we were quite intrigued by it as it seemed quite out of place:
"The eye is the lamp of the body. If your eyes are healthy,[The Greek for healthy here implies generous.] your whole body will be full of light. But if your eyes are unhealthy, [The Greek for unhealthy here implies stingy.] your whole body will be full of darkness. If then the light within you is darkness, how great is that darkness!" (Matthew 6:22-23)
Treasuring Your Treasures helped me understand it better:
"The Lamp Jesus’ next statement was easily understood by His Jewish audience because it was based on a Jewish saying of His day. The first part of Jesus’ statement tells us that the eye is like a lens which allows light to enter the body. If the lens is clear and not colored or dirty, then all of the light can enter. So obviously, if something is wrong with the eye, less light will enter. But if the eye is bad or blind, we cannot see anything. Everything is dark. If we look at the verses that follow this illustration, we discover that Jesus continued talking about material things. So we must ask, “What does seeing, light, and darkness have to do with wealth?” The answer is found in the book of Proverbs and a Jewish saying. Proverbs 28:22 captures the Jewish view about a “bad eye.”:
A man with an evil eye hastens after wealth And does not know that want will come upon him.
(Proverbs 28:22 NASB translation)
The proverb tells us that a man with an evil eye is one who chases after wealth. He is greedy! According to the Jewish saying, a person with a “bad eye” was a stingy or selfish person. These people did not want to help anyone else. They did not give away any of their money. They treasured their treasures and did not want to share. The Jewish saying and the proverb agree. Jesus used His illustration to send us the message that a greedy, selfish, stingy person is one who is really in the dark. This person’s heart is very cold and unloving - how great is the darkness! Is your eye dark?"
So two things I have learned today:
1. I love Jesus' words - he was the ultimate learner centered teacher! He would use examples and metaphors that made sense to his learners. And thanks to the many commentators who helped me understand the first century Jewish context and apply Jesus' teaching today.
2. Clearly being greedy for money or worrying about it constantly are both extremes I should avoid. Seeking first the Kingdom of God and His righteousness is where I should focus (Matthews 6:33). His promise is that He will meet all my needs and more!!
I have learned that when Jesus taught the people of His days He used examples and metaphors that were clearly understood by His listeners. For example, in verses 19-21 Jesus used the word treasures to compare treasures on earth with treasures in heaven. "The Greek word that Jesus used for treasure is THESAUROS. The word was used in ancient times to refer to “treasure chamber, a treasure box, a storeroom, or treasure.” Temples often had treasure chambers where gifts and taxes were stored. Jesus used the word to refer to anything that you highly value and, therefore, keep, safeguard, store up, or protect. The Greek word translated as “store-up” in the English actually means “to treasure.” So Jesus did not tell His listeners to “store up” their treasures, He commanded them to stop “treasuring up their treasures.”. Earthly treasures were not safe in Jesus’ day, and they are not safe today. In Jesus’ day moths would eat clothing. Humidity could result in a chemical reaction called rust that would damage coins and other metal objects. What the moths and rust did not destroy, thieves could “break in” and finish the job. The Greek word for “break in” literally means “to dig through.” Thieves in ancient days would actually dig through mud walls of buildings in order to plunder valuables. Today, we have mothballs and synthetic clothing to prevent damage by moths. Our coins contain alloy compounds to prevent rust and corrosive destruction. We may not be concerned about moths and rust, but we are still concerned about modern thieves. So we have insurance to protect our treasures against theft and damage from various elements. If Jesus were here on earth today, His illustrations would be different. Our treasures are still not safe. The watch collector understood this truth. A woman by the name of Hetty Green also understood.
Hetty Green was a miser. She died in 1915, leaving an estate valued at over one million dollars, but always ate cold oatmeal because she believed it cost too much to heat it. Her son had to suffer through a leg amputation unnecessarily because Hetty wasted too much time looking for a free medical clinic. Hetty Green was wealthy, but she chose to live like a pauper. Eccentric? Yes. Crazy? Perhaps! She was so foolish that she hastened her own death when she suffered a stroke by becoming too excited over a discussion about the cost of drinking skimmed milk. (Green, Michael P. illustrations for Biblical Preaching. Baker Book House. 1989. p. 393)
Hetty had a treasure in this life. It is called money. Hetty’s heart was devoted to her treasure. Jesus was correct. Our heart will be devoted to what we treasure." (from Treasuring Your Treasures)
Treasures in heaven are "things which are more valuable than food, clothing and shelter. There are commodities far more precious than automobiles, houses and electronic devices of communication. Treasures in heaven: Things we should value and want to have, because they come from God, bring us close to God, make us better people and prepare us for a happy eternity after death! " (Warren Berkley).
When our home church was studying this next paragraph we were quite intrigued by it as it seemed quite out of place:
"The eye is the lamp of the body. If your eyes are healthy,[The Greek for healthy here implies generous.] your whole body will be full of light. But if your eyes are unhealthy, [The Greek for unhealthy here implies stingy.] your whole body will be full of darkness. If then the light within you is darkness, how great is that darkness!" (Matthew 6:22-23)
Treasuring Your Treasures helped me understand it better:
"The Lamp Jesus’ next statement was easily understood by His Jewish audience because it was based on a Jewish saying of His day. The first part of Jesus’ statement tells us that the eye is like a lens which allows light to enter the body. If the lens is clear and not colored or dirty, then all of the light can enter. So obviously, if something is wrong with the eye, less light will enter. But if the eye is bad or blind, we cannot see anything. Everything is dark. If we look at the verses that follow this illustration, we discover that Jesus continued talking about material things. So we must ask, “What does seeing, light, and darkness have to do with wealth?” The answer is found in the book of Proverbs and a Jewish saying. Proverbs 28:22 captures the Jewish view about a “bad eye.”:
A man with an evil eye hastens after wealth And does not know that want will come upon him.
(Proverbs 28:22 NASB translation)
The proverb tells us that a man with an evil eye is one who chases after wealth. He is greedy! According to the Jewish saying, a person with a “bad eye” was a stingy or selfish person. These people did not want to help anyone else. They did not give away any of their money. They treasured their treasures and did not want to share. The Jewish saying and the proverb agree. Jesus used His illustration to send us the message that a greedy, selfish, stingy person is one who is really in the dark. This person’s heart is very cold and unloving - how great is the darkness! Is your eye dark?"
So two things I have learned today:
1. I love Jesus' words - he was the ultimate learner centered teacher! He would use examples and metaphors that made sense to his learners. And thanks to the many commentators who helped me understand the first century Jewish context and apply Jesus' teaching today.
2. Clearly being greedy for money or worrying about it constantly are both extremes I should avoid. Seeking first the Kingdom of God and His righteousness is where I should focus (Matthews 6:33). His promise is that He will meet all my needs and more!!
Friday, 20 March 2015
Zachariah's Song
I bumped into a long time friend from my former church this morning. This wonderful sister in Christ has been childless up to this point. She gladly announced that she and her husband had decided to adopt a child and the process had begun. I shared her joy. But knowing that her life will change quite dramatically I encouraged her by telling her how wonderful our children had been to me and my wife. It was definitely one way God can bless us, whether it's our own child or an adopted child.
It just happened that I was reading the story of Zachariah and Elizabeth in Luke this morning. In Luke 1 we are told that both Zachariah and Elizabeth were beyond child bearing age. But God had a special plan for them. God sent his angel Gabriel to announce to Zachariah that his wife will be with child. He had doubt and was struck by dumbness until the promise came true. When his son John the Baptist was born, Zachariah burst out in a song (verses 68-79):
“Praise be to the Lord, the God of Israel,
because he has come to his people and redeemed them.
He has raised up a horn of salvation for us
in the house of his servant David
(as he said through his holy prophets of long ago),
salvation from our enemies
and from the hand of all who hate us—
to show mercy to our ancestors
and to remember his holy covenant,
the oath he swore to our father Abraham:
to rescue us from the hand of our enemies,
and to enable us to serve him without fear
in holiness and righteousness before him all our days.
And you, my child, will be called a prophet of the Most High;
for you will go on before the Lord to prepare the way for him,
to give his people the knowledge of salvation
through the forgiveness of their sins,
because of the tender mercy of our God,
by which the rising sun will come to us from heaven
to shine on those living in darkness
and in the shadow of death,
to guide our feet into the path of peace.”
This has become one of my favorite songs in scripture. Like the songs of Simeon (Luke 2:29-32) and Mary (Luke 1:46-55) I just love the spontaneity of emotion, one that bursts out as deep feelings finally find a way to escape. It reflects a life full of longing and obedience which finally discovers what it's all about. Zachariah was a priest. Like all priests he was a descendant of Aaron. From his younger age he knew that his whole life was to be different. He would spend his days in the temple, saying prayers for people and offering sacrifices for their sins. The people of Israel lived under repression of the Roman Empire, longing to see the Messiah to deliver them from their enemies. The one sure sign that God was with him and blessed him was to have a child. Without a child he wondered if he was still in God's favor. Now the blessing had finally come!!
Workingpreacher.org has a nice commentary on this song:
Zechariah's contribution to the musical score offers a symphony of praise to the God who is, who has been, and who always will be working among God's people. The prophecy previews several claims of this Gospel:
God remains faithful to God's promises
God's way is salvation
God's path is peace.
As was true for Sarah and Abraham before them, Zechariah and Elizabeth are old, well past the age of childbearing (Luke 1:7); nevertheless, God has given them a son, John, whose life is caught up in the designs of God. John "will be great in the sight of the Lord...and he will turn many of the people of Israel to the Lord their God" (1:15-16). On the eighth day after John's birth, his parents bring him to the Temple for naming and circumcision, and Zechariah answers the question that is on everyone's hearts: "What then will this child become?" (Luke 1:65-66).
Luke uses the word "peace" more often than the other three Gospels combined. Indeed, God's peace is a message that frames the beginning and end of this Gospel and permeates its message throughout. Here, near the beginning, Zechariah sings that God will "guide our feet into the way of peace." His prophecy is fulfilled near the conclusion of the narrative when the risen Christ stands among his followers and announces, "Peace be with you" (24:36). In between, God's peace is the gift granted to those who kneel in faith before Jesus (7:50; 8:48) and to those who receive the message that God's basileia is near (10:5-6). It is the way of heaven breaking forth on earth when the Messiah makes his appearance (19:38).
In the end, Zechariah's song is not simply a way to announce the birth of John the Baptist, but rather to proclaim God's faithfulness, God's salvation, and God's peace. During this season of Advent, as we await the birth of the Savior of the world, we can pray together with Zechariah, "Praise be to the Lord, the God of Israel."
What is my life so far? Have I experienced God's salvation? Has He fulfilled all His promises in my life? Do I have peace? There are days when my heart bursts out in songs but there are also days when I feel downcast and despair. Help me Lord to hear your voice every day. Remind me of your salvation and promises each and every time when my heart is down cast.
"Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near. Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.
Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things. Whatever you have learned or received or heard from me, or seen in me—put it into practice. And the God of peace will be with you."
(Philippians 4:4-9)
It just happened that I was reading the story of Zachariah and Elizabeth in Luke this morning. In Luke 1 we are told that both Zachariah and Elizabeth were beyond child bearing age. But God had a special plan for them. God sent his angel Gabriel to announce to Zachariah that his wife will be with child. He had doubt and was struck by dumbness until the promise came true. When his son John the Baptist was born, Zachariah burst out in a song (verses 68-79):
“Praise be to the Lord, the God of Israel,
because he has come to his people and redeemed them.
He has raised up a horn of salvation for us
in the house of his servant David
(as he said through his holy prophets of long ago),
salvation from our enemies
and from the hand of all who hate us—
to show mercy to our ancestors
and to remember his holy covenant,
the oath he swore to our father Abraham:
to rescue us from the hand of our enemies,
and to enable us to serve him without fear
in holiness and righteousness before him all our days.
And you, my child, will be called a prophet of the Most High;
for you will go on before the Lord to prepare the way for him,
to give his people the knowledge of salvation
through the forgiveness of their sins,
because of the tender mercy of our God,
by which the rising sun will come to us from heaven
to shine on those living in darkness
and in the shadow of death,
to guide our feet into the path of peace.”
This has become one of my favorite songs in scripture. Like the songs of Simeon (Luke 2:29-32) and Mary (Luke 1:46-55) I just love the spontaneity of emotion, one that bursts out as deep feelings finally find a way to escape. It reflects a life full of longing and obedience which finally discovers what it's all about. Zachariah was a priest. Like all priests he was a descendant of Aaron. From his younger age he knew that his whole life was to be different. He would spend his days in the temple, saying prayers for people and offering sacrifices for their sins. The people of Israel lived under repression of the Roman Empire, longing to see the Messiah to deliver them from their enemies. The one sure sign that God was with him and blessed him was to have a child. Without a child he wondered if he was still in God's favor. Now the blessing had finally come!!
Workingpreacher.org has a nice commentary on this song:
Zechariah's contribution to the musical score offers a symphony of praise to the God who is, who has been, and who always will be working among God's people. The prophecy previews several claims of this Gospel:
God remains faithful to God's promises
God's way is salvation
God's path is peace.
As was true for Sarah and Abraham before them, Zechariah and Elizabeth are old, well past the age of childbearing (Luke 1:7); nevertheless, God has given them a son, John, whose life is caught up in the designs of God. John "will be great in the sight of the Lord...and he will turn many of the people of Israel to the Lord their God" (1:15-16). On the eighth day after John's birth, his parents bring him to the Temple for naming and circumcision, and Zechariah answers the question that is on everyone's hearts: "What then will this child become?" (Luke 1:65-66).
Luke uses the word "peace" more often than the other three Gospels combined. Indeed, God's peace is a message that frames the beginning and end of this Gospel and permeates its message throughout. Here, near the beginning, Zechariah sings that God will "guide our feet into the way of peace." His prophecy is fulfilled near the conclusion of the narrative when the risen Christ stands among his followers and announces, "Peace be with you" (24:36). In between, God's peace is the gift granted to those who kneel in faith before Jesus (7:50; 8:48) and to those who receive the message that God's basileia is near (10:5-6). It is the way of heaven breaking forth on earth when the Messiah makes his appearance (19:38).
In the end, Zechariah's song is not simply a way to announce the birth of John the Baptist, but rather to proclaim God's faithfulness, God's salvation, and God's peace. During this season of Advent, as we await the birth of the Savior of the world, we can pray together with Zechariah, "Praise be to the Lord, the God of Israel."
What is my life so far? Have I experienced God's salvation? Has He fulfilled all His promises in my life? Do I have peace? There are days when my heart bursts out in songs but there are also days when I feel downcast and despair. Help me Lord to hear your voice every day. Remind me of your salvation and promises each and every time when my heart is down cast.
"Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near. Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.
Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things. Whatever you have learned or received or heard from me, or seen in me—put it into practice. And the God of peace will be with you."
(Philippians 4:4-9)
Monday, 16 March 2015
A day in the life of Jesus - how to prioritize our time
I heard this sermon on the weekend. It's part one of a two part mini series called "Maxed Out - Rebelling Against the Culture of Excess". Part one is on prioritizing our time.
The scripture reading was from Mark 1:28-39
28 News about him spread quickly over the whole region of Galilee. 29 As soon as they left the synagogue, they went with James and John to the home of Simon and Andrew. 30 Simon’s mother-in-law was in bed with a fever, and they immediately told Jesus about her. 31 So he went to her, took her hand and helped her up. The fever left her and she began to wait on them. 32 That evening after sunset the people brought to Jesus all the sick and demon-possessed. 33 The whole town gathered at the door, 34 and Jesus healed many who had various diseases. He also drove out many demons, but he would not let the demons speak because they knew who he was. 35 Very early in the morning, while it was still dark, Jesus got up, left the house and went off to a solitary place, where he prayed. 36 Simon and his companions went to look for him, 37 and when they found him, they exclaimed: “Everyone is looking for you!” 38 Jesus replied, “Let us go somewhere else—to the nearby villages—so I can preach there also. That is why I have come.” 39 So he traveled throughout Galilee, preaching in their synagogues and driving out demons.
It essentially described one day in the life of Jesus:
And He told His disciples: "That is why I have come."
This is the big question for me, isn't it? Why have I come? Why did God give me this day? How do I use the same 24 hours (the same as everyone else) differently to fulfill the purpose God has intended for me?
The key principle seems to boil down to making choices wisely - when to say yes and when to say no. Learning from Jesus, the pastor referred us to Matthew 11:28-30
28 “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. 29 Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. 30 For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.”
He showed us a picture of what a yoke was (like this one from Wikipedia):
A yoke is a wooden beam normally used between a pair of oxen or other animals to enable them to pull together on a load when working in pairs, as oxen usually do. But what is the yoke of Jesus? I found this blog by this Benedictine monk helpful. He helped me to look at this picture again, he wrote,
"Where do you see Christ? My problem was—and still is sometimes—that I was viewing Christ as the driver of the oxen under the yoke. That’s a terribly distorted view of obedience. The Latin root of the word “obedience” means “listen.” So, to obey is to listen. As you know, the heart of any healthy relationship is listening. Obedience is a relationship in which those involved genuinely listen and respond to one another in love. It is listening and love in action. It is more about our relationship with God and one another than it is about simply following commands Put another way, obedience to God is true freedom."
So what do I do when I am maxed out? I will go to Jesus in prayer. But my prayer is not just to ask for help or less stress, my prayer is to listen to Him. Reading the scripture daily has become my habit but I must say I don't listen as well as I should. Lord, help me to listen to you. Thank you for your love and help me to see that your commands are love in action for me. I have experienced it before and I know I will experience it again, the rest and comfort that will come.
"And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus." (Philippians 4:7)
The scripture reading was from Mark 1:28-39
28 News about him spread quickly over the whole region of Galilee. 29 As soon as they left the synagogue, they went with James and John to the home of Simon and Andrew. 30 Simon’s mother-in-law was in bed with a fever, and they immediately told Jesus about her. 31 So he went to her, took her hand and helped her up. The fever left her and she began to wait on them. 32 That evening after sunset the people brought to Jesus all the sick and demon-possessed. 33 The whole town gathered at the door, 34 and Jesus healed many who had various diseases. He also drove out many demons, but he would not let the demons speak because they knew who he was. 35 Very early in the morning, while it was still dark, Jesus got up, left the house and went off to a solitary place, where he prayed. 36 Simon and his companions went to look for him, 37 and when they found him, they exclaimed: “Everyone is looking for you!” 38 Jesus replied, “Let us go somewhere else—to the nearby villages—so I can preach there also. That is why I have come.” 39 So he traveled throughout Galilee, preaching in their synagogues and driving out demons.
It essentially described one day in the life of Jesus:
- Jesus was busy as his popularity grew
- He was busy healing people and casting out demons
- He went to the synagogue because it was the Sabbath (as going to "church" on Sunday for us)
- He hanged out with his disciples and on this day, they went to the home of Peter and Andrew
- He healed Peter's mother-in-law who had a fever
- He turned that house into a clinic where "the whole town" gathered at the door
- And he got up before the light was out and went off to the solitary place to pray again the next day
And He told His disciples: "That is why I have come."
This is the big question for me, isn't it? Why have I come? Why did God give me this day? How do I use the same 24 hours (the same as everyone else) differently to fulfill the purpose God has intended for me?
The key principle seems to boil down to making choices wisely - when to say yes and when to say no. Learning from Jesus, the pastor referred us to Matthew 11:28-30
28 “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. 29 Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. 30 For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.”
He showed us a picture of what a yoke was (like this one from Wikipedia):
"Where do you see Christ? My problem was—and still is sometimes—that I was viewing Christ as the driver of the oxen under the yoke. That’s a terribly distorted view of obedience. The Latin root of the word “obedience” means “listen.” So, to obey is to listen. As you know, the heart of any healthy relationship is listening. Obedience is a relationship in which those involved genuinely listen and respond to one another in love. It is listening and love in action. It is more about our relationship with God and one another than it is about simply following commands Put another way, obedience to God is true freedom."
So what do I do when I am maxed out? I will go to Jesus in prayer. But my prayer is not just to ask for help or less stress, my prayer is to listen to Him. Reading the scripture daily has become my habit but I must say I don't listen as well as I should. Lord, help me to listen to you. Thank you for your love and help me to see that your commands are love in action for me. I have experienced it before and I know I will experience it again, the rest and comfort that will come.
"And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus." (Philippians 4:7)
Wednesday, 11 March 2015
Reading the bible in the original language
Just this past week our pastor was trying to explain the difference between the two Greek words "Logos" and "Rhema" which were both translated into the word "Word" in English. This was in relation to the story of the Samaritan woman at the well in John 4:39-42,
"Many of the Samaritans from that town believed in him because of the woman’s testimony, “He told me everything I ever did.” So when the Samaritans came to him, they urged him to stay with them, and he stayed two days. And because of his words many more became believers. They said to the woman, “We no longer believe just because of what you said; now we have heard for ourselves, and we know that this man really is the Savior of the world.”"
I put verse 41 in bold - apparently "his words" here is "rhema" in the original Greek as opposed to "logos" found in John 1:1,
"In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God."
I actually cannot remember exactly why the pastor tried to distinguish between Jesus as the Word (Logos) and what his words said (Rhema). It has something to do with "Evangelism" which is to tell others about the Good News of Jesus. The key point of the sermon was that we can live out the Christian life as a witness but we must also tell others about Jesus and what He said so others can learn from Him and not just from us.
I found additional explanation of the word rhema from Gotquestions.org:
"Charismatic and non-charismatic Christians have different views regarding rhema and how it should be understood. Some charismatics view rhema as the voice of the Holy Spirit speaking to them at the present moment. They believe they should be guided by the Holy Spirit through inner feelings, impressions and experiences. Some believe that the direct words of God to the individual can also be imparted through the words of others, such as a preacher in a worship service or a friend who counsels them. Through these avenues, the Christian experiences God’s direct leading. There is also the belief that the spoken word has more power than the written word, but there is no biblical basis for such a belief."
What is quite surprising to me this morning is to discover that John 4:41 actually uses logos and not rhema! Did the pastor make a mistake, or did I hear him incorrectly?
I found this new translation in biblegateway.com called Mounce Reverse-Interlinear New Testament (or just MOUNCE) which I am sure I will be using more often in the future. The MOUNCE translation gives both the English and the transliterated translation at the same time, e.g. John 4:41 looks like this:
I also discovered that when I clicked on the word logos the Strong Bible Dictionary came up on the right hand side! There is so much more about the word Logos for me to learn!
With the MOUNCE translation I can check the different Greek words that have all been translated into "love" in English. See if you can find the two different Greek words (agape and phileo) used by Peter to describe his love for Jesus here in this classic passage in John 21:15-17.
I am just so thankful that there is such a wealth of tools to help me learn from the bible. Thank you Lord!
"Many of the Samaritans from that town believed in him because of the woman’s testimony, “He told me everything I ever did.” So when the Samaritans came to him, they urged him to stay with them, and he stayed two days. And because of his words many more became believers. They said to the woman, “We no longer believe just because of what you said; now we have heard for ourselves, and we know that this man really is the Savior of the world.”"
I put verse 41 in bold - apparently "his words" here is "rhema" in the original Greek as opposed to "logos" found in John 1:1,
"In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God."
I actually cannot remember exactly why the pastor tried to distinguish between Jesus as the Word (Logos) and what his words said (Rhema). It has something to do with "Evangelism" which is to tell others about the Good News of Jesus. The key point of the sermon was that we can live out the Christian life as a witness but we must also tell others about Jesus and what He said so others can learn from Him and not just from us.
I found additional explanation of the word rhema from Gotquestions.org:
"Charismatic and non-charismatic Christians have different views regarding rhema and how it should be understood. Some charismatics view rhema as the voice of the Holy Spirit speaking to them at the present moment. They believe they should be guided by the Holy Spirit through inner feelings, impressions and experiences. Some believe that the direct words of God to the individual can also be imparted through the words of others, such as a preacher in a worship service or a friend who counsels them. Through these avenues, the Christian experiences God’s direct leading. There is also the belief that the spoken word has more power than the written word, but there is no biblical basis for such a belief."
What is quite surprising to me this morning is to discover that John 4:41 actually uses logos and not rhema! Did the pastor make a mistake, or did I hear him incorrectly?
I found this new translation in biblegateway.com called Mounce Reverse-Interlinear New Testament (or just MOUNCE) which I am sure I will be using more often in the future. The MOUNCE translation gives both the English and the transliterated translation at the same time, e.g. John 4:41 looks like this:
I also discovered that when I clicked on the word logos the Strong Bible Dictionary came up on the right hand side! There is so much more about the word Logos for me to learn!
With the MOUNCE translation I can check the different Greek words that have all been translated into "love" in English. See if you can find the two different Greek words (agape and phileo) used by Peter to describe his love for Jesus here in this classic passage in John 21:15-17.
I am just so thankful that there is such a wealth of tools to help me learn from the bible. Thank you Lord!
Thursday, 5 March 2015
The Case for the Psalms and Psalm 104
It's ironical that I couldn't find a solid hour to write a blog during my vacation. Now it's the last day before the end of a very lovely week in Yuma, Arizona, then San Diego, California. I managed to get up at 6am to put down in words what I have been thinking throughout the week, especially through the last few days.
I had learned to borrow two books from the local library electronically. The first was an audio book called Simply Jesus and the second was in epub format The Case for the Psalms, both by NT Wright. Simply Jesus was again a fabulous and intellectually stimulating book, as what you would expect from the hand of Wright. I just found it difficult to listen through long chapters of someone reading through it. I actually found out that my wife had actually bought the paper copy. Well, it was good enough to listen through it and got an idea of what the book covered, for future reference.
The Case for the Psalms was a relatively easy read. It was quite a different piece of work from Wright, much more personal than academically vigorous. I especially enjoyed the Afterword - My Life with the Psalms chapter. His stories of how the Psalms made an impact at various points in his life echoed those in my own life. I appreciated his honesty and was encouraged by his deep love for these ancient songs.
Wright mentioned that Psalm 104 (pages 128-137) was his all time favorite. Since my all time favorite was Psalm 103. I decided to compare the two psalms. For Psalm 104, Wright wrote:
"In my early years, I wasn't so sure if I was really supposed to enjoy this psalm as much as I did. It celebrates the goodness of the created order, and many Christians, fearful of idolatry (even if they don't call it that), become anxious: Are we really supposed to enjoy "this world" that much? The psalmist, standing foursquare in the whole biblical tradition, has no such reticence:
Bless YHWH, O my soul.
O YHWH my God, you are very great.
You are clothed with honor and majesty,
wrapped in light as with a garment.
You stretch out the heavens like a tent,
you set the beams of your chambers on the waters,
you make the clouds your chariot,
you ride on the wings of the wind,
you make the winds your messengers,
fire and flame your ministers. (1-4)
We then look down from the spectacular skyscape to the earth - the sea, the mountains, the rivers, and the animals that drink from the streams (vv. 5-13): "the earth is satisfied," we conclude, "with the fruit of your work." Then we move on to the plants that grow for animals and humans alike to eat; we look up to the sun and moon, out to the wild animals, and finally to the humans who "go out to their work and to their labor until the evening" (v.23).
Then comes the central summary of what it's all about:
O YHMH, how manifold are your works!
In wisdom you have made them all;
the earth is full of your creatures. (24)
I remember enjoying this psalm, as I said, from my early days. It was, to put it no higher, like a trip to the zoo. But I hadn't fully integrated that with the rest of my Christian understanding. It was only when I began to contemplate the biblical promises about the new heavens and new earth (in Isa. 65.17-25 and Rev. 21-22) that I started to realize that of course Christians should celebrate the glories, the beauties, the myriad strange creatures of the present creation. God the creator is going to renew the face of the earth, as the psalm says (v.30), and with it give new breath to the creatures from whom it has been taken at their death. The psalmist longs for the day when creation will be set free from all the wickedness that corrupts and defaces it, free to be the glorious thing the creator has made. But the point for the present is that creation is good, God-given, and to be celebrated, even though it is not itself divine and will, in its present form, decay and die...
No doubt there are always dangers in celebrating creation too enthusiastically. Idolatry is always a threat. But there are equal if not greater dangers in failing to celebrate God's astonishingly rich and intricate handiwork...
When we celebrate the goodness and variety of creation, we are celebrating the power and glory of Jesus himself."
This certainly echoed my experience and joy of the past week witnessing the beauty of God's creation in the company of family and relatives. I certainly saw some interesting and fascinating creatures at the San Diego zoo yesterday! I wished I had been reminded of Psalm 104 then. Well, maybe next time.
Psalm 103 is my all time favorite. I had written about it in my previous blog (My two very special crowns). If Psalm 104 helps me celebrate the present creation and the new heavens and the new earth to come, Psalm 103 reminds me of God's amazing love and benefits:
2 Praise the Lord, my soul,
and forget not all his benefits—
3 who forgives all your sins
and heals all your diseases,
4 who redeems your life from the pit
and crowns you with love and compassion,
5 who satisfies your desires with good things
so that your youth is renewed like the eagle’s.
11 For as high as the heavens are above the earth,
so great is his love for those who fear him;
12 as far as the east is from the west,
so far has he removed our transgressions from us.
15 The life of mortals is like grass,
they flourish like a flower of the field;
16 the wind blows over it and it is gone,
and its place remembers it no more.
17 But from everlasting to everlasting
the Lord’s love is with those who fear him,
and his righteousness with their children’s children—
18 with those who keep his covenant
and remember to obey his precepts.
Praise the Lord O my soul!
I had learned to borrow two books from the local library electronically. The first was an audio book called Simply Jesus and the second was in epub format The Case for the Psalms, both by NT Wright. Simply Jesus was again a fabulous and intellectually stimulating book, as what you would expect from the hand of Wright. I just found it difficult to listen through long chapters of someone reading through it. I actually found out that my wife had actually bought the paper copy. Well, it was good enough to listen through it and got an idea of what the book covered, for future reference.
The Case for the Psalms was a relatively easy read. It was quite a different piece of work from Wright, much more personal than academically vigorous. I especially enjoyed the Afterword - My Life with the Psalms chapter. His stories of how the Psalms made an impact at various points in his life echoed those in my own life. I appreciated his honesty and was encouraged by his deep love for these ancient songs.
Wright mentioned that Psalm 104 (pages 128-137) was his all time favorite. Since my all time favorite was Psalm 103. I decided to compare the two psalms. For Psalm 104, Wright wrote:
"In my early years, I wasn't so sure if I was really supposed to enjoy this psalm as much as I did. It celebrates the goodness of the created order, and many Christians, fearful of idolatry (even if they don't call it that), become anxious: Are we really supposed to enjoy "this world" that much? The psalmist, standing foursquare in the whole biblical tradition, has no such reticence:
Bless YHWH, O my soul.
O YHWH my God, you are very great.
You are clothed with honor and majesty,
wrapped in light as with a garment.
You stretch out the heavens like a tent,
you set the beams of your chambers on the waters,
you make the clouds your chariot,
you ride on the wings of the wind,
you make the winds your messengers,
fire and flame your ministers. (1-4)
We then look down from the spectacular skyscape to the earth - the sea, the mountains, the rivers, and the animals that drink from the streams (vv. 5-13): "the earth is satisfied," we conclude, "with the fruit of your work." Then we move on to the plants that grow for animals and humans alike to eat; we look up to the sun and moon, out to the wild animals, and finally to the humans who "go out to their work and to their labor until the evening" (v.23).
Then comes the central summary of what it's all about:
O YHMH, how manifold are your works!
In wisdom you have made them all;
the earth is full of your creatures. (24)
I remember enjoying this psalm, as I said, from my early days. It was, to put it no higher, like a trip to the zoo. But I hadn't fully integrated that with the rest of my Christian understanding. It was only when I began to contemplate the biblical promises about the new heavens and new earth (in Isa. 65.17-25 and Rev. 21-22) that I started to realize that of course Christians should celebrate the glories, the beauties, the myriad strange creatures of the present creation. God the creator is going to renew the face of the earth, as the psalm says (v.30), and with it give new breath to the creatures from whom it has been taken at their death. The psalmist longs for the day when creation will be set free from all the wickedness that corrupts and defaces it, free to be the glorious thing the creator has made. But the point for the present is that creation is good, God-given, and to be celebrated, even though it is not itself divine and will, in its present form, decay and die...
No doubt there are always dangers in celebrating creation too enthusiastically. Idolatry is always a threat. But there are equal if not greater dangers in failing to celebrate God's astonishingly rich and intricate handiwork...
When we celebrate the goodness and variety of creation, we are celebrating the power and glory of Jesus himself."
This certainly echoed my experience and joy of the past week witnessing the beauty of God's creation in the company of family and relatives. I certainly saw some interesting and fascinating creatures at the San Diego zoo yesterday! I wished I had been reminded of Psalm 104 then. Well, maybe next time.
Psalm 103 is my all time favorite. I had written about it in my previous blog (My two very special crowns). If Psalm 104 helps me celebrate the present creation and the new heavens and the new earth to come, Psalm 103 reminds me of God's amazing love and benefits:
2 Praise the Lord, my soul,
and forget not all his benefits—
3 who forgives all your sins
and heals all your diseases,
4 who redeems your life from the pit
and crowns you with love and compassion,
5 who satisfies your desires with good things
so that your youth is renewed like the eagle’s.
11 For as high as the heavens are above the earth,
so great is his love for those who fear him;
12 as far as the east is from the west,
so far has he removed our transgressions from us.
15 The life of mortals is like grass,
they flourish like a flower of the field;
16 the wind blows over it and it is gone,
and its place remembers it no more.
17 But from everlasting to everlasting
the Lord’s love is with those who fear him,
and his righteousness with their children’s children—
18 with those who keep his covenant
and remember to obey his precepts.
Praise the Lord O my soul!
Thursday, 19 February 2015
Engaging Patients in Spiritual Matters - or Don't Leave Your Faith Outside the Exam Room Door
Thank you for coming despite this freezing cold weather. I hope this evening "you and I may be mutually encouraged by each other’s faith." (Roman 1:12)
I saw a 75 year old gentleman yesterday for the first time. The reason stated on my schedule - "high BP/monitor meds". I had a clinical clerk with me. She did a fine job with taking a complex medical history - previously healthy until last June; then a heart attack followed by a triple vessel bypass surgery. Taking about a dozen different medications. Currently asymptomatic of cardiac related complications. BP measured 5 times with our BP-Tru machine 122/46 HR of 56 regular. When I went in to see him later, he revealed that he had low mood - feeling "apathetic" about life; lost interest in things that used to give him pleasure; no longer has an appetite; passive suicidal thoughts but stated he would never act on these because of his love for his family.
How do I engage this patient in spiritual matters?
Let me begin with a confession. After almost 30 years of clinical practice, not a single patient has come forth to tell me that he had become a Christian as a direct result of my sharing my faith with him. This seminar is not about sharing your faith with your patients, at least not in the traditional sense of evangelism, the use of tools like the Four Spiritual Laws etc. What I would like to share with you this evening is about living out your Christian faith as a physician or any health care provider. And by living out your faith you will first of all grow as a disciple of Jesus Christ. You will experience His transforming power even in the exam room. You will begin to stop doing things you know you ought not to do and instead you will be able to do more of the things you ought to do. And your patients will notice. There will naturally be conversation about the spiritual side of things. It doesn't really matter whether your patient is a Christian or not. You will bring help to him by providing a complete care package - help in the body, mind and the spirit. So, practically how do you do it?
Firstly, bring Christ into the exam room or operating theater. What I mean is before you enter the room, say a very short prayer: Jesus, please come in with me. Your prayer is immediately answered! For you know that He has promised never to leave you nor forsake you. His presence has always reminded me that I have been saved by grace:
"For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— not by works, so that no one can boast." (Ephesian 2:8-9)
It is a tremendous comfort knowing that what would happen in the next 15-30 minutes in the exam room is the work of a loving and gracious God, who desires to have a relationship not only with me, but with the patient to whom I have the privilege to serve. I therefore leave my pride at the door and follow Jesus into the room. This simple act of asking Jesus to come and help has brought me tremendous comfort over the years. There is so much sweetness in my heart recalling those late night deliveries of babies, or right before seeing some very difficult patients, or having to break bad news to those with whom I have such deep relationships. So get into this habit. It only takes a second just before you knock on the door.
Secondly, I greet my patient with "How can I help you?", with a smile, like someone who has just been blessed with Jesus' company! In my heart I have been practicing the line "How can I serve you?". It is not fashionable to say it out loud. It just sounds weird! But once in a while I surprise a patient by saying it out loud. I remember this patient very clearly:
Miss C, a 35 year old single mom referred by "Health-Connect" - meaning she belonged to the group of high need patients with whom the province was trying to connect to a Family Health Team. Our FHT was obligated to take a few of these, quite reluctantly despite the financial incentive. Before I was able to say my greeting she pulled out a piece of paper with a long list of problems - and told me "I don't think you will like me". I looked at her in her eyes, and said to her (as sincerely as I could) "It is my privilege to serve you!" and she broke down and cried. Over the years, she had many challenges and at times I was not sure if anyone could help her but God's grace sustained me. She has become a famous patient in my practice to this day. My team members often asked me after a visit with her "How did it go?" I would say "I overwhelmed her with my love!" which usually brought out a round of laughter but deep in my heart I knew it was true. One day she came to see my resident and told him that she no longer needed the narcotic treatment because she was now managing her back pain with the help of prayers and support from church friends!" My resident, who was also a Christian, didn't know what to say. He went on to manage her diabetes. I later asked him what went through his mind. He told me that in his medical school training he had learned that spiritual thing was off limit. What would you do differently?
This patient, and all other patients, are all made in God's image. They are all loved by God, who was willing to send His one and only Son to die on the cross for their sins. He also has a purpose for them. I would do well to remember this and tell all my patients that it is my privilege to serve them. For,
"Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me." (Matthews 25:40)
Thirdly, your patients are more interested in spiritual matters than you think. Do you agree?
Mrs X was told by the Oncologist that the latest test results showed that she had ovarian cancer. Mrs X, who has since passed away, was a devout Christian. She was disappointed that the doctor, who was also a Christian, did not even ask how her faith may play a role in facing such a difficult diagnosis and choice of treatment. Should we expect the oncologist to initiate the faith topic?
There are various studies that suggest that there is such thing as the "Spiritual Gap".
Fourthly so how do you start? How about learning to take a spiritual history? Usually patients come with lots of problems and the last thing you remember to do is to take a spiritual history! By spiritual history I don't mean asking what they put down as their religion or whether they go to church - although that may be better than nothing. We often know about their smoking and alcohol status or any drug allergies but often forget that they are all spiritual beings. If you believe that your patients' spiritual history matters, what questions do you ask? Let me just say that whatever you do it must be well integrated in your usual clinical inquiries. And it really helps if you see your patients over many visits (as in family practice). And your questions should be appropriate to the problems at hand and should increase with ease as you build a robust doctor-patient relationship. Sometimes it just happens, especially among Christian patients.
I have known Mrs Y over the years. She has a lovely family who are all my patients. I don't remember exactly how we have become familiar with each others faith. So I asked her. She would have wanted to come to share this with you personally but her husband is quite ill at the moment. This is what she tells me via email:
How did you come to know that Dr. Chan is a Christian and that you feel confident to share with him your faith journey and how it has an impact on your illness and your husband's illness?
The HOPE Assessment (Handout)
H: Sources of Hope, meaning, comfort, strength, peace, love and connection
O: Organized religion
P: Personal spirituality and Practices
E: Effects on medical care and end-of-life issues
H Questions:
We have been discussing your support systems. I was wondering, what is there in your life that gives you internal support?
What do you hold on to during difficult times?
What sustains you and keeps you going?
For some people, their religious or spiritual beliefs act as a source of comfort and strength in dealing with life’s ups and downs; is this true for you?
O Questions:
Do you consider yourself part of an organized religion? How important is this to you?
What aspects of your religions are helpful and not so helpful to you?
Are you part of a religious or spiritual community? Does it help you? How?
P Questions:
Do you have personal spiritual beliefs that are independent of organized religion? What are they?
Do you believe in God? What kind of relationship do you have with God?
What aspects of your spirituality or spiritual practices do you find most helpful to you personally? (e.g., prayer, meditation, reading scripture, attending religious services, listening to music, hiking, communing with nature)
E Questions:
Has being sick (or your current situation) affected your ability to do the things that usually help you spiritually? (Or affected your relationship with God?)
Are you worried about any conflicts between your beliefs and your medical situation/care/decisions?
Are there any specific practices or restrictions I should know about in providing your medical care? (e.g., dietary restrictions, use of blood products)
Finally, what about prescribing spiritual therapy or treatment. The first and most important treatment is YOU. Yes you are the biggest pill according to Dr. Michael Balint. You are most certainly contributing to what is known as the Placebo effect in the scientific sense. Your living faith will encourage patients to trust the greater healer Jesus Christ who is ever so pleased to help in the most amazing way, always even better than what we ask. You must be receptive to the stage your patient is in - do not preach. Let the spirit guide you.
The second most important treatment is prayer. You and your patient together plead for God to help. I often pray with my patients. In all my years when I asked my patient whether I could pray the answer has always been yes. I often tell my patients I have been praying for them and sometimes it can lead to deeper conversation:
Mrs A had terminal adrenal cancer and I was doing my palliative care visits to her home. I told her I had been praying for her and asked her what I might ask God on her behalf. She, a devout Catholic, asked me to pray that she may be accepted by God when she meets Him. I was able to explain the truth from scripture how it was her faith and not her work that she would be accepted. For.
"God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us." (Romans 5:8)
Prayer brings benefits to both you and your patients.
"Let us then approach God’s throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need." (Hebrews 4:16)
I know some of my patients pray for me!
Mr. & Mrs B moved from Kingston to retire here in Hamilton. Through CMDS directory their original family doctor in Kingston recommended them to see me. I was honored to accept them into my practice. They both had serious health issues. From time to time I asked them "How am I doing?". I was delighted to hear (with a great big grin on their face), "We have been praying for you!".
Yes I am truly blessed that some of my Christian patients are praying for me, to do God's work faithfully.
Lastly, this is one reason I think memorizing scripture really helps. When I sense that an encouragement from scripture is warranted there is always something I can say, better than my own words, that will help my patient. Sometimes, I am even surprised by my patients response!
Mrs Z is a deacon in her church. After a lengthy visit managing her uncontrolled diabetes and hypertension, just on our way to the door, I said to her "May I leave you with a blessing, "I lift up my eyes to the mountains— where does my help come from?"...
And she finished the rest of these great verses from Psalm 121,
" My help comes from the Lord,
the Maker of heaven and earth." (Psalm 121:1-2)
She left with both of us knowing that we are good in God's mighty hands!
Let me encourage you with this scripture I learned just this past weekend:
"Each of you should use whatever gift you have received to serve others, as faithful stewards of God’s grace in its various forms." (1 Peter 4:10)
I saw a 75 year old gentleman yesterday for the first time. The reason stated on my schedule - "high BP/monitor meds". I had a clinical clerk with me. She did a fine job with taking a complex medical history - previously healthy until last June; then a heart attack followed by a triple vessel bypass surgery. Taking about a dozen different medications. Currently asymptomatic of cardiac related complications. BP measured 5 times with our BP-Tru machine 122/46 HR of 56 regular. When I went in to see him later, he revealed that he had low mood - feeling "apathetic" about life; lost interest in things that used to give him pleasure; no longer has an appetite; passive suicidal thoughts but stated he would never act on these because of his love for his family.
How do I engage this patient in spiritual matters?
Let me begin with a confession. After almost 30 years of clinical practice, not a single patient has come forth to tell me that he had become a Christian as a direct result of my sharing my faith with him. This seminar is not about sharing your faith with your patients, at least not in the traditional sense of evangelism, the use of tools like the Four Spiritual Laws etc. What I would like to share with you this evening is about living out your Christian faith as a physician or any health care provider. And by living out your faith you will first of all grow as a disciple of Jesus Christ. You will experience His transforming power even in the exam room. You will begin to stop doing things you know you ought not to do and instead you will be able to do more of the things you ought to do. And your patients will notice. There will naturally be conversation about the spiritual side of things. It doesn't really matter whether your patient is a Christian or not. You will bring help to him by providing a complete care package - help in the body, mind and the spirit. So, practically how do you do it?
Firstly, bring Christ into the exam room or operating theater. What I mean is before you enter the room, say a very short prayer: Jesus, please come in with me. Your prayer is immediately answered! For you know that He has promised never to leave you nor forsake you. His presence has always reminded me that I have been saved by grace:
"For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— not by works, so that no one can boast." (Ephesian 2:8-9)
It is a tremendous comfort knowing that what would happen in the next 15-30 minutes in the exam room is the work of a loving and gracious God, who desires to have a relationship not only with me, but with the patient to whom I have the privilege to serve. I therefore leave my pride at the door and follow Jesus into the room. This simple act of asking Jesus to come and help has brought me tremendous comfort over the years. There is so much sweetness in my heart recalling those late night deliveries of babies, or right before seeing some very difficult patients, or having to break bad news to those with whom I have such deep relationships. So get into this habit. It only takes a second just before you knock on the door.
Secondly, I greet my patient with "How can I help you?", with a smile, like someone who has just been blessed with Jesus' company! In my heart I have been practicing the line "How can I serve you?". It is not fashionable to say it out loud. It just sounds weird! But once in a while I surprise a patient by saying it out loud. I remember this patient very clearly:
Miss C, a 35 year old single mom referred by "Health-Connect" - meaning she belonged to the group of high need patients with whom the province was trying to connect to a Family Health Team. Our FHT was obligated to take a few of these, quite reluctantly despite the financial incentive. Before I was able to say my greeting she pulled out a piece of paper with a long list of problems - and told me "I don't think you will like me". I looked at her in her eyes, and said to her (as sincerely as I could) "It is my privilege to serve you!" and she broke down and cried. Over the years, she had many challenges and at times I was not sure if anyone could help her but God's grace sustained me. She has become a famous patient in my practice to this day. My team members often asked me after a visit with her "How did it go?" I would say "I overwhelmed her with my love!" which usually brought out a round of laughter but deep in my heart I knew it was true. One day she came to see my resident and told him that she no longer needed the narcotic treatment because she was now managing her back pain with the help of prayers and support from church friends!" My resident, who was also a Christian, didn't know what to say. He went on to manage her diabetes. I later asked him what went through his mind. He told me that in his medical school training he had learned that spiritual thing was off limit. What would you do differently?
This patient, and all other patients, are all made in God's image. They are all loved by God, who was willing to send His one and only Son to die on the cross for their sins. He also has a purpose for them. I would do well to remember this and tell all my patients that it is my privilege to serve them. For,
"Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me." (Matthews 25:40)
Thirdly, your patients are more interested in spiritual matters than you think. Do you agree?
Mrs X was told by the Oncologist that the latest test results showed that she had ovarian cancer. Mrs X, who has since passed away, was a devout Christian. She was disappointed that the doctor, who was also a Christian, did not even ask how her faith may play a role in facing such a difficult diagnosis and choice of treatment. Should we expect the oncologist to initiate the faith topic?
There are various studies that suggest that there is such thing as the "Spiritual Gap".
- 95% of Americans believed in God but ony 64% of physicians believed in God
- 77% of the patients surveyed believed physicians should consider their spiritual needs, but only 10-20% reported that their physicians discussed religion or spirituality with them
- 96% of physicians believed spiritual well-being is important in health but only 11% frequently inquired about spiritual issues
- spiritual belief is associated with positive effects in terms of reduced CHD, high BP, stroke, most cancers, and several health status indicators.
- spiritual belief is associated with reduced all-cause morbidity and mortality.
- this association is found no matter how religion was defined or measured (i.e., as beliefs, experiences, behavior, or attitudes).
- this findings have been generally positive across all cultures
- spiritual belief is associated with higher rates of overall well being and life satisfaction
- lower rates of depressive symptoms and suicide
- lower rates of divorce and higher rates of marital satisfaction
- and lower rates of alcohol abuse and other drug abuse, including cigarette smoking and recreational drug use
Fourthly so how do you start? How about learning to take a spiritual history? Usually patients come with lots of problems and the last thing you remember to do is to take a spiritual history! By spiritual history I don't mean asking what they put down as their religion or whether they go to church - although that may be better than nothing. We often know about their smoking and alcohol status or any drug allergies but often forget that they are all spiritual beings. If you believe that your patients' spiritual history matters, what questions do you ask? Let me just say that whatever you do it must be well integrated in your usual clinical inquiries. And it really helps if you see your patients over many visits (as in family practice). And your questions should be appropriate to the problems at hand and should increase with ease as you build a robust doctor-patient relationship. Sometimes it just happens, especially among Christian patients.
I have known Mrs Y over the years. She has a lovely family who are all my patients. I don't remember exactly how we have become familiar with each others faith. So I asked her. She would have wanted to come to share this with you personally but her husband is quite ill at the moment. This is what she tells me via email:
How did you come to know that Dr. Chan is a Christian and that you feel confident to share with him your faith journey and how it has an impact on your illness and your husband's illness?
We
have had the opportunity to experience the care of some tremendous health
professionals over the years. We have been fortunate to always be serviced by
individuals with professional demeanor and sound knowledge and expertise in
their field. There are, however non-quantifiable traits that emerge in a client,
patient interaction that tell you there is something different at work.
We
don’t recall Dr. Chan overtly mentioning that he was a Christian, but we do
recall him affirming us when we told him of the support we were receiving from
our faith community after my mother passed away and I was seeing him for sleep
disturbances and associated physical ailments. We sensed he gave an endorsement
for including our faith community as part of our healing and recovery along with
his prescriptions for my physical symptoms. Without specifically saying so, it
was as if he knew what I was already thinking in that I did not want to abandon
my spiritual resolves while seeking help from him, which was greatly
appreciated.
Confirmation
that I was in the care of a physician who had great respect for divine
providence and protection came when faced with the debilitating and
heartbreaking news that my husband was suffering from a degenerative disease.
Dr. Chan prayed with us in his office and took the time to talk with us about
managing symptoms and coping with changes to my husband’s condition.
Knowing our physician is guided by faith helps me to feel as though he can be
more of a human vehicle to be used by God to work a miracle in stemming the
digression of my husband’s illness at best, or at the very least, reassuring us
that God has not left us during this dark period of time.
Now if you are really stuck, I have a tool which I have never used but do believe that it will help you when you are totally stuck, like the FIFE (Feelings, Ideas, Functioning, Expectations) which you have learned in your communication skills training. It's called the HOPE Assessment. I have the reference for it if you want.The HOPE Assessment (Handout)
H: Sources of Hope, meaning, comfort, strength, peace, love and connection
O: Organized religion
P: Personal spirituality and Practices
E: Effects on medical care and end-of-life issues
H Questions:
We have been discussing your support systems. I was wondering, what is there in your life that gives you internal support?
What do you hold on to during difficult times?
What sustains you and keeps you going?
For some people, their religious or spiritual beliefs act as a source of comfort and strength in dealing with life’s ups and downs; is this true for you?
O Questions:
Do you consider yourself part of an organized religion? How important is this to you?
What aspects of your religions are helpful and not so helpful to you?
Are you part of a religious or spiritual community? Does it help you? How?
P Questions:
Do you have personal spiritual beliefs that are independent of organized religion? What are they?
Do you believe in God? What kind of relationship do you have with God?
What aspects of your spirituality or spiritual practices do you find most helpful to you personally? (e.g., prayer, meditation, reading scripture, attending religious services, listening to music, hiking, communing with nature)
E Questions:
Has being sick (or your current situation) affected your ability to do the things that usually help you spiritually? (Or affected your relationship with God?)
Are you worried about any conflicts between your beliefs and your medical situation/care/decisions?
Are there any specific practices or restrictions I should know about in providing your medical care? (e.g., dietary restrictions, use of blood products)
Finally, what about prescribing spiritual therapy or treatment. The first and most important treatment is YOU. Yes you are the biggest pill according to Dr. Michael Balint. You are most certainly contributing to what is known as the Placebo effect in the scientific sense. Your living faith will encourage patients to trust the greater healer Jesus Christ who is ever so pleased to help in the most amazing way, always even better than what we ask. You must be receptive to the stage your patient is in - do not preach. Let the spirit guide you.
The second most important treatment is prayer. You and your patient together plead for God to help. I often pray with my patients. In all my years when I asked my patient whether I could pray the answer has always been yes. I often tell my patients I have been praying for them and sometimes it can lead to deeper conversation:
Mrs A had terminal adrenal cancer and I was doing my palliative care visits to her home. I told her I had been praying for her and asked her what I might ask God on her behalf. She, a devout Catholic, asked me to pray that she may be accepted by God when she meets Him. I was able to explain the truth from scripture how it was her faith and not her work that she would be accepted. For.
"God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us." (Romans 5:8)
Prayer brings benefits to both you and your patients.
"Let us then approach God’s throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need." (Hebrews 4:16)
I know some of my patients pray for me!
Mr. & Mrs B moved from Kingston to retire here in Hamilton. Through CMDS directory their original family doctor in Kingston recommended them to see me. I was honored to accept them into my practice. They both had serious health issues. From time to time I asked them "How am I doing?". I was delighted to hear (with a great big grin on their face), "We have been praying for you!".
Yes I am truly blessed that some of my Christian patients are praying for me, to do God's work faithfully.
Lastly, this is one reason I think memorizing scripture really helps. When I sense that an encouragement from scripture is warranted there is always something I can say, better than my own words, that will help my patient. Sometimes, I am even surprised by my patients response!
Mrs Z is a deacon in her church. After a lengthy visit managing her uncontrolled diabetes and hypertension, just on our way to the door, I said to her "May I leave you with a blessing, "I lift up my eyes to the mountains— where does my help come from?"...
And she finished the rest of these great verses from Psalm 121,
" My help comes from the Lord,
the Maker of heaven and earth." (Psalm 121:1-2)
She left with both of us knowing that we are good in God's mighty hands!
Let me encourage you with this scripture I learned just this past weekend:
"Each of you should use whatever gift you have received to serve others, as faithful stewards of God’s grace in its various forms." (1 Peter 4:10)
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