Good for You

Lord, don't mess with my Life!

We just had our 1/4ly congregation meeting last Sunday. It was a good meeting by most standards. Each council member who headed up a board or committee gave a report that indicated how the Lord was blessing the activities and plans for which they were responsible. Our average church attendance is up over last year, and the congregation is growing. The treasurer and financial secretary had the books in balance, all the bills are paid, and, after the usually dry summer months they were able to report that there is a balance in the check book. 

I gave my report and discussed various plans and opportunities for us as we looked forward to Thanksgiving, the Advent season, and Christmas. I talked about a recent trip to Milwaukee and the work of the WELS Special Ministries Board.

Then the chairman gave his report and suggested that there were a couple of areas in the congregation's life that he felt needed some attention: 1) was the need for men to stand in nomination for the up-coming elections, and 2) the need for families to step forward to help with the weekly cleaning of the church. As he gave his report I was prompted to think about the challenges we face as Special Ministry Board chairmen and district coordinators. His story seems to apply to us as well.

To illustrate his plea he told a story about a lady he had known in the past. He told of having met her as they came and went from the grocery store. It appeared that she had been having a difficult time of things, temporary sickness in the family, people interrupting her schedule so she ended up getting behind in her plans, and the increase cost of butter and milk at the grocery store.

At the time of her presenting her complaints another person joined them and it happened to be Father Brickl the local Catholic priest. After he had listened quietly to her frustrations, she noticed him and turned to him, (he was her spiritual leader), and said, "And I suppose you're going to ask me to help out with altar guild."

To which the priest simply responded, "Why not you?"

Our chairman's point was well taken. Each of us has things that are annoying in our lives, sometimes others interfere with our plans, and yes, the cost for goods and services effects all of us, yet, in the midst of it all we have the blessed assurance that we are covered by the righteousness of Christ, and through faith in him we have the sure hope of eternal life.

The chairman's way of puting that was: "Jesus died for us, the least we can do to say "thank you" is keep his house clean and serve a couple hours a month to share his love with others."  His final exhortation was simply: "Why not you?"

Our sharing in the work of Special Ministries is like that sometimes. We may be tired, sick, or have our schedules interrupted. But there still remains for us the fact that Jesus died for our sins and restored each of us to a position of grace. To share that good news is a privilege and a great need.

One of the areas of service and ministry where this goes on in our synod is the Committee that is called the Committee for Health and Wellness. 

That committee works to develop education materials, handbooks, and programs to assist congregations, pastors and individuals with the work of taking care of the physical health of individuals in our congregations and our communities. Further information about its work may be received from its chairman Pastor Fred Kogler at Kogler@comcast.net  by sending a note with your questions or requests.

For our scripture growth today: Please read Matthew 28:16-20.  

Respite Care Our Next Challenge

Respite care is short term care provided for the primary caregivers who take care of those who must have the constant supervision, physical attention and or assistance of a caregiver.

Usually one thinks of those who take care of family members who are suffering from Alzheimer's, but the scope of this type of caregiver goes far beyond that. Stroke sufferers, those who have MS, victims of accidents, individuals who have injuries suffered in military service, those who have disabilities from birth, etc., they, too, must have someone who takes care of them 24/7. 

In America alone there are calculated to be over 50 million individuals who are involved in and/or need constant care from someone else. Some of these caregivers are professional nurses, nurse's aids, therapists and their assistants. The majority, however, are family members, friends and/or relatives who lay aside their own lives and have their existences defined by the care they give to others.

These special care-givers need to have a break from their tasks of caring. They need have some time for themselves, be it ever so short. They need to have social contacts, time for worship, time to take care of their personal business, and time to keep a proper perspective and balance in their lives. Such short breaks are called "respite care."

In connection with this great need the major question has begun to emerge: "Where will 'caregiver caregivers' come from?"

Our Wisconsin Evangelical Synod (WELS) Commission of Health and Wellness is undertaking a study of this question and those related to it in order to provide pastors, congregations, and individuals with information and resources to assist them in understanding the problems, accepting the challenges, and reaching out to those who have need of respite care.

Instead of printing thousands of brochures, bulletin inserts and producing expensive videos we hope to have these blogs serve as a primary source of information on this and other topics that deal with acting on our faith to show Christ's love for those who are sick or suffering. They will be frequent, regular and meaningful. At times links  to other sites will be offed for your further study.

Your questions and comments are welcomed as we hope to learn and share together.

A New Epidemic

Evening Prayer

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Working Together: Chaplains and Nurses

Working together

In an article by Emily Mclung "Collaborating with chaplains to meet spiritual needs", nurse McLung talks about working with chaplains. Her opening paragraphs provide extensive references to how nurses have had to deal with many mandates that indicate the expected role of the nurse to include the need to attend to patients' spiritual as well as physical needs. 

Despite these multiple mandates, nurses often flounder when attending to patients' spiritual needs for several reasons. Studies show that there is a widespread feeling of inadequacy among nurses in the United States in this regard. (This appears to be true in Britain as well as in America.) When asked why nurses felt this was the case, they pointed to a lack of time and a lack of education. So nurses are encouraged to turn to chaplains for help.

The article by Mclung was written to provide an overview of the qualifications, roles, and functions of chaplaincy services in health care, and offer guidelines for nurses to collaborate with chaplains to provide spiritual care to patients and families.

It is with such concerns in mind that the WELS Health and Wellness Ccommittee has undertaken a program of study and curriculum design to enable the WELS to bring together the mandates of patients, the nursing profession, and those of health care providers and their respective organizations to develop a program of Chaplain certification.

Adopted as one of the most important programs currently before the church, the Special Ministries Board of WELS has determined to authorize the study of chaplian certification, and to develop proposal iniatives, not only to meet the needs of Chaplains in health care programs, but also those serving in the military, individuals serving in prison ministries, and those serving and working within local congregations and on educational campuses.

Because there is such wide spread confusion and inconsistency in doctrine and practice among those who may claim to represent the Gospel and aspire to the office of Chaplain, it becomes increasingly clear that our WELS needs to address these matters as quickly and thoroughly as possible. What is more, since the health care delivery systems as we know them today are placing more and more emphasis on human spirituality as part of the overall wellness of human beings, the church needs to see more than ever before its mandate from the Scriptures to share the Gospel with all people as inclusive of those who are sick and suffering and alone.

To carry out the Scriptural directives and fulfill the mandates of health-care, nurses and chaplains need to be trained and encouraged to further collaborate in their service to the Lord and ministries to His people. This will, in part, guide the content of this WELS-HWC.com blog. In the spirit of collaboration comments will be welcomed and contributions will be sought. FAK.

 

 

Special Meeting Invitation

It seems impossible, but it is nevertheless true, the Lord has withheld his wrath against a sinful and corrupt world and allowed us all another year within which to share the "Good News!" I hope and pray that the opportunities for each of us abound in this regard, and, that we are given the words to speak and the fervent desire to accomplish His will. May God bless you with the Holy Spirit so that, through you, many more may come to know Jesus as their personal Savior in 2007!

I come to you at this time with a request for your help. As you may recall, last year in the fall, we had set up a time and place to have those interested in formulating a Health and Wellness committee gather for an initial meeting. That meeting was held, and several attended, while several others sent their regrets because they were unable to make that first meeting. Since that time, for many and varied reasons there have been no further meetings. Some got sick, several had major conflicts, and the seasons of Advent and Christmas proved to be scheduling nightmares.

So we will try again!

Please include the following blurb in your church bulletins and or Newsletters if they have not already been published.

All, those interested (Pastors, staff ministers, teachers, nurses, social workers, and anyone working with or serving individuals touched by the dread diseases of dementia, or those struggling with the normal processes of aging) are invited to meet in the interest of Parish Nursing, Clergy certification for institutional Chaplaincies, and the development of Senior Ministries within and for congregations. The gathering will take place (G.W.) on January 25th, at 7:00 P.M. The meeting will be held in the fellowship room of Crown of Life Lutheran Church in West St. Paul, MN. The meeting will last no longer than 1.5 hours. In addition to organizational items, a brief presentation entitled: Putting the Person First in Dementia Care, will be presented by the chairman of the WELS Health and Wellness Committee, Pastor Frederick A. Kogler. Interested parties are asked to RSVP with reservations so sufficient materials will be available for all those attending. You are asked to please contact Pastor Kogler by phone: 651-283-9876, or 651-450-4857, or by e-mail to kogler@comcast.net

Unfailing Love

Without a doubt one of the basic human needs is to be loved. This is true for people of every age. It is a universal need that knows no geographic or demographic boundaries. Some categories, however, may seem more lovable. For instance, when I go to visit my daughter and she extends for holding her youngest, a 7 week old girl, my heart melts and I'm more than eager to hold this little one close, cradling her in my massive hands and arms. Nestled there she seems content, and she sleeps quietly, moving only occasionally having to yawn or stretch.

On the other hand, when I visited my mother of over 98 years, it seemed, for all kinds reasons, that it was harder to express my love for her as a protective supportive person. If there was a need yearning to be filled, however, it was her continued need to be loved and cared for. With all of her knowledge, life experience, and accumulated wisdom she often expressed the joy and comfort that came from my just being there. She was most content when I would visit, even though in many cases after our initial bursts of greeting and conversation, I would drift off in a typical armchair snooze, while she slipped into her own wheelchair nap.

Caregivers of all kinds seem to be given an awareness of this universal need. Being aware, however, does not make more time to be able to extend the love that is needed. And here comes the problem of loving service among us: the lack of time to sufficiently fill the needs of love among us.

What we lack in time, therefore, must be made up in the quality of care, or love extension. Or so we are told to believe.  Working parents cut short their time of bonding to return to the work force, and the little ones we have brought into this world are remanded to the custody of a day care provider. At the other end of the spectrum, when our parents or aged relatives need custodial care, we shuffle them off in the specialized expression of human kindness that is available through the professioinally trained care-giver who do their best work within the confines of a specially designed facitility. We express our love, perhaps through financial support and ocassiona burst of concentrated attention by paying a visit, sending a card, or hiring some special service or equipment to be enjoyed or endured by our folks.  

In both caes, that is, at both ends of the life course, however, it would seem that those who are being cared for, the very young and the very old, take less comfort from care-giving costs, deriving more comfort and love from the quanitity of care rather than the quality of it. If a lesson is to be learned from this oberservation, perhpas it is this: we ought to be more concerned as caregivers with the quantity of time given to those in need of love, compassion and mercy than we currently feel approriate or feasible. I know that an extra minute here or there is cumulative, but the returns appear to be incalculable  when it comes to the enormity of the benefits for those being loved and cared for.

I am reminded, too, that there is an even more precious message to be conveyed by our spending more time with our loved ones, it is clearly expressed by the psalmist in Psalm 130:7. "...for with the Lord is unfailing love and with him is full redemption."

Where it began...

In my travels, I, like many, have made my way to this sacred place beneath the Church of the Holy Sepulchre in Bethlehem. It marks the location of the birth of Jesus Christ. Regardless of what you may believe, it must be agreed that the influence and wide-spread teachings of the Bible, which records this birth, i.e. Luke 2, have had an incalculable impact on the people of the world.

I happen to believe that Jesus Christ is more than a figment of sanctified imaginations, or a concept that is demanded by the psychology of man. I believe, teach, and confess, that Jesus Christ is my personal Savior, and it his birthday and its historical reality that I celebrate at this time of the year.

The embodiment of Christ's teachings may be expressed simply as Christian love. That love is a preoccupation for mankind in his misery by a compassionate and merciful God. That mercy and grace extends hope beyond the pain and loss of our society. With that hope comes peace. Peace of mind, peace in personal relationships, and a peace that transcends all human understanding and extends beyond the limitations of time.

To embrace Jesus is to make him your own and to live according to His principles of faith, hope and acts of kindness (charity). What is more, Christianity is a forgiving religion that expresses or articulates the reality of understanding how to cope with the basic imperfection of each person and all that they do.

The combination of faith, hope, and forgiveness brings about a healing of mind and spirit that demonstrates itself in a confidence and joy that is lived out by those who follow the world view of Bilbical Christianity.

At this time of year, with all of the excitement, distractions, celebrations, special music, and elevated spirit of widespread festivity, I want to wish and pray for you the thrill of finding  hope and peace through Jesus. May you have a truly Merry Christmas!

The 4th Commandment and home health care

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Among Christians the principles set forth in the Bible serve in at least 3 ways. Motivated by the love of God in Christ Jesus, we believe that God's holy immutable will summarized in the 10 Commandments serves as a mirror, curb, and a guide. While we live from day to day we see the contrast between who and what we are and what God intends for us to be. In a born again state, as those who lives have been touched and changed by the Gospel, not only are the 10 commandments indicators of our brokenness, but they serve to restrain us when we are inclined to revert back to the self-centeredness of our human nature. What is more, these very same commandments serve to guide us in our daily living, giving direction to our lives of thanksgiving and Christian love.

One of those commandments, the fourth, according to the inspired account recorded in Exodus 20: 12 states: "Honor your father and your mother, so that you may live long in the land the LORD your God is giving you."  This passage has been variously explained and interpreted, but among Lutheran Christians, the explanation of this commandment by Luther in his small catechism encourages all, both youth and mature, to see a relationship between God's loving care and those through whom it is administered. As His representatives, mothers and fathers and those in authority are to be accorded love, honor, and respect. What is more, it is clearly His intent that those whose lives have been touched by the Gospel through the care and nurture of His representatives, reflect that change not only in formal acts of worship, but in service and acts of kindness toward and for those who may represent God to them.  When the apostle Paul was moved by God's Spirit to lay down some practical advice for a young pastor, Timothy, he included these words of instruction: But if a widow has children or grandchildren, these should learn first of all to put their religion into practice by caring for their own family and so repaying their parents and grandparents, for this is pleasing to God.(1 tim. 5:4).

In a recent article appearing in the Wall Street Journal; Seniors in Vermont Are Finding They Can Go Home Again by Lucette Lagnado (10/26/06)an experiment in senior care, that is seen as an alternative to Nursing home care, has family members or ex-spouses providing care for those who might otherwise have been directed to institutional living. The article was sent me by a retired pastor with the note that indicated he viewed it quite interesting that state health care agencies seem to be reminding families of the principles of God set down in the fourth commandment as it applies to aged parents. Although the article clearly indicates that the care mentioned was being provided by family members, (we might view this as an extension of keeping the 4th comd't.) the reason for the article in The Journal would seem to be more concerned about the huge savings to be realized by the managers of the Medicare and Medicaid programs and services. The total Medicaid spending (federal and state)on long-term care for the elderly and people with diabilities for 2005 approached $100 billion.

It certainly needs to be pointed out to all, that with the aging of America, there is a great need for  fulfilling God's intent with regard to those who represent him among us. This is one of the planks in the platform of the WELS Health and Wellness Committee as it undertakes the privileged service of shaping and sharing programs of outreach to, by, and for seniors.

Information, Knowledge & Experience

I have a daughter who is about 3 weeks from giving me another grandchild! She's healthy, her pregnancy has gone well for her, and as the due date draws near our family of 21 is filled with the excitement of eager anticipation. Her sisters who are both mothers have been supportive and understanding. Her husband is more than helpful and considerate managing their two younger children more efficiently than ever. And, as might be expected, her mother is on the phone with her almost daily, coaching, encouraging and listening sympathetically as the days go slowly by. 

On several different levels there are emotions that are running quietly deep inside of each of us. Some are the obvious ones of excitement and eager anticipation, others are those of understanding with regard to having another mouth to feed, another mind to cultivate, and another soul to nourish. Some of the emotions are occasioned by the fact that one of her sisters has a down syndrome child. Another is concern about the potential of pregnancy triggered diabetes. Another is the longing for a similar opportunity, but knowing that it can no longer be afforded due to health limitations.

It's reasonable and common, therefore, I think, to see my daughter spending more time seeking spiritual strength and assurance more demonstrably than is her usual pattern. She is concerned and thankful and these feelings bring her closer to Jesus. This appeared to be true for many young mothers as I observed them throughout the many years of my ministry in a large urban congregation. I noted how those young mothers were drawn to their Lord Jesus as the increased responsibility of carrying another soul to full term had become clear to them. Not only did they come in their fear and uncertainty of the unknown, but they also came with an earnest desire to have their unborn hear the Gospel as soon as possible. I can remember how so many times I would be prompted to remember with and for them how the exchange between Mary, Jesus' mother, and Elizabeth, her cousin and the mother of John the Baptist, was recorded for our learning. (Read Luke 1:36-56)

Its times such as these that great benefits could be derived from having a parish nurse available to these young mothers. Bringing with them the knowledge, sensitivity, and information that is based on their education and personal experience. Parish nurses can and do contribute greatly to the overall well-being of those with child. Pastors do well to consider promoting parish nursing in the their congregations. Not only will it help those who are in need of special information and supportive care, but it will afford the pastors themselves an opportunity to be more careful administrators of the mysteries of God intended for the care and support of God's children.