What happens in the brain of a person when they speak in their personal prayer language, or in tongues? It seems as though the part of the brain that is highly activated when a person speaks normally takes a rest – a sort of sabbatical – to use a religious term. This would makes sense because the Bible tells us that if we allow the Holy Spirit to pray through us, as in speaking in tongues, it’s really not us praying, but the Spirit of God in us.
“For if I pray in tongues, my spirit is praying, but I don’t understand what I am saying. ”
1 Corinthians 14:14
An ABC news broadcast in July of 2008,Speaking in Tongues – The Science, explains this practice of the Christian faith in medical terms. In the study, Dr. Newberg’s team scanned the subject’s brains while they spoke in tongues, using their personal prayer language. Subsequently, the images showed that the frontal lobe of the brain was significantly less active than when the subjects prayed in their normal English language. Another study by Dr. Newberg of the University of Pennsylvania, published in 2006, showed similar results.
“Thank you for making me so wonderfully complex! Your workmanship is marvelous – how well I know it.”
Psalm 139:14
These studies are yet another example of science validating aspects of the Christian faith. They serve as a reminder of how amazing God, our Creator, designed each of us.
America’s Plan for Better Health and Wellness was rolled out yesterday, June 16th by the Federal Government. It’s being called the National Prevention Plan.
I was fortunate to listen to the live simulcast event over the internet and to be part of the followup Question and Answer session. I applaud the leadership efforts of the National Prevention Council for the work they’ve done on this effort and the comprehensive strategy and report. Clearly, our country should have a strong preventive health focus led by our government.
Sadly, this report does not address or include any recommendations concerning care for the spirit and the link between spirit-mind-body that medical research over recent years has proven to exist.
Health and well-being. What’s the purpose of having it? Why should we desire to be healthy?
John Wesley, founder of the Methodist denomination, would have said that the purpose of good health is to enable us to do the things that God has planned for us to do. (Ephesians 2:10) According to Wesley, our goal should not be to have good health for its own sake but to have health so our bodies can be “fit instruments” so that we can be our best as we live in community and service with others and in communion with God.
“The Christian life of grace and confidence looks to the well-being of the whole [person]. It sets a high value upon health — of body, mind and spirit. But health is not a terminal value in and of itself. A
human life is more than a biological episode. The value of health is to supply an efficient agency for the projects of the total self, to provide a fit instrument for the growth and maturation of men and women in community with others and communion with God.” *
Wesley recognized that the inner aspects of a person – his soul and emotions or ‘passions’ – greatly affected one’s physical health. He regarded the body as system, working together in all it’s parts or aspects. This stresses the importance of attending to our inner selves and certainly issues of the heart. Scripture reminds us of the significance of caring for our hearts.
“Above all else, guard your heart, for it is the wellspring of life.” Proverbs 4:23
“A heart at peace gives life to the body, but envy rots the bones.” Proverbs 14:30
Another key motivation for believers to care for their health is that the Holy Spirit lives in us.
“Don’t you know that you yourselves are God’s temple and that God’s Spirit lives in you? If anyone destroys God’s temple, God will destroy him; for God’s temple is sacred, and you are that temple.” 1 Corinthians 3:16-17
If our motivation for attending to our health is pure before God, it will be pleasing to him. Then, as we call to him to help us with aspects of caring for our bodies, he will hear our cries and attend to them. Psalm 34:15
Questions to Reflect On:
What’s your motivation for having good health and well-being? Do you think that God is pleased with these motivations?
The folks at Church Health Reader have just posted a wonderful second interview with Randy Maddox, Professor of Theology and Methodist Studies at Duke Divinity School, on John Wesley’s holistic view of health. Maddox tells readers about John Wesley’s book of medical advice at this Church Health Reader link.
More than 200 years later, it’s surprising how much of Wesley’s advice is still relevant today – exercising, drinking water, and clean air were crucial elements of his advice.
As each year draws to a close, I have made it a practice to share a few of these Top 10 lists with you with hopes that you might find them both interesting and helpful.
Be encouraged for what God wants to do in your life in 2011 and have a Happy New Year!
Top 10 Keywords Used to Land on the Site
1. scriptures on strength
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5. spiritual fitness
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7. faith and health
8. bible verses about health
9. laminin jesus
10. scriptures on stress
This week, the East coast of the states will be experiencing record high temperatures. Health experts will recommend that people living there should drink lots of water to replace what they lose trying to stay cool through perspiration. Yes, that is excellent advice for our physical health and well being. The human body is about 60% water in adult males and 55% in adult females. Lean muscle tissue contains about 75% water by weight. Blood contains almost 70% water, body fat contains 10% water and bone has about 22% water.
Many of the water products on the shelf are using the word “life” in their marketing of the water. Nestle suggests that their purified water is “Pure Life.” When I see this printed on a bottle of water, I’m reminded of the truth of the matter. The Bible tells us that there is one source that provides us true life – Jesus, the Living Water.
“Then the angel showed me the river of the water of life, as clear as crystal, flowing from the throne of God and of the Lamb.” Revelation 22:1
“If you knew the gift of God and who it is that asks you for a drink, you would have asked him and he would have given you living water.” “Sir,” the woman said, “you have nothing to draw with and the well is deep. Where can you get this living water? Are you greater than our father Jacob, who gave us the well and drank from it himself, as did also his sons and his flocks and herds?”Jesus answered, “Everyone who drinks this water will be thirsty again, but whoever drinks the water I give him will never thirst. Indeed, the water I give him will become in him a spring of water welling up to eternal life.” John 4:10-14
After I have been working in the yard on a hot day, I’ll typically go to the refrigerator and grab a bottle of water to quench my physical thirst and to replace the water I’ve lost through sweating. Drinking pure water is probably the best way to satisfy the need to rehydrate physically. But what about satisfying spiritual needs?
Sometimes we try to meet our inner spiritual thirst through external means that do not satisfy like food, alcohol, drugs, gambling, or other forms of unhealthy or addictive behaviors. These earthly things will not truly satisfy the need that God has given each of us for a Savior. Only Jesus can satisfy this need.
“He who believes in Me, as the Scripture said, ‘From his innermost being will flow rivers of living water.‘” Jesus in John 7:38
Questions to Reflect On
Do you have a deep inner thirst that has not yet been quenched?
Are you daily drawing on Jesus as your Source of Living Water?
Last week I had the good fortune of attending a Health Ministries Leadership Summit in San Francisco hosted by Health Ministries Association (HMA). The summit was an opportunity for national leaders whose work involves the intersection of faith and health to gather and network to formulate key strategies linked to the future development of the faith-health movement. About 75 individuals attended to contribute to this effort.
Much of the focus during the 2-day summit was on how Faith Community Nurses (or Parish Nurses) and congregational Health Ministers can be more effective in their work. Additionally, we talked about strategies to contribute to Health Care Reform and how to move our collective work forward. A White Paper is to be published later this year which will summarize the work that was done at the summit and help to chart a course forward for all those involved in this type of ministry.
Health Ministries Association (HMA) is a non-profit membership organization reaching out to transform the approach to wholeness and health. HMA encompasses all who support whole-person ministries and is recognized as the national professional membership organization for Faith Community Nurses. If you’re involved in a health-related ministry that supports a house of faith and are inclined to be involved with a professional organization, I’d encourage you to consider becoming a member of HMA.
Over the past few days I’ve been reflecting on how I might simplify the message I’ve been writing and speaking about. My thought has been that the more concise I can articulate this message, the easier it will be to explain to others and for them to understand. With that in mind, I thought I’d share this condensed version with you.
An Inspiring Day
As I’ve pulled this together, all my senses have been engaged. I’ve been sipping on a few cups of great tasting coffee, listening to the trickling of the water in our small fountain, hearing the birds chirp, listening to a playlist of soft, instrumental Christian music on iTunes, feeling the warm spring air as it breezes through an open window, and seeing the bright sun shine on the trees and flowers in the back yard. It’s been quite an inspiring morning and early afternoon!
Understanding the Faith and Health Connection
This is, I believe, the essence of the faith and health connection:
This is a somewhat creative attempt to capture my ideas on many of the key aspects of the connection between one’s faith and their health. I used a mind mapping website to create this. It has limitations, but I’m pretty pleased with the connections it allows and the associated graphics.
Any feedback you’d like to provide would be appreciated.
Health and well-being. What’s the purpose of having it? Why should we desire to be healthy?
As each year draws to a close, I have made it a practice to share a few of these Top 10 lists with you with hopes that you might find them both interesting and helpful.
This week, the East coast of the states will be experiencing record high temperatures. Health experts will recommend that people living there should drink lots of water to replace what they lose trying to stay cool through perspiration. Yes, that is excellent advice for our physical health and well being. The human body is about 60% water in adult males and 55% in adult females. Lean muscle tissue contains about 75% water by weight. Blood contains almost 70% water, body fat contains 10% water and bone has about 22% water.
After I have been working in the yard on a hot day, I’ll typically go to the refrigerator and grab a bottle of water to quench my physical thirst and to replace the water I’ve lost through sweating. Drinking pure water is probably the best way to satisfy the need to rehydrate physically. But what about satisfying spiritual needs?
Over the past few days I’ve been reflecting on how I might simplify the message I’ve been writing and speaking about. My thought has been that the more concise I can articulate this message, the easier it will be to explain to others and for them to understand. With that in mind, I thought I’d share this condensed version with you.
Let’s Connect!