J. I. Packer was my teacher at Regent College when I was a young graduate student. Some years later, he became my colleague and next-door neighbor in the hallways at the college and a fellow church member at St. Johns Anglican Church in Vancouver. I will forever be grateful to have known him. He shaped my life and thought in many ways, and I am not alone in this experience.

In light of his recent passing, I have been thinking more about his wider legacy and especially his significant contribution to evangelicalism as a whole. In the present political culture, however, the word evangelical or evangelicalism is freighted with a good deal of baggage thats worth shedding immediately.

We can do so by going back in time. The Old English word gospel never got a proper Old English adjective and had to steal a Greek one: evangelical. But the noun and the adjective belong together. And as the great Bible translator William Tyndale put it, evangelical is a word that signifieth good, merry, glad and joyful tidings, that maketh a mans heart glad, and maketh him sing, dance, and leap for joy.

This vibrant relationship between word and life, message and experience, doctrine and devotion was absolutely central to the evangelical movements in Germany and English-speaking lands that emerged at the beginning of the modern period.

Evangelicals today claim some sort of genealogical or theological continuity with these movements. But wherever we see the preaching of Jesus Christ generate new life and set people in joyful motion, that is where we properly use the adjective evangelical in its most important and basic sense. It is why we cannot, I think, abandon the term. Again, the words gospel and evangelical ought always to be kept together. Indeed, Jim Packer played a significant role in evangelicalism over the past six decades precisely because he helped those who identify as social evangelicals to be theological and spiritual evangelicals as well.

With this context in mind, I can think of six roles that sum up Packers contribution to the modern evangelical movement.

By training and by dint of his own disciplined study, Packer acquired early in his career a deep knowledge of church history and the classic works of Christian theology. Popular evangelicalism, on the other hand, has often been profoundly ahistorical and anti-intellectual in its outlook. Just as the absence of good King Richard left England in turmoil during the time of Robin Hood, so modernity has caused troubles for the church.

Image: Illustration courtesy of Phil Long

Not to put too fine a point on it, but Packer described North American Protestantism as man-centred, manipulative, success oriented, self-indulgent, and sentimental. He therefore contrived, like Robin Hood, to take from the rich and give to the poor. He was able to retrieve riches from the past and employ them for the purpose of renewing the life of Christians in the present.

In his essay, On from Orr, Packer wrote, As an Anglican, a Protestant, an evangelical, and a small-c catholic, I theologize out of what I see as the authentic biblical and creedal mainstream of Christian identity, the confessional and liturgical great tradition. From these riches, he addressed the poverty of popular evangelicalism, which he once described as 3,000 miles wide and half an inch deep. We are all richer on account of his theological generosity.

Although he stole from the whole wealth of church history and the great tradition, he came early to the conviction that the Puritan tradition, in particular, contributed much to the church today. Indeed, he was one of the key catalysts in the post-war revival of Puritan or neo-Calvinist theology among evangelicals on both sides of the Atlantic.

Throughout its history, evangelicalism has been a movement, with all the fluidity that that word implies. Without a magisterium or a visible church order or hierarchy, it has not always been clear how theology functions to regulate evangelical belief and practice or to unite evangelicals around core doctrines. In this context, amidst all the diversity and denominational pluralism of twentieth century evangelicalism, Packer was, according to TIME, a doctrinal Solomon.

Mediating debates on everything from a particular Bible translation to the acceptability of free-flowing Pentecostal spirituality, wrote the magazine, Packer helps unify a community that could easily fall victim to its internal tensions.

Image: Illustrations courtesy of Phil Long

Through the influence of Knowing God, Packer emerged as a theological arbiter among evangelicals. In the West, as well as in Singapore, Hong Kong, Korea, and other countries where his works have been translated and loved, there are many evangelicals who have looked to Packers writings as the embodiment of evangelical theology. Packer was an international traffic cop too.

In his regulatory role, Packer was willing to engage in controversy and contend for the faith. Any number of issues within evangelical ranks drew his fire, but he was especially concerned with the threat of theological liberalism to the faith of ordinary Christians. As he often said, liberal Christianity has no grandchildren. Wherever Packer saw revisionist liberal traffic approaching, he held up a hand, blew his whistle, and refused to let it merge onto the evangelical roadway.

In the winter of 1989, on the occasion of his installation as the first Sangwoo Yountong Chee Professor of Theology at Regent College, Packer gave an inaugural address titled An Introduction to Systematic Spirituality.

He called for a marriage of sorts: I want our systematic theology to be practiced as an element in our spirituality, he said, and I want our spirituality to be viewed as an implicate and expression of our systematic theology. Evangelical theology and evangelical life were to be inseparable.

Image: Illustrations courtesy of Phil Long

At the close of his address, though, Packer donned his plumbers bib and brace, as it were, and described his role alongside Jim Houston, who had been teaching spiritual theology at Regent for more than a decade. Strengthening every way I can the links between spirituality and systematic theology will certainly be high on my agenda, Packer said. I do not think l shall cramp Dr. Houstons style. What I do will be more in the nature of digging out foundations and putting in drains, leaving the air clear for him to fly in, as at present.

The role of Packer the plumber at Regent College might be extended more broadly to his work within evangelicalism at large. In the context of a growing interest in spirituality by the wider postmodern culture, Packer played a role as Plumber in Chief, keeping the drains clear and digging out the foundations with the aim that all may soar aloft in healthy, unpolluted air.

Image: Illustrations courtesy of Phil Long

From his post at Regent, and with the popularity of Knowing God, Packer effectively became a catechist-at-large for evangelicals. This was his sweet spot as a communicator. He was a scholar through and through, as bookish and tweedy as they come, and yet he spoke and wrote not for specialists in peer-reviewed publications but for general audiences. To be sure, he was never short on contentPacker by name, Packer by nature, he saidbut he wrote to be understood.

While some academics might have wished that Jim had written more for specialists, this was not his sense of personal mission. He was a catechist first. Given the social structure and character of evangelicalism as a popular movement, it will always need those who can communicate in exactly this register. And Jim did this better than anyone.

From my perch in Vancouver, I was privileged to witness some of the ways that Packer lived out his catechist vocation in our local church. For decades, he was the inspiration behind a thriving adult Sunday school class that still goes by the humble name Learners Exchange. Although Jim regularly contributed, the course was lay-led and lay-taught most weeks. He sat there utterly in his element and positively beaming while adult Christians, serious about their faith, learned together Sunday after Sunday.

My wife and I live on the south arm of the mighty Fraser River on the delta where it empties into the Pacific Ocean, and some years ago, our provincial government employed an army of engineers to plan a new bridge to span the river and connect us better to the rest of Vancouver. We might picture Packer as one of those highly skilled bridge-building engineers who knew exactly how and where to connect distinct communities. He was Reformed, he was Anglican, and he was evangelical. Yet in his writing, teaching, debating, and worshipping, he looked for common ground with charismatics, Roman Catholics, and Orthodox believers.

Image: Illustrations courtesy of Phil Long

Packers approach was not to pursue some sort of abstract via media agenda but rather to unite Christians around biblical teaching and a thoughtful consideration of church history. He described evangelicalism as an ethos of convertedness within a larger ethos of catholicity.

Convertedness is a divine dynamic, generated by an understanding of the gospel and issuing forth in a renewal of life. Its like a mainstream current within the great Mississippi River, a mainstream that flows onward, despite eddies and bayous, mudflats and reed beds. Creeds and councils mark the banks of the river. Faith, repentance, fellowship, communion, holiness and service are all the while being renewed by the coursing life of the Spirit. Given this spiritual ethos, Packer was eager to make common cause with faithful believers in other Christian communions.

In The House at Pooh Corner, where the character is first introduced, Tigger says of himself, Bouncing is what Tiggers do best. Piglet agreed: He just is bouncy and he cant help it. For many years, this is the picture I have had of Jim Packer coming into the building at Regent College with a spring in his stepboing, boing, boingas if he were walking on springs. Being more temperamentally an Eeyore by nature, I have looked on in wonder and admired his effervescent Christian joy.

Image: Illustrations courtesy of Phil Long

Jim had a zest for life, a real whimsical streak, and a genuine cheerfulness. He also had a remarkable, dry wit, a love of clarinet and classic jazz music, a love of steam trains, a love of literature, and a love of food. His Asian friends like to see him keep up with them, spoonful for spoonful, with the hottest curries and spicy meals.

By the grace of God, he sustained this joyful spirit even in the midst of suffering and real disability. His personal witness to the joy of being a Christian and a theologian was itself a significant contribution to evangelicalism.

This brings us full circle to Tyndales idea that the word evangelical signifieth good, merry, glad and joyful tidings, that maketh a mans heart glad, and maketh him sing, dance, and leap for joy. Like Tigger.

Indeed, in his old age, Packer knew that there was still a joy set before him. As his beloved Richard Baxter wrote in Saints of Everlasting Rest, We are on our way home, and home will be glorious. Packer knew well that the wise man will live, as it were, packed up and ready to go.

Friends, Packer was packed. Here, at the end, in his joyful expectation of heaven, he was doing what he had always done: keeping evangelicals connected with the gospel.

Bruce Hindmarsh is the James M. Houston professor of spiritual theology and professor of the history of Christianity at Regent College, as well as the author of The Spirit of Early Evangelicalism: True Religion in a Modern World (Oxford University Press).

This essay was adapted from a talk titled The Significance of J. I. Packer for Evangelicalism, given at the 2016 annual meeting of the Evangelical Theological Society on the occasion of Packers 90th birthday.

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JI Packer Was the Robin Hood of Evangelicalism - ChristianityToday.com

The presiding deity here, Gangeshwar refers to Lord Shiva, who is also considered the Lord of Ganga. As per legend, the holy River Ganga descended on Earth from the end of Lord Shivas tresses.

Here is more of this beautiful temple in Daman and Diu:

Location

History

According to legends, Pandavas worshipped Lord Shiva in this temple during their exile . The temple is also known as Seashore Temple because of its location. Pandavas were looking for a place, where they could worship Shiva before eating their food. They found this place and installed five shivalingas, depending on their individual sizes. Bhimas (one of the Pandava brothers) was the biggest, considering his huge physique.

The serenity and the peace surrounding this temple will fill your heart with myriad feelings and leave you with loads of positivity and spirituality. If you ever plan a Diu trip, make sure you visit Gangeshwar Mahadev Temple for its beauty.

Address: Fudam Village, Diu, Daman and Diu 362520 Timing- 6 AM - 9 PM Best Time to Visit - October - February

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Gangeshwar Mahadev Temple on Diu's seashore will fill your heart with spirituality! - Happytrips

As the cases for COVID-19 grow in the Joplin area, its not just the doctors and nurses playing a pivotal role in the recovery steps at a local hospital system.

Freeman Health System provides a spiritual relief for all patients and their families in the form of pastoral care. Freeman has three chapels at Freeman West, Freeman East and Freeman Neosho with a chaplain available at all times. There are 10 chaplains between the two Joplin locations, and an additional seven are designated for the Neosho campus.

We staff the hospitals 24 hours a day, 365 days a year, said Bill Cox, director of pastoral care for Freeman Health System. I make assignments so that we have chaplains covering every area of the hospital. We spread the assignments out so there can be as much coverage as possible.

Chaplains are required by the hospital system to respond 24 hours a day to three things: deaths of patients, whenever a patient codes out, or trauma. Other than that, we try to see as many patients as possible.

Of course, when dealing with COVID-19 patients, safety precautions are a top concern. And while measures are taken to limit the chaplains exposure to the virus not allowing them to have direct contact with COVID-19 patients or their families who are in quarantine but as with most of the hospital staff, an inherent risk comes with the job of helping others.

Pastoral care, and about every other department in the hospital, has had some exposure to the virus, and we get information from the hospital if that has happened, Cox said. I know myself and about four or five other chaplains have been exposed, and basically, what that means is we are required to wear a mask, take our temperature every day, and we are supposed to report if we have any symptoms.

Weve had people who were exposed, but we keep plugging along. I am very appreciative for our chaplains, and nurses and doctors for that matter, who have not backed down from this. I think we all understand we are here for a reason.

One thing I tell people is when you are working in a hospital, every precaution is taken."

Unlike the general population, masks, hand-washing and social distancing are required. Going to work at a hospital may be safer, he said, than going to a public event where no precautions are taken.

So if the chaplains are not permitted to come into direct contact with COVID patients or their families, how do they provide support for those in difficult times?

Every day, I will have one of our chaplains get in contact with the charge nurse or other nurses in the corona unit, Cox said. We check with the nurse in charge and ask about any patients with specific needs, and we can communicate with COVID patients by phone or FaceTime as needed.

Another thing that is important, he said, is checking with nurses to see whether they know of any families of a patient who is in isolation who could be helped by a visit from a chaplain. "We call the relatives and spend some time talking with them on the phone and providing them with support," he said.

The chaplains associated with Freeman pastoral care are there strictly to help with the healing process. With that, they make sure anyone who asks for their assistance is comfortable with their current situation. The goal is to find out where a person is at mentally or physically, then help them move along in the grieving steps at their own pace.

The first thing we want to do is ask open-ended questions to understand what they are dealing with, Cox said. If we can help them identify what pain and fear they are dealing with, then that starts the healing process for them because someone has heard them and has tried to understand what is going on in their lives.

Cox noted appreciation for Freeman's acknowledgement of the effect pastoral care can have on patients and their families, particularly in a time when so much is still unknown about the pandemic sweeping across the nation.

Freeman Health System gives strong support for pastoral care, Cox said. There is a realization that pastoral care is an essential part of holistic health care.

Healing means more than just curing a disease," he said. "Freeman Health System is very affirming about the work of pastoral care, and we are just fortunate to have the opportunity to be a part of a team. Its not just us, and its not just the doctors and nurses. We are all working together to help people with their healing.

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Spiritual healing demands more than just pills, procedures - Joplin Globe

"Human beings are members of a whole, In creation of one essence and soul.

If one member is afflicted with pain, Other members uneasy will remain.

If youve no sympathy for human pain, The name of human you cannot retain!

The original of these verses, written by the prominent 13th-century Persian poet Sadi, adorns a 270-square-foot Persian rug hung on a wall at the United Nations headquarters in New York City. The above translation is attributed to M. Aryanpoor.

The sentiment expressed by the poet is also reflected in the writings of the Bahai faith: This endless universe is like the human body, and all its parts are connected one with another and are linked together in the utmost perfection. That is, in the same way that the parts, members, and organs of the human body are interconnected, and that they mutually assist, reinforce, and influence each other, so too are the parts and members of this endless universe connected with, and spiritually and materially influenced by, one another.

Hence, the welfare of the part means the welfare of the whole, and the distress of the part brings distress to the whole.

As the coronavirus has spread globally, it has more than ever brought the interconnectedness of the inhabitants of this small planet into focus.

In addition, this common adversary has forced humanity to respond in some truly amazing ways: The differences and divisions that only a few short months ago seemed so unsurmountable are being put aside; animosity and estrangement are giving way to cooperation and collaboration not only within this country, but also among the nations of the world; and a sense of community is flourishing as people reach out to others and support one another.

In short, a tiny virus, which cant distinguish among our myriad outward differences, has caused us to become aware of our underlying oneness, and has made unity a necessity.We have come to realize that despite superficial differences, we are all a single species and are subject to the same changes and chances of this world. And, we have caught a glimpse of unity, without which, according to the Bahai writings, the well-being of mankind, its peace and security, are unattainable.

As we experience the adverse and negative effects of the coronavirus in the coming weeks and months, let us remember the positive lessons that this ordeal imparts along the way. Then, may our newfound awareness stir our conscience and lead to actions that would, as the Bahai writings say, precipitate a radical change in the very conception of society, and coalesce ultimately the disjointed, the bleeding limbs of mankind into one body, single, organically united, and indivisible.

Hamed Eshraghian is a Mountain View resident and member of the Bahai community. For more information, visit Bahai.us.

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Spiritual Perspective: The welfare of the part means the welfare of the whole - Los Altos Town Crier

This year marks the 185th anniversary of religious services held at the Tabernacle in Oak Bluffs, and the Spiritual Life committee of the Marthas Vineyard Camp Meeting Association (MVCMA) wasnt about to let the coronavirus cancel this years services. Theyve never been canceled in the past. Ever.

I talked with one of the co-chairs of the committee, Ken Lowe, and he explained how things are a little different this year, but there is still an ecumenical service every Sunday at 9:30 am at the Tabernacle, through the end of August.

It was a little bit trickier this year, Lowe said. We had a roster of preachers set up in the fall and winter, and we were set to go, but this spring, when things were starting to firm up, I went back to each one and told them the situation, telling them were going to have services but we want to make sure youre comfortable. Three of them chose not to come this year, but they all had valid reasons, and we were able to replace them with other people.

Despite what some are calling the new normal, people have been showing up for Sunday services, which are held practicing social distancing.

Weve had a good number of people coming, just shy of 100 the past few services, Lowe said. Weve put precautions in place, and we sanitize everything in the morning before the service, and again before Good Shepherd Parish comes for their 4 oclock service. We have markings on all the benches so people know where to sit, everyone needs to wear a mask, and we keep track of whos coming in.

Lowe admitted that some aspects of the services have changed; theres no music, and they didnt get the piano out of storage this summer. The Vineyard Brass Band hasnt played, either. They do livestream services on the MVMCA website, mvcma.org/sunday-services.html, so that those who may be wary of gathering in public spaces can still enjoy the service.

The MVMCA usually has a packed schedule at the Campground music, events for kids, art shows, and other programs, that were all canceled this year. Not to mention Grand Illumination. There are many Campground residents who decided not to come at all this summer, Lowe said. There are some people in here who go back seven generations, back to when the Campground began.

A stroll around the Campground to look at the gingerbread cottages requires a mask this year, he said. In a typical summer, its not uncommon to have visitors come right up onto the porches to ask if there might be a room available, or if they could have their photo taken on the porch. Sometimes they think that staff live in the cottages, as if it were a living history museum like Colonial Williamsburg in Virginia. This year isnt typical, though, and some of the homes put a rope across the porch to discourage a close-up visit.

The spiritual life that the Campground was built upon is still vibrant, though, and there are guest preachers coming up some familiar, like the Rev. Dr. Ray Hammond from Boston and the Passionist priest Father Edward Beck. Next Sunday, July 26, the Rev. William Turpie, retired pastor from the New North Church in Hingham, will preach, followed by the Rev. Dr. Preston Williams from Harvard Divinity School on August 2.

To find out more about the Campground and the MVMCAs spiritual life, visit mvcma.org.

******

My lovely friend Nancy Wood invited me to join the Unitarian Universalist churchs service last Sunday, with special guest Jim Thomas (founder and president of the U.S. Slave Song Project and director of the U.S. Slave Songs Spiritual Choir), who led an Erasing Racism service via Zoom. I have to say, the whole remote thing actually had an intimate feel to it. Everyone greeted each other, and Ewell Hopkins opened the service. A couple of things he said stuck with me one was that the U.U. Society of M.V. welcomes your whole self, your hopes, your worries, and the other was his description of the congregation as diverse in faith and background but aligned in belief of the dignity of every person.

Thomas then spoke, saying that racism got its start in 1619, when we first had the idea that one human being could own another. He talked about the power and control that come with slavery, and how it was sanctioned by law. Thomas gave an analogy about racism being like an onion, where there are green sprouts above ground that can be mowed over or chopped off with a sickle, but most of it lies buried underground, and with proper soil and nurturing, it will continue to grow. You cant see it, but its there, he said.

We all walked away with some actions we could take ourselves to remove racism. Ill share them with you here: 1) Stop listening to or telling race-based jokes. 2) When you are requested to make a recommendation for a position at work or on a board or committee, or whatever, recommend somebody from a different race and then support them. 3) Dont teach your children to hate. 4) Listen to people from different minority groups with new ears, dont listen to confirm what you think to be true. 5) Contact your state and local officials and ask them if they are willing to support a community where all policemen are recertified on a regular basis in order to check on their mental stability. They see horrendous things in the line of duty, and it affects them; this recertification wouldnt be only to help combat racism but also to help with their own mental health.

I think those are good words to leave you with.

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Have Faith: Sundays at the Tabernacle - Martha's Vineyard Times

Deacon Kevin Laughlin and Bill Dougherty are familiar with the pains, sufferings and challenges encountered through alcohol and drug addiction. As well, they are familiar with the triumphs that can come from overcoming obstacles.

Deacon Laughlin has been a recovering alcoholic for the last 34 years. Doughertys son has been eight years sober from substance misuse.

Together, they are bringing hope to drug and alcohol addicts and their family and friends through the national organization Calix, which recently opened a chapter at the Church of the Incarnation, Mantua.

For the past month, gatherings have been held via Zoom every Monday night.

The Calix Society, which was established in the 1940s, is not a Catholic AA. The credo of the organization states that participation is open to those maintaining their sobriety through participation in their Catholic faith and a 12-Step program.

This program is a supplement to (programs like Alcoholics Anonymous), says Dougherty, who helped found the Mantua chapter, adding that the road to healing is continuous and not days and weeks, but months and years. Its ongoing but long-term recovery can and does eventually happen for most people.

When, and only when, the recovering person achieves some measure of sobriety is he or she ready for Calix, according to the organizations website.

Were infusing Catholic values, submerging participants in the faith, and making available another piece of the puzzle that is recovery, he continues, adding that the road to healing is not days and weeks, but months and years.

As with other 12-step programs, the anonymous nature of Calixhelps people work up the courage to get (the help) they need, and voice their struggles instead of silently suffering, he says.

When Dougherty asked Deacon Laughlin to be the chapters spiritual advisor, the deacon says he volunteered immediately, as here was an opportunity to help participants grow and mature in the Catholic faith.

Deacon Laughlin is a pastoral counselor licensed in New Jersey as a specialist in PTSD, addictions, and family counseling.

We work to rebuild the person, he says of Calix.

The Monday meetings include a reading of the programs Credo, a discussion of the upcoming Sunday Gospel readings, and personal sharing and reflection among its members, growing and strengthening one another on the journey.

The deacon knows that COVID-19 restrictions have been difficult for participants, and is hopeful for the time when members can gather together physically in support of each other.

The Calix chapter of Church of the Incarnation, Mantua, is open to Catholics and non-Catholics alike, those addicted and their family and friends, and anyone concerned with the illness of alcoholism and addiction. For more information, contact Bill Dougherty at 609-617-9959.

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Spiritual help for anyone who wants to remain free of addiction - Catholic Star Herald

Editorial: Gaming / Facebook / Twitter / YouTube / Instagram / News / Discord / Forums

League of Legends is a free-to-play title that underpins its monetization model with new content through skins for the nearly 150 playable characters. Along with the reveal of champion 149, Lilia, Riot Games announced that a new series of skins would be available that would renew the appearance of several champions and a few more were revealed today.

Riot Games announced (via Polygon) that the Spiritual Flower line, made up of alternate aspects for Lilia, Thresh, Vayne, Yasuo and Teemo, will be joined by those of Ahri, Cassiopeia, Riven and Kindred. Just as last time the attention was drawn to the announcement of the new appearance for Thresh, who transformed into a human, this time he stole the Kindred reflectors, since the Eternal Hunters had not received a new appearance for years and with the new outfit will already have 4 versions, the normal one, Kindred Shadowfire, Kindred Supergalactic and Kindred Spirit Flower.

Kindred Spirit Flower

Cassiopeia Spiritual Flower

Find out: RPs are already more expensive in Mexico and other parts of Latin America.

Spiritual Flower is an appearance line that took spiritual folklore to offer new appearances to various game champions. In the aspects, anime elements can also be identified and in Kindreds design, he highlights that the Lamb is seen wearing a kitsune mask (fox), while the Wolf was given a mythical fox appearance, apart from the fact that they predominate purple hues, reminiscent of cherry shoots.

The Flor Espiritual event will start on July 22. This last series of aspects is expected to arrive after being available for 2 weeks on the test servers. Each skin will cost approximately 1,350 RP and there will be one that will be legendary, increasing its value to 1820 RP.

Ahri Spirit Flower

Riven Spiritual Flower

Find out: This is how some League of Legends characters would look in the style of The Magic Godfathers.

What did you think of this ad? Did you expect any champion to receive their version Spiritual Flower? Tell us in the comments.

We remind you that one of the important parts of this event is Lilia, the new champion of League of Legends and who has a very interesting fantasy story. If you are a huge fan of the game and have ever watched a Julioprofe video then you should know that this renowned math teacher recently became a MOBA player and his debut has been very successful.

League of Legends is available on PC and is expected to hit mobile devices in the coming months. This version will naturally present some changes, but it is striking that the champions will also be less sexualized. You can find more news related to the title if you check this page.

Stay informed with us, at LEVEL UP.

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New Spiritual Flower skins are on the way to League of Legends - Explica

Lifes most persistent and urgent question is this: what are you doing for others?

--The Rev. Doctor Martin Luther King Jr.

Its just a mask and its just 6 feet.

Thats what Im having trouble understanding, as I watch the country I love fall further and further into the black hole of a virus, spreading like wildfire, while a large percentage of my fellow citizens still refuse to either don that mask or stay 6 feet distant.

Its just a mask and its just 6 feet.

And so, on the day I write this, about four months after our nation first woke up to the threat of this once-in-a-century pandemic, Im sad. Sad at the fact the United States recorded an unprecedented 57,789 new cases of the coronavirus just yesterday, July 12. Thats the highest number of infected folks weve ever faced into in a single day. Multiply that out by a month and thats a possible worst case scenario of 1.7 million new sick folks. Divide that by a conservative infection fatality rate of .5 percent (50 deaths for every 1,000 infected) and that means by mid-August we could be seeing upwards of 10,000 new deaths, on top of the 135,000 who have already died. To put that into perspective: thats as if the city of Cambridge, Mass., or Springfield, Mass., were wiped out overnight. Every last man, woman and child.

Its just a mask and its just 6 feet.

And yet it took our President until this past weekend to actually be photographed wearing a mask in public. Why his reluctance? Doesnt fit into his self-inflated oversized ego? Or his insistence at various times that COVID is overblown, or a plot by the Democrats to defeat him, or a weaponized virus created in some secret Chinese labs to destroy America? And now we are hearing of a coordinated effort on the part of this administration, to contradict and even discredit the nations highest and best scientific civil servant, Dr. Anthony Fauci.

Words and actions from a leader have consequences. These can either inspire a people to step up and unite and do their part for a greater good like public health (thank you, Governor Baker); or these can tear a country apart, sabotage any sense that as Americans we are all in this together. No thank you, Mr. President.

Its just a mask and its just 6 feet.

Makes me wonder what might happen if tomorrow, the United States faced an actual war, a real threat from an outside enemy, that called for the mustering of all of us, to do our parts, to unite, to be as one nation, ready to make sacrifices for a common good. Could we meet that test, now, in 2020, given our fractured and piecemeal response as a country to COVID-19? Do we still have within our civic DNA the willingness to sacrifice, or would too many of us balk? Not my fight! You are not taking away my right to do nothing! Have we as a people just spent so much time on the couch, watching Netflix, that we could not even be bothered to get up and do something, do anything, to help our nation!?

Its just a mask and its just 6 feet.

I want to believe, I need to believe, that somehow we will pull it together as a country. Make what is really a tiny sacrifice of discomfort, to just wear a mask and to just stay 72 inches away from others, and all to ensure that the least among us wont get sick, wont die. Why is this so hard for so many? Why do some folk actually think this is a partisan request, somehow tied up in our political fights? Does anyone think COVID cares if we are a Democrat or a Republican? I just dont get it. Why is this request twisted by some into the absurd idea that by actually following these public health mandates, we are somehow giving up our civil liberties? Are you serious? Is it really all that hard?

Its just a mask and its just 6 feet, people!!

Makes me thank God that I live in Massachusetts, that though our track record on wearing a mask and physically distancing is far from perfect, still, weve done a good job of flattening the curve and preparing for the worst and caring for each other as citizens and neighbors and friends.

And all that has taken is this: wise and prudent governmental leadership. A shared sense that yes, we are all in this together, and what I do or do not do: this can help or hurt another. And a mutual commitment to walk with each other, through the best and the worst, of these strange and amazing days.

Wear a mask. Stay 6 feet apart. Repeat, until a vaccine is discovered and distributed.

Now that isnt so hard, is it?

The Rev. John F. Hudson is senior pastor of the Pilgrim Church, United Church of Christ, in Sherborn (pilgrimsherborn.org). If you have a word or idea youd like defined in a future column or have comments, please send them to pastorjohn@pilgrimsherborn.org or in care of The Press (Dover-Sherborn@wickedlocal.com).

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Spiritually Speaking: Wear the mask and keep your distance - Wicked Local Dedham

During the pandemic, podcasts have offered a spiritual lifeline to those unable to attend religious services. This weeks clergy discuss podcasts that engage them in current religious issues, assist them in scriptural studies or inspire their ministry.

The Rev. Marie A. Tatro

Vicar for Community Justice Ministry, Episcopal Diocese of Long Island

Ive recently spoken as a guest on two faith-based podcasts: Blessed Are the Feminists (blessedarethefeminists.com), which examines religious traditions and spiritual communities through a feminist lens, andFrankly: Faith and Culture in Brooklyn, which explores the intersection of faith and culture, and is hosted by the Rev. Canon John Denaro, rector of St. Ann & the Holy Trinity in Brooklyn Heights. The latter was a half-hour conversation about my ministry in the Episcopal Diocese, generally, and how we were coping and serving others during the peak of the pandemic.

Last year I listened to a 10-part series titled Heavens Gate, which tells the story behind the doomsday cult near San Diego where in 1997, 39 people committed mass suicide. The host, Glynn Washington, tells this tale with great insight and suspense, and partway into the series, you find out why: He himself was raised in an extreme Christian community that he left behindand that he later realized was a cult. Washington currently hosts Snap Judgment (snapjudgment.org), which is not a religious podcast, per se, but covers areas of culture that inevitably include religion.

The Rev. Henrietta Scott Fullard

Presiding elder (retired), Long Island District, African Methodist Episcopal Churches

Podcasts help us to comprehend the written language and interpretation of the Word of God in the Bible, often from new perspectives and in new translations. I listen to podcasts that offer comprehensive Bible studies that probe the depths of the Word of God. The podcasts help me absorb the content of the Bible as heard from a multitude of believers.

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One that I return to regularly is the weekly Bible Study Podcast (thebiblestudypodcast.com) by Chris Christensen, who looks at Scripture from a Christian point of view. The podcast confirms my understanding of the application of the Word of God. For instance, in Episode 667, posted early this month, Christensen discusses the Death of Sarah in the Book of Genesis. He says that among the lessons to be drawn from this passage is that, in the middle of the pandemic, The people in our lives, as Sarah was in Abrahams life, are precious and irreplaceable.

Such podcasts help us to understand the presence of God in our lives. They enhance Bible study in a way that helps us live up to Gods expectations of us.

Rabbi Chaim Grossbaum

Director and spiritual leader, Village Chabad, Stony Brook

Happiness and tranquility are in reach when life is lived within the guidelines of the instruction book the Bible. Thus my favorite podcasts are Bible-based.

I especially like the podcasts by Rabbi Simon Jacobson of The Meaningful Life Center (meaningfullife.com),a spiritual health center in Crown Heights in Brooklyn. Jacobson, the author of a bestselling book, Toward a Meaningful Life: The Wisdom of The Rebbe Menachem Mendel Schneerson (William Morrow, 1995), is posting Spiritual Antidotes on the centers website to counter the negative impact of the coronavirus. He begins one such podcast with the words, Every one of us is blessed with unique talents and skills, then goes on to talk about developing ones own uniqueness.

What I like about Meaningful Lifes podcasts is that they help reset our thinking, the way a chiropractor might adjust ones spine to its proper equilibrium. They help us to find the perfect balance that God has created in the world and our place within it. Listen in and begin your journey in finding your real self, creating your personal mission statement and guiding life to the place youd like it to be.

DO YOU HAVE QUESTIONS youd like Newsday to ask the clergy? Email them to LILife@newsday.com.

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Asking the Clergy: What is your favorite religious podcast? - Newsday

Actors and filmmakers have been trying their hands at different things from the time lockdown was announced. Some of them have been updating about their workout sessions, while a few others have been developing their skill sets, some others into reading, and so on. Kajal Aggarwal revealed her spiritual side as she took to social media to write about her tryst with Bhagavad Gita and Srimad Bhagavatam. She posted, Ive been listening to the Bhagwad Geeta and Srimad Bhagwatam through this lockdown- these stories have always fascinated me and caught my attention. Finally managed to find the time to actually understand the valuable lessons. In a separate note, she added along with the tweet, Understanding and acknowledging our shortcomings, is the first step to purification. Through a beautiful Krishna Leela, lets learn why envy is unhealthy and how to heal our hearts of envy. The actress has been regular on social media during the lockdown period, posting about relevant issues like #JusticeForJeyarajAndFenix, endorsing advertisements, infotainment tweets, and so on. Interestingly, earlier, too, she had posted her penchant towards spirituality. Around a couple of weeks ago, she had tweeted, During this time of uncertainty, follow the link below to get some clarity. Ive been studying scriptures from our revered Shrimad Bhagwatam and the Bhagwad Geeta and its so wonderful to understand this cherished treasure.

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Kajal goes the spiritual way, reads Bhagavad Gita and Srimad Bhagavatam - Times of India

GALVESTONE, Texas, July 22, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- I craved to be perfect, but life kept getting in the way. As events unfurled that challenged my faade of perfection, I broke apart. Then all the secrets I hid from myself and others spilled out across the floor. I was not good enough, smart enough, and successful enough to be a flawless person, Nancy Shelton reveals.

In Imperfectly Perfect: Life Stories about Awakening (published by Balboa Press), Shelton shares life stories that chronicles her pursuit of perfectionism and awakening in spite of her trials with addiction and depression. She falls down over and over and gets up again and again. She struggles with her brokenness while having mystical experiences. Her insights about self-acceptance and self-love provide a guide for living life on lifes terms and waking up to a higher consciousness.

Everyone suffers through life experiences and many, like myself, crave a connection to something bigger than myself, call it God, nature, Higher Power, or whatever spiritual that is a part of their culture, Shelton says. If you are dedicated to following spirituality as a guiding force no matter what life throws at you, the stories illuminate the struggle of one person who has followed her own path.

Imperfectly Perfect: Life Stories about Awakening shares stories from a perspective of compassion, forgiveness, and understanding, and with a dash of humor. When I shared my stories, it was necessary for me to be honest, and I was blessed with new ways of seeing my world. Culling out old ways of being and applying new perspectives to my life took a lot of practice. I found that life is a process of becoming my authentic self, Shelton adds. For more details about the book, please visit https://www.amazon.com/Imperfectly-Perfect-Stories-about-Awakening/dp/1982243600.

Imperfectly Perfect: Life Stories about Awakening

By Nancy Shelton

Softcover | 5.5 x 8.5in | 130 pages | ISBN 9781982243609

E-Book | 130 pages | ISBN 9781982243616

Available at Amazon and Barnes & Noble

About the Author

Nancy Shelton has been certified as an alcoholism and drug counselor, life coach, high school English teacher, organizational trainer and consultant, rebirth facilitator, and reiki master. With a masters degree in crafting theater scripts, she brings creativity to her writing balancing candor, quirkiness and spiritual wisdom. She is a remarkable storyteller who will not disappoint.

Balboa Press, a division of Hay House, Inc. a leading provider in publishing products that specialize in self-help and the mind, body, and spirit genres. Through an alliance with the worldwide self-publishing leader Author Solutions, LLC, authors benefit from the leadership of Hay House Publishing and the speed-to-market advantages of the self-publishing model. For more information, visit balboapress.com. To start publishing your book with Balboa Press, call 877-407-4847 today.

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Book chronicles one woman's pursuit of perfectionism and awakening in spite of her trials with addiction and depression - GlobeNewswire

COVER STORY

The Bible tells us to lay hands on the sick and they shall recover and will continue to do that without the fear of the spread of any virus. Pastor Tony Spell, Life Tabernacle Church, Baton Rouge, LA1

Can prayer on behalf of those with serious illness be of benefit to a cohort of anonymous recipients? We recently became aware of a randomized, controlled study aimed at answering precisely this question for a population of patients with COVID-19 in the intensive care unit.2 Whatever ones religious or spiritual beliefsor lack thereofthis study raises profound questions and concerns for psychiatrists. For example, what is the effect on patients and their families if their prayers for ailing loved ones are not answered? What is the potential for religious and spiritual interventions to relieveor to exacerbatethe stress of the COVID-19 pandemic? In this article, we explore the double-edged sword of religious and spiritual responses to the pandemic.

The upside of religion and spirituality during the pandemic

A recent survey sponsored by the American Psychiatric Association highlighted the adverse psychological effects of the current pandemic and the prominent place of religious faith in addressing these effects.3 The survey results indicate that nearly half of Americans (48%) are anxious about the possibility of contracting coronavirus; about 40% are anxious about becoming seriously ill or dying from coronavirus; and even more Americans (62%) are anxious about the possibility of family and loved ones getting coronavirus. The APA survey is cited in a new Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) resource for faith-based leaders assisting their communities to manage the challenges COVID-19 presents to their faith and lives. Importantly for our topic, DHHS cites research that one in four people who seek help for mental health concerns turn to faith leaders before they seek help from clinical professionals.4

Indeed, there is a long philosophical and historical relationship between religion, spirituality, and healing, as well as a modern body of solid empirical evidence showing the beneficial effects that traditional religion and more contemporary spirituality have on physical and mental health.5 Although there is valid criticism of the methodological limits of some studiesincluding, for example, the difficulty in establishing causalitymost health care practitioners, including mental health professionals, have seen these benefits for many patients under their care.

For example, a rigorous 16-year follow-up study showed that women (N = 74,534) who attended religious services more than once per week experienced 33% lower all-cause mortality, including cancer and heart disease, compared with women who had never attended religious services.6 Li and colleagues noted that, There may be many pathways from attendance at religious services to health and that effects on depressive symptoms, smoking, social support, and optimism were potentially important mediators. No single mediator explained more than about 25% of the effect.

Even more pertinent to psychiatry findings from a study published in the American Journal of Psychiatry suggest that persons who endorsed religion and spirituality as being of high importance in their lives had only one-tenth the risk for depression (especially recurrent depression), compared with those for whom religion was of less or no importanceno matter the nature of the religious or spiritual beliefs.7 This association held true even more strongly if an individual had a depressed parent.

We might just say, all well and good: religion and spirituality, through 1 or more mechanisms, can have a positive impact on heart disease and depression. But how could religious belief and spiritual practice be helpful in the worldwide COVID-19 pandemic when we do not even have a vaccine? Intuitively, it might seem more likely that, in the context of such a devastating plague, certain religious beliefs would only worsen fear and despairperhaps conjuring up images of apocalyptic plagues and divine punishment for sin, or leading people to feel that God had abandoned them and then to reject religion and spirituality completely.

Although scientific research on this issue is not yet available, news stories and public opinion polls suggest that the picture is actually more ambiguous, and that there is both an up- and a downside to religion and spirituality in COVID-19, as we will discuss in the remainder of this article.

Many mainstream churches, synagogues, mosques, and templesfaced almost overnight with the need to promote public health restrictions and cancel the services that are the heart of much communal worshipdeveloped an online presence that reduced isolation and offered solidarity in prayer, medication, and religious reading.8

Moreover, a recent Gallup Pollagain belying the scenario that COVID-19 will lead to a loss of faith or negative expressions of religiosityhas found that the COVID-19 crisis has enhanced spirituality and religion for many Americans. During the period when the pandemic was rapidly spreading to many parts of the US (March 28-April 1), 19% of those interviewed felt their faith or spirituality had gotten better during the crisis. Commenting on this finding, Gallup senior scientist Frank Newport, PhD,9 observed that One of the traditional roles of religious individuals and religious entities has been to serve a positive, integrative, pro-social, charitable function in crisis situations.

The downside of religion and spirituality

In our view, the best available evidence points to a predominantly positive effect of spirituality/religion on mental health and coping, especially during times of crisis. However, as Mosqueiro and colleagues10 observe, there is also a downside to this relationship . . . [as] religion can be a major source of stress for many people.

Thus, Rosmarin, Malloy, and Forester11 have described what they call a spiritual struggle in some individuals, defined as any dysfunctional religious or spiritual belief that is capable of generating or exacerbating suffering. This is also called negative religious coping and may include religious guilt, the belief that God is malicious, and the fear of [divine] retribution.11

In the context of the coronavirus pandemic, clinicians may need to consider the following questions: What happens to religiously oriented people when things go badly, despite their faith and prayer, when for example, a loved one dies of COVID-19 despite the prayers and faith in God of family members? Might the family think that they did not pray hard enough or were not cheerful and positive enough? Or that their loved one was somehow unworthy of being saved? Consider how people of faithespecially someone with a psychiatric disorder, such as major depression, obsessive-compulsive disorder, or posttraumatic stress disorderwould feel if a priest, rabbi, or other religious leader assured them that if they attend a large religious gathering, God will protect them from COVID-19; and later, the individual becomes ill and learns that other members of the congregationincluding, the leader himselfhave died of COVID-19. This is exactly what befell a respected Virginia pastor who had promised his congregation that God is larger than this dreaded virus.12 Not only may the members of that congregation experience an exacerbation of their underlying mental health condition, they may also lose trust in the very community and beliefs that were providing support and purpose.

We are not aware of any systematic research that has examined these questions with respect to the COVID-19 pandemic, which is still at a relatively early stage. However, studying these issues may have important implications for psychiatry and mental health treatment. For example, Rosmarin and colleagues11 found that spiritual struggle (negative religious coping) was a strong predictor of greater symptoms of both depression and mania and appears to be a common and important risk factor for depressive symptoms. However, religious affiliation, belief in God, and frequency of religious service attendance were all unrelated to affective symptoms. These findings suggest that it is not religious belief or religiously oriented behavior per se that negatively affects mood; but rather, the dimension of spiritual struggle and its accompanying cognitions (eg, God must be punishing me, I must be unworthy of being saved).

Negative religious coping may be more common among faiths and congregations that encourage the belief that people can will themselves into remission from some disease through prayerand that continued disease is a sure sign that the person has failed in some respect. Thus, Christina Puchalski, MD, MS, FACP, FAAHPM, Director of the George Washington University Institute for Spirituality and Health, reports Ive had very religious patients who told me that my church group said I didnt pray hard enough, because otherwise my diabetes would have been cured.13

We wonder how such a self-blaming belief may be playing out in very religious patients who are suffering prolonged and severe bouts of COVID-19but again, we are not aware of research in this area, at this stage of the pandemic. Nevertheless, we note with concern CNN reporter Miguel Marquezs observation at a recent protest against restrictions imposed in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic.14 Marquez caught sight of a truck that bore the message, Jesus is my vaccine.14 As clinicians, we wonder what happens to people of strong religious faith when the Jesus vaccine does not work for them or their families.

Psychiatry and religious faith

Healthy religious and spiritual expression has almost always offered solace in disaster, consolation in bereavement, hope in sickness, and peace in death, for millions of human beings over the millennia. These are powerful reasons why, despite Freuds prediction in Civilization and Its Discontents nearly 100 years ago, that religion was a mass delusion that reason would soon banishreligious and spiritual expression has retained its vital significance in human life. Until quite recently, Freuds view captured the ambivalent, if not frankly adversarial, relationship psychiatry has had, historically, with religious belief. In our view, such animus is not in the best interest of our religiously oriented patients. Fortunately, as Professor of Medical Humanities, Farr Curlin, MD,15 has noted, This historical antagonism appears to be waning.

We believe that mental health and religious professionals must work together to help persons of faith toward an authentic understanding of spiritual practice and religious devotion. Furthermore, we believe that certain religiously based misconceptions can actually work against the interests of the patient. For example, a purely instrumental view of prayer can inhibit what we would call the experience of relational openness to God. In this regard, Daniel Sulmasy, MD, PhD,16 a former Franciscan monk and philosopher physician, has pointed to the danger of trying to control or manipulate Gods power, even for a good purpose, such as healing . . . . Dr Sulmasy specifically relates this to the matter we raised at the beginning of this articlethat of the unanswered prayer. He writes:

One approach to these mysteriesespecially in some Asian religions and in existential psychotherapyis to shift the focus of prayer from the narrowness of ones ego to a wider vision of the self that encompasses empathy for the suffering of others. Religious leaders have urged the faithful to see the immense human anguish and economic dislocation the pandemic has wrought as an invitation to spiritual transformation. Thus, the Abbott of Wat Pasukatoa Buddhist monastery in Thailand, the Venerable Phra Paisal Visalo,17 offers this sage advice, regarding the COVID-19 pandemic:

Conclusion

Like any intervention with the power to effect emotional change, religious and spiritual approaches to serious illness have risks and benefits. As psychiatrists, we need to understand both the positive and negative interactions of religion and spirituality with the particular patients physical and emotional needsand this will likely differ considerably from patient to patient. We can address maladaptive responses stemming from religious guilt and fear, while supporting beliefs and practices that foster hope and resilience. Finally, we believe that psychiatry can play a useful role in re-framing the distressing aspects of the current pandemic in the altruistic and prosocial terms so eloquently expressed by Phra Paisal Visalo.

Dr Pies is Professor, Department of Psychiatry, SUNY Upstate Medical University, Syracuse, NY and Tufts University School of Medicine, Boston, MA; he is Editor in Chief Emeritus of Psychiatric Times (2007 to 2010). Dr Geppert is Professor, Department of Psychiatry and Internal Medicine, and Director of Ethics Education, University of New Mexico School of Medicine in Albuquerque, NM; she is also Health Care Ethicist, Ethics Consultation Service, VA National Center for Ethics in Health Care. She is also an Editorial Board Member of Psychiatric Times and serves as the Ethics Chair.

References

1. Kaur H. 4 reasons why the rush to reopen churches goes beyond politics. May 24, 2020. CNN. https://www.cnn.com/2020/05/24/us/churches-reopening-state-orders-trnd/index.html

2. Gjelten T. Clinical Study Considers the Power of Prayer to Combat COVID-19. NPR. May 1, 2020.

3. American Psychiatric Association. New Poll: COVID-19 Impacting Mental Well-Being: Americans Feeling Anxious, Especially for Loved Older Adults are Less Anxious [press release]. Washington DC; March 25 2020.

4. Wang PS, Berglund PA, Kessler RC. Patterns and correlates of contacting clergy for mental disorders in the United States. Health Serv Res. 2003;38:647-673.

5. Koenig HG. Religion, spirituality, and health: the research and clinical implications. ISRN Psychiatry. 2012;2012:278730.

6. Li S, Stampfer MJ, Williams DR, VanderWeele TJ. Association of religious service attendance with mortality among women. JAMA Intern Med. 2016;176:777-785.

7. Miller L, Wickramaratne P, Gameroff MJ, et al. Religiosity and major depression in adults at high risk: a 10-year prospective study. Am J Psychiatry. 2012;169:89-94.

8. Amy J, Schor E, Lavoie D. Worshippers go online, those at services keep at distance. Associated Press. March 15, 2020, 2020.

9. Newport F. The Religion Paradox. Polling Matters. May 8, 2020. Gallup. https://news.gallup.com/opinion/polling-matters/310397/religion-paradox.aspx

10. Mosqueiro BP, de Rezende Pinto A, Moreira-Almeida A. Spirituality, religion and mood disorders. In: Rosmarin DH, Koenig HG, eds. Handbook of Spirituality, Religion and Mental Health. London: Academic Press; 2020:1-19.

11. Rosmarin DH, Malloy MC, Forester BP. Spiritual struggle and affective symptoms among geriatric mood disordered patients. Int J Geriatr Psychiatry. 2014;29:653-660.

12. NBS News, Bishop who preached God is larger than this dreaded virus dies of COVID-19. April 14, 2020.

13. Shomon MJ. Living Will With Hypothyroidism, revised ed. New York, NY: HarperCollins; 2005.

14. Marquez M. Jesus is my vaccine is one of the more colorful messages. https://twitter.com/miguelmarquez/status/1252262768591491072?lang=en

15. University of Chicago Medical Center. Psychiatrists: Least Religious but Most Interested in Patients Religion. Science News. December 11, 2007.

16. Sulmasy DP. The Rebirth of the Clinic: And Introduction to Spirituality in Health Care. Washington, DC: Georgetown University Press; 2006.

17. Lewis C. Senior Thai Monk Offers a Buddhist Perspective on Dealing with COVID-19. Buddhistdoor. March 25, 2020.

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The Upside and Downside of Religion, Spirituality, and Health - Psychiatric Times

Join the Freer Gallery of Art and the Arthur M. Sackler Gallery, the Smithsonians National Museum of Asian Art, for a series of three timely and wide-ranging online conversations about religion and spirituality in the museum. Featured speakers include Smithsonian Secretary Lonnie G. Bunch III, Krista Tippett of the On Being podcast, American Zen priestess Reverend angel Kyodo williams, Chase F. Robinson, director of the Freer and Sackler, and many more.

Wednesday, July 22, 6pm EDTAmerican Zen priestess angel Kyodo williams, art historian Yukio Lippit of Harvard University, and museum curator Frank Feltens will discuss Buddhism, spirituality, and engagement with the world.

Wednesday, July 29, 6pm EDTSmithsonian leaders and broadcaster Krista Tippett explore how the role of museums has shifted and how we can plan for our post-Covid existence.

Wednesday, August 5, 6pm EDTLeading scholars of religion and sociology conduct a thought-provoking discussion about the changing role of spirituality in our country today.

***

Interested? Registration is now open!

Visit asia.si.edu to learn more about each event in the series and the featured panelists. Contact [emailprotected] with questions.

This series of events is made possible by the Lilly Foundation Religion and Cultural Institutions Initiative.

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Smithsonian's Freer and Sackler Galleries Host Conversations on Religion and Spirituality in Museums - Hyperallergic

COVID-19 type pandemics happen when our immunity is compromised. Immunity is reduced by unsustainable and stressful lifestyle. This article is an attempt to show how both sustainable lifestyle and less stress can be achieved through spirituality. And in future if the mankind needs to avoid repetition of such pandemics then we need to practice spirituality regularly and sincerely.

Practice of spirituality has always been preached by enlightened souls and gurus but COVID pandemic has made us evaluate our life priorities and possibly look for solutions. Focus on spirituality is a part of it.

When COVID-19 lockdown took place in March 2020 it somehow did not impact me and my family since our lives have been mostly based upon thinking, writing, contemplating and working on our research endeavors. I and my wife live in a fairly sustainable way in rural Maharashtra.

However for most people who are very much extroverts, gregarious and fun-loving the lockdown was harsh. They could not socialize, shop, travel or meet friends. Most of these activities take up large amount of resources, energy, and time and sometimes are unsustainable.

In a way forced lockdown has taught us some lessons and have shown a way to travel less, do less binge shopping and use more technology effectively for communication and commerce.

Thus all the Zoom and other platforms for meetings and working from home have reduced travel time, energy and stress. This is a first and a right step towards sustainability.

Forced lockdown has also helped some of us give more time to ourselves and to our family, which in the hustle bustle of daily life was missing from our routine. It helps in reducing stress and brings in happiness. These positive things should become a regular feature in our daily life.

The lockdown has also helped the environment tremendously. Clean air in cities, less noise, clean water in rivers and lakes have been unintended benefits of lockdown. These benefits teach us a great lesson that if we reduce our wasteful energy usage in unnecessary travel, binge shopping, etc. then we can have a less stressful and sustainable lifestyle. Basically pandemic has forced us to reduce our greed and possibly altered our lifestyle. Practice of such a lifestyle can be further helped by practicing spirituality.

Spirituality is concerned with the matters of spirit. When we think deeply and for a long time about anything whether it is an idea or an object then the brain has a tendency of focusing on it like a laser and in that process the object vanishes from the vision field and only its germ or the spirit remains. Then complete knowledge of that idea or object results and is called Sanyam by Patanjali. This is the mechanism by which all great discoveries are made. It is this deep thinking on anything which makes us spiritual and gives us a sense of peace and happiness.

Happiness is a state of mind. We feel happy and enjoy life through our senses and the mind. Brain processes the information received from the senses and our level of happiness is dictated by its processing power. A powerful brain (the processor) which produces deep thought can therefore extract more information from the sensory signals and can give us more happiness since the mind gets satisfied easily. Besides it can look at a greater number of eventualities and hence can resolve the issues amicably. Resolving of issues helps in reduction of psychological knots and hence produces contentment and happiness.

A smaller processor obviously needs many more inputs to reach the same enjoyment or satisfaction level. Thus weaker brains need more resources to occupy them and this leads to greed and unsustainable lifestyle. Therefore one of the prerequisites to having a sustainable lifestyle is development of a powerful and smart brain. Such a brain allows us to think deeply or concentrate during which we can get lost in processing that information and it also takes our mind away from our insecurities, helps us resolve conflicts and hence gives us a feeling of calmness and well-being.

A powerful brain or a processor also changes the priorities in life and helps in focusing on getting personal happiness through mental peace rather than on material needs. Also the desire to show off gets reduced. This leads to being satisfied with whatever one has and is a major step towards sustainability.

Spirituality also helps us to have a compassionate view of nature and as we evolve spiritually we become more tuned to it which helps us in preserving it. Besides it helps us live in harmony with each other and enables everybody to work together for the common good. This is the genesis of non-violence and sustainability.

One of the easier mechanisms for practicing spirituality is by believing that things will be alright or have tremendous faith in ourselves. This feeling helps take a huge burden off from our head. In Indian philosophical system it is called Bhakti Yoga which means having faith in a higher entity which will take care of you. I am not sure if there is an angel or higher entity that looks after you but this feeling allows the brain to be free of fear and to focus on issues at hand. This helps the brain get sharpened and we can think clearly and cooly. All great people are basically fearless since they either have faith in themselves or in some higher entity.

This feeling of faith however can only result when we are secure and that security comes by developing a powerful processor ! If we have doubts then this feeling will not come because we will always keep on thinking about failure and fear of losing out. Faith provides a great pillar of psychological support to ego sense.

Faith also releases us from the planning syndrome since it gives us a feeling that whatever we do will be for the good of ourselves and the society.

When we plan then the implicit bottom line in the process is to maximize our gains and harness resources. This leads to greed because the basic impulse is accumulation whether of wealth or resources. Nature never does any planning. It evolves by coming in equilibrium with its surroundings and as the environment changes it adopts and evolves accordingly. In our scheme of things we should adopt this strategy. Faith helps us follow this strategy.

If all of us work for our basic needs and not for our greed then we can also reduce the stress. Accumulation of resources because of greed also leads to accumulation of stress. Reduction in greed and stress will lead to sustainable living and happiness.

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Practicing Spirituality should be the New Normal in post-COVID times - Thrive Global

In this era of physical distancing, one of the most urgent questions we all face is how to remain or become connected to others. Whether we tap newer platforms such as Zoom or FaceTime, or use the good old telephone, many of us worry these forms of connection still are too detached and cant replace coming together in person.

This is why an intriguing and timely study published this month in the Journal of Supportive Care in Cancer surprised me. In this unique study, titled Feasibility and acceptability of a telephone-based chaplaincy intervention in a large, outpatient oncology center, researchers examined the use of the telephone in chaplaincy. They found that patients reported very high satisfaction with spiritual and emotional support by phone. More than 90% of surveyed participants were very satisfied with a chaplains ability to listen to them and to make them feel comfortable on the phone. They expressed high satisfaction with the ability to pray, tap into their inner strengths and resources, and overcome their fears and concerns with the chaplain on the phone. In fact, many of the respondents reported preferring the anonymity of the phone over in-person support.

I frequently have been surprised that meaningful connections can be created by phone, and that patients and families have expressed tremendous appreciation.

In Jewish law, there is a longstanding debate regarding whether one fulfills the mitzvah of bikur holim (commandment to visit the sick) over the phone. Most rabbis who write about this question have concluded that visiting the sick by phone does fulfill the mitzvah, but not in its full and ideal sense, because one may not be moved to pray with the same intensity for a patient they have not seen in person, and because they cannot offer the same type of physical assistance by phone. While some of that concern may be mitigated by Zoom or FaceTime, this study is an important reminder that even when we cant provide support in person, making a phone call can be an excellent alternative that should not be quickly dismissed.

Our chaplains at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center have continued to see patients in person throughout this pandemic, believing we need to be right there alongside patients and staff who need us during times of uncertainty and confusion. However, some of our chaplains are unable to be in the hospital during this time, and some patients are not allowed to have any visitors, so we also utilize tele-chaplaincy in some instances. It took some practice and getting used to, but we consistently have been surprised at the depth and profundity of many of these calls, and the ability to forge meaningful connections over computer or phone.

When there have been patients whose rooms I could not enter during these past few months, I also had to rely on phone calls. While the phone rang, I found myself getting nervous, an emotion I generally dont feel when knocking on a patients door in person. When the patient answers the phone, I have to be very careful not to make him or her afraid because the chaplain is calling. After we begin to speak, I have to be extremely sensitive to exactly what the patient is saying and even the tone of voice because I cant rely on facial expressions and nonverbal clues that usually are crucial aspects of communication. But even with all of that, I frequently have been surprised that meaningful connections can be created by phone, and that patients and families have expressed tremendous appreciation, just as the journals study found.

It is not only true in hospital chaplaincy, but in all of our lives. I am afraid that because we cannot be in physical proximity to most people in our community right now, many of us simply feel there is no way to truly connect for the time being. It is indeed a frustrating and difficult time, but it is a time when we need supportive connection more than ever. Even if it is not ideal, it is worthwhile to pick up the phone and call the people in our lives. The likelihood is that they will benefit from it, and may appreciate it now more than ever.

Rabbi Jason Weinerisseniorrabbi and director of spiritual care at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center.

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'Telechaplaincy' is Effective and Can Lead to Meaningful Spiritual Conversations - Jewish Journal

Like a McDonalds or a Walgreens, cafs are ubiquitous in basically every concrete jungle. Aside from serving up that needed jolt of java, cafs also serve as social settings for bohemian youth looking for a momentary escape from the bustle of the city. It often catered to creative types and musicians, just looking for inspiration.

For Night Shops Justin Sullivan, the coffee shop at the center of his new song The Caf of Eternal Youth is a place of reflection to muse about his dead end job as a barista while imagining himself half dead on a mountaintop and all I saw were stars.

This is a song about youth and growing up in a music scene that was really exciting, but realizing that it was never about the bands or even the sound, he says. It was about ideas and creating and connecting with other people and how that feeling still fuels me. This idea of a caf as a centerpoint or a spiritual way station in between destinations is something he contemplates.

Hoping to be a storyteller like Jonathan Richman or a less cynical Tom Waits, Sullivan planned for this song to thematically connect this song to his earlier material or at least, that was his original intention. To be honest, it was borne out of something I loved about the early Ramones records, where each successive record feels like part of an overall unit with only slight changes in the songwriting, he explains. I always liked that idea, and so when this song felt really similar to a particular song on my first record, I thought, Alright, its like Ive begun writing my Leave Home.

While it seemed like a really awesome concept to piece together, building that framework didnt quite pan out the way he had hoped. Of course, as with many grand concepts for records, this perspective was quickly abandoned in subsequent songs as I decided to just let the natural flow of writing have its way, he laughs. Still this one remained as a bridge from the last record to what came next.

Abandoning that plan to construct that overarching storyline, he opted to create a much smaller microcosm a two-song yarn with the recently released Hello Take Me Anywhere being Part 1 to his Part 2 of The Cafe of Eternal Youth.

I wanted to pair these two songs as part of a single because I think they both work upon a similar theme of being in love with movement and traversing the landscape, he replies, revealing the silver thread that connects the two. And, of course, they both reference cafes as a sort of spiritual way station that I look for in every new city. They are both very much about the romance I have with finding the places in cities that serve as a hub of new ideas and where you can feel the bubbling possibility of what might come next. And, of course, these songs are also infused with romantic feelings for the same person, so it felt only natural to put these two paeans of longing and possibility together.

Like the metaphorical caf as spiritual hub, The Caf of Eternal Youth also served as a collaborative intersection that connected his musician friends. My favorite thing about this song is the contributions that my friends made to it, he confesses. Meg Duffy of Hand Habits is one of the great guitar players of our time, but as I learned serving as a rhythm section with them during some early Kevin Morby tours, they are also one of my favorite bass players in the world. Similarly, Will Ivy (my bandmate in Flat Worms) offers his signature, melodic guitar leads which really make the song come alive and of course, the great Anna St. Louis vocals at the end bring the song home better than I ever could have.

Returning to the image of the caf as an escape from city congestion, he weighs it against the great outdoors. Being among people is where I find the same peace that Ive heard people talk about being alone in nature, he answers, ultimately choosing a caf over a campground. Give me the boulevard any day.

St. Elmo Village. T-shirt can be found here.

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The Cafe of Eternal Youth Is the Spiritual Way Station in Night Shops New Single - American Songwriter

BASSETERRE, ST. KITTS, July 20, 2020 (PLP PR Media Inc.) St. Kitts and Nevis prides itself as a Nation Under, a fact that was declared publicly way back in 1983 in the Constitution, and Prime Minister Dr the Hon Timothy Harris is complimenting the church for the role it plays in keeping the spiritual health of the country alive and well.

Prime Minister Harris who is the National Political Leader of the Peoples Labour Party (PLP) and Area Parliamentary Representative for St. Christopher Seven made the remarks on Sunday July 19 at the House of Deliverance New Testament Church of God on Main Street in Tabernacle Village where he had joined the Leadership and membership of the church for worship.

I want to on behalf of all of us, those who are visiting today, to say a very special thank you to Pastor Octavia Charles-Warner for allowing us the opportunity each time we desire to come and to worship, said Dr Harris. Certainly each time we come, we leave better for having come and we want to thank the church for keeping the spiritual health of the country alive and well.

The Honourable Prime Minister was accompanied by Deputy Speaker Senator the Hon Dr Bernicia Nisbett, Peoples Labour Party Women Arm Representative Mrs Sonia Henry and members of Constituency Number Seven Group. Also present were officials of PLP Constituency Number Five Branch Executive, Mr Glenville Mills (Chairman), Ms Marsha Lewis (Vice Chairperson), and Ms Janice Lewis (Women Representative).

I want to thank the church for playing this powerful role, reminding us when you would have forgotten that God is still a good God, and God is still the powerful God and our God is enough, observed Dr Harris.

He told the congregation: It is not the house that is enough it is our God that is enough. It is not the perfect job that is enough it is our God that is enough, because the job brings its challenges and its troubles and its worries and its covetousness, and so you know you cant make it about the job, even though you are thankful that you have a job.

Prime Minister Harris hailed the talent of two singers, Ms Availyn Lybert and Ms Shinelle Willett, who performed in church. He called them back on the stage where he praised them for their selections and requested an encore from each of them for the congregation to hear their wonderful singing again.

This morning I was pleasantly surprised to hear two of our constituents come and do two wonderful selections, he said of Ms Shinelle Willett, and Ms Availyn Lybert. All of them did some very lovely selections, and Shinelle reminds us in her song that God is so love and that He is giving us so much love would you believe it? We want to thank her for reminding us that we have a reason to be thankful.

Ms Availyn Lybert who is from Christchurch was described by Prime Minister Harris as having a real sweet voice and we want to encourage her to music, I think she is one of our teachers.

The encouragement by the Prime Minister fits in well with the wider Team Unity Administrations commitment to harness the massive untapped talent the countrys young people possess. This was actualised with the creation of the new Ministry of Entertainment, Entrepreneurship and Talent Development, which is headed by the Hon Akilah Byron-Nisbett.

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Churches Keep Country's Spiritual Health Alive And Well, Says PM Harris - ZIZOnline

I received some words of wisdom about milking cows this week. I chewed on that cud of information a bit and began to realize certain things about milking a cow could be applied to my spiritual life.

Once you start milking your cow, she will have to be milked every day or she can dry up. If I don't do Bible study on a regular basis, I can begin to dry up. Furthermore, if I don't do Bible study on a regular basis, it makes me dependent on someone else's cow and milk. There is something very satisfying about milk I have worked for, sweated over, and delivered to my table and am able to share with family and friends.

Finally, with hands-on milking, I get to know the cow really well! Theres a difference between knowing God and knowing about God. Its important to have a hands-on personal relationship with our Creator who gives us the spiritual milk of life.

Along with spiritual milk, God has also blessed us with the gift of earthly milk. I have to admit there are times when I really enjoy this earthly blessing. For me, its hard to beat having a nice ice-cold glass of milk with a warm brownie or chocolate chip cookie right of the oven.

I was pandemic baking this last week when the desire arose to follow the warm cookie I had in my mouth with a refreshing glass of milk. I reached in the refrigerator, took out the milk, and because Im married, poured the milk into a glass rather than drinking straight from the jug. Taking a big sip, the cookie experience and all the good that went along with it was ruined. The milk had turned.

Theres a price to be paid for keeping milk bottled up a long time without checking it. Sweet milk turns sour if left bottled up too long or not kept cool. If you think about it, sweet dispositions can turn sour for the same reason.

In these current times where we find ourselves having to stay bottled up inside longer than normal; if we let frustrations or aggravations or irritations simmer too long, we can stew ourselves into a bad attitude. Just as sour milk can ruin something good, so can sour attitudes.

Satan knows that. Satan uses that. The adversary wont turn you against the church; he will turn you toward yourself in the church. He wont take you away from your good works; with your sour attitude he will spoil the gift you are offering and take away your joy in doing it.

There is a life-lesson here for us to embrace. To keep an attitude from souring, treat it like you would a cup of milk: Keep it cool and dont just keep it bottled up somewhere. Check it regularly to make sure its still good.

Pleasant words (and attitudes) are a honeycomb, sweet to the soul and healing to the bones. (Proverbs 16:24 KJV)

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From the Pulpit...Milking it - ECB Publishing

Lifes most persistent and urgent question is this: what are you doing for others?

--The Rev. Doctor Martin Luther King Jr.

Its just a mask and its just 6 feet.

Thats what Im having trouble understanding, as I watch the country I love fall further and further into the black hole of a virus, spreading like wildfire, while a large percentage of my fellow citizens still refuse to either don that mask or stay 6 feet distant.

Its just a mask and its just 6 feet.

And so, on the day I write this, about four months after our nation first woke up to the threat of this once-in-a-century pandemic, Im sad. Sad at the fact the United States recorded an unprecedented 57,789 new cases of the coronavirus just yesterday, July 12. Thats the highest number of infected folks weve ever faced into in a single day. Multiply that out by a month and thats a possible worst case scenario of 1.7 million new sick folks. Divide that by a conservative infection fatality rate of .5 percent (50 deaths for every 1,000 infected) and that means by mid-August we could be seeing upwards of 10,000 new deaths, on top of the 135,000 who have already died. To put that into perspective: thats as if the city of Cambridge, Mass., or Springfield, Mass., were wiped out overnight. Every last man, woman and child.

Its just a mask and its just 6 feet.

And yet it took our President until this past weekend to actually be photographed wearing a mask in public. Why his reluctance? Doesnt fit into his self-inflated oversized ego? Or his insistence at various times that COVID is overblown, or a plot by the Democrats to defeat him, or a weaponized virus created in some secret Chinese labs to destroy America? And now we are hearing of a coordinated effort on the part of this administration, to contradict and even discredit the nations highest and best scientific civil servant, Dr. Anthony Fauci.

Words and actions from a leader have consequences. These can either inspire a people to step up and unite and do their part for a greater good like public health (thank you, Governor Baker); or these can tear a country apart, sabotage any sense that as Americans we are all in this together. No thank you, Mr. President.

Its just a mask and its just 6 feet.

Makes me wonder what might happen if tomorrow, the United States faced an actual war, a real threat from an outside enemy, that called for the mustering of all of us, to do our parts, to unite, to be as one nation, ready to make sacrifices for a common good. Could we meet that test, now, in 2020, given our fractured and piecemeal response as a country to COVID-19? Do we still have within our civic DNA the willingness to sacrifice, or would too many of us balk? Not my fight! You are not taking away my right to do nothing! Have we as a people just spent so much time on the couch, watching Netflix, that we could not even be bothered to get up and do something, do anything, to help our nation!?

Its just a mask and its just 6 feet.

I want to believe, I need to believe, that somehow we will pull it together as a country. Make what is really a tiny sacrifice of discomfort, to just wear a mask and to just stay 72 inches away from others, and all to ensure that the least among us wont get sick, wont die. Why is this so hard for so many? Why do some folk actually think this is a partisan request, somehow tied up in our political fights? Does anyone think COVID cares if we are a Democrat or a Republican? I just dont get it. Why is this request twisted by some into the absurd idea that by actually following these public health mandates, we are somehow giving up our civil liberties? Are you serious? Is it really all that hard?

Its just a mask and its just 6 feet, people!!

Makes me thank God that I live in Massachusetts, that though our track record on wearing a mask and physically distancing is far from perfect, still, weve done a good job of flattening the curve and preparing for the worst and caring for each other as citizens and neighbors and friends.

And all that has taken is this: wise and prudent governmental leadership. A shared sense that yes, we are all in this together, and what I do or do not do: this can help or hurt another. And a mutual commitment to walk with each other, through the best and the worst, of these strange and amazing days.

Wear a mask. Stay 6 feet apart. Repeat, until a vaccine is discovered and distributed.

Now that isnt so hard, is it?

The Rev. John F. Hudson is senior pastor of the Pilgrim Church, United Church of Christ, in Sherborn (pilgrimsherborn.org). If you have a word or idea youd like defined in a future column or have comments, please send them to pastorjohn@pilgrimsherborn.org or in care of The Press (Dover-Sherborn@wickedlocal.com).

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Spiritually Speaking: Wear the mask and keep your distance - Wicked Local Sharon

During a Bible study at church we discussed the value of hearing. Good responses were given regarding the benefits of physical hearing, which helped us focus on the importance of being able to hear spiritually what God desires to speak to our hearts. After church a gentleman, who has difficulty hearing even with the help of hearing aids, shared something that he misses due to his poor hearing: the singing of birds. I have never given much thought to what a pleasure and blessing it is to be able to experience that part of nature. The ability to hear affects many parts of our lives.

Then on the other end of the spectrum, there are those situations in which the ability to hear is fine, but the willingness to act on what is heard is lacking. The classic case of going in one ear and out the other is demonstrated in our lives more often than we would like to admit.

When I got home from work one day, I could see in Addysons eyes that she was worn out from being at school all day. She was behaving a little cranky, but it was tolerable. However, when her Nana instructed her to pick up a school folder that she had thrown in the floor, the standoff was on. She could hear just fine as Gale sternly commanded her to do as she was told, but she chose not to respond properly. As she squirmed around on the floor with a defiant look on her face, there was no way Gale and I would ignore the situation and let her have her way. After the exercise of some loving but stern discipline, she finally complied and everything was fine. It would have been much quicker, easier, and less dramatic if we had simply picked up what she had thrown in the floor ourselves, but that would have been unfair to Addy and irresponsible on our part. She needed to learn the importance of hearing and obeying those in authority over her, and we had the responsibility of helping to teach her the value of obedience.

The little episode just mentioned took place several years ago when Addy was about four. She has grown a lot since then and she has learned some things about listening and obeying. That does not mean she has it down to perfectionshe has more to learn just like we all do. But the good thing is that we can learn to be better listeners and better doers of what we are supposed to do. This is especially important when it comes to hearing Gods instructions and following them.

In the Book of John these words of Christ are preserved for us: I tell you the truth, whoever hears My word and believes Him Who sent Me has eternal life and will not be condemned; he has crossed over from death to life (5:24, New International Version).

In His day, many were hearing the words of Christ with their physical ears yet failing to apply His words to their lives; they were hearing but not believing, thus missing out on what He desired for them to experience personally. If they would hear and believe His words they could know a new life through faith that would move them from the deadness of the sinful life to the vibrancy of spiritual life. Christ gave those of His day the opportunity to hear Him, and either believe what He said and experience eternal life, or to reject His message and experience eternal condemnation. He offers us those same choices today.

The ability to hear the singing of birds is a wonderful gift that we should not take for granted. The opportunity to hear and act upon the Word of God is an even greater gift which we cannot afford to reject. May we all keep our spiritual ears open and our hearts willing to obey all of Gods instructions.

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The value of hearing and doing - The Post-Searchlight - Post Searchlight