Faith and Health -- Are they related?
A while back a study came out that seemed to discount the value of prayer in healing -- it was a rather strange and in my mind silly study. It tried to see if the prayer of strangers helped people who didn't know they were being prayed for.
But despite that misstep, it has long been recognized that faith has something to do with recovery. It could be the prayers or maybe it's the sense that you're not alone. Maybe it's the community that surrounds you. As a pastor I know that people express appreciation not just for my prayers, but my presence there.
In an LA Times article today Times writer Angie Green shares another study, this one suggests that 85% of doctors believe that religion and spirituality have a positive effect on health. Now before we get all excited, we need to remember that this isn't tradition specific -- it doesn't matter which religious tradition, as long as it offers positive support, it can be of great help. It can also be detrimental if one's faith puts guilt trips on you.
The good news in all of this is that doctors are recognizing that faith can be a partner in recovery. I know that at Cottage Hospital in Santa Barbara, where I served as part of an on-call clergy visitation team in support of the spiritual care team there, the hospital has been very supportive of this partnership, and not just for the patients but also for staff.
But despite that misstep, it has long been recognized that faith has something to do with recovery. It could be the prayers or maybe it's the sense that you're not alone. Maybe it's the community that surrounds you. As a pastor I know that people express appreciation not just for my prayers, but my presence there.
In an LA Times article today Times writer Angie Green shares another study, this one suggests that 85% of doctors believe that religion and spirituality have a positive effect on health. Now before we get all excited, we need to remember that this isn't tradition specific -- it doesn't matter which religious tradition, as long as it offers positive support, it can be of great help. It can also be detrimental if one's faith puts guilt trips on you.
The good news in all of this is that doctors are recognizing that faith can be a partner in recovery. I know that at Cottage Hospital in Santa Barbara, where I served as part of an on-call clergy visitation team in support of the spiritual care team there, the hospital has been very supportive of this partnership, and not just for the patients but also for staff.
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