Mar 142012
Death and spirituality
Mar 062012
A 2006 study (Steinhauser, et al) sought a “practical, evidence-based approach to discussing spiritual concerns in [the context of] a physician-patient relationship.” The issue is a critical one in relationship to end of life care. Even the World Health Organization insists that appropriate palliative care “integrates the psychological and spiritual aspects of patient care.” Caring Read more . . .
Feb 292012
I believe in healing and I believe in healing at the end of life. I have personally experienced healing in relationships, in terms of my sense of myself. Emotional healing, relational healing, psychological healing: all these partake of the spiritual insofar as they relate to the meaning we make and the meaning we find in Read more . . .
Feb 212012
What do people with advanced cancer, congestive heart failure and end stage renal disease have in common? According to researchers, they all testify to the importance of emotional and spiritual issues when facing the end of life: not surprising for many of us. What is interesting is that people said this kind of thing whether Read more . . .
Feb 032012
When I was diagnosed with cancer—years ago now, I am happy to report—I faced an inner crisis of meaning. Sitting on the front step alone at 2:00 am, I realized with a profound shock that the cancer didn’t MEAN anything. It didn’t mean I was good or that I was bad. It didn’t mean my Read more . . .
Nov 112011
He was only 47. He was a talented, creative, articulate, funny, loyal and determined man, just married for three years–so much, one would assume, ahead of him. But cancer got hold of him and eventually killed him. Not for want of battle against it, not for lack of trying every avenue available to him: but Read more . . .
Oct 312011
On October 16th, Steve Jobs’ sister Mona, with whom he was reunited as an adult, delivered a eulogy at his funeral. The whole text of the eulogy is available online in many places and was an articulate and moving tribute to a remarkable human being. My interest was snagged by the description in that eulogy Read more . . .
Oct 282011
Last month, 83,100,000 people searched the internet with questions combining these two words: “why” and “death”. In my experience children start asking these questions around the age of four and obviously, whatever answers are received then are insufficient because millions are still asking them. I suspect that for many the question under the questions is: Read more . . .
Oct 062011
Yesterday, Steve Jobs, co-founder of Apple and inventor of so many landmark technological tools, died of pancreatic cancer at the age of 56. His untimely death is a reminder that we, none of us, know what the next year, the next month, even the next week might hold for us. He leaves a remarkable legacy Read more . . .
Sep 302011
I believe that the purpose of a funeral or memorial service is first and foremost to offer a ministry of compassionate care to the bereaved. Whatever your particular tradition teaches about life, death or life after death, the spiritual care professional has before them a circle of family and friends who have endured a loss, Read more . . .