Sharing in Love and in Abundance- Acts 2:42-47

Acts 2:42-47 "They devoted themselves to the apostles' teaching and to the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer. Everyone was filled with awe, and many wonders and miraculous signs were done by the apostles. All the believers were together and had everything in common. Selling their possessions and goods, they gave to anyone as he had need. Every day they continued to meet together in the temple courts. They broke bread in their homes and ate together with glad and sincere hearts, praising God and enjoying the favor of all the people. And the Lord added to their number daily those who were being saved."
What a wonderful time it must have been in those early months after our Lord had risen. At last, the disciples understood what Jesus had been trying to tell them! And although He was no longer physically present, He had sent the Helper - the Holy Spirit - to guide them and comfort them and pray for them. As the work of the Spirit flowed through the people, they were all filled with the love of Christ. and they began to treat each other accordingly. They ate together, studied together, spent time in prayer together... and not just on Sundays, but every day of the week. They were becoming one body, working together for the cause of Christ. They were participating in true fellowship.
Fellowship - true fellowship - with other believers can be difficult. Many times, we've been hurt by other people in some way that affects every other relationship. Trying to avoid further hurt can cause us to build invisible walls for protection. Although we crave companionship, we are fearful of the intimacy that comes with close fellowship - even though we may not admit it to ourselves. So we participate in fellowship only as far as it feels safe ... and then we stop. And we miss the blessings that Jesus intended for us through fellowship with other believers.
But there's another thing to think about where these first believers were concerned. In today's world's view, when the believers began to sell their belongings and share with one another, they were becoming a bunch of wackos. Visions of hippie communes come to mind today. But that was not what was happening. Instead, those believers were experiencing and sharing the love of Jesus for one another. What they had, they shared, so that all needs would be met. They acknowledged that each and every thing they owned was not theirs, but belonged to God. He had only placed it in their care. So instead of socialism, controlled by the government, they practiced stewardship, controlled by their devotion to and love for Jesus. They didn't sell everything they had and pool it all together. Instead, as it says in Acts 4:34, "There were no needy persons among them. For from time to time those who owned lands or houses sold them, brought the money from the sales and put it at the apostles' feet, and it was distributed to anyone as he had need."
These people met together daily in the Temple courts (most new believers at that time were Jews). Their hearts were humble, and they spent much time praising God. The Bible says that "the Lord was adding to their number day by day those who were being saved." (Acts 2:47) And no wonder! Any lost person who saw that kind of fellowship and love would "want some of that!"
Pray that the Lord will help you participate in true Christian fellowship... to open up. to join in. to experience the blessings you've been missing. Pray for the removal of any fear of hurt you might have so that you can reap the rewards our Lord has for you in fellowship with His other adopted children. And pray that all believers will learn to live in the kind of fellowship and love that Jesus intends - the kind that He can use as a tool for winning a lost world to Him.

WHY DO YOU WEAR THE CROSS?


It has been a little over 9 years now since I joined social media group namely Facebook. Over that period, I have only one mission on social media, to propagate the WORD of God using Facebook as a tool for that purpose. True to the word, I have religiously posted at least 4 post every day all of which are evangelical in nature.

Rarely do I respond on other users posts or comment on comments left on my posts. However, occasionally I might peruse through comments and posts on either side.
This morning, December 20, 2019 as I was preparing to post my morning glory topic, I came across a post that attracted my attraction; Question to Christians: “WHY DO YOU WEAR THIS CROSS?” My reaction to the post provoked a rear answer on my part to the author.

The author (Name withheld) goes further to apologize as to why he is asking the question justifying that quote; “I ask our Christian brethren this question. We are a family in humanity, and I ask this question with humility, sincerity, and love; truly wanting the best for all of mankind. Not with any hate or trying to put somebody down. I am just sincerely trying to get people to intellectually think: Why?”

In a few words I replied to his “Why’ question by quoting 1 Corinthians 1:18 “FOR THE PREACHING OF THE CROSS IS TO THEM THAT PERISH FOOLISHNESS; BUT UNTO US WHICH ARE SAVED IT IS THE POWER OF GOD.” It is true that those that are perishing will find excuses, and seek answers to questions that are explicitly simple, clear and outright to understand.

This author further pushes his question a second time in the same paragraph, “So, why do you wear the cross?” I would want to answer the author by saying that wearing the cross for Christian is for them a Remembrance: To Remember what true love looks like. Therefore, the cross is the instrument of torture with which Jesus was murdered, a favorite of the Roman Empire. The cross is the altar on which the Son of Man offered himself as an eternal sacrifice for the forgiveness of our sins. The cross is the new tree of life. The cross is significant, but only because of the time Jesus spent hanging from it.

To modern Christians, the cross is an icon, (Symbol) a visual symbol of victory of Jesus over sin and death. Christians wear a cross to proclaim to the world that Christ was victorious over death (and therefore, so shall they be).

Thus, to the author of the said article on social media, the answer is clear. For you the reader of this article, understand that; The cross is a reminder of the great cost from God for the salvation of man (you and I). Wear your cross with pride without shame.

Book Review: Fatherless Generation- by John Sowers- 2010



 
It’s a word that brings to mind either some of your happiest memories, or some of your deepest resentments. For too many kids in North America and around the world, “Dad” is a shadowy figure, a fading memory, a hurt feeling; but never someone they knew deeply.

Some boys look for approval in gangs; others channel their resentment toward an unhealthy work ethic, wild behavior or excessive competitiveness. Many young women seek out affection from boys (and “men”) who are only too happy to oblige.
 
 This fatherless generation has never been more unsure of their place the world and the results have been devastating. That’s why John Sowers, the president of the Mentoring Project, wrote "Fatherless Generation". In this short book, Sowers relates the tragic experiences of fatherless boys, girls, men and women (including himself), while showing readers that there is hope to change their stories; to be a part of transforming their lives and helping them discover the God who is the Father to the fatherless.
Throughout the first half of the book, Sowers shares his experience growing up without a dad, along with those of several others who originally shared their story on his "MySpace" page. And the damage that’s been inflicted, the pain that all have suffered, is palpable. Young women share how they were Daddy’s princess—until he left. Some write that they don’t hate their dads, but they can’t forgive them either. Hopelessness and despair are the undercurrents of every story.
 
What I appreciate about how Sowers presents these stories, including his own, is that it’s not sensationalized, manipulative. He is careful to protect the dignity of every person whose story he shares, as raw and often heart-wrenching as they are. This is extremely difficult to accomplish as, too often, in seeking to protect the individual’s well-being, their story can be reduced to emotionless propositions.
 
As careful as he is with the stories he shares, his use of statistics is equally so. Rather than overwhelming readers with data, he uses it to support the stories shared—the lives affected by not having a father in the home. They’re effective and disturbing.
For example, Sowers writes on pages 36-37 (perhaps the only really stats heavy section of the book), that children from fatherless homes account for:
  • 63 percent of youth suicides
  • 71 percent of pregnant teenagers
  • 90 percent of all homeless and runaway teenagers
  • 70 percent of juveniles in state-operated institutions
  • 85 percent of all youth who exhibit behavior disorder
  • 80 percent of rapists motivated with displaced anger
  • 71 percent of all high school dropouts
  • 75 percent of all adolescents in chemical abuse centers
  • 85 percent of all youths sitting in prison
For those who have ever doubted the impact of an attentive father in the lives of children, one needs only look at this and see that dads really do make a difference. The impact of being fatherless is so overwhelming, that it seems like there’s nothing that can be done, doesn’t it? 
But there is a solution: caring men and women becoming mentors to a fatherless generation.
In part two of Fatherless Generation, Sowers shares how godly mentors spoke words of life and encouragement, taught him to be a man and ultimately transformed his life. 
"Both of these men sacrificed their time in order to be mentors and father figures in my life, and because of their sacrifice, I came to see that being a man was not really as intimidating as i had made it out to be. I learned that i didn’t have to be afraid of other men. I learned that I didn’t have to be afraid of becoming a man myself,” writes Sowers (pp. 91-92).
The love that Sowers has for these men is obvious, as is his passion for seeing Christians take on the role of mentoring a younger generation. In doing so, by showing love to those who believe they are unloveable and modelling maturity to them, there is a powerful opportunity to be a witness to Christ and see lives transformed both in the temporal and eternal.
In this way, the book carries through it the implicit reality of the gospel (which, in terms of presentation, has its strengths and weaknesses). Sowers touches on aspects of the gospel to be sure (see pp 82 -84), and does speak of a desire to see the fatherless come to know the God who is Father to the fatherless, but it’s something that I would have preferred to see beefed up a bit more.
As a father of three young  girls, this book reminds me of the powerful influence I have on them
(for good). I pray that my girls truly know how much their daddy loves them, and that my influence will be a godly one. 
Fatherless Generation shines a light on the trials of all who are living today without a dad. Their challenges are real. Their pain is deeply felt. But they don’t have to live their lives with shame, anger or resentment. This book offers its readers an opportunity to be a part of transforming the lives of a fatherless generation.
Are we willing to take the first step?


Credit to Author, reviewer
CC. enkaburu.blogspot.com



 

 


What Christmas is NOT


Today Christmas is filled with many distractions.  Many of the things we do and love so much are nothing but distraction to the real meaning of Christmas.

Hospital visit that was never intended to be


In a sentence, what does a chaplain do?
Numerous times I have been asked what my role in the hospital is. In other words, people have asked me what a chaplain does in a hospital setting.
I would say my job is to show up in the hospital and support patients as they deal with health uncertainties.

Chaplains in hospitals spend time listening to patients, providing them counsel by giving them a listening ear and offer some reflections, on the issues they face.
On a normal day, I would come into the office and print out a list of patients on the floors I usually cover. Then I look at the chart notes and kind of figure out which patients I really need to see and who among them need argent attention.

On my printed list of patients to see this day, are among them referrals from other health care workers. Before this visit, I had made multiple contacts with other patients in the Unit which I would consider as routine and regular visits on a normal day.
However little did I know that by next visit would be different and very important for Mr. Walker (Not his real name).

Today is Tuesday and Mr. Walker has been in hospital since Thursday of previous week. As usual I knocked and entered the room as I called his name. Like many other visits, Mr. Walker answered by asking me to come in. Mr. Walker is sited on a chair. On his bedside desk, he has a laptop computer which made me assume that he was busy either working from hospital bed or watching a movie which is common with most patients.
Upon introduction, Mr. Walker made it clear that he had not make any request for a chaplain stating that he is "Okay". To my surprise I noticed that as he was stating that he is okay, he was moving his laptop computer to the side, which I interpreted as him saying, "Welcome I need to talk."

My interpretation of Mr. Walker's action and gesture, led me to ask him if he would mind if I sit down. Mr. Walker graciously offered me the opportunity to make myself comfortable.

No sooner had I sat down, Mr. Walker asked me if I were from any particular church.  I certainly sensed that he is taking control of this visit, which to me was a plus, since he did not anticipate a visit from a chaplain or to use his works, “did not make a request for chaplain.” On a professional level I was aware that this visit is not about me but him, I allowed him to take initial lead to build report with him.
Mr. Walker is a practicing Episcopalian married to a Roman Catholic wife- Dianna (not her real name). For over 20 years, they have been attending the Episcopal Church and the Roman Church, interchangeably. However Mr. Walker mentioned that, that practice has stopped after both he and his wife realized that sermons in these two churches are similar or close and they agreed to be Episcopalians. This arrangement works well for both of them, he noted.

However, there is only one thing Mr. Walker laments about; recently he has lost his favorite Episcopal Priest through transfer. As he explains how close he and the Priest were, I could tell he was becoming emotional.
Mr. Walker opens up at this time letting me know that since the transfer of his Priest, he has no confidant to whom he could share any sensitive matter such as his health condition and his fears and worries.

Mr. Walker narrated how drastically his life has changed since he retired from a refutable oil company 2 years ago where he worked as seismic and ground negotiator. I must confess that at this time I have no idea why he was in the hospital, and I left it up to him to let me know when he felt comfortable to do so.
Upon probing him, he explains that he has suffered a chronic heart failure, as result of cardiopulmonary bypass surgery he had less than a year ago. He made it clear that his heart failure is the reason he is in hospital the last 5 days. He made it clear that his prognosis is very poor. He further said that he has a history of high blood pressure, diabetes, faulty heart valves, coronary artery disease, inherited heart defects and damaged or inflamed heart.

As I listened to Mr. Walker I kept on wondering whether he is as sick as he says he is. He seemed normal and “upbeat” not to mention his jovial mode. Mr. Walker was seemingly looking better than the picture he painted of himself.
I offered my listening skill, probing him when needed, asked questions and clarifications; never mention why  I had come to his room.

I had come in Mr. Walker’s room to help him execute a Medical Power of Attorney, an order placed by one of his physician.  By the time I introduced the reason for this visit, Mr. Walker had shared his life’s journey for over an hour. However, he made it clear that he has a Medical Power of Attorney in place but he never brought a copy to the hospital.
Mr. Walker volunteered to call his wife ask her bring a copy of his already executed Medical Power of Attorney. After explaining to him that it is not necessary, he said that she is coming later in the day besides he want her see a letter he wrote to her prior to coming to hospital which was according to him in the same folder as the copy of his Medical Power of Attorney. He said that this was an opportunity for her to find the letter since he had no intention of telling her he has written it.

Prior to coming to hospital, he had written a Will since he was not sure he will go back home. In the Will he had explained Dianna his wife how to balance family retirement finances and most importantly he had said his goodbyes to a woman he has lived with for 43 years.  
Mr. Walker excused himself to make that important call to Dianna. I could tell from the direction he is giving her on where to find the copy of his executed Medical Power of Attorney that he knows where all his documents are and or he is intentionally directing her to where she can for the Will. This was a clear indication that he was prepared in case it happens that he would die.

After hanging up the phone with his wife, Mr. Walker laments that his wife may have it rough if he die, saying that she does not have interest of learning how to run things around the house like book keeping.
I felt comfortable to end this visit knowing that Mr. Walker has unloaded himself, discussing his fears, worries, frustrations and concerns. I promised him to check on him following day.

Later the following day, Mr. Walker called the office spoke to my supervisor and indicated to him that him and I had a very productive visit and he would want me visit if time allows.

Watch for the next visit with him in this blog

Impromptu Nuptials in Birthing Suite

Cynthia Kallay wanted nothing more than a modest ceremony at the county courthouse. But her unborn baby daughter had other plans.

Cynthia Kallay was never the type of woman who dreamed of her wedding day. Yes, she had fallen in love with the perfect man – an old acquaintance from high school – and she knew she wanted to spend the rest of her life with him. But for her, planning a marriage was more of an afterthought.

Then, after spending nearly a decade together, the couple got an unexpected Christmas surprise: Cynthia was going to have a baby. That’s when the two decided to get hitched. Cynthia, a patient care assistant at Memorial Hermann Southeast Hospital, wanted nothing more than a modest ceremony at the county courthouse. No flowers, no cake. Just a nice dress, a pair of rings and a few loved ones to help them celebrate the special day.

But their unborn baby daughter had other plans.

The morning of her wedding day, Cynthia’s water broke at home, nearly a month before her due date. She and her fiancée, D’Angelo “Trey” Doughty rushed to Memorial Hermann Memorial City Medical Center where it was confirmed that Cynthia’s labor was well underway.

“I jokingly told my nurse that I needed to run to the courthouse quickly to get married because today was supposed to be our wedding day,” Cynthia said. “I had no idea that that they would actually try to recreate my special day right here in the hospital.”

Cynthia may not have planned for a traditional ceremony, but Cynthia’s nurse and chief wedding planner, Amber Kyler, RN, along with the rest of her L&D care team at Memorial Hermann Memorial City Medical Center sprang into action on Cynthia’s behalf, pulling together all the necessities for the impromptu nuptials.

“I was determined to make sure she had the best wedding ever!” Amber said.

The entire L&D team on duty that day helped coordinate the surprise, including: Morgan Thigpin, Amie Strech, Anthrenette Daniel, Andrea Alonzo, Brenda Shook, Crystal Lockhart, Chelsea Taft, Jennifer Rocha, Hanna Buchanan, Rebecca Marchan, Shana Randle and Verna Deans.

As Cynthia rested in bed hooked to an IV with oxytocin, a drug used to induce labor, the nursing team worked to secure a bouquet of pink flowers and a white wedding cake with “Congratulations Mr. and Mrs. Doughty” scrawled in red icing. They called chaplain Ephapharus Kaburu to Cynthia’s birthing suite and brightened up her patient-gown-turned-wedding-dress with a snipped yellow tulip tucked behind her ear.

Before the ceremony began, one nurse asked Cynthia if she had a preference for the wedding music.

“I hadn’t thought about it,” Cynthia said with a laugh. “So I just told her to pick whatever she had at her wedding.”

As D’Angelo stood at Cynthia’s bedside, surrounded by family, friends and Cynthia’s 12-year-old daughter Kamayah, Cynthia’s contractions intensified to every three minutes. Her nurse stood to the side anxiously watching the dips and spikes on a monitor measuring Cynthia’s contractions, but Cynthia kept a wide grin as she exchanged vows with D’Angelo even as her labor pains worsened.

“Afterward, my nurse told me, ‘I can’t believe you smiled throughout the whole thing,’” Cynthia said. “Actually, I thought it was a pretty good distraction.”

Two hours after Cynthia and D’Angelo said, “I do,” baby Kadence made her arrival, weighing just 5 pounds 4 ounces and sporting a full head of hair. The family is home now, growing accustomed to their new existence with a newborn in the house. Cynthia is planning to spend the next several weeks on maternity leave with Kadence before returning to work in the hospital’s Medical Surgical Unit.

“This year has really been a whirlwind for our family, but I’m so grateful for everything that has happened,” she said. “God works in mysterious ways.”

 
Author- MH Hospital marketing person

When faith, politics and ethics collides in healthcare


Every day I walk in the hallways of the hospital where I work as a chaplain for the last 14 years. Although I love my job, I’m always uncomfortable visiting with a young patient who is fighting for his or her life. Even more tough is dealing with parents of kids living their last days.
In one of the famous Children’s Hospital where I frequent to provide care to destressed patients and or family, Kisha (name changed) a 3 weeks baby boy is a patient fighting for his life. Kisha sustained a broken skull from mysterious circumstances that neither the mother nor grandma can explain.
The 3 weeks-old boy from out of town had been at the hospital for almost 2 months being treated for blunt force trauma on the skull. His family had held a nonstop vigil by his bedside for weeks.
Already in a coma, Kisha had been declared brain dead; his brain had stopped functioning a few days upon admission in the NICU, a decision that was made by his team of doctors. But his family said their faith, as Christians didn’t define death as such and sought a court order to keep him on life support.
As time went by, the conflict began to draw political attention and before the court made its decision, Kisha’s heart stopped beating on its own ending the debate.
As a professional chaplain and pastoral care provider, my goal was to help Kisha’s parents make informed decision on the care they would want their son receive. I could see their agony as they navigate the very complicated family ethics meetings from which they were given enormous information and were expected to make decision asap.

While religion and medicine don’t always collide so dramatically, the two realms do coexist. It is clear that when “religious beliefs and practices are tightly interwoven with cultural contexts”(i), both constitute a powerful reminder of the healing, sustaining, guiding, and reconciling power of sustaining, guiding, and reconciling power of religious faith.
However the intersections between them are sometime uncomfortable.

A case in review is from a different ethics meeting not related to Kisha, where a famous experienced Pediatrician was getting ready to treat a child for Candida Yeast Infection. Dr. Yuko ( name changed), had the whole family in the family consultation room explaining the treatment when the grandmother stood up and said, ‘I think I understand everything, doctor, but all I need to know now is whether you’re a Christian.”

Unfazed, the doctor (who was Moslem) handled the situation gracefully by saying, “Ma’am, I’m as Christian as you need me to be.”[ii] Luckily, that answer sufficed. Religion is a deeply emotional and personal topic, and some may argue that a person’s faith and his health are unrelated. On this I disagree.
Over the period I have served as Hospital chaplain, I have learned that many physicians find religion a tough subject to integrate in healthcare practices. Religion is hard to talk about because it’s felt so deeply and matters so much. When you talk about an issue you run the risk of disagreeing. And disagreeing about religious beliefs can be painful for a lot of people, including the author of this article.
However, it is important to note that medicine is a practice that applies science in ways that depend on one’s moral and spiritual ideas about what it means to be human. Hospital Chaplains, of who I am, serve as members of patient care teams by; participation in medical rounds and patient care conferences, offering perspectives on the spiritual status of patients and participation in interdisciplinary education to both patient and staff.

There are areas where patients or loved ones and doctors disagree and this is the case of Kisha on how to apply science, faith and yet keep politics out of medical field.
While the AMA requires medical schools to teach students how to at least inquire about a patient’s religion, and more than 80 percent of medical schools address spirituality in their curricula, this training is usually embedded in an ethics or humanities course and is sometimes an elective.[iii]

In the last few days our Television international briefs are occupied by the story of Charlie Gard an 11 month old boy in London who is in legal battle to keep his life support machine running. Both the Pope and President of the Unites States of America have weighed in this case. The Pope weighing on religious views while the later weighs on political. The London hospital where Charlie is being treated has asked permission to remove him from life support.
Now the British infant is at the center of a global debate over what medical treatment, if any, he is entitled to receive, and who decides — his family, his doctors or the courts.

Charlie’s case echoes Terri Schiavo case, a young Florida woman who was left in a persistent vegetative state for over 10 years after a cardiac arrest and was also the subject of a court battle.
According to New York Times, Charlie has been treated since October 2017 at Great Ormond Street Hospital, where doctors eventually decided that withdrawing life support was the only justifiable option. Do Charlie’s parents have parental responsibility religious or otherwise to override control vested in the court by the court exercising its independent and objective judgment in the child’s best interests? Is the Pope the moral person to set presidency on medical care for Charlie? Should the president of the United States be involved in matters of medical decision making especially Charlies case which is out of his jurisdiction?  Should Doctors be final as far as the care of patients is concerned? This and many other questions lead us to question the role of politics in patient care.

From an individual point, I belief faith is part of care for patients healing.



[i] Spiritual needs and chaplaincy services – Bartholomew Rodrigues
[ii] Ethics consult at the TMC
[iii] AMA Journal of Medicine USA
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