Actively Working Towards Becoming MORE Contagious!

When you see or hear the word “contagious,” what comes to mind?  COVID?  Masks? Other forms of infectious diseases or illnesses?  Something unpleasant?  Death?  Given what we’ve been through over the past two years, it is quite understandable to have these kinds of thoughts.  

However, it is also important to remember that some things that are “contagious” are positive and are, thus, good for our health when they spread.  These include (but are not limited to!) a smile, laughter, words of gratitude, and/or other forms of compassion.

At its root, to be contagious means that an influence, quality, or nature has the ability to spread rapidly through verbal and/or physical contact with those around us.  Again, this can work for good or for bad.

As some of you know, the very reason we exist as an organization is to promote positive contagion, particularly when it comes to spreading healthy lifestyle practices among seminaries and communities of faith.  Our primary goal is to bring about greater health and wellbeing among seminarians (many of whom are future clergy) so that they can ultimately be partners with us in spreading healthy habits – not only in the settings to which God has called them, but also in our communities and throughout the world!

However, one of the themes that came up in Travis’ dissertation research, which focused on identifying what contributes to the health and unhealth of those preparing for a vocation in ministry (the results of which were generally consistent with Karen’s doctoral research project, also conducted among seminarians six years ago), is that when it comes to talking about health, the Church is pretty much silent.

In fact, it turns out that, among the seminarians who were interviewed by Travis in fall 2020 and spring 2021, “five of the [thirteen] interview participants said they had never heard health discussed in church, either theologically or practically, and of the eight who had, it was generally limited to a particular aspect of health, usually spiritual health.  Furthermore, several interviewees indicated they had heard health talked about in church only because of the COVID-19 pandemic, meaning that, only two years ago, the number of interviewees who had never heard health come up in church would have been higher.  What an unfortunate statement about the importance of health in church that it has taken a global pandemic to bring the subject to the forefront in some congregations!”

We think there is no better time than now – in this season where we celebrate the good news of Jesus Christ’s resurrection and the new life that is given to all, to work towards changing this reality, and we would like your help!  

As we continue to empower seminary students, we  want to challenge you to help break the silence about health in our communities of faith.  When we work together, we can make a real difference in our own lives as well as in the world around us.

Peace,

Karen and Travis Webster

HSHC Co-founders

Don’t know where to start?  Check out our 3 Ways to Spread Good Health in Our Communities of Faith post for ideas and next steps.

3 Ways to Spread Good Health in Our Communities of Faith

• Be contagious in worship by designating particular Sundays to highlight and explore various aspects of health (mental, emotional, physical, relational, spiritual, environmental, and more!).  There are many health-awareness calendars online that can help guide you.  For some examples specific to the United States, click here.  For some international options, click here.  

• Be contagious in educational opportunities by offering health-oriented studies.  Something we have discovered, both in our research and through leading classes in congregational settings, is that there is a general lack of understanding of the body from a biblical and theological perspective, which significantly impacts how we treat our bodies (individually and collectively).  Since Christianity is rooted in the embodiment of Christ, and given current social movements as they relate to body image, body positivity, body shaming, etc., we think this topic is extremely relevant and foundational for congregation health ministry initiatives.  Here are a couple of books that we find to be helpful in exploring this topic:
  • Embracing The Body: Finding God in Our Flesh and Bone, by Tara M. Owens
  • Reclaiming The Body in Christian Spirituality, edited by Thomas Ryan
  • Body: Biblical Spirituality For the Whole Person, by Paula Gooder

• Be contagious in mission and fellowship events.  Does your congregation already provide yoga classes?  Exercise groups?  A food pantry?  Fellowship opportunities?  A lot of times, it is easy to think of these, and similar pursuits, simply as events that take place at the church or ministries supported by the church.  However, many of these activities are already improving the health and wellbeing of the congregation and/or the community.  Therefore, one strategy we want to encourage congregations to consider is exploring and defining a theological basis for health (in your context) and then tying these already existing health ministries into that theology.  Your congregation may find that they don’t necessarily need to add many new programs and/or events; rather, it is simply a matter of being more intentional about the why of what you are doing.

Would you like some more ideas?  Have stories about what has been successful in your congregation?  We’d love to hear from you!  Click here to contact us.

Peace,

Karen and Travis Webster

HSHC Co-founders

* Please note: following any of the links in this post will take you to sites containing third-party content.

Recipes from earthday.org, The Simple Veganista, and Minimalist Baker.

A Few of My (Newest) Favorite Ministry Tools and Online Resources*

While January is sort of a let-down month for some people, I, personally, find it to be one of my favorite times of the year. With all of the hopes and possibilities that lie before me, I experience it to be quite energizing! Since, over the last several years, this has paired up with the beginning of the 16-week marathon training plans I began each January, I need all the energy I can get.

This year, however, I chose to take on a different kind of “marathon training plan.”

Rather than physically train in order to run a marathon, I decided to register at the beginning of January for a 15-week intensive online course focused on “Digital and Collaborative Teaching and Learning.” Plus, just to make sure I wanted to commit myself to such an undertaking (one in which I would have never imagined enrolling… kind of like when I signed up for my first marathon), I took a free, one-week online course on “Transforming Digital Learning” and loved it.

In other words, this year, I decided (God called me) to take on the challenge of 16 weeks of intense sitting (or standing) in front of my laptop and persevering through each and every mental “workout” (homework assignment) so that I could become  better equipped to serve in the ministry (vocational marathon) to which God has called me… despite the numerous hours I had already spent in front of my screen due to COVID! 

So how is my training going as I’m about to enter week 7 (almost halfway done)?  My brain and body are exhausted, but I am loving the experience every step of the way… most of the time!

As a result of taking the class, I have found some new favorite ministry tools and resources, and wanted to share 4 of them with you:

Audacity: a free, easy-to-use, multi-track audio editor and recorder.

• • Great for creating podcasts.
  • Compatible with Windows, macOS, GNU/Linux, and other operating systems.
  • For a quick overview on how to use it, click here.

Canva: featuring a SUPER user-friendly interface, this free resource allows you to create flyers, social media posts, videos, cards, presentations, photo collages, and more.

• • Prior to taking this class, I had used Canva for a variety of different projects, but I hadn’t previously realized:
    • Nonprofits can gain free access to all of their premium features, including amazing pictures and graphics.
    • They have some amazing templates.  If you haven’t taken advantage of those, I highly recommend it!

Padlet: an online digital bulletin board (and so much more!)

• • It is used by teachers, students, professionals, and individuals of all ages and all around the world.
  • It has a free basic plan (more tools and resources require a subscription).
  • It makes collaborating fun and easy, especially because it supports any file type you can imagine, from Spotify Playlists to Excel Spreadsheets.
  • The app is compatible with Windows, Android, iOS, and Kindle.
  • To see Padlet in action, click here and let us know what your newest favorite ministry tool is! 

OpenShot: a free, open-source, easy-to-use video editor.

• • Compatible with Windows, macOS, Linux, and Chrome OS.
  • For a quick overview on how to use it, click here.

And, another result of participating in my online course “marathon training program” is that, despite my best efforts, I’ve found myself having to be even more mindful of my screen time and lack of movement (again, COVID had already made that challenging enough).

Here are some resources that have helped me address both of these health challenges:

• 4 Stretches to Combat Too Much Screen Time
• The Ultimate ‘Deskercise’ Routine: Stretches for the Office
• Take Five 51 Things to Do When You Need a Break at Work
• Best Apps for Limiting Your Screen Time

Again, since there are so many wonderful tools and resources available for us to use in our various ministries (whether it is serving in churches, nonprofits, as chaplains, or something else), I hope that one or two of these will be helpful for you.  Please take a moment and share your favorites via the Padlet link! 

Peace be with you wherever your ministry takes you!

Karen H. Webster

HSHC Co-founder/Executive Director

* Please note: following any of the links in this post will take you to sites containing third-party content.

Note: All of these recipes contain a lot of olive oil.  Consider adding 1-2 Tablespoons to start with and adjust as needed to suit your palate.

Recipes from The Greek Vegan

Fasting has definitely become a buzzword over the last several years (social media, books, casual conversations, and beyond) and is something that I started gaining an interest in over 10 years ago while I was participating in a spiritual formation program offered jointly through Pittsburgh Theological Seminary and Columbia Theological Seminary.  While the current fasting trend is primarily focused on the physical effects of fasting, fasting for one’s overall health has been around for centuries.  Since we just finished the Advent and Christmas season, which has traditionally been a season of fasting followed by feasting, and will shortly be entering Lent, also a time of fasting followed by feasting, I thought that this would be an appropriate time to share a few fasting facts to chew on.

• Fasting is commonly understood to mean depriving oneself of food (avoiding certains foods and/or refraining from foods for certain amounts of time) for physical, spiritual, religious, political, and/or other reasons.

• • The origins of the word “fasting” comes from the French word jeûne, which comes from the Latin verb jejunare, meaning abstinence, not eating as an act of penitence.  
  • Non-food forms of fasting (from social media, shopping, gossiping, etc.) are not technically considered ‘fasting,’ since they don’t involve food. However, these practices of “abstention” (the act or practice of choosing not to do or have something) still provide many of the benefits that one gets from doing a ‘fast.’

• Fasting is one of the oldest health remedies in history and has been a part of the practice of virtually every culture on earth.  It is not just a current weight-loss fad! 
• • The Ancient Greeks thought that fasting led to healing from illnesses and brought about mental clarity.  They used fasting to prepare athletes’ bodies for the physical training they were going to endure as they prepared for the Olympic Games.  
  • Fasting has been a part of most every major religion.  Christianity, Judaism, Islam, Buddhism, and Hinduism all incorporate fasting into their practices.  A significant exception is Zoroastrianism, which forbids fasting.

• Fasting provides the space to become spiritually nourished.  When we empty ourselves of that which distracts us from God (food, consumerism, our busyness, and more), we are better able to experience God’s deep, abiding presence.  This enriches our prayer lives and informs how we engage in the world around us.  

• Fasting promotes physical restoration in part because one’s body isn’t constantly digesting food.  This can lead to many wonderful overall health benefits, such as improvements to glucose regulation, cognitive function, metabolism, and overall heart function, while also reducing inflammation, the effects of aging, and more. 

Through the spiritual and physical act of fasting, our lives can be filled in amazing ways!

While I don’t have space here to discuss how fasting fell out of practice among Christians, which I find to be a fascinating topic in and of itself, fasting has virtually disappeared from our modern life (secularly and religiously) for a variety of reasons.  I think this is a shame because, at least for me, the discipline of fasting has greatly enriched my life in ways I would never have anticipated.  

In this season of new beginnings, and with Lent coming soon, I want to encourage you to consider participating in some sort of fast and/or abstinence practice.  I am certainly looking forward to doing so, myself!

Reflection Questions

• What is your attitude toward fasting or self-denial (or, put differently, restraining or limiting one’s own desires or interests, not acting on impulse, postponing gratification)?
• When has self-denial brought you something good?
• Have you fasted?  If you have, what was the experience like? 
• If you have not, what has kept you from doing so?
• Is God calling you to participate in some sort of fast (food, material goods, etc.) now and/or during Lent?

Peace,

Karen H. Webster

HSHC Co-founder/Executive Director

“Behind every fitting choice of abstinence lies the question, what do I do to excess? What I do to excess reveals my inordinate desires, my compulsions, the attachments that have control over me. They are precisely the areas of my life that need the freeing lordship of Christ rather than my own abysmally ineffective efforts of control. Fasting is not primarily a discipline through which I gain greater control over my life, but one through which God gains access to redirect and heal me in body, mind, and spirit.” 

Marjorie J. Thompson, Soul Feast 

Want to Learn More?  Here are a few resources you may find to be helpful:

The Spiritual Disciple of Fasting

• Spiritual Fasting: A Practice of Mind, Body, & Spirit https://www.healthyhildegard.com/spiritual-fasting/
  • I like what this article says about the spiritual discipline of fasting.  However, I am not promoting and/or endorsing their healing remedies or products.
• The Most Neglected Spiritual Discipline https://www.relevantmagazine.com/faith/most-neglected-spiritual-discipline/
• Helping Kids Understand the Spiritual Discipline of Fasting https://deeperkidmin.com/helping-kids-understand-the-spiritual-discipline-of-fasting/
• Fasting and Social Justice https://www.jeannettedebeauvoir.com/blog/fasting

Fasting and Physical Health 

• 8 Health Benefits of Fasting https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/fasting-benefits

• Intermittent Fasting Explained https://health.clevelandclinic.org/intermittent-fasting-4-different-types-explained/
• NutritionFacts.org https://nutritionfacts.org
• This website provides many insightful videos on a variety of health topics (including fasting).
• Fasting For Weight Loss Infograph https://nutritionfacts.org/2021/07/08/fasting-for-weight-loss-infographic/
  • This infograph “compares the advantages and disadvantages of some of the different types of fasting based on the latest evidence and provides some important cautions and notes to consider before deciding to start.”

Christian-Oriented Books That Discuss Fasting

• Bass, Dorothy C. Practicing Our Faith: A Way of Life for a Searching People (Mar. 1, 2019).
• Calhoun, Adele Ahlberg. Spiritual Disciplines Handbook: Practices That Transform Us (Nov. 19, 2015).
• Foster, Richard. Celebration of Discipline: The Path to Spiritual Growth (2018).
• Richards, Jay W. Eat, Fast, Feast: Heal Your Body While Feeding Your Soul – A Christian Guide to Fasting (Jan. 7, 2020).

• Note: I like what the author writes about the spiritual/biblical/historical aspects of fasting.  However, the author does promote following a Ketogenic diet, which may be helpful for some individuals, but not everyone.  Please check with your healthcare provider if you are interested in pursuing the nutritional plan he suggests.

Thompson, Marjorie J. Soul Feast, Newly Revised Edition: An Invitation to the Christian Spiritual Life (Sept. 26, 2014).

¹ Please note: while I enjoy talking about this subject, I am not an expert in this field.  Therefore, please speak with your healthcare provider before engaging in any form of food fasting, especially if you have any underlying health conditions.

² https://www.alimentarium.org/en/knowledge/voluntary-fasting

³ https://www.alimentarium.org/en/knowledge/voluntary-fasting

⁴ https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/fasting-benefits In addition, there is increasing scientific and clinical evidence suggesting that fasting may be a way of addressing a number of health challenges, such as obesity, diabetes, Alzheimer’s, certain auto-immune diseases, cancer, and more.  Check out some of the articles listed in the resource section for more information.

Photo by Rachael Gorjestani on Unsplash

Leave It To Leaves

This past spring, my husband and I moved to Pennsylvania after having lived in the South for the past eleven years.

One of the changes I found myself recently needing to take advantage of was a forecasted warmer fall day to finish preparing our garden for the upcoming winter months.

Up until that point, I had already pushed off the task of laying a blanket of mulch on our garden to protect our newly established fruit bushes and other perennial plants for several weeks, in part because I didn’t feel like working outside in the cooler weather, but even more because I had been constantly feeling the pressure to get my work done – deadlines were looming, and I was already anticipating the stress that comes from the busyness of the holiday season.

However, between the gift of a warmer day and the extended weather forecast, which was projecting some very cold upcoming nights, I found myself no longer able to… Click to Read More

It is hard to believe that in a little over two weeks it will be Thanksgiving, which officially kicks off the traditional franticness of the holiday season, and before we know it Christmas presents will have been unwrapped and the ringing in of the new year completed. While there are many aspects of the holiday season that are joyful and are fun to anticipate, it is also important to acknowledge that we are also entering into our second COVID impacted holiday season. A time where we will be combining the “normal” stress of the holiday season plus dealing with the chronic stress of dealing with COVID, which has caused: increased anxiety, depression, fatigue, restless sleep, stress eating, decreased physical activity, and more.

One the one hand, this may look like the perfect storm for our overall health and wellbeing. On the other hand, if we take a few minutes now and commit ourselves to doing several small (and manageable!) caring-for-self practices throughout the holiday season (click here for some tips and ideas), not only will we feel much better in the midst of the stressful season, but we will also be able to enjoy the celebration of Christ’s birth and excitement of the new year more fully!

In addition, due to the chronic stress that many of us have and will be facing, we hope you will check out some of the other stress-oriented articles, resources, as well as the information about our new 6-week “Restore and Renew: Strategies for Stress” program (starting in mid January) found in this stress edition of our newsletter.

Peace,

Karen and Travis Webster

HSHC Co-founders

“Fear not, for I am with you; be not dismayed, for I am your God; I will strengthen you, I will help you, I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.” 

Isaiah 41:1-10

Stress-less Holiday Recipes:

Let’s face it, cooking during the holidays can be stressful enough, but it can be even more stressful when family, friends, and other guests have various allergies and/or dietary sensitivities that need to be considered when meal planning.

To help reduce that stress, we’ve provided a few websites with recipes that are both plant-based AND avoid some of the most common food allergies.

16 Allergy-Friendly Plant-Based Holiday Recipes!

14 Healthy Vegan, Gluten-Free and Allergy-Friendly Thanksgiving Recipes

Plant-Based Holiday Recipes*

*This last site addresses many food sensitivities/preferences like dairy, eggs, and seafood, but the recipes may need to be modified to address some of the other common allergies (gluten, soy, nuts, coconut, etc.)