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Sunday, May 15th: 8:30 am Worship
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Stratham Community Church, 6 Emery Lane, PO Box 143, Stratham, NH 03885 |
The Terri Schiavo case has troubled me considerably over the last few weeks. It bothered me to see the face of that woman displayed on my TV screen day after day. Also, the scores of protesting fundamentalists carrying signs outside the hospital made me ill. Now we have the government "playing God". What next? Some Catholic leaders got in on the act, saying feeding tubes must be provided for people who are, as was Schiavo, in a "vegetative state." From this perspective, removing her tube was an act of murder by omission, not an act of "letting die." How should we Christians think about such things? Pastors are not strangers to these questions. I remember when I was acting as a chaplain in a hospital in Maine in the mid 90's, I had two patients in the ICU, both brain dead and on respirators. One young man, the father of three, was in a car accident. The other patient was a woman in her twenties who was shot by her boyfriend. Both were taken off their respirators on the same day, within a few hours of each other. As traumatic as these events were, I saw no TV cameras, no newspaper reporters, no fanfare. There was just an incredible amount of overwhelming grief. As extraordinary as this may sound, both families managed to resolve their own situation without incident with the wishes of the patient and with the best interests of each family in mind. No protesters, no senators, no theological discourse by the clergy. As the chaplain assigned to the ICU, I was there to pray and support them in whatever decision they made. That is not to say, had I been asked for an ethical opinion, I would have offered it. But, I wasn't asked; therefore, it was none of my business. If anything good comes from the Schiavo case, it might be that we are more aware of end of life issues. Also, maybe we can take care of our own and not mind everyone else's business. Have |
you made out a living will yet? Legalwiz.com provides one for free. Just for laughs, read the one below: Living Will Template I, (WRITE YOUR NAME HERE), DO NOT WANT MY BODY TO BE KEPT ALIVE AFTER MY LIFE IS OVER. PLEASE PUT A FORK IN ME WHEN I'M DONE. IF I AM INCAPACITATED, I FORBID ALL RELATIVES FROM CIRCULATING FOOTAGE OF ME ON NATIONAL TELEVISION. IF I AM UNABLE TO MAKE MEDICAL DECISIONS FOR MYSELF, PLEASE ASK (WRITE NAME OF SPOUSE OR TRUSTED LOVED ONE HERE) TO MAKE THEM FOR ME. I DON'T WANT THIS PERSON TO KILL ME, EVEN THOUGH I SAID SO WHILE WE WATCHED THE HOSPITAL SCENES IN MILLION DOLLAR BABY. I WANT THIS PERSON TO REJECT ANY LIFE PROLONGING TREATMENTS IF I PERMANENTLY LOSE THE ABILITY TO LEARN, COMMUNICATE, SUSTAIN RELATIONSHIPS AND COMPREHEND THE WORLD AROUND ME.LIKE THREE FOURTHS OF AMERICANS, I BELIEVE IN HEAVEN. THIS DOESN'T MEAN I WANT RELGIOUS EXTREMISTS TO MARCH OUTSIDE, COMPARE ME TO JESUS AND CLAMOR TO ENTER MY BEDROOM WITH CUPS OF WATER. REMIND THEM THERE IS A TIME TO BE BORN AND A TIME TO DIE; A TIME TO MOURN AND A TIME TO DANCE; A TIME TO SPEAK UP AND A TIME TO BUTT OUT. ON THE OFF CHANCE THAT POLITICIANS TRY TO SEIZE CUSTODY OF ME OR DISPARAGE THE BEST JUDGEMENTS OF (REWRITE NAME OF CHOSEN DECISION MAKER HERE), PLEASE ASK THEM TO USE THEIR TIME MORE APPROPRIATELY AND PRODUCTIVELY. ASK THEM TO IMPROVE MEDICARE OR MEDICAID. FINALLY, PLEASE DON'T FIGHT FOR MY RIGHT TO DIE. REMIND PEOPLE I ALREADY HAVE THAT RIGHT. IN FACT, I HAVE A BIOLOGICAL IMPERATIVE TO DIE, BARRING ANY MAJOR ADVANCES IN GENETICS OR BOTOX. THE TRICK IS TO LIVE FULLY, TAKING ADVANTAGE OF MODERN MEDICINE WITHOUT GETTING TRAPPED BY IT, AND DIE AT PEACE. (Susan A. Nelsen, RNS, March 30, 2005.)
Blessings, David
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Pastoral Letter |
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