I have a master's degree in pastoral care, and training as a hospital chaplain and spiritual director (see My Background for more information). I am a member of the Episcopal church.
In this section of the web site I will share with you some spiritual or religious practices that may be beneficial to people with dementia or their caregivers. Perhaps something here will give you an idea you can use, consistent with your own faith tradition and spiritual style, to keep spirituality in the center of your dementia and caregiving experience.
I have also written some prayers and meditations called "Praying the Long Goodbye", posted on the Prayer page.
Today I bless ...
A simple gratitude practice, taking a bit of time daily to focus on something for which you are grateful, has been proven to reduce cortisol levels significantly. It’s an effective stress reducer, with other benefits as well.
Good Shepherd Episcopal Church offers a monthly Taizé style service at 6:30 pm on the second Sunday of the month. This 45 minute services features prayers, meditation, scripture reading and the singing of simple, repetitive songs from the ecumenical monastic community at Taizé, France. All of this happens in a candlelit atmosphere, with beautiful icons. Read more about Taizé and this service ...
Labyrinth
A labyrinth is a design on a floor that is used for walking meditations. There are quite a few different labyrinth patterns, but perhaps the most popular is the one that is found in Chartres Cathedral in France. The design above is the Chartres pattern. A labyrinth with this pattern is about forty feet in diameter. The path is wide enough for two narrow feet, or one wide one.
Every Wednesday night at 6:30 pmGood Shepherd Episcopal Church in Kingwood, Texas offers a healing service. The service is relatively brief, about 30 minutes, and there is an opportunity to be anointed with oil for healing. The (optional) anointing is neither intrusive nor dramatic. The need for healing may be physical, emotional, relational, or anything at all where disharmony or dis-ease seems present in your life.
Jesus was known for his ministry of healing, and he taught his disciples to do the things he did, including healing. Read more about Christian healing ...
