"This life, therefore, is not godliness but the process of becoming godly, not health but getting well, not being but becoming, not rest but exercise. We are not now what we shall be, but we are on the way. This process is not yet finished, but is actively going on. This is not the goal but it is the right road. At present, everything does not gleam and sparkle, but everything is being cleansed." Martin Luther
As I write this article, it is about a week before Christmas. Christmas, the celebration of God's greatest gift of love, Jesus; sent to save us from our sins, to provide us with a new beginning in our relationship with God. Yes, Christmas is truly a celebration of new beginnings. And soon after comes a new year, again often seen as a time for a fresh new start, often a time for new resolutions to change and improve our lives. And these resolutions usually contain some to "get healthy"; lose 20 pounds, quit smoking, get more exercise, etc. But what exactly is health? The World Health Organization defines health as the ability of an individual to achieve his or her potential and to respond positively to the challenges of the environment. Positive health also includes the quality of life, self-fulfillment, vitality for living, and creativity. It means thriving rather than merely coping with life.
As Christians, we recognize that health is more than just physical fitness or freedom from illness or disease. It involves all aspects of our personhood. Health in the Bible is seen as holistic and broad. It has more to do with healthy relationships than the absence of disease. The Biblical understanding of health is closely linked with the Hebrew concept of shalom, often translated as peace. It refers to a God-centered community where people live in a dynamic relationship with their God and each other.
Recently I attended a "Wellness Day for Professional Church Workers" sponsored by Wheat Ridge Ministries. Yes, Parish Nurses also need to learn more about keeping themselves well! One of the presentations provided during the day was "A Prescription for Health" presented by Dr. Gwen Halaas. In her presentation, she introduced the concept of the Wholeness Wheel which she and the InterLutheran Coordinating Committee on Health and Wellness had developed to visually represent the multifaceted and interdependent nature of health and wellness. I'd like to share some of that information with you.
As you can see by the diagram, this model, from the Christian perspective, has the spiritual component not just as another spoke in the wheel but at the heart of life, and the "glue" that surrounds and sustains it. At the center of the Wholeness Wheel is the belief of Christians, that, in baptism, God gives us new life in Jesus Christ. This faith in God's grace can be the empowering force for improving our health and wellness in our personal, professional, and interpersonal lives. The Wholeness Wheel is composed of five additional components of well-being: physical, emotional, interpersonal, vocational, and intellectual. These components are integrated into a holistic wheel that "rolls" most smoothly when these five components are well balanced in a person's life. The wheel reminds us that, although peak experiences are wonderful and healthy, being truly healthy and whole is about being in balance and "intentionally nurturing all aspects of health surrounded and supported by spiritual health". If one area is neglected, it will adversely affect one or more of the other components and give us a "bumpy ride" on our journey of life. The outer circle represents how the integration of our faith in God and his promises can affect the decisions we make about the other components of our well-being. Let's take a brief look at each of these components of the wheel:
Physical well-being: We are marvelously created by God. Although we are not all born perfectly healthy and no one makes it through life without some injury or illness, with nurturing, we can live well. Keeping the wholeness wheel in balance means optimizing our physical health with good nutrition, physical activity, etc., but not worshiping physical health at the expense of the other components of health.
Emotional well-being: Being emotionally well means feeling the full range of emotions appropriately. Physical health problems can affect our emotions and emotional problems affect our physical health. Maintaining our emotional health requires taking time in the day to be peaceful and centered, and sharing our emotions with others.
Social well-being: We are created by God to be social beings. Being healthy means having healthy relationships with family, friends, co-workers, and others.
Intellectual well-being: The possibility of Alzheimer's disease or dementia frightens most of us. While we cannot be certain we can prevent it, using our minds keeps them alert and active. Use it or lose it! We can stretch our minds by intentionally experiencing new things and pursuing lifetime learning.
Vocational well-being: Having a sense of purpose is important in living a healthy life. We all want to feel we are using the gifts God has given us to make this world a better place. We need to be aware of those gifts, use education and training to improve our skills, and seek opportunities to make a difference through our employment or other opportunities like volunteering in the church or community, or nurturing our family and others.
Spiritual well-being: Loving God can impact everything we do. Starting first with your spiritual health as Pastors Karen and Rod suggested during their sermons this past fall, will make balancing the wheel much easier. Nurturing your relationship with God is the first step. Knowing God is always present for us keeps us from getting lost even when we stumble along the road to health and wholeness.
During Lent this year, we will again be "walking to Jerusalem". This year, however, we will be broadening our walk to well-being by offering other ways for you to earn "frequent walking miles" through nurturing all the components of the "Wholeness Wheel". Watch for more information in February's newsletter and bulletins. I hope you will all join the staff on this walk to well-being.
Peace and joy,
Bonnie