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The Anabaptist Healthcare Worker: Pursuing a Call to Nurturing People as a Life Standard

The Anabaptist Healthcare Worker: Pursuing a Call to Nurturing People as a Life Standard

A reflection from Five Life Standards Nurture Council member Jennifer Wiebe

The Anabaptist Healthcare Worker: Pursuing a Call to Nurturing People as a Life Standard

What do a cookbook, my work in health care, and following Christ have in common? The answer may be found in Doris Janzen Longacre’s More-with-Less Cookbook.  In the book, Janzen Longacre writes about the Five Life Standards, which includes a call to the work of nurturing people. She states that nurturing is feeding, but it is much more than feeding. Janzen Longacre asserts that nurturing “includes all actions that bring others to full life and growth in the kingdom of God.” Janzen Longacre’s vision of nurturing certainly has implications for me as an Anabaptist healthcare provider. Her words beckon me to provide the best care I can for others. They inspire me to do what I can, not only to nurture people’s health, but their entire well-being. Furthermore, at a time when many healthcare workers feel disillusioned and exhausted, there is inspiration in the idea that all of us need to be nurtured and supported, and that we cannot attend to the needs of others until we have received sustenance ourselves.  

As I think about nurturing people in the context of my work in providing medical care to Indigenous people in the inner city and on a remote reserve, I think about when it is that people feel nurtured. I remember Russell (not his real name). Russel was a proud Indigenous man, and he was not feeling nurtured by anything that I was doing. We did not connect at all, and even after two visits I could not figure out why he had come in. At one point he suggested that I probably did not care about him or any of his problems. I was at a loss, and eventually our meeting ended in failure. I had certainly done nothing at all to help him.  I assumed that he would never be back again, and I felt frustrated and defeated. A while later that same day, I realized that Russell was still in the clinic, sitting all by himself. I decided to offer him a cup of coffee. He looked at me strangely, smiled, and accepted the coffee. Then he asked if he could make an appointment for the following week, since he had so many concerns that he needed to talk about. At that moment, everything changed. On that day, the two of us forged a friendship that would last for many years, and I feel blessed at the opportunities we have had to learn from each other. All of this happened because of one cup of coffee. With this cup of coffee, I was able to offer some physical nourishment to him, and I believe that he felt nurtured in other ways as well. 

The story of Russel and the cup of coffee shows what can happen when we pay attention and work towards nurturing others. Although not all situations have such a positive ending, Anabaptist healthcare providers generally are nurturing people. This may go back to the days of Menno Simons, who is 1539 stated that true faith “feeds the hungry, it comforts the sorrowful,” and it “binds up that which is wounded.” As healthcare workers, we see a lot of hungry, sorrowful, and wounded people, and we want to fulfill the call to provide care and nourishment for them. 

Although our goal as healthcare providers and followers of Christ is to nurture others to health and well-being, there are times when the extent of the need seems overwhelming. There seems to always be another serious health problem or another mental health crisis. This is especially discouraging when we see how certain groups of people are suffering disproportionately in our society. One glaring example of this is the unequal effect that the pandemic has had on particular communities. Sometimes the crushing problems seem formidable, and it is all one can do to get up in the morning to face another day.       

Considering that healthcare providers spend much of their time nurturing others, it is important that they are nurtured themselves. This can come in many forms, and depending on the person, may include activities such as meditation, listening to music, creating artwork, doing a physical activity, or discussing the concerns of the day with a trusted friend. Christians in healthcare can also go to the source of all nourishment. Christ bestows on us refreshments and the provisions of life, including daily bread and living water to sustain us during life’s most difficult trials. As seen in Jeremiah 17:7-8, those who trust in the Lord are blessed, and are like trees planted by the water. 

In John 13:14, Jesus himself uses the symbol of water to teach his disciples about the need to receive support and nurture for themselves. In this passage, Jesus pours water on the feet of the disciples, and then washes them. By doing so, Jesus is showing his love for them, and is a source of encouragement to them. Jesus’ act of washing the disciples’ feet also prepares them for the work ahead. He says, “Now that I, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also should wash one another’s feet.” It is only after Jesus provides for his disciples and nourishes their souls that he invites them to follow his example to nurture other people as well. Furthermore, Jesus shows the disciples exactly how they are to nurture and support others. Since only servants usually washed people’s feet, Jesus puts himself in the role of a servant, and therefore exemplifies an attitude of humility. In addition, the act of Jesus washing the disciples’ feet meant that the disciples were no longer just people that needed to be provided for. Instead, Jesus’ act of love suggests that he and the disciples are now in a different kind of relationship. They are no longer just teacher and student, but they are now friends. Jesus is a role model for healthcare providers, and is an example that we should embrace. Like Jesus, we are to serve others with compassion and humility, and the relationship we have with the people we serve makes all the difference.    

Besides using water to nurture his disciples, Jesus also used five loaves and two fish to nourish an entire crowd. As we see in John 6:9, he used a young boy, a child, to make it all happen. Jesus used that meager lunch to bless and feed thousands of people. This all happened because the child “showed up,” and was willing to give what he had. Jesus changed everything, and used this lunch to abundantly provide for everyone. He used the offerings of a child to show compassion and mercy to each person that was there that day. 

Doris Janzen Longacre talks about aspiring to a life of nurturing as a life standard. This certainly applies to healthcare providers. Sometimes we need to be nurtured ourselves, and need to let Jesus wash our feet. At other times, our small attempts at nurturing may turn into something life-giving. Sometimes, like the boy with the loaves and fish, we just need to show up and make ourselves available. And sometimes, all it takes is a cup of coffee.

Thank you, Jennifer, for this beautiful reflection. Do you have a reflection on the way(s) any of the Five Life Standards impact your work and living? Submit to Cate! cate@mennohealth.org. Please consider joining us for Annual Gathering for in-depth, connected discussion of the Life Standards and how we renew and rejuvenate ourselves as healthcare providers. 

 

Racial Justice is Integral to Health & Shalom

Racial Justice is Integral to Health & Shalom

MHF Statement on the Killing of George Floyd

 

MHF is a collective of healthcare providers committed to Mennonite principles of non-violence, justice, and service.

As such, we publicly condemn the killings of George Floyd, Ahmaud Arbery, Breonna Taylor, and all instances of state-perpetuated violence. These killings have occurred in the midst of the Covid19 pandemic which has inflicted disproportionate harm and death on Black bodies and communities. We believe that achieving Racial Justice in this country and worldwide is integral to bringing true health, healing, and Shalom to our world. We believe that Jesus stood with and for the marginalized, giving himself up to state-perpetuated violence to reveal both its horrors and its ultimate weakness against the full power and Shalom of God. As healthcare providers committed to the Way of Peace, we stand in solidarity with the Black community in calling for a recognition of the harms of racism and the necessity of racial justice within and external to our healthcare systems.

We pray as Jesus taught us: “Thy kingdom come, thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.” 

For our members looking for resources for themselves and their congregations, here is an extensive lists of Anti-racism resources.

 

Membership Campaign – Join the Conversation!

Fall Membership Campaign launched

Join the conversation on faith and health!

Join the Conversation!

MHF launches Fall Membership Campaign

I was surprised! Mennonite Healthcare Fellowship grabbed my heart!” Thus begins a special letter to all of you from our new Board President, Clair Hochstetler. I hope MHF will grab your heart as well! Please read on to learn about our Fall Membership Campaign which invites you and hundreds more Anabaptists to Join the conversation!

Mennonite Healthcare Fellowship is responding to the diverse needs of Anabaptist healthcare professionals. This new program year as of September 1, MHF is striving toward the goals of mutual support, education, mentoring, and mobilization for service by implementing these strategies around the theme, “Join the conversation on faith and health!“:

Fall Membership Campaign

This year’s Membership Campaign focuses on encouraging even more Anabaptist healthcare professionals to join MHFJoin the conversation! From September through December, MHF usually receives 50-60% of its yearly income. Let’s make that even higher this year by each of us finding at least one other person to join the conversation at MHF! This will get MHF off to a good start! 

Gatherings for the future

MHF is projecting an expansion of opportunities for face-to-face Gatherings and Meetings. Starting in 2020, MHF will hold its Annual Gathering in the early fall. Between now and then Regional Gatherings will be organized in various locations. The plan also calls for revivng Regional Meetings on weekday evenings. Student meetings will also be added to reach out to a new generation of students.

Tools to make personal invitations

Please consider seriously getting personally involved in encouraging others to Join the conversation! 

Ambitious Goals!

All of these plans and projected activities are part of an overall effort to reach more Anabaptist healthcare professionals in the coming year. To succeed, they require the efforts of current members as well! Your support is crucial:

  • Renew your membership contributions. 
  • Invite a friend or colleague to join. 
  • Plan for Annual Gathering in September 2020
  • Help organize a Regional Gathering or Regional Meeting. 

All of this at Join the conversation!

Thanks for your support! 

Contributions

Stan Reedy
Washington, DC
Retired Public Health Physician

I am a part of MHF because some of my best friends participate in MHF, and I have learned so much from other members over the years.

Nicole Groff
Lancaster, PA
PA & Public Health Student

I love the connections I’ve found through MHF!

Ray Martin
McLean, VA
Retired Public Health

[I am MHF to] reconnect with my Anabaptist roots.

Clair Hochstetler
Cincinnati, OH
Hospital Chaplain

I enjoy the networking, the stories, inspiration, and Anabaptist theological perspectives.

Gail Weybright, RN, MSN
Milford, IN
RN & Nurse Educator

I value MHF’s interdisciplinary focus on health.

Rob Shelly MD
Williamson, NY
Med-Peds Physician

[I am MHF because] the stories and life’s work of other MHF members are inspiring!

Richard Hirschler
Goshen, IN
Retired Physician

[MHF is a] community of believers gathered and scattered, to help one another in our quest to serve others in a way that rightly represents our Lord and furthers Shalom for all.

Let’s put a face to MHF! Join us in this photo campaign to share why you are a part of Mennonite Healthcare fellowship!

It’s easy!

There are two ways to contribute:

1) Use our Facebook Camera photo frame (link) in the Facebook app to take a photo, video, or put on an existing picture.

or 

2) Write or print on your “I am MHF” card (JPG or PDF) and take a photo holding it.

You could even do both!

We would love to hear from everyone why they think MHF is important, why they participate in MHF, and/or what they appreciate about MHF. So include in your photo or its caption this sentence:

I, (your name), am a (your profession) and I am a part of MHF because (your answer)!

Finally, post the photos on our Facebook page, your Twitter feed, or submit them below so we can all see the great community that makes up MHF!

And don’t forget to use our Hashtags: #MennoHealth   #IamMHF

Submit your "I am MHF" photo here:
  • Full name and professional degrees (MD, RN, DMD, etc.) as you desire.
  • Email address is for communication purposes only and will not be publicly displayed without separate written permission.
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  • What is or was your job in the healthcare field? (If retired, write "Retired" with the profession you practiced. Students write "Student" with focus of study.)
  • How long have you been an MHF member?
  • Upload your "I am MHF" photo. (JPG or PNG format).
    Accepted file types: jpg, jpeg, png, gif.
  • Answer briefly the question: "Why are you a part of Mennonite Healthcare Fellowship (MHF)?" Please note that by submitting this form, you are giving consent for MHF to edit and use your statement in publicity materials, both web and print.
  • This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.

Benjamin RuthI had an amazing experience working in Roatán, Honduras and learned many valuable lessons that will serve me for years to come. In addition, after years of hard work in medical school and starting to wonder if I had taken the right path, I believe I found my answer in Roatán where my passion for medicine has been restored. The rotation challenged me physically, mentally, and emotionally. I know it will profoundly change the way that I think about medicine.

Benjamin Ruth, MD

SET student 2015

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Brianna MoyerThe month at Macha allowed me to gain the experience I sought in physical exam and diagnostic skills as well as taught me how to evaluate and utilize my current context and resources in order to provide the best care for my patients.
Brianna Moyer, MD

SET student, 2015

Mennonite Healthcare Fellowship

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