Making Faithful Decisions at the End of Life

Making Faithful Decisions at the End of Life
Author: Nancy J. Duff
Publisher: Westminster John Knox Press
Total Pages: 0
Release: 2018-08-28
Genre: Religion
ISBN: 9780664263195

By exploring the ethics of resisting and accepting death from a Christian perspective, Nancy Duff encourages Christians to talk about death in the context of Christian faith. Making Faithful Decisions at the End of Life helps readers use biblical and theological perspectives regarding death to inform end-of-life decisions, consider where they stand on withdrawing life support and supporting death with dignity laws, and take steps in planning for their own future.

Making Faithful Decisions at the End of Life

Making Faithful Decisions at the End of Life
Author: Nancy J. Duff
Publisher: Westminster John Knox Press
Total Pages: 128
Release: 2018-08-28
Genre: Religion
ISBN: 1611648483

By exploring the ethics of resisting and accepting death from a Christian perspective, Nancy Duff encourages Christians to talk about death in the context of Christian faith. Making Faithful Decisions at the End of Life helps readers use biblical and theological perspectives regarding death to inform end-of-life decisions, consider where they stand on withdrawing life support and supporting death with dignity laws, and take steps in planning for their own future.

Faithful Living, Faithful Dying

Faithful Living, Faithful Dying
Author: End of Life Task Force of the Standing Commission on National Concerns
Publisher: Church Publishing, Inc.
Total Pages: 175
Release: 2000-03-01
Genre: Religion
ISBN: 081922524X

An important examination of the theological, spiritual, and ethical issues surrounding death. At the end of a life of faithfulness comes our dying. To approach it as faithfully as we have our living calls for some serious forethought. Because one of the simplest facts of life—that we all die—seems like the most complicated thing we do. Not only have advances in medical technology saved lives, but they also have prolonged death, and raise a number ethical, moral, social, and theological issues. How far should we go to sustain life? Is it right to withdraw artificial feeding from the dying? Is it wrong to end the lives of those in pain? No matter who we are, dealing with these sorts of choices near the end of life is difficult to do on our own.Faithful Living, Faithful Dying: Anglican Reflections on End of Life Care brings together the wisdom of a task force created by the 72nd General Convention of the Episcopal Church to study what faithful living and faithful dying mean today. The task force’s reflections, published for the first time in this book, assist individuals, congregations, and the Church as a whole to disentangle the thicket of ethical, theological, pastoral, and policy concerns.

If That Ever Happens to Me

If That Ever Happens to Me
Author: Lois Shepherd
Publisher: Univ of North Carolina Press
Total Pages: 237
Release: 2009-06-01
Genre: Medical
ISBN: 0807888648

Every day, thousands of people quietly face decisions as agonizing as those made famous in the Terri Schiavo case. Throughout that controversy, all kinds of people--politicians, religious leaders, legal and medical experts--made emphatic statements about the facts and offered even more certain opinions about what should be done. To many, courts were either ordering Terri's death by starvation or vindicating her constitutional rights. Both sides called for simple answers. If That Ever Happens to Me details why these simple answers were not right for Terri Schiavo and why they are not right for end-of-life decisions today. Lois Shepherd looks behind labels like "starvation," "care," or "medical treatment" to consider what care and feeding really mean, when feeding tubes might be removed, and why disability groups, the faithful, and even the dying themselves often suggest end-of-life solutions that they might later regret. For example, Shepherd cautions against living wills as a pat answer. She provides evidence that demanding letter-perfect documents can actually weaken, rather than bolster, patient choice. The actions taken and decisions made during Terri Schiavo's final years will continue to have repercussions for thousands of others--those nearing death, their families, health-care professionals, attorneys, lawmakers, clergy, media, researchers, and ethicists. If That Ever Happens to Me is an excellent choice for anyone interested in end-of-life law, policy, and ethics--particularly readers seeking a deeper understanding of the issues raised by Terri Schiavo's case.

I Love Jesus, But I Want to Die

I Love Jesus, But I Want to Die
Author: Sarah J. Robinson
Publisher: WaterBrook
Total Pages: 257
Release: 2021-05-11
Genre: Religion
ISBN: 0593193539

A compassionate, shame-free guide for your darkest days “A one-of-a-kind book . . . to read for yourself or give to a struggling friend or loved one without the fear that depression and suicidal thoughts will be minimized, medicalized or over-spiritualized.”—Kay Warren, cofounder of Saddleback Church What happens when loving Jesus doesn’t cure you of depression, anxiety, or suicidal thoughts? You might be crushed by shame over your mental illness, only to be told by well-meaning Christians to “choose joy” and “pray more.” So you beg God to take away the pain, but nothing eases the ache inside. As darkness lingers and color drains from your world, you’re left wondering if God has abandoned you. You just want a way out. But there’s hope. In I Love Jesus, But I Want to Die, Sarah J. Robinson offers a healthy, practical, and shame-free guide for Christians struggling with mental illness. With unflinching honesty, Sarah shares her story of battling depression and fighting to stay alive despite toxic theology that made her afraid to seek help outside the church. Pairing her own story with scriptural insights, mental health research, and simple practices, Sarah helps you reconnect with the God who is present in our deepest anguish and discover that you are worth everything it takes to get better. Beautifully written and full of hard-won wisdom, I Love Jesus, But I Want to Die offers a path toward a rich, hope-filled life in Christ, even when healing doesn’t look like what you expect.

The Pastor as Moral Guide

The Pastor as Moral Guide
Author: Rebekah Miles
Publisher: Fortress Press
Total Pages: 154
Release: 1999-03-01
Genre: Religion
ISBN: 9781451416527

Written by a new generation of recognized experts in pastoral care, these brief, foundational books offer practical advice to pastors on the most frequent dilemmas of pastoral care and counseling.

The End of the Christian Life

The End of the Christian Life
Author: J. Todd Billings
Publisher: Brazos Press
Total Pages: 281
Release: 2020-09-15
Genre: Religion
ISBN: 1493427547

We're all going to die. Yet in our medically advanced, technological age, many of us see death as a distant reality--something that happens only at the end of a long life or to other people. In The End of the Christian Life, Todd Billings urges Christians to resist that view. Instead, he calls us to embrace our mortality in our daily life and faith. This is the journey of genuine discipleship, Billings says: following the crucified and resurrected Lord in a world of distraction and false hopes. Drawing on his experience as a professor and father living with incurable cancer, Billings offers a personal yet deeply theological account of the gospel's expansive hope for small, mortal creatures. Artfully weaving rich theology with powerful narrative, Billings writes for church leaders and laypeople alike. Whether we are young or old, reeling from loss or clinging to our own prosperity, this book challenges us to walk a strange but wondrous path: in the midst of joy and lament, to receive mortal limits as a gift, an opportunity to give ourselves over to the Lord of life.

Departing in Peace

Departing in Peace
Author: Bill Davis
Publisher: P & R Publishing
Total Pages: 300
Release: 2017
Genre: Religion
ISBN: 9781629952598

Decisions at the End of the create deep anxiety for those involved. But it is possible to find peace and comfort amid the hard choices. As a church elder and hospital ethics consultant, Bill Davis has talked, walked, and prayed with many people in end-of-life situations. Employing varied case studies and biblical, ethical insight, he guides you in making decisions for yourself and others, preparing advance directives, taking financial concerns into account, and navigating new realities in American hospitals Book jacket.

The Way of Discernment

The Way of Discernment
Author: Elizabeth Liebert
Publisher: Westminster John Knox Press
Total Pages: 194
Release: 2008-08-01
Genre: Religion
ISBN: 1611640105

We all make decisions constantly--some with careful reflection, some without much thought. But what if we understood these decisions, minor as well as major, as matters of faithful Christian living? In this helpful and encouraging book, Elizabeth Liebert introduces the practice of discernment and guides readers through the process of faithful decision making. Following the way of discernment means becoming increasingly able to notice where God is at work in the world and in one's own life--and becoming increasingly generous with one's own life in response. After briefly exploring the Christian tradition of discernment, Liebert then turns to practical steps and exercises that will help readers as they seek God's call in the midst of their decisions, allowing readers to internalize some of these practices and incorporate them into their daily lives.

A Faithful Farewell

A Faithful Farewell
Author: Marilyn McEntyre
Publisher: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing
Total Pages: 155
Release: 2015-04-13
Genre: Religion
ISBN: 146744314X

When the time comes for us to die, how do we say good-bye to our friends, our families, and the lives we have lived? How do we remain faithful -- to God, to ourselves, and to loved ones -- as we face our final journey? As Marilyn McEntyre acknowledges, these questions are especially challenging because we now live longer than previous generations did, and many of us die more slowly. Those who are dying have a lot of things to deal with -- fear, discouragement, boredom, pain, regret. The list is long. In this book McEntyre offers fifty-two short meditations on the very real issues faced by dying people. She addresses a wide and sensitively chosen range of subjects, including such things as anger, losing control, curiosity, doubt, loss of privacy, family conflict, sadness, gratitude, and even spiritual adventure. McEntyre’s insightful reflections -- offering what she calls “a different kind of hope” -- speak to the heart of the physical, emotional, and spiritual dimensions of dying. Brief concluding prayers and lines from cherished hymns further lift up the reader as he or she seeks to faithfully navigate the great transition from this life to the next.