Medicine As Ministry: Reflections on Suffering, Ethics, and Hope

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Summary: When You are the Medicine
Review: Firstly, this is not just a book for the medical professional. It is for anyone, everyone, who has had to deal with a person in physical need.~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~You are a patient lying in a hospital bed. What do you think? What goes on in your mind, in your pain, in your anticipation of surgery or recovery or death?~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~Margaret Mohrmann identifies the activities of your "previous on-going life" as the deciding factor. People don't plan accidents. They do not plan disease. The need for medicine, healing and a hospital is a sudden stop, a sudden jarring into an on-going life.~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~Margaret Mohrmann's book is very helpful because it challenges the modern notions of how a hospital should work, on the social level. Doctors should be willing to cry with their patients. Nurses should be willing to listen and give the stories of their real lives. Friends and family should not be afraid to be part of the healing process. And patients should not be afraid to learn. The physical infirmity is but the surface disease. The need for healing may go in all directions--physical, emotional, spiritual. All can and should be healed together, this book espouses.~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~Key to this book is the notion that God is the partial orchestrator of the on-going story. Why did this accident/disease happen? No one knows, but it did...and God will use it. Will we be participants...as medical professionals? as family? as friends? Mohrnmann explains this point of view firstly as a theologian. Medicine as Ministry is deeply theological. But, she also explains it as a doctor. It paves its way through to being emminently practical.~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ The one jewel in this book is this concept that we are people of story. Medicine is but one means of merging our stories, and learning from each other. She decries the notion that doctors must hide their stories from patients, and anaesthize the patients' stories from their own. Quickly she extends that to all people, from the postman who delivers the mail to the family members. How do we help in the healing process--not just of physical need, but emotional and spiritual disease? This book provides a framework to begin understanding how

Rating:
Summary: A refreshing perspective on medicine, ministry and ethics
Review: Margaret Mohrmann has written a book that skillfully addresses the interrelationship of medicine and ministry in the healing process. I serve as a hospital chaplain in a large suburban hospital, and it is refreshing to read a book by a physician that emphasizes the importance of medicine and ministry as cooperating disciplines in the healing process.

The book is insightful, yet concise and easily approachable by caregivers, helping professionals, patients, and lay people alike.

Dr. Mohrmann is candid and honest about the strengths and limitations of the practice of medicine, but also deeply in tune with the spiritual side of healing. She shares some heart-warming stories from her work as a physician. She also successfully addresses the ethical considerations that often enter into the decision-making process, particiularly in cases where medical options are limited or have already been exhausted.

For a fresh, compassionate, and hope-filled look into the healing process and the mind-body-spirit connection, read this book. It will renew your hope and lift your spirit!