August 15, 2012

Wellness Disconnect

Sometimes the gap between spirituality and organized religion shows up in surprising ways.

Last week, while looking through the textbook Principles and Labs for Fitness and Wellness, I came across an extensive discussion about the role of spirituality in wellness. According to authors Werner and Sharon Hoeger (who are, it must be said, a husband-and-wife team, experts in the health and wellness field, and devout Mormons) “spiritual wellness provides a unifying power that integrates all the other dimensions of wellness” including physical, social, occupational, emotional, mental, and environmental.

They go on to cite research reporting positive relationships among spiritual well-being, emotional well-being, and satisfaction with life. They also note that “people who attend church and regularly participate in religious organizations enjoy better health, have a lower incidence of chronic disease, handle stress more effectively, and apparently live longer.”

A Disconnect 

I’m interested in what this research means for Episcopal congregations seeking to welcome people who have never darkened the door of a church, the spiritual but not religious crowd. It’s important to note that overall, in a country where many people are seeking wellness, many are finding support – and results! – through their faith, spirituality, and at church. Yet how are we addressing wellness in our congregations? What would it look like if our churches made wellness a major part of their congregational lives? 

I’ve been mulling this over for the past few days and have some initial thoughts/observations:

  • People in the pews and those who describe themselves as “non-religious” are interested in becoming well. Many of us see spirituality as connected to our food choices, exercise, choice of job, etc. How are our congregations acknowledging this aspect of popular spirituality, one that takes place both in and beyond the church?
  • While we have a lot of theological language around certain elements of wellness - for instance, the role of God in choosing our vocations - it feels as if we’re just beginning to talk about God and food, God and physical activity, God and the environment. Certainly, there are rich traditions to draw from in each of these areas, but how often do they come up on an average Sunday?
  • One wrinkle in all of this is that while data points to healthier lay people, our clergy reveal a much different story. As this New York Times article points out, recent studies show that mainline Protestant clergy are among the least healthy individuals in the United States, suffering from “obesity, hypertension and depression at rates higher than most other Americans.” Many clergy say that they’ve become less healthy as a result of their work in the Church. Will our clergy see wellness as just a distraction, or as an authentic way of engaging with God?
  • And finally, what do we do with the fact that “people who attend church and regularly participate in religious organizations enjoy better health, have a lower incidence of chronic disease, handle stress more effectively, and apparently live longer?” This seems like an odd sort of evangelism, one that plays to self-interest, and yet...

I’m thinking this one out loud here so I’d love to have a conversation about this topic to learn more about how your church is incorporating wellness into its congregational life. Please share your thoughts below in the comments.

In the meanwhile, I’m late for a yoga class.