Good for Our Health
Worship attendance, Prayer, Bible Study, and Service Good for Our Health
The focus of the recent National Christian Counseling Conference which I attended last Thursday-Saturday in Arlington, TX was Neuroscience, Brain Health, Attachment, and Human Flourishing. One of my heroes of the brain science field, Daniel Amen M.D. author of Healthy Brain Healthy Life and Healing the Hardware of the Soul was a Keynoter. I attended one of his medical continuing education workshops in 2003 and I have been a fan ever since.
He bridges neuroscience and faith, noting that the brain's ability to rewire itself (neuroplasticity) mirrors biblical principles like the renewal of the mind (Romans 12:2). He teaches Spiritual Fitness as Brain Health: Practices like prayer, and active community involvement (such as attending church) release beneficial neurotransmitters, calm stress, improve prefrontal cortex function, and build emotional resilience.
Researchers at Duke have documented that people who attend religious services regularly get better faster when they're sick. They have lower rates of mental health issues. It's not just the community, though that helps. It's the belief itself. Believing you're here for a purpose, that your body is sacred, that you're wonderfully made. Those beliefs create actual neurotransmitter benefits in your brain.
I also attended a wonderful workshop presented by Duke University Medical School professor, Dr. Harold Koenig, where he offered empirical evidence on the positive relationship between religion, spirituality, and health, drawing from major findings presented in the third edition of the Handbook of Religion and Health. Most studies report significant associations between religious or spiritual involvement and multiple health domains, including mental health, social functioning, health behaviors, longevity, and physical health.
Findings indicate that religious and spiritual engagement is commonly associated with greater positive affect, lower rates of emotional disorders, stronger social support, healthier lifestyles, increased participation in preventive health behaviors, and improved treatment adherence. Positive Associations with physical health outcomes and longevity were presented.
Of course, as believers in the Truth of the Gospel, we know that following Jesus, studying Scripture and being in the fellowship of the Church results in Life and Life Eternal. However, it is fun to have your beliefs supported by science. See you Sunday or Thursday!
In His Service, Pastor William Mitchell
The focus of the recent National Christian Counseling Conference which I attended last Thursday-Saturday in Arlington, TX was Neuroscience, Brain Health, Attachment, and Human Flourishing. One of my heroes of the brain science field, Daniel Amen M.D. author of Healthy Brain Healthy Life and Healing the Hardware of the Soul was a Keynoter. I attended one of his medical continuing education workshops in 2003 and I have been a fan ever since.
He bridges neuroscience and faith, noting that the brain's ability to rewire itself (neuroplasticity) mirrors biblical principles like the renewal of the mind (Romans 12:2). He teaches Spiritual Fitness as Brain Health: Practices like prayer, and active community involvement (such as attending church) release beneficial neurotransmitters, calm stress, improve prefrontal cortex function, and build emotional resilience.
Researchers at Duke have documented that people who attend religious services regularly get better faster when they're sick. They have lower rates of mental health issues. It's not just the community, though that helps. It's the belief itself. Believing you're here for a purpose, that your body is sacred, that you're wonderfully made. Those beliefs create actual neurotransmitter benefits in your brain.
I also attended a wonderful workshop presented by Duke University Medical School professor, Dr. Harold Koenig, where he offered empirical evidence on the positive relationship between religion, spirituality, and health, drawing from major findings presented in the third edition of the Handbook of Religion and Health. Most studies report significant associations between religious or spiritual involvement and multiple health domains, including mental health, social functioning, health behaviors, longevity, and physical health.
Findings indicate that religious and spiritual engagement is commonly associated with greater positive affect, lower rates of emotional disorders, stronger social support, healthier lifestyles, increased participation in preventive health behaviors, and improved treatment adherence. Positive Associations with physical health outcomes and longevity were presented.
Of course, as believers in the Truth of the Gospel, we know that following Jesus, studying Scripture and being in the fellowship of the Church results in Life and Life Eternal. However, it is fun to have your beliefs supported by science. See you Sunday or Thursday!
In His Service, Pastor William Mitchell
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