Prepare for Death, Church of Incarnation, and a Good Night's Sleep

A Direct Question

Some musings from my work in hospice

What’s Helping These Days

What’s to become of church? Some thoughts after Sunday service last week.

Here’s the link to Dr. Matthew Price presenting on the stats of the Episcopal Church, followed by a discussion, if you care.

Here’s the link to the Pew Research study on church in America, if you care.

What’s Helping These Days

Sleep. Better Sleep.

Here’s a good podcast, in a deep dive geeky science way, about how cognitive behavior therapy can help improve sleep. I listen to some of Peter Attia, MD, he was recommended by the medical director at our hospice. I’ve learned all kinds of medical stuff, this one on sleep I thought especially good. Guest presenter is Ashley Mason, Ph.D., a clinical psychologist and an associate professor at UCSF, where she leads the Sleep, Eating, and Affect (SEA) Laboratory. From their promo bit: She explains how to manage racing thoughts and anxiety, optimize sleep environments, and use practical tools like sleep diaries to track progress. She also offers detailed guidance on sleep hygiene; explores the impact of temperature regulation, blue light exposure, and bedtime routines; and offers guidance on finding a CBT-I therapist, along with sharing practical steps you can take on your own before seeking professional help.

What’s Helping These Days.

And here’s a book I read by Brian McClaren: Life After Doom: Wisdom and Courage for a World Falling Apart. He’s been around a while, part of the Emergent Church movement a while back, now does a lot with the Center for Action and Contemplation, which I respect. I honestly didn’t expect much from this book, wasn’t too excited about it - a book with Doom in the title? About the climate catastrophe? Haven’t I got enough heavy psychological lifting just keeping up with the doom that is politics right now? But I read it anyway, and was glad I did. It helped, with some perspective, some realism, and some appropriately framed hope.

That’s all for today. Prepare for the end. Or not. Just live and love. God has us.