Health Care and Faith Communities

Over on his Facebook profile, Landon Whitsitt (vice moderator of the PCUSA) posted a link to this editorial on the Huffington Post, "What the Flap Over Health Care Tells Us About American Religion."

One of Landon's FB friends, Doug Lowry, posted this comment in reply:

Advocacy and statement anaylsis gets you only so far. What faith communities CAN do is to offer parish nursing free health climics and ensure access to healthy food etc. Terrifying gospel is for faith communities to commit to know enough about their OWN members poverties to be instrumental in THEIR health and well being and committed enough to act on what they know about their OWN members. The health care system we know was started in large by Christan faith communities and then co-opted by those seeking to usurp the commons that generosity generated. Can emergent Christians start reclaiming and mastering christian practice instead of mastering christian commentary?

What do you think? What is/will be the role of missional communities of practice in addressing the physical/medical/health/wellness needs of those in our local neighborhoods and beyond?