The Music & the Spoken Word broadcast airs live via TV, radio, and internet stream on Sunday at 9:30 a.m. mountain standard time. For information on other airtimes, visit “Airing Schedules” at musicandthespokenword.org.

Music

Conductors: Mack Wilberg and Ryan Murphy
Organist: Linda Margetts
Announcer: Lloyd Newell

“Praise, My Soul, the King of Heaven”
Music: Ryan Murphy
Lyrics: Henry F. Lyte

“Lead, Kindly Light”
Music: John B. Dykes
Lyrics: John Henry Newman
Arrangement: Mack Wilberg

“Praise to the Lord, the Almighty”
Organ solo
German hymn tune
Arrangement: James C. Kasen

“Gloria in Excelsis” from Mass in C Minor
Music: Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart

“Brazzle Dazzle Day” from Pete’s Dragon
by Al Kasha and Joel Hirschhorn
Arrangement: Ryan Murphy

“My God, My Portion, and My Love”¹
American folk hymn
Lyrics: Isaac Watts
Arrangement: Mack Wilberg

1. On the CD Come, Thou Fount of Every Blessing

The Spoken Word

Just What the Doctor Ordered

Many of us are searching for ways to feel a little better—physically and emotionally. When aches and pains escalate, we feel thankful for modern medicines that can help restore our health. But there is another kind of treatment that some people are calling free medicine, or “a prescription you can’t fill in a pharmacy”: time spent in nature.

One pediatrician often recommends what he calls “park prescriptions.” To redeem them, his patients are required to go outside, in the fresh air, surrounded by nature. The doctor even records these prescriptions in his patients’ health records. And he isn’t alone—more and more physicians are advising patients to spend time in the outdoors as a routine part of their treatment for a variety of ailments.

While they aren’t expecting nature to cure diseases by itself, many physicians and researchers are discovering benefits of spending time in nature, including improved “stress relief, less depression and anxiety, lower blood pressure, decreased heart rate and more.”¹

Of course, you don’t have to wait for your doctor to sign a nature prescription. This is one medication you can self-prescribe, and don’t worry—there’s no long list of side effects. You can fill this prescription in so many ways: going for a hike or even just a stroll in a nearby park, playing in the backyard, or simply sitting on a porch or looking out a window and observing the world around you. You might plant a little flower or vegetable garden and experience the miracle of sowing and reaping. You might listen to the rain during a cleansing storm and breathe deeply the pure, sweet air when it’s over. You might get up early enough to look in awe at a sunrise or stay up late enough to gaze at a sky full of stars. Anything you can do to fill your heart and lungs and mind with nature can do wonders for your health and well-being.

So when considering what to do to feel just a little better, remember what the doctor ordered: spend some time in nature.

1. Jaime Ducharme, “A Prescription You Can’t Fill at the Pharmacy,” Time, Nov. 19, 2018, 20.