What Should Christians Take from the Native American Church Peyote Ceremony?

Native American religious tradition is a fascinating subject. Yet most Americans know very little about the spiritual practices of indigenous peoples. As a curious student of theology, I explored the modern Native American Church in my senior seminar research paper. I attended a peyote ceremony – a healing ritual using the hallucinogenic cactus peyote – and studied the history, theology, and practice of the Native American Church. Through my research and experience, I have seen similarities between my own Christian tradition and the Native American Church and contend that the sacramental use of peyote can be a powerful spiritual tool in strengthening anyone\u27s relationship with God

Tokyo Guidelines 2018 flowchart for the management of acute cholecystitis

We propose a new flowchart for the treatment of acute cholecystitis (AC) in the Tokyo Guidelines 2018 (TG18). Grade III AC was not indicated for straightforward laparoscopic cholecystectomy (Lap-C). Following analysis of subsequent clinical investigations and drawing on Big Data in particular, TG18 proposes that some Grade III AC can be treated by Lap-C when performed at advanced centers with specialized surgeons experienced in this procedure and for patients that satisfy certain strict criteria. For Grade I, TG18 recommends early Lap-C if the patients meet the criteria of Charlson comorbidity index (CCI) 5 and American Society of Anesthesiologists physical status classification (ASA-PS) 2. For Grade II AC, if patients meet the criteria of CCI 5 and ASA-PS 2, TG18 recommends early Lap-C performed by experienced surgeons; and if not, after medical treatment and/or gallbladder drainage, Lap-C would be indicated. TG18 proposes that Lap-C is indicated in Grade III patients with strict criteria. These are that the patients have favorable organ system failure, and negative predictive factors, who meet the criteria of CCI 3 and ASA-PS 2 and who are being treated at an advanced center (where experienced surgeons practice). If the patient is not considered suitable for early surgery, TG18 recommends early/urgent biliary drainage followed by delayed Lap-C once the patient's overall condition has improved. Free full articles and mobile app of TG18 are available at: . Related clinical questions and references are also include