Sermon
Series Fall 2024
Travis Collins
Cometome,allyouwhoarewearyandburdened, andIwillgiveyourest.
Takemyyokeuponyouandlearnfromme, forIamgentleandhumbleinheart, andyouwillfindrestforyoursouls.
Formyyokeiseasyandmyburdenislight."
Matthew 11:28-30, NIV
Biblical Faith & Mental Health HOPE
First Baptist Church, Huntsville September 1, 2024
I started out the day large and in charge. Confident and carefree. I ended the day in a really unattractive, rather breezy, hospital gown. I have very little memory of that day in 2015.
I told this story a few years ago so I will summarize…
I had a long breakfast with a young church planter. A breakfast that I don’t remember. We found out from him later that I spilled my coffee during breakfast and didn’t know how to clean it up. I also kept asking him the same question.
First thing I remember I was home on the couch with first responders around me. Though I don’t remember doing it, I had called Keri at work and told her something seemed wrong, and she had called 911.
I kinda remember being in the ER with Keri next to me on the phone trying to retrace my steps that morning and figure out what had happened to me.
The only other thing I remember from that day is briefly being rolled down the hall on a stretcher to some sort of examination of my head.
I’d suffered an event known as Transient Global Amnesia. Transient meaning “temporary.” Global meaning “just about everything. And Amnesia meaning Blank Memory.
It’s some kind of freak thing that experts can’t quite explain. I thought amnesia was just in tv shows.
For about 24 hours my mind just didn’t work right. It was a Cerebral snafu,
A Glitch of the grey matter, a Mental malfunction.
And it could easily have been more than Transient Global Amnesia. Instead of a minor momentary mental malfunction, it could have been a major, monumental mental malfunction.
I am no more likely to have that happen again than anyone else is. But it was still kind of a big deal.
Now, Transient Global Amnesia is not technically considered a mental health problem. Rather, experts call it a “neurological condition.”
But, to me, it’s not far from a “neurological condition” to a mental health problem. And that’s what we’re going to talk about today and the next two weeks: mental health. Biblical Faith and Mental Health.
For brains, like hearts and gall bladders, sometimes just don’t work right.
I’m going to speak broadly about mental health problems.
NAMI (National Alliance on Mental Illness) defines mental illness as “Medical conditions that disrupt a person’s thinking, feeling, mood, ability to relate to others and daily functioning” and “often result in a diminished capacity for coping with the ordinary demands of life.”
When I talk about mental illness, or mental health problems, I’m speaking broadly…
• Anxiety disorders, including OCD (obsessivecompulsive disorder), PTSD (post-traumatic stress disorder).
• Depression, bipolar, and other mood disorders.
• Issues of neuro-development such as Autism, Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder, ADHD.
• Psychotic disorders such as schizophrenia.
• Personality disorders
• Eating disorders (Anorexia, Bulimia, Binge-Eating Disorder)
• Addiction disorders.
• Co-occurring disorders (such as mental illness combined with substance abuse)
And some I might be missing.
So, I’m speaking of a wide array of mental health problems.
I want to dispel three myths…
Myth #1: Mental health problems are made up
The truth is that mental health problems are as real as COVID and heart disease.
A few weeks ago there was a strong reaction from several quarters about comments by John MacArthur, a popular Christian teacher. MacArthur downplayed mental illness. In fact, his quote was, “There’s no such a thing as mental illness.” He called psychiatry an “adversary to Scripture.” He questioned whether PTSD is a real thing. He warned parents not to buy into the myth that he said is
perpetuated by the pharmaceutical companies about ADD or ADHD. “Kids who are taught well behave well,” MacArthur said, implying that ACC and ADHD are merely kids acting badly.i
The outcry by other Christians against MacArthur’s comments was justified. Let’s be real clear. Mental illness is real. And mental illness is painfully common.
Myth #2: Christians don’t struggle with mental health problems.
The truth is that Christians do struggle with mental health problems. Today we will talk about Elijah. Elijah, who had the faith to call down
fire from Heaven…soon was curled up on the ground wishing he had never been born. Elijah’s faith didn’t make him immune to a mental health crisis.
Let’s be clear. Faith has a great deal to offer those who are struggling with mental health problems. But faith offers no immunity.
Being in harmony with God and aligned with His principles is certainly good for our mental health. Taking care of ourselves physically and spiritually…the fellowship of fellow believers…are good for our mental health. But it is naïve to believe if we will just get right with God we will be immune to mental health problems.
There are physical and chemical factors behind mental health problems.
Things we can’t control by being good Christians.
The following passage is from Joyful Sorrow, by Julie Busler… “Having already contemplated the details, I was waiting for the right
moment to end my life at only thirty-four years of aga. I was a wife, mother, and follower of Jesus who lived to make him known in the
predominately Muslim country of Turkey, and yet the very hope I proclaimed somehow slipped through my fingers.”
Julie was a Baptist missionary in Turkey. This event was in 2011 or 2012. Julie’s father had taken his life years earlier. Now she, a faithful follower of Jesus, was thinking seriously about ending her own life.
Thank God, she didn’t try that day. But she did try, unsuccessfully, later. There followed multiple hospitalizations, both in Turkey and back in the U.S. There was a good deal of medication and therapy. And she dived into the pages of Scripture.
In Julie’s book she is very clear about the fact that faith does not make one immune to mental illness.
Myth #3: All you need is more faith and a better prayer life.
The truth is: You need more than faith and a better prayer life if you have a mental illness, whatever that illness is.
God is bigger than any problem you have…and He works through physicians, counselors and other professionals. Even medication. You need all those if your mental health is suffering.
Medication, by the way, is not a quick fix or a cure-all for mental health problems. However, as part of an overall plan to get counseling, to engage in spiritual disciplines such as prayer, worship and Bible study, to exercise and be active medication is a wonderful tool if prescribed by a medical expert.
I have hypothyroidism. My thyroid does not produce enough thyroxine. So every morning I take a pill so small I can barely see it.
If I were to tell you I have hypothyroidism would you advise me to throw my pills away and just pray about it? Or would you advise me
to take care of myself and do what the doctor says, including medication? I hope you’d say the latter.
Let’s not say “Just pray about it” to someone who has a mental health problem.
Now, let’s talk about Elijah (1 Kings 19:3-9, NIV)
Elijah was afraid and ran for his life. When he came to Beersheba in Judah, he left his servant there, while he himself went a day’s journey into the wilderness. He came to a broom bush, sat down under it and prayed that he might die. “I have had enough, Lord,” he said. “Take my life; I am no better than my ancestors.” Then he lay down under the bush and fell asleep.
All at once an angel touched him and said, “Get up and eat.” He looked around, and there by his head was some bread baked over hot coals, and a jar of water. He ate and drank and then lay down again.
The angel of the Lord came back a second time and touched him and said, “Get up and eat, for the journey is too much for you.” So he got up and ate and drank. Strengthened by that food, he traveled forty days and forty nights until he reached Horeb, the mountain of God. There he went into a cave and spent the night.
Let’s allow this event in the life of Elijah to inform our conversation about mental health…
Always remember that God is in the dark with you.
Elijah was in the dark. Physically and mentally.
It’s no fun in the dark. Whether your darkness is depression or OCD or autism or anxiety or addiction or bi-polar disorder or any other mental health problem… or the case of a loved one who suffers with a mental illness…it’s no fun in the dark.
God said to Elijah, “What are you doing here?”
Here.
God didn’t scream, “What are you doing down there far from my presence?” God said, “What are you doing here?”
God was with Elijah in the dark.
Many of us have sung: “Surely the presence of the Lord is in this place.”
We tend to sing that in a worship service. Where everyone is all smiles and the temperature is just right and we’re comfortably seated.
But we ought to sing it in Emergency Rooms, too. And in funeral parlors. And unemployment lines. And in children’s hospitals. And nursing homes. And prisons.
And in all kinds of darkness.
The Psalmist asks the rhetorical question in Psalm 139, “Where can I go from your presence? If I rise up to the heavens you are there. If I lie down in the depths you are there.”
You never will be beyond the presence of God. Even in the darkness of a mental health problem.
But don’t make yourself at home in the dark.
Into that dark came the very voice of God Himself, “Get up; I have work for you to do.”
And Elijah went on to complete God’s plan for his life.
We can’t make ourselves at home in the dark of mental illness.
Of course, there is no magical switch to flip. I would never suggest you should just pull yourself up by your bootstrap or just put on a happy face. This is a complex issue for which there are no easy steps. However, we have to assume responsibility for our lives, even our mental health. Except for extreme cases, we are not mere victims, and must not see ourselves that way.
Those words of God to Elijah, “Get up!”…Those are words of both hope and responsibility.
Hope: You CAN get up.
Responsibility: You have got to TRY and get up.
In the next message I will dig deeper into how you and I may find Help. In this message I want to send a clear signal that there is Hope. And I want to encourage you to act on your own behalf.
I tread carefully here, for I don’t want to be insensitive.
But there comes a time to be honest about…but not define ourselves by…our mental health problems.
I understand that there are severe cases of mental illness that are utterly, completely debilitating. Incapacitating. Most of us, however, don’t have to live in the dark.
Remember the missionary to Turkey, Julie Busler, who nearly took her life? In her book, Joyful Sorrow, one of the chapters is titled, “Healing Starts with Humility.” Ms. Busler writes,
“Pride…takes root and distorts reality. In the case of mental illness, pride not only kept me from seeking help that would destroy my carefully curated appearance, but it also convinced me that I was too strong to succumb to the illness that was killing me. Proverbs 29:23 (NLT) says, ‘Pride ends in humiliation, while humility brings honor.’”
Ms. Busler was a missionary. She wasn’t supposed to have a mental health problem.
She was too proud to get help. And her pride nearly killed her.
Don’t be so proud that you won’t get the help you need to get out of the dark.
“Getting out of the dark” might not mean a complete cure. It might mean managing your mental health problem. Learning coping skills. Receiving ongoing treatment by professionals both medicine and
therapy. New choices about a healthy lifestyle including nurturing your relationship with your Heavenly Father.
God said to Elijah, “Get up.”
You can “get up.”
Travis, does “get up” mean you think I could get all better?! Well, everybody’s “get up” is not the same.
You’re “get up” might not be ALL better. Your “get up” might be BETTER.
Let me say that again: You’re “get up” might not be ALL better. Your “get up” might be “BETTER.”
There is hope: you can get out of the darkness of the dark.
Rick Shelton is a faithful member of our congregation, and a psychiatrist with UAB. Rick is helping me shape these messages reviewing them so that I don’t do any damage. Dr. Shelton said, “I have treated thousands of people in my career and I can say that it is very uncommon to have people experience no improvement once they start treatment. Most people get much better. So, wherever people are, things can get better and most people can achieve recovery.”
“Get up, Elijah. Stop running, Erin.”
A few Christmases ago, our daughter-in-law, Erin, posted part of her story on social media. Erin and our son, Landon and their wonderful family live in South Carolina. She gave me permission to share the story with you today.
She quoted from Psalm 40, He lifted me out of the slimy pit…He put a new song in my mouth.
She described an obsession with the way people perceive her that began as a little girl. She behaved well, and wanted her little brother
and sister to behave well, so others would think they were a good family. Her sense of worth came from what others thought. Among her obsessions was an obsession with her body, and with her body being the “right size.”
That led to a mental health problem in high school bulimia, an eating disorder. Her freshman year in college was tough.
She had a wake-up call of sorts a picture she saw on line one day of a young woman with an eating disorder. The picture was startling. It frightened Erin to think of who she was becoming.
She wanted to change. But she struggled. After all, though her illness was not as severe as it is for many, any eating disorder is a mental health issue.
Until one night, due to her eating disorder, she felt like she’d eaten too much and she went down to the basement of her dorm room to purge…to throw up. There was a restroom down in that basement. That’s where she always went to purge.
Erin says, by the way, that when she sees that verse in Psalm 40 about God delivering us from “the pit” she thinks about that restroom in the basement of her dorm. That was her “pit.”
But this time, the door to that basement bathroom was locked. That door was never locked.
Erin felt like God had locked the door. “I felt the Lord’s voice tell me loud and clear in that moment, ‘STOP RUNNING.’ That was it! That’s when my absolute dependency on my Savior began.”
Our daughter-in-law is a wonderful young Christian wife and mother and pastor’s wife and living a healthy life. God lifted her out of the pit. She got out of the dark.
I tell you that story simply to acknowledge that mental health problems are real and they are common…And there is hope.
There are people listening to me who struggle with a mental health problem. We’re going to talk about this for two more weeks, but please know today: There is hope.
Biblical Faith & Mental Health:
For those who love and those who suffer
First Baptist Huntsville
September 8, 2024
“Why, my soul, are you downcast? Why so disturbed within me? Put your hope in God, for I will yet praise him, my Savior and my God.”
(Psalm 42:11)
My grandfather Copeland my mother’s father died in an insane asylum. That’s what they called Bryce Hospital in Tuscaloosa in the mid 1930’s. An “insane asylum.” It was, and is, a psychiatric hospital.
We don’t know the whole story about my grandfather. This is what we know...
Around 1935 my grandfather got sick with what was commonly referred to in our family as “some lung disease,” maybe lung cancer. Or maybe black lung. They were living near Boaz and there were some coal mines near there where he may have worked for a while. He eventually suffered from severe headaches and was put on morphine for the pain.
Eventually my grandfather started acting erratically, destroying things
in the house and doing other things so destructive they could not b e ignored.
So, my grandfather was sent to Bryce down in Tuscaloosa.
When his children made their first visit there, they were told he’d had electric shock treatments and that he had died. They were handed an envelope full of his hair from where his head had been shaved for the shock treatments. And that was that. Remember; this was more than 80 years ago.
There was initially some embarrassment in the family associated with the fact that my grandfather died at “Bryce” the so-called insane asylum.
But with all the unanswered questions, one thing is clear: There came a time when my grandfather’s mind just didn’t work right. It doesn’t matter why. Whether it was cancer that metastasized from his lungs to his brains…or something that today would be diagnosed as a mental illness… or something else…There is no shame. Neither for my late grandfather, nor for us, his family.
I tell you that simply to say that sometimes brains, like hearts and gall bladders, just don’t work right. That’s why last week, this week, and next week I am talking about Biblical Faith & Mental Health. When I talk about mental illness, or mental health problems, I’m speaking broadly. You will see a list of mental health problems in your insert or on the screen. Just remember that we are talking about mental health problems including anxiety, addiction, depression, bipolar
disorder, eating disorders, schizophrenia and many more including, sometimes, co-occurring disorders.
I’m speaking of a wide array of mental health problems.
Let me review a couple of important points from last week. First, mental health problems are real, and they are painfully common, even among people of faith.
We also talked about the words of God to Elijah who was in the dark, both mentally physically. God said, “Get up.”
Those two powerful words, “Get up,” are word of hope and responsibility.
Hope: People with mental health problems can get better.
Responsibility: We have a responsibility for our health, including our mental health. There comes a time to be honest about, but not define ourselves by, our mental health problems.
Now, let’s continue our conversation…
Let me speak first to those who love people who are suffering from a mental health problem.
I read an essay recently by Nick Pollard, a devoted follower of Jesus and a research psychologist, whose teenage daughter, Lizzie became severely ill with anorexia nervosa, an eating disorder.
Remember: Nick is a mental health professional. And he wrote, “Nothing prepares you for the devastating feeling of helplessness when mental ill-health affects your own family.”
He explained…“In the early days I had an image in my mind. It felt as if the family was in a row boat, struggling against the current of a fastflowing river, to get to a place called ‘Lizzie is well again’. And I felt that my role, as the Dad, was to get us there. So, I was rowing really hard, and so was my wife, Carol, and other family members. Then I looked around, and there was Lizzie rowing in the opposite direction. So, I got frustrated, even furious.
But one day I suddenly realized that I had the wrong goal. My job was not to ‘get us up the river to that place where Lizzie is well again’. Only Lizzie could do that. My role was to keep us all together in the boat.”
Nick wrote that he realized he could only cheer for Lizzie and support her as she made her journey to health. He couldn’t FIX his daughter. He talked about how important it is to encourage his family to hang together…and to help his daughter hang on to hope, for when one is mentally ill, hope is hard to hang onto. But he couldn’t fix her.
If you love someone who is struggling with a mental health or substance abuse crisis, you can’t fix him or her. But you can lovingly offer hope.
And if you love someone who is struggling with a mental health or substance abuse crisis, you need help, too. Mental illness impacts the entire family, often in ways more painful and disruptive than physical
illness does.
I’ve known several people whose families have been impacted by mental illness. I’ve heard them describe such feelings as confusion, helplessness, embarrassment, anger, and loneliness.
And you need help, too, if your loved one is struggling with a mental health problem. So, tell a circle of people you trust. Find a good counselor. Take care of your own health. Maintain a good social and spiritual life. Both you and your loved one need you to be healthy.
I feel so inadequate to offer real help to you but I want to encourage you. May God give you strength.
Now…
If YOU are struggling…
Don’t feel alone; you’re not
I read the statistics reported by such entities as the National Alliance for Mental Health (NAMI), the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and the U.S. Surgeon General’s office.
The number of people who struggle with a mental illness is amazing.
• Half of Americans will have some sort of mental disorder at some point in their lives.
• One in every five Americans experiences SOME SORT of mental event in a given year and one in twenty will experience a SERIOUS mental illness in a year.
• One in ten children and youth has a mental health problem
Those numbers sound high to most of us, probably. Maybe it’s because we don’t talk about mental illness. We hide mental health problems. If I have a knee problem, and you ask me how I’m doing, I’ll tell you more than you want to know about my knee. But if I have a mental
health problem, like anxiety or bi-polar disorder, and you ask me how I’m doing, I might just tell you I’m fine.
My point is that if you have a mental health problem, you shouldn’t feel alone. You’re not.
Please get help
If you have a mental health problem, going to get professional help from a doctor and/or therapist is no more a sign of weakness than it is a sign of weakness to go to a cardiologist if you have a heart problem.
If you’re hurt badly in an automobile accident and you are still conscious, you are probably going to pray that God will keep you alive but you probably won’t refuse to get in the ambulance.
So, why do we hesitate when our problems are psychological or emotional?
Our Heavenly Father works through professional caregivers in the medical, psychological, and pharmaceutical worlds.
Speaking of the pharmaceutical world, medicine can be very helpful as part of a larger plan that includes physical exercise, and therapy with a good counselor, and healthy spiritual habits such as prayer and fellowship with other believers. Medicine is not a quick fix or a cureall, but as part of a larger plan it can be helpful.
And then there’s therapy. Although we tend to use “therapy” and “counseling” interchangeably, therapy tends to be longer term and more in-depth than counseling. And for mental health problems therapy is very helpful.
Do you know the singer, Jelly Roll? He is a most interesting country music singer. Jelly Roll, whose birth name is Jason DeFord, carries a lot of baggage from a wild past. And I love the raw honesty in his music. One of his songs says, “I am not okay.” And then he says, “I can’t be the only one holding on for dear life.”
In an interview with Taste of Country, Jelly Roll said, “I believe in God and therapy.”
I do too, Jelly Roll. I believe in God and I believe in therapy. Please get help.
Therapy with professionals who follow biblical principles is invaluable.
Understand: I’m not suggesting that you and I have to go only to counselors whose shingles read, “Christian counseling.” I am suggesting that your counselor and my counselor should understand, value and honor the principles for our well-being as revealed in the Bible.
For example, Romans 7 says we are born with a sinful nature, an overwhelming tendency to do the wrong thing. We are sinners by nature and by choice. But not everyone believes that. Some counselors don’t believe that. So, if I go in and say that I’m struggling with a particular behavioral issue, some counselors might say, “Live into your desires!” Some counselors might encourage me to indulge my sinful inclinations.
I’m not suggesting that’s common. I am suggesting that’s possible. And I’m suggesting that we go to qualified counselors who are going to guide us in ways that honor biblical values and Christian principles.
Again, that’s whether their ad on Google or the sign on their door reads “Christian counselor” or not.
I’ve been a counseling client of a local center called The Vine that understands, values and honors the principles for our well-being as revealed in the Bible. I know how important that is.
Mental
health problems are not sin…but
they can drive you to sin if you aren’t careful.
Mental illness is neither a reflection of sin nor a punishment for sin.
But if we don’t handle our mental illness well, we might make sinful choices.
Take substance abuse, for example. The primary cause of substance abuse is not peer pressure; it’s self-medication. Trying to dull one’s pain. In order to deal with anxiety, people have abused alcohol. Some have slept around looking for answers to their emptiness.
Mental health problems are neither a reflection of sin nor a punishment for sin…but they can drive you to sin if you aren’t careful. So, be careful.
Know your identity
The demons of mental illness will try to convince you that you are broken and burdensome, hopeless and worthless, unloved and unwanted.
You cannot let those voices win.
If you struggle with poor mental health you deserve to know you a cherished child of the Heavenly Father. You are the crown of God’s creation. You have a place in God’s heart and a place in His mission. Your dreams matter to God. YOU matter to God.
Hold onto biblical hope as if your life depended on it.
Faith does not make you immune to mental health problems, but it does offer hope
I told part of Julie Busler’s story last week. She was a Baptist missionary in Turkey ten years ago when her mental illness resulted in suicide attempts and hospitalizations.
In her book, Joyful Sorrow, she wrote that, at her lowest she thought, “If this is the best life will be, what’s the point?” In the psychiatric unit of the hospital she said, “I could not imagine a future from the blinding pain.”
But, she continued, “I wish I could go back and tell myself that it would get so much better!”
It DID get so much better for Ms. Busler. She admitted that “so much better” for her didn’t mean being completely rid of the mental illness. “So much better” was learning to cope, digging into the Bible, finding purpose.
Julie Busler is living a productive life. Julie Busler is now the President of the Woman’s Missionary Union of Oklahoma, and her book, Joyful Sorrow, is the emphasis book this year for Woman’s Missionary Union.
She and countless more are proof that there is hope for people with mental illness.
And, let me tell you…speaking of hope…I’ve had conversations this week with members of our church family who have experienced mental health problems, but survived and thrived.
I want so desperately to communicate hope. Hope is not naïve optimism that everything is going to turn out wonderfully. Hope is the deep assurance that, by God’s grace you will be okay…at the core of who you are you will be okay…even if the circumstances you are in
don’t turn out well. You can, by God’s grace, survive and thrive.
Remember Jonah? As in “Jonah and the whale”?
Jonah was on a ship bound for Tarshish. There was a big storm and Jonah said, “I’m the cause of the storm so throw me overboard.”
There is a theory that when Jonah asked the crew of the ship to throw him overboard that wasn’t so much a noble gesture as it was an act of suicide.
If you know the story, think about it. Jonah said, “If I’m gone, the storm will subside. It’s my fault that things are bad anyway. Everybody would be better off with me at the bottom of the ocean.”
And so, this tormented man got himself tossed overboard and was swallowed up by the sea.
Except the sea was not the only thing that swallows him. God had prepared a great fish in which Jonah could survive. And he did survive. Then, instead of condemning Jonah for his foolish act, God had compassion on him.
James Clemons, in the book Children of Jonah: Personal Stories of Survivors of Suicide Attempts, wrote, on the final page, the following about Jonah:
God has the last word: “Jonah, do you still not get it? You are my son. I need you, and others need you, too. You are worth far more than you know. Together we can do so much for those in need.”
In a word, we matter. Each of us matters. Please know that. Whoever you are and whatever your hurt. You matter. Whether you love someone struggling with a mental health problem or ARE someone who is struggling with a mental health problem. You are more loved and more valued than you might know. So, hold on to hope as if your life depends on it. For each of us matters. Each of us matters. You matter.
God is powerful. You are valuable. There is hope.
Biblical Faith and Mental Health: Churches
First Baptist, Huntsville September 15, 2024
Some people get nervous from time to time. Some people suffer serious anxiety.
Some people feel blue from time to time. Some people suffer from diagnosable depression.
Some people are what you might call “moody.” Some people are bipolar.
Some people worry too much that their body doesn’t look like a model’s body…some people develop significant eating disorders. My point is that mental health, and mental health problems, are a matter of degree. We all experience some level of mental health problems, just like all of us experience some level of physical health problems.
I’m so grateful to Dr. Rick Shelton, a member of our church family and a psychiatrist with UAB Health System, who has helped me think through these messages on biblical faith and mental health. He helped me see that to think about mental health problems in a rather simple way, we can think of two categories of mental health problems.
And let’s consider these categories not as one stacked upon the other, with one on top and the other below…but along an even plane…more like a continuum.
First is the category of general unhappiness, uneasiness, distress,
anxiety, mental fog. We might say, “My mind is troubled.” We’ll call this Category Blue.
All of us have those experiences, at least at times, and in various intensities.
You know, the job is stressful. A marriage is in trouble. There is conflict among friends. Or our memory fails us. That’s Category Blue.
The second category is of what we would call mental health problems, or mental illness. Disorders of the brain We’ll call this Category Red. (These are not official medical terms, by the way.) Here we are talking about more serious problems. Chronic depression or anxiety, bipolar disorder, PTSD and other more serious mental malfunctions.
Now, these two levels or categories are not cleanly distinct. There is no clear line dividing the two.
And sometimes trauma, such as abuse, can thrust us dramatically along the continuum from minor mental health problems to severe mental health problems.
Trauma chemically alters the way our genes work, which affects the development and function of the brain, which can cause diagnosable depression in both adolescents and adults.
Studies reported this week tell us that COVID, with its stress, loss, and isolation, actually changed the makeup, the structure, of many teen brains. And so, teenagers who would not otherwise have struggled with mental health problems are struggling.
Again, here is my point: It’s not “us” and “them.” Mental health problems are common to us all. It’s often a matter of degree and duration. We’re all in this together.
When it comes to mental health, Church is helpful …..…usually.
I have to acknowledge that churches are not ALWAYS helpful.
Sometimes people with mental illness feel rejected by, or even shunned
by, their churches BECAUSE OF their illness.
In some churches people hear from the pulpit that they should not seek professional treatment. “Just pray more!” Or, “Just get right with God” is the unfortunate and misguided mantra in some churches.
Besides all that, unhealthy church systems, church bullies and church conflict, increase people’s stress and anxiety.
So, sometimes church is not helpful for those with mental health problems.
However, studies show an overall very positive correlation between faith and mental health.
I’m neither a mental health professional nor a statistician, so I’m depending here on the reports found in helpful resources, such as Dr. Harold Koenig’s important book, Faith and Mental Health, which reports on about 900 studies from around the world. And the studies are encouraging and inspiring when it comes to faith and mental health.
Overall, deep spiritual commitment is really helpful in dealing with mental health issues.
Here are two examples from Koenig’s book: A significant study “found that participants with strong religious faith experienced significantly lower anxiety and lower depressive scores, as well as higher ego strength and less personality psychopathology.”
“The majority of epidemiological studies suggest that persons with severe mental disorder do better if they are involved in or connected with a faith community.”
It's important to note that surface religion, or church attendance alone, is less helpful than deep devotion.
However, deep faith, loving God and a sense of being loved by God…
• Inspires generosity and altruism, which promote mental health.
• Provides hope, purpose and meaning.
• Discourages unhealthy means of coping with stress, such as substance abuse and promiscuity.
• Encourages forgiveness, which tends to free us from bitterness.
• Fosters gratefulness.
Deep commitment to following Jesus is good for our mental health.
Of great importance is the social support of a faith community. Study after study confirm the support that comes from being part of a healthy church.
Of course, the social interaction is important. But it’s not just the social interaction. Church is different from the book club and the civic club. Koenig writes, “Religious support provides unique resources above and beyond secular types of social interaction.” That we share moral and ethical convictions and an eternal hope is critical.
And it’s not just the feeling of community that helps with mental health. It’s the transformation that comes from conversion. There is statistical evidence (not mere feel-good stories) to support that.
Conversion does not guarantee immunity from mental health problems, but look at Koenig again: “Frequently underestimated, religious conversion can bring power for change that rivals that brought about by traditional mental health treatments.”
Turns out that transformation so radical Jesus called it a “new birth” is actually good for our mental health.
Mental health problems bring their unique challenges. And most churches don’t know how to handle mental health problems well. Yet people with mental health problems are all around us. And among us.
What can our church, do?
What about kids?
I’m proud of our Kids Minister, Kristin Prasad, who is working now on a means by which we can be more welcoming and accommodating of kids with autism. She’s looking at best practices and how we can be inclusive of kids and their families, even when the kids have some sort of unique circumstances.
Let’s make sure everyone feels welcome at the party.
Of course, when churches gather there are lots of things to consider, including security. Truth is, most people with mental illnesses are more likely to hurt themselves than someone else. But, we all know the stories of people with severe mental illnesses who have done terrible things in large crowds. We have to be aware of that. Church leaders have a responsibility to do our very best to ensure the security of all who gather in our buildings.
Hospitality has to be balanced with security. Hospitality and security. I like to call that “hospicurity.”
Our church must practice hospicurity safety without sacrificing welcome and inclusion.
Jesus said, “…when you give a banquet, invite the poor, the crippled, the lame, the blind, and you will be blessed. Although they cannot repay you, you will be repaid at the resurrection of the righteous” (Luke 14:12-14).
The inclusion of people who might not typically feel welcome would change the “feel” of such a banquet, right?
If you invite people who are very much alike, and whose behavior is thus predictable, there won’t be any surprises right? But if you invite someone who seems different, well, they’re kind of wild cards.
Would we welcome people who have mental health problems in our
banquets, our church gatherings? Would we be okay if they change the “feel” of our gatherings a bit?
Let’s talk for a moment about the difference between disruptions and distractions.
Disruptions interrupt the service. Disruptions disturb our peace. A disruption would someone standing and shouting at the preacher or making such a commotion that it’s impossible for the rest of us to worship..
We can’t allow disruptions.
Distractions, on the other hand…distractions merely catch our eye for a moment…maybe make us uncomfortable until we get used to it.
You know…You are sitting near someone who mumbles to himself during worship. Someone stands at an inappropriate time. Someone rocks in his or her seat. Someone paces in the back.
We’ve got to be okay with that!
One of the most interesting churches I know is Church Under the Bridge in Waco, Texas.
They meet under Interstate 35. In 1992 Jimmy Dorrell started a Bible study for five men who were homeless and it has grown to a large congregation of people from all walks of life.
From its first days, Church Under the Bridge has welcomed (not just tolerated, but welcomed) everyone to the party including folks with mental health problems and others who wouldn’t be welcomed in lots of churches.
Pastor Jimmy Dorrell wrote that the presence of people from the margins of society in our churches often makes us feel uncomfortable. We’re afraid they will do something that will embarrass us or violate our sense of decorum.
Frankly, Dorrell reminds me of how shallow I can be!
Forgive the length of this following quote, but it’s important…
…Though rarely sought, it is this intrusive discomfort that often provides the most opportunity to spiritually mature. As our own pervasive prejudices surface and cause feelings of offense, anger, discomfort, and intimidation, we are then painfully aware before God of our own childish thinking and can confront the shallowness of a faith that judges others and refuses to overcome personal preferences or supposed rights. In the midst of the discomfort, we are faced with the privilege of loving others beyond our cultural barriers or at least confessing the struggle. These people sitting in the pews next to us force us to celebrate a Messiah who touched lepers, sat with a prostitute, ate with a tax collector, and showed us kingdom relationships far beyond homogeneous peers.
Could we, in our churches, become more accustomed to people different from us sitting among us? I believe we must. Let’s make sure everyone is welcome at the party.
Let’s be attentive to those in our church family whose health problems are mental health problems.
In Galatians 6 we read, “Carry each other’s burdens.” (Galatians 6:2)
In Romans 15 we read, “Accept one another as Christ accepted you.” (Romans 15:7)
In Corinthians 12 God inspired Paul to write about the parts of the body,
about how all the parts need each other, even the so-called “weaker” parts.
And in 1 Thessalonians 5 we read:"…help the weak, be patient with everyone." 1 Thessalonians 5:14
Imagine with me two church members, members of the same church, in fact: Rhonda Rodgerson and Rodney Richardson.
Rhonda was rushed to the hospital two weeks ago with what was deemed a mild heart attack. Rodney’s cardiologist is requiring that she take some time off.
Their church organized a meal train for Rhonda and her family. “Get well” cards have arrived by the dozens. Her husband has been getting texts encouraging him. People have been wonderful.
They knew just what to do.
Rodney was rushed to the hospital two weeks ago, too, with what was deemed a manic episode. Rodney is bi-polar and his psychiatrist is requiring that he take some time off.
But the church has not organized a meal train. There have been no cards. Rodney’s wife hasn’t heard from the church. And this is a good church! It’s not that their church doesn’t care. The church just didn’t know what to say or do. And maybe Rodney, and his wife are too embarrassed to let their church know of his illness.
Care for people who are mentally ill, and for their caregivers, is hard. And maybe awkward. But could we do our best to minister to people with mental health problems and those who love them?
Could we commit to sitting with, welcoming and befriending, people with mental health problems?
Could we offer a ministry of phone calls, rides to the doctor, and notes?
Could we provide support for the family members of the mentally ill?
As part of my preparation for this series I read Not Quite Fine by Carlene Hill Byron.
Ms. Byron suffers from bipolar disorder for which she takes medication. She is a devoted follower of Jesus, and writes about her difficulty plugging into a local church
She’s been afraid of missing a social cue and doing or saying the wrong thing.
She’s been afraid that people would see her illness, and not really see her.
She’s been afraid of being rejected.
I believe there are lots of people like Ms. Byron. People who would love a church family…but who would find it difficult to plug into a church. Maybe parents with autistic kids who would love a church but they wonder if they and their children would be welcome.
Let’s make sure that everyone is welcome at the party.
Amy Simpson, in her book, Troubled Minds, tells the story of a severely mentally ill mother and the pain it caused her family.
Amy Simpson looks forward to the day when she and her mother will join around the throne of God in Heaven, when all illness, including mental illness, will have passed.
I can’t wait until I see Him face to face, in a place where sickness has been banished. I can’t wait to worship alongside my mom and so many other daughters and sons of God who will have come through deep and acidic waters to see His face clearly.
But Ms. Simpson knows we have a lot of pain and a lot of opportunity here, in the meantime. She wrote,
I believe Christ is calling his church to a great outpouring of love, overflowing from the bottomless well of living water he has placed within each of his people. I believe he wants that love to reach people with mental illness and lift them in a great wave of healing and hope right where they are, among those our society considers untouchable, avoidable and justifiably condemned to the fringes.
Can you imagine a church with me?
Can you imagine with me a church that has found the balance between safety and inclusion?
Can you imagine with me a church that knows the difference between disruptions and minor distractions?
Can you imagine with me a church in which we are as open about our mental health problems as we are about our physical health problems?
Can you imagine with me a church in which the caregivers of loved ones with mental health problems feel seen and supported?
Can you imagine with me a church in which people with mental health struggles feel like valued brothers and sisters?
Can you imagine with me a church that is so compassionate that outsiders would say of them, “Those people are different?”
I am inviting us to imagine just such a church.
This church.
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