Marja Bergen

author, mental health advocate, follower of Christ

Category: Christian support (page 9 of 17)

Carving a role in the church for mental health care – God at work

“I WAS DETERMINED TO MAKE A DIFFERENCE” Excerpt from A Firm Place to Stand, Marja Bergen, 2008   If I go up to the heavens, you are there. If I make my bed in the depths you are there. Psalm 139:8 The last straw, the final thing that started my mind working overtime and threw […]

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The problem with advice

  Job’s three friends…set out from their homes and met together by agreement to go and sympathize with him and comfort him. When they saw him from a distance, they could hardly recognize him; they began to weep aloud, and they tore their robes and sprinkled dust on their heads. Then they sat on the ground […]

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Caring – Jesus’ way

  … a Samaritan, as he traveled, came where the man was; and when he saw him, he took pity on him. He went to him and bandaged his wounds, pouring on oil and wine. Then he put the man on his own donkey, brought him to an inn and took care of him. The […]

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With compassion like Jesus

    Soon afterward, Jesus went to a town called Nain, and his disciples and a large crowd went along with him.  As he approached the town gate, a dead person was being carried out—the only son of his mother, and she was a widow. And a large crowd from the town was with her. […]

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Too much attachment?

Boundaries Much has been written about the need for boundaries when supporting people with mental health issues. But I don’t think we hear much about what having such boundaries means to such people themselves. I will describe a bit from a point of view I had at one time. What boundaries mean to me Many […]

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Christian support for mental wellness

ALL OF US TOGETHER Much has been done to increase awareness about mental health in the church. But there’s room for better understanding. A lot more needs to happen than simple acceptance alone. People with mental health issues are no different in wanting to be regarded as having equal worth with others. It’s common for […]

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Borderline personality disorder and the church

A PLEA TO THE CHURCH Where do you go when you have an illness that medical professionals and counselors don’t want to deal with – treated like an untouchable in a modern world? Have you ever thought what that would feel like? It’s happening all the time to people with BPD. In their book Beyond […]

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Our humanity

  Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves receive from God.. 2 Corinthians 1:3   We sense our humanity […]

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In our shoes

  Christian support for people with mental health challenges May 2017   Most followers of Christ feel called to help sick people and many have started supporting those living with mental illness. They try to be God’s hands for them and show them his love. Such support has been invaluable to people like me, especially […]

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With more than acceptance alone

  Therefore if you have any encouragement from being united with Christ, if any comfort from his love, if any common sharing in the Spirit, if any tenderness and compassion,  then make my joy complete by being like-minded, having the same love, being one in spirit and of one mind. Do nothing out of selfish ambition […]

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