THE CHURCH, MENTAL ILLNESS, AND US Jesus came to love and to heal those who are sick. And that should be the Church’s role. Teaching about mental illness is good, but it does nothing to remove stigma or discrimination. It does the opposite. It only serves to point out how our disabilities make us different […]
Read More...Come in, come in and sit down, you are a part of the family. We are lost and we are found, and we are a part of the family. From a hymn by James K. Manley This song began every Sunday morning service at the church where I attended for many years. The […]
Read More...In the previous post I talked about how some people with mental health problems go home after church with feelings of rejection. I confess, that happened to me many times in past years. Often those feelings of rejection led to depression. I don’t know whether I’m different than I used to be, but in the […]
Read More...My prayer is not that you take them out of the world but that you protect them from the evil one. They are not of the world, even as I am not of it. Sanctify them by the truth; your word is truth. As you sent me into the world, I have sent them […]
Read More...LIVING ROOM MEMORIES 265 (February 6, 2010) While away recently I had a lot of time to think, to read, and to journal. I came to the conclusion that I need to focus my energy on the things that are going to do the most good. And I need to delegate the things that sap […]
Read More...Oh, I wish I could have received compassion like Jesus modeled. Jesus was in tune with the suffering of sick people, the suffering and needs of people who are judged by the world. How can people rightly judge a person they don’t understand – whose pain they cannot feel? How can they understand the pain […]
Read More...LIVING ROOM MEMORIES 230 (April 8, 2009) I’m reading The End of Religion by Bruxy Cavey, the pastor of The Meeting House, “a church for people who aren’t into church.” I’ve been reading quite a few books about Jesus’ radical nature and find them exciting. The Christian church has gotten hung up on so many […]
Read More...LIVING ROOM MEMORIES 222 (February 7, 2009) I’m celebrating – happy – joyous!! Tonight I had a call from a lady in Victoria, telling me that her church had its first Living Room meeting today. Another group is born – the tenth. Praise God! This particular group will be serving people with all kinds of […]
Read More...In my previous post, I wrestled with the problem I often came up against. I wrote: “In this struggle of depression I’ve also struggled with a need for support, a feeling bad about burdening my friends with my sadness. I need my friends at times like this, yet something someone said in a comment on […]
Read More...LIVING ROOM MEMORIES 160 (May 20, 2008) With my husband away I have a lot of freedom, yet I’m kind of at loose ends as well. Nothing to tie me down…floating from one little activity to another…trying to talk to some friends every day to stay in touch with the world. It will be good […]
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