Rescue
Mental Health & the Church
Stumbling Along
August 25, 2019 • Chris Edmondson • Luke 17:1, Ecclesiastes 4:9–10
Every one of us has had that feeling that we have everything in our lives “under control.” We all have a tendency to be independent and decide we don’t need any help handling life decisions or the choices we make—until it’s “out of control”. Only then are we willing to reach for help, but then it’s usually too late to avoid the consequences of our own isolation. Thankfully, God designed us with the unavoidable need to give others access to our lives in order to prevent the consequences of our own autonomy.
Suicide
August 18, 2019 • Chris Edmondson • Galatians 6:2, Proverbs 14:12, Romans 8, 1 Kings 19:1–15, 2 Corinthians 1:8
The suicide rate in America is causing the average life expectancy rate to drop for the first time in 60 years. And the US Military finished 2018 with a troubling statistic: it experienced the highest number of suicides among active-duty personnel in at least 6 years. The church has to talk about this! So tomorrow, we’re answering the question, “Where does one spend eternity after suicide,” and talking about depression and suicide many times keep us from thinking straight. If you are thinking or contemplate suicide, know this: Jesus wants to interrupt your funeral plans. As long as you are still breathing, God has a plan for your life. But remember, not everything you feel is right. We need to learn to manage our emotions, because they are often reliable.
Anxiety
August 11, 2019 • Chris Edmondson, Dr. Billy Bowie • Psalm 18:33, Habakkuk 1:2, Habakkuk 3:19, Luke 21:26, 2 Timothy 1:7
Anxiety is a meteor shower of what-ifs. It’s a low-grade fear. An edginess, a dread. A cold wind that won’t stop howling. It’s not so much a storm as the certainty that one is coming. Always… coming. Sunny days are just an interlude. You can’t relax. Can’t let your guard down. All peace is temporary, short-term. There’s trouble out there! So you don’t sleep well. You don’t laugh often. You don’t enjoy the sun. You don’t whistle as you walk. You’re part Chicken Little and part Eeyore. The sky is falling, and it’s falling disproportionately on you. Anxiety and fear are cousins but not twins. Fear sees a threat. Anxiety imagines one.
Depression
August 4, 2019 • Chris Edmondson, Jenn Menn • Ephesians 2:11–12, Psalm 143:3–4, Habakkuk 2:1, Habakkuk 1:2–3, Matthew 6:14–15
Who can I talk to about depression? I’ve asked this. Maybe you’re asking this. Let’s talk about depression. Sound okay? No? No one starts a conversation like that, but maybe we should. Maybe the stigma only remains because we choose to keep it hush-hush. And unfortunately for too long, the church has remained silent—or even worse—thrown stones with those struggling with depression, anxiety, or thoughts of suicide. But no longer. Today, let’s choose to talk about depression even if it feels uncomfortable at first.