Sermon by Rev. Cheryl Foulk (June 23) "Monday Morning Blues"

 

In the 1970's, The Carpenters, came out with a simple  song about “the blues”. Words and the voice of Karen Carpenter  have stuck in my memory. Some of the lyrics are:

Talkin' to myself and feeling old. Sometimes I'd like to quit; Nothing ever seems to fit; Hangin' around, nothing to do but frown; Rainy days and Mondays always get me down.

This is one of many contemporary songs that express the feelings of depression. The Scriptures  also describe this condition with frankness, particularly in the Psalms. We heard  words earlier  from Psalm 42  that refer to this heaviness; the writer is wondering why he feels so distraught. Psalm 88 ends with saying that “my only friend is darkness.”  The  Bible is very honest about what we deal with as human beings                 

Today we look once again at the life of the Hebrew prophet Elijah and the story today gives us  perhaps a surprising  glimpse into his emotional condition. Elijah  is a man of power who is not afraid to confront the king/queen when he feels they have gone against God.

He defends the worship and allegiance to God against the worship of other gods.  Prior to today's reading, Elijah has been involved in a showdown between himself and the prophets who follow Baal.

 This contest seeks to answer  the question :Whose God controls the rain and the fire? Both sides have made constructions of wood and are entreating the gods to inflame them.  Elijah wins when his sacrifice of wood  is ignited by lightning . As a consequence,the  opposing prophets are killed.

Elijah  had been looking forward to this day for a long time: God's power was finally evident to the people ! It  appears to be a great day of victory; even the three year drought is ended when Elijah prophesies that it will rain.  It could be the best day of Elijah's life!

However the  Queen Jezebel  hearing of the defeat and slaughter of her prophets  sends to Elijah this intimidating message: “Watch your back because you are next !”  With a threat against his life, Elijah runs and  hides himself away. Quickly he goes from jubilation to  darkness.

 His actions of bravery are followed by a time of deep despair. He is described as not wanting to live;  he feels that he is all alone and that  he  has no worth. He is not eating or sleeping well. Exhausted and  in isolation,  it appears that Elijah's pain is great.

The qualities of major depression can be seen in Elijah's life:  depressed mood, no interest in life, fatigued , feeling  worthless, hopeless, with thoughts of dying.    Depression  has been described in these ways: “it feels like I'm swimming in mud”  and  “there is nothing interesting...Yet you keep on. You have to. Others depend on you. There are bills to pay, children to raise, laundry to do, a yard to mow. You put off what you can, doing only what is absolutely necessary. Because just existing takes such effort and you are bone -weary all the time.”  

 Depression  influences how one feels, what they do, and how they think.  Not just  on Mondays, but ever day of the week can be devastating.

You may live with depression or know someone who has: Nearly one in ten adults each year are affected in the U.S.  It can happen to any  of us  and it is expressed in a variety of ways.  It can be a lifetime issue or  a shorter response to a particular crisis in one's life.  Thee are  many reasons and causes for this disease which affects us  physically, mentally, emotionally,  and spiritually.

Even in our day when depression medications are advertised on t.v. and persons in the public arena  have shared  that they deal with depression and other mental diseases, it can still be a   tender topic .

Let's look at some of the misconceptions that have been expressed even by people of faith:

It's all in your head; you could snap out of it.

It is all your fault; you brought this on yourself.

 If you had more faith, if you truly believed  and trusted in God than you would not feel this way.

You need to cheer up and count your blessings.

Something must be wrong with your relationship to God.

You need to be strong .

Your life looks good to me; what do you have to be sad about?

If you don't talk about it, it will go away.

None of these attitudes are true or helpful, and some are very harmful in responding to someone who is hurting.

What can we do  as  followers of Jesus that will promote healing?

A man was questioning his pastor: “Why can't I just pray and that be enough?”  His pastor assured him that we certainly  need God's grace, and many times God's grace and healing come to us through other people.  Here are 7 actions that we can take:

 -As a church, we can provide a safe supportive place where people can feel accepted no matter what they are facing.  This can be a place where someone does not have to be ashamed about their hurts. 

Monica Coleman (minister and college professor in California) :“My faith has been the ground and saving force for me in the midst of living with a bipolar depressive condition. In my most difficult darkest moments I know with every fiber of my being that God is with me, and that God understands what I am going through and how I feel...I feel that God wants my wellness, but sits with me and holds me when I'm unwell.”

-We can offer our friendship and listen to and support one another.   Elijah was alone in the wilderness and God sent two friends,angels that ministered to him.  They comforted Elijah and provided company and food and rest.  Because of their caring, Elijah was able to go on.

-We can offer Scriptures  and songs of faith to be anchors in the storm. (References of hope: Psalm 31:7 Psalm 147:3 Psalm 46:1 Psalm 18:28  Psalm 107:14)

-We can share our faith in a God who loves each of us without qualification. A young woman named Caly  in her depression  felt that she was worthless .She couldn't  believe that God loved her. She said: ” This may sound silly to anyone who has not experienced depression, but it was a triumphant day when I could finally look in the mirror and say 'You are a good person 'and totally believe it. That has made all the difference in my life.”

-When we don't know what to say, we can simply express that we care. We can ask how we might be most helpful.

-We can offer our prayers ,and when folks are too tired to pray for themselves, we can assure them that we will not stop praying for them.. The actress Brooke Shields has said : “When I felt there was nothing I could do to help myself, knowing that I was prayed for was often the only thing that stood between me and despair.”

-I am very grateful for the doctors, counselors, therapists, the groups, medications, and therapies that help bring healing. When we have concerns about someone's behavior, we can encourage them to see their doctor and to get help.

Psalm 34:18"The Lord is close to the brokenhearted; he saves those whose spirits are  crushed. "

We can above all offer HOPE.  We can affirm to those suffering that God wants them to get better.

 Mike Wallace, the journalist known for his work on 60 Minutes,  lived  with depression throughout his life.. He said that he was grateful for the help he had been given during his darkest days but he worried that people would think less of him if they knew about his depression.

That changed one night when he was being interviewed on a late night talk show by Bob Costas.  He realized that people up at 1:00am might need to hear his story. Mike Wallace wanted whoever was listening  to understand how low he had been but that he was getting better every day with treatment and that help was out there for them too. He realized that  telling his story and passing on the hope benefited himself and others.

The image of a sunflower has become the symbol of hope for those who know depression. The flower reminds us of all who are seeking light that will bring wholeness.

The sunflower grows tall and strong as it reaches toward the light.  I am wearing this sunflower in memory and honor of all those in my family and others who with courage and faith live each day  facing their mental illness.

May   the hope of Jesus enable us and all troubled in mind, body and spirit to live in peace this day.

 

 

Resources used in this sermon:

"Not Alone: Reflections on Faith and Depression" by Dr. Monica Coleman, 2013.

"Jesus Wept:When Faith and Depression Meet" by Barbara Crafton, 2009.

“Living Well with Depression and Bipolar Disorder “ by John McManamy, 2006.

"When Someone You Love Suffers from Depression or Mental Illness", by Cecil Murphey, 2004

“Mike Wallace's Darkest Hour”  Guidepost Magazine, 5-15-2012

National Alliance on Mental Illness www.nami.org