Church service for the mentally ill
Yesterday was the special portion of the service at my church for people who struggle with mental illness. I wrote about this last year, but I'm posting about it again for people who are new to my journal. This year, I was asked to participate, and I was glad to do so.
To start with, there was a table in the narthex, covered with informational packets, brochures, and books about various mental illnesses that members of the congregation were encouraged to take. It was staffed by the congregational representatives for mental illness issues (we have several; all of them have had family or personal experience with mental illness. The congregation leader for this mission has a daughter who has been diagnosed with schizophrenia, and she has been doing this as her mission to the church for nine years.)
During the service, the pastor had a children's message where he talked to the children about mental illness, explaining simply that just as people can become sick with a cold or a flu, they can develop a sickness in their minds, but that God loves and supports us at those times, too. The candle lighting was explained to them.
Then the mental illness outreach leader came up and made some introductory remarks, and then three of us came up to speak for three minutes each. I spoke about depression, another woman spoke about being bipolor, and a man spoke who was obsessive compulsive.
Next, members of the congregation were invited to come up and light a candle for either themselves or someone else they know who is living with mental illness. This is, apparently, done traditionally in this church every year on the first Sunday of October.
Here are the prayers said during this point in the service:
Pastor: On this day we remember all persons who suffer from mental illnesses and brain disorders. Help us to reach out to all who suffer from illnesses we cannot understand.
Congregation: Lord of mercy, bring peace and healing to all their minds.
Pastor: We pray for families and health care providers, and ask your guidance in their daily tasks of care-giving.
Congregation: Lord of mercy, give wisdom, patience and courage in their ministry.
Pastor: We pray for this congregation that we may treat each person with kindness, those with illnesses of the mind as well as those with illnesses of the body.
Congregation: Lord, help us to treat all of our brothers and sisters with love and understanding. Amen.
All: Lord of mercy, we know that brain disorders are legion, and some who suffer are very young. We pray for courage to challenge old notions about mental illnesses which created guilt and shame in so many lives. For all those who cannot advocate for themselves, awaken in us a voice that will not be silenced. Help us to remember the words of Jesus: "As you have done it to the least of these, my brothers and sisters, you have done it to Me." We ask this in Jesus' name. Amen.
The congregation was then invited up to the front to light candles for themselves or people they knew struggling with mental illness. The hymn sung at that time was "Make me a Channel of Your Peace." I would say about forty people came up to light candles at each service. What a simple, lovely thing to do at this time of year, when the darkness is growing, and it is time to pull out my Seasonal Affective Disorder light box. It comforts me to know that my church is a source of light for me during dark times.
I was moved to tears during my three minute talk as I thanked the church for their outreach to people like me, and I am told that many others cried, too. During the sermon, the pastor also touched upon these topics, and personally thanked me and the other two speakers by name for providing disciple leadership on this issue. After the service, he had me and the other two speakers accompany him out to the narthex afterwards to greet people afterwards. Many, many spoke to me afterwards to thank me and tell me their own stories: My brother committed suicide. I take medication for panic disorder. My daughter is being treated for depression. We held this service portion during both services, and the adult Sunday School forum, in between the two services, was about mental illness, led, again, by the mental health outreach coordinator. She covered depressive disorders, anxiety disorders, and schizophrenia.
My church rocks for doing this.
To start with, there was a table in the narthex, covered with informational packets, brochures, and books about various mental illnesses that members of the congregation were encouraged to take. It was staffed by the congregational representatives for mental illness issues (we have several; all of them have had family or personal experience with mental illness. The congregation leader for this mission has a daughter who has been diagnosed with schizophrenia, and she has been doing this as her mission to the church for nine years.)
During the service, the pastor had a children's message where he talked to the children about mental illness, explaining simply that just as people can become sick with a cold or a flu, they can develop a sickness in their minds, but that God loves and supports us at those times, too. The candle lighting was explained to them.
Then the mental illness outreach leader came up and made some introductory remarks, and then three of us came up to speak for three minutes each. I spoke about depression, another woman spoke about being bipolor, and a man spoke who was obsessive compulsive.
Next, members of the congregation were invited to come up and light a candle for either themselves or someone else they know who is living with mental illness. This is, apparently, done traditionally in this church every year on the first Sunday of October.
Here are the prayers said during this point in the service:
Pastor: On this day we remember all persons who suffer from mental illnesses and brain disorders. Help us to reach out to all who suffer from illnesses we cannot understand.
Congregation: Lord of mercy, bring peace and healing to all their minds.
Pastor: We pray for families and health care providers, and ask your guidance in their daily tasks of care-giving.
Congregation: Lord of mercy, give wisdom, patience and courage in their ministry.
Pastor: We pray for this congregation that we may treat each person with kindness, those with illnesses of the mind as well as those with illnesses of the body.
Congregation: Lord, help us to treat all of our brothers and sisters with love and understanding. Amen.
All: Lord of mercy, we know that brain disorders are legion, and some who suffer are very young. We pray for courage to challenge old notions about mental illnesses which created guilt and shame in so many lives. For all those who cannot advocate for themselves, awaken in us a voice that will not be silenced. Help us to remember the words of Jesus: "As you have done it to the least of these, my brothers and sisters, you have done it to Me." We ask this in Jesus' name. Amen.
The congregation was then invited up to the front to light candles for themselves or people they knew struggling with mental illness. The hymn sung at that time was "Make me a Channel of Your Peace." I would say about forty people came up to light candles at each service. What a simple, lovely thing to do at this time of year, when the darkness is growing, and it is time to pull out my Seasonal Affective Disorder light box. It comforts me to know that my church is a source of light for me during dark times.
I was moved to tears during my three minute talk as I thanked the church for their outreach to people like me, and I am told that many others cried, too. During the sermon, the pastor also touched upon these topics, and personally thanked me and the other two speakers by name for providing disciple leadership on this issue. After the service, he had me and the other two speakers accompany him out to the narthex afterwards to greet people afterwards. Many, many spoke to me afterwards to thank me and tell me their own stories: My brother committed suicide. I take medication for panic disorder. My daughter is being treated for depression. We held this service portion during both services, and the adult Sunday School forum, in between the two services, was about mental illness, led, again, by the mental health outreach coordinator. She covered depressive disorders, anxiety disorders, and schizophrenia.
My church rocks for doing this.