Jesus, mental illness, and light in the darkness
3.03.2010 | All Blog Posts, The Art of Suffering
Here’s a link to my sermon from last Sunday. The text was Luke 13.31-35—Jesus facing death threats and unflinchingly pointing to his suffering and coming death.
The sermon’s a protest against the powers of death particularly in light of my dear friend’s recent and sudden death (Jamie Evans, left). It also addresses the ongoing and disastrous stigma of mental illness and depression, the importance of self-care, communal support for those struggling with mental illness (at whatever level), and challenges dangerous misunderstandings of God’s treatment of those whose pain drives them toward suicide.
You can find and download the message by clicking here. There are two versions, thematically the same, though I’m told I made different emphases in each. Click here for the second service.
You can also download the sermon Jamie and I preached side-by-side on “The Grace and Art of Friendship,” March 22, 2009—click here.
3.04.2010
Chris,
Thank you for being such a good friend (to Jamie, my dad) and pastor to University Presbyterian church. You inspire a young pastor like myself to keep seeking Jesus.
Thanks,
Joe White
p.s. thanks also for your sermon…God used that in my life.
3.05.2010
And Joe, thanks for the writing you’ve been doing. It’s helped me and many others. Kiss the Vancouver ground for me.
3.09.2010
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3.13.2010
Chris
It was your visit to First Presbyterian Church when you and Jamie shared the pulpit. I was so moved by the love that you both have for each other. I had the pleasure that Sunday to go to lunch with Jamie’s Mother (Colleen) she had explained to me that you were his covenant brother. I understood what that meant because of Louis Evans Jrs. book. I recently read about David and Jonathan again and I thought of you and Jamie. Jamie explained to us that you were the one that he crys on his shoulders to. The love and friendship that you had with Jamie spoke more than what words can express.
Thank you for being outspoken for the spiritual ills that affect us, God will use you more so. Jamie’s passing was a wake up call to me as a Prayer Partner. I realized even though our Pastors and staff share their prayer needs, this was one that Jamie never addressed until the 1st part of January. I now am asking the Holy Spirit to be the one to pray for them on my behalf since he is the one that knows and sees all things deep within us, I can only pray for the needs that are shared verbally. God Bless you my Brother.
Marsha Wilson
4.03.2010
[...] recent and tragic death of a cherished friend has made me more more aware and sensitive to the effects of depression, as well as the dangerous and [...]
5.02.2010
[...] to the MP3 of a raw sermon I preaching three days after my friend’s suicide. I wrote about it here on this blog with links to the audio sermon (the second, or 11am service, was more raw and pointed than the [...]