Tag Archives: affliction

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Casting Our Cares!

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“Casting Our Cares!”

1 Peter 5:6-11 – May 21, 2023

            I have a friend – really, several friends – who all have a major challenge in life. Imagine, feeling off kilter much of the time. They haven’t been to a doctor, and a few haven’t even gone to the emergency room when they have a flare up. Several of my friends don’t have health insurance and cannot even afford medical care. This is the situation for many, many people across the United States.

            Except – the situation with several of my friends is not physical illness, like a broken bone or having gallstones or needing a knee replacement. Those are all conditions that are straightforward, and can be readily fixed. No, the situation with several of my friends – and several relatives in my extended family – is mental illness. Invisible illnesses like major anxiety disorder, or one of many forms of autism, not to mention schizophrenia or bipolar disorder. This kind of affliction is a very real illness, just as real as diabetes, or spinal stenosis, or heart disease.

            The apostle Peter did not have the kind of understanding that the medical workers of today have. At least, not about the medical intricacies and interrelations of the human body and the human mind. He did not have medical understanding concerning diseases and health histories. However, Peter had significant spiritual and relational understanding, especially concerning his risen and ascended Lord Jesus Christ and Christ’s relationship with us.

            As I have reminded us all during the past weeks, Peter concentrates on suffering a number of times in this short letter. He raises it again in today’s matter-of-fact reading.

Everyone will suffer at one point or other in our lives, frankly. It just depends when and how much we suffer, whether we suffer physically, mentally, emotionally or spiritually. Sure, we can be afraid! Who wouldn’t be afraid? It only makes sense for us to fear and have concerns!

If we step back and take a look at the beginning of chapter 5, I know that Peter was thinking more about suffering in a physical sense.  But, I want us all to consider people with mental illness, especially untreated mental diseases. Peter’s words about suffering surely can apply to people like these, people like several of my friends and several in my extended family.

Perhaps, you are thinking of someone you know, someone in your circle of friends or your family. Thank goodness here in the Chicago area we have a large number of therapists, social workers, psychologists, and psychiatrists. Even though we have all of these professionals here in this area, all of these people who can diagnose and assist those with mental illness and cognitive impairment, many, many people still suffer. Just like there are many people who suffer with heart disease, or diabetes, or many other physical illnesses.  

The apostle goes into more detail here in chapter 5, when he talks about suffering. “Peter does such an amazing job of describing the human condition in such terrorizing detail. From fiery ordeals to facing a lion prowling around looking for someone to devour, yikes! Sure, it feels like that on a regular basis, but seeing [the fears] there in print makes me want to cling to those fears even more tightly. They are real; they are overwhelming; and they are mine.” [1] I think those fears might be yours, too. Except, the apostle gives us a welcome relief! A welcome refuge from all of these anxieties and fears, too!

            Let us look at verse 7. “Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you.” Another translation of this verse says “Cast all your cares upon him.”

            Yes, we are beset on all sides by suffering and strife, sometimes! Yet, we have this Godly solution to our problem. If you will, we have a medicine for our spiritual diagnosis. “But here’s the real question – “How do you do it?” Or even – “Can we do it?” Is such a thing humanly possible? Well, of course it is. We wouldn’t be presented with a task that is beyond human capabilities. God isn’t in the frustration business.” [2]

            Our opening hymn today, the gospel song “I Must Tell Jesus” gives us some direction. “In my distress He kindly will help me, He ever loves and cares for His own.” And the chorus gives us reassurance, too: “I must tell Jesus! I cannot bear my burdens alone.” That is just the point! We cannot bear these burdens all alone, ashamed and in silence. We need each other to assist. We need each other to come alongside, to encourage, to comfort. And, often we need the additional helps of therapists, counselors, social workers, psychologists or psychiatrists.

            I remember praying with a dear senior, some years ago. This senior had a heavy burden of the spirit that she had carried around inside of her for decades. I was finally able to have her talk about it, a little. I hope that she was helped when we prayed together. I pray she was able to let this psychological burden go. Just a little bit, at least.

            We can confide in a good friend, too, or ask for prayer. We can write in a journal and set down our fears, frustrations, and anxieties. However you and I hold these cares about mental illness, there is help! This is just one of many resources, and it’s available locally in many places throughout the United States. NAMI, the National Alliance on Mental Illness is supportive and welcoming to individuals and families living with mental illness. (www.nami.org)

I don’t know how it’s been described to you: depression, anxiety, compulsion, addiction, autism, Asperger’s, disorder, syndrome. I invite anyone who would like to have Jesus come alongside of them, to help them bear their burden to come forward and light a candle. For your loved ones, or friends, or yourself. And, we can all help bear each other’s burdens, too.

At this tender moment, this moment of release and encouragement, we can indeed cast all our cares upon the one who truly understands. Hand over our anxieties so they burden us no longer. We can cast all our cares upon Him who cares for us immeasurably more than we can ask or think or possibly understand. And, that is a sure promise from God.

Alleluia, amen.

@chaplaineliza

(Suggestion: visit me at my other blogs: matterofprayer: A Year of Everyday Prayers. #PursuePEACE – and  A Year of Being Kind . Thanks!

[1] https://www.umcdiscipleship.org/worship-planning/a-living-hope/seventh-sunday-of-easter-year-a-lectionary-planning-notes/seventh-sunday-of-easter-year-a-preaching-notes

[2] https://www.umcdiscipleship.org/worship-planning/a-living-hope/seventh-sunday-of-easter-year-a-lectionary-planning-notes/seventh-sunday-of-easter-year-a-preaching-notes

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The Lord’s Great Love!

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“The Lord’s Great Love!”

Lamentations 3:19-23 (3:22) – October 2, 2022

I know everyone here has been sad, at one time or another. Who hasn’t? Lots of things cause sadness. Just think of things that have caused you sadness, either long time ago, or more recently. Being sad is part of having emotions, and is part of the human condition.

Looking at our Scripture reading today, we see the word “affliction.” This is a more serious state than simply being sad. Feeling sadness can affect us enough, emotionally speaking! Who hasn’t been downcast and sorrowful from time to time? But, being afflicted, with bitterness? That is a different aspect to being sorrowful, even grieving deeply.

Listen to these verses from today’s reading, again: 19 I remember my affliction and my wandering, the bitterness and the gall. 20 I well remember them, and my soul is downcast within me.” Affliction is more than sadness. The prophet Jeremiah knew that very well! He was called to be a prophet to the nation of Judah and its people during one of the most challenging periods of its history! Jeremiah could not help but cry bitter tears when all of this prophecy and future trauma was revealed to him by the Lord.  

Any healthcare worker who works in a critical care area or trauma care unit is familiar with great sadness and affliction, in the lives of patients and their families. For some seriously ill patients, they have indeed been afflicted, and some for a long time. This can be devastating. As a hospice chaplain, I have the privilege of walking with some of these families during some of the darkest times of their lives – when they are drinking from the cup of affliction.

The prophet Jeremiah was quite familiar with the cup of affliction, too. He walked with, traveled with, the whole nation of Judah as they made their way through the valley of the shadow, and through some of the most difficult times of the nation.

The people of Judah had stubbornly rejected the Lord their God, and their stubbornness and selfishness would bring them suffering, destruction of their capital city of Jerusalem, and finally, an extended exile in Babylon for almost a century. Are people today any better? Do they follow the Lord, or do they run off after gods of their own devising? Their own creation? And by referring to “people today,” can’t that refer to you and me, too? Do we faithfully follow God and what God has directed? Or, do we stubbornly stamp our feet and go our own way?  

We can see how great is Jeremiah’s grief if we look closely at this book of Lamentations, and see him grieve with God. No wonder Jeremiah’s heart was breaking for his people; he knew what God was going to allow to happen to them, as a result of them forsaking their loving God!

I know there are some here who have experienced that deep affliction, much more than sadness. What have you done when you have experienced that deep trauma? That agonizing depth of despair and wordless, breathless sighing? What is your help and stay?

Carolyn Brown tells us: “Sometimes, it just feels like we’re yelling and God is not listening. That is the hardest time.  But even then, lots of people tell us that if you keep talking to God about it, eventually, sometimes after a very long time, it helps. No one can say exactly how or why. But it helps. So, we need to tell children that, when they are really, really angry and hurt and sad, they can tell God all about it.” [1] 

Jeremiah has a clear answer, too. “21 Yet this I call to mind and therefore I have hope: 22 Because of the Lord’s great love we are not consumed, for Gods’s compassions never fail.” Yes, we can run away like disobedient preschoolers, dashing away across the playground. But, God never stops loving us. God may be grieved with us, as God was very grieved with the nation and the people of Judah, in Jeremiah’s time. But, God never stops loving us. Ever.

 “Because of the Lord’s great love we are not consumed, for God’s compassions never fail.23 They are new every  morning; great is your faithfulness.” And, these are the bible verses where the lyrics for that marvelous hymn come from: “Great is Thy faithfulness, great is Thy faithfulness. Morning by morning, new mercies I see. All I have needed Thy hand hath provided; great is Thy faithfulness, Lord, unto me.” Yes, no matter how stubborn God’s children are, no matter how much they ignore or run away from God, the Lord’s love and mercy and faithfulness are great. God’s compassions never fail. Never.

We can see how great God’s love is for humanity through the incarnation. Yes, God sent God’s son to earth to become human, live among us, and die for us. And, on this World Communion Sunday, we remember how our Lord Jesus provided communion for us, as a sacrament, a means of grace, and to remember Him. Through the centuries, all believing Christians have celebrated this meal, this Lord’s Supper, in remembrance of Him.

“Today, through World Communion, we are also celebrating that though each church does things differently, we each and all of us need God and His grace. By participating together around the world in Holy Communion, we celebrate our common need for God, and together we celebrate receiving His love and grace.

“There are many different people. There are many different churches. There are many different ways of worshipping and serving God. But in the end, we all need God and we all are God’s children. Today we celebrate that we are different, yet we are the same.” [2] Yes, we can celebrate our particular way of observing the Lord’s Supper. And, we can respect and appreciate the many different practices of taking Communion, from all across the world.

So, let us come to the Lord’s Table, along with countless people around the world today, as well as through the ages. It does not matter whether we join together in a cathedral with elaborate ritual and reverence, or in a simple house church with plain words and equal reverence.

Thank God we all have God’s love, and we all have been gifted with the Lord’s Supper. We all do this, in remembrance of our Lord Jesus Christ. Alleluia, amen!

@chaplaineliza

(Suggestion: visit me at my other blogs: matterofprayer: A Year of Everyday Prayers. #PursuePEACE – and  A Year of Being Kind . Thanks!

[1] http://worshipingwithchildren.blogspot.com/2013/09/year-c-proper-22-27th-sunday-of.html

[2] https://onthechancelsteps.wordpress.com/2013/09/22/same/