This is prompted by a twitter discussion recently about whether non-conformist pastors opt to wear a clerical dog-collar when visiting the sick. Dog-collars tend to be part of the traditional uniform of the clergy, particularly though not exclusively among Anglicans. A lot of us would tend to frown upon then seeing them as emphasising a… Continue reading On hospital visiting as a pastor
Tag: Health
Where are the worship songs about gout?
Quite a few worship songs these days announce spiritual power to break strongholds with a particular focus on addictions, mental health and depression. Now there’s nothing wrong with that. In fact as someone who has suffered from depression I have appreciated heart felt songs that have spoke about God’s presence at the very point when… Continue reading Where are the worship songs about gout?
Should a Christian take anti-depressants?
One question I’ve seen raised so many times is about whether or not Christians should take anti-depressants. It’s fascinating because I rarely here the question asked about taking Ibuprofen, or going to the hospital to get your leg put in plaster if you break it. Yet, there seems to be some uncertainty about medication for… Continue reading Should a Christian take anti-depressants?
Be careful with your offence
When Steve Chalke infamously used his punchline comparing Penal Substitution to “cosmic child abuse” a lot of people picked up on how offensive this was towards God. I think Chalke’s defence would be that it could not be offensive to God because the God he believed in had not punished his son on our behalf… Continue reading Be careful with your offence
Leader care
#TheDailyDose 1 Timothy 5:17-25
When the wounds do not heal
In my review of “The Wounded Christian” I raised one small point where I felt the author hasn’t quite hit the nail on the head. I felt that the book whilst rightly talking about how healing happens may have given the impression that it always will or at least should happen in this life time. … Continue reading When the wounds do not heal
When your pastor gets depressed -what might have caused it?
I recently wrote an article for the Grace in the Depths website outlining the common signs and common causes of depression. I did so because one of the challenges we face when talking about church leaders and depression is identifying that someone has depression. The second and related challenge is that often the subject remains… Continue reading When your pastor gets depressed -what might have caused it?
Depression tells you that you are weak – and that’s okay
It’s the funny thing about Sertraline. Every morning if you’ve been pre-scribed it, the box sits there on the breakfast table as a reminder that you need to take your medication. And each morning, it shouts out to you “You are so weak.” It’s funny because you don’t think that when you get up and… Continue reading Depression tells you that you are weak – and that’s okay
What not to say when someone is suffering
Our latest Afternoon Discussion looked at how we support and care for those suffering chronic conditions including emotional health issues. What should I not say? I want to be helpful but I don’t want to put my foot in it either. You can watch the discussion below and here are some quick notes. Often the… Continue reading What not to say when someone is suffering
When God doesn’t heal (Will God heal me part 2)
This is part two in our look at the question “Will God heal me?” You can find the first discussion here. What do we do when we long for healing, have prayed for healing and it doesn’t seem to happen? Here are some notes from the discussion which you can watch below. This can be… Continue reading When God doesn’t heal (Will God heal me part 2)