Mental Health Ministry

Recently the mental health team began a reflective conversation about what additional things we, as a faith community, might offer to others, especially with the limitations we currently face. As a faith community, Sun Prairie United Methodist Church (SPUMC) has responded to the isolation of this time by doing things such as providing food, shopping for others, etc. But we ask ourselves, “Are we missing something?” This is a complex question because we have always focused on the immediate and seemingly practical offerings for those in need.

It is not always easy, but we are made to live together in fellowship – to help one another, to bear each other’s burdens and to encourage those around us to keep going. In fact, we have some very specific directions about what this looks like.

Matthew 25:37-39 37“Then the righteous will answer him, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink?38When did we see you a stranger and invite you in, or needing clothes and clothe you?39When did we see you sick or in prison and go to visit you?’

Because many Biblical scholars believe that much of the New Testament was originally written in Greek, so I thought that would take a minute to discuss “prison” in the Greek context.

prison
φυλακῇ (phylakē)
Noun – Dative Feminine Singular
Strong’s Greek 5438: From phulasso; a guarding or, the act, the person; figuratively, the place, the condition, or, the time, literally or figuratively.

Upon reflection, this passage is very much about making and keeping connection, about being in relationship. So, as a faith community, many of us have been asking: What relational needs might we meet?

We know that building and maintaining community is a current challenge. We know that many of our friends, colleagues, neighbors, and others we don’t know yet are living in emotional isolation that is exacerbated by the current “Safer at Home” policy.

As a response to this isolation, and using available technology SPUMC will launch “In the room on Zoom” specifically to offer an opportunity for connecting, sharing how we are taking care of ourselves, how we can build or enhance our current connections, etc.

“In the room on ZOOM” will open on May 21 at 7:30 pm and May 24 at 9:00 am. SPUMC will offer these gatherings for one month. If they are helpful to us, we will find a way to continue them. By the way, if you don’t have ZOOM let us know and we can figure out another way to connect.

Topic: Never Alone Drop-In Discussion Group (Sunday)
Time: May 24, 2020 08:30 AM Central Time (US and Canada)
Every week on Sun, 4 occurrence(s)
May 24, 2020 09:00AM
May 31, 2020 09:00AM
Jun 7, 2020 09:00AM

Jun 14, 2020 09:00AM

Topic: Never Alone Drop-In Discussion Group (Thursday)
Time: May 21, 2020 07:00 PM Central Time (US and Canada)
Every week on Thu, 4 occurrence(s)
May 21, 2020 07:00 PM
May 28, 2020 07:00 PM
Jun 4, 2020 07:00 PM
Jun 11, 2020 07:00 PM

For more information and to be connected, please contact Deb Mulhern @ dmulhern@sunprairieumc.org.