Emmaus: Making Faith Sense of Mental Health, Part Four

This is the last in our series on mental health that we’ve been talking about through the month of May. How can one’s faith inform and help heal and sustain our mental health challenges and struggles? The story of Jesus encountering two disciples on the road to Emmaus, found in Luke 24:13-36, is a story where we can pull some lessons out of and realize what Jesus is calling us out of and into as he journeys with them. Today, our final two lessons in part four of this series. Previously I shared that, 1) Jesus draws near to us in our grief and loss; 2) we’re often blind or disoriented; 3) Jesus asks the questions and listens; 4) we are invited to share our story and experience in our own terms; 5) Jesus exhorts and explains about himself; 6) and we ought to retain rhythms of hospitality and generosity even in the midst of our grief (not shying away from people as we often want to do in such moments. In our final lesson we see Jesus leading the disciples in the common pattern and practice that he has done so many times in taking bread, blessing it, breaking it — here the disciples “see” him and are transformed. Finally, they run back into community and Jesus enters in and declares his peace for them, for those assembled (and for us). I recently preached a sermon on this subject that you can view here on the Cherry Creek Presbyterian Church YouTube channel there might be some different stories or insights that you pick up here that aren’t in the podcast — whatever is helpful. From the Touchline is a short-feature (10-15 min) podcast with Rev Brad Kenney, Founder and Executive Director of Soccer Chaplains United and Volunteer Chaplain to the Colorado Rapids of Major League Soccer. Rev Brad and occasional guests touch on various issues around the topics of faith, family, and football (soccer). Also, don’t forget that you can listen in our app, SoccrChapUtd, in the Apple and Google store.