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Sue DiMaggio: Push too hard and the flame goes out
On the verge of burnout, a hyperbusy ‘Martha’ goes on a retreat, hoping to channel her inner ‘Mary’ -- but finds it hard to let go of her Martha-like ways.
Emotional health
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Cricket Cooper: The midweek healing service
It was one thing to lead the Wednesday healing service, quite another to do so while undergoing treatment for cancer, when her own illness was on full display, an Episcopal priest writes in this excerpt from her new book.
A frightening summer storm destroyed dozens of trees on Samuel Rahberg's family farm. Photos courtesy of Samuel Rahberg
Samuel Rahberg: Befriending your limits
Part of effective Christian leadership is learning when to reach beyond and when to accept our own limitations. A spiritual director offers some thoughts and advice on how to do that.
Photo courtesy of the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention
Rhonda Mawhood Lee: Tips for congregations from an overnight walk in Manhattan
An Episcopal priest spent all night walking through Manhattan in a fundraiser for the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention. Along the way, she picked up some lessons for congregations about hospitality, fellowship, faith and stewardship.
Book cover courtesy of Fortress Press
Monica A. Coleman: 'Bipolar Faith: A Black Woman's Journey with Depression and Faith'
The author and theologian talks about her new book, “Bipolar Faith,” and what it means to live with mental illness while growing, moving and standing in faith.
The Rev. Chip Webb, far right, drinks coffee at McDonald's most mornings to connect with people outside his congregation. He says the practice helps him remember that he is a member of a broader community. Photo by Lauren Olinger
How can clergy achieve positive mental health?
A new study of United Methodist clergy in North Carolina has found that certain conditions correspond to both a lower likelihood of depression and anxiety and to higher levels of positive mental health. By promoting these, churches can help their clergy thrive.
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Monica A. Coleman: Jesus is here, even for those silenced by depression
In Holy Week, a favorite gospel song reminds the author that God loves even those who cannot cry out in praise, those whom depression has left as silent as stones.
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Rhonda Mawhood Lee: Not giving up in Lent
If it's February, it's probably Lent. And that doesn't always mean giving up something, writes an Episcopal priest. Sometimes, dealing with the season's built-in emotional challenges is enough.
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Melissa Musick Nussbaum: Head rags, throat swabs and an epidemic of loneliness
Coming from an era of deep family ties and mutual obligations of care, the writer’s Aunt Marge and Mother Curry could have told the Synod on the Family the cure for an epidemic of loneliness among us: we are to bear one another’s burdens.
Old friendships matter. They require time. They demand attention.
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Laura Stern: The art of friendship in the mess of life
When adjusting to a new situation, it’s tempting to look forward, not back, writes a United Methodist pastor. But it’s important to attend to those deep friendships that are the living connections between memories and dreams.