Revival Resources
Monday "Mental Health Moment" Notes
-2020 will be a year that we will NEVER forget.
-We have our own PPP – A PANDEMIC that is causing PHYSICAL and PSYCHOLOGICAL stress at home and in the workplace.
-A good reminder is that we are surprised by Covid19; but, our Lord is not, nor is He caught off guard!
-Even as Christians we have to remind ourselves of what we know – We are not alone, Jesus is with us
HOW TO PRESERVE OUR MENTAL HEALTH DURING THIS SEASON? Five things to do:
1)Follow the science – Physical distancing, wear masks, wash hands frequently
2)Pray without ceasing. Hold onto your favorite scriptures, post them around your home
3)Be intentional while setting your daily/weekly schedule. For example, plan what you will do – morning, afternoon, and evening. Mornings: set schedule to wake up, prayer, hygiene; Afternoons: exercise and self-care; Evenings: less TV, more relational time with family/friends even if on Zoom
4)Admit when you have periods of sadness that seem overwhelming. You could be experiencing mild depression. If you experience periods of sadness longer than 2 weeks and have trouble sleeping, eating, or following your routine, it may be time to consult a doctor. Next, we have to be creative in helping children while at home. They can learn more about Black History – 55th Anniversary of Bloody Sunday in Selma, learn about the Founding Fathers through the play Hamilton starring Lin-Manuel Miranda OR have a creative bible study
5)Grieve the losses that have occurred in 2020! These are called secondary losses. Examples are: Losses of income caused by job loss, loss of support system, the death of a loved one, canceled plans for vacation, summer camp, etc
Remember, our hope comes from the Lord! If you have children be honest with them as appropriate, listen to them and answer their questions, let them know that you love them, maintain a schedule to keep them organized. Finally, pray together so that they can SEE the hand of God move in their lives. Maintain a safety plan when needed. Who do I call when I feel overwhelmed? Think about the warning signs of sadness, identify personal strengths that can help during this season. Take time to rest when you can and enjoy life despite the current situation.
Book Recommendation:
Shelter in God: Your Refuge in Times of Trouble – Pastor David Jeremiah
Tuesday "Mental Health Moment" Notes
-Encourage everyone you know to VOTE!!!! We have to stop worrying about what we can’t control and focus on what we do control – our right to vote
-We are such a divided country that we literally have to establish better relationships with people of other races
-Start conversations with things you have in common: we all want to live through this pandemic; we want food and other supplies for home; we want to feel safe in our homes, we want our children to be safe if they are in school
-Take risks to be relational at work. Share with co-workers some of the things that concern you so that they see how much the two of you have in common
-Invest in a resource: White Fragility: Why It's So Hard for White People to Talk About Racism by Robin DiAngelo. In her book she defines racism as power that some people use against people who don’t have power. White privilege is like a cancer that has spilled into every aspect of society – housing, politics, jobs, healthcare, education, etc. The book could be used as a conversation starter to help you exchange views with those from other races
-Be patient, it isn’t always about being right, at this time it is about bridging gaps – Proverbs 15:1
-There are basic needs that everyone wants and enjoys. Start with those specific examples at your workplace
-Avoid emotional conversations like “Defund” the police, removal of confederate statues, athletes taking a knee, etc. What Would Jesus Do has to be our guide.
“Now may the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing so that you will abound in hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.” – Romans 15:13
Virtual Round Table Book/Resource Recommendations
Witness: A Black Christian Collective
Cannon, Mae Elise, Andrea Smith. Evangelical Theologies of Liberation and Justice. Downers Grove, Illinois, 2019.
Hill, Daniel. White Awake: An Honest Look at What it Means to be White. Downers Grove, Illinois: IVP Books, 2017.
Rah, Soong-Chan. Prophetic Lament: A Call for Justice in Troubled Times. IVP Books, 2015.
Rah, Soong-Chan. The Next Evangelicalism: Freeing the Church from Western Cultural Captivity. IVP Books, 2009.
Tisby, Jamar. The Color of Compromise: The Truth about the American Church’s Complicity in Racism. Grand Rapid: Zondervan, 2019.
Wallis, Jim. American’s Original Sin: Racism, White Privilege, and the Bridge to a New America. Grand Rapids: BrazosPress, 2016.
*Brian K. Blount, Can I Get A Witness: Reading Revelation through African American Culture
*James Cone, A Black Theology of Liberation
*James Cone, God of the Oppressed
*James Cone, The Cross and the Lynching Tree
James H. Cone and Gayraud S. Wilmore, Black Theology: A Documentary History, Volume One,
African American Scholars on Ethics:
*Robert M. Franklin- Crisis in the Village: Restoring Hope in African American Communities
Peter Paris- The Social Teaching of the Black Churches
Brian K. Blount, Then The Whisper Put on Flesh: New Testament Ethics in an African American Context
*Obery M. Hendricks, Jr. The Politics of Jesus: Rediscovering the True Revolutionary Nature of Jesus’ Teaching and How They Have Been Corrupted
C. Eric Lincoln, Coming Through the Fire: Surviving Race and Place in America
*Thomas C. Oden, How African Shaped The Christian Mind: Rediscovering the African Seedbed of Western Christianity
© 2023 by The New Home Missionary Baptist Church