Ministry and Mental Health Work

I have done very little thinking on this subject, and even less reading, so I write the following blog with the intent of getting any sort of feedback and support I can.

1 Samuel has a very fascinating story-line that is rarely discussed, at least in the circles I run in/read within. It is the story of Saul. Saul acts as the first king of Israel, which is a tenous position at best. He rules God's chosen people, and God himself chose him for the job. But he also is acting as king of Israel, a job that was reserved solely for God. Yet he begins as a man of both physical and spiritual strength. And everything is going well. Until David shows up. But what really happens at this point? Does Saul turn evil, or is something else going on? There are multiple times where Saul repents, prophecies, seeks out the Lord, prays, etc in this narrative. But he also tries to kill his son-in-law, visits a witch in Endor to speak with the dead, and eventually kills himself. His actions are inconsistent, and point towards some form of mental illness. Which is why I don't think we ever really talk about him in church. Was he a good man or a bad man? I don't think he was either; he was a complicated man. And so he is too difficult to preach or teach about. Yet maybe that makes him a much better subject for study and Bible-wrestling than David, Solomon, etc.

In the few years I have been involved in paid ministry I have dealt with more people with some sort of mental health issue than I ever expected. As a minister with a strong passion for social justice, as well as being the husband of a special-education teacher, I welcome these interactions and am overjoyed that people who have aspberger's, bipolar, schizophrenia, OCD, or just IQ's that are very low, find refuge and acceptance within our church. Amen, and I hope that it only continues.

My problem is how to be a shepherd for somebody who is so other from me. How do I talk to a high school student about cleaning up his life, not fighting or drinking anymore, and getting back on track with Christ when he's also talking about government conspiracies and his bipolar disorder is taking him places that I can't even begin to understand? How do I respond to a mom calling me because she's worried that her son listens to Tool too much, but the truth is that his schizophrenia causes him to be irrational and nearly impossible for me to reason with? Or yesterday when a man comes to me for spiritual guidance but then rants for 75 minutes with no coherence between stories, thoughts, prayer requests or anything else?

Here are some of the questions that arise for me because of these questions:

1. What sort of healing should we look to Christ to provide for somebody like the people described above? Especially when we want to respect them just as they are and as the person God made them to be? Should we pray for mental healing like we would for physical healing?
2. What does spiritual growth look like for somebody with aspberger's? Or, to make it even more day-to-day, what should I expect from a teen with severe ADHD?
3. Does/should any of this make a difference in their walk with God?

Those are the questions rolling around in my head. Answer if you wish. Please don't look down on me or talk down to me on these, as I'm only struggling to figure out how to minister to every person God puts in my path.

Peace,

Matt

[WWFS: What Would Foucault/Freud Say?]