1. Barbara Brown Taylor on Disillusionment: We talk about disillusionment like it's a bad thing. But if it frees us from captivity to
lies and manipulation, well ... ? Listen to Barbara Brown Taylor:
“Disillusionment is not so bad. Disillusionment is the loss of illusion – about ourselves, about the world, about God – and while it is almost always painful, it is not a bad thing to lose the lies we have mistaken for the truth . . . Disillusioned, we find out what is not true and are set free to seek what is – if we dare.”
- Barbara Brown
Taylor
2. Dealing with the epidemic of loneliness: George Gallup wrote a few years ago that "Modern Americans may be the loneliest people who have ever lived." As a pastor I am often struck by how important the community / fellowship aspect of our ministry is for the people who come to church. When I was leading recovery workshops and groups I was struck by how essential community /
fellowship is for recovery.
We don't have many places in our society to connect in meaningful ways to other people. A
recent article from The
Guardian (a UK newspaper) talks about the problem of loneliness in the Western world, and how it affects people not just emotionally, but even
physically. Recent research indicates that
loneliness has the equivalent negative health consequences of smoking 15 cigarettes a day, raising the risk of early death by 26%.
3. I've been at a retreat in North
Carolina with a group of church planters: I shared my story of finding renewal and recovery in the aftermath of great struggle in my personal and ministry life. One of the principles I shared was this:
As a leader, you -- and you alone -- are responsible for your own self-care and spiritual renewal. Nobody will put on the brakes for you, or congratulate you for taking time off for yourself. People will keep asking things
from you, and piling work on you, until you make them stop. Some leaders face resistance and judgment from people when they do take time for themselves ... mostly in the form of passive aggressive "joking" about how much time they get off.
Just remember this: if a leader works too hard, gets stressed and burnt out, people in their churches or other organizations are rarely sympathetic. Instead, they will turn on the leader for not "taking
care of themselves," or "being a workaholic," or not "having the spiritual fortitude to handle the job." Even Jesus took time away from the busy and demanding crowds ... and when he did it, the people weren't any more happy for him than they are for you when you take time away. But do it anyway. You need it.
4. Types of sexual assault and abuse: Comments made
by presidential candidate Donald Trump have gotten people talking about (and some victims triggered by memories of) sexual assault and abuse. Since these terms are being thrown around a lot, how about getting some clarity and accuracy about them? Here are some stats and definitions from
an article about the mental health effects of sexual trauma:
Sexual abuse is common, particularly for women and girls: Ninety percent of all rapes are committed against women, with 1 in 6 women experiencing rape. One in five girls and one in 20 boys experience childhood sexual abuse.
Sexual abuse and sexual assault are umbrella terms used to refer to a number of sexual crimes. These crimes
include:
Rape: Forced sexual contact with someone who does not or cannot consent. Forcing sex upon someone who does not want it, who is intoxicated, or who is not legally old enough to give consent all constitute rape. Though a handful of states specifically define rape as forcible sexual intercourse, any form of forcible sexual contact can have long-lasting effects on the victim, and most states now
recognize forced oral sex and similar forms of assault as rape.
Child molestation: Child molestation is any sexual contact with a child. Many children who are molested are too young to know what is happening and may not fight back. Some abusers use the child's cooperation in these cases as "evidence" that no one was harmed. Examples of child molestation might include fondling or demanding sexual favors from a
child.
Incest: Incest describes sexual contact between family members who are too closely related to marry. While incestuous sexual activity may occur between consenting adults, this is not common. The majority of all reported incest occurs as child abuse. Over a third of American sexual assault survivors under the age of 18 are abused by a family member, according to latest statistics. However, incest is an
underreported crime, so the actual number of incest survivors may be higher.
Sexual assault: Non-consensual sexual contact with another person. Sexual assault includes behavior such as groping and any unwanted sexual touching. Attempted rape also falls into the category of sexual assault.
Other forms of sexual abuse: Not all sexual
abuse fits neatly into common legal or psychological definitions. For instance, parents who have sex in front of their children or who make sexually inappropriate comments to their children are engaging in sexual abuse. So-called revenge pornography sites, which publish nude photos of victims without their consent, are another form of sexual abuse.
5. Quote of the week:
"Nearly all men can stand adversity, but if you want to test a man's character, give him power." -- Abraham Lincoln
