Table Talk: Journey to Wholeness
A Conversation on the Gospel & Mental Well-Being
This Sunday (August 17th), we had a vital conversation exploring the intersection of the gospel and our mental well-being. We heard from an insightful panel of dedicated mental health and spiritual direction professionals from our own church family as they delved into this important topic. The gospel, with its profound message of hope and redemption, plays a unique role in our mental well-being, bringing healing, renewal, and the human flourishing God desires for us all.
Spiritual Practice: Praying the Psalms
We believe that Jesus’ teaching is more than just knowledge for our minds (though it is certainly that). It should transform our actions. By living out - or practicing - the ways of Jesus, we are being shaped into a people who look more and more like Him.
Jesus knew the book of Psalms by heart and quoted from it more than any other book in the Old Testament. When we read the psalms, we get to see the range of human experiences and emotions as they are expressed to God in poetry, song, and prayer. The Church throughout history has turned to the Psalms as a centerpiece of devotional life with God. One way we can engage with this important book is through prayer. There are several ways to do this:
Choose a psalm and pray through each line, remembering a time when you have felt the feelings the psalmist is expressing.
Read a psalm and then write or speak a prayer of response to God. Talk to Him about where you feel resonance with or resistance to the psalmist’s thoughts. Be honest with Him about your current emotions and season of life. Ask for His help as you continue to walk forward in your own journey.
Prayer
You can pray this prayer daily during the sermon series, or use it as a closing for table conversations each week.
O God, our souls are often restless. Teach us to thirst for You, like a deer longing for water. Help us to bring our full selves to You in prayer, not hiding or pretending, but trusting Your compassion, Your care, and Your grace. When our hearts are heavy and our spirits are low, help us to remember Your goodness and praise Your name. Lead us to hope in You alone, for You are our salvation and our God.
In Jesus’ name, Amen.
SERMON SUMMARY The Psalms contain the fullness of human experience and expression - from sorrow to joy, anger to gratitude, anxiety to consolation. Psalm 42 shows us a picture of one writer’s journey through darkness, as he reaches for God’s light.
Passage: Psalm 42
Conversation Starters
KIDS Can you tell me about a time when you were sad? What made you sad? How did your body feel when you were sad? Do you remember anyone or anything that helped you when you were sad? The Bible says that God is with us no matter how we feel. He helps us when we are sad, scared, or mad. He is with us when we are happy or excited. We can talk to each other about how we feel, and we can also talk to God.
STUDENTS
The psalmist is struggling with a "downcast" soul, feeling a deep sense of despair. What might make someone your age “downcast” or anxious? How does this psalm give us a vocabulary to express those feelings to God?
The writer reminds himself of his past experiences with God: "These things I remember as I pour out my soul." Why is remembering past moments of God's faithfulness so important in a time of current struggle?
What does it look like to "hope in God" when your circumstances are dark and there is no easy solution? How is that different from just being optimistic?
ADULTS
The psalmist's journey through darkness is marked by deep vulnerability and honesty. What does this psalm teach us about bringing our full, unedited selves—including our sorrow, anger, and anxiety—into prayer with God? Does this also impact how we express our feelings at church or in our relationships within the body of Christ?
In what ways can a community of believers act as a source of light for those walking through darkness, embodying the psalmist's longing to "go to the house of God"?
The psalm ends without a tidy resolution. The psalmist is still struggling, but he has declared his hope. What does this teach us about the nature of faith, and how can we be a people who find a posture of praise in the midst of unresolved pain?
