Pastor Rich Knight
Central Congregational Church
Aug. 23, 2020
Psalm 42
Philippians 4

 

I want to talk briefly about Covid-Depression this morning.

 

 

Covid-Depression can take many forms – from general sadness, like a mild depression, to profound feelings grief & loss, as we’re reminded of death every night on the evening news. Covid-Depression can also take the form of anger, simply being fed up with this new restrictive way of life. “I’m tired of all this! I want things back to normal . . . now!” Another form of “CD” is loneliness and boredom. I’ve stopped saying to folks, “What’s new?” because I always get the same answer: “Not a darn thing!!!”

What also makes this time in our lives so challenging is that this pandemic is occurring during a time of racial unrest, economic hardship and a divided nation during a lovely presidential election!! No wonder we’re a little down and a little stressed sometimes!!!

 

Psalm 42 describes the experiences and emotions of depression. See if you resonate with the psalm writer.

¹ As a deer longs for flowing streams,
so my soul longs for you, O God.
² My soul thirsts for God,
for the living God.
When shall I come and behold
the face of God?
³ My tears have been my food
day and night,
while people say to me continually,
“Where is your God?”

⁴ These things I remember,
as I pour out my soul:
how I went with the throng,^[a]
and led them in procession to the house of God,
with glad shouts and songs of thanksgiving,
a multitude keeping festival.
⁵ Why are you cast down, O my soul,
and why are you disquieted within me?
Hope in God; for I shall again praise him,
my help ⁶ and my God.

My soul is cast down within me;
therefore I remember you
from the land of Jordan and of Hermon,
from Mount Mizar.
⁷ Deep calls to deep
at the thunder of your cataracts;  (powerful waterfalls)
all your waves and your billows
have gone over me.
⁸ By day the Lord commands his steadfast love,
and at night his song is with me,
a prayer to the God of my life.

⁹ I say to God, my rock,
“Why have you forgotten me?
Why must I walk about mournfully
because the enemy oppresses me?”
¹⁰ As with a deadly wound in my body,
my adversaries taunt me,
while they say to me continually,
“Where is your God?”

¹¹ Why are you cast down, O my soul,
and why are you disquieted within me?
Hope in God; for I shall again praise him,
my help and my God.

Do you see how he goes back and forth, between hope and despair, between a little faith and a lot of doubt?

 

 

Well, if Psalm 42 offers us a description of the challenges we face and the depressing feelings we often wrestle with, Philippians 4 offers us help and wise counsel to get through it.

 

Let’s start with these verses:

Phil. 4:4-6  (keep in mind that the Apostle Paul wrote Philippians while he was in prison)

⁴ Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, Rejoice. ⁵ Let your gentleness be known to everyone. The Lord is near. ⁶ Do not worry about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God.

 

 

1. The first directive here is this: Turn your cares into prayers.

Every time we find ourselves worrying about something, we can turn that worry into a petition to ask God for help with that situation. Imagine if we did this at least half of the time we worry about something? We’d be praying a lot! (maybe that’s the point)

Let’s keep going.

Phil. 4:6-7

Do not worry about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. ⁷ And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

 

Here Paul is teaching us something very important about prayer.

2. The goal of prayer is to Seek God’s presence & Enjoy God’s presence.

Let your requests be made known to God. ⁷ And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

The goal of prayer is not to simply get answers to our prayers. The goal is communion with God.

Tony Campolo tells the story of a time when he had been teaching his young son Bart about the importance of prayer and being specific in our prayers. One night Bart, who was about 5 yrs old at the time, was going to bed, but first he went into the living room and announced to the family, “I’m going to say my prayers. Anybody want anything?”

The goal of prayer is not to get what we want. The goal is God – the presence of God, the power of God, the peace of God.

That why it says, “Rejoice in the Lord always.”

 

Let’s see what Paul says next.

Phil. 4:8 – Finally, beloved, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is pleasing, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence and if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things.

3. He’s saying set your mind on things that are beautiful and positive and worthy of praise.

We need to train our minds to focus on the positive, especially when we’ve been stuck dwelling on the negative.

 

 

The AA Rubber Band technique.

Throughout my ministry I’ve had a number of parishioners who’ve been part of Alcoholics Anonymous, and through the years they’ve mentioned various techniques that they’re taught in AA. One of them is the Rubber Band technique. If you ever see someone wearing a rubber band on their wrist, it’s either someone with an unusual taste in jewelry, or it’s a person in recovery who uses this technique. The technique is that whenever an alcoholic feels tempted to drink they snap the rubber band causing a little bit of pain in their wrist. The goal is to snap out of it! One addition to this technique is to picture a stop sign in your mind, and when the rubber band snaps you see that stop sign in your brain and say to yourself, “Stop!”. The idea is to stop focusing on what is unhelpful and to think about what is beautiful and good and pure.

 

So, here’s Paul’s method.

He turns his cares into prayers, seeking union with God, and then he strives to focus on what is beautiful, pure & positive. And that leads to a fortified spirit. Listen to these words:

Phil. 4:12-13

 I know what it is to have little, and I know what it is to have plenty. In any and all circumstances I have learned the secret of being well-fed and of going hungry, of having plenty and of being in need. ¹³ I can do all things through him who strengthens me.

 

Let’s practice Paul’s techniques.

1. Pray now about your concerns.
2. Enjoy God’s Presence
3. Focus on what is beautiful & good in our world and in your life.
4. Meditate on this verse: “I can do all things through Christ who gives me strength.

 

Amen.