6 Easter/Year B/May 5, 2024
Acts 10:44-48; Psalm 98; 1 John 5:1-6; John 15:9-17
Opening prayer:
Holy God, Jesus taught us: To abide in his love, to love one another as he has loved us. He invites us into a loving relationship and friendship with him, and one another, as we commit to walking with him in a way of love that he has shown us and taught us, in laying down his life for one’s friends. We pray on this day, and in the days to come, that all God’s people and all the earth may abide in his love and come to know the joy of Jesus’ friendship; and that we will be moved to go out into our communities bearing the fruits of this love and friendship with all we meet; this we pray in the name of our friend, Jesus, who with you and the Holy Spirit, lives and reigns, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.
The season of Easter is beginning to wind down…two more weeks to go…before we celebrate the Day of Pentecost, and the beginning of a new season in the church year…
The school year is beginning to wind down, too…with end of the year celebrations, graduations, teacher appreciation week, final recitals and programs…soon teachers, students, families, and community members will change gears as summer programs begin, and new opportunities and activities are set to begin…
This time of endings and new beginnings, often brings with it, a lot of mixed emotions, as do other times of change and transition throughout ones’ life…
It’s a time for students and family members to reminisce on all the ways they have physically, emotionally, intellectually and spiritually grown over the years…and to celebrate that…
And as I think about children, and their years growing up, I think about how important friendships are to their growth and well-being over the years…and how it is in those early years growing up, that learning to be a friend, and the joy of being called one’s friend is so important to laying a good foundation for their emotional and spiritual health.
I give thanks for all the loving and supportive adults who have helped children in our midst to form good relationships and friendships with their peers, and other adults in their schools, church and community.
Yet, I am especially mindful at graduation time, knowing that there are some children who will not be walking across that stage to graduate for a variety of reasons; there are some children, who have not had the joy of experiencing friendships with other students; there are some who have not grown up in a supportive and loving environment, and have not had the same resources available to them, as some of their classmates have had; there are some children whose lives were cut short due to physical illnesses, and unrecognized mental health issues.
May is Mental Health Awareness Month. It was established in 1949 to increase awareness of the importance of mental health and wellness in the lives of children of all ages and to celebrate that recovery from mental illness is possible, and there are tools and resources available to help.. (SAMHSA.GOV)
There are a variety of resources out there to help family members, community members, and faith-based communities learn the basic signs of mental health illnesses and other facts about mental health to encourage those in need to seek help and to help those of us, who want to support our friends and family and community members in the best ways that we can. (and I plan to send out a list of some helpful resources later today and this week)
But I want to share briefly about a presentation I attended this week put on by the Sitka Youth Leadership Committee, to introduce the community to their Mental Health is Health Campaign.
According to their website description of the campaign - SYLC's Mental Health Is Health campaign aims to destigmatize the spectrum of mental health challenges, normalize asking for help, encourage adults to be aware of signs of mental health decline in youth and respond with urgency and appropriate resources, and illuminate how systems of oppression and inequity can impact individuals' mental health.
They showed us 2 colorful posters that they designed and created, and are being distributed in the community already.
One poster’s theme is: Cultivate Wellbeing, with this description on the poster: Mental Health is like a garden: growing, flourishing, challenging, and wilting. It’s in constant flux depending on the seasons, weather, and soil conditions. Similarly, many factors contribute to one’s emotional wellbeing or decline. Mental health is not about feeling good all the time, but being able to process everything that life throws at you. Without tending to our garden, mental health challenges can worsen, resulting in harm to ourselves or others. Knowing where to seek support is critical in cultivating a healthy environment for growing strong, resilient roots. No one has to struggle alone or hide behind the shadows of mental health challenges.
The 2nd poster’s theme is: Be a Harbor of Support –it speaks to us even more directly as community members and church members in this description: The ocean is an unpredictable element – waves crash, storms surge, and emergencies can happen. We as a community need to be prepared to respond when someone is in distress, whether that be an emergency on the water, or a mental health crisis. Recognizing the signals and flares is the first step in helping our kids and one another navigate rough waters and avoid rocky shores.
How can we as individuals, and as a faith community, support and help cultivate wellbeing in our community’s youth and families? How can we as individuals, and as a faith community, be a harbor of support for our youth and families in our community?
In this season of endings and new beginnings...think about the ways God is inviting you and our church community to share the joy of Jesus’ love and friendship with the youth and families in our community…so that no-one ever needs to feel alone, hopeless, or helpless in facing the ups and downs and struggles throughout all the seasons of our lives…
When we pause and take the time to abide in Jesus’ love, we will always have a friend for life. And when we experience the joy of this loving relationship and friendship…how can we not share it with others?
Jesus assures us…that we can always count on his love and friendship…and he call us to be that same kind of friend to one another…
Closing thoughts/prayer/song: You’ve got a friend in me (Toy Story, Randy Newman)
You've got a friend in me
You've got a friend in me
When the road looks rough ahead
And you're miles and miles
From your nice warm bed
You just remember what your old pal said
(Son), you've got a friend in me
Yeah, you've got a friend in me
You've got a friend in me
You've got a friend in me
you got troubles, then I got 'em too
There isn't anything I wouldn't do for you
If we stick together we can see it through
Cause you've got a friend in me
Yeah, You've got a friend in me
Now, some other folks might be
A little bit smarter than I am
Bigger and stronger too
Maybe
But none of them will ever love you
The way I do, just me and you
(Boy) and as the years go by
Our friendship will never die
You're gonna see it's our destiny
You've got a friend in me
You've got a friend in me
You've got a friend in me
Rev Julie Platson, Rector
St Peter’s by the Sea Episcopal Church, Sitk