Liturgy in Times of Crisis
Brooke Scott
Brooke Scott is pastor of two New Worshiping Communities in New Castle Presbytery, Church on Main and the emerging group Seek Respite.
In recent years, the struggles of high-profile figures like Simone Biles, Robin Williams, Prince Harry, and Meghan Markle have brought the conversation about mental health to the forefront of public discourse. These stories, as well as the heightened awareness across all forms of media, have highlighted the reality that mental health challenges affect people from all walks of life, regardless of their status, wealth, or success. The visibility of these celebrities has played a significant role in breaking down the stigma surrounding mental health, making it clear that seeking help is not a sign of weakness, but rather a necessary step toward healing and wholeness. As spiritual leaders, pastors are entrusted with the care of their congregants’ overall well-being, which includes their mental and emotional health. However, doing so requires more than just good intentions; it demands efforts to understand and support the complexities of mental health, as well as the ability to incorporate this understanding and support into worship and liturgy.
Mental health encompasses our psychological, emotional, and social well-being, influencing how we learn, recognize our potential, form and maintain relationships, and navigate stress and change. Everyone has mental health, which exists on a continuum from wellness to illness or disorder. Mental health is invisible, dynamic, and can change depending on one’s life stage or circumstances. It is shaped by both internal factors, such as genes and brain chemistry, and external factors, including childhood experiences, relationships, environment, trauma, and structural oppression. Importantly, mental health influences, and is influenced by, physical health. On the other hand, mental illness arises when persistent distress or difficulty functioning interferes with daily life. Mental illnesses are extremely common, treatable, and often culturally defined, with conditions ranging from depressive and anxiety disorders to psychotic disorders and PTSD.
Mental health is influenced by a variety of risk and protective factors. Protective factors, such as positive social support, access to medical care, engaging in hobbies, and participation in a faith community can buffer against the negative effects of stress and adversity. On the other hand, risk factors—such as adverse childhood experiences, stress, marginalization, and strained resources—can overwhelm a person’s ability to cope.
While pastors are not mental health professionals, communities of faith are often “first responders” for those who are in distress. This means that nurturing protective factors within the church community must be a priority for pastors and other church leaders. In some ways, faith communities provide this without even realizing it. For example, built into a church community there is typically a sense of belonging, a sense of routine and structure, connection to something greater than oneself, and inspiration to cope with challenges within a system of values and ethics. All of these can help bolster hope, create stability, and nurture resilience in people’s lives.
When engaging with community members, pastors can also play a crucial role in mental health support by listening patiently, being nonjudgmental, and avoiding assumptions. They can become aware of warning signs that someone is struggling with mental illness, which can include (but are not limited to) visible distress, drastic changes in behavior, neglecting self-care or important responsibilities, talking about self-harm/death, social isolation—even overwork and over functioning. Pastors should also know when to refer someone who is in need of a mental health professional. Knowing what resources are available locally and how to refer congregants to appropriate services is essential. Actively promoting these resources within faith communities is also important. By integrating these practices, pastors can help create a church environment that supports healing and well-being.
This work is vital because mental health issues have been deeply stigmatized within faith communities, often leading to silence, shame, and isolation for those who suffer. This stigma is rooted in a long history where mental health struggles were frequently misinterpreted as a lack of faith or a manifestation of sin or demonic activity. These misconceptions have led to harmful practices and beliefs within the church, where mental illness was seen not as a medical issue but as a spiritual failing.
Today, it is crucial for pastors to confront these harmful stigmas and misconceptions. Churches have sometimes fostered the belief that they are the only place of healing, discouraging individuals from seeking professional help. Unhelpful clichés like “Just pray about it,” “You need God, not a therapist,” or “Find your joy” dismiss the real struggles that individuals face, often adding to their feelings of guilt, shame, or unworthiness. Additionally, the emphasis on human sinfulness and God’s wrath can exacerbate these feelings, especially for those dealing with mental health issues.
The harm caused by these attitudes extends beyond the individual to include broader systemic issues within the church. The perpetuation of racism, sexism, homophobia, and transphobia within faith communities can severely worsen the mental health of marginalized individuals. There is a clear correlation between oppressive beliefs and increased suicidality, especially among LGBTQ+ individuals. Furthermore, the prevalence of spiritual or religious trauma—where individuals experience harm due to religious teachings or practices—can lead to long-lasting mental health challenges.
In addition, churches often compound these issues by overemphasizing self-sacrifice, self-denial, and the savior complex, suggesting that faithfulness requires leaving oneself behind. This mindset not only harms congregants but also places unrealistic and damaging expectations on faith leaders, who are often pushed to work beyond their limits. Pastors are human, not machines, and yet they are frequently expected to forego self-care, rest, authentic emotional expression, and self-advocacy in the name of service. The belief that mental health challenges must be “overcome” to do meaningful work is not only unrealistic but also harmful, as it denies the validity of ongoing mental health struggles. Moreover, churches can inadvertently re-traumatize individuals by exposing them to difficult content without warning, care, or the option to opt out. This lack of sensitivity can deepen existing wounds rather than promote healing.
To move forward, pastors must actively work to dismantle these harmful beliefs and practices within their communities. This involves fostering open conversations about mental health, creating supportive and inclusive environments, and recognizing the importance of professional mental health care. It also requires a shift in how we view and treat both congregants and faith leaders, prioritizing their mental well-being as integral to their spiritual lives. By addressing these issues, churches can become places of true healing, where mental health is understood, respected, and supported.
Marginalized groups, including BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, and People of Color) and LGBTQ+ individuals, often experience similar or higher rates of mental health disorders than their non-marginalized counterparts but face greater challenges in getting help due to systemic racism, poverty, and discrimination. This might look like lack of cultural sensitivity, language and cultural barriers, a lack of representation among care providers, and even risks to their physical or emotional safety.
These risks can contribute to higher rates of mental health issues, compounded by chronic stress as well as intergenerational and cultural trauma. For example, “racial battle fatigue” describes the physical and psychological toll of constant exposure to racism and prejudice, often leading to stress and anxiety that may manifest as physical symptoms like headaches or chronic pain. These symptoms are sometimes overlooked.
Stigma surrounding mental health in marginalized communities can also be particularly pervasive. Cultural messages that emphasize staying strong, representing one’s community well, or not discussing emotions can prevent individuals from seeking the help they need. In some cases, there may be a reliance on spiritual or community leaders as the sole sources of guidance or a deep mistrust of the medical establishment, particularly in communities that have experienced historical injustices. Pastors need to be sensitive to these cultural barriers and work to create an environment where congregants feel safe discussing their mental health.
For LGBTQ+ individuals, the challenges are even more pronounced. LGBTQ+ adults and teens experience significantly higher rates of mental health conditions, largely driven by discrimination, social stigma, and lack of acceptance in families, schools, and places of worship. For example, LGBTQ+ individuals may encounter healthcare providers who use inappropriate language, blame their identity for their mental health struggles, or provide inadequate care. Therefore, acceptance from religious circles is crucial for the mental health and personal safety of LGBTQ+ individuals. Pastors can play a key role in promoting this acceptance in the inclusive language they use (gender neutral or feminine language in worship) and in the kinds of stories they lift up as inspirational (for example, different kinds of family structures, not assuming the gender of people in relationships, etc.).
Another way that pastors might support the mental health of marginalized members is by validating the different ways people worship and find culturally relevant support. For example, certain worship styles, such as the vibrant, expressive praise found in many Black churches, or the communal practices in Indigenous traditions, are essential aspects of faith for these communities and can serve as powerful protective factors against mental health challenges. Wherever reasonable and appropriate, churches might look to incorporate non-white, non-Western sources into liturgy and worship, such as music/dance, storytelling, poetry, and other antiracist and anti-oppressive practices. Even when these practices cannot be duplicated, pastors can still show interest in the culturally relevant resources and events that are important to its members. By validating the various healing supports within the life of congregants, pastors both recognize that (1) there are other places that support the healing and growth of members and (2) recognition is part of creating an inclusive and emotionally healthy environment.
Finally, pastors might think about being proactive in building relationships with mental health professionals who are not only qualified but also culturally competent. Finding providers who understand the specific challenges faced by BIPOC individuals—such as racial trauma, cultural stressors, and the impact of systemic racism—can make a significant difference in the effectiveness of mental health care. While the leading mental health text, the DSM-V, provides a common language and diagnostic criteria for mental health and brain-related conditions, it is important to acknowledge its limitations. Additionally, the DSM’s history is marred by cultural biases, including racism, homophobia, and transphobia, which continue to affect how mental health is understood and treated in marginalized populations. For these reasons, it’s important for churches to recognize that while mental health care is important, culturally sensitive mental health is absolutely crucial and lifesaving.
Practical Ways to Incorporate Mental Health into Liturgy and Worship
Jesus’ ministry emphasizes abundant life, not just in spiritual terms but encompassing physical, emotional, social, and even systemic needs (John 10:10). In addition, 3 John 1:2 sees the disciple praying for both physical and spiritual well-being. Utilizing this holistic approach can inspire how we integrate mental health into our liturgical practices. When the church becomes a place where people can bring their full selves—including their mental health struggles—into the liturgy, it fosters a sense of solidarity and communal care.
Worship can be a profound tool for healing when it intentionally acknowledges the mental health struggles that congregants may face. One way is by incorporating prayers and liturgies that address mental health, which can help foster an environment of support, safety, and solidarity. Such prayers and liturgies can include naming specific experiences, such as grief, depression, anxiety, or PTSD and offering healing prayers for those who suffer as well as those who care for them. They can involve asking God for the right resources, education, and support for individuals and their families. They may also include asking God to intervene in the lives of those who are thinking about ending their lives or turning to other forms of self-harm, or beseeching God to help people make it through the night or find strength to carry on through the distress in their lives.
Another way to support mental health in worship is to include times of silence, meditation, or breath prayers, which can provide moments of reflection and calm. Communal practices, such as grief and lament services (Blue Christmas or Remembrance days, for example), can provide moments of solace and support. Practices such as lighting candles for loved ones or writing down burdens to release them can be deeply therapeutic. Such practices can also trigger people’s difficult emotions, so be sure to think about other kinds of support, such as (1) giving folks a way to opt out either before or during the practice, (2) having trained mental health professionals nearby, (3) following up with people afterwards, and (4) having a sense of who is in your congregation.
Sermons also provide an opportunity to directly address the mental health challenges faced by many congregants, normalize these experiences, and provide hope. One might preach on the experiences of Job, or Ruth and Naomi, people who navigated grief and unimaginable losses and disorientation. Such stories might open up opportunities to talk about how people cope (crying out to God, clinging to human relationships), as well as what supportive responses to struggle look like (i.e., the failure of Job’s friends versus the loyalty of Ruth). Preaching about Elijah, who was so deep in agony that he asked the Lord to take his life (1 Kings 19:4), may help congregants feel less alone. In addition, the book of Psalms and the writings of the Prophets offer models for emotional honesty, as they document a wide spectrum of human emotions from despair to hope, whether through personal struggles or communal, cultural, and political traumas. Pastors might also find it helpful to preach Jesus’ wide expression of emotion, such as his weeping and his anger, as well as the ways that he set boundaries and took time away from the crowds in order to care for his inner life. Lastly, looking to different forms of liberation theology, such as disability theology, may also be helpful when preparing sermons. Resources such as The Disabled God by Nancy Eisland1 offer helpful insights to healing stories that are often interpreted as evidence that mental illness are demonic. Eisland shares that while Jesus did encounter demon possession, some of his most powerful work had to do with restoring afflicted persons to community. Such reinterpretations of Scripture can help pastors preach about acceptance of all people, whether or not they have diagnosable mental illness, and illustrate that mental health struggles are part of the human experience and are not indicative of spiritual failure.
Lastly, encouraging participation in support groups or offering mental health workshops as part of the church’s ministry can further promote mental wellness within the congregation. These practices not only address immediate mental health concerns but also contribute to a lasting culture of care, where seeking help and practicing self-care are seen as integral to one’s spiritual life. By weaving mental health awareness into the fabric of liturgy and worship, pastors can create a holistic environment that nurtures both the spiritual and mental well-being of their congregants.
To effectively support their congregants, pastors should engage in ongoing education about mental health. Workshops, seminars, and collaborations with mental health professionals are crucial for staying informed about the latest developments, best practices, and resources. Continuing education enables pastors to recognize mental health issues, understand their complexities, and respond appropriately. By actively seeking out and participating in these educational opportunities, pastors can enhance their skills and knowledge, ensuring they are well-prepared to either address or provide referrals for the mental health needs of their community.
Churches in a changing culture are increasingly becoming aware of the mental health needs of their leaders. Pastors are not immune to mental health challenges. The demands of ministry can lead to burnout, stress, and other mental health issues. It is crucial for pastors to prioritize their own mental well-being by engaging in regular self-care practices, seeking therapy, time off, and accessing support when needed. Pastors who maintain their own mental health are better equipped to provide compassionate and effective care to their congregation. Recognizing the importance of self-care helps pastors manage their own stress and emotional well-being, ultimately benefiting their ability to lead and modeling good boundaries for their congregation.
To conclude, addressing mental health within liturgy and worship is not only important but necessary for fostering a supportive and healthy church environment. By integrating mental health considerations into their ministry, pastors can create a church culture that is healing, inclusive, and attentive to the needs of congregants. Faith plays a significant role in promoting mental wellness, and pastors are uniquely positioned to lead this important work. Through worship and liturgy, proactive engagement in education, building supportive networks, and prioritizing self-care, pastors can help create a church community where individuals feel supported, understood, and empowered to seek the help they need. In doing so, they bear witness to the God who says, “I have come to give you life and life abundantly” (John 10:10).
Sources
• www.claritycgc.org/pathways-to-hope-the-intersection-of-faith-mental-health/
• www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3705681/
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• www.nami.org/Your-Journey/Individuals-with-Mental-Illness/Faith-Spirituality
• www.psychiatry.org/File%20Library/Psychiatrists/Cultural-Competency/faith-mentalhealth-guide.pdf
• www.americanmentalwellness.org/prevention/risk-and-protective-factors/
• www.mcleanhospital.org/essential/black-mental-health
• namica.org/mental-health-challenges-in-african-american-communities/
• www.apa.org/monitor/2021/10/career-bipoc-communities
• www.dbsalliance.org/education/disparities-mental-health-care/
• www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4887282/
• psychology.uga.edu/coping-racial-trauma
• mhanational.org/issues/lgbtq-communities-and-mental-health
• www.nami.org/Your-Journey/Identity-and-Cultural-Dimensions/LGBTQI
Note
1. Nancy Eisland, The Disabled God: Toward a Liberatory Theology of Disability (Nashville, TN: Abingdon Press, 1994).
