How healthy are clergy in North America? How can a church flourish if a pastor is stressed, depressed and unhealthy? Can the health problems of clergy be eliminated simply through a greater devotion to God?

Clergy in the 1950’s lived longer than people in any profession. My generation of clergy have highest level of work related stress and almost the very the lowest resources to cope with the stress. We also die of heart disease at a higher rate than almost any profession.

No longer are clergy health concerns only the focus of helpful para-church organizations. Some denominations have launched efforts to improve clergy health. The Southern Baptists estimate one third of their staff and clergy suffer from depression. Many clergy carry a secrete burden of depression. In fact, clergy now suffer depression more than others.

The health issues of the North American clergy present a mammoth challenge. The heart of this issue for the church is theological with two distinct but related parts.

First, our view the incarnation is incomplete. Jesus is God come in the flesh, Emmanuel. Our Lord and Savior did not appear to have a body. He had one. He did not appear to eat, drink, sleep, walk, wash feet, die on the cross and rise again with a resurrection body which could be touched. For real? Yeah, Jesus did all this in a real body!
Thus, our bodies matter to God. Our relationship with God calls for the participation of our entire self. Also, we look forward to the resurrection of the body.

Second, our view of Jesus’ earthly ministry is shaped more by our compulsive culture than from Biblical Christianity. Currently, our attempt to imitate Christ in ministry creates a super-star vision. Jesus’ earthly ministry calls the whole church back into a balance of being and then doing. First, Jesus called people to himself. Then, he sent them out in ministry. Later, when his followers needed a break Jesus led them to do so. The disciples even found Jesus going off by himself taking a spiritual time out in prayer. And Jesus taught us to ask our Father to give us this day our daily bread.

We must return to believing in Jesus’ incarnation in a way that it impacts our view and practice of Christian self-care. We must come to see proper self-care as not time away from ministry but time investing in taking care of ministry.

We must also return to an honest vision of Jesus’ earthly ministry. We must in order to avoid trying to perform in ministry like a super-star or trying to find a clergy who can. Unless we come apart for times of emotional, physical, and intellectual refreshing, we will come a P a r t in ministry.

Years ago, a parishioner chided me for taking a day off. My reply was quick, simple and I hope free of a sarcastic tone. “Well, mam, since God rested on the 7th day after creating everything in six, I suppose I can take a rest too.”

The work of the Episcopal Diocese of California Clergy Wellness Commission is impressive. The ECLA developed some great ideas also. However, until we address the basic theological issues of this spiritual need, the pragmatic programs for improved clergy health will eventually fail.

How do we move from abstract orthodox Christian truth to its impacting your life and my life in practical ways? Moving in the direction of this article involves more than directions or steps. Questions are needed to lead you and me to reflect personally on the impact of Jesus' incarnation and earthly ministry. Such a focus on being before doing must be in place for a better treatment of one's health as well as a healthier practice of ministry (clergy or lay).

I totally agree with a weight loss statement that I read recently, "guilt and shame are not good enough motives to change what is needed is a whole new outlook." (this is a very loose quotation.) I believe the same applies to clergy health. Sad to say, but much like the approaches of the weight loss industry, churches and Christian writers have sought to motivate us with shame about our poor health and heap guilt upon us for not changing or trying hard enough.

What is needed is a combination of orthodox truth and God's grace to address who we are first. To me, legalism tries to change being by telling people to do more of this or less of that. The gospel changes people at the being level via grace and truth. As people grow in their knowledge and experience of God's grace, they live more out of being a more fruitful life of doing than legalism could ever bring.
In order to avoid directions or steps, I’ve devised some questions for reflection and application. I would advise requesting the input of a trusted friend or meeting with a therapist and even consider seeing a mature spiritual mentor.

Prayerfully and honestly answer the following health inventory based upon the preceding material. 

1.) Does the incarnation of Jesus Christ lead me to value my body?

2.) Do I feel that my attitudes about Jesus’ value of my body influence my care of myself in life and ministry?

3.) Jesus’ earthly life and ministry involved both private time to refresh himself as well as public ministry. Does His balanced model inspire me to do likewise in my life and ministry?

4.) Do I experience the love of God shed abroad in my heart by the Holy Spirit as an empowerment to not only love and forgive others, but also myself as well?

5.) Does both Jesus’ incarnation as well as the balance of his life and ministry helps me understand the vital part that my bodily-emotional self plays in a vital spirituality?

6.) At one time, did I labor under a religious burden telling me I had to take or at least try to take better care of myself?

7.) Did that religious burden often result in guilt, anxiety, and shame in my life?

8.) Does my relationship with Christ create in me a ‘want to attitude” in taking care of my health?

9.) Have I practiced a form of spirituality that twisted the basic issues of self-denial into a denial of my unique self as created by God?

10.) Does my practice of spirituality lead me to believe that I must give up myself in order to be loved by God, by others and to be viewed as a success in ministry?

11.) Do my behaviors concerning my own health care reflect an unscriptural belief that my bodily self is in itself sinful, despicable, or unworthy?

12.) I find myself agreeing with the fourth century church father, John Chrysostom? He said, “We do not wish to cast aside the body, but corruption; not flesh, . . . What is foreign to us is not the body but corruptability.”

13.) Do I understand Paul’s statements about the deeds of the flesh to be sinful aspects of my personhood and not my body?

14.) What does Jesus’ experience and expression of a wide range of emotions in the Gospels and the first three chapters of Revelation say to me?

15.) Are my emotions naughty monkeys for repression via religious rules, practices and structures?

16.) Are my emotions a valid part of myself that I need to respect, listen to, learn from, and then bring to our gracious savior and Lord Jesus? 

17.) Do I feel comfortable taking my unheard feelings to Jesus for validation that he has dear them? I feel comfortable taking those feelings in need of healing, transformation, nurturing, or empowering to Christ’s compassion and sanctification?

18.) Does the manner in which Jesus bore many human wounds in the Gospels leads me away from taking a victim’s stance in the face of my own human wounds?

19.) Does Jesus’ incarnation in the flesh, life & ministry in the flesh, death on the cross in the flesh, and bodily resurrection tell that I am my body? 

20.) Does the great commandment to love the Lord our God with all my heart, with all of my mind, with all my soul and all my strength lead me to nurture in a healthy manner all of these aspects of my total personality?

21.) Does Jesus’ command to not worry about tomorrow lead me to live authentically in the present or to promote some false self covering my anxiety about the future?

22.) Does Jesus’ forgiveness of my past and present sins lead me to live fully in the present or behind some mask covering how I’m beating myself up with guilt over my past?

23.) Does Jesus’ example of placing his trust fully in God, but not in people focus my trust and place realistic boundaries upon my expectations of others?

24.) How does Jesus living for the praise of God influence whose praise I live for?

25.) How does Jesus’ earthly ministry grounded in serving God and overflowing into ministry to others influence my own practice of ministry?

After completing this inventory, a feeling of being overwhelmed might come over you as it did the disciples when they locked themselves in a room for fear of the Jews. How does the resurrected Jesus respond to them and their condition Does he walk away because they are hiding? Does he tentatively stand at the door and knock? Does he force his way in by crashing through the door? No! Jesus enters the room with power and with grace saying to their fearful hearts “peace be with you.” Likewise, Jesus stands with you without reproach. His amazing free grace our risen and ascended savior offers you his compassion, wholeness, and empowering by the Holy Spirit. His grace is greater than any lack of health in your life. His grace is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all you can ever think or dream of. Jesus comes to you in such a gentle and powerful offer of his gracious presence. Thus, be gentle with your own growth process as you rightly handle the stewardship of your health by God’s grace.