How can fear be healthy?

bill-hader-pixar-inside-out-pic

Fear is a healthy emotion, says Bill Hader, who plays the character Fear in the Disney Pixar movie Inside Out. He explains it in this clip.

On Sunday, January 17, Scott Sherrill will preach on how the emotion of fear can be part of everyone’s search for healthy spirituality. How will he tie it in with the scripture passages, Isaiah 41:8-14 and Philipians 4:4-9 ?

His sermon is part of January’s series Healthy Spirituality: Inside Out.  On January 24 Rev. Jana Purkis-Brash will preach on “Joy,” while Catherine Williams talks on January 31 about “The Gift of Sadness.”

Anger: Healthily Spiritual?

How can anger be spiritually healthy? On Sunday, January 10 at 9:30 and 11, with Ephesians 4: 26-31 as her text, Rev. Jana Purkis-Brash continues the sermon series “A Healthy Spirituality: Inside Out,” referencing the Pixar movie. Her texts will be Ephesians 4: 26-31 and Mark 3:1-5. The Youth Choir, directed by Tom Shelton, will sing “Sanctuary” and “Gift of Love” at the 9:30 service, and Hyosang Park will direct the Chancel Choir in “Inscription” by Z.R. Stroope. Catherine Williams will speak to the children at Children’s Time. All are welcome! Join us for coffee and finger food after each service.

 

 

How does “disgust’ contribute to healthy spirituality?

Catherine Williams answered the question “What’s so spiritual about disgust?” in her sermon on January 3. In the movie “Inside Out”  the “Disgust” character protected Riley from social danger (making choices that would endanger her popularity) and physical danger.
She told the story of David’s wife Michal recoiling in disgust when he danced before the Ark, based on the text 2 Samuel 6:12-17, 20-23.  In David’s case, however, he was rightfully objected to Michal’s disdain. David had been ordered by God to build the proper temple for the Ark and at long last he had achieved that goal — so his joyful dancing was justified.
Here is the complete text and her conclusion:
It is a good and spiritual thing when we can respond with disgust to the things God finds detestable – situations that contaminate our humanity, situations that endanger our connectedness to God and to one another.

For January: Inside Out

disgustIt is no secret that some of the pastoral staff have a passion for Disney (sneak a peek at Jana’s phone case or her computer sometime, or ask Scott how many days until his next family trip to Disney World [388 days as of writing]). So it is exciting when we can take an important topic and wrap it in a Disney package. In the recent Disney movie Inside Out, we receive a glimpse of the emotions inside the mind of the young girl Riley, and how her emotions and shape who she is. We will use the movie as a starting point for our sermon series.

Starting on Jan 3rd the new sermon series is entitled Healthy Spirituality: Inside Out. Catherine Williams will preach on “What’s So Spiritual About Disgust?” using the texts from Samuel 6:12-17, 20-23 and Matthew 2:7-12. (For Catherine’s sermon on December 20, The Unopened Gift, click here.)

Later in the month the pastoral staff will help us look at Anger, Fear, Joy and Sadness and consider them spiritually. No one ever thanks God for anger or fear but these are emotions that God has provided. Why did God give them to us? How do we embrace these gifts from God? How do we use them in a way that is honoring to God and to others? What does healthy spirituality really look like?

(This was taken from a post written by Scott Sherrill for the January newsletter).