Church isn't working - Part 1

A friend doing research pointed out that evidence suggests that people who have non-controlling & supportive input, recovered faster physical and mental illness. Now, some research by the BBC has shown that people who have ‘social support’ are more likely to experience ‘well-being’ and reduced stress than those without it. (see the diagram)



Given that The Beatles knew “Can’t buy me love”,  is it really a surprise that low income has less of an impact than lack of friends?

Of course those who encourage and value each other feel better - irrespective of their circumstances.  It's what we used to call family and friendships!

The community that could have provided the support so many people desperately need has largely gone along with the funding that was suposed to support it. Yet the response is so often to invent new sytems or programmes to provide the necessary support...

....whereas it is exactly the territory that church should inhabit:

Low Income: ‘Consider the lilies of the field, they neither toil nor sow, yet Solomon in all his glory was not clothed like these.... seek first the Kingdom of God... and all this will be yours as well’

Life events: ‘Shall anything in all creation seperate us from the love of God?’

Family History: ‘The weapons we fight with are not the weapons of the world. On the contrary, they have divine power to demolish strongholds. We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ.

Self Blame: ‘There is therefore no condemnation to those who are in Christ’

Rumination: ‘Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near. Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things. Whatever you have learned or received or heard from me, or seen in me—put it into practice. And the God of peace will be with you.’

We have answers to the underlying stressors and the love to be the friends that can make such a profound difference.

So my question is simply this. Where is the church?