First Corinthians Baptist Church

Scripture

John 4:4-14 NLT

⁴ He had to go through Samaria on the way. 

⁵ Eventually he came to the Samaritan village of Sychar, near the field that Jacob gave to his son Joseph.

 ⁶ Jacob’s well was there; and Jesus, tired from the long walk, sat wearily beside the well about noontime. 

⁷ Soon a Samaritan woman came to draw water, and Jesus said to her, “Please give me a drink.” 

⁸ He was alone at the time because his disciples had gone into the village to buy some food.

⁹ The woman was surprised, for Jews refuse to have anything to do with Samaritans.^[a] She said to Jesus, “You are a Jew, and I am a Samaritan woman. Why are you asking me for a drink?”

¹⁰ Jesus replied, “If you only knew the gift God has for you and who you are speaking to, you would ask me, and I would give you living water.”

¹¹ “But sir, you don’t have a rope or a bucket,” she said, “and this well is very deep. Where would you get this living water? 

¹² And besides, do you think you’re greater than our ancestor Jacob, who gave us this well? How can you offer better water than he and his sons and his animals enjoyed?”

¹³ Jesus replied, “Anyone who drinks this water will soon become thirsty again. 

¹⁴ But those who drink the water I give will never be thirsty again. It becomes a fresh, bubbling spring within them, giving them eternal life.”

Announcements

May is Mental Health Awareness Month

 In addition to Mental Health Awareness Month, May is Older Americans Month. While there has been increased awareness about the youth mental health crisis in our country — a critically important action — the mental health of Americans aged 65 and older is often overlooked. As a practicing geriatric psychiatrist for more than 15 years, I’ve seen firsthand the mental and physical toll that anxiety, depression and other mental health conditions have taken on older adults, especially when left untreated for years.

Currently, anxiety is the most common mental health concern among adults in the U.S. Yet, two-thirds of seniors with mental health concerns do not get the treatment they need. Older adults may not seek treatment or receive diagnoses because their symptoms, such as irritability, persistent worry, or insomnia are minimized as just “getting older.” Most seniors with anxiety have struggled with the condition throughout life, but the anxiety may present itself differently as they age, further contributing to misdiagnoses.

If left untreated, studies have linked anxiety in older adults to other serious, sometimes fatal, health concerns, including dementia, stroke and heart failure. Unfortunately, there is a shortage of mental health providers who specialize in treating older adults. Furthermore, the number of seniors with mental disorders is expected to double by 2030. We must work now to help ensure that the mental health of our seniors does not go ignored and provide the resources to adequately care for them.

Whether they are our parents, grandparents, spouses, peers or friends, our older adults are a vitally important part of our community who deserve the highest quality of mental health care. It’s our responsibility to listen to their concerns and, in turn, create better living conditions for them.

As the 2023 past chair of the American Hospital Association’s Committee on Behavioral Health, I’m proud that the AHA continues to bring attention to the behavioral health needs of older adults, including the Age-Friendly Health Systems initiative. Because every person deserves to have their mental, social and spiritual health needs prioritized and met, no matter his or her age.

Sources: https://www.aha.org/mental-health-awareness-month

https://www.aha.org/news/blog/2023-05-16-supporting-behavioral-health-older-americans

Read President Bidens’s Proclamation on Mental Health here: https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefing-room/presidential-actions/2024/04/30/a-proclamation-on-national-mental-health-awareness-month-2024/