Jesus the Messiah wants us to love one another. He wants us to show respect to each other. He wants us to treat other Christians well and really even love our enemy. His desire is for a healthy and whole human community in which people can dwell without fear of being abused. Sound simple, but it is not simple.
Human community is complex. We have different personalities, needs, back grounds, doctrines, experiences, fears, emotional wounds, prejudices, passions, gifts, abilities, skills, agendas, definitions, and desires. We share faith in Christ but really if we analyzed what we meant by that what that really means to any two of us is radically different in many ways and only similar in a few ways. Most of the time "birds of a feather flock together" but in the church we may be called to be part of a flock that has many different species of "Christians" in it. To love and respect people who are like me and who agree with me is one thing but to love and respect people who are different than me and do not agree with me is a whole different story.
The local church is suppose to be an example of a healthy human community under the leadership of Messiah Jesus in the real and sinful broken world. We are to be an emotionally healthy church filled with people who know how to live emotionally healthy spirituality. To the degree we are emotionally healthy we fulfill the will of Christ for the church and to the degree we are not emotionally healthy we do not fulfill the will of Christ for the church. The church is suppose to be one of the main apologetics for the faith. The beauty of our love for each other and for humanity as a whole is to be what draws people to the truth of the gospel. If the gospel can produce a community of love then it is valuable to the human race.
On Sunday I talked to a man from India who was a Christian. He had become a Christian because his grandfather had become a Christian. His grandfather had become a deep and devoted follower of Messiah Jesus who had been born into a Hindu family. When I asked him how his grand father had become a Christian he told me a story of persecuted Christians who had shown his grandfather kindness and love consistently over many years. They had provided his grandfather with financial support, a place to live, and food to eat during hard times. They had helped him to get an education. Their actions seems so different than what his grandfather was use to that when given a bible he read it and eventually became a Christian. What really won his grandfather to the faith was the love of Christians for their enemies. This man was part of the fruit of that love. For this man had believed and was not a Hindu because his grandfather had become radically converted.
I am humbled by all of this. I fail to love as I should love so often. I fail to be as emotionally healthy as I should be so often. As a pastor I fail to really provide the healthy leadership I should so often. I need to become more an example of emotionally healthy spirituality so that we can better become an emotionally healthy community of faith. Ultimately, only then will we be able to be a clear witness of love and grace into a broken world.
Monday, April 26, 2010
Tuesday, April 20, 2010
The Lord is my Shepherd
Psalm 23
1 The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want. 2 He makes me lie down in green pastures; he leads me beside still waters; 3 he restores my soul. He leads me in right paths for his name's sake. 4 Even though I walk through the darkest valley, I fear no evil; for you are with me; your rod and your staff— they comfort me. 5 You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies; you anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows. 6 Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life, and I shall dwell in the house of the Lord my whole life long.
The Lord Jesus is my loving leader and therefore every need I have in my life will be provided as a gift of grace. He puts me in places where I am fed and watered, physically, emotionally, and spiritually. He restores my energy and my life daily. He directs me on the paths that lead to life and not death. Sometimes those paths lead into very dark places and my confidence is that the Lord is with me, protecting me as we go into the darkness. On the other side of the toughest times the Lord has prepared for me again a place of abundant provision and abundant refreshment in the midst of a dangerous world. The goodness and the mercy of the Lord Jesus pursues me and chases me down every day of my life and one day I will dwell in the heavenly temple with my loving Lord for all eternity. (Norm Wise Paraphrase)
This psalm was part of my early spiritual education. My mother read this psalm every morning before she went to work. It was her psalm. She gave it to me.
When I was a little boy I thought this was a strange psalm at first. I understood the first verse to mean that the Lord was a shepherd that I did not want in my life! I wondered; “Why was I telling God that I did not want Him?”
At times maybe there is more truth to that then I would want to admit. All we like sheep have gone astray. The shepherd keeps the sheep no t the sheep the shepherd.
Now of course the real meaning is the Lord is my Shepherd and He will provide for me. God will give me food, drink, and protection as I have need of them in this life. He will be with be during the hardest times and eventually lead me to be comforted and provided for in the midst of my enemies. The psalm never denies hardship and danger, it only assures me that the good shepherd will get me through and give me glory.
Now this is one of the best known psalms in our country. Most people would still recognize Psalm 23. However, part of this is because it is normally read at funerals. It is psalm of comfort where our focus is that we imagine our loved one sitting in heaven as God’s dinner guest. Or perhaps we see ourselves walking through the dark valley of grief assured that eventually God will comfort us. The Psalm is used by God to bring comfort in all of these circumstances.
In some ways this makes sense since Psalm 23 follows Psalm 22 which is an account of God’s suffering servant. Here we have a poetic prophecy of Messiah dying for our sins and being raised from the dead. Now the risen Lord will be the shepherd of His people and eventually bring them into His kingdom. They will overcome their enemies and see God provide for them salvation.
But the psalm does not have to be understood in this light. For African and Asian believers this psalm has become a call to reject tyrannical political rulers who want to “shepherd” them and their lives. These believers quote the psalm as a clear statement that THE LORD and not the government is my ultimate shepherd that I will trust to take care of my needs. It has become their “Jesus is Lord; not Caesar” psalm and has significant political meaning to them.
The enemies of the Christian are the unbelieving world culture we live in, the rebellious and wicked fallen angels and the remaining lack of faith within our own hearts. None of these have the power to keep the Shepherd’s purpose of providing and protecting us from being achieved. The plan of the Shepherd to provide for us will be accomplished and the enemies of our soul will fail. This is God’s promise and gift to us. The Lord is our shepherd we will not fail.
This psalm also speaks to us of the Lord’s Supper. The shepherd has prepared a table for us. This is what Jesus did with the cup and the bread. How will the shepherd provide for our needs? We are very needy. The Shepherd will have to die for the sheep. He will have to suffer so they can be provided for and protected. The Shepherd will have to die to defeat the purpose of the enemies of the sheep. The table is a provision and a protection. It shows His care and His comfort. As we take of the cup and the bread that Jesus the Messiah has given to us it tells us that one day we will dwell in the house of the Lord forever in fellowship with our KING.
The bottom line to this psalm is this. The Lord is watching over us and will win over the enemies of our soul. We do have enemies and face dark times. If we were left on our own then we would be devoured by the real dangers of this life. But we are not alone. The Lord is our Shepherd and He will provide for us care and comfort. This Shepherd is chasing us down when we stray to give to us His mercy and love. If we tell ourselves this story daily, as my mother did just before she went to work, how can we fail to not have our anxiety fall and our faith rise up in confident joy. May the Lord, grant that we will experience some of that reality this day.
1 The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want. 2 He makes me lie down in green pastures; he leads me beside still waters; 3 he restores my soul. He leads me in right paths for his name's sake. 4 Even though I walk through the darkest valley, I fear no evil; for you are with me; your rod and your staff— they comfort me. 5 You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies; you anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows. 6 Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life, and I shall dwell in the house of the Lord my whole life long.
The Lord Jesus is my loving leader and therefore every need I have in my life will be provided as a gift of grace. He puts me in places where I am fed and watered, physically, emotionally, and spiritually. He restores my energy and my life daily. He directs me on the paths that lead to life and not death. Sometimes those paths lead into very dark places and my confidence is that the Lord is with me, protecting me as we go into the darkness. On the other side of the toughest times the Lord has prepared for me again a place of abundant provision and abundant refreshment in the midst of a dangerous world. The goodness and the mercy of the Lord Jesus pursues me and chases me down every day of my life and one day I will dwell in the heavenly temple with my loving Lord for all eternity. (Norm Wise Paraphrase)
This psalm was part of my early spiritual education. My mother read this psalm every morning before she went to work. It was her psalm. She gave it to me.
When I was a little boy I thought this was a strange psalm at first. I understood the first verse to mean that the Lord was a shepherd that I did not want in my life! I wondered; “Why was I telling God that I did not want Him?”
At times maybe there is more truth to that then I would want to admit. All we like sheep have gone astray. The shepherd keeps the sheep no t the sheep the shepherd.
Now of course the real meaning is the Lord is my Shepherd and He will provide for me. God will give me food, drink, and protection as I have need of them in this life. He will be with be during the hardest times and eventually lead me to be comforted and provided for in the midst of my enemies. The psalm never denies hardship and danger, it only assures me that the good shepherd will get me through and give me glory.
Now this is one of the best known psalms in our country. Most people would still recognize Psalm 23. However, part of this is because it is normally read at funerals. It is psalm of comfort where our focus is that we imagine our loved one sitting in heaven as God’s dinner guest. Or perhaps we see ourselves walking through the dark valley of grief assured that eventually God will comfort us. The Psalm is used by God to bring comfort in all of these circumstances.
In some ways this makes sense since Psalm 23 follows Psalm 22 which is an account of God’s suffering servant. Here we have a poetic prophecy of Messiah dying for our sins and being raised from the dead. Now the risen Lord will be the shepherd of His people and eventually bring them into His kingdom. They will overcome their enemies and see God provide for them salvation.
But the psalm does not have to be understood in this light. For African and Asian believers this psalm has become a call to reject tyrannical political rulers who want to “shepherd” them and their lives. These believers quote the psalm as a clear statement that THE LORD and not the government is my ultimate shepherd that I will trust to take care of my needs. It has become their “Jesus is Lord; not Caesar” psalm and has significant political meaning to them.
The enemies of the Christian are the unbelieving world culture we live in, the rebellious and wicked fallen angels and the remaining lack of faith within our own hearts. None of these have the power to keep the Shepherd’s purpose of providing and protecting us from being achieved. The plan of the Shepherd to provide for us will be accomplished and the enemies of our soul will fail. This is God’s promise and gift to us. The Lord is our shepherd we will not fail.
This psalm also speaks to us of the Lord’s Supper. The shepherd has prepared a table for us. This is what Jesus did with the cup and the bread. How will the shepherd provide for our needs? We are very needy. The Shepherd will have to die for the sheep. He will have to suffer so they can be provided for and protected. The Shepherd will have to die to defeat the purpose of the enemies of the sheep. The table is a provision and a protection. It shows His care and His comfort. As we take of the cup and the bread that Jesus the Messiah has given to us it tells us that one day we will dwell in the house of the Lord forever in fellowship with our KING.
The bottom line to this psalm is this. The Lord is watching over us and will win over the enemies of our soul. We do have enemies and face dark times. If we were left on our own then we would be devoured by the real dangers of this life. But we are not alone. The Lord is our Shepherd and He will provide for us care and comfort. This Shepherd is chasing us down when we stray to give to us His mercy and love. If we tell ourselves this story daily, as my mother did just before she went to work, how can we fail to not have our anxiety fall and our faith rise up in confident joy. May the Lord, grant that we will experience some of that reality this day.
Tuesday, April 06, 2010
Journaling Seminar This Saturday at 10:00 AM
On April 10, 2010 Dr. Norman Wise will be leading a seminar on Journaling. This seminar will answer questions on how to journal effectively, explain different types of journaling, and give practical pointers on how to overcome obstacles to journaling effectively.
Journaling is one of the best processes for deepening our prayer life, our knowledge of our own personalities, our past, and planning for our future. It is a skill that can be of great help in resolving our pain and fixing our problems.
The cost is $25 and includes a journaling book and lunch.
Call 954-452-4407 to register.
Journaling is one of the best processes for deepening our prayer life, our knowledge of our own personalities, our past, and planning for our future. It is a skill that can be of great help in resolving our pain and fixing our problems.
The cost is $25 and includes a journaling book and lunch.
Call 954-452-4407 to register.
Thursday, April 01, 2010
Pastoral counseling
What are the advantages of pastoral counseling? Why would one turn to a pastor to counsel instead of a licenced professional? Some pastors are licenced professionals and others are not so how can one tell how much training a pastor has in counseling? When is pastoral counseling a better option?
The church has always provided pastoral counseling to people in need. The pastor was the counselor of the western world before the advent of modern psychology. There has been to some degree the false perspective of science and faith at war with each other reflected in the realm of psychology and counseling. In many ways secular psychology invaded and took over a realm that had been the mainly dominated by pastors and religious leaders until modern times. So is there a place for pastoral counseling today?
The answer is yes. Pastoral counseling is still a vital aspect of the ministry of the church. The pastoral counselor is one that operates as a general practitioner or family doctor as opposed to a specialist for most wounds of the soul or family. The pastoral counselor may very well be able to guide us through reconciling relationships, overcoming some forms of depression, and improving our parenting skills. The pastor can also act as a helpful source of referrals to Christan counselors and other specialists when the problems we have seem to be beyond their ability to help.
In addition the pastoral counselor can often offer help to people who would normally not get help at all. Lack of funds or insurance places many people without any ability to get help at their darkest moments from the mental health community. Pastoral counseling is offered as part of the ministry of the gospel of grace and is open to all in need. It is a service the church provides.
The pastor also is uniquely equipped to deal with some particular aspects of a problem. Spiritual direction is the key element that can be provided by the pastoral counselor. Where is God in all of this? The pastor is well trained in finding and explaining how God is at work in our darkest moments. If I want to get a biblical or spiritual insight into my struggles then seeking a pastoral counselor makes the most sense.
Another reality is that the pastor may be the only one willing to confront my behavior as "sin". In our morally relative world it is hard to find someone who can awaken my conscience and help me fix my moral compass. If deep inside of me I know that this is one of my primary needs then seeking pastoral counseling may be critical.
Now pastoral counseling is not regulated by any central group like that offered by the state licenced professionals. So asking the pastor about his experience and training in counseling is a wise and prudent approach. Some pastors are especially gifted and skilled in this areas while others have less ability.
However, we all know that simply because someone is a licenced professional that does not guarantee us that they will provide us good counsel. Such regulation attempts to maintain a basic standard but cannot promise us that every licenced professional is a good counselor. So in reality we just need to be as careful as we normally would be in seeking the help of anyone as we deal with difficult problems. Ask about how much experience the person has especially in dealing with the problem you are facing.
So is there a place for pastoral counseling. The answer is yes. Is there a need of pastoral counseling the answer is also yes. Pastoral counseling provides a vital service to many people that would be without counsel entirely, integrates scripture into psycological methods, and alone can give a spiritual perspective on our problems. There is a need for both liscenced mental health professionals and pastoral counselors. Working together these people can provide a team that can best serve the healing of our souls.
For further reading on this one can read:
Competent to Counsel by Jay Edward Adams
Basic Types of Pastoral Care and Counseling: Resources for the Ministry of Healing and Growth by Howard John Clinebell
Clinical Handbook of Pastoral Counseling (Integration Books) by Richard D. Parsons, Robert J. Wicks, and Donald Capps
The church has always provided pastoral counseling to people in need. The pastor was the counselor of the western world before the advent of modern psychology. There has been to some degree the false perspective of science and faith at war with each other reflected in the realm of psychology and counseling. In many ways secular psychology invaded and took over a realm that had been the mainly dominated by pastors and religious leaders until modern times. So is there a place for pastoral counseling today?
The answer is yes. Pastoral counseling is still a vital aspect of the ministry of the church. The pastoral counselor is one that operates as a general practitioner or family doctor as opposed to a specialist for most wounds of the soul or family. The pastoral counselor may very well be able to guide us through reconciling relationships, overcoming some forms of depression, and improving our parenting skills. The pastor can also act as a helpful source of referrals to Christan counselors and other specialists when the problems we have seem to be beyond their ability to help.
In addition the pastoral counselor can often offer help to people who would normally not get help at all. Lack of funds or insurance places many people without any ability to get help at their darkest moments from the mental health community. Pastoral counseling is offered as part of the ministry of the gospel of grace and is open to all in need. It is a service the church provides.
The pastor also is uniquely equipped to deal with some particular aspects of a problem. Spiritual direction is the key element that can be provided by the pastoral counselor. Where is God in all of this? The pastor is well trained in finding and explaining how God is at work in our darkest moments. If I want to get a biblical or spiritual insight into my struggles then seeking a pastoral counselor makes the most sense.
Another reality is that the pastor may be the only one willing to confront my behavior as "sin". In our morally relative world it is hard to find someone who can awaken my conscience and help me fix my moral compass. If deep inside of me I know that this is one of my primary needs then seeking pastoral counseling may be critical.
Now pastoral counseling is not regulated by any central group like that offered by the state licenced professionals. So asking the pastor about his experience and training in counseling is a wise and prudent approach. Some pastors are especially gifted and skilled in this areas while others have less ability.
However, we all know that simply because someone is a licenced professional that does not guarantee us that they will provide us good counsel. Such regulation attempts to maintain a basic standard but cannot promise us that every licenced professional is a good counselor. So in reality we just need to be as careful as we normally would be in seeking the help of anyone as we deal with difficult problems. Ask about how much experience the person has especially in dealing with the problem you are facing.
So is there a place for pastoral counseling. The answer is yes. Is there a need of pastoral counseling the answer is also yes. Pastoral counseling provides a vital service to many people that would be without counsel entirely, integrates scripture into psycological methods, and alone can give a spiritual perspective on our problems. There is a need for both liscenced mental health professionals and pastoral counselors. Working together these people can provide a team that can best serve the healing of our souls.
For further reading on this one can read:
Competent to Counsel by Jay Edward Adams
Basic Types of Pastoral Care and Counseling: Resources for the Ministry of Healing and Growth by Howard John Clinebell
Clinical Handbook of Pastoral Counseling (Integration Books) by Richard D. Parsons, Robert J. Wicks, and Donald Capps
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