You can not judge a book by it's cover, or can you? Those who are on the journey with "Victory Over the Darkness" here are a couple of questions to contemplate as we begin the journey.
The cover states the title of the book as Victoru Over The Darkness: Realizing the power of your identity in Christ. It shows a broken man broken progressing into wholness in the light. What does the cover mean to you?
Identify/define "your identity in Christ"
Who are you? The title for chapter 1. This is a good question. How do you answer it for yourself. How do you answer it for your clients?
There are a couple of points in chapter 2 that I am thinking through theologically. For example "The whole gospel". Does your identity in Christ have a connection to the gospel? Is Anderson additing to the simple gospel, making it more than it is? I am thinking through the whole idea of "what is true of Christ is true of you (p.51)? Is this true in reality or just in Anderson's mind?
Would the list on pages 51-52 be helpful to have available for clients. Hard to argue with this as it all has Scritpure support.
Over the next couple of weeks be reading chapter one and two. Respond to my thought provoking questions. Post your thoughts. I am thinking that Monday August 27 at 7 we can all get together at the office and discuss where/how to proceed from here.
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ReplyDeleteTo better facilitate the discussion the first blogh has been broken up.
ReplyDeleteThis will enable those who are participating to respond to specific aspects rather than the whole.
I found the cover interesting. A picture of a broken man. What does the cover mean to you? What does it say about your job/ministry with pleople/clients
The cover is encouraging to me. It shows there is hope. Something everyone needs when they are broken.
DeleteI sometimes get frustrated with clients because they're not making progress and singing the same old song and dance. When I am stuck listening to the same stories and the same problems over and over again, I am more likely to think of their issue as a lack of motivation rather than an identity crisis. I think seeing my clients as broken should influence my goal as a counselor. Rather than pile on a "to do" list for them, my task might need to be more of helping them to see how they can be made whole through a relationship with Christ.
Alicia, You have some good insight. Often it is the same stories and same problems. It may be a lack of motivation. But isn't the solution to a lack of motivation an understanding of their Christ identity.
DeleteI appreciate your final two comments. I am meditating on what seeing my clients as broken should and will do to my relationship with them and counsel to them.
I am thinking about the contrast betwen a to do list and helping them be made whole through a relationship with Christ. Can one be done through the other? Or is a to do list simply pilling (sp) on?
The title Who are You for chapter one is a good question. How would you answer that in light of your own view of yourself and in light of your identity in Christ?
ReplyDeleteWhen we all get through reading chapter 1 we can begin discussing chapter 2.
Noticed that the list of those who can participate is growing. Great. Next step is to have more participating.
Our identiy in Christ is what has happended as oppose to what is happening. We often confuse the two and most of our clients need to work on this. Our identity is found in the Truth of what Christ has accomplished...Heb 10:14 says "For by one sacrifice he has made perfect forever those who are being made holy." My identity is that of a perfected child of God. This takes away the need to be perfect in my own power (perfectionism) and becomes motivation to grow. I like this verse and use it often with clients becuase it has both justification (what has happened, forming our identity as redeamed chidlren of God) and sanctification (the progressive growth of being transformed into the image of Christ).
DeleteI just posted in response to Alicia, Turned on Pandora Radio and "Who Am I" by Casting Crowns came on. How cool is that!!!
ReplyDelete