Summarize the differences between “worldly grief” and “godly grief”
- What happens when you try to eliminate or suppress your feelings?
- The author notes the importance of relaxation in focusing and states that “Any kind of body awareness training- . . .yoga, Feldenkrais, t’ai chi, and qugong . . .can provide understanding of the connection between breathing and relaxation. What are the problems inherent, in Christian pastoral care, relating to the above-named methods? Be specific.
- The author gives an example of a pastor who was “verbally attacked” in a pastoral care situation. a. Describe the pastor’s focused response. b. Do you agree with this response as a biblically-supported approach—explain.
- Explain the process of transference, as understood in pastoral care and counseling.
- Explain why simply “identifying a feeling” doesn’t give the pastoral care-giver enough information to move to action.
- “Self-empathy” implies what about how a pastoral care-giver will attend to one’s self?
- According to Karl Bath, what is the real basis for prayer?
- What is the daily bread that sustains pastoral care-givers?
- What are the temptations from which pastoral care-givers in particular need deliverance?
- What two areas of accountability are needed-in the early years and throughout the lives of those who give pastoral care?
- What are some of the most important issues having to do with prayer at times of illness and death?
- Explain why the pastoral care-giver’s listening is aimed toward prayer.
- Explain the meaning of prayers of lament.
- What is at the heart of lament?
- What is the goal of pastoral care when ministering to others going through times of lament?
- What transition occurs in Job’s life that changes his anguish to joy? Explain.
- What are pastoral caregivers to do when called to minister to someone in distress?
- What is the difference between a “therapeutic” attitude and a “pastoral” attitude in addressing the suffering of others?
- Why is community expression of lament so important?
- What does Scripture teach us concerning disorder in relationships as a symptom?
- Essay: Karl Barth called sin the “impossible possibility”. Explain the meaning of this paradox in relation to sin.
- “The very nature of sin is to _____________ ___________.” Explain.
- There is no message more important to care, counseling and conflict ministry than the Gospel message. What are its main points?
- Explain James Torrance’s explanation of the difference between “legal repentance” and “evangelical repentance.” Do you agree-disagree: briefly explain your answer.
- Why is the order of repentance and grace so important to pastoral care?
- Summarize the differences between “worldly grief” and “godly grief”.
- Explain Dietrich Bonhoeffer’s concept of confession.
- How is psychotherapy different from the message of the Gospel?
- What is the problem in hierarchical relationships when it comes to confession and prayer for one another?
- Why is mutual confession essential in the “cure of souls” in today’s Church?
- What happens to caregivers who focus on who God is and what God has done?
- What does the art of pastoral prayer require?
- Why do situations of grief, as addressed in pastoral care, also call for praise to God?
- Why is it so important that the Scriptures mold the church’s care-givers?