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Theses and Dissertations (Comprehensive)

2009

Using Scripture in Counselling Evangelicals

A. Tim Span
Wilfrid Laurier University

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USING SCRIPTURE IN COUNSELLING EVANGELICALS

by

A. Tim Span

B.A., Redeemer University, 1992

M.T.S., Tyndale Seminary, 1994

THESIS

Submitted to Waterloo Lutheran Seminary

In partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of
Master of Theology in Pastoral Counseling

2009

©A. Tim Span 2009

 Abstract

This thesis examines how the Bible can be used beneficially and ethically as a

resource in counseling evangelicals. For evangelicals the Bible is their "primary text"—

an unequalled source of authority and comfort. Evangelicals begin with the self-

attestation of scripture to its own reliability and usefulness (e.g. 2 Tim. 3:16-17). When

the scriptures are used in a responsible way using sound exegetical method there can be

real dividends for the hearer. With proper preparation and informed consent, the

counselor who ministers to evangelical clients can appropriate the message of the

scriptures in a way that brings emotional and spiritual health. The responsible counselor

uses the scriptures in an ethical way and does not apply them with insensitivity,

imposition, or superstition.

Three therapies are discussed and in each case, the scriptures can be integrated in

a therapeutic way. In grief and loss counseling, clients identify with the deep meaning

and emotions of the psalms of lament and find words for their grief. The scriptures give

a "formfulness" to grief and overflow with candid speech to the God who saves.

Scripture is also a vital part of biblically informed cognitive-behavioral therapy. Many

emotional difficulties are mediated by dysfunctional thoughts. Scripture can be used in

thought stopping, thought shaping, and cognitive disputation. In the Bible there are

examples of various cognitive distortions: perfectionism, magnification, discounting the

positive, mind reading, all or none thinking, et al. In post-modern therapies like solution-

focused therapy and narrative therapy the therapist and client are looking for "grace-

events"—places where God is already at work in the life of the client, providing

1
solutions. When the dominant story is problem saturated, the Scriptures provide the

client with exceptions to the problem and alternate stories of hope.

The thesis concludes with directions for future research.

n
 TABLE OF CONTENTS

ABSTRACT I

INTRODUCTION 1

1. ETHICAL USE OF SCRIPTURE IN COUNSELING 11

IMPOSING RELIGIOUS VALUES 13

DISPLACING RELIGIOUS AUTHORITY 22

PRACTICING OUTSIDE AREA OF COMPETENCE 24

INDICATIONS AND CONTRAINDICATIONS FOR USING SCRIPTURE IN COUNSELING 25

PROPER USE OF THE BIBLE 30

Hermeneutical principles for interpreting scripture 30

IMPROPER USES OF THE BIBLE 34

Ignoring the context 34

Insensitive 38

Magical use 41

2. SCRIPTURE AND GRIEF AND LOSS COUNSELING 43

MANY REASONS TO GRIEVE 43

PSALMS AS A MIRROR OF LIFE 44

VENTING FEELINGS 46

DIALOGUE WITH GOD 49

STAGES OF GRIEF 59

PSALM ACTIVITIES 69

in
3. SCRIPTURE AND COGNITIVE-BEHAVORIAL THERAPY 72

USING RELIGIOUS IMAGERY IN COUNSELING 87

BIBLICAL CHARACTERS AND COGNITIVE DISTORTIONS 89

EMPIRICAL RESEARCH ON COGNITIVE-BEHAVIORAL THERAPY 94

4. SCRIPTURE AND POST-MODERN THERAPIES 97

INCORPORATING SPIRITUALITY IN THE POST-MODERN CONTEXT 98

EXCEPTIONS IN THE REALM OF SPIRITUALITY 101

EXPERIENTIAL USE OF SCRIPTURE 106

LECTIO DIVTNA AND THE EXPERIENCE OF SCRIPTURE 107

5. DIRECTIONS FOR FUTURE RESEARCH 114

CONCLUSION 114

BIBLIOGRAPHY 116

IV
INTRODUCTION

A significance percentage of the populations within Canada and the United States

of America are evangelical Christians. A Canadian survey conducted by Ipsos-Reid in

2003 found that on the basis of 6 key indicators 19% of Canadians can be identified as

evangelicals. In this survey, respondents were considered evangelical when they

answered affirmatively to the following three statements:

(1)1 believe that through the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus, God provided

the way for the forgiveness of my sins; (2) I believe the Bible to be the word of

God and is reliable and trustworthy; and (3) I have committed my life to Christ

and consider myself to be a converted Christian.

In addition to agreeing to the above, they also disagreed with the next two statements:

(4) The concept of God is an old superstition that is no longer needed to explain

things in these modern times; and (5) In my view, Jesus Christ was not the divine

Son of God.

The final criterion involved weekly church attendance. Only when all six indicators

were present in the survey responses was the respondent considered evangelical. The

number of evangelicals so determined has increased from 16% in 1993 to 19% in 2003

(Van Ginkel, 2003). A similar poll conducted by Gallup (2005) in the United States

found that 22% of Americans agreed with criteria similar to that used in the Ipsos-Reid

survey. According to these statistics, approximately one in five Canadians and

Americans are evangelical.

For evangelicals, the Bible holds a place of pre-eminence. Although there is

some debate about issues of inerrancy and the limits of the canon, evangelicals

1
unanimously see the Bible as the "Christian's primary text" (Johnson, 2007, p. 219). For

most, the canon of scripture is the infallible standard for "faith and practice." For the

psychotherapist who sensitively and skillfully integrates the message of the Scriptures in

counseling evangelicals, there can be real dividends. This project examines how the

Bible can be used beneficially and ethically as a resource in counseling evangelicals.

Chapter 1 looks at ethical and hermeneutical considerations in using scripture in

counseling evangelicals. This is the foundation for the therapeutic perspectives that

follow. Chapter 2 explores grief and loss counseling with the help of scripture. The

psalms can provide ways of expressing grief to ourselves, others, and to God.

Sometimes, however, feelings are rooted in destructive thought patterns that negatively

affect emotional well-being. Chapter 3 looks at scripture and cognitive-behavioral

therapy. There is a growing body of research on biblically informed cognitive-

behavioral therapy, and this chapter surveys the findings. In chapter 4, the discussion is

brought up-to-date with an exploration of using scripture with post-modern therapies, and

the project concludes with a look at directions for future research in chapter 5.

At the outset, it should be noted that the relationship between psychotherapy and

religion has been at times marked by hostility or indifference. Freud referred to religion

as a "mass delusion" in which people "attempt to procure a certainty of happiness and

protection against suffering through a delusional remolding of reality" (Freud, 1930, in

Nelson & Wilson, 1984, p. 17). In fact, many writings in psychotherapy from the first

half of the 20th century speak of religion as pathological or as evidence of psychological

dysfunction (Bartoli, 2007). Albert Ellis maintained that "religious belief was essentially

synonymous with emotional disturbance and that there was a direct and linear

2
relationship between degree of orthodoxy (religious commitment) and disturbance"

(Johnson, 2001, p. 40). Ellis (1973) boldly claimed: "Man is man.. ..When and if he

fully accepts.. .the reality that there is no supernatural 'force' in the universe that gives a

damn about him or ever will, he will then be truly humanistic" (p. 16).

Nevertheless, there have been many in recent decades who have challenged the

psychotherapeutic community in this regard. Bergin (1980) claims: "Religion is at the

fringe of clinical psychology when it should be at the center" (p. 103). Berenson (1990)

echoes this growing sentiment: "the most underused resource in family therapy today is

God" (p. 59). Prest & Keller (1993) speaking of the situation two decades ago lamented

that there was "a glaring lack of professional literature addressing spirituality" (p. 137),

and this lack has not been totally satisfied. From our statistics on evangelicalism, we can

see the scope of the error in marginalizing what is significant and precious to many. The

situation in the last quarter of the 20th century onwards has been a partial reversal of the

earlier period with a growing body of professional and popular literature written about

the importance of spirituality in therapy: "Viewing a person holistically means that one

consider all aspects of the person. Spirituality is a piece of this puzzle, an integrative

force that cannot be isolated from a person's physical state, feelings, thoughts or

relationships" (Hawkins, Tan, & Turk, 1999, p. 310).

In 1990, a study of the spiritual orientation of psychotherapists found that the

majority of psychotherapists (55%; N=225) considered it inappropriate for a psychologist

to use religious texts in therapy (Shafranske & Malony, 1990). One reason for this

reluctance stems from the ideal of value-free psychotherapy. A belief in the Bible

presupposes a theistic framework and a corresponding view of divine revelation. Some

3
would contend that this kind of presuppositional and metaphysical approach is contrary to

the neutral, value-free stance of good psychotherapy (Smith & Counsell, 1991). Hunter

(1976) disagrees: ".. .psychotherapeutic research has convincingly demonstrated that

even the most, benign, empathetic, phenomenological therapist inevitably imposes values

and moral judgments on his or her patients" (p. 151). Most would agree that there is

simply no such thing as value free psychotherapy: ".. .all therapeutic techniques are

underlain with philosophical and moral assumptions that entail unproven biases, whether

or not psychologists are aware of them" (Slife & Whoolery, 2006; cf. Malony, 1985).

This hesitation to use spiritual interventions such as scripture reading and

meditation also stem from a reluctance among clients who have not always felt free to

discuss religious or spiritual concerns with therapists (Haug, 1998). Bergin, Payne &

Richards (1996) list a number of reasons why evangelicals have apprehensions about

secular psychotherapy: evangelicals share the concern that the spiritually unaware

counselor may:

(a) neglect religious concerns; (b) deal with religious belief events as pathological

or psychological; (c) fail to discern religious language and ideas; (d) presume that

religious clients share nonreligious cultural norms (e.g., living together,

premarital sex, and divorce); (e) promote therapeutic conduct that contradicts

their own particular sense of morals (e.g., abortion and homosexual conduct); or

(f) make presumptions, explanations, and suggestions that their account of

revelation is not valid epistemology (p. 315).

In view of the early history of psychotherapy and the antipathy toward religion shown by

some, such client concerns are not unwarranted. Moreover, a study by Bergin & Jensen

4
(1990) revealed that there is a "religiosity gap" between therapists and their clients.

Studies have shown that a "majority of the population probably prefer an orientation to

counseling and psychotherapy that is sympathetic, or at least sensitive, to a spiritual

perspective" and this need has not been met by those therapists "whose

conceptual/clinical frameworks have room only for secular and naturalistic constructs"

(pp. 6-7; cf. Bergin, 1980; Shafranske & Malony, 1996).

This increasing recognition that religion and spirituality are relevant to

psychotherapeutic practice is reflected in the American Psychological Association's

(APA) Ethical Principles (2003). Principle E states in part:

Psychologists are aware of and respect cultural, individual, and role differences,

including those based on age, gender, gender identity, race, ethnicity, culture,

national origin, religion, sexual orientation, disability, language, and

socioeconomic status and consider these factors when working with members of

such groups (italics added).

Psychologists who lack the necessary preparation for dealing with religious issues are

required to receive proper training and supervision or to make appropriate referrals

(2.0.1(b)). Eck (2002) summarizes an attitude towards religion and spirituality which is

becoming standard in the field: "religion and spirituality.. .are as much a part of a

person's orientation to life as their ethnicity, gender and culture" (Eck, 2002, p. 266).

Yet, Bartoli (2007) notes that psychology's emerging interest in religion and spirituality

has yet to be matched by adequate graduate-level training in these areas.

There is a growing estimation of the Bible's use in the therapeutic enterprise.

5
Some argue that using the Bible is simply using the best tool for the task: "Like any other

practitioner who believes in his or her craft, my intent is to use the best resources I can

for the helping of my client" (Malony, 1985, p. 118). Even Albert Ellis (1993), who

disparaged religious beliefs (1980), gives high regard to the therapeutic usefulness of the

Bible: "I think I can safely say that the Judeo-Christian Bible is a self-help book that has

probably enabled more people to make more extensive and intensive personality and

behavioral changes than all professional therapists combined" (p. 336). According to

Smith & Counsell (1991): "With the rise of Christian populations and the popularity of

fundamental religious movements and Scriptural study, therapists will probably be seeing

more clients with whom the use of the Bible can be a meaningful part of the therapy

process" (p. 151). Via the publication of study aids and contemporary translations of the

Bible, the scriptures are becoming more accessible also in therapy. Lovinger (1996)

makes a similar observation:

[T]he Bible, which is often seen as a monolithic, impenetrable structure, is

considered as much more flexible in meaning, and having qualities of humor,

depth, and awareness of the human condition, than many individuals are

ordinarily aware of. It too, used properly, can aid the therapeutic enterprise (p.

360).

Even more mainstream Christians are coming to appreciate the value of biblically based

counseling:

Seminarians and pastors are raising questions concerning the appropriate use of

the Bible in pastoral counseling, and seminary professors in pastoral counseling

are rethinking their views on the issue. Few want to return to the era when

6
 pastors were armed with a list of Bible verses to cover every conceivable personal

problem and hardly anyone has in mind turning counseling sessions into Bible

study sessions. But many are asking whether it may be possible to recover the

Bible as a resource in pastoral counseling and whether it might be useful to

develop Biblically-informed methods of pastoral counseling (Capps, 1980, p.

252).

In counseling evangelicals, the Bible can provide an unequalled source of comfort and

guidance.

The self-testimony of the Bible about its own reliability and usefulness is

instructive. Paul underscores the divine inspiration of the Scriptures and commends its

total adequacy in 2 Tim. 3:14-17:

But as for you, continue in what you have learned and have become convinced of,

because you know those from whom you learned it, and how from infancy you

have known the holy Scriptures, which are able to make you wise for salvation

through faith in Christ Jesus. All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for

teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the man of

God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.1

While a number of versions have rendered the hapax legomenon: theopneustos with

"inspired of/by God" (i.e. NASV, KJV, NKJV, RSV), B. B. Warfield has argued

persuasively that compounds containing theos with endings in -tos are mostly passive in

meaning and so the ideal translation is "God-breathed":

1
All quotations from the Bible unless otherwise indicated are taken from the New International Version,
Zondervan, 1985.

7
 From all points of approach alike we appear to be conducted to the conclusion

that it is primarily expressive of the origination of Scripture, not of its nature and

much less of its effects. What is theopneustos is 'God-breathed,' produced by the

creative breath of the Almighty (Warfield, 1948, p. 296).

Therefore, Scripture "owes its origin and content to divine breath" (Hendrikson, 1957, p.

302); it is the product of God's "creative fiat" (Packer, 1979, p. 98).

The manner in which the Scriptures were "breathed out by God" is not addressed

in this passage. In 2 Pet. 1:20-21, Peter, however, maybe speaking pars pro toto of the

origination of Scriptures:

Above all you must understand that no prophecy of Scripture came about by the

prophet's own interpretation. For prophecy never had its origin in the will of

man, but men spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit.

If it is the case that Peter is referring to the corpus of Scripture with the phrase "prophecy

of Scripture" then this is a strong statement about the divine control over the writers of

Scripture (Pinnock, 1971).

This high regard for the Hebrew scriptures was extended to the New Testament

corpus in time. In 1 Tim. 5:18, Paul quotes two passages, one from Deuteronomy (25:4)

and one found in Luke 10:7. He makes no distinction of value between the two and

introduces both with the formula: "Scripture says...." Already at this early stage in the

development of the canon, part of the biblical tradition which later was expressed in the

New Testament writings was considered on par with the Hebrew Scriptures.

In 2 Tim. 3:17: Paul elaborates on the value of the scriptures in equipping the

servant of God "for every good work." The scriptures are a resource in "teaching,

8
rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness" (2 Tim. 3:16). Mack (1998) expands

on this usefulness of scripture: "It has utilitarian value; it enhances life; it is profitable in

every way—for time and eternity, for our relationship with God and our relationship with

our fellow man, for our spiritual and emotional and mental well-being..." (p. 80). Mack

expounds the value of scripture in teaching: "It is useful for teaching; it is the instrument

the Holy Spirit uses to provide for us a standard of what is right and wrong, good and

bad, true and false about all of the truly important matters of life" (p. 80).

Malony (1985) draws out some of the counseling implications from the passage in

2 Tim. 3:17. "Rebuking" sounds harsh for counseling but there are times when it is

appropriate:

Rebuking is a synonym for confrontation with which every good therapist is

familiar. In this case the Scriptures are to be used in helping the client to become

aware of those misplaced perceptions, those erroneous understandings, those

mistaken cognitions and those deceptive feelings which are contrary to the

understanding of life noted above (p. 120).

The third action fitting for the Scriptures is "correcting"; this sounds much like

"rebuking" but Malony takes this passage in the direction of "correcting faults" or

problem behaviors:

Faults have to do with behaviors whereas error has to do with thoughts.

Inconsistencies between behaviors and the Jewish/Christian view of life are to be,

not only pointed out, but corrected through the use of scripture and what might be

called 'religious behavior modification' (p. 120).

9
The fourth and final result of incorporating scripture into counseling is for "training in

righteousness":

Right living is that type of existence which occurs when the Jewish/Christian

understanding of life is put into practice both at the level of thought and action.

Instruction is what all good therapists do when they become prescriptive and

supportive. It is to be undertaken sensitively and affirmatively (p. 120).

In the chapters below, we will have an opportunity to apply this passage in specific

clinical situations.

A few guidelines are needed to form a corrective to a heavy-handed approach

which some might feel is warranted in the passage in 2 Tim. 3:14-17. The scriptures also

have much to say that can be considered a soft-handed approach. The same Paul also

directs the mature believer to: ".. .encourage the timid, help the weak, be patient with

everyone" (1 Thess. 5:14). Again the apostle explains: "For everything that was written

in the past was written to teach us, so that through endurance and the encouragement of

the Scriptures we might have hope" (Rom. 15:4). There are times in cognitive therapy

when it is necessary to use rational disputation to challenge distorted patterns of thinking

(chapter 3), but there are also many other times when the counselor should emulate the

Good Shepherd (John 10:1-21). As the incarnation of Christ in the world the therapist

has a role in "binding up the brokenhearted" (Is. 61:1); the therapist is to embody

compassion for the weak, the discouraged and the despairing (cf. Benner, 1983).

The orienting work of the Holy Spirit must guide our steps; we need to employ

the Scriptures in ministering to people with all patience and kindness: "The therapist of

faith should be sensitive to and aware of the Holy Spirit's guidance in themselves and the

10
client, using spiritual interventions only in concert with the leading and guiding of the

Holy Spirit" (Eck, 2002, p. 272). As biblically informed therapists we must "emphasize

the Holy Spirit's ministry in bringing about inner healing as well as cognitive, behavioral,

and emotional change" (Tan, 1987, p. 108). The Holy Spirit is so central to our efforts

that spiritual interventions are perhaps better called the "disciplines of the Holy Spirit"

(Tan, 2007b, p. 329).

For the counselor who serves evangelical clients, it is imperative to note an

important distinction. While the Bible can be considered infallible or inerrant, our

interpretations of the scriptures are not. We need a good dose of caution in applying the

scriptures to other people's lives. The Bible should never become a club to beat the

already weary into submission. Furthermore, I believe that the farther we are from that

original context in which the scriptures were given, the more we need humility and

tentativeness in our interpretations. This is not a validation of every possible

interpretation of a passage; there is still good and bad exegesis and interpretation. Rather

our interpretations and biblical interventions need to be seasoned with grace and

humility.

1. ETHICAL USE OF SCRIPTURE IN COUNSELING

There are a number of ethical considerations when using scripture in counseling

evangelicals. As early as the first intake interview, it is important for the therapist to

begin to sensitively investigate the religious or spiritual dimension to determine what

kind of spiritual intervention, if any, is appropriate. In setting goals for therapy, the

counselor should begin to clarify whether spiritual concerns are important and what

spiritual resources would be appropriate in the treatment plan. Before scripture is used as

11
an "explicit intervention" it is imperative that the client give informed consent, preferably

in writing (Tan, 1996). Furthermore, it is wise to revisit this issue periodically to

determine if the client is still 'onboard.' As a safeguard, the counselor might consider

doing a self-evaluation with questions like:

Why do I want to have the client read this biblical text? What do I hope to

accomplish through it (e.g., to be provoked, taught, comforted, connected to

something greater than self, to change one's focal point)? What barriers might

hinder this goal? How might the client misinterpret my intervention? (Tan,

2007a, p. 108).

To proceed without the client actively giving consent is contrary to the therapeutic

relationship. It is important to note that clients are often motivated to please their

therapists and for that reason could assent to something they are not entirely in agreement

or comfortable with. The perceptive counselor will make every effort to determine when

the client 'owns' the approach and when he/she is compromising his/her own desires or

objectives in deference to the counselor's wishes.

It should not be assumed that because the client is an evangelical and evangelicals

value the scriptures that in this particular case the client would appreciate a spiritual

intervention involving the Bible. Each person, each case should be considered by

criteria unique to that person, that case. Gary Collins (1972) explains:

The extent to which spiritual resources will be used in counseling depends on the

counselor, the counselee, and the problem.. ..For some counselees, prayer and

Scripture reading during an interview will be a strengthening and reassuring

experience. For others, this would be a source of considerable embarrassment and

12
 discomfort. Therefore, the counselor must use careful judgment in deciding if,

when, and how he introduces such practices (Capps, 1981, p. 31).

Using Scripture in counseling should be done only in a way that is "consistent with good

counseling principles" (Capps, 1981, p. 19). Under no circumstances should the client be

coerced, shamed, or manipulated into accepting a treatment option or using a spiritual

resource like the Bible in his or her therapy.

Imposing Religious Values

The danger for some therapists is their perceived proximity to evangelicalism. It

is helpful to remember the maxim that "every therapeutic relationship is a cross-cultural

experience" (Bergin & Jensen, 1990, p. 3). Do not assume that a client's biblical

interpretations, beliefs or experiences can be easily labeled and classified. Even among

individuals from the same denomination or ecclesiastical grouping there can be

significant differences in belief and practice. Each client is unique and deserves

individualized treatment (Richards & Potts, 1995). Therapeutic interventions that rest on

a differing interpretation of scripture can cause the client offence and hinder the

therapeutic endeavor. Debates about biblical interpretation are unproductive and can

derail the joining process (Smith & Counsell, 1991). One evangelical believes one thing,

but another evangelical sees it another way and places great emphasis on the difference.

This is not to say that the counselor must believe what the client believes, but he or she

must not discredit or disparage what the client holds to be true.

Research has shown that clients in distress are vulnerable to their therapists'

influence (Worthington, 1988). It is the therapist's responsibility to see that he or she

does not impose religious values on the client when using scripture in therapy. The

13
therapist must remain sensitive to any misuse of power in the therapeutic relationship.

Imposing values or ideas reduces the client's right and freedom to choose (Tan, 1996).

The therapist is in a place of power and should rely on self-examination and clinical

supervision, if necessary, if the autonomy of the client is in any way threatened. Garzon

(2005) describes three guiding principles to consider when applying scriptural

interventions: "(a) respect for the client's autonomy/freedom, (b) sensitivity to and

empathy for the client's religious and spiritual beliefs, and (c) flexibility and

responsiveness to the client's religious and spiritual beliefs" (p. 114).

Not imposing values or convictions on the client may seem like a straightforward

matter, but it takes good judgment and maturity on the part of the therapist to know when

the line is crossed. As a rule, "[interventions should be appropriate for the client's

spiritual or religious tradition, diagnosis, level of spiritual development, treatment

modality, and clinical setting without fostering defensiveness, inappropriate dependency,

increased manipulation of the therapeutic setting, or increased pathology" (Eck, 2002, p.

271). The counselor should be constrained by the client's pace and the client's freedom

to alter the pace. Even when the therapist has proceeded with sensitivity and respect, the

client always retains the right to stop when he/she feels that his/her goals have been

subverted. There is no substitute for careful explanation about how using scripture might

look like and feel like before it is actually used (Richards & Bergin, 2005). Eck (2002)

is correct in maintaining: "Explicit interventions that arise out of the therapeutic alliance

are least likely to violate the client's values and most likely to facilitate client growth" (p.

270).

14
 Counselors should be cognizant of where a discussion is going and how it

contributes to the therapeutic goal. There is a difference between clarifying a position

with scripture and arguing about some point of interpretation or theology without any

therapeutic aim (Tan, 2003). Some clients may enjoy a 'good fight' over ideas, other

clients may be offended or distressed by them, but arguments in general should be

avoided. It is important for the counselor to treat issues nondogmatically and stress to

the client that the therapist does not have official authority in these matters (Richards &

Bergin, 2005). Simply using the Bible in certain circumstances can create an

"authoritarian climate" when in fact this is not the counselor's purpose at all. The client

"may expect that the Bible, like the Church and office of minister, carry the weight of an

authority which will advise or order, inform or instruct, judge or condemn, to which he

must relate passively, submissively, and obediently" (Goodling, 1976, p. 185). This may

create a power imbalance that leaves the client inappropriately dependent and vulnerable

to manipulation (Eck, 2002).

Even when client and counselor are both evangelicals and have overlapping

beliefs and practices, conflict can arise and the counselor may need to evaluate his or her

role in the overall therapeutic endeavor. Johnson (1987) speaks to this conflict situation:

"At this point the therapist needs to decide whether he will explicitly or implicitly subvert

the client's values, terminate the therapeutic contract, or drastically sublimate personal

values and work within the personal values of the client" (p. 34). Even deciding which

scriptures to use in therapy can cause offence; just reading a passage is fuel for hot topics

like gender roles, divorce etc. Richards & Bergin (2005) provide examples of covert

religious value imposition:

15
 [An example] of this would be.. .a therapist who may agree to help a female

business executive overcome her depression but while doing so implies that her

career is the source of her depression and she should do 'God's will' by giving up

her career, getting married, and becoming a full-time mother and

homemaker.. ..Similarly, therapists who are religiously and politically liberal may

attempt to get clients to adopt their liberal views. This is also unethical. [An

example] of this would be a therapist.. .who may try to influence a religiously

conservative woman to give up her full-time homemaker role to pursue a career.

Regardless of their personal views, therapists should not attempt to coerce clients

into decisions or lifestyles that are contrary to the clients' values, wishes, and

cultural context (p. 195).

If a conflict over what scripture has to say about values and lifestyle choices surfaces it is

important for the therapist to sensitively address the issue and if necessary make a referral

(Eck, 2002).

There are times when confrontation may have an appropriate place in the

therapeutic endeavor. This seems somewhat contradictory in light of the above. The

distinction between imposing religious values and confronting views that lead to

dysfunction is difficult to demarcate at times. Tan & Johnson (2005) make a distinction

between disputing "fundamental faith commitments" and challenging "idiosyncratic

religious views or the incongruence of such beliefs with the doctrine or scripture of the

client's own religious community" (p. 85). Under no circumstances is it ethical to use the

Bible to dismiss or to trivialize a client's religious views or biblical interpretations. Nor

16
is it ethical to use the Bible as a club; Paul admonishes believers to "speak the truth in

love" (Eph. 4:15). Grizzle (1992) suggests how to counter an extreme viewpoint:

While it is not generally appropriate to challenge the basic faith beliefs of clients,

it can be extremely helpful to point out in their own faith language how they may

have followed one extreme principle to the exclusion of another within their own

faith framework. Knowing these principles can help the practitioner address these

belief systems in a faith supportive manner....Often clients may have taken one

aspect of belief to an extreme without recognizing the other balancing principle.

By pointing this out within their faith framework, they may be able to modify

their patterns without feeling their basic beliefs have been challenged (pp. 142-

143).

There is a place for 'moral confrontation' especially with addicts, abusers and others—

but without shaming or condemning them (Richards & Bergin, 2005). With a view to

therapeutic wholeness, cognitive restructuring has a place:

It is not wrong, however, to examine the belief systems of patients, help them to

identify those beliefs that make a favorable difference in their lives and those that

are destructive, and to begin to help them to restructure their belief systems so as

to end the pain that arises out of their acting on destructive beliefs (Nelson &

Wilson, 1984, p. 19).

Ward maintains that the spirit in which confrontation is given is worthy of consideration:

"the emphasis must be on a loving confrontation, not an insensitive blasting" (Ward,

1977, p. 17).

17
 Logical disputation of irrational beliefs is a therapeutic approach used in Rational

Emotive Behavior Therapy (REBT). Using this therapeutic strategy with evangelicals

poses special ethical challenges for the practitioner. Johnson (2001) like Tan & Johnson

(2005) distinguish between foundational religious beliefs and idiosyncratic or distorted

understandings of scripture or doctrine. Some common beliefs that Christians hold that

cause distress include: "If I sin, God does not love me" or "Because I am a Christian, I

should be perfect" (Johnson, 2001, p. 45). You will notice that these have some biblical

basis, for example, regarding perfection, Jesus admonishes: "Be perfect.. .as your

heavenly Father is perfect" (Matt. 5:48). Often the problem is an overemphasis or

exclusion of other biblical texts that provide balance. DiGiuseppe, Robin, & Dryden

(1990) explain,

[P]eople do not become disturbed because of their belief in religion; rather their

disturbance is related to their tendency to selectively abstract certain elements of

their religion to the exclusion of attending to others. They may become rigid

adherents to one aspect of their religion without ever focusing on another (p. 358).

So with passages about perfection, we might add that the Bible also provides a solution

when we do not achieve God's perfection. In 1 John we read:

If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and

purify us from all unrighteousness. If we claim we have not sinned, we make him

out to be a liar and his word has no place in our lives. My dear children, I write

this to you so that you will not sin. But if anybody does sin, we have one who

speaks to the Father in our defense—Jesus Christ, the Righteous One. He is the

18
 atoning sacrifice for our sins, and not only for ours but also for the sins of the

whole world (1:9-2:2).

The message of salvation is that sin has a solution in Jesus Christ. For the self-

condemning evangelical, there are the counterbalancing words of Rom. 8:1, "Therefore,

there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus."

Johnson (2001) shares a case example to demonstrate appropriate and

inappropriate logical disputation with the religious client. Renee is a college student

from a strict religious background, who was admitted for treatment at a mental health

clinic. In the course of treatment, Renee confessed to having sexual intercourse with her

boyfriend of one year. The experience was consensual but it is causing her considerable

emotional distress. She quotes passages of scripture about sin leading to death, and

sexual immorality as a violation of the "temple of the Holy Spirit" (1 Cor. 6:19). She

feels she must disclose this sin to her pastor immediately, and she worries about the

shame and embarrassment she will have caused her family. She laments: "God asked so

little of me, and I failed at loving him more than myself. I have become a harlot. My sin

is like a millstone around my neck" (Johnson, 2001, p. 40).

One approach would be a direct disputation of Renee's religious beliefs. Johnson

(2001) gives an example of this:

Where is the evidence that any God exists? Prove to me that any supernatural

being cares one bit what you choose to do! It seems to me that believing your

body is a 'temple' to some other being is helping you feel miserable. I guess

you'll have to choose between killing yourself or accepting the fact that sexual

19
 relations between consenting adults are normal and healthy—regardless of what

your religion teaches (p. 43).

One of the reasons why this is problematic is because religious belief is just that belief

and not provable outside of its own presuppositional framework. Johnson (2001)

explains:

Because it is impossible to rule out the truth or falseness of religious beliefs.. .and

because the REBT disputational process relies primarily of empirical and logical

criteria of rationality and irrationality, disputing belief content appears

unproductive at best and grossly unethical at worst (p. 43).

Furthermore, Lovinger (1996) argues that the therapeutic relationship is in jeopardy when

the therapist takes aim at a central pillar (i.e. existence of God) undergirding the client's

belief system:

Arguing or directly confronting a client's belief is not likely to be therapeutically

effective, and even if it is, the client's autonomy may be impaired. Furthermore,

most religious clients approach the Bible with deadly seriousness. If the therapist

appears to mock specific biblical precepts, this may damage the therapy

relationship (p. 354).

Johnson (2001) suggests that disputation should not focus on the "actual content of

religious beliefs," but rather focus "on the evaluative and demanding quality of the

beliefs expressed by the client" (p. 44). The key issue is: "How does this client's style of

thinking about God and his or her religion make him or her distressed?" (Johnson, 2001,

p. 44).

20
 Renee is demonstrating the cognitive distortion of "awfulizing." She has

catastrophized her situation and relationship with God. However, Johnson (2001)

advocates that the ethical therapist honors Renee's theistic beliefs about God, sin,

salvation, and biblical constraints on behavior but focuses on how she has selectively

abstracted certain scriptural ideas to the exclusion of others. Johnson (2001) addresses

Renee's self-damnation from within her own belief system:

You know, I understand after listening to you that God may not be pleased with

your decision to sleep with your boyfriend, but I'm a little surprised that you think

this mistake makes you 'evil' and 'worthless' in God's eyes.. ..I had always

thought that Jesus died on the cross for our sins and that, in God's eyes, most

people sin now and then. Is that right? So wouldn't it be more accurate to say

that you're a person who did a thing you're not happy about, but who is still

invited to be forgiven? (p. 44).

The story of the woman caught in adultery could be used in a powerful way to answer

Renee's self-condemnation: "If any one of you is without sin, let him be the first to throw

a stone at her" (John 8:7). All of the woman's accusers left, with only Jesus standing

with her and he spoke these words to her: '"Then neither do I condemn you,' Jesus

declared. 'Go now and leave your life of sin'" (John 8:11). Like Jesus, the counselor

should not dismiss or trivialize the sin but point to God's forgiveness and acceptance.

The story of the prodigal son is another scripture passage that could be used to

underscore God's forgiveness and joy with a child who has 'messed up' but has returned

home.

21
 When confronted with grace and forgiveness, there is sometimes a tendency for

people to feel that they must somehow earn God's forgiveness or favor or that their sin is

especially damnable. The REBT therapist might answer Renee's continued self-

condemnation with:

I wonder where it says in the Bible that to be forgiven, you must first earn

forgiveness through some punishment, hard work, etc.? In fact, I know the Bible

does talk about why and how we come to God's grace. Ephesians 2:8 says, 'For

by grace you have been saved through faith; and this is not your own doing, it is

the gift of God.' I don't know about you but it doesn't sound to me like God is

asking for you to do anything but believe in him and be forgiven (Johnson, 2001,

p. 46).

Salvation by God's grace and unconditional forgiveness are central doctrines of the

evangelical faith, and as such the counselor is on solid ground when he/she steers the

client back to the basics of the faith and away from extreme thoughts to the contrary.

Displacing Religious Authority

The ethical therapist actively examines his/her use of Scripture in counseling so as

not to usurp the role of the client's religious leaders. There are a number of areas that the

client might consider clergy prerogatives. These include hearing confession of sins,

pronouncing forgiveness and giving blessings. There are a number of profoundly rich

blessings and benedictions in the Bible including the Aaronic blessing (Num. 6:23-26) in

the Old Testament and a number of the benedictions in the NewTestament epistles. For

the therapist treating the evangelical client, it might seem therapeutic to "bless" the client

with one of these passages. For some clients there would be no concern if the therapist

22
performed one of these functions, but for other clients this would create "role confusion

and boundary violations and harm" (Haug, 1998, p. 190). For therapists who are also

active members of a religious group, this requires special consideration because there

may be significant overlap between counseling and ecclesiastical roles (Richards &

Bergin, 2005). It is in the best interest of the client and the therapist if the therapist

would seek clarification from the client about what rituals or tasks are reserved for people

with the appropriate ecclesiastical sanction.

Furthermore, it is wise for the secular counselor to make it clear that he/she does

not have official ecclesiastic authority, and that when there is a danger of role confusion

that the therapist seeks collaboration with or a referral to a spiritual leader in the client's

religious tradition. Clergy can also be called on to clarify the beliefs and practices of the

client's spiritual tradition (Hodge, 2006; Johnson, 2001). In particular, if a course

correction is needed it may be most appropriate for the religious leader or greater

religious community to be involved. This also minimizes the danger of loyalty conflicts

between therapist and clergy (Haug, 1998).

When using scripture in counseling evangelicals, it is important not to undermine

the credibility of the client's spiritual leaders. Richards & Bergin (2005) give ways in

which this can happen and the results:

The most blatant way therapists undermine the credibility of religious leaders is to

say or do things that denigrate or otherwise communicate a lack of respect for

them (e.g., ridicule advice that clients receive from their religious leaders; suggest

the clients' religious leaders are superstitious, incompetent, or deluded; or make

derogatory comments about religion or religious leaders in general). Such

23
 behavior is not only unethical, but it is often harmful to the client and may even

backfire and undermine the credibility of the therapist. Many devoutly religious

clients hold their religious leaders in high regard, even if the leaders have done

something to hurt or offend them (pp. 190-191).

In using a passage or theme from scripture, the therapist should show respect for

interpretations that are a part of the client's religious tradition and seek continuity with

the client's faith. If the counselor holds another interpretation of scripture, and this

becomes problematic for the client or the therapist, it may be advisable to refer to another

practitioner or clergy whose views are more in accord with that of the client (Hodge,

2006). If referral is necessary, the client should not be made to feel that this is somehow

his/her problem or that he/she is at fault.

Practicing outside area of competence

In 1990, a study researching psychologists' preparation for dealing with the

religious dimension of clients found that two-thirds of the clinicians (N=273) agreed with

the statement: "Psychologists, in general, do not possess the knowledge or skills to assist

individuals in their religious or spiritual development" (Shafranske & Malony, 1990, p.

75). Richards & Bergin (2005) maintain that the deficit in training has not been

adequately addressed:

Unfortunately, most professional mental health training programs do not give

adequate preparation for therapists to intervene in the spiritual dimensions of their

clients' lives.. ..Despite the fact that they give considerable attention to other

types of diversity, few mainstream mental health programs provide course work

24
 or supervision on religious and spiritual issues in mental health and

psychotherapy (p. 205; cf. Tan 2003).

Specialized training is a prerequisite to using spiritual interventions in therapy: "Before

utilizing spiritual interventions in treatment, one must obtain the necessary education,

training, and supervised experience" (Eck, 2002, p. 269). Malony (1985) goes so far as

to claim that scripture should be used in counseling "only where counselors know as

much about the Bible as they do about counseling theory" (p. 123). "Spiritual literacy"

is a necessary qualification before using explicit interventions with scripture (Haug,

1998). In the process the counselor should become conversant in a specialized spiritual

vocabulary: "Therapists may also need to familiarize themselves with the spiritual, life

affirming message expressed in traditional religious terminology such as 'shalom,' 'sin,'

'salvation,' or 'grace' in order to use clients' language and beliefs resourcefully and

without prejudice" (p. 189). If a therapist feels he/she is not adequately prepared for

using scripture in therapy, and the evangelical client expects this kind of spiritual

intervention, it may be necessary to refer this client to a therapist or practitioner with the

requisite training and experience (Tan, 1996).

Indications and contraindications for using scripture in counseling

Using scripture in counseling evangelicals is indicated when there is a willingness

on both the part of the counselor and the client to discuss spirituality generally and use

the scriptures specifically when the client requests or consents to such treatment and

when such spiritual interventions are relevant to the therapeutic goals. Counselors

should be competent in their therapeutic discipline and have attained a certain level of

personal maturity. Moon & Crews (2002) list eight traits of an effective counselor: "1)

25
psychological health 2) genuine interest in others 3) empathetic ability 4) personal

warmth 5) personal power 6) self-awareness 7) tolerance of ambiguity 8) awareness of

values" (pp. 185-186). Rogers (1957) centers on three qualities for successful therapy:

"unconditional positive regard," "empathy," and "genuineness." These have come to be

designated as the "therapeutic triad." In the Bible, the spiritually mature have certain

qualities, these are referred to as "fruits of the Holy Spirit": "love, joy, peace, patience,

kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control" (Gal. 5:22-23). These are

evidences of what it is to live Christ-like and to mirror the character of Christ which is

the goal of Christian formation (Moon & Crews, 2002). Some would refer to this as

living "incarnationally"—that is, embodying the word of God in every day experience.

Part of becoming more like Christ occurs when the words of God in scripture are

becoming an integral part of living.

There are also situations in which interventions utilizing scripture are

contraindicated. Scripture should not be used in therapy when the client makes it clear

that he/she is not interested. Nor should scripture be used when it is not relevant to the

therapeutic plan or goals. The counselor who uses scripture when not appropriate needs

to seek clarification whether he/she has a hidden agenda that is overshadowing good

therapeutic methods. Likewise the counselor who reduces everything to sin and the

demonic is in danger of eliminating psychotherapeutic variables and solutions, resulting

in a "monothematic approach" (Nelson & Wilson, 1984, p. 22).

There are cases when the client is incapable of "spiritual intelligence" or is

psychologically disturbed to a degree that the use of scripture in counseling is

unproductive or even harmful. Oates (1953) relates the story of an acutely disturbed

26
woman who, after hearing a sermon on Abraham's sacrifice of Isaac, attempted to take

the life of her daughter with a pair of scissors. She felt called by God to sacrifice her

child. She was prevented from carrying out her mission by her husband (Oates, 1953).

Eck (2002) explains that spiritual interventions are not advisable in situations like these:

"Spiritual interventions would be contra-indicated or used with caution with clients who

present with a dysfunctional or poorly formed religion or spirituality.. .or for those for

whom spiritual interventions would exacerbate existing pathology" (Eck, 2002, p. 270).

With psychotic, delusional and obsessive clients, using scripture may be ineffective,

confusing, or even detrimental: "These individuals are suffering true disturbances in their

reality test, and ideas of a God or a supreme being are likely to be incorporated into their

delusional, distorted thought processes" (Nelson & Wilson, 1984, p. 20). Treatment for

severely disturbed patients will likely involve conventional psychotherapy, medication

and even hospitalization. Theistic interventions in these situations should take a more

minor role until the patient is in a less severe phase (Richards & Bergin, 2005). The

temptation may be to confront religious distortions especially when these seem to

contribute to the patient's condition, but Tan (1996) advises against this:

In a situation where supportive therapy may be needed in order to prevent or

retard disintegration in a severely disturbed client, the therapist should refrain

from confronting the client's religious convictions or beliefs, even if they may

appear to be somewhat neurotic or unhealthy, until a later time when the client is

more stabilized emotionally and able and willing to engage in such discussion or

caring confrontation (p. 377).

27
This is not to say that scripture cannot be used in a therapeutic way with severely

disturbed patients but special considerations and caution should be observed.

The religious background of the client is a factor in determining the suitability of

using scripture in therapy. Scripture may be contraindicated for clients who have

experienced religious abuse:

Has [the client] experienced a legalistic and judgmental church environment.. .and

does he see the Bible as a book full of condemning passages? If so, guilt and

shame might be his primary affects in reaction to an intervention utilizing

Scripture. Such interventions may be contraindicated, at least early in treatment,

until a supportive therapeutic alliance has been developed (Garzon, 2005, p. 114).

Some clients from a harsh and legalistic background may have experienced spiritual

disciplines like Bible reading and memorization in a negative or authoritarian way. For

them, spiritual interventions may have little benefit until they have experienced the love

and grace of God through the counselor in a deeper way. These clients may be in active

rebellion against God and in reaction to such heavy-handed practices—this kind of

spiritual intervention only serves to worsen their condition. Early attention to this in

history taking can prevent errors in diagnosis and treatment (Tan & Johnson, 2005).

When dealing with clients from an authoritarian Christian background, the

therapist should be aware that using the Bible in therapy can be a catalyst which causes

the client to act in certain unhealthy ways. For clients dealing with authority, the Bible, a

symbol of authority, sometimes induces "unquestioned compliance or reflexive rebellion"

(Johnson, 1987, p. 33). In the case of "unquestioned compliance," the therapist may have

inadvertently achieved a "transference cure—that is, symptom removal through which

28
the client seeks consciously or unconsciously to please the therapist" (p. 34). For others,

the problem is that they are over-familiar with the scriptures to the point that there is no

impact in their lives; in this case, the clients know all the right answers but the "Bible

may have minimal penetration in the day-to-day reality of their lives" (p. 33). In these

situations, the Bible is not a help but a hindrance to the client's treatment. Where the

issue is authority, it would be productive for the therapist and client to explore the

underlying reactions to authority and how these are being evoked in counseling. If the

motivation is legalistic conformity or earning favor with God or with the therapist, the

client's well-being may be subverted. Eck (2002) states: "Spiritual disciplines are not

barometers of spirituality or a way to earn God's merit, forgiveness, and goodwill. They

are not to be used as soul killing legalistic practices performed from guilt and coercion"

(p. 272).

On the other hand, it may be the therapist who is experiencing negative feelings

when using scripture:

[T]he therapist might have had painful experiences in a church that utilized

Scripture in a heavy-handed legalistic or judgmental fashion. The therapist's own

emotional reactions might be erroneously presumed to lie in the client as well,

preventing the ability to see the Bible as a valuable coping resource for the client

when it actually is. Thus, both positive and negative Scripture countertransference

may lead to subtle or not-so-subtle impasses in treatment (Garzon, 2005, p. 114).

For therapist and client alike, the religious dimension may be just too personal for

discussion in therapy. Internal conflicting thoughts and feelings may make religious

psychotherapy difficult (Nelson & Wilson, 1984). If the therapist is experiencing

29
countertransference in regard to using scripture in therapy, and this is undermining the

therapeutic alliance, a referral to a suitably qualified counselor may be warranted.

For some clients, their experience with Christianity may be conflicted. They may

have experienced attention from people who have a shallow interest in them as persons.

The therapist treating evangelical clients should be aware of this approach where interest

is in the soul but very little interest remains for the person as a whole. Sometimes clients

have experienced "soul winning" where they were valued for their salvation potential as a

trophy for the evangelist. Christian therapists need to examine themselves to ensure that

their love of the client is not limited to the spiritual dimension. Some have referred to

this as being "so heavenly minded that one is of no earthly good." Christians may not

belong to the world as their ultimate spiritual allegiance, but they are still in the world,

and this they share with their clients.

Proper use of the Bible

Hermeneutical principles for interpreting scripture

In using the scriptures in counseling the Christian therapist should straddle two

worlds, the modern world of the present and the world of the ancient text. Sometimes

this balance needs reflection and adjustment. The therapist needs to have familiarity

with both horizons: "He must be acquainted with 'living human documents' as well as

ancient manuscripts" (Oates, 1953, p. 27). To properly use scriptures Malony (1985)

argues that the therapist should be competent in sound exegetical method:

Initially it should be said that counselors who use scripture in counseling should

be as able at exegeting as they are at expositing. Using scriptures should never be

an excuse for popularizing or for the buttressing of conventional wisdom with

30
 pseudo divine sanction. Requiring informed exegesis to be the basis for sensitive

exposition assures the counselee that the Bible will be utilized in therapy with as

much expertise as will psychodynamics and personality theory. If the counselee

cannot be guaranteed such expertise then the scripture should not be used (p.

121).

There is a logical sequence to exegesis and exposition; first the exegete must determine

what the text meant before he/she can determine what it means for today. To reverse the

process exposes the reader to the danger of reading the modern context back onto the

ancient text. Sproul (1983) notes the danger in subjective interpretation: "The Bible has

become a nose of wax, easily twisted, formed, and reshaped to fit the bias of the

interpreter" (p. 37).

Just as there is a logical sequence from ancient text to contemporary context, there

is also a sequence to be followed in moving from application in the reader's life to

application in other's lives. Grappling with the message of the Bible should start in the

counselor's own backyard:

The message must go through you first. Notice how hard it is to share a story or

concept with another when you have only a superficial or distant knowledge of

the facts. The same is true with the Scriptures. When we try to use the Scriptures

without wrestling personally with its meaning and message, it can only be

communicated in a superficial manner. Imagine how comfort and hope oriented

Scriptures would sound when delivered by one who does not know deeply of

God's rich comfort and hope. If we are to do justice to the Scriptures, we must

31
 not only read them but be on our knees praying them so that we do not give

counsel that we ourselves would not follow (Monroe, 2004, p. 12).

When the client experiences the word of God in a living and vibrant way vicariously

through the therapist, it is likely to be contagious. This is also a safeguard against

flippant applications of scripture as well. Anyone who has applied the passage "turn the

other check" knows just how hard this really is to imitate. Perhaps the counselor who has

grappled with such hard sayings of Jesus in the Bible will be sparing in applying these to

other people's lives.

It is crucial to keep in mind the ultimate purpose of the scriptures: it is not some

random collection of ancient facts and stories, but rather it serves to draw the reader into

relationship with the divine author: "The Scriptures exist primarily to connect us to God"

(Monroe, 2004, p. 9). Johnson (1987) elaborates on this purpose of using scripture in

therapy:

The assets of the use of the Bible in therapy must not be minimized by its

dangers. Like prayer it can refer the therapeutic endeavor to the divine dimension

and help people realize their God-given potential. The Bible also gives direction

and content to personal growth, and can lead a person to a deeper relationship

with the divine Author. Such a journey can be facilitated through bibliotherapy

(p. 34).

In addition, evangelicalism as an heir of the protestant Reformation places emphasis on

the central role of Christ in achieving a restored relationship with God. The scriptures,

for the evangelical, point to Christ as its focal point:

32
 Christ's life, death and resurrection provides the central, organizing recapitulation

of the biblical metanarrative: his life fulfills the creation of image-bearers; his

death was God's judgment for sin; and his resurrection was the beginning of

human redemption and points ahead to the consummation. In Christ's story we

discover the divine reframing of our story and the pattern for our life.. ..He is the

way, the truth and the life, terms that point to his centrality in soul-healing.

Genuine Christian soul care is Christocentric and attempts to take all treatment

captive to Christ (Johnson, 2007, pp. 214-215).

Evangelicalism interprets scripture in light of Christ's incarnation, death, and

resurrection. The Hebrew scriptures progressively reveal God's plan of salvation which

is realized more fully in the pages of the New Testament. This Christocentrism is

foundational to evangelical thought and doctrine.

While sound exegesis is essential to interventions utilizing scripture, it is also

important to gauge the biblical literacy of an evangelical client. Not everyone is equally

acquainted with the Bible and each will respond in a way that is unique to that person:

[T]he level of Biblical literacy or sophistication varies from counselee to

counselee. For some the Bible has the familiarity of a home to which they return

easily and comfortably and with shared understanding; for others the Bible is a

foreign land, unknown, holding little or no interest as a place to visit. In like

manner, the expectation of the counselees concerning the use of the Bible varies

from those who consider a counseling conversation incomplete without a

reference to the Bible to those who would consider such a reference an intrusion

33
 at least, and even resented if it was viewed as taking advantage of a request for

personal help to evangelize or proselyte (Goodling, 1976, p. 185).

It is necessary in this sense also to 'exegete' the lives of our clients, to meet the client

where he or she is at without causing offence or intrusion. In fact, the client's selective

use of the scriptures or a special interest in certain passages to the exclusion of others can

shed some light on the client's way of being and relating in the world:

The person's selective interest in scripture leaves clues concerning what is

meaningful to him, where the important areas of his emotional life, including his

pain, are to be found, that is, where his sources of anxiety lie and how he deals

with them (Goodling, 1976, p. 184).

Just as dreams are considered by some as the 'royal road' to the unconscious, so Bible

use can serve as the 'royal road' to "deeper levels of the personalities" of clients (Oates,

1953, p. 21). Bible use can become a diagnostic tool for the therapist exercising a depth

of perception.

Improper uses of the Bible

Ignoring the context

When the Bible is used as a collection of loosely connected proof-texts we run the

risk of applying scripture out of context and in so doing removing the limits of

interpretation that are in the text (cf. Sori & McKinney, 2006). Tan & Gregg (1997)

explain: "Getting the whole sense of what an author is saying through a book of the Bible

decreases the risk of taking verses or portions of Scripture out of context and thus

misunderstanding or misapplying God's Word" (p. 84). One passage that has suffered

some misuse and one which we will refer to in the therapeutic context is found in

34
Philippians 4:13: "I can do everything through him who gives me strength." The KJV

follows some manuscripts in identifying the "him" with Christ. This is a wonderful

statement of Paul's sufficiency in Christ, but the "everything" cannot be removed from

the context. Some have used this text to mean that "Paul.. .could do anything and that

nothing was beyond his powers" (Hawthorne, 1983, pp. 200-201). Even though

"everything" or "all things" is an acceptable translation, the context does not move

"without warning from the particular to the general" (p. 201). In the verses before, Paul

discusses his approach to life's vicissitudes:

I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances. I know what it is to be

in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being

content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in

plenty or in want. I can do everything through him who gives me strength (Php.

4:11-13).

Carson (1984) correctly notes: "The 'everything' in this context is contented living in the

midst of food or hunger, plenty or want (Php. 4:10-12). Whatever his circumstances,

Paul can cope with contentment, through Christ who gives him strength" (p. 117).

Hawthorne (1983) renders the verse: "I have the power to face all such situations in union

with the One who continuously infuses me with strength" (p. 193).

Recently I heard the well-known affirmation in Jer.29:l 1 used with a woman who

was recovering from a spinal cord injury. At this stage, it was unsure what use she would

have of her body from the neck down. Jer. 29:11 reads: '"For I know the plans I have for

you,' declares the LORD, 'plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you

hope and a future.'" This is a wonderful promise of hope and God's blessing to the

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exiles. I became concerned, however, when this patient took this to mean that she would

walk again. What if she did not recover the use of her legs, or only in a limited way,

what then? Would she conclude that she was not a child of God? In the context of the

passage, Jeremiah is speaking to the exiles who would remain in Babylon for the time

being. We only have to read from the book of Lamentations to get a sense of what exile

was like. The exiles were under foreign control, taken from their homes, their land, and

away from the temple, the symbol of God's presence. A few verses later in the chapter

the false prophets Ahab and Zedekiah would be put to death by the king of Babylon

"before your very eyes" (Jer. 29:21). This is another testimony to the ugliness of

captivity and forms the context to this bright light of hope. This is not to say that

passages like this cannot be used at all, but rather they should be used "judiciously and

sparingly" (Goodling, 1976, p. 192) and with a view to how the client might interpret the

passage in the context of his or her life.

Scripture passages dealing with marriage and the relationship between husbands

and wives have suffered misuse as well. For some, "Wives, submit to your husbands"

(Eph. 5:22) is the end of the story about marital relations. Without the rest of the context

the idea becomes one-sided and has served to justify a one-way selfishness, placing a

heavy burden on women which men do not share (Green, 1984). In the surrounding

biblical context, we see that the husband is to pattern himself after the example of Christ

who sacrificially gave up his life for his bride, the church (Eph. 5:25). He is to love his

wife as his own body (Eph. 5:28-29). It is interesting that this whole passage is prefaced

with "Be filled with the Holy Spirit.. .submitting to one another" (Eph. 5:21). The wife

submits to the husband's authority, but the husband "submits" to the needs of his wife.

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This kind of mutual submission is called for in the context of the passage but is foreign to

those who selfishly dominate their wives.

Part of the problem with quickly producing a verse from the Bible is that we have

not spent enough time in the context of the client's life. Goodling (1976) advises pastors

but an application can be made to counselors as well:

Like a physician prescribing specific drugs for specific illness, the pastor is

tempted to offer specific scriptural verses for specific life questions: a verse for

fear, anxiety, guilt, hate, inadequacy, despair. Such prescriptions, to be sure, are

sincere efforts to draw upon the Bible for wisdom and understanding, for care and

compassion, for comfort and support, for acceptance and forgiveness, for

affection and love, for courage and strength, for that which would be Good News

for this person at this moment. But answers to personal problems are not arrived

at through prescriptions but through work—the identification, the experiencing,

the expression, the working through feelings and emotions in a relationship with a

person, not merely with words (pp. 189-190).

The problem with quick fixes according to Hulme (1981) is that "[i]n order to attain the

genuinely positive, one needs to enter into the genuinely negative" (p. 120). The word of

God can give us the necessary light at the end of the tunnel. Without that we might

despair, but we should not run from the darkness or deflect what is uncomfortable with a

scriptural cure-all (Hulme, 1981).

Sometimes we also need to circumscribe meaning from the context of the Bible as

a whole or from the collective experience of believers. The following is a beautiful

passage but there may be some limitations on its application: "Delight yourself in the

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LORD and he will give you the desires of your heart" (Ps. 37:4). This is not a blank

cheque to be spent on whatever fancy a person desires. As our will and desire become

aligned with God's will and desire, then we can count on receiving what we ask for.

Likewise, Jesus promised: "You may ask me for anything in my name, and I will do it"

(John 14:14). "In my name" suggests that requests should be those that further the

mission of God through Christ. Our focus should be on the kingdom of God and its

success: "But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be

given to you as well" (Matt. 6:33). This is not to say that God is all business and nothing

else. I can testify that not all my desires have focused on the kingdom of God, but God in

his generosity has lavished upon me grace upon grace.

Insensitive

Sensitivity to the client's situation is a skill that counselors do well to develop. It

is not uncommon that a person can recall being repelled by a quick-fix solution to a deep

or complex problem. This occurs in Christianity as well; someone pours out his or her

heart on a sensitive and painful matter only to receive an insensitive or heartless

response. This situation is magnified when the Bible is used:

Now there is a wrong use of God's word and a right one. The wrong use is this

sort of thing—someone comes to you, and you cast about in your mind what sort

of man he is, then hurl a text at him like a projectile, either in prayer or in talking

as you deal with him. That is a use of the word of God that kills your own soul

and the souls of the people you deal with (Monroe, 2004, p. 6).

Monroe (2004) goes on to answer the question: why do we use the scriptures with such

insensitivity:

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 Why are we inclined to shoot Bible bullets at those who are suffering? The

answer is simple: quick and tidy answers serve our purposes. A verse or passage

may baptize a personal opinion so as to give it biblical credibility. It may provide

comfort and protect a fragile faith that might otherwise crumble under the weight

of having to struggle with no clear answer to the why of a particular suffering....

We, like Job's counselors, often desire a black and white God who is never

mysterious and always follows our logic. Whatever the reason, when a counselor

uses the Scriptures in an unthinking and/or self-serving manner, it produces a

chasm between counselor and counselee and makes subsequent counsel

ineffective (pp. 6-7).

The one thing that Job's friends did that was sensible is recorded in Job 2:13: "Then they

sat on the ground with him for seven days and seven nights. No one said a word to him,

because they saw how great his suffering was."

Life has many problems that defy simplistic solutions. Problems may have

developed over years and have been experienced in countless ways. It is important to

resist the temptation to answer quickly. It is essential to create a therapeutic space where

the story can be told in detail and with as much emotion as needed. Sometimes a few

words 'seasoned with grace' can open the floodgates of retelling and emotions (Clinebell,

1984).

One area that requires special understanding is the area of forgiveness. Some

have suffered greatly at the hands of others. In all these cases it is important to start

where the client is (Hulme, 1981). Forgiveness is a process not just a result. For people

who have experienced abuse, it may be counterproductive to therapy to start with Jesus'

39
teaching about forgiveness in Matt. 18:21-22: where one is to forgive his brother not

seven times but seventy-seven times. Some, rather, are at the stage where they would

have the perpetrator drowned in the depth of the sea with a millstone around his/her neck

(cf. Matt. 18:6). There is a time for everything even for forgiving and letting go, but

counselors should not be in a rush to get there (Guyette, 2003).

Likewise when a client confesses to a sin that he or she committed, it is important

not to rush toward a reassurance of forgiveness:

The painful sharing of the guilt opens the person to receive the gift of forgiveness.

If this sharing is interrupted by a premature offering of the gift, the opening

process is impeded.. ..Since the confessee has not had the opportunity to share the

whole story, the absolution he or she receives may remain too abstract to be

healing. Since the full sharing of the negative is itself a part of the healing

process, we need to hold back on our reassurance until we have dealt adequately

with the confession (Hulme, 1981, pp. 121-122).

It may have taken courage and strength to get to the place of retelling, the counselor

should not pre-empt this important stage because of the discomfort it brings.

Luke 17 discusses steps involved in forgiveness: "If your brother sins, rebuke

him, and if he repents, forgive him. If he sins against you seven times in a day, and seven

times comes back to you and says, 'I repent,' forgive him" (vv. 3-4). The first step

involves telling the perpetrator what he/she did wrong and how it affected you.

Secondly, the perpetrator then must repent for his/her act. Repentance entails more than

just an apology: "Repentance requires the person not only to renounce verbally their act

but then to turn away from or change their mind about sin. Sorrow may precede

40
repentance, but it is of no effect if it does not bring about the change in the person's

behavior.. ..A change in their behavior leads to forgiveness" (Turell & Thomas, 2001, p.

139).

The example of Christ dying on the cross is instructive in finding a way to forgive

those who do not ask for forgiveness. Jesus cried: "Father, forgive them, for they do not

know what they are doing" (Luke 23:34). There are times when the perpetrator has been

removed from the victim's life, and the hope of person-to-person reconciliation no longer

exists. What is significant is that Christ "turned it over to a higher power" (Turell &

Thomas, 2001, p. 139). If forgiveness is out of reach volitionally or because of other

reasons, the victim can turn the forgiveness of the perpetrator over to God. We will

explore this further when we look at the use of the psalms in the chapter on grief

counseling below.

Magical use

There are times when people have been told to read the Bible and pray and

everything will be fine. For some, reading the Bible and praying then becomes a sort of

magical cure or panacea to all of life's problems. For those clients who looked to

scripture with this kind of expectation and did not receive what they hoped for, a therapist

can help with such 'failures' (Richards & Bergin, 2005). Oates (1953) tells the story of a

man with homosexual thoughts and behaviors who went to his pastor for guidance. The

pastor supplied the man a copy of the Bible with this advice: "When you go to bed at

night place this Bible under your pillow, and it will drive away your evil thoughts and

dreams and help you rest" (p. 17). This man's already fragile emotional and mental state

was further deteriorated after adhering to a few days of this pastor's advice. The man

41
was hospitalized and Wayne Oates served as the man's chaplain in a state hospital. In an

interview, the man expressed that he "felt.. .that God had given him up to 'a reprobate

mind,' and that he should die" (p. 17). The Bible was used here as a fetish intended to

heal but serving in the end to hasten self-destructive processes already at work in his life.

Just like the cross, the Bible has been used as a talisman or good luck charm to ward off

evil and bring blessing (Oates, 1953). Even daily Bible reading can further dysfunction

in particular clients' lives: it can serve as "ritualistic warding off of anxiety through

obsessional-type behavior" (Goodling, 1976, p. 186). For some, "the Bible has the

power of fetish to neutralize demonic forces and serves as armor to ward off and protect

against dangers—physical, psychological and spiritual—from without as well as from

within" (p. 182). Goodling (1976) is correct to maintain that the problem is not with the

Bible itself but the power invested in it by those who are captive to its symbolic worth:

"The answer is not to discard this resource, but to work with those factors which interfere

with, block, and distort being in touch with and drawing upon personal and interpersonal

resources" (pp. 186-187).

Just as the benefits of using scripture are real so are the risks of misuse. Whether

that is the mishandling of the passage in its context or in the greater context of the Bible's

teaching as a whole or in the context of the client's life, scripture remains a tool that

when misused can bring harm at the hands of those who would wield its power. This is

not to dissuade from its proper use but to respect that many have invested trust in its

authority over their lives and as such are in a position of dependency and vulnerability.

Just as the surgeon has the power of life and death, healing and disability from his/her

instruments, so the counselor should pay close attention to how he/she handles tools like

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scripture which when used correctly can bring emotional and spiritual health but

dysfunction when used incorrectly. One area that deserves special attention is the

therapeutic use of scripture in grief counseling.

2. SCRIPTURE AND GRIEF AND LOSS COUNSELING

Many reasons to grieve

There are many reasons for grief: sickness and death; marriage problems and

dissolution of relationships; loss of job, possessions, or financial stability; injustice or

violence by another. These can bring about the need to express anger, frustration,

sadness, and despair (Duff, 2005). Grief has many dimensions and these are reflected in

scripture. One area in particular where we find concentrated descriptions of grief is in the

psalms. The psalms include the following aspects of grief:

1. Physical (22:14-15, 17; 38:3,7,8,10,17; 69:3; 77:4-10; 88:4; 137:1)

2. Social (22:6, 11; 38:9,11; 41:9; 66:10; 77:4-10; 88:8, 18)

3. Emotional (13:2; 22:1-2,6; 38:4,8,9; 42:3,5; 55:4,5; 56:8; 69:1-2,20,29; 73:21;

77:2,4; 80:4-5; 88:4; 137:9; 143:4)

4. Cognitive/spiritual (13:2; 22:1; 42:11; 43:5; 55:2; 60:1,3; 69:21-22; 77:3,7-9;

88:5,14)

5. Behavioral (39:12; 55:7-8; 77:4; 88:13; 126:5-6 (Smith, 2007, p. 3).

In particular, the laments contained in the psalms and in other biblical poetry are

appropriate vehicles for the expression and resolution of grief: "Lament is an appropriate

way to cope with calamity. Tragedy, failure, and calamity require a response equal to

their harsh reality, making a season for lament necessary" (McLeod, 2002, p. 19). It is

precisely in this area that clients have difficulty putting their grief into words. The

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Talmud states: "The deeper the sorrow the less tongue it has." For evangelical clients,

the Bible is a rich repository of the experiences of saints who have gone before us and

who struggled as we do with the issues of grief and loss.

Psalms as a mirror of life

The psalms are a mirror of life both ancient and modern. What is striking is how

applicable the psalms are to our experience of the world and of God. Winter (1999) sees

something therapeutic in their poetry: "The Psalms are a wonderful window to the soul.

The reader seems to have the privilege of listening in to the profound therapy sessions

where the psalmist was pouring out his soul on the divine analyst's couch" (p. 371).

Athanasius in his Letter to Marcellinus notes the commonality of human experience: the

Psalter contains "this marvel of its own—namely, that it contains even the emotions of

each soul" (Gregg, 1980, p. 108). Similarly John Calvin in his commentary on the psalms

notes the range of emotional expression represented here:

[T]here is not an emotion of which anyone can be conscious that is not here

represented as in a mirror. Or rather, the Holy Spirit has here drawn to the life all

the griefs, sorrows, fears, doubts, hopes, cares, perplexities, in short, all

distracting emotions with which the minds of men are wont to be agitated

(Anderson, 1845, pp. xxxvi).

The analogy of human experience is part of the reason why after millennia the psalms

continue to resonate with our lives (Endres, 2002; Jones, 2007).

The psalms lend themselves to various situations and the broadest application also

because there is very little historical context in and about them. Certainly meaning is

constrained by the meaning of words, syntax and literary devise. Capps (1981),

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however, suggests that when the counselee asks "Is this what the psalmist means, or am I

reading my feelings into it?" the answer can be as follows: "You may be reading your

own feeling into it, but this is precisely what the psalm invites and encourages" (pp. 65-

66). The psalms can speak to situations that were not anticipated by the psalmist.

Whether the worshipper was a son of Korah or a seventeenth century puritan or an urban

Christian of the computer age, there is something timeless about the message of the

psalms (Capps, 1981; Smith, 2007).

Poetry is a distinctive use of language which reaches deep within the reader to

images and emotions that may be untapped. Johnson (2007) helps us understand the

significance and power of this linguistic experience:

Poetry taps into the human capacity to symbolize, form and activate semantic

associations, and produce mental imagery, offering a rich, fuller and deeper

encounter with meaning-content than might otherwise occur (and making use of

more brain regions, in the process). Symbols, metaphors and mental images often

add connotations to bare facts or propositions that can produce past memories,

valuable emotions and unique insights and foster a deeper appropriation of truth.

Research has found that such experiences can be a profitable means of soul-

healing. . .and the Bible is filled with such literary devices (p. 205).

Just as there are times when silence is appropriate there are other times when it is not.

Jones (2007) asserts: "Silence in the face of hurt does no good. The anguish of life calls

for speech, for words, for prayer. The anguish of life calls for poetry" (p. 49). The

figurative language of the Bible also helps us to read our own experiences figuratively:

"Being rejected by others is made more meaningful by 'seeing it' as something else, for

45
example, an identification with Christ and his purposes, rather than simply a tragic,

painful tale, 'signifying nothing'" (Johnson, 2007, pp. 205-206).

Venting feelings

There is something missing in a person's life if the deepest and darkest feelings

remain unexpressed. Kubler-Ross (1969) is one of many who see therapeutic value in a

catharsis of deep emotion for the individual that grieves: "[W]e have found that patients

do best who have been encouraged to express their rage, to cry in preparatory grief, and

to express their fears and fantasies to someone who can quietly sit and listen" (p. 119).

Mayner (2002) also describes the benefits of lamenting:

Had I not allowed myself the freedom of lament I would have delayed moving

beyond an intellectual to a personal understanding of the Holy Spirit's ability to

comfort. Had I not allowed myself to lament, I would have delayed fully

realizing God's capacity to be a father, a mother, and a friend. Had I not allowed

myself the freedom to lament, I would seriously have delayed moving to the next

level of spiritual maturity (pp. 28-29).

In view of God's omniscience, it seems hardly necessary that people pour their hearts out

to him, but he expects this of us (Ps. 62:8). This is an incredible thought that the creator

of the universe should care when I am in pain and can be expected to act. This is

unmatched in the ancient world: "In no other culture did people pray to the high god in

language that was so strong, so forthright, even so rude: 'Wake up God! Why are you

sleeping? We haven't forgotten you, why have you forgotten us?' (Ps. 44:23-24)"

(Mayner, 2002, p. 29).

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 This can be contrasted with our "death-denying culture" where grief and

mourning are expected to be restrained and brief (Smith, 2007). It is not without reason

that the popular phrase says: "Laugh and the world laughs with you. Weep and you weep

alone." Duff (2005) demonstrates how our modern impatience with grief is reflected in

the church as well:

Society and the church discourage us from expressing intense feelings of sorrow

or anger when we experience a significant loss in our lives. When there is a death

in the family, for instance, people are allowed very little time off from work, and

when they return they are not expected to talk too much about their loss. No one

wears visible signs of mourning as was once the custom, and the expectation is

that one will move quickly back into everyday routines of life. For Christians,

continued expressions of grief after a death are considered a sign of weak faith:

'Isn't the person in a better place?' The notion that one cannot bear the grief is

rejected: 'God doesn't give us more than we can bear' (pp. 5-6).

This is even more tragic when the one who grieves is the victim of violence or injustice.

The church is not always a safe place for a person suffering this kind of loss. Take the

example of rape:

[OJur initial feeling of sympathy can shift into impatience as times goes on. We

may hear the question from coworkers or friends, or may even ask it ourselves,

'Hasn't she gotten over that yet?' When the victim is a Christian the expectation

of forgiveness is raised early on: 'Have you been able to forgive him?' For those

who are the victim of sexual violence, silence has almost always been the norm.

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 The crime becomes a source of shame for the victim, as if she or he is the guilty

one (pp. 6-7).

It is my contention that this silencing of emotion and rage will express itself somehow

whether on the therapist's couch or feeding the veins of dysfunction and emotional

breakdown.

It is interesting that there are more psalms of lament than psalms of praise in the

Bible (Jones, 2007). From this, I think we should find some indication that God intended

that grief should not be hushed and unexpressed. The Hebrew worshipper had greater

liberty than his/her modern counterpart in this regard: "[T]he Hebrew worshipper was

free to express complaints, anxiety, rage, and deep sorrow before God and other members

of the community. What was quite natural for the Hebrew worshipper, however, seems

foreign to most of us now" (Duff, 2005, p. 3).

Using the psalms of lament helps us see the grieving process as a normal part of

the Christian life: "The Psalms of lament validate and normalize the sadness, hurt,

alienation, questions, doubts, anger, confusion and bewilderment that accompany the

grief process" (Smith, 2007, p. 5). The psalms provide us with words and images to

express the experience of pain and suffering. The evocative language awakes in us

feelings and recollections that resonate with our lives: "That's exactly how I feel!" or

"That's what I hope!" (Miller, 1990). The biblical laments provide us with a

"vocabulary of need, a rhetoric of affliction" (Mays, 1994, p. 22). Sometimes we are at a

loss for words to describe the pain:

The psalms give voice where there may be only silence, where neither sheep nor

shepherd may know how to pray.. ..There in the psalms the mute voice of pain

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 receives speech and a mode of prayer, a way to ask for help when the ordinary

modes and structures of human life can not provide that any more. Whether the

feeling of the sufferer is that I do not know how to pray or I do not know what to

pray, the psalms help one say what needs to be said (Miller, 1990, p. 131).

There are many images in the psalms used to describe grief and suffering. Longing for

God's help is like the longing of a parched mouth for water (Ps. 42:1-2; 63:1); the

psalmist is overwhelmed by his problem like a person who is drowning (Ps. 69:1-2); at

other times, the one who is oppressed by persons or problems feels caught in a net or trap

(Ps. 10:9; 18:4-5) or in a deep pit (Ps. 88:4-6) (Miller, 1990).

Dialogue with God

The psalms not only allow us to utter what is repressed and buried because of fear

or piety, they also allow us to realize the hope that is available to the sufferer: "[T]his

venting of inner feelings [is] a necessary step toward positive change, first through

insight into one's feelings, then through the infusion of new spiritual energies to replace

the negative feelings" (Capps, 1981, p. 57). Grief and loss for the psalmist is more than

intrapsychic conflict, it is not just raw feeling echoed in a vacuum; it is addressed to

someone. The covenant God is the "final reference for all of life" (Brueggemann, 2002,

p. 27). God cares about the stuff of life and nothing is outside of the context of his care:

[T]he laments in all of the despairing complaints, the outraged accusations, the

broken petitions, the persistent appeals, and the desire for vengeance are not

outside the life of faith. On the contrary, all of life, all of human experience, is

embraced within the covenantal relationship with God.. ..On first glance, the

lament in all of its anguish may seem to be in opposition to faith, at least a faith

49
 that sees only light, goodness, and contentment. It is, instead, a way to move

deeper into a faith which is transformative, a faith where God does indeed make a

difference (Jones, 2007, p. 50).

The laments show us that life lived as it encounters life fully, life lived coram deo, is

unashamedly dialogical:

[Precisely in the presence of God himself is where the hurtful issues must be

dealt with. Nowhere but with him does Israel vent her greatest doubt, her bitterest

resentments, her deepest anger. Israel knows that one need not fake it or be polite

and pretend in his presence, nor need one face the hurts alone (Brueggemann,

1974, p. 4).

Contrast this with the modern Christian's failure in this regard:

If we are dialogical at all, we think it must be polite and positive and filled only

with gratitude. So little do our liturgies bring to expression our anger and hatred,

our sense of betrayal and absurdity. But even more acutely, with our failure of

nerve and our refusal to presume upon our partner in dialogue, we are seduced

into nondialogic forms of faith, as though we were the only ones there; and so we

settle for meditation and reflection or boot-strap operations of resolve or alter our

situation (pp. 4-5).

In fact we find little avenue of expression in Christian liturgy for the brutal honesty of the

biblical lament. Lament is typically unrepresented in our books of worship,

outnumbered by liturgies of praise and penitence (Duff, 2005; Smith, 2007). This is the

typical situation for the evangelical client as well; little room has been made in corporate

or individual devotion for the "experiences of anger, confusion, protest, and grief

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(Smith, 2007, p. 4). Westermann (1981) objects to this imbalance in worship:

"[S]omething must be amiss if praise of God has a place in Christian worship but

lamentation does not. Praise can retain its authenticity and naturalness only in polarity

with lamentation" (p. 267). This kind of nervy and honest faith may be foreign to the

evangelical but there are benefits emotionally and spiritually with a robust faith that is

both painfully honest and uncompromisingly dialogical (Brueggemann, 1974).

One of the areas that the modern evangelical has difficulty with is in his or her

anger towards God in the predicament of grief. The hard questions deserve their due:

"Not least of those feelings and thoughts that overwhelm the sick and the dying and the

grieving is the anger at God and doubt of God's power and faithfulness, the questions of

why and how long that are almost unavoidable to the sufferer" (Miller, 1990, p. 132).

Passivity and helplessness in the face of suffering are not the message of the psalms of

lament. Someone has said "God behaves in the psalms in ways he is not allowed to

behave in systematic theology" (In Jones, 2007, p. 47). I think it is rather the worshipper

who behaves differently when immersed in the brutal honesty of the psalms: "How long,

O LORD? Will you forget me forever? How long will you hide your face from me?" (Ps.

13:1). "You are God my stronghold. Why have you rejected me? Why must I go about

mourning, oppressed by the enemy?" (Ps. 43:2). "My God, my God, why have you

forsaken me? Why are you so far from saving me, so far from the words of my groaning?

O my God, I cry out by day, but you do not answer, by night, and am not silent" (Ps.

22:1 -2). Everything is the proper subject of discourse with God: "There is nothing about

the reality of the world or of the self that cannot be brought before God" (Duff, 2005, p.

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9). The biblical laments when utilized in therapy can help with this fuller expression of

grief.

In addition to anger against God, modern Christians have a difficulty with the cry

for vengeance against one's enemies. This silencing of our raw cries for justice and

retribution can reap the reward of dysfunction in our emotional and spiritual lives:

Many of us in our more arid days of a religion without suffering and tragedy felt

that the imprecatory psalms were low forms of religion, and that such blunt

expressions of hatred and hostility as are found in these prayers should be 'soft-

pedaled' in our teaching. Then we began to see the effects that this refusal to

accept and face hostility works upon personality. These effects came up in all

forms of neurotic symptoms, and every manner of disease. One day they

exploded geyser-fashion, and we, observing the plight of our counselees and their

families said, 'We knew there was water there; but where did all this force come

from?'(Oates, 1953, p. 116).

We may be somewhat embarrassed by the psalmists' appeal for retribution: "Arise, O

LORD! Deliver me, O my God! Strike all my enemies on the jaw; break the teeth of the

wicked" (Ps. 3:7); "If only you would slay the wicked, O God!" (Ps. 139:19). I think the

church has subverted the normal process of grieving and dealing with injustice by

silencing that cry to God for vengeance:

The regular ventilation, catharsis, bringing to light, and resultant insight into one's

negative or hostile feelings in one's prayers puts them into their rightful context

with the Eternal. It lowers their importance along with the correction of our self-

concept, and it makes for better health (p. 116).

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Here again nothing is too "down and dirty" for God to hear; this should be the case for

the pastoral counselor as well. This is not to say that "turn the check" and "loving one's

enemies" does not have its place but often this becomes a veneer over a well of deep-

seated feelings if the issues of vengeance and justice are not allowed to surface and find

their proper place in God's hands. Reading the biblical laments and imprecatory psalms

in therapy may elicit and normalize such feelings for the evangelical who has suffered

injustice or pain at the hands of another.

Using the biblical laments and psalms in therapy can serve to unplug repressed

emotions and feelings. These passages of scripture give us a vocabulary of pain so that

the unexpressed can be expressed and with the negative catharsis of raw emotion, there

can be room for the positive spiritual renewal. Furthermore, when we include God in our

deepest and darkest thoughts we place our trust in the one who knows and cares, and we

find hope for our situations.

The evangelical may be familiar with the different places in scripture where the

people of God have made their feelings known to God. Not all complaints against God

were condoned. The evangelical may very well ask the question: What is the difference

between the rants of the psalmists and the grumbling of the Israelites in the desert? The

evangelical may desire greater openness and honesty in his or her life but fears falling

into disfavor with God. I think the difference between these two is that God expects us to

approach him in faith. Woven through the psalms are the echoes of faith sometimes just

faintly, sometimes bright and bold. God has endowed each of us with the seeds of faith

and we are responsible for the endowment we have received. The Israelites were

witnesses to the miraculous parting of the Red Sea and God's visible leading with cloud

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and fire in the desert, and his gifts of manna and quail. God expected the Israelites to act

in light of these proofs of his provision. When we are given evidences of God's

provision and grace, we are to appropriately respond with faith. When we suppress or

deny our faith, we are not unlike the Israelites in the desert.

To be sure, there are times when the voice of faith is almost silent. There are

times when we are so low and beaten down that the voice of faith is faint. Listen to

words of Ps. 88:14-18:

Why, O LORD, do you reject me and hide your face from me? From my youth I

have been afflicted and close to death; I have suffered your terrors and am in

despair. Your wrath has swept over me; your terrors have destroyed me. All day

long they surround me like a flood; they have completely engulfed me. You have

taken my companions and loved ones from me; the darkness is my closest friend.

Many clients can relate to this level of despair. However, when using the scriptures we

should not exclude those smallest rays of hope when they peak into the darkness. The

imagery of the Bible and its rich figurative language give us hope that in the deepest pit

we are not alone, we are held and supported by God. Biblical poetry in particular

provides us with pictures that can bring reassurance and faith: God is a secure fortress

(Ps. 62:2), a strong tower (Ps. 61:3), and a shield (Ps. 18:2). God is pictured as a bird that

covers its young with its feathers (Ps. 91:4). Psalm 23 is full of beautiful imagery of

safety and provision in the hands of the Shepherd. For the fearful and suffering, God is a

rock or a place of solid ground supporting the ones who are in danger of collapsing or

going down to the pit (Ps. 40:2; Miller, 1990).

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 Another place the psalmist brings the reader for hope is into memories of God's

past interventions. When using the Bible in counseling evangelicals, hope can be

cultivated, and depression lifted when we evoke memory of God's past assistance and

when we "employ imagery to express the possibilities of new existence" (Guyette, 2003,

p. 20): "In you our fathers put their trust; they trusted and you delivered them. They cried

to you and were saved; in you they trusted and were not disappointed" (Ps. 22:4-5); "I

remember the days of long ago; I meditate on all your works and consider what your

hands have done" (Ps. 143:5). Sharing stories from the Bible about God's involvement in

the lives of his people can bring hope and expectation.

At the same time, there can be impatience and despair when the counselee's

present does not mirror the past biblically or personally (Miller, 1990). The counselor

also needs to be there when the counselee experiences those peaks and valleys in his or

her faith life. Capps (1981) gives advice to pastors which is applicable to counselors as

well about the ebb and flow of counseling:

Like many psalms, the grief counseling process is not rigid or forced.. .If the

psalmist's experience of God is reflected in the abrupt shifts that occur in the

lament, grief counseling should be no less open and adaptable to similar abrupt

shifts and experiences of intervention. Thus, grief counseling is also nondirective

in its pace and timing.. ..To say that the basic method in grief counseling is

nondirective does not mean that the pastor assumes no responsibility for seeing

the process through. Rather it means that the pastor's role is not to direct the

healing process, but to allow spiritual energies to work their will and purpose.

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 This means that the pastor's role is primarily to remove barriers that are impeding

a spiritual process (p. 92).

A great deal can change in a counseling session; the counselor to evangelicals benefits

much from a loose hold on the direction that biblical therapy takes. If the counselor is

also a Christian, it is important for both counselor and counselee to remember that God's

Spirit blows where he wills, and the work of God can defy understanding.

Another obstacle to using biblical laments with evangelicals comes from the

apparent switch between the Old and New Testaments on the issue of personal innocence.

In the Pauline tradition everyone is sinful, "There is no difference for all have sinned and

fall short of the glory of God" (Rom. 3:22-23). Some would conclude that there can be

no lament in the New Testament era without the confession of sin because everyone is

guilty before God. Today's Christian may feel there is something wrong in protesting

one's innocence before God, unlike the psalmist who considers it proper to remind God

of his innocence and to declare: "I am innocent in this, yet I am made to suffer, Why?"

(Capps, 1981). For Capps (1981), the question is one of perspective: "the psalmist can

claim innocence because the issue is a specific offence, not the psalmist's general

condition" (p. 68). The psalmist is not saying he is sinless according to Paul's definition,

but rather in this specific act or episode he is innocent. This is an important distinction

especially for the victims of violence: yes we all are sinful from birth but I am innocent

as a victim in this particular crime.

In the New Testament, the protest of the lament does not seem to be represented.

Paul seems almost Stoic in his encouragement of the Thessalonians on the issue of death:

"Brothers, we do not want you to be ignorant about those who fall asleep, or to grieve

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like the rest of men, who have no hope" (IThess. 4:13). Unlike the imprecatory psalms,

Jesus advocates non-retaliation in the face of violence: "But I tell you, do not resist an

evil person. If someone strikes you on the right cheek, turn to him the other also" (Matt.

5:39). At first glance there seems no way to reconcile Old and New Testaments on the

issue of lament.

There are, however, some passages that do speak of overwhelming grief in the

New Testament. In Acts 8:2, the death of Stephen was met with profound sorrow:

"Godly men buried Stephen and mourned deeply for him." Paul was thankful that his

brother in the faith, Epaphroditus, recovered from illness and so spared him "sorrow upon

sorrow" (Php. 2:27). I think the most significant New Testament validation of the Old

Testament lament is found in the passion of Christ. Jesus was deeply troubled and

sorrowful before his crucifixion (Mark 14:33); he asked that if it were possible that his

cup of suffering be removed. Finally as he hung on the cross dying, Jesus cried out in a

loud voice words from the lament in Psalm 22: "My God, my God, why have you

forsaken me?" (Mark 15:34). Miller (2005) underscores the importance of this for the

tradition of the righteous sufferer:

To understand the incarnation and death of Jesus through the prism of the lament

psalms is to know that both the incarnation and Jesus' death are his identification

with all those innocent/righteous/faithful suffers who have experienced the pain of

human existence, the terrible absence and silence of God, and human torment,

oppression, mockery, and reproach. In Jesus' death the crucified God takes up all

that suffering and becomes one with it (p. 21).

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Johnson (2005) argues that quoting the beginning of psalm 22 is like quoting "Our father,

who is in heaven" in both cases the author is bringing to mind the greater passage. The

parallels between the lament of psalm 22 and the crucifixion are many:

The psalmist is reviled by his tormentors (Ps. 22:6), and so is Jesus (Mark 15:29,

31-32; Matt. 27:39, 41-43; cf Luke 23:35-36). In both the psalm and the passion

narrative, people pass by 'wagging their heads' at the afflicted one (Ps. 22:7; cf.

Mark 15:29; Matt. 27:39). The psalmist trusts in God to deliver him (Ps. 22:8),

just as those who are deriding Jesus say, 'He trusts in God; let God deliver him

now, if he wants to; for he said, 'I am God's Son" (Matt. 27:43; cf. Mark 15:31-

32).. ..The psalmist laments that the perpetrators divide his clothes and cast lots

for them (Ps. 22:18), a circumstance that is repeated at the crucifixion (Mark

15:24; Matt. 27:35; cf. Luke 23:34b).. ..Moreover, the psalmist shouts to God a

second time, whereupon God hears him (Ps. 22:19-21, 24b). Similarly, Jesus

cries out a second time before he dies (Mark 15:37).. ..Finally, in the psalm it is

said that the Gentiles shall worship the Lord, who delivers the one who was

afflicted (Ps. 22:27); and in all three Synoptic Gospels a Gentile centurion makes

a statement concerning Jesus' divine sonship immediately after Jesus invokes the

psalm (Mark 15:39; Matt. 27:54; Luke 23:47) (Johnson, 2005, p. 82).

Jesus validates the lament tradition with his words, and the synoptic writers endorse this

view. In the book of Hebrews, the author portrays Jesus in the lamentation tradition:

"During the days of Jesus' life on earth, he offered up prayers and petitions with loud

cries and tears to the one who could save him from death, and he was heard because of

his reverent submission" (Heb. 5:7). Jesus is one with those who lament past and future.

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For the evangelical client who in grief and sorrow joins with Jesus in his lament also

joins with the suffering saints of all ages in their use of the biblical lament.

Stages of grief

Elisabeth Kubler-Ross (1969) in her book, Death and dying, identified five stages

of grief and dying: denial and isolation, anger, bargaining, depression, and acceptance.

(1) Denial: Kubler-Ross claims that "denial functions as a buffer after unexpected

shocking news, allows the patient to collect himself and, with time, mobilize less

radical defenses" (p. 39).

(2) Anger. "When the first stage of denial cannot be maintained any longer, it is

replaced by feelings of anger, rage, envy, and resentment. The logical next

question becomes: 'Why me?'" (p. 50).

(3) Bargaining: "The third stage, the stage of bargaining, is less well known but

equally helpful to the patient, though only for brief periods of time.. ..maybe we

can succeed in entering into some sort of an agreement which may postpone the

inevitable happening: 'If God has decided to take us from this earth and he did not

respond to my angry pleas, he may be more favorable if I ask nicely" (p. 82).

(4) Depression: "His numbness or stoicism, his anger and rage will soon be replaced

with a sense of great loss" (p. 85).

(5) Acceptance: "If a patient has had enough time (i.e., not a sudden, unexpected

death) and has been given some help in working through the previously described

stages, he will reach a stage during which he is neither depressed nor angry about

his 'fate'.. ..Acceptance should not be mistaken for a happy stage. It is almost

void of feelings. It is as if the pain had gone, the struggle is over, and there comes

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 a time for 'the final rest before the long journey' as one patient phrased it" (pp.

112-113).

Lyon (2000) claims that each of these stages can be found in the book of Job:

(1) Denial: Job may have underestimated his situation with the following: "The

LORD gave and the LORD has taken away; may the name of the LORD be

praised." (1:21); "Shall we accept good from God, and not trouble?" (2:10).

I am least convinced about Lyon's evidence for denial in Job which could be

classified as acceptance alternately.

(2) Anger. Job's anger is seen in the following: "Therefore I will not keep silent; I

will speak out in the anguish of my spirit, I will complain in the bitterness of my

soul. Am I the sea, or the monster of the deep, that you put me under guard?

When I think my bed will comfort me and my couch will ease my complaint,

even then you frighten me with dreams and terrify me with visions, so that I

prefer strangling and death, rather than this body of mine" (7:11-15).

(3) Bargaining: Job contemplates bargaining with God: "If only there were someone

to arbitrate between us, to lay his hand upon us both, someone to remove God's

rod from me, so that his terror would frighten me no more" (9:33-34).

(4) Depression: Job's depression is evident throughout the book and is characteristic

in: "Why then did you bring me out of the womb? I wish I had died before any

eye saw me. If only I had never come into being, or had been carried straight from

the womb to the grave!" (10:18-19).

(5) Acceptance: Job states: "Though he slay me, yet will I hope in him" (13:15).

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Worden (2002) warns against the tendency of some in expecting each person's grief or

dying to follow this pattern in some neat order. I think what we can take away is that

these stages are often evident in grieving but not necessarily in the order laid out or in

completeness. In counseling evangelicals, scripture can be used to show that others in the

biblical tradition have gone before them, and such feelings and sentiments are normal and

expected.

In addition to Job, the psalms of lament also have characteristic elements which

can be helpful to note. Brueggemann (1974) identifies six typical components of the

lament psalm: address, complaint, petition, motivation, vow of offering, and assurance of

being heard. Capps (1981) sees it as: address to God, complaint, confession of trust,

petition, words of assurance, and vow to praise. Others have a more simplified outline:

Smith (2007) sees the structure as: complaint, petition, and praise. Similarly Jones

(2007) divides the lament along the lines of orientation, disorientation, and new

orientation. What is common to all of these and that of Kubler-Ross is "movement in

each from negation to affirmation" (Brueggemann, 1977, p. 272).

The Address to God (e.g. Ps. 4:1; 5:1) establishes the covenant context—the

relationship that exists between God and his child(ren)—in which the lament is spoken.

The complaint (e.g. Ps. 6:2; 13:3) describes the trouble or situation in which the person

finds himself/herself. The counselor should not feel the need to defend God here; if these

feelings are not expressed they may be repressed and replaced with guilt and deception.

The petition entails how God's intervention will alleviate the problem. In response to

sickness, may God bring health (e.g. Ps. 6:2; 41:4) in response to enemies, deliverance

(e.g. Ps 22:20). The confession of trust (e.g. Ps. 142: 3, 5) is the "'but' or 'nevertheless'

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that follows catharsis of negative feeling" (Capps, 1981, p. 88). The motivation is the

reason why God should give assistance and can be an appeal to God's reputation (e.g. Ps

13:4; 25:11), past assistance (e.g. Ps. 22:4-5; 143:5), guilt (e.g. Ps. 25:11; 38:18) or

innocence of the psalmist (e.g. Ps. 26:3-7; 35:7), or the promise to praise (e.g. Ps. 6:5;

22:22). The vow of offering or praise (Ps. 26:12; 54:6-7) is the call to oneself or the

congregation to fulfill obligations to God for his transformation of the situation. For

some clients, it may not be even possible to praise. In that case, the client can be

reassured that God continues to mourn with him/her. The words of assurance (Ps. 13:5-

6; 17:15) are the affirmations that God has heard and has acted in behalf of the one who

petitioned. Sometimes the client is so devastated by his/her problem that the counselor

may exercise faith and hope on behalf of the client (Capps, 1981; Brueggemann, 1974;

Westermann, 1981).

Capps (1981) summarizes the counseling tasks for the counselee and the

counselor that can be tied to the components of the biblical lament:

Address to God Counselee/Counselor: Implicit understanding that conversation is

addressed to God

Complaint Counselee: Gives vent to negative and self-justifying feelings

Counselor: Helps counselee 'name' these feelings in the form of

complaints

Confession of Trust Counselee: Expresses sense of being upheld and able to cope

Counselor: Helps counselee identify and cultivate grounds for

trust

Petition Counselee: Expresses specific needs and desires

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 Counselor: Helps counselee clarify and focus petitions

Words of Assurance Counselee: Expresses support for petitions and relief from

sufferings

Counselor: Supports counselee's petitions and assures counselee

that God hears the prayers of those who lament

Vow to Praise Counselee: Experiences response to petitions and begins to hope

Counselor: Helps counselee clarify grounds for praise; affirms

'God who mourns' when counselee cannot praise

(Capps, 1981, p. 91).

It must be stressed that these 'stages' of the biblical lament should not be stereotyped so

that every client is expected to follow these stages in some definite or necessary order.

The psalms themselves have abrupt shifts and turns; sometimes certain elements are

eclipsed and others expand to form most of the psalm. Likewise, when using the psalms

in counseling, the greatest latitude and freedom should be exercised in application. The

psalms are a help in counseling not a strict blueprint.

As Capps (1981) demonstrates, Psalm 71 can be divided into sections as an

illustration of the components of the biblical lament:

Address to God

In you, O LORD, I have taken refuge; let me never be put to shame. Rescue me

and deliver me in your righteousness; turn your ear to me and save me. Be my

rock of refuge, to which I can always go; give the command to save me, for you

are my rock and my fortress (w.1-3).

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Complaint

For my enemies speak against me; those who wait to kill me conspire together (v.

10).

Confession of trust

For you have been my hope, O Sovereign LORD, my confidence since my youth.

From birth I have relied on you; you brought me forth from my mother's womb. I

will ever praise you. I have become like a portent to many, but you are my strong

refuge. My mouth is filled with your praise, declaring your splendor all day long

(w. 5-8).

Petition and motivation

Deliver me, O my God, from the hand of the wicked, from the grasp of evil and

cruel men (v. 4)....Do not cast me away when I am old; do not forsake me when

my strength is gone. For my enemies speak against me; those who wait to kill me

conspire together. They say, 'God has forsaken him; pursue him and seize him,

for no one will rescue him.' Be not far from me, O God; come quickly, O my

God, to help me. May my accusers perish in shame; may those who want to harm

me be covered with scorn and disgrace (w. 9-13).

Vow to praise

But as for me, I will always have hope; I will praise you more and more. My

mouth will tell of your righteousness, of your salvation all day long, though I

know not its measure. I will come and proclaim your mighty acts, O Sovereign

LORD; I will proclaim your righteousness, yours alone (vv. 14-16).

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Assurance of being heard

My tongue will tell of your righteous acts all day long, for those who wanted to

harm me have been put to shame and confusion (v. 24).

Other psalms can be used as well, but this serves to exemplify the lament psalm.

One of the main differences between Kubler-Ross and the biblical lament

according to Brueggemann (1977) is that with regard to the former, "what is lacking is

the presence of a sovereign God who can authorize" (p. 272). We shall explore in greater

detail the differences between the biblical lament and the work of stage theorists like

Kubler-Ross. What becomes evident is that even though grief and loss has many

similarities between the secular and religious sufferer there are some differences which

suggest that biblically informed Christians grieve in some different ways. Paul may be

suggesting this with his admonition: "Brothers, we do not want you to be ignorant about

those who fall asleep, or to grieve like the rest of men, who have no hope" (IThess.

4:13).

What is striking is that the first stage of denial in Kubler-Ross has no strict

counterpart in the biblical lament. Brueggemann (1977) highlights the different

orientations to grief:

In a modern technological hospital organized to deny reality, the form begins with

a predictable denial, not only by persons but by definitional world of the medical

community. Israel's form has no precise counterpart because Israel's speech

begins with an insistent covenantal address, identifying one who is expected to be

present.. ..Israel's speech presumes a history of interaction, of speaking and

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 hearing which gives life. In the urban consciousness, loss must be faced without

history and so instead of covenantal address there is denial (pp. 268-269).

The biblical lament is situated within a dialogical, covenantal context. The psalmist

expects something from God and bases the present on previous commitments which will

now be summoned: "The speaker of the lament does not come de novo to God, but out of

a context of faith and loyalty" (Brueggemann, 1974, p. 7). Utilizing the psalms of

lament in counseling evangelicals brings into focus the covenantal relationship between

the one who petitions and the one who is expected to intervene. This is not to say that the

evangelical may not go through a period of denial as the gravity of the situation sinks in.

However, what we have in the biblical lament is the "hope" in the person of God which

Paul points to in 1 Thess. 4:13 and which the biblical lamenter addresses.

If God is missing from the picture, grief may look different. Another significant

contrast is at the stage of depression. Without a doubt, there are expressions of this in the

Bible and so the evangelical client should not be made to feel strange or unspiritual when

he or she experiences depression as a part of the grieving process. After Elijah defeated

the prophets of Baal on Mount Carmel (1 Kgs. 18:16ff), he went through a period in

which he felt insignificant and wished for death (1 Kgs. 19:lff). We also see expressions

of utter helplessness and insignificance in the psalms: "But I am a worm and not a man,

scorned by men and despised by the people. All who see me mock me; they hurl insults,

shaking their heads" (Ps. 22:6-7). However, for Brueggemann (1977), the covenant God

in the biblical lament makes all the difference:

Israel knows about that sense of diminishment and self-deprecation, but it is

differently textured. Kubler-Ross's subject has no one to address and so will

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 finally be depressed. Israel, always by form, has a partner to whom to speak. For

that reason, Israel's anger is much more healthy and buoyant. It is fundamentally

hopeful because there is always a chance that the other one will act.. ..In place of

depression, Israel's form has petition, and here the forms are most to be

contrasted. Depression is appropriate if the speech is finally monological. But

Israel's form is boldly dialogical and the one who hears or is expected to hear is

not addressed in hopeless despair but in passionate expectation (pp. 269-270).

When counseling evangelicals, one should certainly expect to see depression, but also

hope as the one who grieves connects with the God of the covenants through the biblical

text.

For those clients who have been taught intentionally or not to accept everything

from God's hand without questioning, there may be only resignation as the final stage of

grief. The truth cannot be said; there is only the veneer of joy in the face of suffering.

The psalms of lament give the evangelical who grieves a radically new perspective. God

is not only transcendent but also imminent. God does not expect only docility and

submissiveness. This dialogical God of the covenant has given the one who grieves the

voice and the examples of godly sufferers in the pages of scripture. If the worshipper is

only permitted to utter praise and doxology, we are not true covenant partners.

Moreover the questions of theodicy become mute; questions of justice become

illegitimate because we are in the end only "yes-men" (Brueggemann, 1995, p. 102).

Covenant without lament is "finally a practice of denial, cover-up, and pretence, which

sanctions social control" (Brueggemann, 1995, p. 102). What we have in the end is

unquestioning obedience and eventually despair. The biblical lament evens the

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theological balance of power; it gives voice to the human side of the equation and reveals

a God who is available and vulnerable and who is willing to take the place of respondent

and not just sole initiator (Brueggemann, 1995).

The temptation for the New Testament Christian is to move too quickly to praise

and thanksgiving—short stepping the negative, the place of disorientation. The

temptation for the counselor is to 'fix' the problem, to prematurely bring in the solution.

When the counselor does this, it can give the client a sense that the negative is a sign of

immaturity rather than an act of faith. The net result is that the feelings of lament are

repressed and replaced with shame and embarrassment (Jones, 2007). Consider psalm

88: the speaker begins: "O LORD, the God who saves me" but beyond this affirmation of

faith the rest of the psalm details a life of pain and suffering—and much at the hands of

God. If this is where the client is, then linger here. Psalm 88 is not base Christianity or

pre-Christian but a legitimate cry for help well within the context of faith.

Grief and loss is a wide category and there are many psalms that can be used in

counseling clients going through these issues. Capps (1981) lists a few psalms in

addition to the ones discussed above that can be used in specific situations:

For one who fears that death is imminent: Psalm 6,139;

For the terminally ill: Psalm 41;

For one who faces an uncertain future: Psalm 42;

For the bereaved: Psalm 90;

For those who face premature death: Psalm 102;

For one who feels threatened in old age: Psalm 71;

For one who grieves over a broken relationship: Psalm 55;

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 For one who grieves over past mistakes: Psalm 38;

For one who grieves over loss of personal prestige: Psalm 62;

For one who grieves over lack of personal success: Psalm 73

(pp. 93-95).

Other clients may relate to the righteous sufferer like Job, to the childless like Abraham,

Sarah and Hannah, to those who have let someone close down or even denied their faith

or lord like Peter, to someone running away from home and God like the prodigal son, to

someone who sufferers for his/her faith or feels abandoned by God like Jesus.

Psalm activities

Meyerstein (2006) describes a number of psalm activities that can be used in

group therapy with clients. These would be suitable in therapy with evangelical clients as

well. Reading psalms can be a useful way to draw out clients emotionally:

Their [psalms] evocative imagery often mirrors and validates the strong emotions

felt by people struggling with illness, trauma, and loss. Focusing on a text, such

as reading a psalm, is a non-threatening way to elicit emotions, and is often more

effective than a direct elicitation of feelings. The question, 'What does this text

say to you about your life situation?' invites a personalized 'finding oneself in the

text.' A cathartic expression of negative emotion and/or the creative search for

making meaning can be beneficial (p. 209).

When finding commonalities with the text, all answers should be considered correct

because each interpretation is unique to the one offering it. Reading a psalm in a group

setting helps people find connection with others and lessens the feelings of isolation.

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 One exercise that helps clients with their feelings is the use of "psalm clips." In

this exercise, brief excerpts from the psalms are printed on strips of colored paper and

placed on a table. Some examples include:

Those who sow in tears will reap with songs of joy (Ps. 126:5).

I lift up my eyes to the hills—where does my help come from? My help comes

from the LORD, the Maker of heaven and earth (Ps. 121:1-2).

In my anguish I cried to the LORD, and he answered by setting me free (Ps.

118:5).

Teach us to number our days aright, that we may gain a heart of wisdom (Ps.

90:12).

Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil,

for you are with me (Ps. 23:4).

With soft music in the background to create a relaxed atmosphere, clients can select a

psalm clip that speaks to their life situation. Clients can jot down a few words about what

this passage means to them. As each shares, the others listen respectfully and add

supporting comments as appropriate (Meyerstein, 2006).

There are also artistic responses to the psalms which can "tap into one's deeply

held inner realities" (Meyerstein, 2006, p. 209). Drawing a psalm clip can be a useful

extension to sharing a psalm clip. It is interesting that literally Ps. 118:5 reads: "From

[my] distress I called upon the LORD; The LORD answered me [and set me] in a large

place" (NASB). Grief and loss can be compared to being constricted in a narrow place; it

is not unlike the Hebrews' experience of slavery in Egypt. Participants can draw how

they feel when in this narrow place and then draw how they feel in that broader space and

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what they might do to expand their space. Participants can then share their findings with

the larger group (Meyerstein, 2006).

Using these tools, Meyerstein (2006) relates how Keith and his daughter Janet

used psalm clips to express their grief regarding Sandy, Keith's wife and Janet's mother,

who was diagnosed with terminal cancer. Keith selected the passage: "Teach us to

number our days aright, that we may gain a heart of wisdom" (Ps. 90:12). Keith related

what it was like knowing that his wife's days were numbered and how important it was to

make each day matter. Janet, on the other hand, chose Ps. 118:5: "From [my] distress I

called upon the LORD; The LORD answered me [and set me] in a large place." Janet

described what it felt like to be cornered with her various responsibilities: including

visiting her mother, taking care of her children and husband, and resuming her career.

With all of these tasks, Janet described the tight place she felt she was in, pulled in many

directions. She related her expanded situation when she was able to enlist the help of a

friend to visit with her mother, and how she was able to eat dinner at home with her own

family.

Keith and Janet also made handmade crafts to express something they could take

with them from the psalms. Keith made a representation of "house of the Lord" from

psalm 23 with himself hiding inside. He explained how he desired to be under the God's

protective care in this time of fearfulness. Janet used blue and green colors to describe

"lying down in green pastures beside still waters to restore my soul" (Ps. 23:2,3). Using

restful colors and shapes served as reminders of peacefulness in a time of great stress

(Meyerstein, 2006).

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 In many ways, the psalms help give fuller expression to our grief, both before

God and in solidarity with those who have wrestled with sorrow and loss before us. In

using scripture in counseling evangelical clients who grieve, we value the patterns

contained in the lament, and place great emphasis on the fuller expression of feelings in

the movement to and from sorrow. The next chapter addresses how certain feelings can

become debilitating and how our thought life can play a direct part in our emotional well-

being.

3. SCRIPTURE AND COGNITIVE-BEHAVORIAL THERAPY

The ancient Stoic philosopher, Epictetus, wrote: "Men are disturbed, not by

things, but by the view they take of them" (Enchiridion 5). Backus and Chapian (1980)

explain it this way: "It is not.. .events past or present which make us feel the way we feel,

but our interpretation of those events.. ..Our feelings are caused by what we tell ourselves

about our circumstances, whether in words or in attitudes" (p. 17). This powerful

influence that thoughts have over our emotional and physical well-being is illustrated in

the following story:

Some years ago a man was traveling across country by sneaking rides on freight

trains. One particular night he climbed into what looked like a boxcar, and closed

the door. Somehow the door locked shut and he was trapped inside. When his

eyes became adjusted to the darkness, he found that he was inside a refrigerated

boxcar. He was freezing cold. All the noise he could make inside the car failed

to attract anyone's attention. He hopelessly gave up and lay down on the floor of

the railroad car. As he tried to fight against the freezing cold, he scratched part

of a message on the floor of the car. He never finished. Sometime the next day,

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 repairmen from the railroad opened the door of the refrigerated boxcar and found

the man dead on the floor of the car. The problem was the refrigerating units on

the car were not working. The temperature inside the car probably did not go

below fifty degrees during the night. The man died because his thoughts told

him he was freezing to death (David Stoop in Chisholm, 2002, p. 2).

Cognitions play a major role in our emotional state and ability to function.

Albert Ellis who pioneered the cognitive therapy called Rational Emotive Therapy

used the acronym of ABC to explain his theory. A refers to the Activating event or

circumstances to which the person is exposed. B refers to the Beliefs or thoughts that this

person has in response to A. Finally C refers to the emotions and resultant actions that

are a Consequence of B. For most people, it appears that A causes C. What we fail to

recognize is that our feelings and emotions are mediated by B, our belief system. When

we change B we can exert some control over C, our emotional consequences. For the

man in the boxcar, if he believed something different about his circumstances, the

outcome may have been totally different (Chisholm, 2002).

Cognitive therapy encompasses Rational Emotive Behavior Therapy (REBT) and

Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy (CBT). These two approaches share three foundational

propositions: "(a) cognitive activity affects behavior, (b) cognitive activity may be

monitored and altered to produce relief from negative psychological symptoms, and (c)

desired behavior change may be affected through shifting or modifying core

dysfunctional schemas or assumptions" (Tan & Johnson, 2005, p. 78). REBT and CBT

see core beliefs and assessments as the cause of emotional or behavioral upset. In

REBT, the therapist targets these irrational beliefs and uses reason and logical disputation

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to challenge them, whereas CBT encourages the use of empirical questioning to

challenge the client's perceptions about events (Tan & Johnson, 2005; Garzon, 2005).

Some have beliefs like: "I must be loved and approved of by everyone who is important

to me. If people do not love me, it is terrible and just shows that I am worthless." The

REBT therapist might strive for philosophical change appealing to reason with: "Let's

assume she does hate your guts, why does that have to be so terrible?" Whereas, the

CBT therapist might address misperception or misinterpretation with: "How do you know

she hates your guts? I'm not sure that conclusion is warranted. How can you test that

thought more carefully" (Tan & Johnson, 2005, p. 79).

There are a number of reasons why cognitive therapy is useful in treating

religious clients:

First, CBT is highly belief oriented and focuses on clients' foundational or core

beliefs and assumptions. Clients from most religious traditions are familiar and

comfortable with belief-oriented language and share the assumption that what one

believes is an essential component of feeling and behavior. Second, the CBT

emphasis on teaching and education is familiar to many religious clients who

often respond well to homework assignments involving scripture reading or

religiously integrated activities (e.g. imagery, relaxation, prayer). Finally, the

CBT emphasis on modifying and transforming cognitions and beliefs and the hard

work required to achieve growth and change are often highly appealing to

religious people (Tan & Johnson, 2005, p. 80).

There is a resemblance between cognitive restructuring and the biblical idea of

repentance, which comes from the Greek and means "changing one's mind" (BAGD).

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Propst (1996) sees cognitive restructuring as a "spiritual transformation of the mind—a

spiritual exercise" (p. 394). The idea of self-examination and the stress placed on

changing personal beliefs may make this an attractive therapy to evangelicals (Propst,

1996; Lasure & Mikulas, 1996).

The Bible itself has things to say about a person's thought life and belief system.

Many of the sayings from Jesus and other biblical passages are meant to be thought

provoking and thought shaping: "They dart into the mind with the sharpness of a

fishhook. They move into the memory like a fishhook, and can be removed only with

great effort" (Oates, 1953, p. 82). Jesus said, "If you hold to my teaching, you are really

my disciples. Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free" (John 8:31-

32). Knowing the truth and acting upon this knowledge is liberating. Another

important passage on changing distorted thoughts into biblically accurate and healthy

ones comes from Paul in his letter to the Romans:

Therefore, I urge you, brothers, in view of God's mercy, to offer your bodies as

living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God—this is your spiritual act of worship.

Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the

renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God's will

is—his good, pleasing and perfect will (Rom. 12:1-2).

The verb that is rendered with "be transformed" is in the present tense suggesting that

this transformation is a continuing process (Moo, 1996). When a person's thinking is

transformed, he/she can experience the perfect will of God (Chisholm, 2002). This "will"

directs us into greater conformity to the image of Christ. In fact, we are to control our

thinking as an act of obedience to Christ: "We demolish arguments and every pretension

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that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to

make it obedient to Christ" (2 Cor. 10:5). To control one's thoughts and actively oppose

evil and falsehood is an act of spiritual warfare. The passage makes it clear that God

empowers the believer to face the world of beliefs and ideas with divine power (2 Cor.

10:4).

The Bible also gives advice on the content of transformed thinking. Paul

explains what constitutes wholesome thinking:

Finally, brothers, 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 (Php. 4:8-9).

Right thinking aligned with the truths of scripture can produce dividends in righteousness

and peace. The scriptures make it clear that the 'inner' produces the 'outer' (Chisholm,

2002); when a person's thought-life and desires are corrupt the rest becomes corrupt as

well: "What comes out of a man is what makes him 'unclean.' For from within, out of

men's hearts, come evil thoughts, sexual immorality, theft, murder, adultery, greed,

malice, deceit, lewdness, envy, slander, arrogance and folly. All these evils come from

inside and make a man 'unclean'" (Mark 7:20-23). In this way, the scriptures suggest

that the believer's thought life has much to do with his/her spiritual and emotional

wellbeing.

An important part of replacing irrational and unhealthy patterns of thinking

involves the repetition and the infusion of biblically accurate thoughts. Sori & McKinney

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(2006) highlights the benefit of thought repetition in the formation of new patterns of

thinking:

[0]ther research demonstrates that when we practice certain responses to the

exclusion of other possible responses, the nonpracticed response becomes actively

inhibited.. ..By repeatedly using the new information, it becomes the dominant

response in our repertoire and the old information is inhibited. Therefore, to

successfully transform one's thinking (Romans 12:2), one must be constantly

rehearsing new thoughts (p. 224).

In counseling evangelicals, it can be helpful to pick out a passage that can be repeated

when destructive or self-defeating thoughts surface. This can work towards creating a

new perspective for the client. Elaborating on this benefit, Oates (1953) states:

The deliberate, suggestive, persuasive repetition of the passage or passages to the

person in need is an important element in their effective use. The objective of this

is to imbed the idea and thought of the passage just below the conscious level of

the person's awareness in such a way that it will be unforgettable, and keep

coming back like a song (p. 105).

The psalmist declares in Ps. 119:11: "I have hidden your word in my heart that I might not

sin against you." The Holy Spirit is able to bring to mind biblical passages and ideas

when needed. Take the case of Doug who struggles with fear. When fears came, Doug

would meditate on the short passage: "For God did not give us a spirit of timidity, but a

spirit of power, of love and of self-discipline" (2 Tim. 1:7). With this passage as a

cognitive and spiritual resource, Doug was able to gain a measure of control over his fear

and attain some self-confidence (Tan & Gregg, 1997).

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 Sometimes it is necessary to augment scripture memorization and meditation with

an active stance against the negative thought that comes to mind. This is what is referred

to as 'thought stopping.' Tan & Ortberg (2004) advocate the use of thought stopping

with depressed thoughts:

Sometimes you may have trouble controlling recurring thoughts associated with

depressed feelings. When this happens, a thought-stopping procedure may be of

some help. You should sit back comfortably, with eyes closed, and imagine the

negative thoughts recurring. After allowing a few moments for this, you should

then shout, 'Stop!' This may feel awkward the first few times you do it, but it is

helpful to actually shout. The 'stop' should usually disrupt your recurrent

negative thinking, if only momentarily....After some practice, you can say 'stop'

quietly, whenever such thoughts occur (p. 94).

This idea of actively opposing false ideas is supported in scripture: "For the grace of God

that brings salvation has appeared to all men. It teaches us to say 'No' to ungodliness and

worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright and godly lives in this present age"

(Tit. 2:11-12).

For some a less disruptive routine involving deep breathing and relaxation can

create the ideal atmosphere for learning new ways responding to intrusive thoughts.

Benson (1996) outlines nine helpful steps:

Step 1: Pick a focus word or short phrase that's firmly rooted in your belief

system.

Step 2: Sit quietly in a comfortable position.

Step 3: Close your eyes.

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 Step 4: Relax your muscles.

Step 5: Breath slowly and naturally, and as you do, repeat your focus word,

phrase, or prayer silently to yourself as you exhale.

Step 6: Assume a passive attitude. Don't worry about how well you're doing.

When other thoughts come to mind, simply say to yourself, 'Oh well,' and

gently return to the repetition.

Step 7: Continue for ten to twenty minutes.

Step 8: Do not stand immediately. Continue sitting quietly for a minute or so,

allowing other thoughts to return. Then open your eyes and sit for another

minute before rising.

Step 9: Practice this technique once or twice daily (p. 136).

The evangelical client may choose a phrase from scripture for this exercise; some

examples could include: "Our Father who art in heaven"; "The Lord is my shepherd"; "In

God I trust."

Another exercise that has proven helpful in cognitive restructuring involves

creating a sheet with two columns, the first column is for listing the negative self-

evaluations that are producing dysfunctional feelings and behaviors, the second column is

a place for the scriptural affirmations or ideas that counter the negative ones. For

example, "I will probably fail again" is countered with the scripture: "I can do everything

through him who gives me strength" (Php. 4:13). The "him" in this passage is Christ.

Liz an evangelical client used this exercise with success in dealing with feeling anxious,

inadequate, and overwhelmed in her work situation. Liz prepared a list of negative self-

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statements and a corresponding list of scriptures that she had found that spoke to her

feelings. Some of her list included negative self-defeating thoughts like:

I am weak; I will be overtaken.

I am disorganized—I can never succeed

I am going to fail.

I am a failure in God's eyes.

I will screw up.

I can't manage things: my life, work, family, stress.

I am not worthy of love.

God will never hear me or help me (Sori & McKinney, 2006, p. 226).

The scriptures that Liz found that she felt spoke to her negative self-evaluation included:

But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners,

Christ died for us (Rom. 5:8).

This then is how we know that we belong to the truth, and how we set our hearts

at rest in his presence whenever our hearts condemn us. For God is greater than

our hearts.. ..if our hearts do not condemn us, we have confidence before God and

receive from him anything we ask (1 John 3:19-22).

I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me (Php. 4:13, NKJV).

This God who cared about her long before she knew him was greater than her negative

thoughts, and she could have victory through him (Sori & McKinney, 2006). Evangelical

clients often have significant biblical literacy, and with the help of a concordance, they

can carefully search for passages and contexts that address their situation. Other clients

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may need help to find meaningful passages from the Bible, and with these clients, the

counselor can supply to the degree that he or she is able.

Among evangelical Christians there are some faulty beliefs that should be

countered with the truth of scripture. Tan & Ortberg (2004) list three with scriptural

counterarguments: (1) Because I'm a Christian, I will not have pain and suffering. Jesus

spoke to his disciples: "In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have

overcome the world" (John 16:33). (2) It is my Christian responsibility to meet all the

needs of those around me. In passages, like 1 Cor. 12:27-31 and Rom. 12:6-7, scripture

makes it clear that in the body of Christ different people have different gifts and

responsibilities. No one member has all the gifts and no one is responsible for meeting

all needs. (3) A good Christian does not feel angry, anxious or depressed. Jesus was

angry when he drove out the money changers from the temple area (Mark 11:15-17).

Paul expects anger to be a part of the believer's experience with his statement: "In your

anger do not sin" (Eph. 4:26). When Jesus learned that Lazarus, his friend, had died, it

says that he was "deeply moved in spirit and troubled" (John 11:33-35). In Gethsemane,

Jesus was "deeply distressed and troubled." Jesus expressed his mental and emotional

torment with the words: "My soul is overwhelmed with sorrow to the point of death"

(Mark 14:33-34).

Another area of distorted thinking for evangelicals involves 'worm theology.'

Garzon (2005) describes this exaggeration in belief as, "a view that overemphasizes one's

sinfulness, the fallen nature, and God's judgment while minimizing God's love,

acceptance, and the reality of [one's] new position in Christ" (p. 116). Evangelical

clients who present with this type of distorted thinking may benefit from an exploration

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of the passages in scripture that emphasize God's grace, love and acceptance in Christ.

There is freedom in the words of Jesus to the woman caught in adultery: "Neither do I

condemn you" (John 8:11) and in the declaration: "As far as the east is from the west, so

far has he removed our transgressions from us" (Ps. 103:12).

One of the ways that people have benefited from the cumulative message of the

scriptures is by meditating on a list of biblical affirmations. Anderson (2000) has

compiled a list of such affirmations which can be used in counseling evangelicals:

Since I am in Christ, by the grace of God:

I have been justified—completely forgiven and made righteous (Rom. 5:1).

I died with Christ and died to the power of sin's rule over my life (Rom. 6:1-6).

I am free forever from condemnation (Rom. 8:1).

I have been placed into Christ by God's doing (1 Cor. 1:30).

I have received the Spirit of God into my life that I might know the things freely

given to me by God (1 Cor. 2:12).

I have been given the mind of Christ (1 Cor. 2:16).

I have been bought with a price; I am not my own; I belong to God (1 Cor.

6:19,20).

I have been established, anointed and sealed by God in Christ, and I have been

given the Holy Spirit as a pledge guaranteeing our inheritance to come (2

Cor. 1:21,22, Eph. 1:13,14).

Since I have died, I no longer live for myself, but for Christ (2 Cor. 5:14,15).

I have been made righteous (2 Cor. 5:21).

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 I have been crucified with Christ and it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in

me. The life I am now living is Christ's life (Gal. 2:20).

I have been blessed with every spiritual blessing (Eph. 1:3).

I was chosen in Christ before the foundation of the world to be holy and am

without blame before Him (Eph. 1:4).

I was predestined—determined by God—to be adopted as God's son (Eph. 1:5).

I have been redeemed and forgiven, and I am a recipient of His lavish grace (Eph.

1:7,8).

I have been made alive together with Christ (Eph. 2:5).

I have been raised up and seated with Christ in heaven (Eph. 2:6).

I have direct access to God through the Spirit (Eph. 2:18) (p. 64).

Anderson (2000) continues with another page of biblical statements, the collective weight

of which is impressive. This kind of evidence shows that in Christ there is a totally new

reality and blessings. These kinds of lists can be compiled on various therapeutic topics

like depression, anxiety, and guilt as well. For a simpler more personal style, I would

recommend the Father's Love Letter available from Father Heart Communications. The

Father's Love Letter is a powerful tool that can be used to encourage and confirm the

spiritual beliefs of evangelical clients who are struggling with various psycho-spiritual

issues. It should be stressed that in using these tools one should not see in them a quick

fix to any problem. Just as patterns of thinking take time to embed themselves into our

thinking so we need to resist thinking that simple mental assent is all that there is

involved in reworking our cognitive distortions.

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 One of the areas that scripture speaks to is in the realm of supernatural healing.

Many evangelicals have struggled with the apparent disparity between the abundance of

healings in the apostolic church and the seeming absence of healings in the modern North

American church context. There are many places where Jesus and the apostles healed

those who suffered various afflictions. Today's evangelical may blame himself/herself

when God does not heal supernaturally. Some internalize this as a lack of faith or as an

indication of sin. It is noteworthy that when the apostle Paul suffered some physical

and/or spiritual limitation referred to as a "thorn in the flesh" (2 Cor. 12:7); he prayed

repeatedly that God would remove it. God's response was: "My grace is sufficient for

you, for my power is made perfect in weakness" (2 Cor. 12:9). Instead it served the

divine purpose of making Paul humble and dependent. Job was another person who

suffered sickness not because of some sin or lack of faith but rather for a divine purpose

that was never fully revealed.

Tan & Johnson (2005) discuss a relevant case where scripture and biblical

arguments were used effectively in counseling a seminary student with a fear of speaking

in public. Grace, a student, was treated at the seminary's psychological services center.

During the assessment it was found that for Grace public speaking was preceded by acute

episodes of anxiety. Tan & Johnson (2005) report that symptoms included "sweating,

trembling, difficulty concentrating, racing heart, profound social embarrassment, and a

strong drive to escape the situation" (p. 92). Together with her therapist, Grace

acknowledged some distorted beliefs that she had in relation to public speaking e.g. "I

must not get nervous," "it will be awful if they see me tremble or stutter," "I can't stand

feeling anxious like this," "I must model God's peace for others," and "if I can't just 'let

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go and let God,' it shows that I am spiritually cut off (p. 92). As a secondary condition,

Grace was experiencing depression because she was unable to control her primary

difficulty with anxiety

Grace indicated that she desired to integrate her faith and the Bible into her

therapy. The cognitive distortion that Grace presented with is known as

"catastrophizing." In this way, Grace saw her situation as catastrophic and intolerable.

Tan & Johnson (2005) record how Grace responded well to the following disputations

about her evaluation of her situation:

[RJemind me how it is that rating your situation as catastrophic is helping you to

keep your focus on God and serve Him more effectively? Job lost his wife, his

children, and his property. He had painful boils covering his body. If his

situation was 100% bad, where would your classroom anxiety fall on the

scale?....God saw the good which would come from his son's death and Job's

suffering. God sees things about our unpreferred circumstances that we cannot.

Instead of stubbornly demanding that things be different than they are, what might

God want to hear from you instead? (p. 95).

In relation to her low tolerance for frustration, the following disputations were helpful:

If God created you, understands your capacities, and has allowed you to end up in

this situation, He must believe that you can stand it.. .The apostle Paul begged

God to remove his 'thorn in the flesh' [2 Cor.]. He suffered and yet chose to

tolerate his discomfort to keep serving God.. .Imagine that God appeared to you

and explained that He needed you to tolerate feeling anxious for an important

reason. Could you stand it then? (p. 95).

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As another treatment method, Grace and her therapist role played, swapping sides: Grace

taking the rational biblical perspective and the therapist taking her irrational side in order

to demonstrate that some of Grace's dysfunctional beliefs ran counter to reason and her

basic beliefs about God as revealed in the Bible. For example, in one instance the

therapist played the God of Grace's irrational beliefs and Grace was to dispute the

following argument: "Because Grace is feeling anxious at times, she is entirely worthless

to me and a deep source of disappointment. In fact, I God, can't stand thinking of Grace

getting anxious, it upsets me too much!" (p. 96). This was entirely contrary to the

message of God's unconditional love as expressed in the Bible and opposing this

distorted thought was the reasonable and scripturally correct thing to do. For the self-

denigrating beliefs that she was worthless as a Christian in God's sight, the following

request for evidence was effective:

What did Jesus say about the worth of sinners? The lost sheep? The lost coins?

The prodigal son? What does these parables [all in Luke 15] say about your

worth even when you get yourself so anxious you can't speak the way you'd

prefer? (p. 96).

The therapist aimed at replacing Grace's dysfunctional beliefs with theologically and

biblical supported ones: "It seems to me that when you get anxious and feel distressed,

God is giving you an opportunity to experience His comfort and grace, Grace!" (p. 96).

Others in the Bible experienced limitation but with God's help were able to persevere.

As a final intervention, the therapist employed rational emotive religious imagery

as a part of the treatment aimed at coping with a stressful situation. Grace was asked to

imagine the anxiety producing situation and then to change the image and emotions using

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cognitive disputation. Grace found the mental picture of Jesus close by with his hand on

her back prior to public speaking calming. Jesus rose with her when it was time to speak,

smiling in a way to reassure her of his presence and approval. Grace also included

praying to Jesus and expressing her thanks to him (Tan & Johnson, 2005).

Using religious imagery in counseling

Others have benefited from using imagery based on or taken from the Bible as

well. Tan (2007a) presents the composite case of Jane who was suffering from mild

depression, fatigue, and a distant relationship with God. Jane related a painful story of

how her father ignored her preferring his newspaper over spending time with her. As a

part of therapy, Jane shared this image and allowed herself to feel the pain again. In

response, the therapist prayed with Jane that the Holy Spirit would come and minister to

her in this painful episode. With tears in her eyes, Jane described the image that came to

her mind and which she found deeply moving:

I actually sense the presence of Jesus with me, although I can't see His face

clearly.. .he is having lunch with me, spreading out a blanket with a picnic basket

filled with food like sandwiches and tea to drink, on green pastures beside the still

waters as Psalm 23 describes, .. .and He eats a leisurely lunch with me, giving me

His full and loving attention.. ..and He speaks to me and tells me that I am His

beloved child and very precious to Him.. .(with some tears).. .1 really feel close to

Him and my heart is experiencing some warmth and joy and.. .deep peace. This

is very meaningful and healing for me.. ..I feel that I can experience God more

now as a loving and present Heavenly Father or Parent (pp. 106-107).

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As a part of her treatment, Jane felt gently nudged by Jesus to forgive her father and let

go of her resentment.

Religious imagery has also been used in therapeutic interventions involving abuse

and in treating posttraumatic stress. Propst (1996) explains the benefit of using religious

imagery in evoking "visual thoughts":

These images are not stimuli that individuals respond to; rather, they are

individual's responses. Furthermore, images may have a greater capacity than

thoughts in a more linguistic mode for intensifying traumatic memories and, thus,

may allow patients to focus more fully on emotionally laden ideas, so that patients

may more effectively restructure the thoughts and images surrounding a traumatic

event (p. 401).

Some female victims of physical or sexual abuse have benefited by incorporating Jesus'

presence into an image they have of the abuse. In this way, the meaning of the image

begins to change and its negative intensity begins to diminish. For those who found

Jesus' gender problematic, it was useful to focus on him as human and a fellow victim of

emotional and physical abuse (Propst, 1996).

For others, ritual activities aid in the disputation of negative self-statements.

Clients can visually picture or physically enact nailing distorted thoughts to the cross (cf.

Col. 2:14). Other clients may prefer to write these negative thoughts on pieces of paper

and burn them one by one symbolizing the rejection of condemning thoughts for ones

that are biblical and theologically accurate. As each thought is nailed or burned, the

client can repeat the words of Jesus: "It is finished" (John 19:30) as a way of embracing

the completed work of Jesus on the cross (Sori & McKinney, 2006).

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 Biblical characters and cognitive distortions

Chisholm (2002) presents a number of biblical stories to illustrate various

cognitive distortions. In the Gospel of Luke we have recorded the story of Martha and

Mary, two sisters who opened their home to Jesus.

As Jesus and his disciples were on their way, he came to a village where a woman

named Martha opened her home to him. She had a sister called Mary, who sat at

the Lord's feet listening to what he said. But Martha was distracted by all the

preparations that had to be made. She came to him and asked, 'Lord, don't you

care that my sister has left me to do the work by myself? Tell her to help me!'

'Martha, Martha,' the Lord answered, 'you are worried and upset about many

things, but only one thing is needed. Mary has chosen what is better, and it will

not be taken away from her' (Luke 10:38-42).

In this story, Martha can be used to illustrate the cognitive distortion of "perfectionism."

Using the classification in Beck (1995), we could also view this as a distortion in which

"should" and "must" are the operative words for self and other's behavior. A person

suffering from this cognitive distortion has unrealistically high standards for self and/or

others. For perfectionists the inner thought is: "It's got to be just right. I will accept

nothing less" (Chisholm, 2002, p. 94). The net result of perfectionism is increased stress,

frustration, anxiety and depression when things are not perfect. Martha was unable to

find time in her ordered world for Jesus and his teaching.

In the report of the ten spies who scouted the Promised Land is an example of the

cognitive distortion, "magnification." Beck (1995) describes this distorted way of

thinking: "When you evaluate yourself, another person or a situation, you unreasonably

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magnify the negative and/or minimize the positive" (p. 119). In this case, both happened:

the ten spies incited the people of Israel to fear with a magnified report of the strengths of

their opponents in the land and minimized their resources and strengths evidenced in the

miracles that God displayed in the exodus and early desert experiences. Caleb urged the

people with words of confidence: "We should go up and take possession of the land, for

we can certainly do it" (Num. 13:30). However, the other ten spies gave an exaggerated

report of their findings which fuelled a rebellion against Moses, Joshua, and Caleb:

But the men who had gone up with him said, 'We can't attack those people; they

are stronger than we are.' And they spread among the Israelites a bad report

about the land they had explored. They said, 'The land we explored devours those

living in it. All the people we saw there are of great size. We saw the Nephilim

there (the descendants of Anak come from the Nephilim). We seemed like

grasshoppers in our own eyes, and we looked the same to them' (Num. 13:31-33).

Note the exaggerations: "The land.. .devours those living in it"; "We seemed like

grasshoppers in our own eyes, and we looked the same to them." Even the connection to

the Nephilim was used to engender fear:

At this point their words became exaggerations and distortions. The Anakites

(who were of large size were now said to be Nephilim, the race of giants

described briefly in the mysterious context of the cohabitation of the sons of God

and the daughters of man (Gen. 6:4). The use of the term Nephilim seems to be

deliberately provocative of fear, a term not unlike the concept of the bogeymen

and hobgoblins (Allen, 1990, p. 812).

Fear reigned and faith faded for the people of the Israel:

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 No one talked about God's grace. None recited his miracles. Forgotten was the

act of God where the most powerful nation of their world was stymied at the

rushing waters back to their beds. The thunder of Sinai, the fire of God, that he

had spoken and delivered and graced his people beyond imagination—all these

things were forgotten in their paroxysm of fear. Fear unchecked becomes its own

fuel, a self-propelling force that expands as it expends (p. 813).

The inner thought of those who magnify or minimize circumstances is "I can't handle it.

This is too much for me" (Chisholm, 2002, p. 108). Tan & Ortberg (2004) give a

contemporary example of magnification: "I yelled at my children. I'm a terrible parent;

my kids will need to be in therapy throughout their adult lives" (p. 89). Magnification in

this case could be treated using logical disputation like: "Every parent has yelled at

his/her kids from time to time, most children turn out just fine" or "You don't yell all the

time: there are many times when you are calm and collected. You're a good parent."

This, however, should not be seen as a justification of poor or abusive parenting, for there

are parents who need to consider the role they are playing in their children's dysfunction.

Elijah experienced the supernatural power of God on Mount Carmel; the prophets

of Baal were defeated and he was vindicated as a prophet of Yahweh. After this

however, Elijah was likely exhausted and allowed his thinking to be distorted. Instead of

resting in God's accomplishments, he discounted the positive in favor of the negative.

Elijah laments before the Lord: "I have been very zealous for the LORD God Almighty.

The Israelites have rejected your covenant, broken down your altars, and put your

prophets to death with the sword. I am the only one left, and now they are trying to kill

me too" (1 Kgs. 19:10). "Discounting the positive" is very much like the cognitive

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distortion of "minimization" in that the positive is minimized, overlooked, or dismissed.

The reality for Elijah was that he underestimated the number of the faithful remnant.

God assures Elijah: "Yet I reserve seven thousand in Israel—all whose knees have not

bowed down to Baal and all those whose mouths have not kissed him" (1 Kgs 19:18).

For those who suffer from this distorted way of thinking, negative supplants the positive:

"You discount compliments or positive experiences by manufacturing some reason why

they're not really credible. This allows negative thinking to continue, despite positive

evidence to the contrary" (Tan & Ortberg, 2004, pp. 88-89). For example, someone

might have done a great job and was complimented for it. Instead of taking the

compliment, the person diminishes his/her performance as "not good enough" or "I could

have done better." Empirical questioning might focus on testing the hypothesis that it

was not good enough or incomplete. By surveying the ideas of other fellow workers, the

person may get a better idea of the extent of his/her contribution. It is very much like

saying that the cup is almost empty when in fact it is half full. We need to accustom our

eyes to seeing the positive and our role in its accomplishment.

Another distorted way of thinking involves "mind reading." After the defeat of

Goliath and the Philistines, the Israelite women sang a song of praise to the returning

warriors: "As they danced, they sang: 'Saul has slain his thousands, and David his tens of

thousands'" (1 Sam. 18:7). The narrative continues with Saul's negative assessment of

the situation: "Saul was very angry; this refrain galled him. 'They have credited David

with tens of thousands,' he thought, 'but me with only thousands. What more can he get

but the kingdom?'" (1 Sam. 18:8). When Saul heard the song that the Israel women

were singing about David and his battle statistics, he assumed that he knew what David

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was thinking and planning. In some ways, Saul discounted the positive as well; he

should have celebrated David's accomplishments as his own. Saul's insecurity and

paranoid thoughts kept him from enjoying the success of one of his military leaders. It is

interesting that the spies were mind reading as well when they assumed that they looked

like grasshoppers to the Canaanites. This happens today as well. Sometimes it is only a

look or facial expression, and we go away thinking that the person was disposed in a way

that may not accurately reflect his/her true intentions. Again examining the evidence

may be the best way to counteract this distorted thinking.

All-or-nothing thinking can create grief for the person who engages in this

cognitive distortion. Sometimes called "black-and-white, polarized, or dichotomous

thinking"; the person views a situation in only two extremes instead of on a continuum

(Beck, 1995). This kind of thinking is evident in the reaction of James and John to the

cold reception they received in Samaria:

And he sent messengers on ahead, who went into a Samaritan village to get things

ready for him; but the people there did not welcome him, because he was heading

for Jerusalem. When the disciples James and John saw this, they asked, 'Lord, do

you want us to call fire down from heaven to destroy them?' But Jesus turned and

rebuked them, and they went to another village (Luke 9:52-55).

For these disciples the decision was black and white; they judged the town and found it

guilty and worthy of destruction. Sometimes we use this kind of thinking in our self-

assessments. For example: "My sermons are not powerful or effective enough to draw

huge crowds to my church. I'm a failure as a preacher and should probably look for

some other line of ministry" (Tan & Ortberg, 2004, p. 88). Either the situation is perfect,

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or it is seen as a failure. Not everything is black-and-white, and it is a sign of

psychological health when we begin to recognize shades of gray.

Part of the motivation for using biblical examples of cognitive distortions is

because evangelicals characteristically value the scriptures and for many these stories are

known and appreciated. Another reason for using biblical material is rooted in the belief

that there is spiritual benefit in reading and meditating on the scriptures. Evangelicals see

Bible study and meditation as a source of God's blessing and a means of his grace.

Empirical research on Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy

Support for biblically informed CBT comes from a number of different sources.

Tan (2007a) reports firsthand how spiritually oriented CBT has been useful and effective

in treating clients with a number of mental and emotional problems:

I have used a biblical Christian approach to CBT with mainly adult Christian

clients.. .with the following types of problems: phobias, obsessive-compulsive

disorder, anxiety disorders, stress, burnout, anger control problems, marital and

family problems, adjustment disorder, depression, bipolar disorder, epilepsy, pain,

hypertension, and religious conflicts and issues (p. 103).

Hawkins, Tan & Turk (1999) describe the main characteristics of Christian therapies that

have been developed within the CBT framework:

(a) reliance on Scripture as the primary truth (and not on self-evident truths as in

traditional CBT); (b) challenging some of the core assumptions and goals of CBT

that emphasize the need for self-efficacy through self-fulfillment (not wholeness

through God); (c) explicitly acknowledging the importance of other factors

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 (historical, social, theological, and familial) that are important in a Christian

context (p. 311).

Hawkins et al. (1999) are also supported by a number of empirical studies that conclude

that religiously oriented CBT is effective in treating depression among Christian clients.

Some argue that biblically informed CBT or CBT using biblical imagery is more

effective than standard CBT in treating depressed Christian clients. Propst (1980, 1985)

and Propst, Ostrom, Watkins, Dean, & Mashburn (1992) found that Christian clients

responded better to CBT adapted to their Christian belief system than did Christians who

were treated with standard CBT:

Results of this investigation provide cautious support for the increased efficacy of

CBT adapted to the beliefs of a religious subpopulation. Both traditional

statistical analyses and an evaluation of the clinical significance of these results at

posttreatment indicate that religious individuals receiving a religious cognitive

therapy (RCT) reported more reduction in depression, as measured by the BDI

and HRSD, and greater improvement in social adjustment and general

symptomology, as measured by the SAS and GSI, than did patients in the

standard CBT (Propst, Ostrom, Watkins, Dean, & Mashburn, 1992, p. 101).

Worthington, Kurusu, McCullough, & Sandage (1996) describe the study by Propst et al.

(1992) as a "state-of-the-art outcome study" (p. 477).

However, studies by Johnson (1990), Pecheur & Edwards (1984), and Johnson,

Devries, Ridley, Pettorini & Peterson (1994) have found no statistically significant

evidence to suggest that there is added therapeutic value in religiously based CBT in

treating depressed Christians. This is not to say that biblically informed CBT was not

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effective; on the contrary, both standard CBT and religious modified CBT were effective

in treating depressed Christians. The subjects in these studies experienced significant

decrease in their depressive symptomology as evidenced by self report and other clinical

tests. Pecheur & Edwards (1984) underscore the significance of these findings for the

intersection of faith and science in treating psychotherapeutic disorders like depression:

The findings of the present study also demonstrated that Beck's et al. (1979)

cognitive therapy can be adapted to and integrated with the religious belief system

of Christians without impairing the therapeutic value of the intervention. This

finding has important implications for it attests to the compatibility between

Cognitive Theory and Therapy and Christian Theology.. .and refutes the position

of those clinicians (e.g., Ellis, 1970, 1980) who maintain that psychology is

antithetical to Christianity—a position predicated on the general assumption that a

sincere adherence to religious beliefs engenders emotional disturbance (p. 52).

Hodge (2006) argues that based on the AP A guidelines for the selection of empirically

supported interventions, CBT and biblically informed CBT are both "well-established"

interventions for the treatment of depression among Christians. While it remains

uncertain whether biblically informed CBT is superior to standard CBT in treating

depressed Christians, there is little doubt that biblically informed CBT is a therapeutic

treatment with solid empirical support.

These studies on spiritually oriented CBT and the treatment of depressed

Christians are significant and worthy of consideration. As we have seen above,

evangelical Christians form a sizable portion of the North American population and their

presence in the counseling room should be anticipated. Furthermore, depression is

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considered by many as one of the most common mental health conditions and its

occurrence appears to be increasing (Hodge, 2006). For evangelicals, the interest in

spirituality and integration of biblical principles and imagery should be seen as a sign that

the discipline of psychotherapy is becoming more attuned to the distinct needs, values,

and treatment of Christians.

The preceding chapters have focused on therapies that evangelical Christians have

found agreeable and consistent with their belief system. The following chapter moves

into an area where one might not expect to find agreement, but the inquiry presented

shows that there are dividends for the evangelical client in the therapies that have arisen

out of the post-modernist movement.

4. SCRIPTURE AND POST-MODERN THERAPIES

For many evangelicals the differences between classical theology and the post-

modernist movement are insurmountable. The evangelical starts with God's special

revelation in the Scriptures. The understanding is that God is revealed in the canon of

scripture, and this revelation is not opaque or unintelligible. The basic message of

salvation through the atonement of Jesus Christ is plainly laid out, and people are

accountable for their acceptance or rejection of this message. With hard work and the

illumination of the Holy Spirit, it is possible to understand the author's intention in the

text. This is not to say that all passages are equally transparent, but in general the

evangelical holds that God superintended the inspiration of the Scriptures in a way that

people would understand.

If truth is objective and universal for the evangelical, the same is not true for the

post-modernist. We can never know what the author intended because we do not know

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what meaning the author brought to the text. For the post-modernist, "[m]isreading is not

a problem to be solved, just a fact to be lived with" (de Shazer, 1991, p. 51). It appears

that at this juncture evangelicals and post-modernists are most divided. However, there

are some places where evangelicals have been influenced by post-modernism. There is

probably a greater tentativeness about what different passages mean thanks to post-

modernism. We are not living in the first century; we are culturally and philosophically

removed from the apostolic church. This should temper our dogmatism in interpretation.

In some passages of scripture we simply do not have sufficient context to argue one way

as opposed to another. This hesitation is a good thing because scripture makes it clear

that our knowledge is partial: "Now we see but a poor reflection as in a mirror; then we

shall see face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully" (1 Cor. 13:12).

Post-modern therapies are rooted in post-modern philosophy, and evangelicals

may feel the tension here. There are, however, other emphases that post-modern

therapies stress and techniques used which are congruent with the evangelical faith and

can be helpful in treating the evangelical client. In particular, we will examine how

scripture can be incorporated in a beneficial way with some aspects of post-modern

therapies like narrative therapy and solution-focused therapy. In the end, the therapeutic

endeavor may not look like post-modern therapy but we still acknowledge our debt to

post-modern thinkers like Steve de Shazer, Michael White, and David Epston for their

contribution to our pursuit.

Incorporating spirituality in the post-modern context

While some of early psychotherapy was indifferent to religion and at times

hostile, post-modern thinking has opened the door to spiritual and religious concerns.

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The client's worldview and beliefs about the problem are of central importance to the

post-modernist therapist. This "informal content" referring to the client's "idiosyncratic

assumptions about problem causation" is highly significant in solution-focused therapy:

Virtually any (informal) content.. .including any idea, philosophy, or theme, can

be used or introduced within solution-focused counseling in an effort to frame a

problem and its potential solution. So long as the informal content fits with the

client's worldview, then it is assumed that such content can be used to work

toward collaborative ends during the change process. It follows that the strategic

approach to eclecticism in solution-focused counseling can be effectively applied

to religious and spiritual clients (Guterman & Leite, 2006, p. 42).

It is a task of the first order for therapists to understand the personal beliefs and values of

their clients because this sheds light on how the client frames and understands the

problem. This is no less true with evangelical clients. Guterman & Leite (2006) relate

how one particular client incorporated principles from the best-selling Christian book:

The Purpose-Driven Life (Warren, 2002) into her therapy as something consistent with

her beliefs. Therapy was organized around helping the client identify times when she

was able to use the book's insights in her own life. The same is true of using the Bible

with evangelicals. The scriptures can be fertile ground for working with evangelical

clients in conceptualizing the problem and exceptions to it.

Social constructivism encourages hearing from a multiplicity of different voices.

For religious clients, spirituality is one such voice. The spiritual experiences of many

clients have been marginalized. Blanton (2003) is correct in asserting that "clients can be

fully cared for only if the therapist attends to their complete stories" (p. 48). In holistic

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therapy these marginalized stories need to be given legitimacy and space. Belief in God

and fidelity to the scriptures are not pathological but are the threads which for the

evangelical hold the garment together. For biblically fluent evangelicals, the text of

scripture and the text of their lives become woven together.

In narrative therapy and solution-focused therapy, hearing from God through the

pages of Scripture has benefits. To unite with the saints of old and new and to connect

with the God of the Bible is to build an audience for change. These voices become an

audience of support and encouragement in the continuing story of success. Listening to

the word of God also helps to put the therapeutic relationship in perspective: "Including

the voice of God allows the Spirit to be the true agent of change and permits the therapist

to recede into the background" (Blanton, 2005, p. 76). When both parties are Christian, a

focus on the scriptures allows both to be addressed by the same word of the Lord (Capps,

1981).

This emphasis on relationship, especially the client's relationship to God, is

consistent with the social constructivist approach which views the "self as being

inherently relational, non-autonomous, and non-individualistic" (Carlson & Erickson,

2000, p. 70). The construction of reality is at its core a relational enterprise where stories

are co-authored in relationships with others. The "relational identity story" is bound up

with those significant relationships including the client's relationship with God:

[I]t is our belief that the relationships that are the most significant in a person's

life will carry the most meaning or have the most power in constructing a

dominant identity story. When working with religious and/or spiritually

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 committed persons, it is important to consider the importance of their relationship

with God (p. 73).

It is important to ask "Are there any relationships where the problem has less of a

foothold?" (p. 69). Problems can isolate a person from his/her significant relationships

with others. In the case of the evangelical, this alienation can result in impoverished

stories about his/her relationship with God (Carlson & Erickson, 2000). In post-modern

therapies, there is an emphasis on the transforming influence of conversations, especially

those 'other' voices that the problem seems to be drowning out (Blanton, 2003).

Exceptions in the realm of spirituality

For post-modern psychotherapies, special attention is focused on developing

unique outcomes or exceptions which contrast with the problem or complaint. For both

the narrative therapist and solution-focused therapist, these exceptions have the potential

of leading to a solution. Special attention is devoted to the generation of alternate stories

which fall outside of the dominate problem saturated story. These can lead to the "re-

authoring" of new stories of hope where the problem is not central (White & Epston,

1990).

For the Christian client, it is important for the therapist to understand that God is

already at work in his/her life creating solutions. The client and therapist should look to

see what God is already doing in the client's life and promote those things that are

working. The Bible contains many examples of solutions that God was and is working

out according to his plan and purpose (Rom 8:28). In this way, the counselee, the

therapist, and God are co-creating solutions as the client is being transformed into the

likeness of Christ (2 Cor. 3:18) (Kollar, 1997).

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 God is in the process of making all things new (Rev. 21:5). In the end, God will

create new heavens and a new earth (Is. 65:17). Already now God has given the

Christian a new identity in Christ. God is doing a new thing in their lives (Is. 43:18-19),

he has put a new song in their mouths (Ps. 40:3). Christians are members of a new

covenant (Jer. 31:31). Christians have been given a new spirit and a new heart (Ezek.

11:19). It is through new birth (1 Pet. 1:3) that Christians have been given new hope

(Kollar, 1997). As counselors we need to recognize the work of the Holy Spirit already

in progress: "Each person has his own path, or track, by which the Spirit is leading him"

(Kollar, 1997, p. 58). The Holy Spirit and the client are "co-creating a future in which

the problem does not dominate" (p. 82).

In envisioning life without the problem, it is helpful to take notice of "grace-

events" in our lives—places where God is at work. Kollar (1997) gives a partly fictional

example of the "grace-events" in the life of the patriarch, David. When David faced wild

animals in caring for his father's sheep, he was being formed by God for God's unique

purpose. If David's counselor had focused on David's fear in facing Goliath without

noting the exceptions that God put in his path, David might have been paralyzed by fear.

Instead, the counselor may have focused on those times when fear did not have the last

word. In this way, the counselor could help to transfer emphasis from the problem to the

exception. God had already given evidences of his transforming work in David's life.

The solution-focused counselor might have asked how fighting Goliath is so different

from the other problems that David faced. David was the expert in his own life; the

counselor could have affirmed the exceptions to the problem that God was using in

David's spiritual formation.

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 For some, the problem saturated story seems to have no exceptions. In cases like

this where the evangelical cannot see his/her way out of the tunnel, the counselor might

look to the Bible for solutions that have worked for others. Many clients can identify

with biblical characters: "Some feel perpetually homeless in the world, like Abraham.

Others always seem to disappoint their Lord at the most inopportune times, like Peter.

Still others are inwardly divided between the composed Mary and the responsible

Martha" (Capps, 1981, p. 44). These stories can jog the client's memory to consider past

exceptions or introduce something new that he/she had not considered before (Bischof &

Helmeke, 2006).

There are many narratives of hope that find their initial source in the scriptures.

Guyette (2003) discusses a few of these. Ruth is an example of someone who had a

strong commitment to family. Even after losing her husband, enduring famine, and

migrating to another land, she remains resilient and dedicated to her new family: "Where

you go I will go, and where you stay I will stay. Your people will be my people and your

God my God" (Ruth 1:16). The Song of Songs expresses a lover's heart with examples

of love, tenderness, and passion. In the last chapter of Proverbs, there is a tribute to the

tireless efforts of a wife and mother who cares for her household: "Many women do

noble things, but you surpass them all" (Prov. 31:29). For many, these kind words of

affirmation, respect and gratitude can be the start of new stories where there is love and

appreciation. Couples and families benefit from the guiding principle: "speak the truth in

love" (Eph. 4:15) and "do not let the sun go down on your anger" (Eph. 4:26). For those

who struggle with a venomous tongue, the Bible teaches instead: "A gentle answer turns

away wrath" (Prov. 15:1).

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 There are numerous other exception building passages in the scriptures. We will

mention a few more. Jesus gives an example to men regarding grieving when he wept for

his friend, Lazarus. Mary and Martha do not cope with their brother's death alone, they

send for Jesus. Both sisters express their faith and perhaps also their disappointment:

"Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died" (John 11:21, 11:32). Jesus

can also teach us the importance of spending time together and with God. In the midst

of ministering to others, Jesus says to his disciples: "Come with me by yourselves to a

quiet place and get some rest" (Mark 6:31). Jesus himself spent time praying and

communing with his father in heaven. Hebrews 10:25 can be a corrective to those who

isolate themselves in their problems: "Let us not give up meeting together, as some are in

the habit of doing, but let us encourage one another—and all the more as you see the

Day approaching."

Association with other believers can be an important way in which the biblical

message can be presented anew. We need exceptions to our routine ways of reading

scripture. For the client struggling with a specific issue, he/she may tend to read the

Bible in the same way, gravitating to those passages that seem to be adding confirmation

to an existing mindset. Sometimes it takes listening to someone else who might have a

different perspective from the same scriptures maybe even an understanding of a passage

that the client might not have seen before. These can be epiphanies—radical moments of

exception. Ideas that are in the text which did not stand out before may require someone

else to bring them to light. The Holy Spirit can use the seeds that others sow in

producing a harvest of peace and righteousness. It is a "grace event" when God

interjects his story of love and acceptance into our self-stories of hurt and misery.

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 Often the problem overshadows the sub-plot of God "working all things together

for the good of those who love him" (Rom. 8:28). The dominant story is so enmeshed

with the problem that it does not allow the client to see the blessings that God has given

along the way. This is not to trivialize the seriousness of the problem for those who

suffer most acutely. There is very little comfort in the words: "Well, some people have it

even worse than you." Yet, we strive to fan into flame those sparks of hope and

subversion when the problem does not have the final say. The scriptures can be a helpful

resource in generating a preferred identity subplot (Blanton, 2005).

When the client is unable to give meaning to those stories of God's blessing, the

problem often recruits blame and self-hatred in its service. The client sees everything as

confirmation that he/she is to blame for the problem or that God does not love him/her.

The voice of scripture can be the corrective to the resounding noise of the problem.

Carlson & Erickson (2000) encourage the use of "re-membering" questions about the

exceptions that God and the client are co-creating:

Re-membering is about helping persons find membership, or experience a return

to membership with the significant relationships of their lives. These significant

members can be people past or present, alive or deceased, relatives or friends, real

or imagined, personally known or not, human or non-human, etc (p. 78).

The scriptures can be instrumental in "re-membering" God in joining the relational

identity story that God is authoring with his children. Often the writers of scripture

remind us of the great accomplishments of God both in their lives and in the lives of

others. In recollecting the acts of God in scripture, the client may find common elements

with his/her own life, times when the problem was subverted where God was at work in

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the unstoried parts of his/her life. The Bible joins the saints of old with the saints of the

present and future together as the ones who will be receiving a kingdom where God in

Christ has dealt decisively with the problem.

Experiential use of scripture

Not all hearing of scripture has to be cognitive; it is possible to experience the

message of the scriptures in a fuller experiential way (Hart, 2001). This is the beauty of

story-telling. We could have all of the scriptures as a systematic theology where truths

are laid out in an orderly and logical way but "stories have a way of changing us in ways

that bare conclusions rarely do":

A good story evokes feelings and images, textures, and colors that connect us to

the story's subject and message. You may know that infidelity is destructive, but

listen to the story of a victim of an affair and you not only know but feel the

devastation (Monroe, 2004, p. 13).

Stover & Stover (1994) add to this by explaining that "stories.. .engage both the

conscious and the unconscious, foster independence, bypass natural resistance to change,

model flexibility, explain the behavior of others, teach with humor, and make ideas more

memorable" (p. 29). Narrative therapy shares this love of story telling with the tradition

of spiritual direction. The Bible has many stories that stay in our memories not solely

because of the truth they convey but because of the affective experience that they conjure

in us. Listen to the way the storyteller, Nathan the prophet, drives home David's

treachery in the Bathsheba affair:

The LORD sent Nathan to David. When he came to him, he said, 'There were two

men in a certain town, one rich and the other poor. The rich man had a very large

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 number of sheep and cattle, but the poor man had nothing except one little ewe

lamb he had bought. He raised it, and it grew up with him and his children. It

shared his food, drank from his cup and even slept in his arms. It was like a

daughter to him. Now a traveler came to the rich man, but the rich man refrained

from taking one of his own sheep or cattle to prepare a meal for the traveler who

had come to him. Instead, he took the ewe lamb that belonged to the poor man

and prepared it for the one who had come to him.' David burned with anger

against the man and said to Nathan, 'As surely as the LORD lives, the man who

did this deserves to die! He must pay for that lamb four times over, because he

did such a thing and had no pity.' Then Nathan said to David, 'You are the man!'

(2 Sam. 12:1-7).

Nathan could have accused David of adultery and murder but the story told conveyed its

message in a way that bald accusation could not. The narratives of scripture can also be

used with evangelical clients to create alternate stories of success.

Lectio divina and the experience of scripture

The post-modern emphasis on the whole person is very much a part of the

practice of lectio divina. Peace (1998) notes the common thread in post-modern thinking

and contemplative Bible reading: "there is a growing desire to know the Bible in more

than just a cognitive way" (p. 12). It is important not only to grow in our knowledge of

God but also to have a living encounter with him. Lectio divina is "a style of prayer that

flows directly from Scripture and opens up new ways of hearing God" (p. 7). For 1,500

years, lectio divina has been used by monks to creatively engage the God of the

scriptures:

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 During the time set aside for personal reading, prayer, and reflection, a monk

would go to a private place and begin to repeat aloud a passage from Scripture.

Often this was taken from the Psalms or Gospels. The monk spoke the passage

out loud until he was struck by a particular word or phrase. Then he would stop

and ponder this word or phrase, understanding it to be a word from God for him.

This meditation.. .led naturally into prayer as the monk offered back to God what

he heard. As he moved deeper and deeper into prayer he would come to the place

where he rested in the presence of God. Such a state of contemplation was

actively sought (Peace, 1998, p. 11).

Some today refer to engaging the whole person in the experience of scripture as

"soaking" in the word of God:

This process is.. .where we listen to Scripture deeply with the ears of our hearts.

We are like Elijah, listening for the still, small voice of God, the faint murmuring

sound that is God's Word for us, the voice of the Holy Spirit touching our hearts.

This gentle listening is an attunement to the presence of God in Scripture. Once a

word or a passage in the Bible speaks to us in a personal way, we can take it and

begin to ponder it in our hearts, soaking ourselves in the passage. We can ask,

'What is happening here? What are the sounds, smells, feelings? Why is God

focusing me on this verse or idea? What does he want me to understand? Why

do I need this word from God? How do I respond? Is there an example for me to

follow, a sin to avoid, a command to obey, a promise to claim? (Tan & Gregg,

1997, pp. 86-87).

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Through the creative work of the Holy Spirit "we take time to meet Jesus in each

passage, to have lunch with him to address him and to be addressed by him, to touch the

hem of his garment" (p. 87). Perhaps this is in part what Paul means when he exhorts:

"Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly" (Col. 3:16).

Meditation is an important part of lectio divina and has been used therapeutically

in helping clients: "meditation can empty the mind of 'noise,' ease suffering, and rid the

body of tension and pain. Becoming mindful in still and focused concentration can lead

to more deliberate action as Being infuses Doing" (Walsh, 1999, p. 43). Meditation on

scripture is a way of sowing the mind: "Meditation or the reading of scripture is simply

for the implanting of ideas as one might plant seeds to let them grow with reference to

any particular problem" (Malony, 1985, p. 120). The psalmist says in Ps. 119:11: "I

have hidden your word in my heart that I might not sin against you." It is in times of

need that these scriptural affirmations can find themselves back in our consciousness.

Evangelical clients who are looking for greater peace and contentment might wish to

commit to memory short phrases from scripture relevant to their situations. Some of

these affirmations could include: "He who watches over Israel will neither slumber nor

sleep" (Ps. 121:4); "The LORD is my shepherd, I shall not be in want" (Ps. 23:1); "Do

not let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God; trust also in me" (John 14:1); "Peace I leave

with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your

hearts be troubled and do not be afraid" (John 14:27). When committed to memory,

these scriptural affirmations can bring hope and encouragement and serve as a "powerful

antidote to the ravages of life experience over which one [does] not seem to have control"

(Malony, 1985, p. 121).

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 In meditating on scripture, it can be helpful to concentrate on a word or phrase

and how it contributes to the meaning of the whole thought. Sori & McKinney (2006)

use this in therapy as a response to self-defeating thoughts. A client named Liz was

struggling with self-defeating thoughts like: "I am weak; I am going to fail" and in

response she meditated on Php. 4:13 each time emphasizing different words and phrases:

/ can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.

I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.

I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.

I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.

I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me (emphasis added).

When Liz meditated on this short passage from Philippians she found different meanings

and significance for her life according to the words that were emphasized. These kinds of

exercises are useful in creating themes in our self-narratives, places where the problem no

longer has the last word.

Some might argue that this is a subjective way to read scripture. Certainly in all

of this there is no excuse for bad exegesis: we must first attempt to understand what the

passage meant to its original readers before applying it in our context. But objective

reading of scripture also has its dangers:

Too much Bible study these days has been reduced to a mere academic exercise in

which hypotheses are weighed and tested, various interpretations are discussed,

and in the end people know a lot more about a passage, but it makes little

difference in how they live. The choice ought not to be between dry

110
 scholasticism and irresponsible subjectivism. We need both approaches to

Scripture. We need analysis and application (Peace, 1998, p. 18).

Meditation that varies emphasis actually does justice to the text in that it seeks to

understand each and every grammatical component of meaning. This kind of meditation

on scripture actually avoids the mistakes that a cursory reading of scripture can result in.

Inevitably when we read scripture we privilege certain ideas and thoughts. A repetitious

reading of scripture allows the passage to soak in and allows us to entertain readings we

might overlook when reading in the same habitual way.

Tan & Gregg (1997) call the process of lectio divina "living into scripture." They

outline a useful pattern to follow in this method of meditation and contemplation on

scripture:

1. Pray for the Holy Spirit to speak to you and guide you as you read a passage

of Scripture.

2. Read through the passage you are meditating on several times, listening for

the still, small voice of God and waiting upon the leading of the Spirit.

3. Ponder the verse or two that grabs your attention or touches you in some way.

Picture what is happening as though you are behind the lens of a camera

looking at the scene, for example, Jesus' feeding the five thousand with five

loaves and two fish. See the little boy give his lunch to Jesus. Picture and

hear Jesus' conversation with the disciples.

4. Come out from behind the camera and put yourself in the picture—in Jesus'

shoes, or in the shoes of the disciples or the people gathered around. Ask

questions. What is Jesus thinking? Why is he acting this way? Allow a

111
 dialogue to unfold inside of you; let your imagination and senses be

instruments for revelation from the Holy Spirit.

5. Be open to the ways God may want to speak to you directly through his Word:

through a personal encounter, as you stand alongside one of the disciples; as

you ask questions; perhaps as Jesus comes directly to you in the scene in

which you have entered.

6. Write down what you have heard from God or what you have learned through

your meditation on his Word.

7. Take time to share what God has said to you with an accountability partner or

wise friend. This provides protection by checking what comes from your time

of meditation, helps to reinforce God's Word to you, and encourages and

blesses others in their journey of faith (p. 88).

At certain points, music might be included as a way of expressing thoughts and feelings

that have emerged from the time of contemplation. Lectio divina invites the use of

various methods and senses—we need to be open to how our mind, heart, and body

connect to this living encounter with God. In being passive, we open ourselves to the

leading of the Holy Spirit as we meditate on his word. In lectio divina the greatest

latitude should be extended to each as they uniquely experience the "living word."

Lectio divina can be integrated with narrative therapy in a number of steps.

Blanton (2003) gives a few to follow: (1) Explain the strategy: The therapist describes

and answers any questions about the use of lectio divina in therapy. The therapist also

explains how lectio divina prepares the person to hear from God cognitively and

experientially and to discover new possibilities and unique outcomes for the client's life.

112
(2) Clients implement the lectio divina method: Clients are encouraged to spend at least

20 minutes at a time in meditation 3 or more times a week. During this time, clients are

asked to record their thoughts, prayers, and experiences as they meditate on a word,

phrase, or passage of the Bible. These reflections are discussed in the next counseling

session. (3) Listen for unique outcomes: Both the therapist and the client are watchful for

experiences, thoughts, insights that fall outside of the dominant story. These

observations can be storied into new stories. (4) Plot the story: At this stage the

therapist asks for more details as the budding story begins to develop. Some questions

might include: "What was happening inside as you prepared for meditation on scripture?"

or "Is there a word, phrase, idea that stood out for you?" "What impressions did you

have as you meditated on that word, phrase, or idea?" (5) Expand the story into the

future: At this point the therapist widens the story asking how these thoughts might

impact those around the client. "What might others notice that has changed in you?" or

"Do you think this might have an impact on your significant relationships to your spouse,

family, and friends?" or "What are you planning to meditate on next week?" or "What

does this teach you about your relationship with God?" or "What does this tell you about

yourself and your ability to deal with problems?" (6) Reflection by others: If it is couple

or group therapy, the other(s) can describe what they felt as the client was sharing. The

therapist should also express any ideas that he/she might have had during the sessions

together. "As you were talking I was impressed by a thought which with your permission

I'd like to share with you." This is the point at which we are creating an audience for

change.

113
5. DIRECTIONS FOR FUTURE RESEARCH

It would be helpful to engage in qualitative research of evangelicals who have

experienced the integration of scripture in therapy. What was helpful, what was

unhelpful? How can this be used to further our understanding of when using scripture is

indicated or contraindicated? Is there an age or quantifiable indicators that a client is

mature enough to benefit from the integration of the Bible with psychotherapy? The use

of the Bible in cognitive behavioral therapy is empirically supported by various outcome

studies. Some have noted that the sample sizes should be increased in size—this could be

addressed in future studies. Empirical research is needed to determine the efficacy of

using lectio divina with narrative therapy. Some study could be directed at determining if

post-modern therapy is still post-modern when married to a structuralist view of the

Bible, and whether this even matters.

CONCLUSION

Evangelicals form a significant portion of the population of North America with

their own faith distinctives. As therapists provide a safe and sensitive environment for

people of faith, we should not be surprised to find more evangelicals seeking counseling.

Evangelicals place special confidence in the Bible as a source of comfort and authority;

this resource should not be overlooked in psychotherapy. Those clients who desire the

use of scriptures in their therapy should expect the highest standards of care. Thus the

scriptures should never be used in a manipulative or threatening manner nor should they

be used flippantly or with condescension. The counselor who uses scripture should give

close attention to good exegetical method in his/her integrated therapy in a way that

honors the context of the ancient writer and of the present day counselee.

114
 Through the scriptures, the client can discover what is healthy both spiritually and

emotionally. Clients can express and explore their feelings as they relate to a specific

passage or person in the scriptures. For example, the psalms of lament draw the reader

into their world and provide words for deep catharsis of grief and emotion and point the

reader heavenward with words of comfort and peace. As such, the Bible can supply the

client with a "vocabulary of need" and offers a formfulness to grief. Readers, both

ancient and modern, have cried out in their pain and found refuge in the same God who

saves. When the evangelical client has intrusive or destructive thoughts, the scriptures

provide powerful images and responses for thought stopping and cognitive disputation.

As clients open themselves to the possibilities that the Holy Spirit has for them they will

find tributaries of his grace and love opening up new possibilities where the problem does

not have the final say. For evangelicals, the scriptures are the word of God and when

clients express a desire to integrate the scriptures with therapy there are possibilities for

positive and effectual change.

115
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