From the article, quoting Christianity Today: A pastor’s calling is, primarily, a spiritual one, helping people to find strength in God’s presence and a sense of divine direction in the midst of difficulty. Psychological adjustment is a different matter, and when it requires serious attention, pastors should find ways of partnering with professional counselors or psychiatrists.
Do you agree with this statement?
There are many hurting people in any average congregation. How can they best be helped? My former pastor refused to counsel anyone and instead found a way to lecture them through the sermon.
I am glad you said former pastor. I always have to balance my gut reaction so that I am not falling into the sin of judging someone. Judging is idolatry. It dethrones Christ from his position as THE JUDGE, and replaces Him with myself.
Psychology cannot be separated from the spiritual. So yes a pastor must work with both. That does not mean he is to work with 'A professional' He should have trusted active growing strong Christians who know the word and the living word to aid him in his guidance and counsel.
What is the religious model of the church? The older are to mentor the younger. God is totally into prevention. He prevented your arrival in Hell before the foundation of the world. He prepared a path for you that would keep you whole; mentally, physically, spiritually...Financially.
He also heals. All professionals exercise faith. Just like you have faith in the tools you use, they have faith in their human ability, the combined human ability of science, technology...etc. Our speech shows that we have faith in. Do we say that God healed us when our finger is cut and it is restored? Is it any less God? You get the picture.
A pastor that is lecturing you on your faults in the less than perfect formation of your image of Christ is blaming you for what God has not completed in you. Do we believe the word or not? Do we completely have faith that what it says we can do we already have the power to do? Do we believe that we can do greater works than Jesus or not? That is what it says. A pastor that is saying your are not complete, is not only speaking the obvious but he is betraying his lack of faith. A pastor that believes he must preach to convict you and change your behavior is betraying his idolatry. He has removed the Holy Spirit from His work and replaced Him with himself.
I know that these are strong statements, but it is time for the body of Christ to rise from the dead. We must in al ways be moving and doing what the father directs us. That is the example of Christ. What did Jesus do to the woman at the well. Did he tell her to repent? Did He tell her to leave her husbands, lovers,? He pointed it out. He made it plane. Did He condemn her? John 4:4-42. Read it carefully. Try to take out the tone that is implied by clumsy translations. Look for the reaction of the individuals. This is a good model of counsel and of pasturing.