Summary
This journal article was written with the help of reflections made from other scholars.
Author, Scott Landes, M. Div., BCC (2010) wants to reader to understand pastoral caregivers
must practice discernment when providing pastoral care for persons utilizing narratives to work
through crisis situations.
Landes correlates much of his findings with an understanding of pastoral care presented
by Carrie Doehring’s (2006) The Practice of Pastoral Care, which recognizes the uniqueness of
personal experience and identifies narratives, “creative ways in which persons, families, and
cultures construct meaning,” as an integral source of authority in the practice of pastoral care.
Other scholars were also mentioned having discovered that “storytelling” is being used a
lot when people are sharing information as they are in the midst of crisis situations. Again, it is
noted that the caregiver or pastoral counselor must practice discernment to search for meaning.
It is during this search that the term, “narrative wreckage,” coined by Arthur Frank (1995) was
introduced. Frank (1995) continues to explain that the work of connecting present and future
decisions with past, the backward and forward of narrative can prove helpful specifically in
decisions regarding medical care, often in confusion and heartache. Narrative wreckage speaks
to the reality that persons rarely have a unified metanarrative that informs and guides their lives.
The threads are often conflicting, jumbled, and tangled, although they are part of the stories that
bring meaning to the counselee’s life. Doehring (2006) stresses importance for the pastoral
caregiver to carefully listen to the careseeker’s stories in an attempt “to discern a person’s soul.”
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Interaction
Author, F. Rogers Jr., (1997) describes the practice of discernment as “the intentional
practice by which a community or an individual seeks, recognizes, and intentionally takes part in
the activity of God in concrete situations.”
While interacting with the article, I became very frustrated due to the very fact, though
we are discussing the practice of discernment by the pastoral caregiver, the Holy Spirit is not
once mentioned in the journal. The written urges the counselor to “understand the practice of
discernment as an essential part of both narrative and faith, the pastoral caregiver can then assist
the careseeker in a developing a fuller understanding of the context in which stories are being
told and critical decisions are being made. Once this context has been explored and better
understood, the pastoral caregiver and careseeker together see to clarify the situation surrounding
decisions, sort out related issues and illuminate pastoral care needs” (Landes, 2010).
Jesus told the disciples the works and miracles they saw he perform; they would be able
to do and even greater works. He was going to leave and go to the Father sending back the Holy
Spirit (John 14:12). The key to the disciples’ success was not in their abilities and strengths.
Jesus had told them to wait for the coming of the Holy Spirit (Acts 1:4-5), who would give them
power that he had promised, the ability to do the things he had predicted (Erickson, 2013).
The practice of discernment, to discern a person’s soul, can only be accomplished with
the help of the Holy Spirit. Ultimately, the Holy Spirit gives gifts and guides counselors who
sharpen their skills with training and who then become the best helpers (Collins, 2001). Weston
(1996) defines discernment as the supernatural manifestation gift that God gives to certain
members of the Body of Christ which enables them to have supernatural insight int the realm of
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spirits (whether they are God, Satan, or human). The gift of discernment enables the person to
tell good spirits from evil spirits and right spirits from wrong spirits (I John 4:1). It enables the
person to understand the spirits operating (I Corinthians 14:29; Mark 5:6-13). It enables the
person to discern the spiritual condition of individuals (Acts 16:16-18).
Jesus, who is the Holy Spirit was empowered to perform his ministry. He promised the
same Holy Spirit, which will empower the believers who serve Him to perform their divine
purposes and God’s will in their lives. Discerning of Spirits is a gift from God (I Corinthians
14:10). Counseling is not included in any biblical listing of spiritual gifts, but we could conclude
that gifts such teaching, healing, discernment, or showing mercy all have relevance for
counseling. When we lack a daily awareness of the Holy Spirit’s presence and power, we fail to
reach our greatest potential as Christian counselors (Collins, 2001).
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Application
Collins (2001) noted the Spirit-guided Christian counselor has been specially gifted by
God for the work that he or she is doing. We must never forget that He is the one who gives the
strength, the health, the insights, and the special giftedness to bring genuine and lasting help into
the lives of our counselees.
Upon taking a last look at Landes’ journal (2010) and pulling out two exerts that might be
applicable to future help of counselees, I draw the reader to Mrs. Ruth’s expression of her
feelings and thoughts. “That’s what will happen to me if I don’t do everything I can. His kids
will come after me and I won’t be able to take it.” Ruth’s story reflected her feelings of being
“victim to dominating bodies, which make her “the object of their force” (Frank, 1995). She
anticipated a future that was full of violence, despair, and intense sadness as her story reflected a
los of agency and a frenzied sense of having little to no control of her life (Frank). Her
narratives were filled with grief, anguish, joy fear, chaos, faithfulness and love.
Practicing discernment with Ruth as she narrated her crisis situation provided with the
opportunity to make decisions that were faithful to James, to her understanding to God, and to
the storis she told (Landes, 2010). Discernment helps the counselors to distinguish the spirits at
work in the crisis situations. Hammond (2010) instructs it is only by the operation of the
supernatural gift of discernment that one can know that all spirits have been dwelt with.
Indwelling spirits are seldom found singly; they are together in groups. Such groupings may be
referred to as colonies, clans, or families. When one spirit is detected or discerned, on should
immediately be alerted to look for its companions.
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Hammond (2010) instructs the reader of the common spirit groupings. Mrs. Ruth is
dealing with the spirit of Bitterness, with includes her threat of violence and anger. She is also
dealing with a spirit of Depression, with attached spirits of despair, defeatism and hopelessness.
Lastly, there are spirits Worry, with anxiety, fear, dread, and apprehension; Grief, with sadness.
If a counselor is going to practice discernment, they must be led by the Holy Spirit.
Good listening to the counselee is important but listening and being guided by the Holy Spirit is
more important. If any impact within the counselees lives is to be reached and maintained, it
must start and end with God, through the Holy Spirit.
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Reference
Collins, G. R. (2001). The Biblical Basis of Christian Counseling for People Helpers: Relating
the Basic Teachings of Scripture to People’s Problems. NavPress.
Erickson, M. (2013). Christian Theology. Baker Academic.
Hammond, Frank & Ida M. (2017). Pigs in the Parlor: The Practical Guide to Deliverance.
Impact Christian Books, Inc.
Landes, S. D., (2010). Practicing Discernment: Pastoral Care in Crisis Situations. Advancing
Theory and Professional Practice Through Scholarly and Reflective Publications, 64(1),
1-8. https://doi-org.ezproxy.liberty.edu/10.1177/154230501006400104
Weston, O. C. (1996). Spiritual Gifts: Your Job Description from God. Life Springs Resources.
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