Comparative analysis of prayer and pastoral counseling

Educes Humdinger moots that one of the signalisestone intrinsics to the Persephone of unpolished caregiver is kinfolk. When we entrust ourselves to a Christian disembodied spirit, kayoing is the essential element of our Christianity, beca aim It combines our fellowship, community and communion with theology and with early(a)s. Van Educes Humdinger severalises the kayoing is the tells as well as the indispensable means of completely true agricultural care. Van Educes Hunger, Pl) If we are experiencing kayoing in our spiritual life, kayoing eitherow be made up of the ultrasonically element that encompasses not only when the upright attri stille (our relationship with paragon), but also the flat prop (our relationship with each other). It starts with ourselves and opening the communication line with beau ideal done our appealingness life. As we begin to experience the fellowship, community and communion with divinity fudge, we rise that vertical dimension. Our liv ing out the vertical dimension is witness by others around us.It Is at this tip we begin to realize the take dimension of fellowship, community and communion with others is established. ( cara wagon train Educes Humdinger, up) When the vertical and the horizontal have been established, we achieve a common ground based on humbling ourselves beforehand theology and others. In this setting trust and fellowship are established, and ministering and pastoral care between one another give the gate begin. In reading agricultural Counseling The Basics, Ditties takes that one of the essentials to the Persephone of the pastoral caregiver is kayoing as well.Ditties is more problematic in his approach to kayoing, than vanguardguard Educes Hunger. Ditties bows that The pastoral counselor does not relieve oneself to possess godlike powers but Is a humble servant. Deletes, pop) The multidimensional element of our relationships with God and others is essential to Ditties as well. Dittie s also suggests that as we put on into a relationship with others, we premise that relationship with neither a plan of perfection or imperfection on the disrupt of the counselor and counseled. Ditties, pop) We one time again enter Into a relationship not just vertically and horizontally, but inwardly to self, outwardly to others and upwardly toward God. (van Educes Humdinger 9) (Ditties, IPPP) 2 In the shape of examining Pray without Ceasing by Deborah van Educes and Pastoral Counseling The Basics by James E Ditties, I found that the area of pastoral ministry and way were virtually the very(prenominal). fleck their methodology and terminology appear to be different, the destroy result is the same. So I have to ask, Do these two authors genuinely differ?Deletes says that we should be nonchalant, even benign and to empty ourselves to have no prec at a timeived ideas, or so as not to be judgmental. Does this in reality differ from van Educes Humdinger, who said that our in gathering life Is the integral part of our relationship? If I have take the time to empty yeses, Is this very different It I take the time to pray a charm of petition for myself and for others? 1 OFF placing God in the center is the key if I am to be utile in ministry. Every facet, level or element is relational.That is to say that all our actions have to be God fed and Spirit led. The commencement ceremony way which I feel that van Educes Humdinger differs from Ditties, but yet they are still alike is in their believes virtually pastoral ministry on the subject of relationship. Van Educes Humdingers view is that relationship is the key to pastoral ministry and pastoral counseling. If one is to be telling in pastoral ministry and counseling we must first have a relationship with God. therefore we cigaret cultivate a relationship with others. An Educes Humdinger further states that the relationship volition consist of a vertical dimension, relationship with God and a horizo ntal dimension, relationship with each other. This gives the counselor and counseled common ground in which they can experience a relationship of fellowship, community and communion with each other and God. This is a relationship that is entered into emptied of any preconceived idea of the counseled. This way we enter n a basis of honesty, with each other and with God which is non-judgmental and hires to maturation openness and trust. Van Educes Humdinger, p 2) Ditties begins his view of relationship with the concept that we should be nonchalant in entering the relationship of pastoral ministry and counseling that is to state further that we should empty ourselves and renounce the relationship factor and even be benign. This may sound harsh, but Ditties is getting to the same point that van Educes Humdinger is making that we must be the humble servant and create an open, non- judgmental atmosphere. Ditties p 89) Ditties view of the relationship is not vertical or horizontal his vi ew is inward, outward and upward.The relationship is inward to view self, outward to view other and upward to include God in the center of the relationship. (Ditties p 153) 3 While the two views may appear to differ, they are, in reality, the same with unspoiled a difference of methodology and terminology. The second way which I feel that van Educes Humdinger differs from Ditties but yet is still alike, is in their views most pastoral ministry. Is it pastoral care or pastoral counseling or Just counseling? Van Educes Humdinger view is that spiritual fellowship or kayoing is the basis for pastoral ministry to be possible.When kayoing flourishes so does pastoral care. The never resultant constant follow of love, hope and grace from God is the make barricado for pastoral ministry. (van Educes Humdinger, p 3) Ditties tells us in the chapter on Counseling as Gods Call, that the nagging questions are, Is it pastoral? Is it in keeping with ones call into ministry? Or is it misdirecti on from the call? (Ditties p 145) I believe the Ditties offers these questions to bring in us cipher all the facets of ministry and to concentrate on the area of pastoral ministry and counseling to make sure the we have involved God in the center of all areas of ministry.While on the surface this appears to be a radical difference from van Educes Humdingers view, it has not been completely obscured by the nagging questions. (Ditties, p 145) Ditties goes on to state The pastoral counselor affirms, above all, that this is Gods world and that the counselor and counseled are twain in Gods care. This does not contradict what van Educes Humdinger has stated it confirms it. That is to say that we re to empty ourselves in order to be fulfilled and to fulfill the train of Christ in the the center of the issue from the very beginning by establishing an open communication line with God through an active prayer life.Then she moves through the areas involved in self, God and others and then brings us full(a) circle to conclude with prayer. This is more in keeping with my faith life and work in ministry. This however does not diminish Ditties book at all. Ditties chose to take a more human approach first, to allow us to view ourselves in our own human condition, so e could refer to others on a deeper level, but reminding us subtlety that Gods involvement is essential at all levels of ministry. Ditties concludes his book with a bold reminder that God is the world and we are merely his servant to God and one another. When spirit at Ditties book Pastoral Counseling the Basics, and comparing the significance that the four-spot Levels or Facets of Human Development have on the book as a whole, I began by suss outing at the four facets individually. While be givening these levels or facets initially as Context, to Self-Regard, to Traits and Habits, to lintel and injunction, Ditties begins the break atomic reactor for the levels or facets in reverse order. This orde r is a very effective way of presenting this information so as not to go to the first step and think we have accomplished the levels entirely.The first level that is address is Coping and Functioning. This level as Ditties explains is a domain of everyday style in which I count my successes and failures. This level is the driving force in our lie ins. It encompasses how we handle all of the everyday events of our lives. We can either approach these as successes or failure, adversaries or allies. We as counselor and counseled may consider the list of successes and failures as Just the problem. Ditties warns us, that while offering advice on such matter-of-fact matters may be extremely useful. UT this is not the realm of pastoral counseling. (Ditties pop, 30) This level is not Just for the counseled, but also for the counselor as well. If we are to provide pastoral counseling, we must first have an brain of how we handle the areas in our own life within the level of Coping and Fu nctioning first, before we can attempt to work with the counseled. I believe that Ditties uses this level to teach us that we cannot cope and function in the realm of everyday life without the involvement of God and others.We must first look inwardly at ourselves and then seek God for upwardly involvement, before we can attempt to look outwardly to others to counsel and be counseled. (Ditties 153) I believe van Educes Humdinger would agree that this level is an integral part of our development, but this would not be the initial step. In Praying without Ceasing, van Educes Humdinger points out that the vertical dimension, that relationship with God through our active pray life with God must be established and maintained in order for us to be able to converse and interact with others. Van Educes Humdinger UP, 79) The second level that Ditties address is Traits and Habits-personal characteristics. The traits and talents are those things that evolve into habits, both great and bad, pro ductive and noisome that makes up the character of who we are. These traits and talents are not machinery, but are organically grown out of our interaction with 5 It is important to fuck these traits, talents or habits that make up who we are, so that e can be an effective counselor and to admit the make-up of who we are counseling.By understanding these traits, talents and habits of ourselves and others we can use this information to establish how we deal with governing the first level of cope and functioning. By having these two levels working in and through our lives we can learn the common ground with others from which to can work together. (Ditties, p 31) I believe this is also an underlying theme throughout Ditties book, because knowing the traits, talents and habits of ourselves and others, is one of the essential elements of he experience for the counseling for the counseled, as in regarding the As Is and As Though.This gives the counselor and counseled a level playing field from which to know each other more deeply, so that both can learn to trust, not Judge and begin to develop fellowship, relationship and community. (Ditties, p 81) I believe the van Educes Humdinger would agree with Ditties, that knowing the Traits, Talents and habits of ourselves and others is an essential element for auditory modality to ourselves, listening to others and Listening to God. I believe that this too is a building block community and spiritual formation with others.The third level that Ditties describes for us is the level of Self-Regard. The way we regard ourselves is a strong indicator of what diverseness of personality we possess. The way we were brought up and the environment in which we lived or live can signal how we perceive ourselves and also how we perceive others. Self-Regard is the compounding of the other two levels of Coping and Functioning as well as Traits and Habits. (Ditties pop) Taking into consideration how we cope and function with our own traits and habits, we get an prototype of how we regard ourselves and how we will regard other.This action could be both good and bad. This level also opens the door to offer grace and to receive it as well. If we are willing to receive and offer grace to one another, we once again open the door to fellowship and community. (Ditties pop) I believe the van Educes Humdinger would agree with this level as well, because our self-image and how we regard who we are can lead us to knowing ourselves, other and God at a practically deep and open level of understanding. This engages our prayer life into a continual circle of prayers to God, for others and for ourselves.This action strengthens the nods of fellowship and community, which is the basis of pastoral care. (van Educes Humdinger IPPP) 6 The quaternary and final level is Context. Ditties comment that We all live evicted from the Garden which was created Just for us , The self can survive and thrive only when it can trust and outsi de the garden, trust is Jaded. (Ditties pop, 35) When we fall to the realization know whos we are, who we are, where we come from and what we are made up of, we have Context. This is the starting point from which we can accept ourselves with all our warts and scars and know that we are not contend this battleContext lays the ground work to know how we regard ourselves, knowing what our traits and habits are and finally how we can cope and function within ourselves and with others, while allowing Christ to mediate for us and keep God in the center of everything. Ditties and van Educes Humdinger both have given me the frame work from which I can come to an understanding of knowing the make-up of all the levels and elements of who I am as a child of God, knowing fellowship, community, and communion with God through prayer and finally helping others to know themselves and God as well.