Why the Preference for Christian Counseling in Lieu of the Spiritual Care of One s Pastor?
I ve come to believe that many of the people in our churches who have heard the powerful Word of Holy absolution still remain broken and isolated in mind and spirit. Our pews are filled with countless spiritual Humpty Dumpties whose sin has fractured their lives into pieces which seem unlikely to ever fit together again. These souls have shoddily bandaged themselves back together as well as they re able; but the pain continues and there is no expectation that there will be healing. The penitent does not expect that forgiveness of sin which restores his relationship with God could allow restoration of his relationship with others, nor provide healing in his own heart. For many, the wreckage of sin is easy to fathom. For others, the insidious nature of sin has infiltrated countless dimensions of life yet they have blustered on, seemingly unresponsive to the toxic side effects of sin. I believe healing will require two extremely skilled professionals: 1) a physician of the soul, expert in
