Discipleship and Pastoral accompaniment has been traditionally restricted to identifying sinful thoughts and behaviors of the individual with no thought to the motives that drive the behaviors.
Discipleship in Christ Jesus involves spiritual, emotional, PHYSICAL and psychological healing thus ... redemption and renewal as a primary goal. It is interesting that many Christian discipleship programs seek holiness without thought to healing at all. From my experience holiness is the fruit of healing rather than the other way around.Interactive sharing such as we have here at Blog Land helps to develop a 'habit of inquiry' cultivating a holding place for personal healing and growth.
We all need a safe place that facilitates an unveiling where we are able to see ourselves with greater clarity and at the same time give fuller expression to our feelings... and actually find our voice. Above all this safe haven of personal expression can become for us a source of serenity that comes from acceptance of ourselves and others rather than denial or resistance to the realities that surround us.
Rarely are we invited to talk about those defining moments of our childhood that sometimes creep into our present simply because we have swept those experiences under the carpet.I wrote some questions for your reflection, but if you feel like answering one or two, and sharing that would be wonderful too.
What kind of upbringing did you experience? Was there favoritism toward anyone sibling? Which parent seemed to favor whom? Did you grow up in a religious background? How would you describe it? Was it too strict? Was it too permissive? Was it an environment where outward appearances were the most important factor? What do you tend to put off or ignore? What tasks or situations do you avoid that pull you out of your comfort zone?What traits do you look for in someone whom you can confide in or whom you could possibly consider a confidant?
© Troubled Reflector 2007
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