BOOK COMMENTARY

Getting the Church on Target

by Lloyd M. Perry, Moody Press, $8.95

Reviewed by H. Benton Lutz Pastor, St. Stephen Lutheran Church, Williamsburg, Vir.

Here’s one thought we can say yes to: “Today’s minister is expected to do too much. Some of the many responsibilities include: worship, evangelism, missions, Christian education; study, devotions; visitation, counseling, and pastoral services to individuals. Under this kind of work load, some ministers of large churches cannot be shepherds-only ranchers.”

Perry thus identifies perhaps the most common problem of ministers. How do you come to know your flock by name, instead of by a brand? This book, a gleaning of Perry’s lectures at Trinity Evangelical Divinity School, attempts to answer those questions from a church management perspective.

To get back to the business of shepherding instead of ranching, Perry sees the need for church revitalization. This would involve four steps:

¥ diagnosis of the church situation

¥ organization

¥ implementation

¥ assessment.

As managerial as this may sound, Perry does a good job of keeping a clear sense of spirituality and theological commitment. He says, “We are reminded that no rearrangement of bad eggs is going to make a good omelet. It’s not the external circumstances, but the heart of man that really counts. In all these things seek God’s will-not that you may look at it, but that you may do it.”

He begins with a look at the pastor and the role he or she plays in the revitalization process. Perry’s view of what a pastor should be would make most of us cringe for fear of not measuring up. But then, he is speaking of the ideal: an informed person who provides challenging leadership; who has a positive relationship with the denomination; who is alert to the world and has the skill of making conflict creative; and who lacks the desire for personal glory.

However, Perry sees the main task of the pastor as being committed to Christ, sensitive to the Spirit of God, and faithful in using the means of grace. This puts all else into perspective.

Although the book tells a pulpit committee what procedures should be used in securing a pastor, it also contains a detailed checklist of things the candidating person should look for in a pastorate. Advice is given about how a new pastor might begin in a parish with the hard work of clarifying purposes, goals, and objectives. He sums up this topic by saying, “The most important thing about a road is where it leads. The direction of a church must be determined and made clear to the constituency. The most important questions to ask about a church are not ‘What buildings does it have?” or ‘Who attends?” The most important question is ‘Why is it there?”

When a parish comes up with specific answers, it is ready to implement its reason for being. The word administer comes from the Latin administrare, meaning “to serve.” This takes a bit of the sting of this secular word from our ecclesiastical ears. We know about serving. Perry directs us to several different theories of administration, or serving, and organizes them into five basic steps: recognition of needs, planning, organizing, stimulation, implementation, and evaluation. Remember that in a creative church organization, “the primary focus is upon members’ needs rather than on products or services.” He quotes Harold J. Fickett: “There are three requirements for a good program within the church.

The first is leadership, the second is leadership, and the third is leadership.”

In his blueprint for church revitalization, he writes about strengthening interpersonal relationships, the training of the leadership of the church, and the full gamut of church management, He synthesizes a great deal of literature on committees, and gives the reader lists of suggestions for making the work more effective and less tedious.

The strength of Perry’s book lies in the application of managerial principles to the faith. For him, shepherds have no business carrying around a branding iron; we need not be ranchers. He helps us see managerial, serving techniques as the staff of the shepherd.

Christian Counseling

by Gary R. Collins Word, $10.95 pb.

Reviewed by Dennis L. Gibson, Ph.D., a practicing psychologist.

Collins has produced a model of scholarly thoroughness. Running through the book consistently is a flavor of diligent research. In one sense it reminds the reader of the literature review section of a well done Ph.D. thesis. Fortunately, Collins’ writing style is much less obscure than a doctoral candidate’s would be. His typewriter is like a piano tuned carefully to the ear of his favorite audience-non-professional, body-of-Christ “people helpers”.

This book is a comprehensive guide to the background a counselor ought to have about various types of problems people bring to counseling. If counseling is like an automobile tour, Collins’ book is a good travel guide. He tells you what to notice on the counseling journey,

In his words, “. . . the counselor must begin with a broad understanding of the struggles . . . and of the kinds of tensions which build up both inside the counselees and within their homes.”

Christian Counseling speaks to the most frequenly encountered counseling issues. The book begins with personal issues of anxiety, loneliness, depression, anger, and guilt; then, singleness/ marriage issues; developmental family issues; sexual and interpersonal issues; and finally, financial problems, drugs and alcohol, sickness, grief, spiritual problems and spiritual growth, and life traumas round out the discussion.

These chapters consistently follow the same format of dividing into sections: introduction, Bible view, causes, effects counseling, prevention, conclusions.

Within the counseling section a little over half is how-to-do-it material. So, perhaps 15 percent of the book talks about the mechanics of the counseling process; the other 85 percent is background about the issues.

There is little or no personality theory in the book. Collins discusses causes by relating situational explanations for each cause. For example, in the chapter on depression, he lists 1) physicalgenetic causes, 2) background causes, 3) learned helplessness, 4) negative thinking, 5) life stress, 6) anger, and 7) guilt as possible causes.

Of prominent secular counseling theorists, Collins seems most like a blend of Carl Rogers and Albert Ellis. The counseling style he advocates is most like Rogers. He emphasizes patient, empathic listening as the foundation of rapport with the counselee. The counseling goals that Collins urges are more nearly like those of Ellis. He teaches counselors to identify and confront faulty, irrational, negative thinking. In this regard, Collins’ personality theory fits in with the insights of Christian counselor Dr. Larry Crabb. Both men urge that Christian counselors borrow from secular psychology those concepts and techniques which are useful to the counseling enterprise, and which do no violence to biblical teachings.

In Collins’ words, “The Bible never claims to be a psychiatric diagnostic manual and textbook of counseling. While all problems stem ultimately from the fall of the human race, not all human problems are spiritual in that they involve the counselee’s specific relationship with God.

For example, problems caused by faulty learning, misinformation, early traumas, environmental stress, physical illness, misperception, and confusion over decision making may or may not be addressed by biblical writers. Those who counsel people with these problems may use techniques derived from Scripture; but more often they use methods consistent with the Bible’s teachings and values, yet discovered and developed by social science and common sense. Christian counseling “recognizes that all truth, including psychological truth, comes from God- sometimes through secular psychology and psychiatry books. The Christian evaluates such secular findings against biblical teachings and discards what is inconsistent with the Bible.”

One of the sterling qualities of Collins’ writing is diplomatic evenhandedness. There is not a controversial bone in his writing hand. He grinds no axe for any viewpoint other than the Lordship of Christ and the authority of the Bible. He calls no attention to himself. He does not say, “Here’s what I do,” but “Such-and-such counselor might approach this problem thus-and-so.” He consistently submerges himself in the role of a servant to his reader. As such, he sensitively packages his scholarship in non-technical language. There is nothing impulsive, flamboyant, or illconsidered in his work. His personal wisdom and experience reflect especially well in his chapters on “Preparing for Marriage” and “Adolescence and Youth.”

Counseling is a field in which it is often hard to see the forest for the trees. Collins offers us a macro rather than a micro view of the problems counselors hear. He has done a great service for counselors by perceptively selecting representative quotes, lists, and concepts from a wide spectrum of high-quality sources. The books and articles he abundantly cites make a meaty reading list for any counselor hungry to feed on excellence.

The Trauma of Transparency

by J. Grant Howard, Multnomah Press, $7.95

Reviewed by Earl D. Radmacher President, Western Conservative Baptist Seminary, Portland, Ore.

In what Chuck Swindoll calls “a book I’ve been waiting twenty years for,” Howard tackles the task of developing a practical, biblical theology of interpersonal communication. Although he gives ample evidence of his awareness of current counseling and psychological theory, his purpose is not to synthesize current thought; he chooses to immerse himself in Scripture and amplify some practical principles.

These principles emerge primarily in chapters entitled “Listening to God” and “Talking to God;” and they are amplified in the chapters “Communicating with Yourself” and “Communicating with Others.”

One principle states: “God’s communication involves the Holy Spirit.” Howard calls the Holy Spirit “the resident teacher” because he resides in the believer, teaching and helping us as a warm companion. But to listen and learn from this teacher, we need to recognize that his classroom is the Word of God, and we need to be there daily.

In another principle the author quotes ” . . . sharper than any two-edged sword,” and reminds us “God’s Word has a definite point to it. He doesn’t confront by moving close to us; he confronts by moving into us.” This often involves piercing pain, and many times his communication with us will necessarily have to hurt-to help.

A third principle says: “I can’t hide anything from God.” In Jeremiah 17:10 we read, “I the Lord search the heart, I test the mind, even give to each man according to his ways, according to the result of his deeds.” The author’s point is that since we cannot hide anything from God, why even try? It can produce only negative results. “Keeping something in that needs to be shared has the same effect on us that turning up the fire has on the sealed pressure cooker. The steam has no place to go; it will ruin what is inside.” Making ourselves transparent by talking openly and personally with God releases this pressure, and as Howard points out, helps us to deal with our burdens in a healthy way-by no longer hiding them.

“Communication with God always involves the positive,” reads another principle. We should ask ourselves how much of our communication with God includes thanksgiving, praise, and adoration. If we offer positive communication to the Lord, we will be more inclined to be positive with those around us. This keeps us from always focusing on ourselves, and provides the balance we need in communicating with others.

One interesting section in “Communicating with Yourself” deals with the dangers of excessive introspection. If we seriously take Paul’s admonition to make “every thought captive to the obedience of Christ ” we can see that the Bible emphatically discourages gloomy, self-centered introspection. We cannot afford to withdraw from life-sustaining interpersonal communication.

On the other hand, healthy self-examination has a vital place in the believer’s life. Howard draws this concept into the realm of fellowship and church activities as a means for providing positive introspection. In practical terms, the author recommends retreats that allow time for profitable pondering. “Provide blocks of unstructured time when people can wander off and talk to themselves and God.”

The culmination of Howard’s research and biblical scholarship is perhaps best represented in “Communicating with Others.” Here he discusses reasons why our communication is not effective how our words and actions communicate and what it is that we should be communicating. The section that deals with the topic of exhortation brings Hebrews 10 into focus: ” . . . consider how to stimulate one another to love and good deeds.” The word “stimulate” literally means to incite, to irritate. Howard says we should attempt a daily gentle prodding in our communication with other believers. No one, however, likes a habitual nag.

The author concludes this chapter by emphasizing the need for corporate suffering and rejoicing among believers, and how this facilitates honest communication. “I heard a young college girl share with a group of believers the fact that she had led her roommate to the Lord. The whole body rejoiced with her. Then she told them she thought she was falling in love with an unsaved man and desperately needed to get her emotions in submission to her mind and will. The whole body suffered with her.”

Howard’s unique book provides a workshop format with many quality illustrations. Extensive footnotes, a ten-page Scripture index, and a series of interaction questions complete this useful text on interpersonal communication.

Preaching With Confidence

By James Daane Wm. B. Eerdmans, $3.95 pb.

Reviewed by Terry F. Phillips, Sr. Pastor, First Christian Church Cairo, Ill.

“For the most part, Protestants today have lost their confidence in the effectiveness of the pulpit.” To underscore that assertion, author James Daane points to the irony of a new appreciation for preaching in the Roman Catholic church, while many Protestant ministers “emit sounds from the pulpit which suggest that preaching is not the best recipe for church renewal.” He further claims the departure from preaching came in the 1960s by those who strongly advocated social action over proclamation from the pulpit.

“Unless people perceive the mysterious creative power of the Word and recognize that when it is preached it does things and creates people who become doers of the Word” their desire to preach from the pulpit or through social action will not long endure. Daane points to Luke 10:16 (He who hears you hears me) as the power of the pulpit. There is no reason to leave a warm bed on Sunday morning to go to church unless one believes this.

Preaching With Confidence teaches that the effectiveness of the Sunday sermon does not rest so much with the preacher’s talents as with the Word. Thus, you can have confidence that the sermon changes things.

Daane uses Scripture to show the importance of the spoken word beginning with creation, and on through ancient respect for a man’s word. He contrasts this with the careless abandon with which words are used today. “The Hebrew dabar (word) carries with it the dynamic connotation of ‘event.’ ” Words are events, hence the biblical warning against idle words (Matthew 12:36).

Daane lashes out at current pulpit practices. The sermon is not a “sharing” time, for the Word is bigger than any preacher’s understanding. It is not the preacher’s job to “share religious experiences,” but to fulfill the meaning of the word “homiletics,” to say again what the sermon text says. This is to be accomplished “through one’s own personality and language.”

In an expository message, one tries to discover what the author of the text is saying. This is done through interpretation, application, and explanation. The order is reversed when one preaches a strictly “sharing” message where a text is chosen because it happens to fit in with what the “sharer” is trying to say. The proclaimer of an expository sermon must believe and feel that he is saying what God would have him say.

Daane spends an entire chapter on the necessary offensiveness of Christ when preached to unredeemed sinners: “Sinful people are offended because they are sinful. They protest the goodness of God; they are repelled by his grace.” News of Christ’s death, burial, and resurrection for their sakes hurts the sinners’ pride.

Instead, we hear well-dressed, mannerly, calm-voiced “sharers” telling the world that if they only give a little attention to Christ, he will bless them, cure them, make them rich, and give them peace of mind and happiness. Daane contrasts the attractive Christ in Sallman’s portrait with Isaiah’s portrait of one with “no form or comeliness . . . no beauty that we should desire him.”

Obviously, Christ is good for people, but “only within the context of recognizing that sinners can be and are in fact offended by Jesus.” Indeed, while Christ walked the earth he offended those who wouldn’t accept him as Lord as well as Savior.

In modem times, Daane says, the pulpit encourages people to love themselves just as they are, for modern psychology says guilt is damaging. So, these “sharers” neglect the importance of repentance in their preaching.

John the Baptist was warned, “Blessed is he who takes no offense at me.” John had preached judgment; thus he was offended at Christ’s love and mercy.

Paul writes in I Corinthians 1 that by human standards the preaching of the cross is foolishness and a stumbling block. The pulpit messenger must be careful, however, to not throw undue stumbling blocks in the way and then use the offensiveness of Christ as an excuse. There is no excuse for a poorly prepared sermon.

Authentic preaching calls for action: it demands a decision. Authentic preaching does not give the appearance one should or ought to yield to Christ, for Paul told the Athenians, “God . . . commands all men everywhere to repent” (Acts 17:30). The invitation isn’t something tacked on at the end; the whole sermon is aimed at demanding a decision on the part of the hearer.

The last three chapters deal with sermon construction. If a young minister were to select a first book on homiletics, I would recommend this one.

Sermon-making is more an art than a science, and Daane does a good job communicating the basics. For example, the proposition must be one clear sentence around which all the rest of the message revolves. From the proposition the skeleton is made with designated points. Then from this outline, the text is explained and made relevant to the hearers.

The conclusion should be a simple restatement of the proposition so that the sermon comes full circle.

The introduction is written last so the preacher can grab the attention of the hearer without making the sermon anticlimactic. It is also written last so it won’t color the interpretation of the sermon text.

One might expect to find more written about sermon delivery, but the book is written for the young preacher, and though young preachers are often criticized for poor delivery, Daane concludes that content is more important.

“. . . And You Visited Me.”

by Dennis E. Saylor Morse Press, $5.95

Reviewed by Ray W. Smith, Pastor, Grace Presbyterian Church, San Antonio, Tex.

Having our consciousness raised about truths of hospital visitation makes this manual a delight to pastors whose visits are marred by lack of clear purpose and self-confidence. Many of the guidelines presented for a healing and caring ministry also apply to other contexts, so a review of Saylor’s guidelines will assist all who make pastoral visits.

Saylor suggests that a pastoral counselor serves as a representative of God, and that our task as God’s representative to the sick is to communicate compassion for the patient, regret about the illness, and commitment to the person during this period.

Many who suffer question the validity of suffering in a world created and controlled by a loving Lord. A good God who permits bad pain baffles them. We cannot understand God’s reason for an individual’s suffering, but we can offer two gifts of faith: reaffirming God’s wisdom and love, and expressing trust that even this present pain will serve the person’s good and God’s glory. The objective of the relationship between a pastoral counselor and a patient is that of restoring wholeness.

Saylor identifies a “belief system” as the unique tool which a pastor brings to a hospital visitation. His belief system has at least seven distinct tenets:

1. Intercessory prayer is efficacious.

2. God can heal.

3. Scripture and sacrament are beneficial to emotional and physical wellbeing.

4. God can enable a human being to permanently change.

5. All human beings have worth and value.

6. Human sin is an absolute reality.

7. There is life after death.

Part of the help a pastor can offer a patient is to discover what the patient believes, and uplift him from that point.

Several suggestions given might enhance the effectiveness of a visit and prevent many problems.

a. Visit only when feeling healthy, for the patient’s resistence to infection could be diminished.

b. Knock before entering, and introduce yourself to prevent mistaken identity.

c. Smile to communicate optimism.

d. Shake hands only on the patient’s initiative, for he may be in some discomfort.

e. Let the patient disclose his condition.

f. Approach the patient in a gentle rather than a coercive way.

g. Limit the patient’s recounting of personal problems which tend to produce a state of anxiety.

h. Most important of all-be brief.

One especially helpful chapter discusses the working relationships of the pastoral counselor with the hospital staff. The pastoral counselor is to complement and supplement the physical care being given. The counselor’s role is to help the patient accept the situation, to assure the patient of God’s grace, to be available and sensitive, and to help the patient bear the burden of illness.

In one section Saylor offers guidelines for specific counseling situations. For example, in dealing with parents of a stillborn child, the pastoral counselor can be therapeutic by being aware of the various stages of the grief process, by helping the parents understand their emotional situation, by showing them how to help each other, and by inviting support from their families.

Pre-surgical anxiety produces effects that counter the best interests of the patient. In counseling these patients, the pastor needs to recognize stressful elements in order to help reduce anxiety. One example is the fear of the unknown, which, Saylor says, will be alleviated in proportion to the information given,

For other specific pastoral care situations, some standard guidelines apply: acknowledge the condition, create an atmosphere of acceptance. show genuine concern, encourage honesty, enable reassessment of life’s goals, emphasize the worth of the person, pray, keep communication open.

Perhaps the author’s best insights and most profound theology of care are found in the chapter on counseling with cancer patients. He offers three spiritually-guided questions which are qualitatively different from the emotional and psychological aspects of patient care:

1. In what does the patient trust (Jesus Christ, superstition, benevolent fatalism)? “The task of faith is to maintain trust in the attributes of God (he is all-powerful and all-loving) when the circumstances of illness tempt one to doubt his power and love.”

2. For what does the patient hope (favorable diagnosis, that death will be painless)? “The task of hope is to shift hopes comfortably and appropriately.”

3. What does the patient value (himself, materialism, hedonism)? “The task of love is to direct feelings toward others and toward God.”

The pastor is to demonstrate God’s love by being present, by listening, and by offering the patient a renewed sense of self-respect. The goal is for a patient to find personal meaning through this inter-relationship of faith, hope, and love.