Know Thyself

7/14/05

     When I was in graduate school in counseling I took the mandatory courses that introduced future therapists to the broad spectrum of counseling theories and techniques.  The idea was that among various successful therapeutic styles, we needed to find a counseling theory that was a good fit for us and develop a framework from which we do psychotherapy.  We were encouraged to understand and borrow techniques from other schools of therapy that might be helpful in specific situations, but when we went into the clinic or institution each day, we needed to know how we were going to approach the therapeutic task.

     I've been part of a Congregational Leadership Academy this year that has immersed me in the various ways that people are looking at fixing the church.  There are a lot of interesting ideas out there, and there have been a few marvelous success stories.  Many Christian leaders share The Jesus Connection passion for Spiritual Transformation and are searching and discovering paths for transformation.  I've become aware, as I learned in graduate school, that among all the noise,

cultural interpretation, and good techniques offered in transformational literature and seminars, it is important to find a framework that is a good fit for oneself and that utilizes one's gifts.

     I imagine I will always approach counseling using the framework of cognitive behavior therapy, but I sometimes find myself using techniques from gestalt or logotherapy schools, or even using biblical insights.  The process described by The Jesus Connection continues to be the framework with which I use to approach Spiritual and Structural Transformation.  It is a good fit for my gifts and graces and seems to be taking root in the congregation I serve.  I've really appreciated insights from Bill Easum, Wayne Cordiero, Dan Kimball, Reggie McNeal, and others.  But if I began my leadership each week by using the strategy of the latest book I'd read or consultant I'd heard, I'd soon be lost and the congregation would be confused.  I think I see that among some of my colleagues who have a heart for transformation, but because they keep grasping for the latest fix, frustrate themselves and their congregations.

     "Know thyself" is contemporary wisdom.  Know the framework from which you need to work with your gifts and graces for the transformation of God's people and God's institutions.  If we at The Jesus Connection can help you clarify your framework for transformation, don't hesitate to get in touch with us.

-Loren Olson, First United Church (UMC/UCC) Little Falls, Minnesota