Good words

I spent about an hour or so today reading in David Powlison's excellent book Speaking Truth in Love: Counsel in Community. I would recommend it to anyone interested in doing one-another ministry in Christian community - but especially to pastors, elders, and church leaders. Here's a taste.

"By instinct, habit, and enculturation, all of us tend to think of counseling as a human-with-human interaction. but in fact a human-with-Savior interaction must come first. When I as a counselor don't get that straight, I inevitably offer others some sort of saviorette. If my counseling does not help others rely upon Another (upon whom I also rely), I will inevitably teach them to rely on themselves - or on me, or other friends, or medication, or techniques, or pablum 'truths' (that are in fact empty or even fictional)."

Good words.