"You saw me before I was born. Every day of my life was recorded in your book. Every moment was laid out before a single day had passed." ~Psalm 139:16
I have been reminded of these words so often the last few months. You know, sometimes life is equally scary and exciting. Exhilarating I guess you would say. Not because of some unexpected experience, but rather in the simple day to day events that make our world a little bigger.
I love excitement! My Mom once told me she should have known since I was a toddler that my life would not be boring. Well, I was afraid I hit boring two years ago when I started graduate school. But I was wrong. I have travelled less the past two years and been generally more stationary than usual, but have somehow still found myself in a mysterious adventure...LIFE. Granted I am starting to feel restless and the travel bug is itching me again. But who besides God knew what I would learn in these two years? (Three and a half by the time I am done) I have been amazed by three things: 1) Seeing God reveal more of his character and power 2) Discovering who He has made me to be 3) And experiencing the pain and beauty of human relationships.
"I have called you by name; you are mine." ~Isaiah 43:1(b)
I'm over halfway through my graduate school experience and wondering what's ahead as I find an internship site, graduate, and move on. But holy cow it's exciting! I know I can face the struggles that will come and I can enjoy the ride because I belong to One greater than myself. I hope you can do the same.
Sunday, November 16, 2008
Wednesday, November 12, 2008
Book review: Healing for the City, Counseling in the Urban Setting.
I have never posted a book review, but I just did one for school and liked the book, so here you go...
Although written fifteen years ago, Healing for the City: Counseling in the Urban Setting, speaks to issues faced daily by today's city dwellers. Ellison & Maynard (1992) speak with expertise and passion about the beauty and hardship of city life. Although countless approaches could have been taken, Ellison & Maynard divide their work into three sections, making the task of their readers more than manageable. Section one looks at city life itself and the nature of counseling in the city. Section two introduces the reader to the people who live in the city. And section three ends the book by highlighting 11 pressing problems facing city dwellers.
'Urban life is a dazzling conundrum of contrasts' (Ellison & Maynard, 1992, p. 13). These are perfect words to describe city life. The beauty of diversity, energy, growth, and change is daily mixed with the effects of stress, economic hardship, prejudice, and crime. With these urban challenges in mind, Ellison & Maynard give a clear explanation of the nature, purpose, and possible forms of counseling within the city. Their grasp of psychology and theology allows them to validate several counseling formats (i.e. informal, discipleship, formal) as well as juggle the church's responsibility to believers and non-believers alike. Ellison & Maynard frequently use the word 'contextualization' as they challenge readers to assess the effect of culture and worldviews upon clients. In closing out the first section, a surprising but relevant chapter on evil and spiritual warfare pushes the reader to consider the greater spiritual battle at hand.
In the section titled People of the City, Ellison & Maynard (1992) explore the cultures of urban Asians, Blacks, and Hispanics respectively. The simple use of the word 'Black' gives a clue as to the age of the book but fortunately does not change the relevance of its content. Each ethnic group is fairly represented and the authors are wise in cautioning readers not to take their words as absolute truth in every situation.
The final section, Pressing Problems, introduces specific issues frequently plaguing city dwellers, including addictive behaviors, domestic abuse, AIDS, and victimization to name a few. For each topic Ellison & Maynard (1992) share case studies, along with case conceptualization formats, and basic goals for the counselee in each situation. These are helpful to lay counselors and professional counselors as well. The authors recognize the presence of each pressing problem in more rural areas as well, but believe them to present unique challenges within the city.
Healing for the City: Counseling in the Urban Setting, is a book I would highly recommend. That said, I do have a couple of critiques. First, I would have liked to see chapters addressing non-hispanic white and refugee populations. Speaking as one who lives in a major U.S. city, minority is quickly becoming the new majority and this calls for new ways of interacting and believing from all sides. The decade in which the book was written would not change the fact that urban caucasians face their own set of struggles. Refugees come to cities in large numbers and bring with them their own mix of culture and pain. As christians, Ellison & Maynard (1992) probably hold to the belief that God created all men equal in his eyes, but I wish I knew why caucasians and refugees were not included. Secondly, the goals of counseling in section three could be taken as cookie cutter solutions if one is not actively engaging in the reading. We must be cautious to remember Ellison & Maynard are offering general guidelines to be wisely followed, discarded, or modified.
Overall I was pleasantly surprised at the scope of this book and Ellison & Maynard's (1992) understanding and wisdom. I work, live, and minister in Chicago and was challenged anew as to how I view my surroundings and the people in them. I would go so far as to say it should be a must read for anyone considering a journey into city life and ministry. It is rare to read a book that is applicable for serving believers and non-believers as well as appropriate for clergy, lay people, and professionals alike. But this is one of them!
Although written fifteen years ago, Healing for the City: Counseling in the Urban Setting, speaks to issues faced daily by today's city dwellers. Ellison & Maynard (1992) speak with expertise and passion about the beauty and hardship of city life. Although countless approaches could have been taken, Ellison & Maynard divide their work into three sections, making the task of their readers more than manageable. Section one looks at city life itself and the nature of counseling in the city. Section two introduces the reader to the people who live in the city. And section three ends the book by highlighting 11 pressing problems facing city dwellers.
'Urban life is a dazzling conundrum of contrasts' (Ellison & Maynard, 1992, p. 13). These are perfect words to describe city life. The beauty of diversity, energy, growth, and change is daily mixed with the effects of stress, economic hardship, prejudice, and crime. With these urban challenges in mind, Ellison & Maynard give a clear explanation of the nature, purpose, and possible forms of counseling within the city. Their grasp of psychology and theology allows them to validate several counseling formats (i.e. informal, discipleship, formal) as well as juggle the church's responsibility to believers and non-believers alike. Ellison & Maynard frequently use the word 'contextualization' as they challenge readers to assess the effect of culture and worldviews upon clients. In closing out the first section, a surprising but relevant chapter on evil and spiritual warfare pushes the reader to consider the greater spiritual battle at hand.
In the section titled People of the City, Ellison & Maynard (1992) explore the cultures of urban Asians, Blacks, and Hispanics respectively. The simple use of the word 'Black' gives a clue as to the age of the book but fortunately does not change the relevance of its content. Each ethnic group is fairly represented and the authors are wise in cautioning readers not to take their words as absolute truth in every situation.
The final section, Pressing Problems, introduces specific issues frequently plaguing city dwellers, including addictive behaviors, domestic abuse, AIDS, and victimization to name a few. For each topic Ellison & Maynard (1992) share case studies, along with case conceptualization formats, and basic goals for the counselee in each situation. These are helpful to lay counselors and professional counselors as well. The authors recognize the presence of each pressing problem in more rural areas as well, but believe them to present unique challenges within the city.
Healing for the City: Counseling in the Urban Setting, is a book I would highly recommend. That said, I do have a couple of critiques. First, I would have liked to see chapters addressing non-hispanic white and refugee populations. Speaking as one who lives in a major U.S. city, minority is quickly becoming the new majority and this calls for new ways of interacting and believing from all sides. The decade in which the book was written would not change the fact that urban caucasians face their own set of struggles. Refugees come to cities in large numbers and bring with them their own mix of culture and pain. As christians, Ellison & Maynard (1992) probably hold to the belief that God created all men equal in his eyes, but I wish I knew why caucasians and refugees were not included. Secondly, the goals of counseling in section three could be taken as cookie cutter solutions if one is not actively engaging in the reading. We must be cautious to remember Ellison & Maynard are offering general guidelines to be wisely followed, discarded, or modified.
Overall I was pleasantly surprised at the scope of this book and Ellison & Maynard's (1992) understanding and wisdom. I work, live, and minister in Chicago and was challenged anew as to how I view my surroundings and the people in them. I would go so far as to say it should be a must read for anyone considering a journey into city life and ministry. It is rare to read a book that is applicable for serving believers and non-believers as well as appropriate for clergy, lay people, and professionals alike. But this is one of them!
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