Linda’s Reviews > The Emotionally Healthy Church: A Strategy for Discipleship that Actually Changes Lives > Status Update

With a nod to the power of prayer and the Holy Spirit, the emphasis on this chapter ends with Jesus’ question to the paralyzed man: “Do you want to get well?” Then forms group and begin to do personal (therapeutic) work.

The Annie Dillard story of the frozen British explorers is a good parable for many theological and academic giants who don’t know how to relate to the ‘little people’. A 3-yr journey requires more than a month’s supply of coal (across 3 ships), 1,200 books, chocolate, and sterling silver.

Grieving as interruption - forgive and forget. Grieving prevents “redeeming the time”. Inability to mourn. Child replacement as a way of ‘getting over’ miscarriage.

The losses described are real. Loss of justice and three generations of family because a jury can’t decide if the drunken driver that obliterated life was the husband or the wife. Grieving the loss of “small-town community life” while ministering to the cacophony of 8 million souls in NYC.

Not much of a fan of Eugene Peterson, but “ecclesiastical pornography” is a great summary. Churches are not free from problems, no matter how many great leaders and programs are implemented. And a failure to accept limitations is grasping for God’s position.

The parable of the self-centered man jumping off a bridge while requiring another traveler to hold the rope (restraining death, barely) might be the best part of this book. Agreed re: setting expectations so that others’ ever-expanding ‘needs’ don’t drain out your own calling and walk.

While the Prodigal Son story is always a good one for exploring real motivations and the emotional and spiritual aspects of grace…the depiction of Jesus as loved by the crowds is missing the fact that these are the same crowds who were confused by Him and called for His death on the cross.

“Some small groups at our church, instead of studying books of Scripture, do a topical study directly related to breaking the power of the past.” My difficulty with this idea is that church can easily become a drawn-out supernatural therapeutic session. Healing humans replaces the focus on Christ’s gospel.

“This inward look (honest examination of emotions and feelings) is not to encourage a self-absorbed introspection that feeds narcissism. The ultimate purpose is to allow the Gospel to transform all of you- both above and below the iceberg.”

Lite version of ‘The Body Keeps the Score’: “…a simple but helpful exercise to begin the process of paying attention to our emotions is to listen to our physical body’s reactions in situations- a knot in the stomach, a tension headache, teeth grinding, hands or arms clenched, palms becoming sweaty, neck tightening, foot tapping, or insomnia.”