Pastoral Counseling and Bible Story Telling

It's funny how crises hit a pastor. They appear out of "nowhere" and you're supposed to say something that hopefully is intelligent.

I got home tonight and just such a crisis was waiting for me.

It was one of those situations where the person needed to do some practical things in short order. Saying that didn't seem too theological. It certainly was nothing some secularist couldn't say. I suppose all pastors face that... having to say the equivalent of "brush your teeth", "don't get into trouble". Nothing theological needed to be immediately said - simply practical things at first.

But I do not believe pastors are called to dispense moral platitudes. Instead they are messengers of the Gospel.

The Gospel need I discerned in the midst of this crisis was a sense of hopelessness and helplessness... perhaps even wondering "What on earth have I done to deserve this?"

So before things were over I decided I needed to tell a Bible Story.

First of all, I believe Bible stories work well for anyone. But sometimes we pastors don't pay attention to the people who are before us. We talk over their head. We use big words to display our knowledge. We talk analytically instead of simply and viscerally. Or we may whip out a Bible and start pointing at one verse after another. Even systematic theologians aren't at their best during a crisis, so I doubt even they can take in these minute bits of information then.

On another note, the pulling out the Bible and pointing at verses can seem like insensitive prattling if they CAN read. If you suspect they can't read, pulling out a Bible and pointing probably adds to the current crisis and compounds it by reminding them they can't read and you're suggesting they're too ignorant for God's help as a result.

That's why it pays to know your Bible Stories well enough to pick an appropriate one and convey it conversationally and accurately without whipping out a Bible. It's more likely to be something that - in a crisis - they can internalize and remember. Or perhaps they already know it and you're just awakening the story so they can apply it to their souls. Stress brings on "Tunnel Vision" and a series of reactions that make people less responsive generally. Bible Stories don't ask of your hearers what they can't physiologically provide - detailed attention to every fine point.

In this case, I knew I needed to convey a message of hope that the situations we find ourselves in are not always the direct result of our sin, but may have been providentially allowed so that God might display His glory in and through us as we draw on the power of Jesus. So in this case I decided to tell the story of John 9: 1 - 11, the Man Born Blind.

So I told it!

Then I drove home the points I wanted to say.

Depending on how "verbal" the person is probably dictates how much you're going to get them to interact with the story. That's also a function of how much they're incapacitated by the situation.

Plant a seed with a story and then, as the situation cools off, you can come back to it and do some "oral Bible Study".

What's the moral of the story?

1. In Pastoral Counseling sessions, especially in times of great stress and especially with folks who are oral learners, Bible Stories may convey the message you want to get across better than a series of verses spat out like an assault rifle on "full automatic".

2. You need to have a repertoire of Bible Stories ready at any given time so you can be ready to "Preach the Word; be prepared in season and out of season; correct, rebuke and encourage—with great patience and careful instruction." (2 Timothy 4:2 NIV) Practice your Bible Stories outside a crisis situation so that when the situation comes upon you, you'll feel comfortable telling the story. I had told and lead an oral bible study on this story several weeks ago. So despite our busy schedules the Lord "recycles" our efforts in amazing ways.

Let's learn some more Bible Stories - you never know when we'll be able to put one to good use!