Not all of my assigned books at RTS are helpful. I have read many only to ask myself afterwards, "Now what was the point in reading that?". Michael R. Emlet's CrossTalk: Where Life & Scripture Meet, however, was not one of those books.
Several times this year, I've wondered why we don't have more counseling classes in the MDiv curriculum. If a pastor spends most of his time with people, and if most of those people have pain and real issues, shouldn't we have more than 3 hours of instruction about counseling? Of course, we certainly don't need more hours added to our degree program, but I do envy the practical, "hands on" bent of the Marriage and Family Therapy Degree at RTS (Kiki's degree).
Taking a few hours on Saturday morning, I read through CrossTalk: Where Life & Scripture Meet for my Pastoral Counseling class. If you have ever wondered how to use Scripture well when talking to hurting, broken people...then pick up this book. Though Emlet doesn't give specific, step-by-step instructions for every situation, he provides good principles for using Scripture well in counseling...in other words, using Scripture thoughtfully, in its context, and in a way that doesn't make a "proof text" out of your favorite verses. His basic premise is that Scripture is a story of redemption and that all of it points us to Christ. Also, all people are part of a story and must learn to see themselves as part of the Great Story of God's redemption. The counselor, therefore, isn't someone who should quote proof-texts at people from a list of topical verses, but someone who helps broken people connect their own stories to the Story of the Bible, in which people are broken and need a Savior.
This is one of those books that I will definitely need to revisit and it is one that will keep me thinking for a long time to come.
Maybe you could take that book to Thailand with you? :) Sounds like a good read.
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