Summary of David Powlison’s “What is Biblical Counseling” (CCEF Conference Live Blog)

(I am writing these little summaries in between the live blog entries to let you know how Fred and I experienced the conference–and to give you just a flavor of the live blogs in case you were scared off by the 60,000 word count. 🙂 )

Fred came during the lunch break and stole me away for some (delicious!) Chik-Fil-A and nice conversation too. It’s so strange to be out together without Sophia—but good too, of course. We are both convicted that some of the struggles in our marriage in the last year or so have been increased by our not prioritizing time ‘as a couple’ (i.e., uninterrupted, adult conversation time).

So it was particularly fun that in one of our two registration bags for this conference, we received the new CCEF booklet, ‘Restoring Marital Intimacy.’ Sweet! Oh, and that the other booklet was on ADOPTION. Too funny, eh? Out of 2,000 bags, ‘randomly’ picked, our two booklets hit the two most salient issues we are currently talking about. (‘The lots is cast into the lap—but the Lord knows it.’)

Back from our lunch break, Dr. Powlison began and oh oh oh! Was I a blessed woman to be under his teaching for the rest of the day. Yes, it’s great to read his journal articles and books. (If you haven’t yet purchased and devoured his, ‘Seeing with New Eyes,’ please do so right away! It is such a profound book.) But it’s another thing to get to listen to his gentle, humble, Christ-exalting brilliance in person. What an honor.

Again, I mention just how insufficient this little summary is to capture the 10,000 words I typed in the Live Blog for this session … but if it encourages you to read the Live Blog or even better—take a CCEF course or read Dr. Powlison’s books!—then my goal has been met.

So here is a brief summary of just a few thoughts that Dr. Powlison made during his sessions:

We started by singing, ‘How Firm a Foundation.’ And then Dr. Powlison began to teach …

Biblical counseling sings well and prays well. Biblical counseling is, by definition, the only worldview that has as same worldview as evangelism, preaching, discipling. Counseling is a practical aspect of discipling; it is theology in real life. Not theories and abstractions stuck in a systematic theology book. This is Living! We are meant to listen and hear the voice of Someone Who is promising–a Person Who invades, cares, touches, mixes it in. The immediacy of an Unseen God. We can ask God for wisdom and He gives without reproach. He knows what we need. “His grace is sufficient for you.”

Not a set of “biblical counseling principles’; but walking alongside of this Living God. Emmanuel.

You already ARE a counselor … every time you open your mouth (and even when you’re quiet). Are you attitudes, words, and actions wise? Every time we speak, we proclaim our loyalties. Every word. Every attitude. Even small talk has a message:

Who are you? Where are you from? Do you have brothers and sisters?

This could mean–“I really don’t want to know who you are. I just want to keep this light and get out of here!”

Or it could mean–“I want to build relationship with you. Build familiarity with you.”

Even small talk can be an agent of hatred or an agent of love.

(And when discussing the case study …)

Truth in the Bible is always God engaging with people; where they are; what they are going through. The truth is always an engaging truth. The Bible is redemptive words. Redemptive conversation. Not just a theology book. John Frame: ‘The Bible is not just the normative (this is Who God is) …’ You hear the normative and the experiential and existential (God engaging people in particular circumstances with weather and false gods and enemies).

Formerly, the woman in this case study felt that God hated her. But you surprise her by:

– Giving her insights into herself that are different from her current view

– Showing her that the God of grace comes on the scene in her life (people are surprised when the real God shows up)

– Helping her find small, practical obediences

– Showing her that there is a patient process (The Christian life is a direction, not an achievement. We live in the ‘already but not yet.’)

– No more “quick tips” but a realism that is going somewhere.