Confession and Counseling

I am currently in the middle of a class called Pastoral Care and Counseling. The question of confidentiality and disclosure recently came up in one of our sessions. Someone mentioned that the pastor should always keep confidentiality with the parishioner unless mandated by State and Federal law. I questioned that assumption based on a Catholic understanding of the confessional. I have a few questions for consideration.

ONE: How different is the confessional space form a counseling session?

TWO: Is the confessional exempt from State and Federally mandate laws? e.g. Do you turn in a person who is confessing his/her struggles of child molestation, that is, he/she is actually doing the acts?

THREE: What is the significance of confessional space?

My Theological Meme

Charlie has tagged me to put my own theological meme. First, the rules of the game:

1) You do not talk about fight ... Oh, sorry. Wrong game.

Here we go. Rule number one (and there are one and a half rules).

1/2) You do not meme until memed upon (actually I made that one up).
1) Name three (or more) theological works from the last 25 years (1981-2006) that you consider important and worthy to be included on a list of the most important works of theology of that last 25 years (in no particular order).

So, without further ado.

1) T. F. Torrance, The Trinitarian Faith, 1995.
2) G. Simon Harak, Virtuous Passions, 2001
3) John Zizioulas, Being as Communion, 2002

Schmemann’s For the Life of the World did not make the cut because it was written in 1973. That would be my alternative fourth if the time frame ever changed. Or maybe Hauerwas’, The Peaceable Kingdom … Or even Cavanaugh’s Torture and Eucharist.

Tag, you’re it: Brian Postlewait, Matt Alexander, and J.R. Caines.

The incautious importunity of loquacity

"Rulers ought also to guard with anxious thought not only against saying in any way what is wrong, but against uttering even what is right overmuch and inordinately; since the good effect of things spoken is often lost, when enfeebled to the hearts of hearers by the incautious importunity of loquacity: and this same loquacity, which knows not how to serve for the profit of the hearers, also defiles the speaker."

Gregory the Great

The city does not need Jesus

Over the past few weeks I was able to take c class through NTS called Urban Immersion: Los Angeles. The goal of the class is just that, to immerse one in many of the facets of the city. We were able to gain perspective on the social, political, and economic situation of Los Angeles through a lens of urban ministry.

Some of the highlights included a half-day walk through the downtown area. We spent a great deal of time in Skid Row, a shocking environment after one has toured “Bunker Hill”, which if you know anything about this area the most significant point might be made that it sits on artificially raised structures that serve to restrict unwanted visitors. The local security proves this point. The way the downtown area has founded itself structured provides a scene of hopelessness for those trapped in the plight of the city. I witnessed first hand the sweatshops located just above the shops that sell the products. Products marked too high that serve to pay workers at ridiculous wages. [If the U.S wants to rid the country of illegal immigrants then the best way is to stop buying the products made or the food grown by “illegal hands” … but that might leave the poor without a cloak or tunic, naked and helpless for all the world to see. Perhaps that might leave the powers naked and helpless for all the world to see.]

The city does not need Jesus, the world need only recognize His presence already there.

"And I, if I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all [people] to myself."

Anyways…just some thoughts.