Diens en genesing in pastorale begeleiding

Abstract

English: When a person experiences a specific problem, he/she may turn to the pastoral councillor for guidance. The pastoral process may become a temptation to be used as an escape route from the problem. In this way the potential of the problem for life formation is not accounted for and may inhibit a growth process. This thesis advocates that a pastoral counselling process takes into account the fact that suffering or problems are moments to facilitate being a whole human being. Therefore, a problem should be dealt with, rather than trying to escape from it. To be a complete person, one has to be prepared to serve. The essence of service is derived from the image of God: a healthy human being is a person who thrives on relationships, is creative, behaves ethically, exists responsibly, recognizes need and see life as eschatological. A life without service is reversal of the image of God and consequently leads to an unfulfilled life. The recovering of the role of service in life is a healing experience and can lead to a life of abundance. Events of suffering or the experiencing of problems need an appropriate action. This reaction will shape each person in his/her unique way by discovering the manner in which he/she can become a servant in the image of God. The Biblical way of dealing with suffering and life’s problems is not merely explanation but exploitation as well. God and man form a covenantal relationship to integrate suffering and problems into being as life giving events. Man finds his unique place in life and God gives healing. This utilisation of suffering and problems will subsequently be a healing process. Existing pastoral counselling models were analysed and show that it is possible to integrate serviceable life through pastoral guidance. However, most models also show that being of service through utilising problems is not a specific aim in the process of healing. Three participants in a qualitative research indicated that by ministering their specific events and problems to other wrought healing. Their problems, alcoholism or dependency issues, rape and cancer respectively, helped them to serve other people with the same problems. There is a clear correlation shown between healing the problem and the associated controlling thereof by being of service to other victims/sufferers. Therefore, the expectation that service awareness of problems as a strategy for pastoral care will be a healing act on problems. Pastoral markers who promote healing through being of service is a pastoral counselling that takes image of God as a point of departure, strives to achieve holistic-existential goals, is hermeneutical-pneumatological in character, moves from discipleship to apostleship and progresses educational-covenantal.

Afrikaans: Mense met probleme kom na die pastorale begeleier om heling vir hulle spesifieke problem te vind. Die versoeking vir die pastorale begeleidingsproses is om ʼn ontsnaproete uit die probleem te word. Op hierdie wyse word die groeimoontlikhede tot ware menswees deur die probleem nie verreken nie. Die proefskrif bepleit ʼn pastorale begeleidingsproses wat rekening hou met die feit dat lydings- en probleemgebeure volledige menswees kan fasiliteer. Daarom behoort probleme eerder benut as ontvlug te word. Die inhoud van volledige menswees hang daarmee saam dat die mens ʼn dienaar is. Die inhoud van diens word afgelei uit die beeld van God. Die mens is iemand wat binne verhoudings gedy, kreatief skep, eties optree, verantwoordelik bestaan, nood raaksien en eskatologies leef. Dienslose lewe is die omkeer van die beeld van God en lei gevolglik na onvervulde lewe. Wanneer die mens sy rol as dienaar terugvind, skep dit genesing wat lei na ʼn lewe in oorvloed. Lydings- en probleemgebeure in ʼn persoon se lewe vra na ʼn toepaslike reaksie daarop. Daarom is lydings- en probleemgebeure die manier waarop elke persoon sy unieke diensrol ontdek. Die Bybelse omgang met lydings- en probleemgebeure is nie verklaring daarvan alleen nie, maar ook benutting daarvan. God en die mens tree in ʼn verbondsverhouding toe om probleme as lewensgroei te integreer. Die mens vind sy unieke plek in die lewe en God skenk genesing. Hierdie gebruikmaking van die lydings- en probleemgebeure veroorsaak genesing van die probleem. Bestaande pastorale modelle is ontleed en daar is aangetoon dat dit moontlik is om probleme in die pastorale begeleidingsproses tot diensbare lewe te integreer. Dit het egter ook geblyk dat pastorale beradingsmodelle grootliks nie diens as spesifieke doel implementeer nie. Drie deelnemers het in die kwalitatiewe navorsing aangetoon dat die diensbaarmaking van hulle onderskeie lydings- en probleemgebeure genesing bewerk het. Die onderskeie probleme van hierdie drie persone het hulle gehelp om ander met dieselfde probleme te bedien: alkoholisme of afhanklikheid, verkragting en kanker. Daar is ʼn duidelike verband aangetoon tussen genesing van die probleem en die gepaardgaande bediening daarvan. Daarom is die saak uitgemaak dat diensbaarmaking van probleme as ʼn strategie vir pastorale begeleiding wel genesend op probleme sal inwerk. Pastorale merkers vir ʼn begeleiding wat diens as genesing promoveer, is pastoraat wat die beeld van God as vertrekpunt neem, holisties-eksistensiële doelwitte stel, hermeneutiespneumatologies werk, ʼn beweging van dissipelskap na apostolaat begelei en didaskaliesverbondmatig verloop.