Objectives
- Understand how to identify key information and combine it with real-world cases to find the theme of a Bible study.
- Understand how to apply the information in this chapter to help analyze pastoral care issues.
- Gain a preliminary understanding of how to design and develop pastoral care plans based on the analysis results.
Case Study 1
Afang works as a waitress in a restaurant, working 12 hours a day, with only one day off per month. The work is very demanding, and her salary only covers her monthly rent and daily expenses. Afang suffers from chronic gynecological inflammation. Introduced by a friend, she comes to the church and hears many testimonies of blessings and healing. Afang is very envious of these blessed brothers and sisters. She decides to attend church gatherings when she has time and decides to start tithing.
Within a few months, Afang receives an offer for a new job with very good benefits, two days off per week, and a salary that triples. Moreover, during this period, Afang's gynecological disease is also healed! Afang begins to use her time off to go out with friends and occasionally comes to church when she feels unwell or in a bad mood. The pastor notices that Afang has not tithed for two consecutive months. When he asks her about it, Afang replies to the pastor: Isn't it just a few hundred dollars? Here you go!
Not long after, Afang resigns and returns to her hometown to start her own business. In less than a few months, all the prepared funds are lost, the small shop closes, and she owes more than ten thousands. Her gynecological inflammation symptoms worsen day by day, and in an examination, she is diagnosed with an incurable disease. Afang contacts the pastor; she is now in great pain and needs help!
After the pastor's repeated persuasion, Afang still does not realize her problem. The pastor asks Afang, what do you think caused you to fall into so many problems today?
Afang replies: You see, others have a good husband who can earn money to support the family. I am just a small woman struggling outside. The business failed because there is no capable man to help me.
Afang attributes all the reasons for her failure to not finding a capable man to protect her! The pastor tries to tell Afang that her understanding is wrong and that this kind of understanding cannot help her solve the problem. Afang not only does not appreciate it but also complains that the pastor is trying to stop her from living a good life.
Case Study 1 Discussion Questions
- Combining the event of Cain killing his brother Abel, analyze why Cain killed Abel and why Afang has the above perception.
- Verse 17 says that Cain built a city and named it Enoch after his son. Why do you think Cain did this? Is Afang's perception similar to Cain's?
- Through the events of Cain killing Abel and building a city, as well as Afang's wrong perception, what have you learned?
- If you were Afang's pastor, how would you continue to teach and shepherd Afang?
Case Study 1 Summary
- Cain killed Abel because of jealousy. When problems arose, he did not look for reasons within himself but blamed Abel. Afang's cognitive problem is also because she does not like to find reasons within herself.
- Cain is using carnal, worldly logic to protect himself and even hopes to pass this logic on to his descendants. Afang is also using the same method to solve the problem of the curse.
- The root of many problems is ourselves. Blaming others is like Adam and Eve's reaction after eating the fruit of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. The most fundamental reason is that we do not live a God-centered life.
- When a person enters self-righteousness and deep knowledge of good and evil, it is difficult to teach them with the truth. At this time, you can encourage her that when she encounters problems, when she cannot go on, she must come to us.
Case Study 2
Ah Fang's subsequent experiences were even more tragic. Several marriages were unfortunate, and she developed severe depression and mental illness. She often felt that someone wanted to harm her, and she was restless whether at the company, on the road, or at home. After several breakdowns, Ah Fang finally realized her problem, sought God again, and decided to live a God-centered life! Now, Ah Fang's financial, physical, and mental conditions have returned to normal, and she is living a blessed life.
Case Study 2 Discussion Questions
In Genesis chapter 4, Cain also suffered from mental illness, and often felt that someone wanted to kill him. Combining the experiences of Cain and Ah Fang, summarize the characteristics of their personalities.
Cain's descendants included the ancestor of those who live in tents and raise livestock, the ancestor of those who play the lyre and flute, and the ancestor of those who forge all kinds of tools of bronze and iron. However, his descendant Lamech suffered a deeper curse than Cain, and his mental illness was more severe than Cain's. What does this illustrate?
The end of chapter 4 mentions that at that time, people began to call on the name of the Lord. Based on the previous text, take a bold guess, what led people to begin to call on the name of the Lord?
After the above case analysis and corresponding article content analysis, can the theme of this chapter be derived?
After this study, can you briefly summarize the key points to grasp when ministering to patients with depression and mental illness?
Case Study 2 Summary
Characteristics of mentally ill patients: selfish, self-centered; suspicious, jealous; often blaming problems on others
Chasing worldly fame and fortune does not solve the problem; one must understand the purpose of living
People come to God for help only after trying many of their own methods that do not solve the problem
The devil is at your door; you must subdue it
The focus of ministering to mentally ill patients is to bring them out of their selfish, self-centered, suspicious, and jealous habits. All pastoral plans and assigned tasks should revolve around these points. (This is a complex project; based on your pastoral experience, give some examples to illustrate simply.)