ACT with Faith PDF Version

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A with Faith C T

Acceptance and Commitment Therapy with Christian clients:

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A Practitioner's Guide

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INGRID RHEA ORD

ACT with Faith Acceptance and Commitment Therapy for Christian Clients:

A Practitioner’s Guide

ACT with Faith

Copyright © 2014 Ingrid Ord www.actwithfaithbook.com

All rights reserved. This book is sold subject to the condition that it shall not, by way of trade or otherwise be lent, resold, hired out, or otherwise circulated in any form of binding or cover other than that in which it is published and without a similar condition, including this condition, being imposed on the subsequent purchaser. ISBN 978-1-907308-34-5 First Published in Great Britain by Compass Publishing

Printed in Britain by Berforts Information Press Set and laid out by The Book Refinery Ltd

Apart from any fair dealing for the purpose of private study, research, criticism or review, as permitted under the Copyright, Designs & Patents Act,1988, no part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, electrical, chemical, mechanical, optical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise,

The hand-outs for clients, included as appendices at the back of the book, may only be used as an adjunct to therapy with an experienced and trained ACT therapist. In no way are they to be used on their own, for any purposes outside therapy with a trained ACT therapist, without permission from the author. The author may be contacted at the two addresses mentioned below. Copies of the Appendices may be downloaded from the website: www.actwithfaithbook.com

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About the Author

ngrid Ord is a very experienced ACT practitioner who has studied the connection between ACT and Christianity for over a decade, in three different countries. She shares with you the knowledge gained through living out ACT as a Christian, and providing individual, couples and group therapy to literally hundreds of Christians. Many hours of study of the Scripture, and reading through the Bible annually whilst applying ACT principles within her own life and the lives of her clients, has resulted in a treasure trove of ACT relevant references. The richness of Bible characters with their suffering and teaching provides an invaluable resource for therapists who may not have the same beliefs, but who may refer to these for the benefit of their Christian clients. Ingrid welcomes communication from readers and comments, suggestions and constructive criticism. This work is seen, by her, as being part of the community involvement of the entire Association for Contextual and Behavioral Sciences (ACBS). It is her hope that this will be only the beginning of a growing body of knowledge in this area. She may be contacted through www.actwithfaithbook.com.

Ingrid is available to do groups for the public, and for therapists who wish to learn more about this topic. She is also well practised in videoconferencing and has clients in many different countries. Please feel free to contact her in this regard.

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Contents About the Author..................................................................... iii

Introduction............................................................................. ix Preparing for the Journey...................................................... ix

Section 1 Setting the Scene

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Chapter 1 Why ACT with Faith?............................................... 19 Why a Specific Protocol for Christians?..................................... 20 My ACT Epiphany............................................................... 23 Chapter 2 Christian Worldview.............................................. 25 What is a Christian?............................................................. 25 The Covenant of Grace......................................................... 26 Personal Relationship with God.............................................. 28 Strategic Relational Qualities................................................. 28 The Importance of the Covenant of Grace in Working Through the ACT Process with Christians.............................................. 30 Christians and the Bible.........................................................30 Chapter 3 Mindfulness, Rule-Governed Behaviour & Psychological Flexibility.......................................................... 33 Psychological Flexibility........................................................ 33 Mindfulness.......................................................................34 Rule-Governed Behaviour..................................................... 37

Section 2 Being Present

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CHAPTER 4 Present Moment Awareness............................. 51 Introducing the Hexaflex in a Christian Context.......................... 51 Hexaflex (Diagram)............................................................. 52 Grace: A Tool for promoting Psychological Flexibility.................... 53 Clinical Relevance of Being in the Present Moment ..................... 55

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Contents Chapter 5 Perspective of Self................................................. 59 The Christian Experience..................................................... 60 The Three Senses of Self in ACT.............................................. 64

Section 3 Opening Up

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Chapter 6 Acceptance with Willingness............................... 75 The Path From Pain to Values................................................. 78 Christians will Suffer.......................................................... 80 Spiritual Abuse................................................................... 82 Chapter 7 Defusion................................................................. 85 What is Defusion?............................................................... 85 The Christians approach to Thoughts........................................ 87 Defusion and the Perspective of Grace.......................................88

Section 4 Doing What Matters

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Chapter 8 Values.................................................................... 97 The pragmatic Truth Criterion and Christians............................ 98 Other Problems That may be Encountered with Christian Clients in Values Work................................................................... 101 Why the ACT Approach to Values is Very Important for Christians in Therapy......................................................................... 107 Why Values are Important to Everyone...................................... 108 Fusion with Goals and Rules...................................................109 Chapter 9 Committed Action................................................. 111 Committed Action and Creative Hopelessness............................. 111 Setting Goals – Small Steps.................................................... 114 Identifying What Behaviour is Goal-Oriented.............................. 116 Building Larger and Larger Patterns of Flexible Behaviour............... 121

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Contents Chapter 10 Summary and Conclusions.................................. The Route Through The Six Processes...................................... What’s In A Name?............................................................ Working with Clients of Different Faiths..................................

Section 5 Client Handouts

123 123 127 129

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Appendix 1................................................................................. 135 Mindfulness for Christian Clients Appendix 2................................................................................ 153 The Perspective of Grace Appendix 3 ............................................................................... 157 Present Moment Awareness

Appendix 4 ................................................................................ 159 Awareness of Compassion Appendix 5 ................................................................................ 163 Perspective of Self

Appendix 6................................................................................. 169 Willing Acceptance

Appendix 7 ................................................................................. 175 Cognitive Defusion

Appendix 8 ................................................................................. 181 Values in ACT and Christian Ethics/Virtues

Appendix 9 ................................................................................. 187 Values and Committed Action Quotations

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Contents REFERENCES............................................................................ Bible Versions.................................................................... References....................................................................... Further Resources:.............................................................

197 197 197 201

More About Ingrid Ord........................................................... 203

Acknowledgments.................................................................. 205

Your Notes............................................................................... 206

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Introduction

I

Preparing for the Journey

will begin our journey by discussing a general summary of the Christian’s worldview. I have kept this as short and as factual as possible and urge the reader not to skip this. Even if it is of no personal interest, it does explain the importance of certain concepts, such as grace, in the life of a Christian. ACT practitioners know that ACT is really only effective if, and when, it is incorporated into the daily experience of life. This discussion of the Christian’s worldview will describe how Christianity is also experiential. Christianity revolves around a relationship that is lifechanging and experienced daily.

We will then go on to consider psychological flexibility, mindfulness, and rule-governed behaviour.These seemed logical companions for discussion at the beginning of a protocol for Christian clients. I was excited by the actual experience of mindfulness (in a workshop) and how it brought me into an experience with the God I believe in, long before I had read anything about it. Appendix 1;‘Mindfulness for Christian Clients’ explores this more fully, and this chapter discusses the dangers of using terminology which may deter the client from the practice, or cause them to terminate therapy prematurely.

Rule-governed behaviour is very significant in the lives of Christians, especially those who spend time in Christian communities. Guilt, selfjudgement and condemnation are, ironically, characteristic of many Christians who have approached me for help, and seem, perhaps, to be an unfortunate side-effect of belonging to these communities. The practice of mindfulness promotes flexible sensitivity to self-judgement, and the development of compassion for self and others. Hence, this protocol has been named ‘Compassionate Awareness Training’. The next six chapters will concentrate on each of the six main processes identified in ACT, one at a time, beginning with awareness of the present moment, then moving on to perspective of self, willing acceptance and defusion, and then values and committed action. Each of

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the processes will be identified, for the client, by one part of the Bible memory verses which is outlined below. These will be clearly marked at the heading of each of the six chapters in question. “Are you tired?Worn out? Burned out on religion? Come to me. Get away with me and you'll recover your life. I'll show you how to take a real rest.

Walk with me and work with me--watch how I do it. Learn the unforced rhythms of grace. I won't lay anything heavy or ill-fitting on you.

Keep company with me and you'll learn to live freely and lightly.”

(Matthew 11:28-30) (MSG)

(‘The Message Bible’ – just a note here on which translation I use – I understand that the Message Bible is an interpretation and not a literal translation. I use it because it is very readable and understand that it may not be the favourite version of others. Of course a more literal translation is recommended for deeper study into the meaning of individual words and phrases). For the sake of clarity, the applicability to the six processes is as follows: 1) Present moment awareness: “Are you tired?Worn out? Burned out on religion? Come to me.” (verse 28a)

2) Perspective of self: “Get away with me and you’ll recover your life. I’ll show you how to take a real rest.” (verse 28b)

3) Willing acceptance: “Walk with me and work with me – watch how I do it.” (verse 29a) 4) Defusion: “Learn the unforced rhythms of grace.” (verse 29b)

5) Values: “I won’t lay anything heavy or ill-fitting on you.” (verse 29c)

6) Committed Action: “Keep company with me and you’ll learn to live freely and lightly.” (verse 30)

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Introduction

These verses are easily learned by the client, as a reminder of and a cue for each of the six processes. I have found that clients respond well to them, or parts of them, as reminders of what has been learned. Throughout therapy these verses can be used to give the Christian client verbal cues on what process may be helpful with whatever situation they are considering at the time. For example, a client who is very stressed and finding it difficult to focus may be ‘cued’ into present moment awareness by just beginning the quote “Are you tired? Worn out?..” (Matthew 11:28a) (MSG)

The first process to be approached in this protocol is present moment awareness. Focussing on one day at a time is easily supported through the Scriptures, and is a logical place to start, as an acknowledgement, from the very beginning, that the Christian worldview revolves around a moment-by-moment relationship. Christians are expected, by virtue of their initial commitment, to develop a growing faith in the grace of God. As mentioned, this is a moment-by-moment, continual experience.

The next chapter is on Perspective of Self, which is absolutely central to the advantages when working with a Christian client. Perspective of self is linked very specifically to present moment awareness and is gradually changed by experiencing a relationship with God. This is exemplified by the invitation which links the two processes, "Are you tired?Worn out? Burned out on religion? Come to me. Get away with me and you'll recover your life. I'll show you how to take a real rest.” (Matthew 11:28) (MSG)

The next chapter on Willing Acceptance may present a challenging concept for many Christians, as they may not have been taught that problems and pain are a normal part of life. In fact, quite the opposite is taught at times, especially when conversion to Christianity is seen as a solution to all of life’s problems, or as a desirable life-enhancement. Until the working of grace is understood by a mature Christian it can come as a nasty shock that, after conversion, problems often increase rather than decrease, and that becoming a Christian certainly does not feel like a lifeenhancement, especially once the initial honeymoon period is over. The memory verse for this relates to the life of Jesus, which was anything but free from problems: “Walk with me and work with me--watch how I do it.” (Matthew 11:29) (MSG)

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The therapist needs to be clear that this acceptance is not inferred to imply that the client has no responsibility for changing their behaviour. Secular Psychology is often seen by Christians, and spoken about from the pulpit, as being soft on sin, and as calling sin by the euphemism of problems. In training Christians in ACT I have found this tricky, as the concept of a lifetime of grace is not extensively taught in churches at this moment in time, although it is becoming more and more so. Instead of an acceptance of the total forgiveness of sin and the freedom that grace gives, many Christian clients are struggling with guilt, thoughts about unworthiness and a constant need to repent in order to somehow be free from the condemnation that they feel. Acceptance can appear to be part of the soft on sin option and is greatly helped by the understanding given by the various Scriptures which will be referred to in the chapter. In researching and practising ACT I have become convinced that the underlying theory does not, in any way, undermine the doctrines of sin and the need for repentance. As mentioned, this has been a major obstacle in the acceptance of secular Psychology into Christian circles, and is a very important point to make.

After the chapter on Acceptance, Defusion is introduced by the verse: “Learn the unforced rhythms of grace.” (Matthew 11:29b) (MSG). Many Christians who present themselves for therapy are inflexible in their belief that:  it is possible to change thinking and to suppress thoughts which are ‘wrong’,

 this is all that is needed, and that changing thoughts is necessary and sufficient to change emotions and behaviour,  thereby eliminating unwanted habits and addictions.

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In Christian circles it has become quite commonplace for some well marketed media personalities to teach Christians how to succeed in life by taking the Cognitive Psychology tradition to extensive lengths. They have linked eliminating thoughts to attaining righteousness which has resulted in many Christians, in my experience, finding the concept of defusion very difficult, if not sinful. They have been so thoroughly taught

Introduction

that they are their thoughts, backed up by Scripture (out of context, or incorrectly translated) that it is extremely difficult to help them, especially if one is not well versed in what is actually written. However “.. the unforced rhythms of grace’’ refers to what the Bible says about grace: change is brought about by God working within an individual, and not by the individual striving to think and feel in certain ways, and struggling not to have certain thoughts and emotions.

A chapter on Values is the next stage of our journey. There is a saying that Christians are the only army who shoot their wounded. Although that may seem very negative, it does illustrate that in some cases involvement in a spiritual movement can have aspects to it that can be deeply, wounding. If this is so, then it stands to reason that there must be unique values in this experience that can be explored to help in the healing process of these wounded soldiers. Some theologians would argue that the concept of freely chosen values is not Christian, and that Christians develop virtues. Whatever terminology is preferred, this is an important process because we know that many things you value have the power to hurt you. In other words, pain and fulfilment can be two sides of the same coin. “I won't lay anything heavy or ill-fitting on you’” (Matthew 11:29b) (MSG) depicts the view that values will not be experienced as burdensome or uncomfortable.

Lastly we will talk about committed action, which is described in the verse: “Keep company with me and you'll learn to live freely and lightly” (Matthew 11:30) (MSG).The freedom and lightness that is promised here, as a consequence of continuing in relationship with God, empowers consistent and persistent action towards goals in spite of obstacles. There are many Scriptures relating to this, some of which will be incorporated into our discussion.

I have not written a chapter on the theory underpinning ACT but will be addressing the influence of this throughout the book. In my early days of exploring ACT, the most problematic roadblock for me was the pragmatic truth criterion. It seemed to me that, as a Christian, I could not work within a framework that measured outcome only by what works without there being a specific criterion of truth. Christians, after all, believe that Jesus literally is the truth. However, as I began to understand functional contextualism better I realised that the

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pragmatic truth criterion made the practice of ACT specifically nonjudgemental. In other words, ACT therapists suspend their own judgements in the therapy sessions, and focus only on whether behaviours are taking the person towards, or away from, their own stated values.

This is what is termed as workability, in ACT, and it provides a measurable truth criterion. In asking a person whether this is moving them towards their values or not, the therapist trains the client to take the focus off judging themselves for doing a wrong or a right thing and to focus instead on the workability of their behaviour.The concept of right or wrong is not applicable here. Whatever is important for the person in therapy is the truth criterion in that context, and what is being measured is whether the behaviour in question is moving the person towards, or away from, stated values. That makes an ACT therapist of any persuasion an excellent choice for any Christian.This may need to be spelled out to Christian clients who may object to the question: ‘Does that work for you?’

As a foretaste of what is to follow I offer the following verses which describe the view that Jesus had on truth. It would seem that He was advocating that the behaviour of a person was very descriptive of what truth they actually believe in and, furthermore, that the experience of truth will follow workable behaviour:

Then Jesus turned to the Jews who had claimed to believe in him. "If you stick with this, living out what I tell you, you are my disciples for sure. Then you will experience for yourselves the truth, and the truth will free you." (John 8:3132) (MSG) (The bold type is mine).

The quotation, in its entirety and within the context in which it was written, is a very useful tool when helping rigid and avoidant Christian clients to reconnect with their experience.

At the back of the book you will find blank pages for your notes. As you work through this guide you may well have questions and observations that deserve to be recorded. Should you wish to share these with me I will be delighted. You will receive a personal response and probably contribute to a revision of this work

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Section 1

Setting the Scene “One of the greatest dangers in dealing with the Bible is to exploit it, that is, to come to it with a preconceived idea, and take things out of it only what agree with that idea.” (p100, 101, 'Biblical Psychology: A series of Preliminary Studies; God's Revivalist Office, Cincinnati, Ohio, 1914)

Section 1

Setting the Scene Chapter 1: Chapter 2: Chapter 3:

Why ACT with Faith Christian Worldview Mindfulness, Psychological Flexibility & Rule-Governed Behaviour

Reference is made to: Appendix 1: Mindfulness for Christian Clients Handout for Clients Appendix 2: The Perspective of Grace Handout for Clients

Chapter 1

Why ACT with Faith? God delights in concealing things; scientists delight in discovering things.

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Proverbs 25:2 (MSG)

welve years ago I began a journey that was to change my life. I discovered ACT, started practising mindfulness, and began to notice gradual changes in my thinking and behaviour patterns. Over time, I noticed that these changes were taking me consistently towards what I wanted my life as a Christian to look like. I gradually introduced what I was learning into my professional practice, when I had Christian clients who gave their consent. I have no research, yet, to quantify what happened, but I have seen, and received a lot of feedback about, more flexibility and vitality in the lives of my Christian clients.

After many requests to make this protocol available to a wider audience, I gathered the material I use in therapy and group work, and sat down to write (after many false starts). It started out as a self-help handbook for Christians; however I soon realised that the work I was producing was more suitable for therapists who already know ACT, rather than for the average layperson. I saw tricky areas that can really best be worked through with a therapist and decided that, by trying to explain in self-help language, I may be doing a disservice to all. I therefore decided to take the more technical route. There are excellent ACT textbooks already published and so, in order not to reinvent the wheel, I have not included detailed discussions of the processes of ACT. Some resources for learning ACT are listed in the references, although this list is by no means conclusive. My aim in this text

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Section 1

is to facilitate a knowledge base for use with the Christian population, and to provide reference material for all therapists, whether they are familiar with Christianity or not.

Why a Specific Protocol for Christians?

Making sense of the world through Christianity is an important part of life for a large proportion of the population in many Western countries. According to a Pew Forum study, dated December 2011, 77% of the population of the USA, 75% of Europe, 63% of sub-Saharan Africa and 90% of Latin American/Caribbean populations identify themselves as Christians.

For those who consider Christianity as defining their worldview, help is most likely to be welcomed from those who can best speak their language. The Bible provides a ready reference for what this language may be and, in reading it through, I have found evidence of what ACT researchers are discovering. The verses from the Bible at the start of the chapter, indicate that the things that are revealed, or those things which ‘scientists delight in discovering’ are important to Christians in their everyday lives. The connection between ACT and what has been revealed in the Bible forms the backbone of the information provided in this book.

Albert Einstein reportedly said: “Information is not knowledge.” I saw a need for a protocol for Christians that was not based on information alone. In this book I am offering you the knowledge that I have gained by putting into practise the information gained by simultaneously learning ACT and reading the Bible over the past 8 years. I have learned experientially, through a number of workshops and conferences, how to apply ACT in my life. At the same time I have studied the Bible and have developed the habit of reading it right through once a year.

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In re-reading passages of Scripture, in the context of the book in which they are written and that of the whole Bible, their applicability to the different processes in ACT has become more and more clear. These verses and passages have been well received by numerous Christian clients as aids, and discussed with clergy from different denominations in three different countries. This process of refinement has resulted in groups of verses relating to each of the six processes of ACT, which are offered in the appendices for your use and as hand-outs for your clients.

This is not an evangelical document; that is not my intention here. My hope is that it will be technically useful to my valued colleagues, who, over the years, have honoured our spiritual differences with respect, and helped me to put my thoughts into words. Very seldom have my beliefs been challenged (as in whether they represent the ‘truth’ or not), rather our informal discussions have revolved around how ACT relates to Christian teaching and whether I find any problems in working with the two approaches together. This has helped me to verbalize the advantages and disadvantages in practising ACT with Christians.

Chapter 1: Why ACT with Faith?

The applicability to ACT has been informed in conversations and workshops with Robyn Walser, Steve Hayes, Kelly Wilson, and Jenn Gregg, amongst others. The consideration with which my first (red-faced!) attempts were met by Steve and Kelly, has encouraged me to pursue what has been a very difficult and emotional, but entirely revitalising journey. The feedback from a few (very few!) other colleagues has not always been as gentle and therefore I offer the following disclaimer:

I will explain the advantages that can be gained from incorporating important aspects of Christian teaching into the practice of ACT with Christian believers. By incorporating these, specific aspects of the six therapeutic processes and the entire therapeutic relationship can be greatly enhanced and advanced. Furthermore, I would like to pre-empt some of the pitfalls that may unnecessarily impede progress with, or even alienate, some Christian clients.

As a therapist who has practised and become skilled in ACT over the years, I am very enthusiastic about how effective ACT can be in helping a Christian to work through some of the challenges of the Christian life. As mentioned, learning how ACT can be applied to the life of a Christian has been an experiential exercise for me; not only in the time I have spent with numerous Christians in individual and group work, but also in my own life.

As a Christian who prays, reads and studies the Bible, and who has experienced my belief in God as life-changing, I am confident that ACT is acceptable to mainline Christian teaching and can be underpinned by Scripture.This was not merely an intellectual exercise for me. As someone who has experienced much pain in the pursuit of my spiritual values, I have found personal help through using the processes from ACT.

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Section 1

Before I discovered ACT, I was a Christian who was struggling with very difficult relationship issues and living conditions. I went for help to professionals in different fields, was prescribed drugs which may or may not have helped for a short while, read my Bible voraciously and attended whatever Christian meetings were on offer. I found that very little helped me to change the damaging impact that extreme emotions and obsessive thinking had on my behaviour and on my life. I felt guilty, condemned and despondent. Chronic depression and a total loss of life direction left me feeling helpless and hopeless.

Surely, as a Christian, I was a failure. As a therapist I knew that I provided temporary relief for some of my Christian clients, but I often noticed the same signs of despair and defeat in them that I felt. I lived in fear that I would never succeed in living the proper Christian life, which seemed to be a mystery known only by the chosen few.

Ever since my conversion at the age of 28, I experienced one problem after another. My father was killed in a car accident one week after my baptism (a practice giving public notice that I had converted). From then on I reeled from one crisis to another, as my late husband’s cancer came back with full force after six months remission, my emotionally dependent mother could not deal with her grief, and I felt pressurised into leaving an amazing job to deal with the home pressures.

My late husband became more and more abusive as the chemotherapy increased in intensity and frequency, and life revolved around the hospital. We lived on a small farm which we had bought to give my father an income, and with him gone, all the responsibility fell on my shoulders. In addition, we had a number of violent burglaries which left me afraid to sleep.

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Five years on and my husband died after suffering paralysis and lingering suffering. All this time I belonged to a church and considered the leaders my role models, as I was unsure how to live the Christian life. I was looking for rules, and I found them! Together with directives on how to bravely endure, be thankful and give praise, I was also prayed for to rid me of wrong attitudes and sinful desires. Through all this I became very adept at burying my feelings and saying what was expected of me – so proficient in fact that I lost touch with all feeling!

My ACT Epiphany

In 2002 I was introduced to ACT by hearing Steve Hayes speak at a conference in Warwick, UK. What grabbed my attention was the term ‘rule-governed behaviour’. It intrigued me how this might relate to my experience, and that of Christians who came to me for help; the experience of an overwhelming sense of frustration, rather than the freedom promised to those who follow Jesus. I heard something that gave me hope that life could be about more than hopelessly, and helplessly, trying to meet impossibly high standards, and trying to follow rules that seemed impossible to keep to.

Chapter 1: Why ACT with Faith?

This is my experience, and I am not saying that all churches would provide the same experience, nor that everyone would or did experience that particular church in the way I did. Nor do I wish to disparage the excellent work that many church leaders do in helping those in need. Often the most damage is inflicted by well-meaning members of the congregation who want to help, and not by the leaders themselves. I do know, however, from doing this work, that many Christians who are suffering meet with injunctions about how they should be behaving, feeling and thinking, with the clear inference that stoic cheerfulness would mean that they were good Christians. Willing acceptance, with compassion, is not always what is on offer, nor is it necessarily advocated.

I set about attending every experiential ACT workshop I could. In an attempt to understand, and follow, the rules governing my life as a Christian, I had alternated between rigidity and rebellion. ACT helped me to learn about flexibility and how to experience life more fully as it really is. I began to trust my own experience and to free myself from the tyranny of rules.

The skills I learned through ACT have had a lasting impact for the good on my life. At the same time I started to learn more about what the Bible has to say about the grace of God. I began to understand that my growth as a Christian was hindered by my striving to understand and to do the right things. With relief I accepted that my struggles were normal.

A different view of my thoughts and emotions highlighted the unhelpful mind games that were plaguing me in my all-consuming efforts to be a

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Section 1

good Christian. I started to learn how to notice the lethal nature of my self-judgements. I began to believe that, because of the grace of God, my mistakes are all expected before they happen, that they are already paid for and that I am redeemed. That, in turn, made keeping commitments possible, as I was no longer paralysed by guilt and condemnation.

In my work with Christians I have found ACT, together with an experiential knowledge of the grace of God, to be a very powerful combination. The ‘Christian’ language of grace is, in my opinion, analogous to that of ACT. As a matter of fact, my personal journey with ACT has brought me to a place where I believe that I experience grace as a reality and not just as a concept. This is a great advantage for therapists who face the seemingly impenetrable barrier of guilt with so many Christian clients.

I chose to write this chapter in the first person to emphasise, right at the beginning, that what you are about to read is not a learned theological treatise; nor will it necessarily be acceptable to theologians of certain schools. I have no wish to alienate, exclude or offend anyone, whether you call yourself a Christian or not, or whatever you may mean by that. This is a record of what I have discovered in the practice of ACT with myself, and other Christians, and is not, I hope, conclusive, nor do I claim any special knowledge or monopoly.

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Chapter 2

Christian Worldview “A Christian in the New Testament sense is literally a stranger and a pilgrim, he feels himself a stranger, and everyone involuntarily feels that this man is a stranger to him.'' Attack upon Christendom. Instant no 7. Soren Kierkegaard. 1854-1855.

I

What is a Christian?

t is not an easy task to describe how people who identify themselves as Christian approach life, nor is it easy to categorize them in any way. Part of the reason for this is the sheer diversity of human beings, which is perhaps what is behind the development of the many different forms of practising Christianity which exist today. The purpose of this chapter is not to provide inclusion or exclusion criteria, but to provide the therapist who might possibly consider Christians as strangers an insight into how their Christian client may view the world. This very brief outline of the Christian worldview applies to someone who would identify themselves as a Christian in the New Testament sense. Not everyone who calls themselves 'Christian' would, necessarily, describe themselves as ‘a New Testament Christian’. Clinical judgement may be required about whether or not to ask the client directly how they would identify their own approach to Christianity. Any discussion on this topic would, naturally, be instigated by the client, with the therapist’s assurance that what is important in the process of therapy is the guiding principles of the client.

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Section 1

A New Testament Christian has a very specific set of beliefs that are encapsulated below: •

• •

•

•

•

• •

That Jesus is the only Son of God and, as such, is and always has been, a divine being.

That He came down to earth, and was born, as a human baby and grew to be a man. That He was the only sinless person who ever lived.

That He died and rose from the dead.

That by His death He paid the atonement for sin.

That He is ever present in the universe and amongst us now, through His Holy Spirit.

That the Holy Spirit is present and able to perform miracles such as physical healing and victory in spiritual warfare.

That the grace of God is accessible by faith, and provides the power for continual redemption.

The Covenant of Grace

These beliefs result in behaviour that is strange to those who don't believe, as it is driven by a completely different set of motivations. The basis for these motivations can best be understood by considering the importance of the covenant of grace in the life of a Christian.

The two covenants of law and grace present one of the major contrasting themes in the Bible. "For the law was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ..." (John 1:17) ( NIV). Understanding the differences between these two covenants is of utmost importance for understanding how Christians live the Christian life as God intends.

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Covenant of Grace

The law of God is the what;

The grace of God is the how.

The law of God reveals sin;

The grace of God forgives sin.

The law of God indicates man's problem;

The grace of God provides God's remedy.

The law of God demands performance by man;

The grace of God offers provision from God.

The law of God is the standard;

The grace of God is the means.

The law of God is the spiritual measuring rod that evaluates lives;

The grace of God is the nurturing resource that produces spiritual life.

The law of God tells us of the character of God;

The grace of God reproduces that character in us.

The law of God is the effect God wants to see;

The grace of God is the cause that brings forth that effect.

Chapter 2: Christian Worldview

Covenant of Law

(Adapted from Hoekstra devotional Day-By-Day By Grace 2002)

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Section 1

The following verse indicates that New Testament Christians are included in the covenant of grace: “For sin shall no longer be your master, because you are not under the law, but under grace.” (Romans 6:14) (NIV)

Understanding the full implications of the covenant of grace can be a great advantage in helping clients to incorporate mindful living, with compassion for self and others, into their daily lives. That is why this protocol, when presented to the Christian public, is called ‘Compassionate Awareness Training’.

Personal Relationship with God

Grace theology, which relates to the spiritual perspective as described above, is based on the belief in a personal relationship with a personal God. Developing a personal relationship with God is what distinguishes the life of a New Testament Christian from all others. ”...and this is the real and eternal life:That they know you, the one and only true God, And Jesus Christ, whom you sent.” (John 17:3) (MSG) In fact, this relationship is considered, by radical Christian believers, to be the ultimate in all of life. Anything that competes is to be considered as rubbish: “What is more, I consider everything a loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whose sake I have lost all things. I consider them garbage, that I may gain Christ.” (Philippians 3:7-8) (NIV)

In the New Testament it is made clear that becoming increasingly acquainted with God is the way in which to increase the impact of His grace upon the lives of Christians: “Grace and peace be multiplied to you in the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord.” (2 Peter 1:2) (MKJV)

Strategic Relational Qualities

The Bible explains that as this relationship develops, two strategic relational realities should become evident in the lives of Christians: •

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Humility “Be clothed with humility, for 'God resists the proud, but gives grace to the humble.'" (1Peter 5:5) (NIV) God's grace is given to those who "walk humbly with [their] God.” (Micah 6:8) (NIV)

Faith

accesses grace. "We have access by faith into this grace in which we stand." (Romans 5:2) (NIV)

According to the covenant of grace, all of the advantages listed above cannot be earned through rule-following, but can only be accessed by faith. Acceptance and Commitment Therapy focusses on developing psychological flexibility which is not restricted by rigid rules but sanctions leaps of faith; grace sanctions these leaps of faith as long as they work towards an expansive sense of self that transcends arrogance, encouraging humility. This therapy can, therefore, be offered be offered to New Testament Christians as being entirely consistent with, and boosting their beliefs. This is beautifully illustrated by the following quotations:

“Augustine’s (1991) own experience illustrates the problem. He distinguishes between his intellectual conversion to Christianity and his inner conversion. His intellectual conversion, an act of rational deliberation, was sabotaged, according to him, by the very strategies he put to work to attain his goal: complex philosophical reasoning, conceited striving for achievement and fighting a variety of inner challenges. All of these strategies were effortful and ambitious and prevented surrender to God. His inner conversion, which occurred after he had been trying unsuccessfully to live according to Christian Law, did not involve struggle or craving but was rather a simple and peaceful attainment.”

Chapter 2: Christian Worldview

•

(Augustine 2009 - Luc Vanderberghe)

“Can't you see the central issue in all this? It is not what you and I do-submit to circumcision, reject circumcision. It is what God is doing, and he is creating something totally new, a free life!” (Galatians 6:15) (MSG)

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Section 1

The Importance of the Covenant of Grace in Working Through the ACT Process with Christians

The covenant of grace provides a helpful basis for working with Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) with Christians. Focussing on the present moment, acceptance, defusion and experiencing of the observer self are all greatly facilitated by this understanding. The power of grace is seen as being freely given when the Christian stops struggling against the human condition, accepts life as it is and not how her/his mind says it should be, clearly defines what is important in life and then takes committed action towards those values.

Christians and the Bible

Relevant verses and teachings from the Bible will be clearly marked throughout this book. A few versions of the Bible are used in these references, including many from ‘The Message’ Bible.The language is very much that used in everyday modern life, and is easily understood. There are other more direct translations and more familiar texts and I apologise to those readers who would have preferred these. I opted for readability. Every quotation is referenced by an abbreviation of version’s name, for example MSG refers to the Message Bible, NIV refers to the New International Version and so on. A list of the Bibles referred to in the text, together with the abbreviation for each is given at the beginning of the references section at the back of the book. The list is in alphabetical order.

The Bible is the final authority for all Christians. Having said that, great caution is to be exercised in utilising the words from the Bible as there is a veritable minefield of literal and symbolic meanings, translation differences and perhaps inaccuracies, and then, of course, the Old and the New Testaments representing law and grace respectively. Unless you are a theological scholar, it is not recommended that you even try to navigate your way through your client’s interpretation of what the Bible actually says.

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Firstly, any arguments or attempts to dissuade are not consistent with the ACT therapeutic stance. Secondly, consistently pointing your client towards reading the text within the context in which it was written is

Above all, therapists need to remember that for Christians the Bible is the Word of God, written by the inspiration of the Holy Spirit. Christians believe that it is not a book of suggestions, or anecdotes, or metaphors, but that everything in it has a divine purpose. It is seen as a complete life manual for Christians. This may not apply to all who call themselves Christians, and is not necessarily an issue for those who do not raise their spiritual beliefs as clinically relevant.

Chapter 2: Christian Worldview

usually very helpful. Problematic advice or quotations from others are often quoted out of context, and it is good practice for your client to become accustomed to examining the text within the context and, if needs be, to consult reference works on what the original text actually meant. Thirdly, it is useful to know about texts such as: "Here is a simple, rule-ofthumb guide for behavior: Ask yourself what you want people to do for you, then grab the initiative and do it for them. Add up God's Law and Prophets and this is what you get.’’ (Matthew 7:12) (MSG)

However, Christians in therapy who mention that their spiritual beliefs are important to them, are very likely to view the Bible as extremely important, if not their ultimate authority on life. Any suggestion that the Bible may be less than this is likely to alienate your client from you.

The last point is extensively illustrated in Appendix 4; ‘Awareness of Compassion’.

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Chapter 3

Mindfulness, Rule-Governed Behaviour & Psychological Flexibility I Prefer a flexible heart to an inflexible ritual.

Matthew 11:29 (MSG)

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Psychological Flexibility

his chapter naturally lent itself to being a ‘psychological flexibility sandwich’. In other words it begins and ends with a discussion of this concept.

The focus of ACT interventions is to help a person to move from psychological inflexibility to psychological flexibility. When looking at each of the six processes involved in the practice of ACT, it becomes clear what this move from inflexibility to flexibility looks like. What is less obvious, however, is how this is achieved and what is involved in moving the focus from outcome (as in many other therapies) to process.

For Christians, Acceptance and Commitment Therapy poses certain challenges and unique opportunities. The next six chapters will consider a detailed discussion of each of the six processes, and important aspects to note when working with Christian clients. Before doing that, however, it seemed fitting to look more closely at two aspects of the whole process that will affect the work done in each of the six areas – namely mindfulness and rule-governed behaviour. This will then lead back to a further consideration of psychological flexibility.

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Section 1

Mindfulness

Many ACT therapists and trainers incorporate mindfulness into their practice as a profoundly useful tool. This is being examined early on in order to alert practitioners to the possibility of a very difficult minefield when working with Christian clients.

It is good practice, with such clients, to assume that they are very likely to have had teaching in church, or at other Christian venues, that would bias them against anything that appears to be a spiritual practice that is not overtly sanctioned by the church. This is especially so with anything that seems to be a type of meditation. Even in the absence of specific teaching, Christians can be very wary of anything which is not in an equivalence class with their normal form of worshipping God. “….when a Christian client wants to make spirituality an issue in treatment, a therapist drawing on his or her background in Eastern thought for a response risks coming across as exotic or simply offbeat. Secular mindfulness training has the advantage of seeming to be free of religious connotations. As the acquisition of a skill set, it need not interfere at all in an ongoing discussion of the client’s spiritual experience. This implies, however, that the client’s spiritual concerns will not be attended to through mindfulness work. If this is the case, mindfulness will also fail to contribute anything to the integration of spirituality into therapy.” (Vandenberghe, 2009, p588)

It would be a pity, therefore, not to utilise mindfulness at all because of resistance to it, or to exclude it as part of exploring all of the client’s values and obstacles to committed action, especially in the area of spirituality. In order to make full use of mindfulness it is wise to seek informed consent by preparing the Christian client with a good understanding of what the word ‘mindfulness’ means, and what the practice is all about. To this end, Appendix 1 has been written as a hand-out for Christian clients. It is advisable that the client be required to read this before consenting to do mindfulness. (See next page.)

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A CD on ‘Mindfulness and Christian Meditation’ has been written and recorded by the author. This includes some of this information together with audio exercises on mindfulness and meditation. Information on how to obtain copies is available at the bottom of the references at the end of the book.

WHAT IS CHRISTIAN MEDITATION?

Different from any other spiritual meditation.

WHAT IS MINDFULNESS?

Present moment awareness. Teaches you how to just be, right here and now. The dark side, and the bright side of language. The link between avoiding difficult experiences and increasing suffering. Many different views on the practice – Jon Kabat-Zinn. No wrong or right. Requires practising. Notice and let go. Especially let go of judgement. What is the point?’ The point is NOT to empty the mind but to notice what is there. Trains your mind to focus. Trains you to stay with difficult feelings and thoughts without trying to ‘solve’ or get rid of them. Over time the link between avoiding pain and thereby increasing suffering becomes clear. Paradox – by noticing pain we decrease suffering in the long run. The ultimate aim is to bring mindfulness into daily experience at will.

DIFFERENCES AND SIMILARITIES BETWEEN MINDFULNESS AND MEDITATION Very similar experience. Difference lies in the goal of the practitioner. Mindfulness = therapeutic no spiritual connotations.

Chapter 3: Mindfulness, Rule Governed Behaviour & Psychological Flexibility

The hand-out as detailed in Appendix 1 includes the following information:

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Section 1

Meditation = usually spiritual practice with spiritual gains as goal. WHAT IS CHRISTIAN MEDITATION

Psalm 1:2 Joshua 1:8 1 Samuel 15:22 Mindfulness is good preparation: Jon Kabat-Zinn – it shows us how to ‘surf the wave between chaos and order’. It is not difficult to learn but ‘goes against the grain’. What is the meaning of the word ‘meditation’ as used in the Bible?: Old Testament = 3 different meanings. New Testament= 2 additional meanings. What topics are we to meditate on? ~The Word of God. ~ The works of God. ~ Jesus. ~ The things that please God. ~ Eternal things.

POSSIBLE OBSTACLES FOR CHRISTIANS:

Misguided mysticism. Too ‘heavenly-minded’. Law-bound Disciplines breathe death.’ Foster.

FINAL BITS FROM OTHER CHRISTIANS

Rick Warren. John Mark Ministries. Brother Lawrence.

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In general, verbal rules enable humans to avoid bad consequences, without having to experience them first-hand. Hence a child learns how to cross a road safely without having to be run over by a vehicle first. This is tremendously advantageous, as it enables survival and protection, amongst other things; it also enables us to modify our behaviour in order to receive a consequence later on in the day, or even a number of days, or years, in the future.

The first type of rule encountered by the small child is called a ply in ACT terminology. In colloquial terms these are because-I-say-so rules, which are followed purely because the person giving them is being obeyed. Behaviour which exhibits obedience to the rule is called pliance. The child does not have to learn by direct experience, but is taught by consequences mediated by others (i.e. parents or caregivers). A different form of rule following, which follows on from plys, is called tracking. Tracking is more related to noticing consequences in the direct environment which help one make sense of the behaviour in question. For example, a child may take a raincoat to school because mother insists, even though it is not raining. That is pliance. Over time, however, the child learns that it does often rain unexpectedly, and then it is good to have a raincoat. That is tracking.

Tracking also includes noticing consequences in the internal environment, such as feelings or thoughts or bodily sensations. This can be very important in behaviour change, as a person learns to track their responses to value-related behaviour, or to behaviour which goes against their values.

Contingencies within the context in which the behaviour occurs may function as internal or external reinforcers. If efforts to change behaviour are directly rule-governed, there may be an insensitivity to the context (as was mentioned before), limiting the clients efficacy in tracking these contingencies.The therapist needs to increase sensitivity to the context by training the client to observe and track what comes before and after the behaviour in question, within specific contexts. Augmentals increase or decrease the power of consequences which may already be present or may be very abstract and/or in the future.This means

Chapter 3: Mindfulness, Rule Governed Behaviour & Psychological Flexibility

Rule-Governed Behaviour

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Section 1

that these consequences need not ever to have been contacted to exert an influence. This is very important to remember when working with Christians for whom concepts such as ‘forgiveness’ and ‘eternal life’ are extremely important. It may be helpful to keep these in mind as possible motivation for behaviour that may otherwise appear strange, or for emotions and thoughts that appear to be impervious to outside influence.

The problems associated with the various types of rules contribute to what has been called the ‘dark side’ of language, as discussed in many ACT and RFT books. For Christians, these problems may be exacerbated by the fact that many spend time in special communities revolving around their particular religious tradition. These would be called ‘verbal communities’ in RFT. It is very difficult to know whether a person who says they are Christian actually belong to, and spend meaningful time with, their church or other religious community. In other words, it is not easy for a therapist to know how much influence a particular Christian community has on the person in front of them. It is best not to make assumptions, but to listen carefully when this area is being discussed.

What has been termed the ‘dark side’ of language becomes more evident when you consider problems created by rule-governed behaviour. Take, for example, what has been called ‘generalized pliance’ (Torneke et al, 2008, p147). This means that the person is overly sensitive to consequences mediated by others, which in turn prevents sensitivity to direct consequences. What has then developed is a rule that “you ought to comply with what others think is good for you so that they are pleased with you’’ (Torneke et al, p148/149), which can become the main rule in someone’s life.There are two problems with this: behaviour modified by this ply may lead to psychological inflexibility and lack of vitality; furthermore, the desired approval may not always be provided, and this may result in even further problematic behaviour, such as attention-seeking rebellion.

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It is not difficult to understand how this may occur in religious communities. Tragedies, such as the Jonestown massacre in the USA, provide chilling examples of the extremes that are possible when people obey plys in order to please others, even when it may be to their own detriment. In many lesser ways this is occurring all the time, especially

Consideration of rule-governed behaviour is also very helpful in understanding some other less problematic, but nevertheless strange behaviour that is required of Christians.Take for example the requirement to give 10% of one’s gross income to the church/poor/religious community (this is called a ‘tithe’ in Christian parlance). At first this is given for no other reason than that is what the Bible says should be done. A text that is often used to support this is: “Bring the entire tenth to the storerooms in my temple.Then there will be plenty of food. Put me to the test,” says the LORD. “Then you will see that I will throw open the windows of heaven. I will pour out so many blessings that you will not have enough room for them.’’ (Malachi 3:10) (NIrV). A long term consequence is stated:That the giver’s material needs will always be taken care of in abundance. Giving away that amount of one’s income is not common behaviour.

As occurs with children, one would expect that the more a person becomes experienced in living the Christian life, the more tracking should become evident. For example, does pliance with the requirement to tithe result in tracking over time? When a Christian experiences the provision that is made for their needs, sometimes apparently supernaturally, then they start to track the consequences surrounding this manifestation or behaviour. It is not necessary for the therapist to believe that this actually happens, especially if he/she is not a Christian. If the Christian client, however, believes that tithing is necessary, then it is helpful for them to learn to observe the consequences (thus increasing their sensitivity to the context within which their behaviour occurs).

If the client is overly compliant to the verbal community, it may help to consistently remind them of who is actually the final authority for them. For Christians, this is the Bible. Do not argue the point or try to convince the person in front of you. If the Bible is agreed to be the final authority this can be a very useful tool in tracking. The Scripture references in the appendices are included as an aid in this process. Mindfulness can be very

Chapter 3: Mindfulness, Rule Governed Behaviour & Psychological Flexibility

when people are recent converts to Christianity. Older, more experienced Christians are often turned to for guidance as to how to live the Christian life - indeed this is actively encouraged. In some religious communities, not displeasing these significant others can become the focus. It is as well for a therapist to check whether their Christian client is subject to this type of influence.

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Section 1

helpful in this process of increasing sensitivity to the context, and also in noticing coherence between promised and actual consequences (as opposed to reliance upon the approval of others).

There is a phenomenon in religious communities which has the appearance of tracking but it is actually pliance. This occurs when aspects of the internal or external environment are understood to be reinforcing the rule when they are actually unrelated. Again, this may be illustrated by taking a closer look at tithing. The Scripture referred to above, about tithing, does indeed refer to abundant blessings although it is unclear just what this abundance will actually look like in material terms. Clearly there will be enough to eat, and then some, but does it mean that houses, cars, planes, yachts and expensive luxuries will also be supernaturally provided? Some high-profile personalities would claim that it does, and proclaim so publicly and on the media, accompanied by requests that cash offerings be made to their causes in order to ‘share the blessing’.

For people presenting for therapy, emotional struggling is very often related to, or has resulted in, financial struggling.The discrepancy between what some people experience as lack of resources in their own lives, in spite of tithing, and what they perceive others as experiencing, may lead to a crisis of faith. This can have far-reaching implications in many other areas of life, as faith in God is central in the life of many Christians. Critical observation of the Biblical text itself may help to change the context of thoughts relating to God showing favouritism or a lack of integrity. If this becomes a problem, and the therapist is not conversant with the Bible, it may be necessary for the client to seek advice from a spiritual leader in this matter.

When considering contingencies, it becomes important to remember that the context within which most of the Christian client’s behaviour occurs is within that of a personal relationship with a living deity. In the grace theology mentioned in the chapter on ‘ChristianWorldview’, it was pointed out that the two main relational realities enabling this flow of grace are:  humility and

 faith.

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One of the greatest tools for the ACT therapist can be the concept of grace, the consequences of which, according to the Bible, can be contacted and tracked in this life. This has been expanded upon in the previous chapter on the ‘Christian Worldview’. It can be extremely motivating for the client to remember the promise that this power is available to help Christians to go into feared situations, to provide the strength to experience sadness, or whatever emotions occur as they go through life, or to behave according to what is required and achieve beyond what is expected.

As has been stated, sensitivity to context can be fostered by encouraging the individual to focus on their authority, the Scriptures and the promise of grace, which may reduce the influence of others in the community, if problematic. It is worth noting what Torneke et al have to say in ‘Rulegoverned Behaviour and Psychological Problems’, namely that “the abstract consequences of ‘being a good Christian’, ‘being a good citizen’, ‘being a lovable person’, and the like may have been established as the ultimate rewards in the repertoire of an individual. Also, such rewards may have been linked to more specific actions like doing what others do, saying what others say, doing what the individual is supposed to do as a good X, never saying ‘no’ etc.’’ (Torneke et al,2008, p151)

Any obvious attempt by a therapist to address rule-governed behaviour directly is likely to be met by resistance. In his 1984 paper ‘Making Sense of Spirituality’ Steven Hayes mentioned that two characteristics of religious traditions are moralising and rule-giving. The influence of these traditions may be undetected by the Christian, especially if they have many years’ experience in living the Christian life.

The practising theologian Willem Nicol, in his book ‘In die Hande van die Pottebakker’ (Translated by this author, with his permission, ‘In the Hands of the Potter’) “The slightest opportunity to hang on to control of the deeper levels of self will be grabbed. Understanding is a very powerful tool. If I feel that I understand how God is working in me and how he should work, then I actually maintain control. I can then refuse the moving of the Spirit where I don’t understand it, in an attempt to exclude the greater working within me.This can all look very good, especially if

Chapter 3: Mindfulness, Rule Governed Behaviour & Psychological Flexibility

Increasing the client’s mindful awareness of these two main indicators, within the context of this divine relationship, often helps to increase sensitivity to this context.

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Section 1

it is through clever Bible study and theology. Instead of understanding how little I understand so that I become like soft clay in God’s hands, my understanding makes me hardened. I understand and therein lies my security and so I protect myself from the mysterious might of the Spirit. It is like a murderer who disguises himself in a police-uniform’’ (my boldening) (p24)

Our minds are very adept at trying to make our experiences fit in with the way we think. Contradictions between how we think something should be, and the way in which we experience it, are not easily tolerated by humans, and so we do a number of things to promote the coherence we seek.These include ignoring information that contradicts how we already think, by reappraising our experience, or by rationalizing feelings amongst other manipulations. Willing acceptance of unpleasant feelings, thoughts and sensations counteracts this pull to make experience coherent with expectations. Grace theology can promote flexibility by encouraging willing acceptance of unpleasant experiences. Having permission to experience life as it is, rather than how the rules say it should be, is made possible by exercising faith that God is in control no matter what happens and will provide whateveris needed to get through the situation. Furthermore, humility implies asacrifice of self-will to that of another, and, in the case of a Christian, toanother who is considered totally good.Thus coherence and flexibility canbe maintained at the same time. For many reasons, it is especially important for Christian clients to receive training in how to view themselves from a perspective which promotes the noticing of rule-governed behaviour, and discernment about how values-consistent it may be. As Steve Hayes said “..it may be that destructive rule control can be undermined by distinguishing you-as-perspective from the content that is there.” (Hayes, 1984, p11). This will be further discussed in the chapter Perspective of Self.

Psychological Flexibility

This leads us neatly into the words of Jesus where He said:

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“… ‘I prefer a flexible heart to an inflexible ritual.’ ” (Matthew 12:7) (MSG)

This is not the only place where the difference between religion and relationship is underlined in the Bible. In a famous episode related in 1 Samuel, 15 verses 15-23, King Saul had sacrificed animals to God without waiting for Samuel as he was told to do. He was told that obeying God (responding to relationship) was more important than ritualistic religious behaviour, and consequently he lost his crown.

One more instance, amongst many, is in the book written by the prophet Hosea. Two different versions are given here as each gives a slightly different flavour to the verse: “I'm after love that lasts, not more religion. I want you to know GOD, not go to more prayer meetings.” (Hosea 6.6) (MSG)

“For I desired mercy, and not sacrifice; and the knowledge of God more than burnt offerings.” (Hosea 6.6) (KJV)

Religion, as described in Wikipedia, “is sometimes used interchangeably with ‘faith’ or ‘belief system’ but it is more socially defined than personal convictions, and it entails specific behaviours,….”

Relationship on the other hand, again as described by Wikipedia: “interpersonal relationship is a strong, deep, or close association/acquaintance between two or more people that may range in duration from brief to enduring.This association may be based on inference, love, solidarity, regular business interactions, or some other type of social commitment.” (Boldening are mine.)

This difference is vitally important for the ACT therapist for the following reasons (amongst many others): religion involves ‘socially defined…, specific behaviours’ which may contribute to inflexibility and be very resistant to

Chapter 3: Mindfulness, Rule Governed Behaviour & Psychological Flexibility

He was speaking here to the Jewish Pharisees who were totally focussed on the Law of Moses, and made it their business to ensure that everyone in their religious community obeyed the rules. Just before he said the above, Jesus had been reprimanding them for lacking compassion and for wanting the law to be observed at the cost of the suffering of an individual. The words ‘flexible heart’ refer here to an attitude which develops as a result of a relationship with a living God, rather than observing ritualistic religious behaviour based on rules.

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change. Resistance may be increased because arbitration resides in the person(s) of authority who may not be accessible in therapy, thus making acceptance and defusion very difficult. Even if the authority can be contacted it may not be in their best interest to encourage flexibility, thus interfering with the work of values and committed action. An example might help here: if the Christian attends a church where the teaching is that, as Christians, it is their right to have ‘health, wealth and prosperity’ - then promoting willing acceptance of difficulties without struggling can undermine what is being taught and create difficulties for both the client and the teachers.

If, however, the client’s spiritual values are based on a relationship with a living deity who communicates and is involved in their lives on a momentby-moment basis, then arbitration resides in the ‘voice’ of the deity and is easily achievable, either through reading the Bible or by asking for personal revelation. There is no danger of this not being in the personal interest of the deity in question, as Jesus is quoted as saying: “Keep company with me and you’ll learn to live freely and lightly.” (Matthew 11:29) (MSG)

It is vitally important for therapists who are working with Christians to be aware of this difference between Christianity as a religion and Christianity as a relationship.What is important about the pragmatic truth criterion here is that whatever the client believes works for them is what guides the interventions. Of course this could change, and hopefully does, when problematic behaviour is being addressed, or the increase of desirable behaviour is being worked on. The influence of the primary authority for Christians can be very helpful in this regard. That is why verses from the Bible pertaining to each of the ACT processes have been included in the appendices.

As ACT therapists, we seek ‘…to diminish the value and role of content-related verbal processes, while experientially contacting the sense of irreversible wholeness that everyone desires.’ (Hayes, SC, Strohsahl, KD & Wilson, KG: ‘Acceptance And Commitment Therapy; An Experiential Approach to Behavior Change’, The Guildford Press, New York,1999). This is especially true when working with Christian clients for whom a world view, which is defined totally in words – either from the Bible or the pulpit – is extremely important and, for some, is what defines their entire existence.

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Chapter 3: Mindfulness, Rule Governed Behaviour & Psychological Flexibility

The therapeutic stance of ACT is to accept differing beliefs without discussion or disputation of their validity (pragmatic truth criterion). If the therapist purposely adopts sensitivity to the nature of the commitment made by the client, then they will be in a better position to understand whether the spiritual values of the client are based on religion or relationship.

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Section 2 Being Present

Are you tired? Worn out? Burned out on religion? Come to me. Get away with me and you'll recover your life. I'll show you how to take a real rest.

Matthew 11:28 (MSG)

Section 2 Being Present

Chapter 4: Chapter 5:

Present Moment Awareness Perspective of Self

Reference is made to: Appendix 1: Mindfulness for Christian Clients Handout for Clients Appendix 2: The Perspective of Grace Verses of Scripture Appendix 3: Present Moment Awareness Verses from Scripture Appendix 4: Awareness of Compassion Verses from Scripture Appendix 5: Perspective of Self Verses from Scripture

CHAPTER 4

Present Moment Awareness Are you tired? Worn out? Burned out on religion? Come to me. Matthew 11:28 (MSG)

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Introducing the Hexaflex in a Christian Context

his verse and the following two verses make up the model devised for Christians, to encompass the six main processes in the practice of Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT). It is based on the ‘hexaflex’ (a name coined to describe the diagram illustrating the interaction of the six ACT processes - see next page). The full model reads as follows: a. “Are you tired?Worn out? Burned out on religion? Come to me.” (Present moment awareness); b. “Get away with me and you'll recover your life. I'll show you how to take a real rest.” (Perspective of Self); c. “Walk with me and work with me - watch how I do it.” (Willing Acceptance); d. “Learn the unforced rhythms of grace.” (Defusion); e. “I won't lay anything heavy or ill-fitting on you.” (Values); f. “Keep company with me and you'll learn to live freely and lightly." (Committed Action). (Matthew 11:28-30) (MSG)

These verses are a memory aid for all of the six processes, and should be easily learned throughout therapy in order to help the client, and therapist, to move around the ‘hexaflex’ at will. This chapter and the following chapters will illustrate how to do this

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HEXAFLEX Present Moment Awareness Willing Acceptance

Committed Action PSYCHOLOGICAL FLEXIBILITY

Defusion

Values clearly defined and understood

Perspective of Self

Present moment awareness is a clinically significant process and, as such, is one of the six processes that make up ACT. Although these processes are separated for the sake of understanding and discussion, they are not necessarily separate within the process of therapy itself and may intertwine and feed into one another. Again, this interaction is illustrated in the hexaflex by the lines interlinking the processes.

ACT is experiential, which means that change occurs by learning through, and experimenting with, experience. At times this requires the therapist to encourage the client to focus on what they are experiencing in that moment, by interrupting the ‘flow’ of words and attempts to explain, understand and/or to control or change what is being experienced. By using language differently to observe and describe what is being experienced, the client starts to learn about themselves in a more direct manner than attempts at understanding and explanation may provide.

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Focus can be shifted to the present moment non-verbally, by speaking more softly, or more slowly, or not speaking at all and leaving the silence to speak for itself. Changing body posture by leaning forward, or adopting certain facial expressions, may also serve to focus attention on what is happening in the here and now.

The words: ‘Are you tired? Worn out? Burned out on religion? Come to me’ encourage a present moment focus. For many Christians the verbal reasoning that occurs in therapy revolves around rule-governed behaviour and/or the censure of others. That is when the words: ‘Burned out on religion?’ will have special significance (perhaps with a gentle reminder that they are involved in a relationship, not a religion, as in ‘grace’ not ‘law’ – see Appendix 2; ‘The Perspective of Grace’ ).

Throughout this process the therapist uses verbal tools such as analogies, metaphors, comparisons, distinctions and also all the non-verbal cues at their disposal to help to encourage the client to observe and describe what is being experienced in that moment, with as much precision as possible. The purpose of this is to help the client to focus, with greater and greater sensitivity, on their internal (and/or) external context.

Chapter 4: Present Moment Awareness

Verbal cues can be very powerful, and once the client has learned the relevance of the verse at the heading, just pointing to a written version of it, or starting to recite it, can evoke observation of the present moment, and the struggle that may be occurring therein.

The internal context refers to and includes thoughts and possible rules, feelings and bodily sensations. Any of these can be important contingencies influencing the likelihood that desirable or undesirable behaviour will occur.

Later on the client will be encouraged to track the behaviour which follows after or whilst these thoughts, feelings and bodily sensations are occurring, then to work on increasing desirable behaviour and decreasing undesirable behaviour, in accordance with what their own freely chosen values are. However, before this change is becomes possible, the initial observation skills and then descriptive skills need to be developed.

Grace: A Tool for promoting Psychological Flexibility

The goal of ACT is to help the client to move from Psychological Inflexibility to Psychological Flexibility. Inflexibility manifests in the present moment when the mind is filled with worry about the future, rumination about the past, or thinking about anything other than what is happening in the present moment. Flexibility occurs when a person is

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contacting the internal and external environments as they occur, in a nonjudgemental manner. This takes place whilst considering the future, when appropriate (as in planning etc.); and also considering the past, when appropriate (as in trying to understand why an event occurred, etc.).

As the actual world around and within is experienced more directly, behaviour is more able to be adapted to what works, in accordance with the person’s values, and is less likely to be dictated to by arbitrary rules and fear of judgement. So the process of promoting Psychological Flexibility involves encouraging a shift from worry and rumination to nonjudgemental contact with the present moment.

According to the new covenant which New Testament Christians believe in, they develop or grow in the Christian life by a process called sanctification by grace. This is also a process of experiential learning, and occurs as the person learns to orient themselves to the present moment experience of the relationship with God.

Matthew 6:34 gives the following injunction: “Give your entire attention to what God is doing right now, and don't get worked up about what may or may not happen tomorrow. God will help you deal with whatever hard things come up when the time comes.’’ (MSG) This verse can be a reminder to Christians that grace is received through practising the relational realities of faith in God and humility, in the present moment, as opposed to an attempt to control the future, and a reliance on self. Not as a ply, of course, but as encouragement to rely on the promise that ‘God will help ...when the time comes’.

A cautionary note may be needed when mentioning Scripture verses to clients. The version being quoted here may read differently from the version of the Bible that the client is used to. This may lead to misunderstanding and to the verse losing its efficacy – unless the origin of the words, which have been translated, is sought in a good Hebrew or Greek lexicon. Throughout this book this will be done a few times over when considered necessary.This is not a difficult process as there are a few easy to understand lexicons or dictionaries on the market, and it is profitable to encourage Christians to develop this practice if they want to really gain a fuller understanding of what is written in the Bible.

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Many of the older versions translate these words as if they refer, perhaps exclusively, to physical work. When one considers the meanings in the original Greek, however, it seems logical to assume that it is quite feasible to consider the weariness and tiredness to be of a spiritual and psychological nature.

Chapter 4: Present Moment Awareness

Take the verse at the top of this chapter, which serves as a cue for present moment experience, as an example: Matthew 11 verse 28 was originally translated, in the 1769 King James Version of the Bible as “Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.’’ (Matthew 11:28) It is interesting to look at Strong’s rendition of the meaning of the original Greek words, translated in the King James as ‘labour’ and ‘heavy laden’. The word ‘labour’ is from a word meaning: “to feel fatigue; by implication to work hard: - (bestow) labour, toil, be wearied.’’ So it has been assumed to be weariness from working hard, whereas Petersen, in the Message Bible interprets this as more of a spiritual and psychological weariness. This interpretation appears to be upheld by the original word which the King James Version translated as ‘heavy laden’; this is from the Greek word which means: “to load up (properly as a vessel or animal), that is, (figuratively) to overburden with ceremony (or spiritual anxiety): - lade, be heavy laden’’.

This becomes even more probable when placing the verse in the context in which it was written. Jesus was speaking to the public who had been listening to him berating those cities who preferred the ceremonies of religious rituals to responding to the relationship being offered by him. His reply prescribes relationship and an emphasis on ‘now’. This is how Christians begin what they consider to be the ‘Christian walk’: by entering into a personal relationship with Jesus.

The memory verse will probably be well known to many Christian clients, and has been shown to be acceptable as a starting point for understanding the ACT process of present moment awareness.

Clinical Relevance of Being in the Present Moment

The previous chapter considered psychological flexibility, rule-governed behaviour, and mindfulness. The practice of mindfulness facilitates the process of present moment awareness, although it is not essential to establish a formal practice in order to do this. When awareness of the

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present moment is enhanced, the probability of noting the contingencies which are influencing behaviour is increased. For most people, and especially for Christians, these contingencies may include rules, and present moment awareness can help the client to track whether these rules are functional in that context or not.

It is, of course, possible to notice contingencies when considering past behaviour. The difference is that the moment will then have passed when this awareness can be an aid in influencing the behaviour at that point in time. Future behaviour may be influenced in this way and the hope, in therapy, is that this is indeed what will happen.

Psychological flexibility in the moment, however, is the ultimate aim of ACT. This requires present moment awareness of contingencies so that behavioural choices can be made and activated at that time, in accordance with one’s freely chosen values. When there is poor contact with the present moment, the clinical relevance may manifest in one or more of the following ways:

 Altered states of consciousness induced by drugs, alcohol, excessive sleeping, excessive praying and / or attempting to solve the problem with ‘religious solutions’ help a person to avoid contact with the present moment. This can lead to further problems in everyday life. If this is the case with a Christian, the following verse from Romans 12 verse 1 has helped many who have felt unable to cope with being present with what is going on around them: “So here's what I want you to do, God helping you:Take your everyday, ordinary life--your sleeping, eating, going-to-work, and walking-around life--and place it before God as an offering. Embracing what God does for you is the best thing you can do for him”. (MSG)

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 Collaborative functional assessment, wherein the therapist and client work together to understand the function of the behaviour in question, is hindered if the client is unaware of the contingencies within certain contexts. To encourage focus on current contingencies the following may help:

 Worry about the future or rumination about the past can mean that reinforcing consequences, for values-directed behaviour, are missed in the current context. Ecclesiastes is a book about finding meaning in life, and in chapter 5 verse 20 Solomon wrote: “God deals out joy in the present, the now. It's useless to brood over how long we might live.’’ (MSG)

 Opportunities to increase desirable behaviours may be missed, because the person is only focussed on the rules without attending to the direct experience. In speaking to the religious authorities of his day, (who were berating his students for picking grain on the Sabbath, when they were hungry) Jesus reprimanded them for using rules and the law to make life very difficult for people. In pointing out that the spirit of the law is what is important, and not the literal interpretation of the law, He said:

Chapter 4: Present Moment Awareness

“Give your entire attention to what God is doing right now, and don't get worked up about what may or may not happen tomorrow. God will help you deal with whatever hard things come up when the time comes.” (Matthew 6:34) (MSG)

“If you had any idea what this Scripture meant--'I prefer a flexible heart to an inflexible ritual'--you wouldn't be nit-picking like this.” (Matthew 12:7) (MSG)

 Increasing sensitivity to the context in which problematic behaviour occurs, or desirable behaviour does NOT occur is an important part of the clinical work. This is facilitated by increasing the client’s awareness of what is happening in the present moment. This is well described in the following verse from Romans, chapter 1 verse 2:

“Don't become so well-adjusted to your culture that you fit into it without even thinking. Instead, fix your attention on God.You'll be changed from the inside out. Readily recognize what he wants from you, and quickly respond to it. Unlike the culture around you, always dragging you down to its level of immaturity, God brings the best out of you, develops wellformed maturity in you.” (MSG)

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If the client has read and understood Appendix 1;‘Mindfulness for Christian Clients’ they will already have an understanding of what present moment awareness is about. Other verses, that may help them to be motivated to develop increasing present moment awareness, are included in Appendix 3.

Chapter 5

Perspective of Self Get away with me and you'll recover your life. I'll show you how to take a real rest.

T

Matthew 11:28 (MSG)

he importance of a sense of self for Psychologists is well described in the following quotation, from the excellent book by Louise McHugh and Ian Stewart, ‘The Self and Perspective Taking’: “The emergence of a sense of self is a core strand in human development and an assumed prerequisite for sound mental health and human functioning (Dymond & Barnes, 1997; Hayes, 1984). By contrast, clinical researchers have often argued that dysfunctional (rather than underdeveloped) aspects of self are associated with, and contribute to, poor mental health. For instance, in ‘The dialectical model of personality disorder’, Linehan (1993) proposed that sufferers demonstrate deficiencies in taking the perspective of others and in emotional self-regulation.This presents a picture of mental distress as imbalances in the functioning of a sense of self that have both cognitive and emotional ramifications.” (p156)

Psychology and theology have been uncomfortable with one another over this very issue for many years. Some theologians (making a gross generalization of course), tend towards believing that Psychologists are soft on sin, by calling it problem behaviour which the person cannot help (again, over-generalizing their individual arguments). In addition, the concern is that the self will be elevated to a position where there will be no perceived need for God. Conversely Psychologists (generalizing again), have been reluctant to study or work with an abstract concept like spirituality and have shied away from discussions on this topic. It appears to this author, after extensive study of what is available in the Christian counselling literature (from Christian publishing sources, not secular sources), that this is partly the reason why Christian counselling

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models tend not to be based on secular, evidence-based practice; and tend to avoid in-depth discussions of a sense of self. This is of course, also a generalization, and not a criticism but an observation of what may be a problem; notice needs to be taken of the possibility that Christian clients may be negatively biased toward adopting a non-judgemental or compassionate attitude towards the self. They may also be reluctant to work with secular therapists, for the reasons discussed throughout this book.

It is the sincere hope of this author that this discussion may help to promote an end to this historic estrangement, so that the millions of Christians who are suffering will be able to access the excellent professional help available in the secular world. As an additional nudge in this direction and in order to alleviate concerns about lack of Biblical support; and/or about the theological accuracy of the protocol being proposed here, appendices and client hand-outs with extensive Biblical references have been included.

As mentioned in chapter 1, these references were collected over time through experiential learning of applying ACT to the author’s own life. One thing that was particularly guarded against was the following danger, as described by Oswald Chambers: “One of the greatest dangers in dealing with the Bible is to exploit it, that is, to come to it with a preconceived idea, and take things out of it only what agree with that idea.” (p100, 101, ‘Biblical Psychology: A series of Preliminary Studies; God's Revivalist Office’, Cincinnati, Ohio, 1914)

The Christian Experience

The essence of the Christian experience is a relationship with a God who is believed to be a living entity. The following invitation, from the Bible, is extended to humans in order to establish this relationship, together with certain promises.

The memory verses for this entire protocol for Christians refer to the inner man, the ‘soul’: “Are you tired?Worn out? Burned out on religion? Come to me. Get away with me and you'll recover your life. I'll show you how to take a real rest.

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Keep company with me and you'll learn to live freely and lightly.” (Matthew 11:28-30) (MSG)

In simple terms, the promises are to replace tiredness, exhaustion and a performance-based religion, having rules and rituals that need to be observed, with a relationship that results in rest, and a sense that one is really living ‘freely and lightly’. The latter sounds very much like the flexibility, vitality and sense of purpose that is aimed for in ACT.

As with any relationship, there are certain expectations about how both parties should behave towards one another. How is it proposed that this relationship, between a Divine Being and a human being, between spirit and physical matter, should prosper? What is needed in order for this to be experienced, by the person, as a purposeful association? It would seem that spending time alone with God is key to this transformed lifestyle. Many, if not most Christians are aware of this requirement and there is a plethora of teaching on how to accomplish this, mainly through Bible reading, prayer and what Christians call ‘quiet times’.

Chapter 5: Perspective of Self

Walk with me and work with me--watch how I do it. Learn the unforced rhythms of grace. I won't lay anything heavy or ill-fitting on you.

What happens in these ‘quiet times’ is communication. This is not always easy.The Bible provides a ready-made source of communication from God, but understanding what is said in the way in which it was meant is problematic in itself. It is no secret that there are a number of different ways in which the meaning of Scripture is taught, and the text itself can be subject to selective interpretation as a result of this. Then, of course, different translations and different interpretations add to the possibility of confusion. Sending communications to God can be equally difficult. The question of “how do we pray?” is asked in the Bible. The answer was given by Jesus but is thought to be a framework, and not necessarily one to repeat parrotfashion every time you want to pray: this is what is commonly known as ‘The Lord’s Prayer’ and can be found in Matthew 6:9-13. How do you talk to someone who cannot be seen, heard, touched or experienced with any of the five senses? Is your talking being experienced by the other who is actively listening? How do you know? In this very unequal relationship how do you know what to say?

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In other words, actually experiencing this as a relationship, as we know it, is not easy. Many do not reap the benefits and some even give up trying.

The answers to some of these questions on relationship have been discussed in Appendix 1; ‘Mindfulness’. It is explained there how the experience of practising mindfulness can facilitate the experiencing of the relationship with God. An essential aspect of any relationship is to experience the perspective of the significant other; ‘what does the other person think of me?’ Grace theology teaches that the perspective which God has of people who have decided to accept the invitation in Matthew 11, verses 28-30, is that they are already righteous and perfect.

This may be better understood by taking a closer look at what is promised. Once the relationship is being experienced, the promise is there that the result will be restoration and rest: “Get away with me and you’ll recover your life. I’ll show you how to take a real rest.” (Matthew 11:28) (MSG). By expanding on what type of rest is promised, greater clarity may be gained on what is meant by ‘recover(ing) your life’. Matthew Henry, a well-known theologian and Bible commentator wrote the following about what the word ‘rest’ means in this context: “rest from the terror of sin, in a well-grounded peace of conscience; rest from the power of sin in a regular order of the soul, and its due government of itself; …the understanding finds rest in the knowledge of God and Jesus Christ…finding that in the gospel.”

The ‘well-grounded peace of conscience’ is promised as a result of the initial forgiveness of sin, which Christians believe occurs at conversion to Christianity. It is meant to be ongoing through the grace of God, which is available on an enduring basis, as is meant by the ‘rest from the power of sin in a regular order of the soul, and its due government of itself’. The first part, of course, ‘rest from the power of sin in a regular order of the soul’ is dependent upon the individual’s experience of and understanding of what ongoing grace means, and is more the subject of spiritual guidance than therapeutic intervention.The ‘due government of itself’ can, however, be addressed in therapy, and that will be discussed later in this chapter.

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This rest is especially important for Christians who, as a result of their spiritual beliefs, may belong to verbal communities in the form of their local churches or denominations. The term ‘verbal community’ is used very specifically in ACT terminology to refer to a group which has significant influence in the life of an individual, in terms of defining what is, and is not, acceptable internal and external behaviour.

Chapter 5: Perspective of Self

As a result of being able to reason through language, humans develop a very strong need to understand themselves, and the world around them. The need for coherence, that is, for something to make sense in terms of everything else we know, can be very compelling. The result can be repeated attempts to reappraise, rationalize and/or judge, amongst other mind activities. This process can be quite distressing, especially when applied to one’s sense of self; that is what makes the following most important: ‘the understanding finds rest in the knowledge of God and Jesus Christ…finding that in the gospel’.

Self-judgement, based on not living up to the unwritten rules within verbal communities, has been found to greatly contribute to a disturbed sense of self for many Christians who present for therapy. Notice that the acceptability of both internal and external behaviour are mentioned, for a very good reason. Much of the self-judgement of Christians results from observation of internal attitudes, thoughts and emotional states that are considered undesirable.

A large market has developed, within Christian media, that causes people to pay attention to these wrong internal events, after which audiences are urged to rid themselves of such thoughts, feelings or urges. Research suggests that attempts to eliminate thoughts or feelings can, and often does, result in more suffering. Christian audiences are sent into a struggle with themselves, backed by the perceived authority of the speaker, which creates even more distress. This is an unfortunate by-product of the era of multimedia communication, in which people in distress can search out many sources of advice.

If one of these authors/TV personalities/high-profile teachers is mentioned by the client in therapy, a direct rebuttal of their directives is not to be recommended. Some have acquired a following that are so emotionally loyal that groups, friends, and therapists will be shunned if

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anything is said against their teaching. Therapists know that this type of association is often not open for logical discussion and, as ACT therapists, arguing or trying to convince a client is not acceptable as part of an intervention.

As a result of all of the above, which can encourage debilitating selfjudgement, the development of self-compassion is crucial for many Christians. As the media teaching, mentioned above, will have been backed up by selective verses from the Bible, it is essential that this self-compassion be encouraged by relevant Scriptures. Appendix 4;‘Awareness of Compassion’ is included for just this reason, as a handout for clients containing verses from the Bible, and other quotations, where self-compassion is encouraged.

The suspension of judgement of self, and others, may be very resistant to change as a result of legalistic attitudes within some of the communities of which Christians may be a part, and sometimes as a result of selective use of the Bible. Further discussion will show how, in the processes of ACT, the therapist can counteract legalism and facilitate compassion, without having to hold the same beliefs or know the content of the gospel.

The Three Senses of Self in ACT

In order to take this discussion further, it may be helpful to discuss the different senses of self as, historically, proposed by ACT. Before that, however, it is important to point out that the latest discussions about this process have resulted in a new definition being proposed, that of ‘flexible perspective taking’. In fact, it has even been suggested that this should replace ‘Psychological flexibility’ in the centre of the ‘hexaflex’.

Bringing Relational Frame Theory (RFT) into the picture, present moment awareness focusses a person on the frame ‘I-here-now’, or framing deictically. For Christians, the present moment is where grace is experienced as a source of strength, guidance and wisdom. In order to experience this grace and counteract legalism, the relationship with God needs to be exercised, in the here-and-now, through faith and humility.

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Grace becomes very practical, when experienced in a particular moment; then it is promised that, if the Christian exercises faith in God and with

This is the most advantageous aspect of the Christian worldview for the ACT therapist to employ as a tool; to remind the Christian that because of what they believe, the power of grace is available to them in that moment. As a result, total rest becomes possible, and a mindful approach to everyday tasks is facilitated. The sense of self becomes altered by the perspective of grace, as the person learns to flexibly move between awareness of grace in the present moment, five-senses experiencing world, and the perspective of self that may exist in the mind.

Chapter 5: Perspective of Self

humility hands over control to Him, the necessary power, wisdom and ability will be supplied in order to take committed action, in that moment. A useful description for clients has been given by James Ryle: “Grace is the empowering presence of God enabling you to be who God created you to be – right here and now.” (2011)

The meaning of grace is explained in Strong’s Dictionary (1890) as “...of manner or act (abstract or concrete; literal, figurative or spiritual; especially the divine influence upon the heart, and its reflection in the life; including gratitude): - acceptable, benefit, favour, gift, grace (-ious), joy liberality, pleasure, thank (-s, worthy).”The ‘divine influence upon the heart’ occurs without the effort of the individual as a transforming agent; this means that the individual is already acceptable, favoured, etc. Appendix 5; Perspective of Self is a handout which backs this up by Scripture verses. At this point it is appropriate to discuss the three senses of self as traditionally described in ACT literature, and what advantages and disadvantages there may be for Christian clients.  Self-as-Content:

This refers to the ‘story’ that a person may have about why he/she behaves in a certain way, and why certain thoughts and feelings arise. It also strongly relates to one’s history, how it was reacted to, and how the individual believes that it affects the present. This story can be full of evaluations, conclusions and judgements about the self which in turn can result in further evaluations, judgments, conclusions and feelings.

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Notice that language is involved and specifically the frames of reference such as ‘better-worse’, ‘smarter-not so smart’, etc. These evaluations can result in a struggle, and this struggle is targeted very early on in therapy as being unhelpful and involving thoughts which can, in reality, just be observed and then released. Within this sense of self a person may become inflexibly fused with ideas of what it means to be a Christian and develop rigid rules about behaviour, which can also create problems.

The perspective of grace is very relevant in this process, especially as it provides rest from the effort of trying to make sense of the past, or of becoming ‘burned out on religion’, ‘heavy-laden’ and ‘overburdened’ in trying to evaluate whether one is good enough to do a desired valued action. Grace changes the story so that no matter what has occurred in the past, a person becomes good enough and capable enough to do what is desired, if the twin relational attributes of humility and faith in God are present. Again, the therapist does not have to believe this in order to remind the Christian client of this crucial aspect of their belief system and, of course, the aim is not to try to convince the client, just to remind them, and point them to Appendix 5;‘Perspective of Self’, if needed.

 Self-as-Process:

This sense of self is actively encouraged in the entire ACT process, and is greatly facilitated through the practice of mindfulness. It refers to a stable sense of self which is developed through the process which has already been discussed, that of noticing and describing internal events. In comparing these descriptions from different perspectives in the present, or past and present, or future and past and so on, a more defused, non-judgemental sense of self becomes established. As was mentioned above, Matthew Henry considers part of the rest promised in Matthew 11:28 to be “rest from the power of sin in a regular order of the soul, and its due government of itself.”

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 Self-as Context:

This refers to a process whereby the person develops the ability to adopt a sense of self which encompasses and at the same time is detached from experiences related to the self. Some have described this as a ‘transcendent’ sense of self. One metaphor describing this is that of the chessboard. Self-as-context describes the board on which the game is played, and the pieces are self-experiences such as thoughts, and evaluations about the self. So the judgements and evaluations about the pieces and their moves are not applicable to the board.

Chapter 5: Perspective of Self

The Christian client may be reminded that grace is promised as an enduring process which frees a person from judgement on a moment-by-moment basis, thus promoting an increasingly stable description of ‘private events’ where judgements are released as having no power.

A sense of self as context is sometimes facilitated by encouraging the person to ‘notice yourself noticing’; ‘notice what it looks like to see from another's eyes’; ‘view yourself the way a kind friend would view you’. When this awareness of self as context is attained, it is accompanied by a freedom from the judgements and evaluations that may affect the other two senses of self. This sense of self is particularly important for the Christian, as it has been described as a ‘spiritual’ experience. This is described further in Appendix 1;‘Mindfulness.’

The identity of ‘Christian’ is added to a person when they accept the invitation to begin a relationship with Jesus, but then the process of learning how to behave in this role begins. This makes a person very vulnerable to the verbal community, as the temptation may be to shortcut experiential learning and to model their behaviour on that of more experienced Christians, or on arbitrary rules. This means that Christians are especially challenged by self-judgement. Focussing on developing a flexible, non-judgemental sense of self is an extremely important process when working with Christians. This, together with present moment awareness, is invaluable in the move from rigid inflexibility to

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psychological flexibility.The phrase ‘burned out on religion’ (Matthew 11:28, MSG) very succinctly describes the rule-bound inflexibility that can develop. Accessing grace in the present moment as a source of power, and as a transformational agent results in experientially learning how to take different perspectives on oneself. It is not difficult to point clients in this direction, and the verse from Matthew that describes this process (Matthew 11:28) can be a helpful cue when needed: “Get away with me and you’ll recover your life. I’ll show you how to take a real rest.” (MSG). Reference to the transformational grace of God is a great advantage when working with Christians, and a primary agent of change. It is a great relief for many Christians to really understand that from God’s perspective, there is no need to judge themselves: “My dear children, let's not just talk about love; let's practice real love.

This is the only way we'll know we're living truly, living in God's reality.

It's also the way to shut down debilitating self-criticism, even when there is something to it. For God is greater than our worried hearts and knows more about us than we do ourselves.

And friends, once that's taken care of and we're no longer accusing or condemning ourselves, we're bold and free before God!”

(1 John 3:18-21) (MSG)

In conclusion, Christians are especially challenged by self-judgement.This may be exacerbated by membership within a religious verbal community that adopts arbitrary rules about all aspects of behaviour. Within many Christian groups, there is strong emphasis on ‘right’ and ‘wrong’ ways to behave, both externally and internally, and pressure is applied to the individual to conform. This is not a criticism, merely an observation of what is characteristic of some verbal communities. Teachers and personal advisors may strongly encourage the elimination of unwanted thoughts, emotions, and other internal events.

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ACT practitioners understand that this may result in a useless struggle, which increases distress, and psychological suffering. This suffering may be exacerbated if the client themselves, or others in the community,

Finally, a word from the concluding paragraph of ‘Self and Perspective taking’, entitled ‘A Naturalistic Approach to Transcendence: Deictic Framing, Spirituality, and Pro-sociality’: “Almost 30 years have passed since our first attempt to build a naturalistic account of spirituality and a transcendent sense of self (Hayes, 1984). At that time, we argued that although the content of spiritual beliefs is often not reachable by science, the experience they refer to is a natural psychological phenomenon that can be studied within a materialistic, monistic framework. More specifically, we predicted that the ability to take and change perspective on oneself was at the core of the experience of transcendence.

Chapter 5: Perspective of Self

attribute lack of success to a lack of faith. This can be applied to continued suffering, or even to life events such as financial failure, relationship failure, illness etc. Arbitrary rules about the overt signs of enough faith underlie much of this injurious judgement. This can be very confounding for the therapist, who may be very strongly tempted to question the source of these rules. Please resist the natural inclination to assume that the Bible is the source. The covenant of grace, as outlined in the chapter on the ‘Christian Worldview’ and Appendix 2, is totally contrary to legalism and judgemental attitudes. Jesus himself was recorded as speaking out against just this, time and time again.

Since the formulation of this conceptual proposition, empirical work on PT (i.e., deictic framing) has been conducted by RFT researchers in a variety of contexts demonstrating how a sense of self emerges through multiple exemplar training in deictic framing, and how such skill is necessary to identifying one’s own and others’ mental states and to building a sense of compassion and selfcompassion.” (Villatte, Villatte and Hayes, 2011) (p215)

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Section 3 Opening Up

Walk with me and work with me--watch how I do it. Learn the unforced rhythms of grace. Matthew 11:29 (MSG)

Section 3 Opening Up

Chapter 6: Chapter 7:

Acceptance with Willingness Defusion

Reference is made to: Appendix 2: The Perspective of Grace Handout for Clients Appendix 6: Willing Acceptance Verses from Scripture Appendix 7: Cognitive Defusion Verses from Scripture

Chapter 6

Acceptance with Willingness Walk with me and work with me--watch how I do it.

W

Matthew 11:29 (MSG)

hen considering acceptance on its own, one needs to remember that it is not something separate and distinct as a process or an outcome, but it is intertwined with the other five ACT processes and is revisited many times during therapy (and in life, of course!). Defusion can be part of this process too, but that is dealt with in a separate chapter.

Acceptance is inextricably bound up with willingness in ACT, and looks nothing like resignation or stoicism for the sake of it. The kind of acceptance described here shifts the focus from just tolerating difficult emotions and thoughts, to a genuine interest in what they are teaching about the past and the present. Emotions are full of information about how the past is impacting the present moment experience.

Acceptance, with willingness, can be a very difficult process for many Christians, especially if they have been taught, or believed, that converting to Christianity would be a life-enhancement. Many find that it is quite the contrary, and that Christians suffer just as much as others, and sometimes even more so (especially if there is persecution, even within the religious communities).This can be a great disappointment to many Christians, and some even give up their beliefs for that reason.

The question of suffering is ubiquitous in Christian literature and teaching. Many books have been written, Bible studies executed and sermons preached, on why God allows his ‘children’ to suffer. Some teachers have answered this question by claiming that Christians have the right to eliminate suffering from their lives, and intrigued many listeners by the solutions they advocate. These will not be discussed here for fear of

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appearing disparaging about what are legitimate spiritual practices: for example prayer and spiritual warfare. The ACT therapist is cautioned, however, to notice when these become yet another technique adopted by a distressed client who wants to avoid the pain in their lives, without willingly accepting it as an important source of information.

The whole of the book of Job in the Bible is devoted to discussing just this topic, in the form of an epic poem. Job suffered immensely, in every way, physically and with loss of all his children and possessions. His friends offered him comfort in the form of spiritual advice, which became censure and rejection, as they sought to solve his problems; eventually even his wife urged him to reject God and die. After a period of questioning God, Job came to the following conclusion: in spite of there being no reason for him to be punished, God was sovereign and to be trusted, no matter how the circumstances appear: “Though he slay me, yet will I trust in him.” (Job 13:15) (KJV).

Likewise with three young boys who were taken as exiles to Babylon, and who refused to bow down to a gold statue of King Nebuchadnezzer of the Babylonian empire. In his anger the King threatened to pitch them into a fire that he had ordered to be extra hot. When Nebuchadnezzer told the three boys to bow down or die, this is what happened: Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego answered King Nebuchadnezzar, “Your threat means nothing to us. If you throw us in the fire, the God we serve can rescue us from your roaring furnace and anything else you might cook up, O king. But even if he doesn't, it wouldn't make a bit of difference, O king.We still wouldn't serve your gods or worship the gold statue you set up.” (Daniel 3:16-18) (MSG) (bold by me). They maintained that their God, the God in whom Christians believe, was sovereign and would decide upon their fate. On their part, they decided to remain faithful and to hand over control to God. As it happened, they were thrown into the furnace, which was so hot that it killed the men who threw them in. After that was done, the King saw four figures walking around inside the flames, and ordered them to come out. Three stepped out unharmed, without any sign of having been in a furnace, without even the smell of burning; one figure had disappeared.

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Encouraging present moment awareness and mindfulness of experience may be met with suspicion from the client, as many churches teach that experience is not to be trusted, and that the Word of God is what is all important, regardless of how one feels or thinks.

In the above example of Job, that is what his friends were insisting – that he disregard his own experience of the situation he was in, and focus instead on their reasoning about what God was doing in his life. Job’s distress was considerably increased by their dogged determination that the only ‘solution’ for him was to agree with them. What is important to note here is not the content of their arguments, if one cares to read the book, but the coercive attitude of their ‘caring’.

Chapter 6: Acceptance with Willingness

These accounts can be very helpful, especially when Christians are resistant to adopting a posture of genuine openness and willingness to experience unwanted emotions, sensations and thoughts. Even if the therapist does not believe that these stories are true, the Christian client most likely does believe them, and may find them helpful in fostering willingness to experience what is happening in that moment.

Unfortunately, as a result of the verbal communities that many Christians belong to, in the form of churches, small groups and so on, this type of pressurising is not uncommon.The unfortunate result is that, although the sufferer may appear to be well supported within the group, the personal experience is one of isolation, as the individual feels less and less inclined to talk about their problems, and to open themselves up to the possibility of more pain.

Therapists, when facing clients who have had and continue to have this experience, will find it helpful to approach them with empathic mindfulness, regarding the possible internal conflict between loyalty to the group, and the hurt and confusion regarding the censure they sense from the group. Disagreeing with opinions expressed by the advisors in question is not consistent with the ACT therapeutic stance, and may increase resistance, especially if the client and therapist have different spiritual orientations.

By focussing on how experimentation with observing and describing experiences might show them to be useful indicators of what is underlying

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the confusion, a more useful function of these unpleasant internal experiences may develop. A metaphor that is useful here is the way a bloodhound finds a precious child who has somehow gone missing: by giving him a scrap of the child’s clothing. The clothing is important, not in itself, but in order to put the bloodhound on the trail; the more smelly it is, the better. So, even if the experience is not to be trusted as being important in itself, it might provide useful guidance as to what is important for the client.

All the time, of course, the therapist is on the alert for self-judgements and may remind the client of the role of grace, as described in Appendix 2; ‘The Perspective of grace’. In this way, the development of compassion for self may be encouraged, with the observation of judgement of self or others being the cue.

The Path From Pain to Values

By following the pain to the values underlying it, increasingly flexible sensitivity to the context may also be encouraged. As the struggle against acceptance lessens, willingness develops to find the pathway from pain to values. This is well explained in Romans 5, verses 3 and 4: “There's more to come:We continue to shout our praise even when we're hemmed in with troubles, because we know how troubles can develop passionate patience in us, and how that patience in turn forges the tempered steel of virtue, keeping us alert for whatever God will do next.” (MSG)

It is helpful to point out that this verse does not insist that the troubled person should behave as if nothing is wrong. To this author’s knowledge, that is not advocated anywhere in the Bible. In fact, King David, labelled by God as a man after His own heart, complained passionately, and at length, in the Psalms about his troubles, whilst praising God, as did Job.

As it was with Job, a very important, dominant value for many Christians is the development of a ‘Christ-like’ character, which displays continual faith in God. Many different places in the Bible encourage willingness to accept the experience of pain as being instrumental in pursuing this value.

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For instance, in the first chapter of the book of James, he writes: “Consider it a sheer gift, friends, when tests and challenges come at you from all sides.You

From these and other passages it would seem that the training which suffering affords is related to faith. This is one of the relational requirements for receiving the grace of God: “Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ: By whom also we have access by faith into this grace wherein we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God.” (Romans 5:1,2) (KJV)

The quote at the head of this chapter serves as a verbal cue for all of this: “Walk with me and work with me--watch how I do it.” (Matthew 11:29) (MSG). Christians will be aware of the way in which Jesus willingly accepted pain in his life, and will understand, when it is pointed out, that it was all in the service of his values.

Chapter 6: Acceptance with Willingness

know that under pressure, your faith-life is forced into the open and shows its true colours. So don't try to get out of anything prematurely. Let it do its work so you become mature and well-developed, not deficient in any way.’” (James 1:2-4) (MSG). Also, in Hebrews, Paul writes “God is educating you; that's why you must never drop out. He's treating you as dear children.This trouble you're in isn't punishment; it's training.” (Hebrews 12:7) (MSG)

This is exemplified in Hebrews 12:2: “Keep your eyes on Jesus, who both began and finished this race we're in. Study how he did it. Because he never lost sight of where he was headed--that exhilarating finish in and with God--he could put up with anything along the way: cross, shame, whatever. And now he's there, in the place of honour, right alongside God.” (MSG)

A metaphor that exemplifies this in many other translations (e.g. NIV, KJV) is that of a ‘yoke’, as in a young ox being yoked to an older, more experienced ox. As a result of superior strength, the older ox can impose movement in the right direction for working on ploughing, or whatever the task at hand may be. The verse reads: “Take my yoke upon you and learn of me”. This metaphor is very useful in assisting a Christian client to adopt a willingness to accept pain (the yoke) as an important aspect of developing values-directed behaviour.

It may be helpful to point out that Jesus did not hide His pain, and is recorded as having ‘wept’ at the death of a friend (John 11:35), displayed anger at the moneychangers in the temple (Matthew 21:12) and expressed dismay about and disapproval of the behaviour of the Pharisees (Matthew

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23). Watching how Jesus behaved is a helpful cue to focus on what is happening in the present moment, and to work with the grace available, in whatever difficulties the current circumstance affords.

Christians will Suffer

It is always possible to alter the context for Christians by reminding them of the eternal perspective that their faith affords them on everyday events, and especially on suffering. As a result of the relationship with God that Christians believe they have, they are considered to be participants in a mighty, eternal victory. It is a spiritual victory that cannot be measured by circumstances.

The ‘exhilarating finish in and with God’ above is what is promised as part of this victory, and a further promise is that no matter what the circumstance, nothing can thwart this relationship: “I’m absolutely convinced that nothing — nothing living or dead, angelic or demonic, today or tomorrow, high or low, thinkable or unthinkable — absolutely nothing can get between us and God’s love because of the way that Jesus our Master has embraced us.” (Romans 8:38,39) (MSG).This promise may help to draw the client’s attention away from circumstance and toward the security of relationship with God, with the development of character as a part of the promised victory.

Repeatedly, in the Bible, Christians are told that they will suffer, but this is always linked to the development of faith: “In this godless world you will continue to experience difficulties. But take heart! I've conquered the world.” (John 16:33) (MSG). All suffering is linked to the good of the individual, as in Romans 8 verse 28:“And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.” (KJV)

In order to encourage acceptance with willingness, reminders may be needed over and over again that, because of a client’s faith that the promises of God will be honoured, suffering, if not self-induced, can be shown to be in the service of spiritual values. Willing acceptance can be further encouraged by the observation that it seems that suffering is very important for the development of faith.

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This link between suffering and spiritual ‘growth’ can be problematic, however, if suffering as a self-sufficient work is seen as a necessary

Some more subtle ways of misusing suffering to indicate spiritual growth are: wearing suffering as a ‘badge of honour’, or as an accomplishment, or voluntarily taking on the role of martyr, with or without actually suffering death. Some very popular teachers even use a list of the suffering they have endured as a means of adding credibility to their ‘solutions’.

Self-punishment, and using personal history to gain credibility for solutions to suffering, appear to have similar functions, in that both indicate a tendency toward taking control and not willingly accepting that people have no control over the pain endemic in being a human being. Wariness in confronting either of these ways of gaining control directly is advocated, as it may be interpreted as an attack on the person’s spiritual values and defensive resistance may result. Accepting the experience of having no control even though much sincere effort has been spent on ‘growing as a Christian’ can be extremely devastating for some. Great sensitivity, empathy and compassion may be required to keep the client engaged in the process, remembering that the promise that grace is accessed through faith and humility has been shown to be a stabilizing factor for many Christians at this point.

Chapter 6: Acceptance with Willingness

prerequisite for spiritual growth, instead of grace, as in ‘God working on’ the person. Extreme forms of this are practices such as wearing very rough clothing, or literal self-flagellation, amongst other forms of selfpunishment. This tendency is not always visible and less obvious forms exist.

If the client is a Christian and the therapist is not, challenging the unworkable change agenda will always be tricky, as the worldviews of believers and unbelievers are radically different. Even Christian therapists would do well to remember that just because there is a similarity with the worldview of the client, there may be differences with regard to how change is made possible. It may be necessary to revisit this again and again with respect for the difference in views and empathy for the client’s difficulties in relinquishing control; remember that Christians who spend time with their religious groups receive constant teaching on how change is achieved, which may be reinforced from watching or listening to teachers on Christian media. All of this may reignite attempts to take control over internal experiences and the external expression, or

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non-expression, of them, according to ‘rules’. In these circumstances it may be especially important for a Christian therapist to remember the pragmatic truth criterion.

It is entirely possible, especially with the pragmatic truth criterion which is at the basis of ACT, for a Christian client to receive help from a therapist with different spiritual beliefs. In ACT the client chooses values, and these specify the criteria for assessing what works in the service of moving towards these chosen values, or what does not work. The therapist may explain that they value assisting the client to verbalise their own values. This needs to be thoroughly emphasised at all times, and the client encouraged to speak up if they suspect that ‘non-Christian’ values, or even ‘Christian’ values that are not their own, are entering into the therapy process. This encouragement for the client to overtly protest and not merely covertly resist may be most important when working on creative hopelessness.

In their book ‘ACT in Practice’, Bach and Moran start the chapter on ‘creative hopelessness’ with the following: “As odd as the phrase may sound, ‘the solution is part of the problem’ can often be a profound realization for the person who suffers. Most clients who present for treatment have been trying to solve ‘the problem’ for some time. …..they ask for the advice of family and friends and then from paraprofessionals, they read self-help books.” (Bach & Moran, p175).

For Christians this would, very often, include church leaders, pastors, and lay people who consider themselves, or are considered in the verbal community, to have a counselling ministry.This could include a wide range of people from all walks of life, with varying amounts of training in counselling.

Spiritual Abuse

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A problem encountered by some Christians who have sought advice from leaders in their communities, (especially if the ‘problem’ has persisted for some time, and seems resistant to being ‘solved’), is epitomised in the following quotation from ‘The Subtle Power of Spiritual Abuse’ by Johnson and VanVonderen. The speaker is a person who had approached her pastor for help, and then returned for further help. The pastor’s ‘solution’ went as follows: “The fact you won’t accept my counsel without (‘getting better’ – my

In other words, the problem is switched to one of rebellion, which is a serious charge to make against a committed Christian and one which will certainly add an entirely new layer of suffering to an already painful situation. This, unfortunately, may be observed in some Christian clients who eventually seek secular help. Their inability to change may be attributed to spiritual issues by the helpers in the church or religious community, with the proof being said to be a rebellious attitude to their leaders for seeking help elsewhere.

This is, of course, not always the case, neither is this an attempt to discredit Christian teachers and leaders, many of whom work tirelessly and humbly to help people who are suffering. This is, however, what does, sometimes, occur, with the result that the client may become particularly defensive if the therapist says that their change agenda is actually making the situation worse. It might be helpful to understand that the message about an unworkable change agenda may have already been communicated to the client, but for different reasons. This is not to deny that there may be spiritual growth needed. Again, Appendix 2 can be referred to as a Biblical response, if this is an area of concern.

Chapter 6: Acceptance with Willingness

insertion) means that your root problem is spiritual, not physical or emotional.When you talked about arguing with your husband, rather than submitting to him and trusting God, that confirmed it.’’ He concluded that “the other problems- emotional, depression, physical illness, a troubled marriage and teenagers in turmoil – were the result of her inability to submit fully to God and His word.” (p18, 1991)

The implicit message which exacerbates the natural inclination to rid oneself of painful thoughts and feelings is that feelings and thoughts can be controlled. Sometimes this message is very explicit and overt in the teaching or advice that Christians receive, as has been mentioned. Metaphors and exercises can be used to illustrate that whilst people can control overt behaviour; internal, covert behaviour is not as easily controlled.

In chapter 3, in the discussion on rule-governed behaviour, it was highlighted that a person may become overly sensitive to consequences mediated by others which, in turn, inhibit flexible sensitivity to direct consequences. What has then developed is a rule that “you ought to comply with what others think is good for you so that they are pleased with you.’’ (Torneke et al, p148/149) which can become the main rule.

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As overt behaviour can be controlled, the situation can be set up where the Christian says the right things and appears to take the right actions, but continues to struggle with internal events. This results in a lack of coherence which can become very disturbing over time, especially if it encompasses a number of behaviours. In such a case much compassion is required when confronting the change agenda, especially if the client considers themselves to be experiencing a ‘spiritual crisis’. At this point it may be very tempting, for the client, to resolve the conflict by leaving the verbal community in which this occurs, but this may be avoidance and yet another attempt at control. A skilled therapist may gently point this out and orient the client towards what is important to them, and whether there may be other ways of approaching the issue.

The emphasis on values in ACT means that the Christian client can maintain the Christian worldview when seeking help within an ACT practice, no matter what the spiritual values of the therapist are. As an aid in this process Appendix 6: ‘Willing Acceptance’ has been created, using Scripture verses supporting willing acceptance of painful experiences in the service of values.

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Chapter 7 Defusion

Learn the unforced rhythms of grace.

Matthew 11:29 (MSG)

T

What is Defusion?

he word ‘defusion’ refers to a specific process in Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), where the focus is on noticing that words are just that: words. Responding to the content of words is something humans do naturally, and it is sometimes very helpful with activities such as problem solving and other practical tasks. Sometimes, however, this can be unhelpful.

In other words, when an instruction on a door says ‘push’, it is helpful to respond to the content and push the door if one wants to go through; similarly, when reading a menu at a restaurant one assumes that a dish said to contain chicken, will, indeed contain chicken and not fish. These could be considered helpful forms of ‘fusion’ with language. In ACT unhelpful forms of fusion with words tend to be targeted, such as believing global judgements about ourselves and others, considering evaluations of a person’s worth as ‘true’, stubborn refusal to change opinion and insisting on unreasonable demands, amongst others.The client is coached in how to recognise fused thoughts, to notice when they occur, and to observe their influence on behaviour.This is one way of talking about fusion as being neutral, and sometimes useful and sometimes problematic.

The effects of unhelpful fusion can be understood, in behaviour analytic terms, if one considers how behaviour patterns are narrowed when a stimulus is introduced into the environment which is particularly aversive (not desired) or appetitive (desired).

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Take a shopping trip for instance, (an example used elsewhere in ACT literature), where ten shops are visited and a pleasurable and fulfilling time is experienced in nine shops; one shop, however, has unhelpful and rude attendants and is disorganized and disappointing. Which shop would be remembered upon returning home, with the memory perhaps creating quite a bit of distress for the individual? In which shop would the person have done the least exploration and had the least interaction with others? What venue would be the least likely to be visited on the next, or even any further shopping trips?

For most people it would be the last shop mentioned, where the shopping behaviour would have been narrowed considerably and the probability of future avoidance of that outlet increased. The very mention of the shop’s name may stimulate negative feelings and fusion with thoughts such as ‘That is a bad place; it is not worth going there; I can’t take their attitude’ etc. If these thoughts are taken as literally meaning exactly what they say, then they will start to exert an influence over behaviour of their own accord, even when the actual incident that started the train of events is eventually forgotten.

A refusal to visit a certain store may not create a disturbing deficiency in one’s repertoire, unless there is an emotional connection, and/or significant deprivation to be experienced by avoiding shopping there. However not all inflexible behaviour is as innocuous as this, and the narrowing of behavioural repertoires can take people away from valued directions.When such avoidance is taken to the extreme, very problematic behaviour patterns, such as agoraphobia, may be the result.

Unhelpful fusion is not only limited to aversive stimuli, but can, in a bewildering fashion, be related to appetitive stimuli also. Take, for example, smokers who would want to quit the habit, but say that they really enjoy smoking and look forward to the times when they can partake of a cigarette. (Of course there are many other factors at work here, but the point needs to be made that unhelpful habits are not necessarily linked to aversive stimuli). The same may apply to a social drinker who has problems with the amount of consumption but really enjoys socialising, with alcohol ever present.

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The Christians approach to Thoughts

Identifying unhelpful thinking has long been a source of intervention for Christians, both in secular and pastoral counselling, with different methods proposed for facilitating the change towards helpful thinking. Many methods and theories are based on the assumption that thinking needs to be changed first, in order for behaviour to change. This view is very prevalent in the Christian community and is backed up by verses such as:

Chapter 7: Defusion

The cognitive fusion at work in all of the above examples can strongly influence behaviour so that it becomes very resistant to change.

“And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind.” (Romans 12:2) (MKJV)

The inference and, often, direct instruction in Christian communities, using this verse as authority, is that Christians, especially those in trouble (i.e. not already transformed) should work hard at changing their thoughts, usually by eliminating them. The assumption is also made that this is entirely possible, furthermore this is strongly asserted by some popular teachers as being an irrefutable fact, based on their own personal experience. This is being mentioned as this particular type of Christian teaching can promote lack of compassion for those who are suffering, together with judgement.

With Christians presenting for therapy who have consistently attempted to eliminate unwanted thinking and failed to do so, this censure from others has resulted in more self-judgement, condemnation and possibly shame than before.

If one carefully considers the wording in the above quotation from Romans, however, it will be noticed that the passive verb ‘be’ is in front of the word ‘transformed’; this indicates that the suggested transformation will occur through the intervention of an external agent. In Strong’s concordance, he indicates that the Greek word from which ‘transformation’ has been translated is the root word for, what in English, reads as ‘metamorphosis’ (1890).The Greek word literally means ‘change’ (meta), and ‘form’ (morphose). Metamorphosis is a process of change which is empowered entirely by the actions of an external agent, without any overt ‘work’ expected from the body which is being changed.

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This view, of an external agent enacting the transformation, is upheld if one considers the text within the context in which it was written. Paul was writing to the Christian church in Rome and encouraging them to persist in relationship with the God whose greatness he was extolling. Initially mercy and then grace are explained as being change agents to which Christians should submit with humility and faith. In this way their thinking would be renewed (by the grace of God) and they, themselves, transformed (again by the grace of God).

This is a very different picture from that of a Christian struggling not to think certain thoughts and finding all sorts of methods to try and enable themselves to do this impossible task. The function of Paul’s injunction was to encourage humility, and faith in God as the change agent, not selfsufficiency in changing ones’ thoughts.

Defusion and the Perspective of Grace

ACT therapists do not aim at eliminating thoughts, nor are the client’s attempts at eliminating thoughts encouraged in any way. Rather, the relationship with thoughts is targeted for intervention, with perhaps alternative thoughts added to the mix to encourage options and flexibility. The great advantage here, for Christians, is that this is exactly what they are encouraged to do by Paul in his letter to the Philippians: “For the rest, brethren, whatever is true, whatever is worthy of reverence and is honorable and seemly, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely and lovable, whatever is kind and winsome and gracious, if there is any virtue and excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think on and weigh and take account of these things [fix your minds on them].” (Philippians 4:8)(AMP)

A metaphor that is useful here is that of a glass of salt water. It is not possible to take the salt out of the water, but if water is added, eventually the solution won’t taste so bad. Christians have responded very well to this, and the encouragement to relinquish the struggle to eliminate thoughts that they believe are ‘un-Christian’, whilst putting effort into filling their minds with the thoughts encouraged above.

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Chapter 7: Defusion

The assumption that thoughts independently, and without any other influence, cause actions is questioned in ACT, and exercises and metaphors are used to illustrate that this is not an entirely accurate reflection on reality. To illustrate that the causal relationship between thoughts and actions is neither simple, nor unbreakable, a client can be asked to pick up a glass of water, whilst silently repeating a sentence such as: “I can’t reach out and pick up the glass of water.” Invariably the glass is picked up, and the chain of reactions to the instruction usually reveals that another thought was responsible for the internal instruction not being followed, e.g.: ‘I want to please my therapist’; ‘This is silly, of course I can pick it up’ or whatever. This trite example illustrates what could become a profound experience for someone who is, for instance, confronting severe anxiety. Exposure to the feared situation or object, whilst noticing the anxiety and anxious thoughts without trying to eliminate them, may facilitate the experiencing of another thought which then encourages flexibility.

It may seem strange to talk about one’s ‘relationship’ with one’s thoughts, until it is clarified that thoughts can be allowed to dictate behaviour, but that this is not an unalterable relationship. Thoughts can be seen as useful informants, whose information can be attended to, but not necessarily obeyed; instead of iron-fisted dictators who must be annihilated, or obeyed. As in the example with confronting anxiety, if the person allows the thoughts ‘I cannot approach the feared situation (object)’, or ‘I must not be anxious’, to dictate behaviour, exposure will not occur and an opportunity for experiential learning will be lost.

Appendix 2; ‘The Perspective of Grace’, explains that if the teaching of grace theology is accepted, then grace is available as a transforming agent on a moment-by-moment basis. From this perspective, self-judgement can be released and compassion for self and others becomes more possible as the person begins to see every human being, including themselves, as a ‘work in progress’. It is important to continually remind the Christian client of the perspective of grace in order to alter the context within which they are experiencing their distress. Different Biblical aspects of this perspective are listed in Appendix 7, on scriptures about defusion.

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The verse which serves as a memory cue for this process of defusion is quoted at the beginning of this chapter: “Learn the unforced rhythms of grace.” (Matthew 11:29) (MSG)

If grace is accepted as the avenue of change in a Christian and if it is accepted by the person that: “….all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose.” (Romans 8:28) (MKJV), then it makes sense for the Christian to wait for things to happen, or to be resolved, in God’s timing. In this way, the therapist can assist Christian clients to increase their flexible sensitivity to the context by observing and describing thoughts, and to track the workability of behaviour in terms of moving towards valued directions. By adopting the perspective afforded by the promises associated with grace, the Christian may be helped to accept life as it is and not as they would want it to be, and to replace a desire to control with a compassionate acceptance of experience.

Steve Hayes, in his 1984 paper ‘Making Sense of Spirituality’ stated that: “Obviously, the present analysis suggests that perspective is in fact a thing - it is a socially established behavior of importance to the verbal community.” It has been noted that many Christians spend some to all of their time in verbal communities related to their local church or denomination. If perspective is a ‘socially established behavior of importance to the verbal community’, then it makes sense that this will be employed in influencing self and others who are suffering within the community. As with any community, there may be unwritten rules about which reactions to suffering are acceptable and which are not; what the sufferer is expected to be doing about the problem; who the authorities are and what level of obedience should be afforded them and so on. This influence can be very subtle and almost undetectable, especially by someone who is preoccupied with suffering. The overriding message conveyed can be that the sufferer is somehow ‘bad’ or ‘defective’, and fusion may occur with this perspective, thereby decreasing the likelihood of effective behaviour towards values.

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Perspective-taking can be a very powerful intervention in a scenario such as this. Encouraging a consideration of the likely perspective that God has on the situation may help in defusing the self-judgments, especially if the

A caution here as regards the concept of ‘God as love’. Many Christian communities teach that God is not only love, but is also holy, or just; this is in fact corroborated in the Bible.The problem with emphasizing the role of ‘God as Judge’ is that the focus may shift totally towards rules. The covenant of grace is based on a relationship and not a ‘religion with rules’, however cognitive fusion may have blinded the client to the rule-based aspect of censure or advice from other Christians.

Chapter 7: Defusion

covenant of grace is understood (refer to Appendix 2). “God’s ‘Perfect Identity’ is, in a sense, a logical extension of our own experience of ourselves as context or pure perspective.” (Hayes, 84, p8) The sense of pure perspective may be facilitated by the practice of mindfulness, and may be only one step away from observing oneself from God’s perspective. This, in turn, can greatly facilitate the suspension of judgment and acceptance of self with compassion: “When people speak of ‘God as love’ they usually are referring to a quality of a metaphysical God of absolute acceptance. In a sense, God is seen as the context of all contexts.” (Hayes, 84, p8)

The defusion technique of substituting ‘and’ for ‘but’ would result in replacing ‘God is loving, but just’ with ‘God is loving and just’. This would mean that the holiness of God would not exist separately or exclusively from the love of God, but that the two could exist side-by-side. As with all ACT interventions, arguing or trying to convince the client in this case would not be appropriate, nor would any direct attack on the teaching of their religious community be accepted without probable defense.

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Doing What Matters I won't lay anything heavy or ill-fitting on you. Keep company with me and you'll learn to live freely and lightly. Matthew 11:29-30 (MSG)

Section 4

Doing What Matters Chapter 8: Values Chapter 9: Committed Action Chapter 10: Summary and Conclusions

Reference is made to: Appendix 2: The Perspective of Grace Handout for Clients Appendix 8: Values in ACT and Christian Ethics/Virtues Appendix 9: Values and Committed Action

Chapter 8 Values

I won't lay anything heavy or ill-fitting on you.

Matthew 11:29 (MSG)

For My yoke is wholesome (useful, good--not harsh, hard, sharp, or pressing, but comfortable, gracious, and pleasant).

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Matthew 11:29 (AMP)

alues work is intrinsically tied up with the other processes identified as clinically significant in Acceptance and Commitment Therapy. Once again, this process is being discussed separately, as has been done with each of the six processes, purely to give a certain structure to the approach. Present moment awareness, perspective of self, acceptance, defusion and committed action are all very important processes in helping the client to verbalise specific details about what they value.

The definition of the word ‘values’, in ACT, can be tricky, as a number of factors are important to remember and need to be included; this can make the wording seem clumsy, unwieldy and quite difficult to understand. A few different examples might aid with clarity in this area and, fortunately, these have been provided by different ACT professionals restating the same definition, but in different ways. To start with, the definition on the Association of Contextual Behavioural Science website (see ACBS) reads as follows: “Values are chosen qualities of purposive action that can never be obtained as an object but can be instantiated moment by moment.” (ACBS)

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In other words values are: firstly, chosen; secondly, the definitions relate to qualities of action and not the behaviours themselves; and thirdly, the behaviour is ‘purposive’ meaning that it is done deliberately, with an objective. It is also important to note that values can never be attained and yet can be acted upon within the moment.

Russ Harris stated the following on the ACT for professionals email listserv: “… I personally think the best definition of values in ACT is ‘desired qualities of ongoing action’. In other words, values are not just about what you want to do on an ongoing basis – but the manner in which you want to do it.” (2009) This is very close to the ACBS definition, including all of the elements but stated in a more conversational style, helping to clarify the meaning. It should be noted here, that values are not necessarily about what we ‘want to do’ as much as they are about pursuing overarching objectives.

In his book ‘Mindfulness for Two’ Kelly Wilson used a metaphor to describe how values are ‘constructed’, which provides further help in understanding what working with values, in ACT, actually refers to: “It is important to say that values are not so much discovered as constructed in the ACT model. Talk about ‘true’ values or ‘real’ values misses the mark. Using the house metaphor, we could imagine the house we would want to live in.We could plan it and begin its construction.We might make changes along the way. One day we might find ourselves living in a house that was quite comfortable, one that fit our lives. It would be odd to ask, ‘Is this my true house?’ No. It’s the house you built. Do you like it? If not, what would you change?” (p66, 2008)

Values describe the direction that a person wants to go in life, and provide a way of knowing whether one is going in the desired direction.

The pragmatic Truth Criterion and Christians

As a therapeutic intervention, a typical question, usually relating to a clinically relevant behaviour, would be ‘Is this working for the life you want to be living?’ This question flags up a serious difficulty that may arise in therapy with a Christian client.

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On the one hand, Christians believe that the Bible is their authority and that this teaches that right and wrong are mutually exclusive and that there

On the other hand, the ACT pragmatic truth criterion rests upon workability as being the deciding factor as to what is desirable behaviour or not. As ACT therapists already know, this does not mean that there is no measure of right or wrong at all. What it does mean is that the person who decides what that measure will be is the client; and whatever criterion the client verbalizes becomes the deciding factor. In other words, it is extremely important for the client to understand that the question ‘Does that work…’ is intentionally and always connected to ‘…for the life you (the client) want to be living’. The description of what this life looks like is ‘constructed’ as a collaborative effort between the client and the therapist. If the life the client wants to live is based on the Bible, then that is the criterion for workability.

Chapter 8: Values

are no grey areas. In ‘Christian Ethics in Plain Language,’ this is affirmed as follows: “Biblical ethics rests on the belief in absolute truth.” (Kerby Andersen, p2) (The Oxford English Dictionary defines ethics as: “Moral principles that govern a person’s behaviour or the conducting of an activity.”) Accordingly, it would seem that Christians evaluate behaviour categorically in terms of wrong or right, as defined by moral principles outlined in the Bible. Workability is clearly not the criterion upon which to decide how to behave.

It is worth repeating here that specific rules and regulations quoted from the Bible may increase undesirable rigidity in some clinically relevant areas. If the client is quoting from the Bible then the Bible is likely to be considered the final authority. In such cases it is of immense value to encourage your client to read the verse in context first. That often entails reading the chapter before the one containing the verse, the chapter containing the verse, and the chapter after that. Reading just the verse and a few verses before that is usually insufficient to provide details of the context. Furthermore, it is beneficial to read the same chapter in different versions, and also to consult Greek or Hebrew lexicons regarding the original meaning of certain words. Resources that can be recommended are provided in the references section. Christianity can be summarised into two overarching goals, as stated by Jesus himself: “One of their religion scholars spoke for them, posing a question they hoped would show him up: ‘Teacher, which command in God's Law is the most

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important?’ Jesus said, ‘Love the Lord your God with all your passion and prayer and intelligence.’This is the most important, the first on any list.

But there is a second to set alongside it: 'Love others as well as you love yourself.' These two commands are pegs; everything in God's Law and the Prophets hangs from them.” (Matthew 22:35-40)(MSG)

Two desired qualities of action that accompany the pursuit of these overarching goals are clearly stated, in the Bible, as ‘humility’ and ‘faith’. The client may be referred to Appendix 2; ‘The perspective of Grace’, many times in this process, especially if inflexibly bound to arbitrary rules. (Be very cautious about using the word ‘arbitrary’ in connection with Biblical texts as it may be understood as undermining the Bible. The Bible is taken literally by many Christians, but sometimes there is little understanding of the compassion and redemption inherent in the covenant of grace; or texts are taken out of context; or faulty teaching results in the client experiencing Christianity as a rule-bound religion.) It may be as well to remind your client that the Old Testament provides details of standards to be observed externally, whilst the New Testament provides details on how the internal resource of grace works to meet these standards, independent of the attempts by the person to behave in accordance with the ‘rules’. An understanding of this concept can be invaluable in helping your client to be more flexible in the pursuit of values. If your client remains stuck in the context of a rule-bound religion, it may be very helpful to return to the memory verses a few times. Matthew 11:29: “I won't lay anything heavy or ill-fitting on you.” (MSG)

“For My yoke is wholesome (useful, good--not harsh, hard, sharp, or pressing, but comfortable, gracious, and pleasant)” (AMP)

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The question could be asked as to why the ‘yoke’ is said to be ‘comfortable, gracious and pleasant’ and the promise is not to ‘lay anything heavy or illfitting on you’ if God intended to burden his followers with heavy, ill-fitting rules?

“There is far more at stake here than religion. If you had any idea what this Scripture meant--'I prefer a flexible heart to an inflexible ritual'--you wouldn't be nit-picking like this.”

(Matthew 12; 6,7) (MSG)

Adding these to the discussion should provide a good example of the collaborative effort on the side of both therapist and client in defining values. As the values of the therapist are role-modelled in helping the client to identify their own values, just so is the pragmatic truth criterion illustrated in practice.The pragmatic truth criterion is, in fact, what makes this book possible, because it means that any ACT therapist, of any spiritual persuasion may be a good therapeutic match for a Christian client. An intentional focus on this principle makes it more likely that the therapist will display understanding of what may seem to be strange values or behaviour. The non-judgemental stance of the therapist, working together with the client, on clarifying what is important, is explained to the client in Appendix 8;‘Values in ACT and Christian Ethics/Virtues’.

Chapter 8: Values

A further backup to this exploration of what is believed, is provided again by Jesus himself:

It is advisable to limit or eliminate the use of the ‘workability’ word with Christian clients, if possible. Workability is an ACT term that summarises a question which would be better elaborated for the more sensitive as: “Does this take you in the direction you want to go?”

Other Problems That may be Encountered with Christian Clients in Values Work

An apparent clash with the Christian worldview is inherent in the very definitions of values which are noted above. Two specific areas that may be problematic are: presenting values as a choice; and using the word ‘values’ as opposed to ‘virtues’.  Values as a Choice?

Even though the Covenant of Grace, as given in the New Testament, supersedes the Law of Moses, most Christians do not

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believe that moral law has been abolished. This means that there are rules and regulations that describe what behaviour is wrong, and what behaviour is right. It is very difficult for many Christian clients to even enter into this process of choosing the direction they may want to go, without taking into consideration what the Bible has to say. Great caution is advised, as a good therapeutic relationship may be jettisoned at this point by insensitivity to the importance of this issue for Christians.

In the previous section, two overarching goals for Christians were mentioned, as summarised by Jesus. Here is a slightly different version, with the same meaning:

“Jesus answered,The first and principal one of all commands is: Hear, O Israel, The Lord our God is one Lord; And you shall love the Lord your God out of and with your whole heart and out of and with all your soul (your life) and out of and with all your mind (with your faculty of thought and your moral understanding) and out of and with all your strength. This is the first and principal commandment.The second is like it and is this,You shall love your neighbour as yourself.There is no other commandment greater than these.”

(Mark 12:29-31) (AMP)

The first commandment can be summarised as focussing on what God is doing in the present moment, and allowing this to change the client’s perspective on self: past, present and future. This requires the whole heart, soul, and mind, as all of one’s strength is used to work with what is present, and not to struggle with what was or what may be.

The second commandment seems to move between thoughts and feelings (defusion and acceptance) on the left hand side of the hexaflex, and values and committed action on the right hand side. Using Christian phraseology, when things are ‘right with God’ then they will become ‘right with others’.

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It is not necessary for the therapist to understand all of this, or to believe it. It is very helpful for Christians, however, in providing an introduction to what is meant by describing one’s values. It may be emphasised that, rather than absolutes, this is an exercise

Clients often raise the question of choice when grace as a transformative agent is mentioned, as it may appear that having no personal responsibility is what is being advocated. This invariably arises from a misunderstanding of the concept of grace and may require referring the client to Appendix 2 on the perspective of grace. The short answer is that there are always choices to be made for which personal responsibility needs to be taken, but the internal change embodied in the Christian concept of sanctification is enacted by God (Holy Spirit, Jesus – whatever term the client is most comfortable with).

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designed to provide verbal descriptions of desirable attributes to be displayed by behaviour. Remembering the concept of grace, it may help to acknowledge that the therapist understands that the client believes that this will be accomplished not by the client’s efforts, but by the supernatural power of God acting upon them.

Choices need to be made about what actions to take, for example, and in what order? The demands of life can seem overwhelming at times, especially for many Christians involved in church communities with special activities and frequent meetings. The work of freely choosing values becomes important when priorities appear to compete for attention, or when clients feel that they are very busy and yet not doing anything that is useful, or important, to them.The reality of life is that people are limited by time and space.

Choices need to be made by most people, and if there is fusion with values that have been imposed from outside pressure, subtle or otherwise, these choices are not always made freely. It is difficult for the mind to tolerate feeling one way, whilst thinking that the experience should feel different: in other words, when something does not feel good, but it considered the right thing to do (values), a person tends towards solving the dissonance trying to convince the mind that the experience does not matter. This pull towards coherence is very strong, and the mind has a number of ways of convincing itself that it is unimportant to notice how events are being experienced. That is when energy is spent on ‘mindy’ activities, such as rationalizing, reappraising etc., and one’s experience becomes vulnerable to being ignored, or

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somehow changed. This can result in clinically relevant problems for the individual, but it must be remembered that the process above, in itself is not the problem. Ignoring unpleasant experiences in order to move in a valued direction may be very advantageous, and a beneficial by-product of holding strong values.

This is especially important for Christians who may be trying to change themselves, by their own efforts, to fit with what may be interpreted as Biblical commands such as: “So the last shall be first, and the first last, for many are called, but few are chosen.’” (Matthew 20:16) (MKJV) In trying to behave accordingly, the person may find the experience unpleasant, but rationalize and develop a stoic and joyless approach to life. In this case the client needs to be encouraged to keep an eye on their experience and also on what they care about. Coherence can be promoted, even in tiny steps, by keeping both in view and, if need be, refining the ‘desired qualities of ongoing action’ (Harris, 2009) into small, manageable units.

At this stage it is liberating to be reminded that one can take a difficult experience ‘along for the ride’ when engaging in desired activities, knowing that, as a recipient of grace, one is being changed internally. Again, the therapist does not need to believe this, but merely remind the client of what they believe.

Compassionate Awareness Training

It is important to keep reminding the client to observe their experience, even if at first it is impossible not to judge it. Coaching in self-compassion is crucial at this point. This protocol for working with Christians is called ‘Compassionate Awareness Training’ for this very reason: whilst being trained to become aware and to stay aware of one’s experience it is essential to soften this awareness with compassion. The harshness of cold reality can be a lot to tolerate, especially when disappointment in relationships is experienced.

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The fact that God is said to have compassion is an important factor in helping the client to develop self-compassion: “But what happens when we live God's way? He brings gifts into our lives, much the same way that fruit appears in an orchard--things like affection for others, exuberance about life, serenity.We develop a willingness to stick with things, a sense of compassion in the heart,…” (Galatians 5:22) (MSG)

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It is timely, at this point, to insert a reminder for the therapist that the term ‘Christian’ describes a person who believes that they have a relationship with God. This relationship is also subject to disappointment as the person realises that there is no guarantee against problems and pain.

Willing acceptance and defusion, as well as experiencing the perspective of self that is larger than any of the thoughts, emotions and sensations, are invaluable in promoting flexibility at this point. It is very tempting for Christians to judge themselves and to feel guilt and shame when experiencing what is incongruent with desired qualities of ongoing action. Again, this is where the grace of God, as the agent for changing one’s perspective, can be referred to. As is the case throughout ACT, mindfulness is a very helpful tool in this process of working through incongruity, without resorting to rigid pliance or experiential avoidance. Rather than being a hindrance in therapy, the Bible’s guidelines to behaviour can be helpful in working with the Christian client. Although the directives may at first be perceived as plys, they can be used as starting points from which to design smaller and smaller actions that display qualities which are desired by the client.

Take, for example the second greatest commandment, as described above: “You shall love your neighbour as yourself.” (Mark 12:31) (AMP) This can be broken down into small actions that include family, friends, acquaintances, and even enemies in ways that the client considers ‘do-able’, even if some are considered more difficult than others. At this point it may be appropriate to remind the client of the verbal cue for this process: “I won't lay

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anything heavy or ill-fitting on you.” (Matthew 11:29) (MSG) An appropriate question may be: “if it feels heavy, or ill-fitting, are you positive that it was ‘laid upon’ you by God?”

 Values Verses Virtues

As has been discussed, when values are mentioned to some Christians, they may object to the term because of the connotations of personally choosing what is right or wrong, perhaps as a result of ethics classes in school.Whatever the reason, this author has been firmly told by some of the theologians consulted that the word ‘values’ is distasteful to them, as Christians attain to ‘virtues’ not values. It is important to ask the Christian client which term they prefer.

On the professional listserv in 2008, Steve Hayes stated that: “At the level of the individual at least, values choices are the very essence of moral choices since values define what moral even is. Same with virtue.Values choices set the criteria for workability/what is good.”

It is perhaps worth investigating with the client whether the choice to be called a ‘Christian’ was made as a result of a conversion at a specific point in time. If this is so, then the person may have already discovered that instant changes did not happen and that undesirable behaviours stubbornly refuse to budge. The agenda for change is often approached from the point of view of internal attitudes, with the belief that if attitudes changed then the behaviour would change, and the person would be said to have ‘attained’ the virtue.

According to Kelly Wilson, the ACT definition of value/virtues is “freely chosen, verbally constructed consequences of ongoing, dynamic, evolving patterns of activity, which establish predominant reinforcers for that activity which are intrinsic in engagement in the valued pattern itself.” (p64, Wilson 2008)

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So the reinforcement for the desired change can be found in actually moving in the direction of the virtue, no matter how small the step. The ultimate consequence will be more and more behaviour that is coherent with the virtue in question, in broader

This is one way of helping Christians through this minefield of choice, commandments and virtues. The virtue can be verbally identified as a consequence (a list of virtues is given in Appendix 8). Although this consequence, as lasting transformation, can only be truly attained through the supernatural power of God, choices can be made in the present moment to take action in the direction of the virtue. These choices, if followed through with behaviour, are reinforcing in themselves.

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and broader contexts, and this can be experienced in small doses along the way. Take, for example, the virtue of humility. Small actions which will display humility may be identified in important areas of the client’s life, which present the possibility of larger and larger patterns developing, as this virtue becomes more and more a part of habitual behaviour.

Perhaps this is what Paul is referring to in Romans 12, verses 1 and 2: “So here's what I want you to do, God helping you:Take your everyday, ordinary life - your sleeping, eating, going-to-work, and walkingaround life - and place it before God as an offering. Embracing what God does for you is the best thing you can do for him.

Don't become so well-adjusted to your culture that you fit into it without even thinking. Instead, fix your attention on God.You'll be changed from the inside out. Readily recognize what he wants from you, and quickly respond to it.” (MSG)

Why the ACT Approach to Values is Very Important for Christians in Therapy

Some Christians belong to verbal communities (churches) which have a very powerful influence in their lives. In the chapter on ‘Mindfulness, Rule-governed Behaviour and Psychological Flexibility’ the following observation is made:

“It is worth noting what Torneke et al have to say in ‘Rule-governed behaviour and psychological problems’, namely that “the abstract consequences of ‘being a good Christian’, ‘being a good citizen’, ‘being a lovable person’, and the like may have been established as the ultimate rewards in the repertoire of an individual. Also,

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such rewards may have been linked to more specific actions like doing what others do, saying what others say, doing what the individual is supposed to do as a good X, never saying ‘no’ etc.’’ (Torneke et al,2008, p151). As has been stated, this can be worked on by helping the individual to focus on their authority, the Scriptures, (if this is so).’’

It has been the unfortunate experience of this author that many Christians who present for therapy are very focussed on pleasing or, even more so, on not displeasing their religious verbal community (church, small homegroup, Bible-study group etc.). The fear that accompanies this can create a barrier to observing their own experiences and to considering them as important. In fact, some Christian teaching strongly advocates not considering one’s experience at all and purposefully disregarding it as part of the sinful nature. This and other advice given to the client during the process of therapy may mean that the observation and description of the entire behavioural repertoire needs to be revisited again and again. The vitality that results from moving, even in very small steps, is very difficult to feel if one is unable to connect the experience with the verbal description of what the desired direction is. This feeling of vitality, and the connection with an overall desired direction, enables the building of larger and larger patterns of desired behaviour.

Why Values are Important to Everyone

Values answer a lot of the ‘why’ questions in life, and this relates especially to suffering. Somehow values dignify suffering, and help clients to find some meaning behind all the pain. In fact, it is an important part of this process to underline that where there is suffering, there may well be a value.

Take, for example, working through anxiety. In ACT, an inevitable part of the work with anxiety involves exposing the client to the feared objects or situations. Values are an important part of this work. “Nietzche said that a person could stand almost any ‘how’ if they have a ‘why’. The why for the hard work that will follow is supplied by the client’s own values and the control that derives from an uncoerced agreement to proceed.” (p141, Hayes et al)

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I keep six honest serving-men (They taught me all I knew); Their names areWhat andWhy andWhen And How andWhere andWho. (Kipling, 1902)

Chapter 8: Values

It is interesting to note that if the law of God is the ‘what’, and the grace of God is the ‘how’ (Chapter 2, Christian Worldview, and Appendix 2; The Perspective of Grace’), then verbally identifying virtues becomes the ‘why’. It would seem that the answers to ‘where’ and ‘when’ have also been provided as in ‘here’ and ‘now’. Of course the ‘who’ is ‘I’, thereby providing all the help that Kipling identified as reliable:

The fact that the person is able to choose to behave in accordance with values/virtues, freely and without pressure or coercion, facilitates a sense of control during the exposure, even though the emotions cannot be controlled.

Identification of values is also an important part of the work with depressed clients. Behavioural activation is motivated by the desire to move in even small directions at first. The reinforcement from this may motivate more and more activity in the chosen direction, and the building of broader and more flexible repertoires of behaviour. This is ultimately the aim of ACT.

Fusion with Goals and Rules

Fusion with specific goals and rules on how to move in valued directions may be a problem, particularly with Christian clients. This may take the form of loyalty to, and adherence with, instructions and teaching from their verbal community of choice, or admired media personalities and spiritual teachers. Texts, taken out of context, from the Bible, may contribute to this, as may specific emphases within different denominations. A Christian of the Pentecostal persuasion, for example, may be fused with the goal of recognising supernatural activity within situations, and consider everything as evident of this.

Fusion with specific goals and rules, in these cases, can be very perplexing for a therapist who is not a Christian, while acceptance and defusion, on the part of the therapist, may be required in order to extend compassion for whatever suffering results. Arguing with, and trying to explain alternative perspectives may alienate the client, and is not ACT consistent.

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It can be extremely frustrating for a therapist to be faced with a client who seems unable, or unwilling to move from rigid, rule-bound inflexibility in spite of feeling that life has little personal meaning.

In the words of Robyn Walser and Darrah Westrup, “We could decide, (and do decide) to base our choices on any number of things, and we give great reasons for why we do what we do. However, all these reasons don’t amount to much when one looks back on a life without personal meaning. In our work with trauma survivors, we have found that clients’ greatest source of regret and pain is about not having lived according to what is most important in their heart of hearts.” (2007, p140)

The courage and mindfulness that is required to break through the obstacles mentioned in this book offers a special dignity to this important work with Christians, especially if the therapist has different spiritual values. This will be addressed in the next chapter.

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Committed Action Keep company with me and you'll learn to live freely and lightly.

Matthew 11:30 (MSG)

For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.

Matthew 11:30 (AMP)

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Committed Action and Creative Hopelessness

he last process to be included in this model brings the focus back to the central principle in the life of a Christian: the belief in a relationship with a living Deity (Jesus) who is available and who communicates on a moment-by-moment basis. The memory verse above expresses this as being an essential part of living ‘freely and lightly’.

The King James Version refers to the metaphor explained earlier, that of a young ox yoked together with an older ox who will lead and train the young one how to work. The yoke could be heavy and uncomfortable (suffering) and it could have heavy burdens attached (burdensome committed action), but instead it is said to be easy (acceptance and defusion) and light (feasible committed action).

Reminding the Christian of the link between committed action and intentionally being mindful of the help available through the relationship with God, may provide just the confidence needed to undertake the difficult work of committed action.

It is important to note that, as with the other five processes already discussed, committed action is intricately intertwined with present

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moment awareness, perspective of self, willing acceptance of difficulties, defusion from ‘sticky’ internal events and, especially, with verbal identification of values. It is discussed separately as there are aspects which are unique to committed action with Christians, but it does not necessarily occur as a separate entity within the therapy process. By starting therapy (if doing so is a voluntary decision), a person is displaying committed action. This commitment may well be towards getting rid of difficult feelings and thoughts and sensations, in which case it may be necessary to take him/her through a process of creative hopelessness; nevertheless the act of starting therapy, in itself, can be used as an example of committed action. The process named ‘creative hopelessness’ is often the first of many places where the temptation to give up therapy may be very strong, as disappointment and despair at the realization that the therapist cannot offer a quick fix become evident. It may take skill, together with a trust in the therapeutic alliance, to translate this desire to give up into a commitment to continue trying a new way of dealing with problems.

Throughout therapy the question of commitment to the process may repeat itself over and over again, especially if clients find it difficult to let go of their original ineffective strategies to control unwanted experiences, and/or inflexibly persist with behaviours that are not taking them towards desired goals. It is not easy to maintain commitment to a framework that feels counterintuitive, especially with the first difficult steps. This underlines the need to obtain informed consent and to clarify what clients believe they are committing themselves to. It is helpful to point out, again, that the action of ‘showing up’ for therapy sessions may be counted as showing commitment, very often with whatever doubts may be brought along into the room.

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The very word ‘commitment’ may have connotations for Christians, which are specifically related to the teachings of their Christian community (verbal community), as it is a word that is very often used in Christian contexts. If one looks for the word in a thesaurus (e.g. Thesaurus.com) there are only five synonyms offered for the word ‘commitment’: devoted, pledged, bound, faithful, and attached. These are very descriptive of what Christian clients may understand as commitment to their spiritual beliefs,

Early in the whole therapy process, clients learn that the commitment to therapy, in the ACT sense of the word, is not connected with the outcome of decreasing, or even eliminating unpleasant psychological experiences. Also, once they start practising mindful and defused awareness of personal experience with willing acceptance, it may become evident that, often at first, the unpleasant experiences may be perceived as increasing. Committed action, as used in the context of ACT, means taking steps towards what each client wants, based on what is identified in the values exercises. A full and clear definition of what committed action means in ACT may need to be repeated, to the client, a few times.

Chapter 9: Committed Action

bound up with their commitment to their spiritual community. These words do not, however, give the real flavour of what is meant by ‘committed’ in ACT. It may be as well to ensure that this is understood clearly when focussing on this particular process. If the word ‘committed’ is used at all (it is entirely possible not to use it) then the emphasis needs to be on the close connection to the client’s own stated values.

In ‘ACT in Practice’, Bach and Moran define committed action as follows: “When a client is given an orientation to committed action – defined as behaviour in the service of values, defused from unhelpful rules and verbal events, executed in contact with the present moment, while accepting physiological and cognitive responses elicited during that situation – the client has a better platform from which to take her first step toward clinical improvement.” (Bach & Moran, 2008, p153)

The above definition encompasses all the six processes of ACT and explains the link between committed action and the other five. It is included here because it begins by emphasising that the ‘client is given an orientation’ (italics are mine), an approach which is very important when working with all clients, but especially with Christians. This orientation, taken from an ACT point of view, needs to be clearly distinguished from other areas of life where an orientation to committed action may have an entirely different meaning.

It may seem like a minefield best left alone, but the importance of working on this process of committed action revolves around promoting psychological flexibility. A number of clients arrive in therapy with problem behaviour characterised by: inflexible patterns of inaction;

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impulsivity; and/or avoidant behaviour. This may manifest as procrastination or perfectionism, amongst other unhelpful behaviours, that generally result in a sense of ‘going round in circles and getting nowhere’. Psychological flexibility, which allows action that works in the service of stated values, in spite of internal and external contexts, is the overall aim of ACT.

Setting Goals – Small Steps

If promoting committed action means that ‘the client has a better platform from which to take her first step toward clinical improvement’, then the next step must surely be defining what the actions are and/or what they will look like. If defining values is an extremely difficult process for some clients, then describing how to go in that direction may be even more difficult.

As difficult as it may be, identification of goals is really important at this stage and may shed some light on what stated values mean in everyday life. If values are the direction, goals have been likened to signposts or bus stops along the way. Putting these goals into words may help in identifying what actions are required. The goals themselves may seem impossible to reach because of obstructive thinking and behavioural habits, some of which remain undetected.

As mentioned before, a person may be unaware that some behaviour is ‘self-sabotaging’ and obscuring what is really important in his/her life. Even when the therapist has facilitated a verbal description of values, the client may be unable to identify what is needed to start going in the desired direction. The ‘big picture’ may seem overwhelming and that, coupled with the perceived lack of resources to hand, may make any movement seem impossible.

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Human resources are usually limited, and especially the resources of time and space. This can create frustration when considering the practical implications of attaining a specific goal. For example, if a father identifies a goal of communicating with his children more often in the pursuit of being a loving father, he may encounter difficulties if they don’t live with him all the time. Alternatively, the goal identified may seem almost impossible because of physical or other limitations. Limited resources may

This is when it may be helpful to describe some very small steps to try when first experimenting with desired behaviours. For example, a client suffering from stress due to excessive demands on their time may be encouraged to start delegating tasks to others, in very small ways at first. Alternatively, a depressed client may find that just getting out of bed and doing nothing apart from necessary hygiene, takes all the energy available and yet provides a flicker of positive reinforcement. Eventually, of course, full engagement in life may be what is desired, but gradual shaping of behaviour towards this end goal keeps the client engaged in a process that is not overwhelming.

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also mean that committed actions need to be prioritised, especially when one is facing what are, apparently, conflicting demands. Being active in a Christian community can demand energy and time and many Christian clients present for therapy exhausted and confused because of such conflicting demands on their time, and energy.

Sometimes the fear of being overwhelmed prevents even the smallest step from being taken. One message which is helpful for clients to remember is that important information about what is actually happening experientially is gained, whether an activity is engaged in or not. In other words, the way in which the person experiences the attempt to engage in committed action, provides important information for the therapist to identify what may be helpful in terms of skills training, further work with defusion, or providing encouragement to experiment with even smaller goals. Very small steps, in the right direction, may provide just the reinforcement that is needed to motivate a person to attempt larger and larger ones.

The identification of very small steps may provide an opening for Christian clients who are resistant to observing, describing and tracking their own experience, in case this is ‘wrong’ (remember that some teaching instructs Christians that their own experience is not what is important). If this is approached in very small steps, and the client is constantly referred to grace, (Appendix 2) there is a chance that personal experience may be more willingly accepted, even if only as an important indication of where change is needed.

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Be very sensitive to the attachment to the verbal community and the discomfort any apparent disagreement may cause for the client. Experimenting with new behaviours, in spite of opposition from significant others, may be encouraged with reference to the ultimate source of authority which, for the Christian, is the Bible. As always, the suspension of judgement of others and self is to be emphasised, as well as the importance of compassion for self and others.

Identifying What Behaviour is Goal-Oriented

Inherent in all of the above is the identification of what needs to be done. Once the goals have begun to be identified, and broken down into small steps, further investigation is necessary into precisely how these will be accomplished. Flexibility in following rules may be required, as well as mindfulness of possible contingencies in the environment. Possible new behaviours may be experimented with, whilst practising flexibility and mindfulness.

Flexibility in following rules, and mindfulness of contingencies have already been discussed in some detail, so the main focus here will be on experimenting with new behaviours and nurturing those already existing and desirable. One way of experimenting with new behaviours could entail behaving in a different way in the same environment, or behaving in the same way in different environments. The experiential learning gained in this way may foster greater psychological flexibility. (Bach & Moran, 2008, p153)

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Whatever behaviour change may be identified, a willingness to take risks may be a major issue. This can be a difficult area for Christian clients who are fused with rules about loyalty to their verbal community (maybe a church or specific group). Plys may be identified and create frustration for the therapist (who may need to defuse from their own internal events). Take, for example, a secular therapist working on assertiveness skills with a married Christian woman, who believes that submission to her husband means being subservient to him (even if this is just her interpretation of what she has read, or been taught). An intervention aimed at assisting her to take risks and to behave differently when, or if, he violates boundaries and, perhaps, to assertively state her point of view, may be seen by her, and influential others in her group, as going against the teaching she has

On the other hand, a great advantage with Christian clients, with reference to risk-taking, although not necessarily in the above scenario, is faith. This refers to the faith in God as described in the Bible, which is central in the worldview of a Christian. One story which is useful in conveying the centrality of faith when considering taking risks (there are others) goes as follows: “The Philistine (giant) ridiculed David. ‘Am I a dog that you come after me with a stick?’ And he cursed him by his gods. ‘Come on,’ said the Philistine. ‘I'll make road-kill of you for the buzzards. I'll turn you into a tasty morsel for the field mice.’

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received. Arguing and any display of disagreement on the part of the therapist may result in counterpliance in the therapy room and no change outside, or early termination of therapy, or a number of other unhelpful behaviours. In a situation such as this, which may be confusing for the therapist, compassion and keeping a central view of the client’s values helps in the identification of what the client needs in order to go forward.

David answered,‘You come at me with sword and spear and battle-ax. I come at you in the name of GOD-of-the-Angel-Armies, the God of Israel's troops, whom you curse and mock.

This very day GOD is handing you over to me. I'm about to kill you, cut off your head, and serve up your body and the bodies of your Philistine buddies to the crows and coyotes.

The whole earth will know that there's an extraordinary God in Israel. And everyone gathered here will learn that GOD doesn't save by means of sword or spear.The battle belongs to GOD--he's handing you to us on a platter!’

That roused the Philistine, and he started toward David. David took off from the front line, running toward the Philistine.

David reached into his pocket for a stone, slung it, and hit the Philistine hard in the forehead, embedding the stone deeply.The Philistine crashed, facedown in the dirt.”

(1 Samuel 15:43-49) (MSG) (The word in brackets and the bold type are mine)

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This story is one of many, in the Bible, that relate great feats accomplished by humans employing faith in God as their only resource. These are feats that typically would have been impossible by human ability alone. David would not have known, with certainty, that God would really help him to kill the giant, unless he had gone forward, had faith, and taken a risk.

It is relevant to ask Christians if they believe that the same power that was available to David, is available to them, now. If the answer is ‘yes’, then this faith can be a great advantage when advocating taking risks in the service of one’s chosen values.

As seen above, the Christian’s faith is not only an antidote to fear, but it is also fuel for action. In other words, ‘faith’ is a ‘doing’ word. The following illustration from the famous story of Jesus walking on water depicts the strong connection between faith and action: “…..the boat was far out to sea when the wind came up against them and they were battered by the waves. At about four o'clock in the morning, Jesus came toward them walking on the water. They were scared out of their wits. "A ghost!" they said, crying out in terror. But Jesus was quick to comfort them.‘Courage, it's me. Don't be afraid.’

Peter, suddenly bold, said,‘Master, if it's really you, call me to come to you on the water.’

He said,‘Come ahead.’ Jumping out of the boat, Peter walked on the water to Jesus.

But when he looked down at the waves churning beneath his feet, he lost his nerve and started to sink. He cried,‘Master, save me!’

Jesus didn't hesitate. He reached down and grabbed his hand. Then he said, ‘Faint-heart, what got into you?’

The two of them climbed into the boat, and the wind died down.” (Matthew 14:24-32) (MSG)

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Peter’s faith gave him courage. This story can be used for encouragement to go ahead and make a bold move, whilst intentionally bringing to mind the reciprocal relationship between courage and faith. The courage which can be accessed through faith is supplied, according to the New Testament

“Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need.”

(Hebrews 4:16) (KJV)

After taking committed action towards goals, big or small, and risky or not, the next step is to assess the effectiveness of the action. The results may not always be very noticeable or of any apparent importance, and appear insignificant. This is where linking even very small actions to a higher purpose, (which for a Christian would signify sanctification), namely that which has been verbally acknowledged as a value, can be very motivating. This dignifies what might not have been a pleasant experience, and helps the client to accept that moving in a valued direction is not always met with pleasant results.

Chapter 9: Committed Action

covenant, through God’s grace which will give the Christian everything that is needed, at the time that it is needed:

Thus the Christian client’s faith can be employed to identify what actions are needed, to have the courage to do them, to overcome obstacles and to gain positive reinforcement from the results, no matter how negligible. IDENTIFYING OBSTACLES

Despite all the best intentions, change is seldom easy, even if done in small steps and carefully planned actions. That is why it is important for clients to understand that something is always learned about their experience, whether they accomplish a planned activity or not. It is in the areas where difficulty is encountered that obstacles may be identified, some of which may be generalized to other areas of life. A very good summary of possible obstacles is given by Russ Harris, in the form of a memorable acronym F = Fusion

E = Excessive goals

A = Avoidance of discomfort

R = Remoteness from values

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To be addressed by the ‘antidote’: D = Defusion

A = Acceptance of discomfort R = Realistic goals

E = Embracing values

(Harris, 2009, p216/7)

This really speaks for itself and, as he suggests, it may be useful for the client to write these on either side of a small card to which they can refer when needed.

There are very good ACT books, some of them listed in the ‘references’ section, that discuss various obstacles to committed action that may be encountered by the client. They won’t be discussed in detail here, instead a generalized approach, tailored for Christians, will be suggested.

As a therapy based on functional contextualism, ACT focusses on the meaning of a specific action within a specific context. This is important when working with Christian clients who encounter obstacles when attempting to increase action that takes them towards their own values; and to decrease action that takes them away from their own values. Fusion with the opinions of others, self-judgement and guilt may be reinforced by willing advisors offering specific verses from the Bible, sometimes misquoted and often out of context.

Remember how important the Bible is as a source of authority for Christians and that very often verses from Scripture are used to reinforce ‘advice’ or rule-governed behaviour. One of the principles of understanding the meaning of Biblical texts is to consider the verse in question in the context in which it is written. If this is not done, misinterpretations may occur and indeed such do often appear in therapy as obstacles for the client. In other words, it has been stated that ‘a text out of context is a pretext’.

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Communicating the true meaning of verses used in this way is not the remit of the therapist, especially if not a Christian. The client can be

A further suggestion about interpreting short passages from the Bible, from Bruce Milne, is: “After asking, ‘What does this mean in its own time and context, and what does it mean in the light of the whole of Scripture?’ we must ask, ’What does this mean for today – here and now …in my own life?’ ” (1998, p62).

Christians believe that, as a result of being in a relationship with God, He works individually with each person. This principle is very advantageous in the process of undermining problematic external influences in someone’s life. It is helpful to encourage the Christian to focus on how God is working in their lives, whilst keeping the relevant Scripture in mind.

Chapter 9: Committed Action

advised, however, to do their own study of the meanings in various translations and Greek and Hebrew dictionaries. This is not as daunting as it may sound, as there are programmes available on the internet which facilitate this very easily. One such free programme, amongst others, can be found at www.e-sword.net, and a suggested version for download, amongst others, is the King James Version plus Strong’s Concordance.

The ACT therapeutic stance is never argumentative or coercive in any way whatsoever, as the therapist models flexible, defused and non-judgemental responses to the client’s difficulties. This encourages open exploration of areas where the client may feel ‘stuck’, and experimentation with behaviour changes, even small ones, in the direction of chosen values. All of this occurs within a safe environment where the centrality of spiritual beliefs and values is openly acknowledged, and mindfully respected.

Building Larger and Larger Patterns of Flexible Behaviour

Finally, the overall goal is to build larger and larger patterns of flexible behaviour, where desired behaviour is increased and behaviour that the client does not desire is decreased.

This is where traditional behavioural interventions such as skills training, exposure and desensitization, behavioural activation and crisis coping are employed. By this stage the client should be well aware that loss is builtinto committed action; in other words, pain is going to happen in the form

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of lack of recognition by, or opposition from, significant others, together with various other unpleasant and/or unexpected results. Training the client to be mindful of the positive reinforcement which comes from having done the action, in commitment to personal, stated values, can be an encouragement to continued building of patterns of desired behaviour. This helps to shift the focus from the results, if disappointing, to the vitality of having behaved in commitment to a stated value.

A final word of caution to the therapist who is not a Christian: Be wary of trying to normalize the experience by perspective-taking “I would feel that way too...” etc. This may backfire, and remind the client of thoughts that this is impossible for anyone who does not have the same worldview.

Chapter 10

Summary and Conclusions GOD, our God, will take care of the hidden things but the revealed things are our business. It's up to us and our children to attend to all the terms in this Revelation.

A

Deuteronomy 29:29 (MSG)

t the end of a journey it’s time to relax, reminisce and review what has happened or been experienced along the way. We have taken a specific ‘route’ through and around the six processes identified as important in Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT). It has been emphasised that, in reality, they work together and more than one process may be the focus at any one time. This can be rather a lot to think about all at once, however, and so we focussed on one process at a time.

The Route Through The Six Processes

We started with ‘Present Moment Awareness’, because clinical experience with Christian clients has shown this to be a good basis for much of what follows. It is also the least problematic of the six processes for Christians. Most are aware of the scripture: “...do not be anxious about tomorrow; for tomorrow shall be anxious for its own things. Sufficient to the day is the evil of it.” (Mark 6:34) (MKJV)

It may surprise you that, no matter how readily Christians accept the positive aspects of focussing on the present moment, they still find the process as difficult as many other clients do. The big question is “yes, but how?” and mindfulness provides an immediate tool for working towards this.

‘Perspective of Self’ follows, as this process forms a ‘functional’ unit with contact with the present moment. The two processes together, as a unit, are sometimes referred to as ‘being present’. The function of focussing on

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the perspective of self, in the present moment, is to notice and observe who the client thinks he is, together with what he thinks about himself in that moment. At this point it may become very clear what the person in front of you thinks about God, about rules and being judged. This is often a problem area for troubled Christians who, for one reason or another, may see themselves from the perspective of a condemning and vengeful God. Such a perspective lends itself to self-judgement, guilt and shame. The introduction of mindfulness right from the beginning often facilitates a more compassionate view of self.

“These processes are in the center of the hexa(flex) because issues of being are central to all of the other processes and at one level of analysis ACT can be distilled down into a single word: Be” (Hayes, 2000). This is certainly of central importance to many Christians who identify themselves as ‘being’ Christian. If this identification of self as a ‘Christian’ is perceived as ‘inadequate’, or ‘not quite making it’, then generalized shame and guilt may be observed. Experience has revealed that this can be very intransigent and is best approached by facilitating a thorough investigation of just what kind of a god is the one believed in? If the therapist is known not to be a Christian then this kind of discussion could alienate the client, and could also be a very emotive and difficult experience for the therapist. That is why Appendix 2; ‘The Perspective of Grace’ has been included. There are plenty of Scriptures which portray a very different view of God than the vengeful and spiteful judge who may be in your client’s mind.

Once we have taken a good look at who the client thinks they are and who they think God is, we are ready to consider ‘Willing Acceptance’ and ‘Defusion’. The functional unit formed by these two facilitates the overall process of ‘opening up’ to unhelpful thoughts and whatever habits the client has developed in the quest to avoid unpleasant feelings, thoughts and sensations. Some Christian clients, in their attempt to be ‘good Christians’, become more and more adept at behaving in accordance with what they believe is expected of them. Thinking and emotions, often labelled ‘attitudes’, may have been directly challenged by teaching, counselling from others, or unwritten, arbitrary rules within their verbal communities, resulting in redoubled efforts to comply.

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When addressing a client’s efforts to control and/or change, therapists need to be extra careful not to appear to be undermining their clients beliefs in ‘holiness’. Caution has been urged, a few times, with regard to expressions that appear innocuous but can create passionate resistance with Christians. One such phrase is ‘hold lightly’, especially if this is applied to their spiritual beliefs.With sensitivity, and by constantly referring the client to the information contained in the appendices, the therapist can assist the client to create a little breathing space between what is believed and how this is expressed behaviourally.

Chapter 10: Summary and Conclusions

I have found that even when New Testament Christians accept that under the covenant of grace they are not expected to effect change by their own efforts, some still cling to rules as their only hope of not ‘going astray’. Gradually experimenting with opening up to personal experience reveals, over time, that this rule-bound behavior is not resulting in what the Bible has promised – love, joy, peace etc. Willing acceptance of pain, and defusion from self-sufficient struggling facilitates opening up to God to effect change; in other words, allowing grace to be in control. Appendix 2 may need to be referred to a number of times in this regard.

The tenacity with which some Christians hold to the ‘rightness’ of what they believe, together with the passion which is displayed if any questioning of the rightness is suspected, may create difficulties for the therapist and an urge to refer them elsewhere. Actually, this passion can become an asset and not an obstacle as the progression is made from ‘letting go’ to ‘doing what matters’.

The next functional unit, comprised of values and committed action, is described, colloquially, as ‘doing what matters’. Committed action is very familiar to Christians, but the actual word ‘values’ may have a pejorative connotation for them. ‘Qualities’ or ‘virtues’ may provide a viable alternative. Resistance to the word ‘values’ may create unnecessary confusion, and Appendix 8 is available to guide both therapist and client through this potential minefield.

Even then, however, there may be resistance to verbally ‘defining’ what is important, as this may be seen as usurping authority, either from God, or their church, or some other authority. As the Bible is the main authority for Christians, a number of Scriptures have been included in support of

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each process, including both describing values and committing to action. These were not collected specifically to provide the support, but the list grew gradually over many years as I experienced the ACT processes working in my life and in the lives of my clients, whilst simultaneously reading through the Bible as a daily practice. In that sense, these lists are ‘organic’, in that they were compiled as a result of being tested in my daily life. In sharing them with clients and groups I have been privileged to see change and increasing vitality in many Christians, and witnessed a number of ‘ah-ha!’ moments.

These moments of sudden revelation often occur when it is explained to the client that verbal descriptions of where we want to go helps us to feel good about taking even the tiniest step in that direction. Even though Christians hand over control to God, they are still responsible for obstacles that may impede progress. Once we start to investigate what goals can be set to move in valued directions, the obstacles that have been there all along start to emerge, sometimes very clearly. Reminders of the verbal descriptions do, at times, provide the critical switch needed to go towards values instead of halting at obstacles, or even turning around and going in the opposite direction. They can, literally, cause a person to ‘turn around’ and go in the valued direction. It is interesting that ‘turn around’ is the literal meaning of the word ‘repentance’. For each process a ‘memory verse’ has been suggested, to help the client bring to mind the critical elements of working through the process. Just a quick reminder: 1) Present Moment Awareness: "Are you tired?Worn out? Burned out on religion? Come to me.”

2) Perspective of Self: “Get away with me and you'll recover your life. I'll show you how to take a real rest”. 3) Willing Acceptance: “Walk with me and work with me--watch how I do it.” 4) Defusion: “Learn the unforced rhythms of grace.”

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5) Values: “I won't lay anything heavy or ill-fitting on you.”

No formal, quantitative research has been done on this protocol, but it has been developed over the past 10 years with Christian clients in individual, couples, family and group sessions, in three different countries with a number of different nationalities.

What’s In A Name?

In order to describe the essence of this work, especially when introducing the concept to groups of Christians in the public arena, I called it ‘Compassionate Awareness Training’. This seemed to be well accepted, once I explained what was meant by ‘awareness’. There is now a Facebook page of this name, to provide ongoing support for former group members.

Within the group format, I presented this protocol as a model, based on a combination of the hexaflex (Hayes, 2000) and the matrix (Polk et al, 2014). After many requests to name this model, I called it the ‘Christaflex’, to reflect that it was Christ-centred, and represented the ACT model of flexibility. As this name, containing the name ‘Christ’, may not be well accepted by some, I did some research on the yahoo listserv ‘Actandthechristianclient’, which now has over 170 members. The only reservations that were expressed were concern that it may be considered by some as simply an attempt to give the model credibility.

Chapter 10: Summary and Conclusions

6) Committed Action “Keep company with me and you'll learn to live freely and lightly.” (Matthew 11:28-39) (MSG)

I have considered many different variations, and also have asked previous group members if they would find it just as useful without any name at all. This was the response from one previous group member: “Re The Christaflex, this I think is one of the most powerful tools you have ever shared with me, and I know others. It's so tangible and provides clarity when you are feeling 'messy'. It's a cross and yet feels like an anchor when you use it. I especially notice how men relate to a model that is so clear and helps with stepping stones.

The model and the 'name' provide relevance and respect for what this model is, does, and stands for. It is Christ centred and the name highlights this fact. I will pray for clarity and confidence for you in using both. It's a balance of realizing you will never please all, and yet at the same time want to value and respect feedback.”

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I will describe it here as a summary of all that we have done. It is not essential that you use it in any work with Christian clients. I don’t know that many therapists use the hexaflex in the process of therapy itself, but I do know that is what the matrix was designed for. Hence I have, in a way, amalgamated the two (with permission from Kevin Polk).You can use the name ‘Christaflex’ if you wish, and call this ‘Compassionate Awareness Training’ if you want to. The names are only important, in my opinion, as they have relevance for the client or group member. Alternatively, you can use the model and call it by any name you think suitable, if you make it clear that that is a name coined by you. It is probably best to show the model before trying to describe it. Present Moment Awareness

Awareness of the grace of God in the Present Moment: Mat 11:28 ‘Are you tired? Worn out? Burned out on religion? Come to me..’

Acceptance

Committed Action

Willing Acceptance of trials and difficulties: Mat 11:29 ‘Walk with me and work with me - watch how I do it..’

Matt 11:30 ‘Keep company with me and you'll learn to live freely and lightly.’

PSYCHOLOGICAL FLEXIBILITY

Defusion

Values

Ability to ‘unstick’ from rigid personal rules and to renew the mind: ‘… Learn the unforced rhythms of grace…..’

Clarity of personal values: ‘... I won't lay anything heavy or illfitting on you....’

Perspective of Self

Ability to access the awareness of Self as spirit in relationship with God; ‘… Get away with me and you'll recover your life. I'll show you how to take a real rest……’

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The vertical line from ‘present moment awareness’ to ‘perspective of self’ is drawn as a red line (or any different colour from the other lines), and depicts the vertical line of the cross (the symbol of Christianity). The

These two lines of the cross represent the summary of the law and the prophets given by Jesus. The vertical line represents the first main commandment: “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind. This is the first and great commandment.” (Matthew 22:37) (MKJV)

The horizontal line represents the second greatest commandment: “And the second is like it, you shall love your neighbour as yourself.” (Matthew 22:38) (MKJV)

I started to use the matrix as a means of collaborative case conceptualization with clients and groups. I combined it with the hexaflex, and built the Christaflex around it.That is why, in the Christaflex, you will notice that ‘Values’ and ‘Committed Action’ have been switched around, as ‘Values’ belongs in the section of ‘mental experiencing’ which I have changed to ‘internal experiencing’; and ‘Committed Action’ in the domain of ‘five-senses experiencing’, which I have changed to ‘external experiencing’.

Chapter 10: Summary and Conclusions

horizontal line from ‘willing acceptance’ to ‘committed action’, also drawn in red, depicts the horizontal of the cross. This shows up quite clearly within the rest of the hexaflex. The vertical line depicts the relationship between the client (me) and Jesus, and the horizontal line represents the relationship between others (values and committed action) and the client (me – willing acceptance and defusion).

Working with Clients of Different Faiths

The focus of our discussions has been the challenges and unique opportunities that each process presents in therapy with Christian clients. Over and over again the need for defusion, willing acceptance and clarity of your own values as a therapist, have been solicited as you face what may be very challenging ground for you. Spiritual values can be highly emotive for many people and as therapists we are probably not the exception to this. Whatever our spiritual values may be, they are unlikely to be divorced from our therapeutic persona. In other words, who I am, in therapy, as a therapist, is likely to be informed by what I consider to be important with regard to my spiritual values. If I

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have a specific spiritual belief, which I hold as being very important to my wellbeing, then I am likely to hope that others, who I care about, would believe the same.

This can be very challenging when working with a client who professes a very different belief. For example, as a Christian I have had clients who strongly adhere to other religions, and a few who declare themselves to be atheists. Even with clients who believe what I believe, I am aware of the need for mindfulness on my part, especially when they are struggling, fruitlessly in my opinion, with arbitrary rules about desirable behaviour.

Kelly Wilson and Troy Dufrene addressed the need for mindfulness on the part of the therapist, very eloquently, in their book ‘Mindfulness for Two’ (2008).They use the metaphor of enquiring whether your client is a sunset to be appreciated or a math problem to be solved. The aim of this book has not been to solve the unique problems facing Christians, nor has it been to provide a comprehensive list of them.The aim has been to provide a lens through which the beauty of the client’s faith can be appreciated, with the unique opportunities thus presented for work within Acceptance and Commitment Therapy.

I want to express my deep gratitude and respect for all my colleagues, who work tirelessly with people of all faiths, at improving the human condition.

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Client Handouts

Then Jesus turned to the Jews who had claimed to believe in him. “If you stick with this, living out what I tell you, you are my disciples for sure. Then you will experience for yourselves the truth, and the truth will free you. John 8:31-32 (MSG) (The bold type is mine)

Section 5

Client Handouts Appendix 1: Appendix 2: Appendix 3: Appendix 4: Appendix 5: Appendix 6: Appendix 7: Appendix 8: Appendix 9:

Mindfulness for Christian Clients The Perspective of Grace Present Moment Awareness Awareness of Compassion Perspective of Self Willing Acceptance Cognitive Defusion Values in ACT & Christian Ethics/Values Values & Committed Action

References Further Resources Your Notes

APPENDIX 1

CLIENT HANDOUT

Mindfulness for Christian Clients

The Bible’s Perspective on Life

According to the Bible, Jesus came to earth to offer people fullness of life: "I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly." (John 10:10) (MKJV). He also taught that if we looked to Him for our spiritual nutrition, we would find ongoing life: "And Jesus said to them, 'I am the bread of life.'" (John 6:35) (MKJV). Jesus did not refer to Himself as a leader establishing a new religion: "Jesus said to him, 'I am theWay, the Truth, and the Life.' " (John 14:6) (MKJV).

When the early disciples were freed from prison, they were not told to recruit members to a movement. Instead, they were instructed to: “Go to the Temple and take your stand.Tell the people everything there is to say about this Life.” (Acts 5:20) (MSG). Further Biblical instruction on how to live the life referred to:

“I'm after love that lasts, not more religion. I want you to know GOD, not go to more prayer meetings.” (Hosea 6:6) (MSG).

“Go figure out what this Scripture means: 'I'm after mercy, not religion.' I'm here to invite outsiders, not coddle insiders." (Matthew 9:13) (MSG).

“If you had any idea what this Scripture meant--'I prefer a flexible heart to an inflexible ritual' --you wouldn't be nit-picking like this.” (Matthew 12:7) (MSG).

It would seem that the abundant life is more dependent upon a relationship with God than on rules.

Mindfulness

We all experience a struggle with staying ‘right here, right now’, to some degree or other. Even if it is something important that we really want to come to grips with, if it becomes difficult our minds start to stray to the next thing to be done - or other things we could be doing - or things that we should have done and so on.

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Mindfulness is a specific practice in fully experiencing what is happening around you and in you at a specific moment in time; in other words, teaching you how to fully be, right here, right now.

Outside my study window there is a bird feeder. It is a simple wire mesh cylinder dangling on a hook, filled with peanuts. The birds perch precariously on the wire whilst pecking through the mesh at the food within. Humble sparrows and beautiful green parrots enjoy the feast together, with what seems like single-minded purpose. They certainly seem to be right here, right now. They don’t seem to be deterred by the memory of the cat that was bounding around outside earlier, nor do they seem worried about the desert heat which even now is building up to a crescendo and will turn the shady nook into a blazing heat trap this afternoon. As far as we know, they don’t have words in their heads to distract them from what they are doing. These words make up language, which is a wonderful tool for solving problems, making our lives more comfortable, and communicating with one another.This same language, however, means that sometimes, especially when we are struggling with problems, we can miss the good things around us because we are so busy in our heads.We can be busy trying to solve our problems by reviewing the past and trying to foretell the future. Alternatively, we could be busy letting our minds do what they were designed to do, which is process information to help us to survive and prosper. Too busy, in fact, to assimilate very important information from what is happening around us at the time. Thus language has a bright, and a dark side.

So, what does this have to do with the birds? Let’s imagine for a moment that the birds had language and thoughts. The information that a salivating and very toothy white cat may pounce through the window at any minute would certainly be passed on from those who had experienced it to those who had not (we are assuming that they have some community spirit of course!). The weaker and more delicate birds, who would most benefit from having a good feed, may be too afraid to risk going to the feeder, and worry about how they will ever get enough to eat, even though the food is there all the time. The more tired birds may think ‘Why bother – I probably won’t be able to get near the food anyway!’

It is not difficult to demonstrate that if our feathered friends had language like we do, there may well be a link between avoiding difficult experiences and increased suffering. Psychologists have found that that is true for people too. That goes for what is happening inside as well as outside. By trying to avoid pain in the short term,

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Research has shown that if we regularly practise being right here, right now, like the birds, and if we really take notice of what is happening, we can move from being dissatisfied with life to being more satisfied and thereby suffering less. In other words, if we train ourselves to notice pain we can decrease suffering.This is a surprising paradox.

The specific practice of mindfulness is one way of training ourselves to return to being right here, right now. It has been found to be very effective in helping us to learn to stay in the moment more and more in our daily lives and to notice what we are experiencing. When we provide the time and space for ourselves to actually notice what we are experiencing, we gain important information about ourselves that we may have otherwise missed in the rush of life.

Take conflict for example. Nobody enjoys conflict, and many of us run away from it or perhaps explode in anger to frighten the other person away. These behaviours help us to avoid talking through the conflict when it occurs. By avoiding conflict, however, we can create potential future problems as issues do not get resolved, thus increasing the possibility of resentment and misunderstanding building up. We may lose valuable opportunities to listen to and try to understand one another. By noticing what is happening in the moment of conflict we learn important things about the other person and ourselves.

Appendix 1: Mindfulness for Christian Clients

by being somewhere else in our minds rather than right here, right now, we can actually cause more suffering for ourselves in the long run.

Depression and anxiety are just two examples of the types of emotional pain that are made worse by worrying and ruminating (going over and over unhelpful thoughts). Physical pain can be made worse when we focus all our attention on the area of pain and tense up or don’t notice anything else around us.

Being alive – now!!

Mindfulness practice helps us to learn how to live in the here and now. Much has been written about it, and there is not the space here to have a full discussion on what is available in the literature. It might be helpful here to simply get an idea of how to do mindfulness.

There are many different views on just how to practise mindfulness. At this point it would be confusing to consider all the different opinions and all that has been written about it. Jon Kabat-Zinn is considered by many professionals to be an authority on

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mindfulness practice as a therapy, so we will confine ourselves to what he has to say, whilst remembering that many others have written excellent books on the topic.

His classic definition of mindfulness is: ‘paying attention in a particular way: on purpose, in the present moment and non-judgementally.’This is a compact definition that explains a lot, so it will be used as a framework to look at how to practise mindfulness, taking each term individually and expanding upon it. Jon Kabat-Zinn and the Beginnings of Mindfulness:

(Rich Simon, Mary Sykes Wylie)

Whilst a graduate student in molecular biology at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in 1966, Jon Kabat-Zinn attended a talk out of curiosity, and heard the speaker explain how, after six months of meditating, his chronic ulcers disappeared for good. ‘Kabat-Zinn was startled to hear that ulcers – a physical ailment – could clear up without medical treatment.This fact ...sparked in him some barely-conscious surmise about the mind’s power to affect the body’.This developed into ‘a deep curiosity about the possibility that simply being aware of each moment as it happens could subtly but profoundly transform the entire quality of life’.

A series of circumstances led to him bringing about the integration of apparently spiritual traditions and conservative medical practice in the first centre in the United States to use meditation and yoga with patients suffering from ‘intractable pain and chronic illness’. This opened as the Stress Reduction Clinic at the University of Massachusetts Medical Center in 1979. The clinic, now housed elsewhere, has treated about 16000 patients, trained about 5000 professionals (with about 35% being M.D.s) and resulted in more than 250 other programmes being set up around the USA.

Kabat-Zinn knew that if he wanted to gain credibility in the field he would need to back up his findings with research. Peer reviewed articles on Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction (MBSR), which mark a move in the right direction of acceptance, have now topped the 1000 mark. These show a reduction in chronic pain, high blood pressure, serum cholesterol levels, blood cortisol, depression, anxiety, post-traumatic stress disorder and eating disorders in patients who practice mindfulness regularly.

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He has published a number of books, and has proven that ‘In a world that prefers its distinctions to be clear-cut and mutually exclusive, he’s someone who’s successfully built bridges between different worlds and worldviews’. He is, however,‘suspicious of the word spiritual because he thinks it obscures and mystifies more than it reveals. In his view,

‘Paying attention’ or concentrating on just one thing is difficult when there is so much to attend to. It requires an act of the will. Practising mindfulness trains the mind to willingly return to one single focus of attention. This is done in a ‘particular way’: usually by sitting or lying still with one’s eyes closed or focussed on one spot, although, with experience, this can be expanded into other daily activities such as walking or showering.

A conscious choice is made about what to focus on, often one’s breathing or doing a body scan, and returning to this focus every time your mind wanders, ‘on purpose’.

This helps one to stay in the ‘present moment’ and to learn what may be a new skill: just noticing thoughts, emotions and urges and then letting them go, and returning to the chosen point of focus. This is not easy to do at first, but it is a skill that can be learned.

Neither is it easy to approach the exercise ‘non-judgementally’ and not to have any particular goal other than just ‘to be’. This is probably totally opposite to all that we have been taught and the mind will need to be retrained: • •

to stop looking for a purpose and just be to stop evaluating performance and getting caught up in mind language.

Appendix 1: Mindfulness for Christian Clients

while meditation may ground people in the fundamental reality of their being, in another sense it’s nothing special.“Anybody can meditate,” Kabat-Zinn says.’

Put in another way, the aim is: • •

to have a mind full of the present moment and to wilfully resist being carried away into thinking about anything else.

By training the mind to purposefully let go of thoughts, without trying to fight with them or to judge them, we begin to notice and to resist the temptation to go wandering off in our minds.

If we practise being right here, right now, we are going to have feelings and thoughts that are difficult to be with. This process allows what is there to be acknowledged, even if just with a mental nod.

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The aim of mindfulness is not to empty the mind, but to pay attention to what is there

There is no right way or wrong way of practising mindfulness. The practice of persistently bringing your mind back to one point of focus in the present moment is all that mindfulness is about. That point of focus can be your feet, doing a scan of your body from head to toe and/or back again, listening carefully for all the sounds you can hear, from the furthest away to the nearest, or anything else you choose to focus on in the present moment.

Ultimately the aim is for you to be able to bring mindfulness into your day-to-day experience as and when you want to. At first, however, it is usually a good thing to decide upon a time to practise, say two or three times a week, and a set an amount of time for the practice, say five minutes. Once you become used to doing the practise, start to bring it into everyday activities like showering, or doing housework, or eating. Not only will it bring a new dimension to these experiences, but it will also help you to become increasingly aware of your experiences. If you keep practising, eventually it will become more and more a way of life, and something that you can do at will, whenever you realise that your mind has taken you on a trip away from where you are.

Meditation

Practitioners of mindfulness who also practice meditation have noted how the experience of practising mindfulness can be very similar to the experience of practising meditation. This has led to a certain amount of confusion, even amongst professionals. Both terms have become common in the media and popular psychology, and can have very different meanings for different people.

Mindfulness as a therapeutic practice has no essential spiritual connotations. The aim is to relearn how we can simply let our thoughts, emotions and physical urges or sensations just ‘be’, without trying to ‘do’ anything with them or about them. No spiritual exercise is part of the practice. Meditation is usually linked with spiritual practices which have spiritual gains as their goal. The difference between the two practices lies in the goal of the practitioner, although the method of practice may be very similar.

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The aim of Christian meditation is very specific and will be explained in detail as we go on. It is very important to keep in mind why we are doing an exercise such as mindfulness or Christian meditation.

It is impossible to cover all types of meditation in order to uncover the differences between them and Christian meditation. It is more relevant to focus on what Christian meditation is than spend time thinking about what it is not.

Christian meditation

Becoming acquainted with God’s perspective on life and people

In Psalm 1 the Psalmist says “Blessed is the man who does not walk in the counsel of the wicked or stand in the way of sinners or sit in the seat of mockers. But his delight is in the law of the LORD, and on his law he meditates day and night.” Blessed means ‘happy’! Does that, and the word ‘delight’, mean that meditation on God’s word is, in fact, a source of happiness? The Bible says that God wants a relationship with us based on love, obedience and trust and not an empty show of rituals. (1 Samuel 15:22)

Appendix 1: Mindfulness for Christian Clients

It is not essential for a Christian to practise meditation in order to benefit from mindfulness. Some may find it threatening to consider doing meditation as it is often linked with other religions.

Praying and communicating with God can be difficult as it involves conveying our thoughts and feelings, and listening for God’s perspective. In close relationships words are not always needed. The mere presence of the loved one brings delight. It is a profoundly moving experience to be free of the need for words and to just be in the Presence of God, in the spirit.

Sometimes there are words, and you may hear the “still small voice” (1Ki 19:12) (NIV) of God in these quiet and alone times. Paying attention to what God may be saying in that moment can be a great help in experiencing the Presence of God in a full and open relationship.

Sometimes there are words, oftentimes no words but just a sense of being in His Presence.

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Where does Mindfulness fit in?

The practice of mindfulness as described above can facilitate and provide a platform for the practice of Christian meditation. Kabat-Zinn says that what tends to happen in mindfulness is that it shows us how to ‘surf the wave between chaos and order’. Even when we feel very turbulent or our minds are troubled, mindfulness helps us to “find the sweet stillness inside the wave.” (Rich Simon, Mary Sykes Wylie) Mindfulness is good preparation for focussed attention on God’s word. Paying attention to ‘what comes up’ in the present moment with no goal other than just to notice, then continually return to this task without judging oneself, brings us to a ‘Just as I am’ state of mind.

It is hard not to judge ourselves and try to fix things about ourselves before approaching God. It is natural to want to protect parts of ourselves from scrutiny. It is hard enough to be willing to notice certain aspects of ourselves without going into judgemental mental activity when we are alone. That is why it takes practice to allow all these parts to be present when we spend time with God. In approaching ourselves first in an attentive manner without judging, we allow the totality of who we are right now to be present.

Meditation is not difficult in the sense that it requires skilful learning. It is difficult because it ‘goes against the grain’. Just as it is not easy to take time out from daily tasks to exercise physically, so it is not easy to take our minds out of their usual activities into a special time of just experiencing the present moment, right here, right now.

Taking the time to learn this skill can be the beginning of a wonderful journey, experiencing the Presence of God. As one who persevered in this pursuit, Brother Lawrence said: “Be not discouraged by the repugnance which you may find in it from nature... At the first one often thinks it lost time, but you must go on, and resolve to persevere in it to death, notwithstanding all the difficulties that may occur.” (Lawrence, 1967)

As mentioned earlier, it is important to remember what we are aiming at. The aim of Christian meditation is not to empty the mind but to focus upon ‘obedience and faithfulness’ to God which, as Foster suggests, is what “most clearly distinguishes

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Mindfulness practice is a good way to set the stage for this. It does not aim at emptying the mind but makes room for what is there in the first place. Persistent thoughts and feelings may constantly return as if fighting for a place in our consciousness if we do not gently but firmly allocate a space for them to be held loosely, and then get on with the task at hand.

How to practise Christian meditation:

The Bible instructs us to meditate. In Joshua 1:8, God says to meditate on His word day and night so that we will obey it. The psalmist says "his delight is in the law of the Lord, and in His law he meditates day and night.” (Psalm 1:2) (MSG).

Does the Bible tell us how to meditate? If we take a careful look at what the words translated as ‘meditation’ mean in the original texts of the Bible, we can gain a better insight into precisely what was meant in verses such as Joshua 1 verse 8, where Joshua was instructed to meditate on God’s word day and night.

In the Hebrew-Greek study Bible edited by Spiros Zodihiates the words used in the Old Testament are translated expansively, giving a rich picture of pondering, imagining, musing, attending, considering, perceiving, discerning, understanding and prudently regarding (Hebrew-Greek Key Word Study Bible: New American Standard Version). As a description of the mental activity involved, this gives us a lot of scope to work out how to do at least some of it. This is made even easier with descriptions extending to vocalisations from murmuring and/or making a solemn sound through to talking (with) and even roaring.

Appendix 1: Mindfulness for Christian Clients

Christian meditation from its Eastern and secular counterparts.” (p37) (Foster, 1998) Further on he states that “..detachment is not enough; we must go on to attachment.” (p43)

Old Testament words for Meditation

In the Old Testament there are at least three primary Hebrew words for meditation (Hebrew-Greek Key Word Study Bible: New American Standard Version): 1. (hâgâh) haw-gaw': A primitive root; to murmur (in pleasure or anger); by implication to ponder: imagine, meditate, mourn, mutter, roar, ....speak, study, talk, utter.);

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(higgâyôn) hig-gaw-yone: Intensive from (hâgâh) - a murmuring sound, that is, a musical notation (probably similar to the modern affettuoso to indicate solemnity of movement); by implication a machination: - device, Higgaion, meditation, solemn sound.

2. (‘śîyach’) see'-akh; A primitive root; to ponder, that is, (by implication) converse (with oneself, and hence aloud) or (transitively) utter: - commune, complain, declare, meditate, muse, pray, speak, talk (with).)

3. (‘bîyn’) bene: A primitive root; to separate mentally (or distinguish), that is, (generally) understand: - attend, consider, be cunning, diligently, direct, discern, eloquent, feel, inform, instruct, have intelligence, know, look well to, mark, perceive, be prudent, regard, (can) skill (-ful), teach, think, (cause, make to, get, give, have) understand (-ing), view, (deal) wise (-ly, man).

The New Testament description expands with more detailed activities such as taking an inventory or counting, reasoning and intensively interesting oneself in something or setting the affections on an object of desire. New Testament words for Meditation

The New Testament brings in a few more descriptions, such as (Hebrew-Greek Key Word Study Bible: New American Standard Version): 1. (‘analogizomai’) an-al-og-id'-zom-ahee; to estimate, that is, (figuratively) contemplate: - consider.); log-id'-zom-ahee:Middle voice from ‘analogizomai’; to take an inventory, that is, estimate (literally or figuratively): - conclude, (ac-) count (of), + despise, esteem, impute, lay, number, reason, reckon, suppose, think (on).

2. (phroneō)fron-eh'-From (phrēn: to rein in or curb); to exercise the mind, that is, entertain or have a sentiment or opinion; by implication to be (mentally) disposed (more or less earnestly in a certain direction); intensively to interest oneself in (with concern or obedience): - set the affection on, (be) care (-ful), (be like-, + be of one, + be of the same, + let this) mind (-ed, regard, savour, think).

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Upon what topics does the Bible command that we meditate?

~ The Word of God

Joshua 1:8: “Do not let this book of the law depart from your mouth, meditate (hâgâh) on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do everything written in it.Then you will be prosperous and successful.”

Psalms 1:2: “But his delight is in the law of the LORD, and on his law he meditates (hâgâh) day and night.” Psalms 119:95: “The wicked are waiting to destroy me, but I will ponder (‘bîyn’) your statutes.“

~ The Works of God

Psalms 143:5: “I remember the days of long ago; I meditate (hâgâh) on all your works and consider what your hands have done.”

Psalms 145:5: “They will speak of the glorious splendour of your majesty, and I will meditate (‘śîyach’) on your wonderful works.”

Appendix 1: Mindfulness for Christian Clients

Let’s take a look at a few examples of the topics we are told to meditate upon, and ideas on how to go about it.

~ Jesus

Hebrews 12:2-3: “Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. Consider (‘analogizomai’) him who endured such opposition from sinful men, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart."

~ Things that Please God

Psalms 19:14:"May the words of my mouth and the meditation (higgâyôn) of my heart be pleasing in your sight, O LORD, my Rock and my Redeemer."

~ Eternal Things:

Colossians 3:2: "Set (phroneō) your minds on things above, not on earthly things."

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Philippians 4:8: "Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable - if anything is excellent or praiseworthy - think (logizomai) about such things."

Starting to practise

Find out for yourself. Read about people whose lives have been changed in this way. Above all, use the Bible as your guide. Trust your own experience as you train yourself to quietly just be there, and then wait for God to make His Presence known to you. There is no special way to do this. People have been trained in methods such as the ‘lectio divina’ and had special teachers as did Theresa of Avila. It may be useful to research all of this, but not essential for your own practice.

Some suggestions:

If you have been practising mindfulness already this will provide an excellent basis for meditation. As in mindfulness, Christian meditation requires you to just be there. It is not necessary to prepare in any way, although it can be helpful to decide beforehand what to focus on. Just as in any family, the action of merely being together with God, with no particular purpose in mind, can be very satisfying.

Start with mindfulness practice. It is helpful to sit in a place where you will not be disturbed. The emphasis on silence and stillness, which is greatly facilitated by mindfulness, helps to prepare a mind which is not full of distraction. As the Psalmist wrote in Psalms 46:10: ‘Be still, and know that I am God.’ (New International Version) Remember that this practice on it’s own has been shown to be beneficial in helping people.

Develop a habit by setting a regular time aside such as 5 minutes two or three times a week, perhaps increasing the amount of time over weekends. Start modestly, and as your desire for this type of communion with God develops, increase the time when possible. It has been said that it takes 21 days to form a habit. Family and work commitments may make this difficult, but over time the practice begins to make itself a priority and becomes more important and easier to do. It can help to fit it in with another habitual practice, such as waiting outside school for your children (It can be done outside the house! Please park your car first!)

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Music is a great help in ‘setting the affections on an object of desire’. Guidance from God on a particular issue, or an experience of the love, joy and peace which are a part of our inheritance from Him are greatly facilitated by music.. It is a good idea to have these materials available beforehand. Choose something to focus on, perhaps a word, or a verse or a scene from the Bible, or allow the Holy Spirit to lead you during the process. The topics suggested above, and the extended interpretation of the words used in the Bible, give a number of ideas that can be used in meditation. So: • • • • • •

• • • •

ponder, imagine scenes, muse over, attend to, consider, work at understanding and prudently regard(ing) with perception and understanding’ the ‘Word and works of God, Jesus, and eternal things and those that please God’. One could also ‘take an inventory or count’ what God has done or the ways in which He has said certain things in the Bible.

Appendix 1: Mindfulness for Christian Clients

Study aids to the Bible such as a concordance, a Bible dictionary, lexical aids (which give the full translation of some words from the original Greek or Hebrew) or commentaries all provide extra material which allow one to ‘reason and intensively interest oneself’ in God’s Word or other aspects of our relationship with Him. Many versions of the Bible are now available with built-in study aids which are a good starting point. These are not essential however and should not limit you if they are not available.

All these different types of thinking will help us to obey what Jesus called ‘the first and greatest commandment’ which is found in Matthew chapter 22 verse 37: “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind”.

Expect difficulties. While mindfulness and meditation are not difficult to do, it is difficult to keep at it as already mentioned. It is not unusual to experience strong emotions at times. Do not suppress them, do not try to guide, judge or in any way

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interfere with the process of just letting your experience be. Let your emotions be expressed freely, and this may bring ‘relief, healing, self-understanding, revelation of God's love and growing intimacy with him.’ (John Mark Ministries) Have compassion for yourself, and any weaknesses that you may become aware of. In Matthew 22 Jesus followed up the greatest commandment with a second one which He said was just ‘like it’: “Love your neighbour as yourself ” (vs 39). How can we love others if we have no compassion for ourselves? There is no wrong or right way to do this.

Don’t worry if your mind wanders, or tells you this is a waste of time, that is normal. Just keep returning to your focus on God and appreciate whatever you receive – even if you are not sure what it is.The mere practice of just being in God’s Presence brings its own blessing, something you will become more and more aware over time.

Something dramatic may occur, and you may see or hear something in your spirit, but more often than not there is no special experience. It is very important to remember that the focus is on the God Who brings the experiences and not the experience itself. Over time, however, you can expect to receive more and more comfort from this practice when you need it most.

Possible Obstacles for Christians Is this misguided mysticism?

A problem that Christians may have is the fear that any exercise of this sort is seeking an experience that may pose as a ‘counterfeit’ to the Presence of God. This is seen as a very real danger for vulnerable people who may be susceptible to ‘misguided mysticism’ (John Mark Ministries). This is a very complex topic which requires indepth investigation if it becomes an issue. At this stage, however, it is sufficient to note very clearly that the safeguard against this would be to keep in mind that we are seeking time with the God who makes the experiences, and not the experiences themselves.

Too heavenly-minded?

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Linked to this is the fear that practices such as this may make us ‘so heavenly minded that we are of no earthly good’. A consideration of the Quakers and their emphasis on ‘listening silences’ proves this to be a false fear because, as Foster notes, “the result has been a vital social impact far in excess of their numbers”. (p44) (Foster, 1998)

“Law-bound disciplines breathe death” - Foster

A final caution from Foster: “The Spiritual Disciplines are intended for our good.They are meant to bring the abundance of God into our lives. It is possible, however, to turn them into another set of soul-killing laws. Law-bound Disciplines breathe death.” (p32) (Foster, 1998). To him the greatest danger is that we will miss out on the whole point of the exercise which is make Christ’s longing to commune with us a ‘living reality....’ in our ‘portable sanctuary’ (p42).

Final bits from Other Christians:

Rick Warren, in ‘The Purpose Driven Life’, (Warren, 2003) describes meditation this way: "Meditation is focused thinking. It takes serious effort.You select a verse and reflect on it over and over in your mind...if you know how to worry; you already know how to meditate.” (190).Warren goes on to say, "Worry is focussed thinking on something negative. Meditation is doing the same thing, only focussing on God’sWord instead of your problem. No other habit can do more to transform your life and make you more like Jesus than daily reflection on Scripture…If you look up all the times God speaks about meditation in the Bible, you will amazed at the benefits He has promised to those who take the time to reflect on His Word throughout the day."

Appendix 1: Mindfulness for Christian Clients

Much has also been written about the dangers of Christians spending too much time in the mind and in the imagination. If this is something you fear, then consecrating the time to God will ensure that He gives you His protection.

On their website, John Mark Ministries (John Mark Ministries) says “Meditation.....is part of the Christian heritage and certainly has been explicit and emphasised in the church through religious movements as far back as the Desert Fathers and Mothers of the 4th Century AD.”

‘The Practice of the Presence of God’, a Christian classic, which has already been mentioned, was written by Nicholas Herman of Lorraine, a Carmelite monk who lived in the seventeenth century. Known as ‘Brother Lawrence’, he wrote about his experience of an active relationship with God, and of how this was the most important thing in the world to him: “Were I a preacher, I should, above all other things, preach the practice of the presence of God.” (p44) Brother Lawrence’s description of how to achieve this sounds like a description of what happens in mindfulness: “I know that for the right practice of it the heart must be empty of all other things, because God will possess the heart alone; and as he cannot possess it

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alone without emptying it of all besides, so neither can He act there, and do in it what He pleases, unless it be left vacant to Him.” (p43, 44) (Lawrence, 1967.) Further on he stated: “I cannot imagine how religious persons can live satisfied without the practice of the presence of God.” (p45) (Lawrence, 1967).

In recent centuries, the Church, especially Western Protestantism, has largely ignored Christian meditation. These may be a few of the reasons: •

•

•

Result-oriented thinking characterises formal education today and much church teaching in the West. The results of meditating are quite difficult to demonstrate and they are not evident in the short-term.

Widespread literacy moved the classroom from the world of experience to that of the book. Modern educational systems minimise the importance of experiential learning, although this tendency has been recognised and is being addressed in some areas. Before we could read a lot of learning happened by experience. Learning was essentially a ‘doing’ activity.

In addition to this, meditation takes time to do and time to teach, and is not conducive to being done in the large groups which comprise many churches today.

These writers show us that Christians do meditate. In fact, some have written about the practice as being an essential part of their relationship with God. As Richard Foster so passionately states: “How sad that contemporary Christians are so ignorant of the vast sea of literature on Christian meditation by faithful believers throughout the centuries! And their testimony to the joyful life of perpetual communion is amazingly uniform. From Catholic to Protestant, from Eastern Orthodox toWestern Free Church we are urged to ‘live in his presence in uninterrupted fellowship.’ ” (p40) (Foster, 1998)

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1. Keeping our minds on the present moment is difficult, especially when things are not going very well for us.

2. By refusing to notice difficult emotions, thoughts or physical sensations, we can create unnecessary suffering for ourselves. 3. There is a way to learn how to notice these things called ‘mindfulness’.

4. The benefits of mindfulness practice are documented in modern psychological research. 5. Mindfulness does resemble meditation. 6. It is ‘Christian’ to meditate.

7. The Bible tells us to meditate, and how to. Some Christian writers have supported meditation. There is also evidence that is has been supported in the church since the 4th century AD.

8. The benefits of meditating on the Bible are promised – in the Bible.

Appendix 1: Mindfulness for Christian Clients

In a nutshell

9. Christian meditation focuses on the giver of the experience and not the experience itself. 10. Ideas on how to meditate and examples.

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APPENDIX 2

CLIENT HANDOUT

The Perspective of Grace

Life Changing Sanctification And The Role Of Grace

“Are you tired? Worn out? Burned out on religion? Come to me. Get away with me and you'll recover your life. I'll show you how to take a real rest.Walk with me and work with me--watch how I do it. Learn the unforced rhythms of grace. I won't lay anything heavy or ill-fitting on you. Keep company with me and you'll learn to live freely and lightly.’’

(Matthew 11:28-30) (MSG)

The benefits of grace as explained in the Bible are:

Firstly, that it provides strength (power) especially when weakness is all the person has to offer: “And He said to me, My grace is sufficient for you, for My power is made perfect in weakness.’’ (2 Corinthians 12:9) (MKJV)

Secondly, it produces in the person attributes that would be classified as values in ACT: “love, joy, peace, long-suffering, kindness, goodness, faith, meekness, self-control.” (Galatians 5:22,23) (MKJV)

Galatians 6:15 states it in this way: “It is not what you and I do - submit to circumcision, reject circumcision. It is what God is doing, and he is creating something totally new, a free life!” (MSG)

This grace is to continue for the life of the believer, and to be continually evident in every aspect of life. Believers are promised “out of His fullness we all have received ….grace for (upon) grace.” (John 1:16) (MKJV). That this was to characterise every aspect of a believer’s life is evident in passages such as Hebrews, 10:20 which states “This is the “new and living way” (Hebrews 10:20) (MKJV) (Words in bold emphasised by me)

According to Matthew Henry, part of the ‘rest’ that is offered in our verse at the beginning is a “well-grounded peace of conscience” which comes from the knowledge that all sins have been forgiven and paid for; in other words, the individual experiences total redemption. Of course that does not mean amnesia about the past, minds will remind individuals about past transgressions and what there is to feel guilty about. This is where the continual remembrance of grace becomes a transforming agent. “Do not conform to

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the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind.” (Romans 12:2) (NIV)

Grace is a subject that has been considered best left alone in the teaching at many Christian churches as it has two possible interpretations, both of which could become very problematic: licentiousness, or an attitude of ‘anything goes’ - and legalism. Both possibilities are dealt with in the Bible.

Licentiousness: Grace is not God's sanction for excusing personal indulgences. Paul discusses this at length in Romans chapter 6. He begins the chapter by asking: “What shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin so that grace may abound? Let it not be! How shall we who died to sin live any longer in it.” (Romans 6:1) (MKJV)

Legalism: In Galatians, the converse problem is confronted. “Did you receive the Spirit by works of the law, or by hearing of faith? Are you so foolish? Having begun in the Spirit, do you now perfect yourself in the flesh?” (Galatians 3: 2,3) (MKJV) He was writing to a church where some were trying to add law requirements to the acquisition of grace. This attempt to turn grace into a performance standard is described as a perversion, a grievous twisting, of grace.

Grace theology is based on the belief in a personal relationship with a personal God. This relationship is based solely on the ability and faithfulness of God and the believer’s response to this, and does not rely in any measure at all upon any achievement of the individual. “This is why the fulfilment of God's promise depends entirely on trusting God and his way, and then simply embracing him and what he does. God's promise arrives as pure gift.” (Romans 4:16) (MSG)

Again, in Romans 12:3b: “Living then, as every one of you does, in pure grace, it's important that you not misinterpret yourselves as people who are bringing this goodness to God. No, God brings it all to you.The only accurate way to understand ourselves is by what God is and by what he does for us, not by what we are and what we do for him.” (MSG)

This means that one does not have to do anything to earn grace and that the appropriate response is to have faith that God will keep His promise. Faith is, therefore, a prerequisite for active receiving of the grace which is offered.

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It also means that self-sufficient striving and attempts to control people and

So, in order to obtain this grace a Christian is required to develop two relational realities: faith and humility. "Be clothed with humility, for 'God resists the proud, but gives grace to the humble'." (1 Peter 5:5) (NIV). God's grace is given to those who "walk humbly with [their] God." (Micah 6:8) (NIV). Likewise, faith accesses grace. "We have access by faith into this grace in which we stand." (Romans 5:2) (NIV)

The development of humility and faith does, of course, rely upon the cooperation of the individual. Pride needs to be actively and deliberately abandoned in order to open yourself up to the working of grace within, thereby abandoning your content; or your story about yourself and why you have succeeded or failed in life; whether you are a good or a bad person; whether others treat you fairly and recognise your good points or not; and so on.

Appendix 2: The Perspective of Grace

circumstances will not facilitate the input of grace. There is a need for humility in order to receive grace, according to the promises given in the Bible. If one attempts to base any of God's saving work in life on personal performance rather than relying on Him, then one is setting aside God's grace; with the inference being that Christ’s death was unnecessary or inadequate. "I do not set aside the grace of God; for if righteousness is through law, then Christ died without cause." (Galatians 2:21) (MKJV)

In effect, you become a blank canvas, offering nothing towards the ‘growth’ process other than the availability of yourself. You begin to see yourself as a space where things happen, and not a place where they are made to happen. To speak in ACT terms, you defuse from all the conclusions and judgements about yourself, willingly accepting things as they are without insisting that they should be as you want them to be, focussing on what God is doing in the present moment, and exercising faith that you are becoming the person that you want to be, and are moving in a valued direction.

This stands in contrast to the other major theme in the Bible and that is of the law as given to Moses.

Understanding the differences between these two covenants is of utmost importance for those who want to live the Christian life with the vitality as described in the Bible.

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Historical Examples of Grace and Sanctification

‘Augustine’s own experience illustrates the problem. He distinguishes between his intellectual conversion to Christianity and his inner conversion. His intellectual conversion, an act of rational deliberation, was sabotaged, according to him, by the very strategies he put to work to attain his goal: complex philosophical reasoning, conceited striving for achievement and fighting a variety of inner challenges. All of these strategies were effortful and ambitious and prevented surrender to God. His inner conversion, which occurred after he had been trying unsuccessfully to live according to Christian Law, did not involve struggle or craving but was rather a simple and peaceful attainment.’ (Augustine 2009 - Luc Van der Berghe)

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vERSES fROM SCRIPTURE

Present Moment Awareness

APPENDIX 3

Reference

Ecclesiastes 5:20 James 1:5-8 John 15:5 Matthew 6:6 Matthew 6:34 Matthew 12:7 Philippians 4:6

Text

God deals out joy in the present, the now. It's useless to brood over how long we might live. (MSG)

Don't fret or worry. Instead of worrying, pray. Let petitions and praises shape your worries into prayers, letting God know your concerns. Before you know it, a sense of God's wholeness, everything coming together for good, will come and settle you down. It's wonderful what happens when Christ displaces worry at the centre of your life. (MSG)

If you had any idea what this Scripture meant - “I prefer a flexible heart to an inflexible ritual” - you wouldn't be nitpicking like this. (MSG)

Give your entire attention to what God is doing right now, and don't get worked up about what may or may not happen tomorrow. God will help you deal with whatever hard things come up when the time comes. (MSG)

Find a quiet, secluded spot so you won't be tempted to role-play before God. Just be there as simply and as honestly as you can manage. The focus will shift from you to God, and you will begin to sense His grace. (MSG)

I am the Vine, you are the branches. When you're joined with me and I with you, the relation intimate and organic, the harvest is sure to be abundant. Separated, you can't produce a thing. (MSG)

If you don't know what you're doing, pray to the Father. He loves to help. You'll get his help, and won't be condescended to when you ask for it. Ask boldly, believingly, without a second thought. People who “worry their prayers” are like wind-whipped waves. Don't think you're going to get anything from the Master that way, adrift at sea, keeping all your options open. (MSG)

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Reference

Psalm 23:1 Psalm 42:11 Psalm 46:10 Psalm 119:11 Psalm 119:114

The Lord is my Shepherd I lack nothing. (NIV)

Text

Why are you down in the dumps, dear soul? Why are you crying the blues? Fix my eyes on God-- soon I'll be praising again. He puts a smile on my face. He's my God. (MSG)

He says, “Be still, and know that I am God...” (NIV)

I have hidden your word in my heart that I might not sin against you. (NIV) I've banked your promises in the vault of my heart so I won't sin myself bankrupt.(MSG)

“You're my place of quiet retreat; I wait for your Word to renew me.” (MSG) - having hope in God helps us to have a different relationship with our thoughts.

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I remembered the old days, went over all you've done, pondered the ways you've worked. (MSG)

The wicked lie in ambush to destroy me, but I am only concerned with your plans for me. (MSG)

Psalm 143:5

Psalm 119:95

Romans 12:1 & 2

So here's what I want you to do, God helping you:Take your everyday, ordinary life--your sleeping, eating, goingto-work, and walking-around life--and place it before God as an offering. Embracing what God does for you is the best thing you can do for him. Don't become so well-adjusted to your culture that you fit into it without even thinking. Instead, fix your attention on God. You'll be changed from the inside out. Readily recognize what he wants from you, and quickly respond to it. Unlike the culture around you, always dragging you down to its level of immaturity, God brings the best out of you, develops well-formed maturity in you. (MSG)

158

vERSES fROM SCRIPTURE & OTHER qUOTES

Awareness of Compassion

APPENDIX 4

Reference 2 Corinthians 1:3-4

1 Joh:18-21 Daniel 9:9 Galatians 5:22-23 1 Peter 3:8 Colossians 3:12

Text

So, chosen by God for this new life of love, dress in the wardrobe God picked out for you: compassion, kindness, humility, quiet strength, discipline. (MSG)

Finally, all of you, live in harmony with one another; be sympathetic, love as brothers, be compassionate and humble. (MSG)

But what happens when we live God's way? He brings gifts into our lives, much the same way that fruit appears in an orchard--things like affection for others, exuberance about life, serenity.We develop a willingness to stick with things, a sense of compassion in the heart, and a conviction that a basic holiness permeates things and people. We find ourselves involved in loyal commitments, not needing to force our way in life, able to marshal and direct our energies wisely. Legalism is helpless in bringing this about; it only gets in the way. (MSG)

Compassion is our only hope, the compassion of you, the Master, our God, since in our rebellion we've forfeited our rights. (MSG)

My dear children, let's not just talk about love; let's practice real love. This is the only way we'll know we're living truly, living in God's reality. It's also the way to shut down debilitating self-criticism, even when there is something to it. For God is greater than our worried hearts and knows more about us than we do ourselves. And friends, once that's taken care of and we're no longer accusing or condemning ourselves, we're bold and free before God! (MSG)

All praise to the God and Father of our Master, Jesus the Messiah! Father of all mercy! God of all healing counsel! He comes alongside us when we go through hard times, and before you know it, he brings us alongside someone else who is going through hard times so that we can be there for that person just as God was there for us. (MSG)

159

Reference Galatians 6:1 Hosea 6:6 Matthew 6:6 Proverbs 3:3 Proverbs 21:3 Psalms 89:14 Romans 12:3b Romans 12:9-10

Section 5

Zechariah 7:9-10

Text

Live creatively, friends. If someone falls into sin, forgivingly restore him, saving your critical comments for yourself.You might be needing forgiveness before the day's out. (MSG)

I'm after love that lasts, not more religion. I want you to know GOD, not go to more prayer meetings. (MSG)

“Find a quiet, secluded place so you won’t be tempted to role-play before God. Just be there as simply and honestly as you can manage.The focus will shift from you to God, and you will begin to sense his grace.” (MSG)

Don't let love and truth ever leave you. Tie them around your neck. Write them on the tablet of your heart. (NIrV)

Clean living before God and justice with our neighbours mean far more to GOD than religious performance. (MSG)

Your kingdom is built on what is right and fair.Your truth and faithful love lead the way in front of you. (MSG)

The only accurate way to understand ourselves is by what God is and by what he does for us, not by what we are and what we do for him. (MSG)

Love from the centre of who you are; don't fake it. Run for dear life from evil; hold on for dear life to good. Be good friends who love deeply; practice playing second fiddle. (MSG)

Well the message hasn't changed. GOD-of-the-Angel-Armies said then and says now: “Treat one another justly. Love your neighbours. Be compassionate with each other.” (MSG)

160

Text - Quotes

We come to God through love, not navigation.

Appendix 4: Awareness of Compassion Reference

Augustinus

Henry, Matthew

Newbigin, Leslie

God chooses and calls a community to be the messengers of His truth and bearers of His love for all people....neither truth nor love can be communicated except as they are embodied in a community which reasons and loves.

Much-Afraid cried out in anguish, and then...did that which she ought to have done the moment the path brought them to the foot of the precipice. Though now she felt too ashamed to do it, she did so because she was forced by her extremity. She cried out, “Oh Lord I am oppressed. Undertake for me. My fears have taken hold and Hurnard, Hannah, I am ashamed to look up”. from 'Hinds Feet in “Why, Much-Afraid.” It was the Shepherd's voice close beside her. “What is the matter? Be of good cheer, it is I, be not High Places' (p77) afraid.” ...The shame in her eyes met no answering reproach in his, ...”My Lord is of very tender compassion to them that are afraid.”

Matthew Henry's commentary on 1 Corinthians 16:14 'Do everything in love': We may defend our faith, but we must, at the same time, maintain our innocence, and not devour and destroy, and think with ourselves that the wrath of man will work the righteousness of God, James 1:24. Note, Christians should be careful that charity not only reign in their hearts, but shine out in their lives, nay, in their most manly defences of the faith of the gospel. There is a great difference between constancy and cruelty, between Christian firmness and feverish wrath and transport. Christianity never appears to so much advantage as when the charity of Christians is most conspicuous when they can bear with their mistaken brethren, and oppose the open enemies of their holy faith in love, when everything is done in charity, when they behave towards one another, and towards all men, with a spirit of meekness and good will.

161

vERSES fROM SCRIPTURE

Perspective of Self

APPENDIX 5

2 Corinthians 12:7-10

2 Corinthians 10:5

Don't shuffle along, eyes to the ground, absorbed with the things right in front of you. Look up, and be alert to what is going on around Christ--that's where the action is. See things from his perspective. Your old life is dead. Your new life, which is your real life--even though invisible to spectators--is with Christ in God. He is your life. (MSG)

Because of the extravagance of those revelations, and so I wouldn't get a big head, I was given the gift of a handicap to keep me in constant touch with my limitations. Satan's angel did his best to get me down; what he in fact did was push me to my knees. No danger then of walking around high and mighty! At first I didn't think of it as a gift, and begged God to remove it. Three times I did that, and then he told me, My grace is enough; it's all you need. My strength comes into its own in your weakness. Once I heard that, I was glad to let it happen. I quit focusing on the handicap and began appreciating the gift. It was a case of Christ's strength moving in on my weakness. Now I take limitations in stride, and with good cheer, these limitations that cut me down to size--abuse, accidents, opposition, bad breaks. I just let Christ take over! And so the weaker I get, the stronger I become.(MSG)

We use our powerful God-tools for smashing warped philosophies, tearing down barriers erected against the truth of God, fitting every loose thought and emotion and impulse into the structure of life shaped by Christ. (MSG)

Text

Matthew 6:6

God deals out joy in the present, the now. It's useless to brood over how long we might live. (MSG)

Reference

Colossians 3:2-3

163

Reference Text

God is educating you; that's why you must never drop out. He's treating you as dear children. This trouble you're in isn't punishment; it's training. (MSG)

Section 5

Hebrews 12:7

Hebrews 12:1-3

James 1:2-4

My brothers and sisters, you will face all kinds of trouble. When you do, think of it as pure joy.Your faith will be put to the test.You know that when that happens it will produce in you the strength to continue. The strength to keep going must be allowed to finish its work. Then you will be all you should be.You will have everything you need. (NIRV)

Do you see what this means--all these pioneers who blazed the way, all these veterans cheering us on? It means we'd better get on with it. Strip down, start running--and never quit! No extra spiritual fat, no parasitic sins. Keep your eyes on Jesus, who both began and finished this race we're in. Study how he did it. Because he never lost sight of where he was headed--that exhilarating finish in and with God--he could put up with anything along the way: cross, shame, whatever. And now he's there, in the place of honour, right alongside God. When you find yourselves flagging in your faith, go over that story again, item by item, that long litany of hostility he ploughed through. That will shoot adrenaline into your souls! (MSG)

James 3:13-18

Do you want to be counted wise, to build a reputation for wisdom? Here's what you do: Live well, live wisely, live humbly. It's the way you live, not the way you talk, that counts. Mean-spirited ambition isn't wisdom. Boasting that you are wise isn't wisdom. Twisting the truth to make yourselves sound wise isn't wisdom. It's the furthest thing from wisdom--it's animal cunning, devilish conniving.Whenever you're trying to look better than others or get the better of others, things fall apart and everyone ends up at the others' throats. Real wisdom, God's wisdom, begins with a holy life and is characterized by getting along with others. It is gentle and reasonable, overflowing with mercy and blessings, not hot one day and cold the next, not two-faced. You can develop a healthy, robust community that lives right with God and enjoy its results only if you do the hard work of getting along with each other, treating each other with dignity and honour. (MSG)

164

Text

Don't fret or worry. Instead of worrying, pray. Let petitions and praises shape your worries into prayers, letting God know your concerns. Before you know it, a sense of God's wholeness, everything coming together for good, will come and settle you down. It's wonderful what happens when Christ displaces worry at the centre of your life. (MSG)

It's not going to be that way with you. Whoever wants to be great must become a servant. Whoever wants to be first among you must be your slave. That is what the Son of Man has done: He came to serve, not be served-and then to give away his life in exchange for the many who are held hostage. (MSG)

If you had any idea what this Scripture meant-- ‘I prefer a flexible heart to an inflexible ritual'--you wouldn't be nit-picking like this.’ (MSG)

Give your entire attention to what God is doing right now, and don't get worked up about what may or may not happen tomorrow. God will help you deal with whatever hard things come up when the time comes. (MSG)

I've told you all this so that trusting me, you will be unshakable and assured, deeply at peace. In this godless world you will continue to experience difficulties. But take heart! I've conquered the world. (MSG)

I am the Vine, you are the branches. When you're joined with me and I with you, the relation intimate and organic, the harvest is sure to be abundant. Separated, you can't produce a thing. (MSG)

And now I have a word for you who brashly announce, “Today--at the latest, tomorrow--we're off to such and such a city for the year.We're going to start a business and make a lot of money.” You don't know the first thing about tomorrow. You're nothing but a wisp of fog, catching a brief bit of sun before disappearing. Instead, make it a habit to say, "If the Master wills it and we're still alive, we'll do this or that.” (MSG)

Appendix 5: Perspective of Self Reference James 4:13-15 John 15:5 John 16:33 Matthew 6:34 Matthew 12:7 Matthew 20:26-28 Philippians 4:6

165

Psalms 119:11

Psalm 103:12

Psalms 42:11

Psalms 23:1

Psalms 46:10

The wicked lie in ambush to destroy me, but I am only concerned with your plans for me. (MSG)

I have hidden your word in my heart that I might not sin against you. (NIV) I've banked your promises in the vault of my heart so I won't sin myself bankrupt. (MSG)

As far as the east is from the west, so far has He removed our transgressions from us. (MKJV)

Why are you down in the dumps, dear soul? Why are you crying the blues? Fix my eyes on God-- soon I'll be praising again. He puts a smile on my face. He's my God. (MSG)

The Lord is my Shepherd I lack nothing. (NIV)

He says, “Be still, and know that I am God...” (NIrV)

Section 5

Psalms 119:95

You're my place of quiet retreat; I wait for your Word to renew me (MSG) - having hope in God helps us to have a different relationship with our thoughts.

Text

Psalms 119:114

I remembered the old days, went over all you've done, pondered the ways you've worked. (MSG)

Reference

Psalm 143:5

166

Appendix 5: Perspective of Self

Romans 7:6

Romans 6:16

Romans 5:3-4

That's why we can be so sure that every detail in our lives of love for God is worked into something good. (MSG)

But now that we're no longer shackled to that domineering mate of sin, and out from under all those oppressive regulations and fine print, we're free to live a new life in the freedom of God. (MSG)

What then? Shall we sin because we are not under the law but under grace? By no means! Don't you know that when you offer yourselves to someone as obedient slaves, you are slaves of the one you obey--whether you are slaves to sin, which leads to death, or to obedience, which leads to righteousness? (MSG)

There's more to come: We continue to shout our praise even when we're hemmed in with troubles, because we know how troubles can develop passionate patience in us, and how that patience in turn forges the tempered steel of virtue, keeping us alert for whatever God will do next. (MSG)

Text

Romans 8:28

Reference

Romans 12:1 - 2

So here's what I want you to do, God helping you: Take your everyday, ordinary life--your sleeping, eating, going-to-work, and walking-around life--and place it before God as an offering. Embracing what God does for you is the best thing you can do for him. Don't become so well-adjusted to your culture that you fit into it without even thinking. Instead, fix your attention on God. You'll be changed from the inside out. Readily recognize what he wants from you, and quickly respond to it. Unlike the culture around you, always dragging you down to its level of immaturity, God brings the best out of you, develops well-formed maturity in you. (MSG)

167

vERSES fROM SCRIPTURE

Willing Acceptance

APPENDIX 6

Reference 1 Corinthians 10:13 1 Corinthians 15:58 2 Corinthians 1: 6,7 2 Corinthians 4:17 2 Corinthians 10:5

2 Corinthians 12:7-10

Text

...so I wouldn't get a big head, I was given the gift of a handicap to keep me in constant touch with my limitations. Satan's angel did his best to get me down; what he in fact did was push me to my knees. No danger then of walking around high and mighty! At first I didn't think of it as a gift, and begged God to remove it. Three times I did that, and then he told me, My grace is enough; it's all you need. My strength comes into its own in your weakness. Once I heard that, I was glad to let it happen. I quit focusing on the handicap and began appreciating the gift. It was a case of Christ's strength moving in on my weakness. Now I take limitations in stride and with good cheer,...I just let Christ take over! And so the weaker I get, the stronger I become. (MSG)

We use our powerful God-tools for smashing warped philosophies, tearing down barriers erected against the truth of God, fitting every loose thought and emotion and impulse into the structure of life shaped by Christ. (MSG)

Therefore we do not lose heart.Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day. For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all. (NIV)

When we suffer for Jesus, it works out for your healing and salvation. If we are treated well, given a helping hand and encouraging word, that also works to your benefit, spurring you on, face forward, unflinching.Your hard times are also our hard times. When we see that you're just as willing to endure the hard times as to enjoy the good times, we know you're going to make it, no doubt about it. (MSG)

With all this going for us, my dear, dear friends, stand your ground. And don't hold back. Throw yourselves into the work of the Master, confident that nothing you do for him is a waste of time or effort. (MSG)

No test or temptation that comes your way is beyond the course of what others have had to face. All you need to remember is that God will never let you down; he'll never let you be pushed past your limit; he'll always be there to help you come through it. (MSG)

169

Reference

1 John 3:13

1 Kings 5:28 1 Samuel 17:48

1 Peter 2:18-20

Text

So don't be surprised, friends, when the world hates you. This has been going on a long time. (MSG)

May he keep us centred and devoted to him, following the life path he has cleared, watching the signposts, walking at the pace and rhythms he laid down for our ancestors. (MSG)

As the Philistine moved closer to attack him, David ran quickly toward the battle line to meet him. (NIV)

For this very reason, make every effort to add to your faith goodness; and to goodness, knowledge; and to knowledge, self-control; and to self-control, perseverance; and to perseverance, godliness; (MSG)

Slaves, in reverent fear of God submit yourselves to your masters, not only to those who are good and considerate, but also to those who are harsh. For it is commendable if someone bears up under the pain of unjust suffering because they are conscious of God. There's no particular virtue in accepting punishment that you well deserve. But if you're treated badly for good behaviour and continue in spite of it to be a good servant, that is what counts with God. (MSG)

2 Peter 1:5-6

On a good day, enjoy yourself; On a bad day, examine your conscience. God arranges for both kinds of days So that we won't take anything for granted. (MSG)

Yes, we should make the most of what God gives, both the bounty and the capacity to enjoy it, accepting what's given and delighting in the work. It's God's gift! God deals out joy in the present, the now. It's useless to brood over how long we might live. (MSG)

Anyone who wants to live all out for Christ is in for a lot of trouble; there's no getting around it. (MSG)

We pray that you'll have the strength to stick it out over the long haul--not the grim strength of gritting your teeth but the glory-strength God gives. It is strength that endures the unendurable and spills over into joy. (MSG)

2 Timothy 3:12 Colossians 1:11 Ecclesiastes 5:19-20

Section 5

Ecclesiastes 7:14

170

Text

And now I have a word for you who brashly announce, “Today--at the latest, tomorrow--we're off to such and such a city for the year.We're going to start a business and make a lot of money.” You don't know the first thing about tomorrow.You're nothing but a wisp of fog, catching a brief bit of sun before disappearing. Instead, make it a habit to say, “If the Master wills it and we're still alive, we'll do this or that.” (MSG)

Consider it a sheer gift, friends, when tests and challenges come at you from all sides. You know that under pressure, your faith-life is forced into the open and shows its true colours. So don't try to get out of anything prematurely. Let it do its work so you become mature and well-developed, not deficient in any way. (MSG)

God is educating you; that's why you must never drop out. He's treating you as dear children. This trouble you're in isn't punishment; it's training. (MSG)

When you find yourselves flagging in your faith, go over that story again, item by item, that long litany of hostility he ploughed through. That will shoot adrenaline into your souls! (MSG)

Keep your eyes on Jesus, who both began and finished this race we're in. Study how he did it. Because he never lost sight of where he was headed--that exhilarating finish in and with God - he could put up with anything along the way: cross, shame, whatever. And now he's there, in the place of honour, right alongside God. (MSG)

Do you see what this means--all these pioneers who blazed the way, all these veterans cheering us on? It means we'd better get on with it. Strip down, start running--and never quit! No extra spiritual fat, no parasitic sins. (MSG)

I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. (NIV)

Don't sit there watching the wind. Do your own work. Don't stare at the clouds. Get on with your life. (MSG)

I took another walk around the neighbourhood and realized that on this earth as it is-- The race is not always to the swift, Nor the battle to the strong, Nor satisfaction to the wise, Nor riches to the smart, Nor grace to the learned. Sooner or later bad luck hits us all. (MSG)

Appendix 6: Willing Acceptance Reference Ecclesiastes 9:11 Ecclesiastes 11:4 Galatians 2:20 Hebrews 12:1 Hebrews 12:2 Hebrews 12:3 Hebrews 12:7 James 1:2-4 James 4:13-15

171

Reference

Job 5:7 John 15:18,19 John 16:33

Text

It's human! Mortals are born and bred for trouble, as certainly as sparks fly upward. (MSG)

If you find the godless world hates you, remember it got its start hating me. If you lived on the world's terms, the world would love you as one of its own. But since I picked you to live on God's terms and no longer on the world's terms, the world is going to hate you.” (MSG)

I've told you all this so that trusting me, you will be unshakable and assured, deeply at peace. In this godless world you will continue to experience difficulties. But take heart! I've conquered the world. (MSG)

It's not going to be that way with you. Whoever wants to be great must become a servant. Whoever wants to be first among you must be your slave. That is what the Son of Man has done: He came to serve, not be served-and then to give away his life in exchange for the many who are held hostage. (MSG)

If you had any idea what this Scripture meant--'I prefer a flexible heart to an inflexible ritual'--you wouldn't be nitpicking like this. (MSG)

Give your entire attention to what God is doing right now, and don't get worked up about what may or may not happen tomorrow. God will help you deal with whatever hard things come up when the time comes. (MSG)

You're blessed when your commitment to God provokes persecution. The persecution drives you even deeper into God's kingdom. Not only that--count yourselves blessed every time people put you down or throw you out or speak lies about you to discredit me. What it means is that the truth is too close for comfort and they are uncomfortable.You can be glad when that happens--give a cheer, even!--for though they don't like it, I do! And all heaven applauds. And know that you are in good company. My prophets and witnesses have always gotten into this kind of trouble. (MSG)

When life is heavy and hard to take, go off by yourself. Enter the silence. Bow in prayer. Don't ask questions. Lamentations 3:28-31 Wait for hope to appear. Don't run from trouble. Take it full-face. The 'worst' is never the worst.Why? Because the Master won't ever walk out and fail to return. (MSG)

Matthew 5:10-12 Matthew 6:34 Matthew 12:7

Section 5

Matthew 20:26-28

172

Appendix 6: Willing Acceptance Reference Philippians 4:6-7

Text

Why are you down in the dumps, dear soul? Why are you crying the blues? Fix my eyes on God-- soon I'll be praising again. He puts a smile on my face. He's my God. (MSG)

Don't fret or worry. Instead of worrying, pray. Let petitions and praises shape your worries into prayers, letting God know your concerns. Before you know it, a sense of God's wholeness, everything coming together for good, will come and settle you down. It's wonderful what happens when Christ displaces worry at the centre of your life. (MSG) The Lord is my Shepherd I lack nothing. (NIV)

Psalms 42:11

He says, “Be still, and know that I am God;” (NIV)

The wicked lie in ambush to destroy me, but I am only concerned with your plans for me. (MSG)

There's more to come: We continue to shout our praise even when we're hemmed in with troubles, because we know how troubles can develop passionate patience in us, and how that patience in turn forges the tempered steel of virtue, keeping us alert for whatever God will do next. (MSG)

That's why we can be so sure that every detail in our lives of love for God is worked into something good. (MSG)

Romans 12:1 & 2

So here's what I want you to do, God helping you:Take your everyday, ordinary life--your sleeping, eating, goingto-work, and walking-around life--and place it before God as an offering. Embracing what God does for you is the best thing you can do for him. Don't become so well-adjusted to your culture that you fit into it without even thinking. Instead, fix your attention on God.You'll be changed from the inside out. Readily recognize what he wants from you, and quickly respond to it. Unlike the culture around you, always dragging you down to its level of immaturity, God brings the best out of you, develops well-formed maturity in you. (MSG)

Be cheerfully expectant. Don't quit in hard times; pray all the harder. (MSG)

Don't hit back; discover beauty in everyone. If you've got it in you, get along with everybody. Don't insist on getting even; that's not for you to do. “I'll do the judging,” says God. “I'll take care of it.” (MSG)

Romans 12:12

Romans 12:17-19

Romans 8:28:

Romans 5:3,4

Psalms 46:10 Psalms 119:95

Psalms 23:1

173

vERSES fROM SCRIPTURE

Cognitive Defusion

APPENDIX 7

Reference 1 Corinthians 10:13 1 Corinthians 15:58

Text

No test or temptation that comes your way is beyond the course of what others have had to face. All you need to remember is that God will never let you down; he'll never let you be pushed past your limit; he'll always be there to help you come through it. (MSG)

With all this going for us, my dear, dear friends, stand your ground. And don't hold back. Throw yourselves into the work of the Master, confident that nothing you do for him is a waste of time or effort. (MSG)

We use our powerful God-tools for smashing warped philosophies, tearing down barriers erected against the truth of God, fitting every loose thought and emotion and impulse into the structure of life shaped by Christ. (MSG)

Therefore we do not lose heart. Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day. For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all. (NIV)

2 Corinthians 10:5

So don't be surprised, friends, when the world hates you. This has been going on a long time. (MSG)

Because of the extravagance of those revelations, and so I wouldn't get a big head, I was given the gift of a handicap to keep me in constant touch with my limitations. Satan's angel did his best to get me down; what he in fact did was push me to my knees. No danger then of walking around high and mighty! At first I didn't think of it as a gift, and begged God to remove it. Three times I did that, and then he told me, My grace is enough; all you need. My strength comes into its own in your weakness. Once I heard that, I was glad to let it happen. 2 Corinthians 12:7-10 Iit'squit focusing on the handicap and began appreciating the gift. It was a case of Christ's strength moving in on my weakness. Now I take limitations in stride, and with good cheer, these limitations that cut me down to size - abuse, accidents, opposition, bad breaks. I just let Christ take over! And so the weaker I get, the stronger I become.(MSG)

1 John 3:13

2 Corinthians 4:17

175

Reference 2 Peter 1:5-7 Colossians 1:10 Colossians 1:11 Colossians 2:8 Colossians 3:2 & 3 Ecclesiastes 5:19,20 Ecclesiastes 9:11

Section 5

Isaiah 55:8

Text

For this very reason, make every effort to add to your faith goodness; and to goodness, knowledge; and to knowledge, self-control; and to self-control, perseverance; and to perseverance, godliness; and to godliness, mutual affection; and to mutual affection, love. (NIV)

We pray that you'll live well for the Master, making him proud of you as you work hard in his orchard. As you learn more and more how God works, you will learn how to do your work. (MSG)

We pray that you'll have the strength to stick it out over the long haul - not the grim strength of gritting your teeth but the glory-strength God gives. It is strength that endures the unendurable and spills over into joy. (MSG)

Watch out for people who try to dazzle you with big words and intellectual double-talk. They want to drag you off into endless arguments that never amount to anything. They spread their ideas through the empty traditions of human beings and the empty superstitions of spirit beings. But that's not the way of Christ. (MSG)

Don't shuffle along, eyes to the ground, absorbed with the things right in front of you. Look up, and be alert to what is going on around Christ--that's where the action is. See things from his perspective. Your old life is dead. Your new life, which is your real life - even though invisible to spectators - is with Christ in God. He is your life. (MSG)

Yes, we should make the most of what God gives, both the bounty and the capacity to enjoy it, accepting what's given and delighting in the work. It's God's gift! God deals out joy in the present, the now. It's useless to brood over how long we might live. (MSG)

I took another walk around the neighbourhood and realized that on this earth as it is - The race is not always to the swift, nor the battle to the strong, nor satisfaction to the wise, nor riches to the smart, nor grace to the learned. Sooner or later bad luck hits us all. (MSG)

“I don't think the way you think.The way you work isn't the way I work.” GOD's Decree. (MSG)

176

Text

It's not going to be that way with you. Whoever wants to be great must become a servant. Whoever wants to be first among you must be your slave. (MSG)

If you had any idea what this Scripture meant - 'I prefer a flexible heart to an inflexible ritual' - you wouldn't be nitpicking like this. (MSG)

I've told you all this so that trusting me, you will be unshakable and assured, deeply at peace. In this godless world you will continue to experience difficulties. But take heart! I've conquered the world. (MSG)

Does the world hate you? Remember that it hated me first. If you belonged to the world, it would love you like one of its own. But you do not belong to the world. I have chosen you out of the world. That is why the world hates you. (MSG)

I am the Vine, you are the branches. When you're joined with me and I with you, the relation intimate and organic, the harvest is sure to be abundant. Separated, you can't produce a thing. (MSG)

And now I have a word for you who brashly announce, “Today--at the latest, tomorrow--we're off to such and such a city for the year. We're going to start a business and make a lot of money.” You don't know the first thing about tomorrow. You're nothing but a wisp of fog, catching a brief bit of sun before disappearing. Instead, make it a habit to say, “If the Master wills it and we're still alive, we'll do this or that.” (MSG)

The heart (Strong's dictionary: ‘The feelings, the will, and even the intellect') is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it? (KJV)

Consider it a sheer gift, friends, when tests and challenges come at you from all sides. You know that under pressure, your faith-life is forced into the open and shows its true colours. So don't try to get out of anything prematurely. Let it do its work so you become mature and well-developed, not deficient in any way. (MSG)

Appendix 7: Cognitive Defusion Reference James 1:2-4 Jeremiah 17:9 James 4:13-15 John 15:5 John 15:18,19 John 16:33 Matthew 12:7 Matthew 20:27

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Reference Philippians 4:6

Text

Keep my message in plain view at all times. Concentrate! Learn it by heart! Those who discover these words live, really live; body and soul, they're bursting with health. Keep vigilant watch over your heart; that's where life starts. (MSG)

Don't fret or worry. Instead of worrying, pray. Let petitions and praises shape your worries into prayers, letting God know your concerns. Before you know it, a sense of God's wholeness, everything coming together for good, will come and settle you down. It's wonderful what happens when Christ displaces worry at the centre of your life. (MSG)

Proverbs 4:21-23

But now that we're no longer shackled to that domineering mate of sin, and out from under all those oppressive regulations and fine print, we're free to live a new life in the freedom of God. (MSG)

There's more to come: We continue to shout our praise even when we're hemmed in with troubles, because we know how troubles can develop passionate patience in us, and how that patience in turn forges the tempered steel of virtue, keeping us alert for whatever God will do next. (MSG)

I remembered the old days, went over all you've done, pondered the ways you've worked. (MSG)

You're my place of quiet retreat; I wait for your Word to renew me (MSG) - having hope in God helps us to have a different relationship with our thoughts.

He says: “Be still, and know that I am God;” (NIV)

I have hidden your word in my heart that I might not sin against you. (NIV) I've banked your promises in the vault of my heart so I won't sin myself bankrupt. (MSG)

Psalms 46:10

Psalms 119:11 Psalm 119:114 Psalm 143:5 Romans 5:3 & 4

Section 5

Romans 7:6

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Appendix 7: Cognitive Defusion

Romans 8:28

So here's what I want you to do, God helping you: Take your everyday, ordinary life--your sleeping, eating, going-to-work, and walking-around life--and place it before God as an offering. Embracing what God does for you is the best thing you can do for him. Don't become so well-adjusted to your culture that you fit into it without even thinking. Instead, fix your attention on God. You'll be changed from the inside out. Readily recognize what he wants from you, and quickly respond to it. Unlike the culture around you, always dragging you down to its level of immaturity, God brings the best out of you, develops well-formed maturity in you. (MSG)

That's why we can be so sure that every detail in our lives of love for God is worked into something good. (MSG)

Text

Romans 12:1 & 2

Don't hit back; discover beauty in everyone. If you've got it in you, get along with everybody. Don't insist on getting even; that's not for you to do. “I'll do the judging,” says God. “I'll take care of it.” (MSG)

Reference

Romans 12:17-19

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APPENDIX 8

CLIENT HANDOUT

Values in ACT and Christian Ethics/Virtues

Acceptance and Commitment Therapy is based on the ‘pragmatic truth criterion’, which means that the therapist analyses your input from the point of view of ‘what works’.

Workability is determined by your values, or what you state as being important to you. Since you began therapy, you and your therapist have probably been jointly doing a ‘conceptualization’ of what has brought you to therapy in the first place. Now it is time to take action and go forward; that is when values become very important.

Your therapist does not have to be a Christian in order to carry out values work with you, because a professional ACT therapist focuses on what is important to you, as stated by you, and does not allow what they think is important, or what they think you should think, to influence them. The skills of acceptance, defusion, present moment awareness and a flexible sense of self are also being practised by your therapist as the work continues and they help him, just as they help you, not to judge. The process you are going to work on now is called ‘defining values’. This can be a very sticky area for Christians, for a number of reasons.

Firstly the word ‘values’ may have certain connotations for you, or your church leaders and teachers. This word is used very specifically in ACT and the meaning will be discussed, together with alternative terms such as ‘Christian Ethics’, and ‘Christian virtues’.

Secondly, it may difficult for you to think in this way, because you are not used to it. That is why later on there are examples of ethics and/or virtues to help you with this task. Finally, there will be a few verses to help you to incorporate valued living into your daily experience.

Firstly, let’s look at what ‘values’ in ACT refers to. You may have already been told that this therapy uses behaviour analysis to try and understand your behaviour. Included in this analysis are observable behaviours and also thoughts, feelings and bodily sensations. There is no need for you to understand why all these internal happenings are included as behaviour - but if you want to you can find out more on the ACBS website.

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The concept of reinforcement is an essential part of influencing behaviour change, either positively or negatively. This is built into the following definition of values in ACT: “freely chosen, verbally constructed (spoken in words or described) consequences of ongoing, dynamic, evolving patterns of activity (external behaviour and internal happenings) which establish (bring to awareness) predominant reinforcers (strengthening) for that activity which are intrinsic (built into) in engagement (taking part in) in the valued pattern itself.” (Wilson 2008, p64). (Italics in brackets are my interpretation of the meaning of the words used.) So, when working with this process, your therapist is engaged in helping you to describe your own values/ethics/virtues (you choose what you want to call them) in your own words.

As mentioned, your therapist is well-trained and undoubtedly skilful, in not judging your choices and will help you to form the descriptions in a way that works best for you. By putting them into words, you help yourself to recognise when you are taking even tiny steps in that direction and that, in itself, produces a positive feeling of vitality, which encourages you to carry on taking steps in that direction. That is why you may be asked the question: ‘Does that (behaviour) work for you?’ or something similar to that.

Before we go on to discuss the different connotations that the word ‘values’ may have for you, I would just like to draw your attention to the previous sentence. The question: ‘Does that work for you’ may sound different from what you are used to, and maybe even wrong. If your therapist uses the phrase ‘does that work for you’, please understand that they are not advocating that you should not, or need not, have moral standards. It is merely a way of drawing your attention to whether you are moving in the direction of your own values, or not. It is not an encouragement to suspend your morals, nor is it an indication that your therapist has done so! This may be very different from how other counsellors have spoken to you, it is simply a reminder that your behaviour is not being judged against anyone’s standards but the ones you have chosen.

Let’s look at the word ‘values’ now, and the use of this word in the study of ethics. (Much of this information is taken from the book: Christian Ethics in Plain Language, by Kerby Andersen (2005).

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If you have been to ethics classes, you may have learned that values clarification is an exercise where each person decides what is right or wrong for themselves. You

If this is the case and you are a Christian, you may find the word ‘values’ distasteful, and prefer to use the word ‘ethics’. (This is a very blunt way of describing what is, actually, quite a useful process in the study of ethics, especially when preparing to work cross-culturally).

Alternatively, the word ‘virtues’ might be more acceptable as terminology to describe your desired direction. In his book ‘Not the End but the Road’, Gary Thomas introduces virtues in this way:“For centuries, Christian teachers have spoken about ‘practicing the virtues of Christ.’ By this they mean imitating the inner orientations and behaviours evidenced in the life of Jesus while He walked on earth – toward the goal of a mature character. While salvation is a work that is done entirely within God’s mercy and without human effort (see Romans 9:16), growth in Christ involves cooperation between God and His children (see 1 John 3:3; Philippians 2:12,13). Just as bodybuilders use weights to shape their physiques, so Christians can ‘work out’ their faith by practicing the virtues, understanding that holiness won’t ‘suddenly appear’ just because they prayed a prayer of salvation.’’ (2004, p9)

Whatever word you choose, make sure that you understand that these are qualities that you wish to develop in your own life and which are to be defined by you according to what you want - not what you think others or society or your group might consider important. They may be similar, but it is important that you decide what they are to be. To help with this choice, here are two lists – one of ethics as defined by Andersen (2005) and one of virtues as listed by Thomas (2004).

Appendix 8: Values in ACT and Christian Ethics/Virtues

will also, probably, have been taught not to judge another person’s behaviour by assuming that there are absolute standards of right and wrong, that are the same as yours, and that apply to everybody.

Ethics: •

‘Biblical ethics rests on the belief in absolute truth’ (p2)

•

‘A Christian understanding of ethics and philosophy begins with the assumption that God exists and has revealed Himself to the human race’ (p20)

•

‘a person’s faith commitment definitely affects his or her perspective on moral issues’ (p2)

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•

‘God’s character is the ultimate standard of right and wrong’ Biblical morality can be developed from learning to live God’s way according to biblical principles. Though the Christian life is much more than a set of rules or principles, these principles do provide moral boundaries for behaviour.’ (p20)

The Old Testament focussed on social ethics, the New Testament on personal ethics. This does not mean that the Old Testament moral code was abolished (Matthew 5:17-19). In fact, these verses are taken from the Sermon on the Mount, where Jesus criticized the Pharisees misuse and misinterpretation of Old Testament law. He focussed on inward motives (Matthew 5:21,22) as being more indicative of a person’s moral standing than outward rule-keeping. This is consistent with teaching from the Old Testament (Hosea 6:6 and many other places) and with teaching throughout the New Testament.

The teaching of Jesus contained a very strong social dimension (Matthew 5:33-48), as did many of his parables, for example, the story of the Good Samaritan. This is a key moral foundation, as is indicated by the second greatest commandment, as expressed by Jesus: “Love your neighbour as yourself.” (Luke 10:27).

The Bible does have specific instructions about how we should conduct ourselves in the different relationships that we encounter, and the different roles that we occupy. Many of these are noted in Appendix 9:‘Verses aboutValues and Committed Action’. Although the Bible does provide these guidelines, it also advocates personal choice on matters of moral neutrality, as long as one’s choice does not offend others. Romans 14 verses 1 through 18 deal with this in some detail.

Some of the specific qualities that provide the foundation for Christian ethics are: • • • •

Love Honesty Integrity Civility

• •

Humility Surrender

These may provide some ideas for you in your construction of what you want your life to be about, as may some of the following virtues:

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Detachment Love Chastity Generosity Vigilance Patience Discernment Thankfulness Gentleness Fortitude Obedience Penitence

A few verses of scripture which may help you in this process of choosing:

Romans 12: 1&2: “So here's what I want you to do, God helping you:Take your everyday, ordinary life--your sleeping, eating, going-to-work, and walking-around life--and place it before God as an offering. Embracing what God does for you is the best thing you can do for him. Don't become so well-adjusted to your culture that you fit into it without even thinking. Instead, fix your attention on God.You'll be changed from the inside out. Readily recognize what he wants from you, and quickly respond to it." (MSG)

Romans 12: 6-12: “Let's just go ahead and be what we were made to be, without enviously or pridefully comparing ourselves with each other, or trying to be something we aren't. If you preach, just preach God's Message, nothing else;

Appendix 8: Values in ACT and Christian Ethics/Virtues

• • • • • • • • • • • •

if you help, just help, don't take over; if you teach, stick to your teaching;

if you give encouraging guidance, be careful that you don't get bossy; if you're put in charge, don't manipulate; if you're called to give aid to people in distress, keep your eyes open and be quick to respond; if you work with the disadvantaged, don't let yourself get irritated with them or depressed by them. Keep a smile on your face.

Love from the centre of who you are; don't fake it. Run for dear life from evil; hold on for dear life to good. Be good friends who love deeply; practice playing second fiddle.

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Don't burn out; keep yourselves fuelled and aflame. Be alert servants of the Master, cheerfully expectant. Don't quit in hard times; pray all the harder.” (MSG)

Romans 12:17-19: “Don't hit back; discover beauty in everyone. If you've got it in you, get along with everybody.

Don't insist on getting even; that's not for you to do.‘I'll do the judging,’ says God.‘I'll take care of it.’“ (MSG)

vERSES fROM SCRIPTURE

Values and Committed Action

APPENDIX 9

Reference 1 Corinthians 10:13 1 Corinthians 10:31 1 Corinthians 15:58 2 Corinthians 1: 6,7

Text

No test or temptation that comes your way is beyond the course of what others have had to face. All you need to remember is that God will never let you down; he'll never let you be pushed past your limit; he'll always be there to help you come through it. (MSG)

So eat your meals heartily, not worrying about what others say about you--you're eating to God's glory, after all, not to please them. As a matter of fact, do everything that way, heartily and freely to God's glory. (MSG)

With all this going for us, my dear, dear friends, stand your ground. And don't hold back. Throw yourselves into the work of the Master, confident that nothing you do for him is a waste of time or effort. (MSG)

When we suffer for Jesus, it works out for your healing and salvation. If we are treated well, given a helping hand and encouraging word, that also works to your benefit, spurring you on, face forward, unflinching.Your hard times are also our hard times. When we see that you're just as willing to endure the hard times as to enjoy the good times, we know you're going to make it, no doubt about it. (MSG)

Therefore we do not lose heart. Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day. For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all. (NIV)

Now I'm glad--not that you were upset, but that you were jarred into turning things around.You let the distress bring you to God, not drive you from him. The result was all gain, no loss. Distress that drives us to God does that. It turns us around. It gets us back in the way of salvation. We never regret that kind of pain. But those 2 Corinthians 7:9-11 who let distress drive them away from God are full of regrets; end up on a deathbed of regrets. And now, isn't it wonderful all the ways in which this distress has goaded you closer to God?You're more alive, more concerned, more sensitive, more reverent, more human, more passionate, more responsible. Looked at from any angle, you've come out of this with purity of heart. (MSG)

2 Corinthians 4:17

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Text

We use our powerful God-tools for smashing warped philosophies, tearing down barriers erected against the truth of God, fitting every loose thought and emotion and impulse into the structure of life shaped by Christ. (MSG)

Reference 2 Corinthians 10:5

May he keep us centred and devoted to him, following the life path he has cleared, watching the signposts, walking at the pace and rhythms he laid down for our ancestors. (MSG)

David took off from the front line, running toward the Philistine. (MSG)

Then Samuel said, Do you think all GOD wants are sacrifices - empty rituals just for show? He wants you to listen to him! Plain listening is the thing, not staging a lavish religious production. (MSG)

Because of the extravagance of those revelations, and so I wouldn't get a big head, I was given the gift of a handicap to keep me in constant touch with my limitations. Satan's angel did his best to get me down; what he in fact did was push me to my knees. No danger then of walking around high and mighty! At first I didn't think of it as a gift, and begged God to remove it. Three times I did that, and then he told me, My grace is enough; it's all you need. My strength comes into its own in your weakness. Once I heard that, I was glad to let it happen. 2 Corinthians 12: 7-10 I quit focusing on the handicap and began appreciating the gift. It was a case of Christ's strength moving in on my weakness. Now I take limitations in stride, and with good cheer, these limitations that cut me down to size - abuse, accidents, opposition, bad breaks. I just let Christ take over! And so the weaker I get, the stronger I become. (MSG)

1 Kings 5:28

1 Samuel 15:22

1 Samuel 17:48

Section 5

1 Peter 2:13-16

Make the Master proud of you by being good citizens. Respect the authorities, whatever their level; they are God's emissaries for keeping order. It is God's will that by doing good, you might cure the ignorance of the fools who think you're a danger to society. Exercise your freedom by serving God, not by breaking the rules. (MSG)

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Text

Don't shuffle along, eyes to the ground, absorbed with the things right in front of you. Look up, and be alert to what is going on around Christ - that's where the action is. See things from his perspective. (MSG)

Watch out for people who try to dazzle you with big words and intellectual double-talk. They want to drag you off into endless arguments that never amount to anything. They spread their ideas through the empty traditions of human beings and the empty superstitions of spirit beings. But that's not the way of Christ. (MSG)

My counsel for you is simple and straightforward: Just go ahead with what you've been given. You received Christ Jesus, the Master; now live him. You're deeply rooted in him. You're well-constructed upon him. You know your way around the faith. Now do what you've been taught. School's out; quit studying the subject and start living it! And let your living spill over into thanksgiving. (MSG)

We pray that you'll have the strength to stick it out over the long haul - not the grim strength of gritting your teeth but the glory-strength God gives. It is strength that endures the unendurable and spills over into joy. (MSG)

We pray that you'll live well for the Master, making him proud of you as you work hard in his orchard. As you learn more and more how God works, you will learn how to do your work. (MSG)

For this very reason, make every effort to add to your faith goodness; and to goodness, knowledge; and to knowledge, self-control; and to self-control, perseverance; and to perseverance, godliness; and to godliness, mutual affection; and to mutual affection, love. (NIV)

There's no particular virtue in accepting punishment that you well deserve. But if you're treated badly for good behaviour and continue in spite of it to be a good servant, that is what counts with God. (MSG)

You who are servants, be good servants to your masters - not just to good masters, but also to bad ones. What counts is that you put up with it for God's sake when you're treated badly for no good reason. (MSG)

Appendix 9: Values and Committed Action Reference

1 Peter2:18,19 1 Peter2:20 2 Peter 1:5-7 Colossians 1:10 Colossians 1:11 Colossians 2:6 & 7 Colossians 2:8 Colossians 3:2

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Reference

Colossians 4:1 Deuteronomy 16:19 Ecclesiastes 5:19

Ecclesiastes 5:20

Text

And masters, treat your servants considerately. Be fair with them. Don't forget for a minute that you, too, serve a Master - God in heaven. (MSG)

Don't twist the law. Don't play favourites. Don't take a bribe - a bribe blinds even a wise person; it undermines the intentions of the best of people. (MSG)

Yes, we should make the most of what God gives, both the bounty and the capacity to enjoy it, accepting what's given and delighting in the work. It's God's gift! (MSG)

God deals out joy in the present, the now. It's useless to brood over how long we might live. (MSG)

But don't press your luck by being bad, either. And don't be reckless. Why die needlessly? It's best to stay in touch with both sides of an issue. A person who fears God deals responsibly with all of reality, not just a piece of it. (MSG)

Don't sit there watching the wind. Do your own work. Don't stare at the clouds. Get on with your life. (MSG), If you wait for perfect conditions you will never get anything done. (NIV)

Ecclesiastes 7:17-18 Ecclesiastes 11:4

Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you. (NIV)

The person who lives in right relationship with God does it by embracing what God arranges for him. Doing things for God is the opposite of entering into what God does for you. (MSG)

Ephesians 4:32

Galatians 3:11

Section 5

Galatians 6:6 -8

Don't be misled: No one makes a fool of God. What a person plants, he will harvest. The person who plants selfishness, ignoring the needs of others - ignoring God! - harvests a crop of weeds. All he'll have to show for his life is weeds! But the one who plants in response to God, letting God's Spirit do the growth work in him, harvests a crop of real life, eternal life. (MSG)

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Text

But whoever catches a glimpse of the revealed counsel of God - the free life! - even out of the corner of his eye, and sticks with it, is no distracted scatterbrain but a man or woman of action. That person will find delight and affirmation in the action. (MSG)

Anyone who meets a testing challenge head-on and manages to stick it out is mighty fortunate. For such persons loyally in love with God, the reward is life and more life. (MSG)

If you don't know what you're doing, pray to the Father. He loves to help. You'll get his help, and won't be condescended to when you ask for it. Ask boldly, believingly, without a second thought. People who ‘worry their prayers’ are like wind-whipped waves. Don't think you're going to get anything from the Master that way, adrift at sea, keeping all your options open. (MSG)

Consider it a sheer gift, friends, when tests and challenges come at you from all sides. You know that under pressure, your faith-life is forced into the open and shows its true colours. So don't try to get out of anything prematurely. Let it do its work so you become mature and well-developed, not deficient in any way. (MSG)

God is educating you; that's why you must never drop out. He's treating you as dear children. This trouble you're in isn't punishment; it's training. (MSG)

Study how he did it. Because he never lost sight of where he was headed - that exhilarating finish in and with God - he could put up with anything along the way: cross, shame, whatever. And now he's there, in the place of honour, right alongside God. When you find yourselves flagging in your faith, go over that story again, item by item, that long litany of hostility he ploughed through. That will shoot adrenaline into your souls! (MSG)

Do you see what this means - all these pioneers who blazed the way, all these veterans cheering us on? It means we'd better get on with it. Strip down, start running - and never quit! No extra spiritual fat, no parasitic sins. Keep your eyes on Jesus, who both began and finished this race we're in. Study how he did it. (MSG)

Appendix 9: Values and Committed Action Reference Hebrews 12:1-2 Hebrews 12:3 Hebrews 12:7 James 1:2-4

James 1:5-8 James 1:12 James1:25

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Reference

James 3:13-18

John 7:24 John 16:33 1 Kings 8:58 Matthew 6:34

Section 5

Matthew 12:7

Text

Do you want to be counted wise, to build a reputation for wisdom? Here's what you do: Live well, live wisely, live humbly. It's the way you live, not the way you talk, that counts. Mean-spirited ambition isn't wisdom. Boasting that you are wise isn't wisdom. Twisting the truth to make yourselves sound wise isn't wisdom. It's the furthest thing from wisdom - it's animal cunning, devilish conniving. Whenever you're trying to look better than others or get the better of others, things fall apart and everyone ends up at the others' throats. Real wisdom, God's wisdom, begins with a holy life and is characterized by getting along with others. It is gentle and reasonable, overflowing with mercy and blessings, not hot one day and cold the next, not two-faced. You can develop a healthy, robust community that lives right with God and enjoy its results only if you do the hard work of getting along with each other, treating each other with dignity and honour. (MSG)

Don't be nit-pickers; use your head - and heart! - to discern what is right, to test what is authentically right. (MSG)

I've told you all this so that trusting me, you will be unshakable and assured, deeply at peace. In this godless world you will continue to experience difficulties. But take heart! I've conquered the world. (MSG)

May he keep us centred and devoted to him, following the life path he has cleared, watching the signposts, walking at the pace and rhythms he laid down for our ancestors.

But seek first His kingdom and His righteousness and all these things shall be added to you. Therefore do not be anxious for tomorrow; for tomorrow will take care for itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.'' (MSG)

If you had any idea what this Scripture meant - 'I prefer a flexible heart to an inflexible ritual' - you wouldn't be nitpicking like this. (MSG)

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Appendix 9: Values and Committed Action Reference Matthew 15: 6-11

Text

But what comes out of the mouth gets its start in the heart. (MSG)

'... you nullify the word of God for the sake of your tradition. You hypocrites! Isaiah was right when he prophesied about you: “These people honour me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me.They worship me in vain; their teachings are merely human rules.” Jesus called the crowd to him and said, “Listen and understand.What goes into someone's mouth does not defile them, but what comes out of their mouth, that is what defiles them.” (NIV)

Matthew 15:18

He has shown you, O mortal, what is good. And what does the LORD require of you? To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God. (NIV)

Love your neighbour as yourself. (NIV)

It's not going to be that way with you. Whoever wants to be great must become a servant. Whoever wants to be first among you must be your slave. (MSG)

Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. (NIV)

Matthew 20:27 Matthew 22:37

Matt 22:39 Micah 6:8

Proverbs 31:8-9

Keep my message in plain view at all times. Concentrate! Learn it by heart! Those who discover these words live, really live; body and soul, they're bursting with health. Keep vigilant watch over your heart; that's where life starts. (MSG)

Speak up for the people who have no voice, for the rights of all the down-and-outers. Speak out for justice! Stand up for the poor and destitute! (MSG)

Don't fret or worry. Instead of worrying, pray. Let petitions and praises shape your worries into prayers, letting God know your concerns. (MSG)

Proverbs 4:21 - 23

Philippians 4:6

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Reference Proverbs 21:3 Psalms 42:11 Psalms 46:10 Psalms 119:11 Psalm 143:5 Romans 5:3-4 Romans 6:16

Section 5

Romans 7:6

Text

Clean living before God and justice with our neighbours mean far more to GOD than religious performance. (MSG)

Why are you down in the dumps, dear soul? Why are you crying the blues? Fix my eyes on God-- soon I'll be praising again. He puts a smile on my face. He's my God. (MSG)

He says: 'Be still, and know that I am God;' (NIV)

I have hidden your word in my heart that I might not sin against you. (NIV) I've banked your promises in the vault of my heart so I won't sin myself bankrupt.(MSG)

I remembered the old days, went over all you've done, pondered the ways you've worked. (MSG)

There's more to come: We continue to shout our praise even when we're hemmed in with troubles, because we know how troubles can develop passionate patience in us, and how that patience in turn forges the tempered steel of virtue, keeping us alert for whatever God will do next. (MSG)

What then? Shall we sin because we are not under the law but under grace? By no means! Don't you know that when you offer yourselves to someone as obedient slaves, you are slaves of the one you obey--whether you are slaves to sin, which leads to death, or to obedience, which leads to righteousness? (MSG)

But now that we're no longer shackled to that domineering mate of sin, and out from under all those oppressive regulations and fine print, we're free to live a new life in the freedom of God. (MSG)

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Appendix 9: Values and Committed Action Text

So here's what I want you to do, God helping you: Take your everyday, ordinary life--your sleeping, eating, going-to-work, and walking-around life--and place it before God as an offering. Embracing what God does for you is the best thing you can do for him Don't become so well-adjusted to your culture that you fit into it without even thinking. Instead, fix your attention on God. You'll be changed from the inside out. Readily recognize what he wants from you, and quickly respond to it. Unlike the culture around you, always dragging you down to its level of immaturity, God brings the best out of you, develops well-formed maturity in you. (MSG)

Reference

Romans 12:1-2

Don't hit back; discover beauty in everyone. If you've got it in you, get along with everybody. Don't insist on getting even; that's not for you to do. “I'll do the judging,” says God. “I'll take care of it.” (MSG)

Romans 12:6 - 12

let's just go ahead and be what we were made to be, without enviously or pridefully comparing ourselves with each other, or trying to be something we aren't. If you preach, just preach God's Message, nothing else; if you help, just help, don't take over; if you teach, stick to your teaching; if you give encouraging guidance, be careful that you don't get bossy; if you're put in charge, don't manipulate; if you're called to give aid to people in distress, keep your eyes open and be quick to respond; if you work with the disadvantaged, don't let yourself get irritated with them or depressed by them. Keep a smile on your face. Love from the centre of who you are; don't fake it. Run for dear life from evil; hold on for dear life to good. Be good friends who love deeply; practice playing second fiddle. Don't burn out; keep yourselves fuelled and aflame. Be alert servants of the Master, cheerfully expectant. Don't quit in hard times; pray all the harder. (MSG)

Romans 12:17-19

195

Section 5 196

QUOTATIONS

“After asking,‘What does this mean in its own time and context, and what does it mean in the light of the whole of Scripture?’ we must ask, ’What does this mean for today – here and now …in my own life?” (P62) (Milne 1998)

REFERENCES The Bible

AMP The Amplified Bible (1987) The Lockman Foundation, La Habra, CA90631, Zondervan Publishing House, Grand Rapids, MI 49530, KJV

The Holy Bible King James Version (1769)

MKJV The Modern King James Version, (1962) J.P. Green Sr.

MSG The Message: The Bible in Contemporary Language (2002) Eugene Peterson, NavPress. NIV

The Holy Bible, New International Version (1973) International Bible Society, Colorado Springs, CO 80921. Zondervan Publishing House, Grand Rapids, MI 49530.

NIrV The Holy Bible, New International Reader’s Version (1998) International Bible Society, Colorado Springs, CO 80921. Zondervan Publishing House, Grand Rapids, MI 49530.

References

ACBS. (n.d.). The Six Core Processes of ACT. Retrieved from ACBS: Association for Contextual Behavioural Sciences: http://contextualscience.org/ Andersen, K. – (2005) Thomas Nelson Incorporated

Bach, P & Moran, DJ. (2008). ACT in Practice: Case Conceptualization in Acceptance and Commitment Therapy. Oakland, CA: New Harbinger.

Center, P. R. (2011, December). Pew Research Center. Retrieved from Global Christianity: http://features.pewfoum.org/global-christianity/worldmaps/ weighted-christian.php

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Chambers, O. (1914). Biblical Psychology: A Series of Preliminary Studies. Cincinnati, Ohio: God's Revivalist Office.

Dahl, J, Plumb,JC, Stewart, I & Lundgren, T. (2009). The Art & Science of Valuing in Psychotherapy. Oakland, CA: New Harbinger.

Foster, R. (1998). In Celebration of Discipline (20th ed.) Harper Collins, San Francisco

Harris, R. M. (2009). ACT Made Simple: An Easy-to-Read Primer on Acceptance and Commitment Therapy. Oakland, CA: New Harbinger.

Hayes, S. (1984). Making Sense of Spirituality. Behaviorism, 12, 99-110.

Hayes, S. (2000, 8 4). Powerpoint presentation on 'A behavioral Psychology of Cognition'.

Hayes, SC, Strohsahl, KD & Wilson, KG: ‘Acceptance And Commitment Therapy; An Experiential Approach to Behavior Change’, The Guildford Press, New York,1999

Hayes, SC, Follette, VM & Linehan, MM. (2004). Mindfulness and Acceptance: Expanding the Cognitive-Behavioral Tradition. New York; London: The Guildford Press. Henry, M. (n.d.). Matthew Henry's Commentary on the Whole bible. Retrieved May 2007, from www.e-sword.net

Hoekstra, R. (2004). “Day-By-Day By Grace”. Irvine CA Living in Christ Ministries 2004 James Strong, S. L. (1890). Strong's Exhaustive Concordance.

John Mark Ministries. (n.d.). John Mark Ministries. Retrieved from John Mark Minisitries: www.jmm.org.au/articles

Johnson, D & VanVonderen, J. (1991). The Subtle Power of Spiritual Abuse: Recognising and Escaping Spiritual Manipulation and False Spiritual Authority Within the Church. Minneapolis: Bethany House Publishers.

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Kipling, R. (1902). Just So Stories - The Elephant's Child. London: Macmillan & Co

Lawrence, B. (1967). The Practice of the Presence of God with Spiritual Maxims. (F. H. Revell, Ed.) Grand Rapids, MI: Spire Books.

References

Kierkegaard, S. (1884-1855) “Attack upon Christendom. Instant no 7”. Copenhagen, Denmark,Trans.Walter Lowrie, Princeton University Press 1968

Louise McHugh, a. I. (2011). The Self and Perspective Taking Contributions and Applications from Modern Behavioral Science. Neevia PDF stamp v3.3. Milne, B. (1998 ). Know the Truth: A Handbook of Christian Belief, Revised Edition. Illinois: InterVarsity Press.

Nicol, W. (2008). In die Hande van die Pottebakker. Wellington, SA: Lux Verbi BM (Edms)Bpk. Peterson, E. (2002). THE MESSAGE: The Bible in Contemporary Language. Navpress. Polk, K. &. (2014). The ACT Matrix. Oakland, CA: Context Press.

Rich Simon, Mary Sykes Wylie. (n.d.). The Power of Paying Attention: What Jon Kabat-Zinn has against spirituality. Retrieved 2009, from Psychotherapy Networker.

Richards, P. &. (2000). Handbook of Psychotherapy and Religious Diversity. Baltimore, MD, US: American Psychological Association.

Ryle, J. (2011, December 31). Devotions: Rylisms. (R. Meyers, Ed.) Retrieved February 28th, 2014, from e-Sword: www.e-sword.net

Scripture taken from The Holy Bible, (n.d.). New International Readers Version, The Message, The King James, The New King James, The Amplified Version. Slagle, C. (1989). from the Father's Heart: a glimpse of God's nature and ways. Shippensburg, PA: Destiny Image Publishers, Inc. Thomas, G. (2004). Not The End but The Road. Colorado Springs: Navpress. Torneke,N; Luciano, C; & Salas VS. (2008). ‘Rule-Governed Behavior and

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Psychological Problems’. International Journal of Psychology and Psychological Problems, 8 (2), 151.

Vandenberghe, L & Costa Prado F;. (2009, September). ‘’Law and grace in St Augustine: a fresh perspective on mindfulness and spirituality in behaviour therapy’’. Mental Health, Religion and Culture, 12(6), 587-600.

Walser, R. D. (2007). Acceptance & Commitment Therapy for the Treatment of Post Traumatic Stress Disorder and Trauma-related Problems: A Practitioner's Guide to Using Mindfulness and Acceptance Strategies. Oakland, CA, USA: New Harbinger Publications, Inc.

Warren, R. (2003). The Purpose Driven Life. Manila: OMF Literature.

Wilson, KG with Dufrene, T. (2008). Mindfulness for two. Oakland, CA: New Harbinger.

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This CD spells out in simple terms what the Bible has to say about meditation and how the practice of mindfulness can help. Mindfulness is explained and different exercises provided to simply demonstrate the process, showing how mindfulness can be used to prepare the mind for Christian meditation.

Further Resources

Further Resources:

Topics for meditation are suggested and some further exercises detailed as a basis for future meditation. Contents: 1. Introduction 2. What is the point of Mindfulness? 3. What is Christian Meditation? 4. ‘Be Still’– a Meditation 5. ‘Words’ – a Meditation 6. Doing your own Meditation 7. Meanings of the word Meditation’ in the Bible 8. ‘TheWord of God’ 9. ‘TheWorks of God’ 10. ‘The Son of God’ 11. ‘ Things that Please God’ 12. ‘Eternal Things’ 1.29 13. Examples of Exercises 1.05 14. ‘Awareness of Breathing’ 6.09 15. ‘Mindfulness of Thoughts’ 7.44 16. Final Bits from other Christians Available from

www.actwithfaithbook.com

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More About Ingrid Ord

I

ngrid started her career at a university in South Africa, and completed her formal, academic training at the University of London. Her training and experience encompasses work with adolescents and adults individually, or in couples, families or groups. Over the years she has gained competency in a number of different therapy styles, from psychodynamic, through systems therapy, client-centred, cognitive behaviour therapy, and, finally, Acceptance and Commitment Therapy and behavioural analysis. In her own words, ACT was an ‘epiphany’ for her and is now the main module employed in therapy. She is also a trainer and an accomplished group facilitator, with a number of years experience, in different institutions and private practice in three different countries. In her spare time she plays with and walks her dogs, reads widely and plays classical piano – and attends church. Ingrid welcomes communication from readers and comments, suggestions and constructive criticism. This work is seen, by her, as being part of the community involvement of the entire Association for Contextual and Behavioral Sciences (ACBS). It is her hope that this will be only the beginning of a growing body of knowledge in this area. She may be contacted through www.actwithfaithbook.com.

Ingrid is available to do groups for the public, and for therapists who wish to learn more about this topic.

She is also well practised in video-conferencing and has clients in many different countries. Please feel free to contact her in this regard.

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I

Acknowledgments

would not have been around to write this book if it were not for the grace of God upholding me, sustaining me, strengthening me and giving me whatever wisdom may be evidenced. Thanks are inadequate. The best I can do is to acknowledge. My husband, and best friend, Kit, has provided all the earthly encouragement, nourishment, nurturing, cajoling and editing that anyone could ever expect from a partner-in-love.

My other editor, Lyn-ette, the (,) queen, has also been of invaluable help in saving and adding commas, and the occasional grammatical correction. Robyn Walser, has guided me through experientially learning from my mistakes as a therapist, and added untold value to my life.

Jenn Gregg, who volunteered her time to help me to understand the reasons why RFT exists at all, and how to speak about it in a way that I could understand (sometimes!).

Last, but absolutely not least, Matthieu Villatte, who helped me to understand the connection between RFT and ACT, explained how to streamline my work as a therapist, and gave me invaluable advice on the contents of this work.

To all of the above, and my colleagues, church friends and clients who have taught me so much, I humbly offer my thanks.

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Your Notes

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Your Notes

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Section 5

ACT with Faith

Have you ever been faced with a Christian client who really wants to include their beliefs in therapy, but all your best efforts at understanding what these are end in frustration for both of you? Have you ever been tempted to, or felt it in the best interests of your client, to refer them to someone who may be better placed to understand their Christian beliefs? This book is for the ranks of highly qualified and highly skilled ACT therapists and practitioners who have, or will have this dilemma.

Be there, with what is needed. An experienced ACT therapist and committed Christian maps out the territory, directs you to wellprepared highways and warns of the potholes and wasteful detours along the way.

‘This book is an incredible resource for anyone who seeks to speak the language of their Christian clients in therapy. Ingrid Ord has done a superb job bringing functional contextualism and Acceptance and Commitment Therapy to Christians in a way that supports, and is supported by, their religion, and she expertly guides ACT therapists working with Christian clients who identify strongly with their faith. Through a rich assortment of scriptural references and client handouts, this book provides invaluable tools for working with Christian clients in a way that not only does not undermine or contradict Christian religious beliefs, but beautifully supports them.’

Dr Jennifer Gregg PH.D; Associate Professor, San Jose State University, San Jose, California, USA. “…. this I think is one of the most powerful tools you have ever shared with me, and… others. It's so tangible and provides clarity when you are feeling 'messy'. It's a cross and yet feels like an anchor when you use it. I especially notice how men relate to a model that is so clear. The model and the 'name' provide relevance and respect for what this model is, does, and stands for. It is Christ centred and the name highlights this fact.” Joy R, ACT with Faith, pg 127,

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