[ccef] The Journal of Biblical Counseling 35:3

When a minister lifts his hands and speaks a blessing from Scripture to God’s people, what is happening? The word benediction means “well-saying.” It is not found in Scripture but the concept is clearly present. A benediction is a blessing pronounced by one person upon another that originates with God himself. They form—and reform—our identity as children of God. In this editorial, Emlet discusses the importance of benedictions and their significance for Christians.

Would you be surprised to learn that God’s principle aim for marriage is not personal fulfillment and happiness? Rather, God’s intent is to create an outward-facing unity that enables a couple to serve together in his kingdom. In this way, Sironi says, marriage shares the calling of the church, with both empowered to serve by their union with Christ. Sironi addresses marriage counseling concerns as he works through the implications of these truths.

How do you counsel a harmed spouse who is considering divorce? Once the biblical grounds for ending the marriage have been established by the counselee’s church, Strickland recommends you work through four counseling priorities with the harmed spouse. She then identifies several pitfalls to avoid as the process unfolds. This is valuable guidance for a counselor who wants to offer wise, God-honoring counsel to someone wrestling with how to move forward amid challenging circumstances.

This is an essay review of three books on the important topic of narcissism and spiritual abuse in church leadership. The books are: When Narcissism Comes to Church by Chuck DeGroat, A Church Called Tov by Scot McKnight and Laura Barringer, and Redeeming Power: Understanding Authority and Abuse in the Church by Diane Langberg. Gembola assesses what each book offers to those who provide care for church leaders, and to those impacted by leadership failures. Readers will be helped by Gembola’s guided view of what these well-known writers have to say.