I recently spent half a week at the American Association of Christian Counselors World Conference at Opryland in Nashville, TN. In addition to being constantly lost in the maze of Opryland, I had the opportunity to learn from countless experts in clinical work, psychology, and faith based providers. It was an incredible few days of being encouraged to continue our charge in the work of mental health, but especially the importance of marrying clinical knowledge and the Biblical truth in the counseling room. It was incredible to be with 7,000 others who see that true change involves the Holy Spirit, not simply the hottest new counseling intervention. While there were many amazing takeaways, including (but not limited to) new IFS tools, EFT interventions, and countless other resources, one workshop I really enjoyed was on Martin Luther's Theology of the Soul. In this course I learned more about his "Letters of Spiritual Counsel."
Collected in this volume are some of Luther's letters which he offered to his peers in the midst of sickness, death, persecution, imprisonment, famine, and political instability. Doesn't it seem like that's fitting in our current world? In our study of Luther, we took a look at "Daily Habitus," and here is what he suggests: 1. In the morning and the evening, the sign of the cross is made, and the name of the Holy Trinity is called upon. The cross reminds us of Jesus death and resurrection and that we are His holy baptized children who have been forgiven. All of life is under the name of God even as God's name makes and keeps our lives holy. 2. The Apostles Creed is spoken. It is easy in our lives to forget that we have a Creator, a Redeemer, and a Sanctifier. In this evil life of fear, we are reminded of all that God has done. We confess before the world what is true. 3. The Lord's Prayer is spoken. The seven petitions give us the list of what we really need (not the things we think we need). 4. Luther included a little short prayer, what we call Luther's Morning Prayer and Luther's Evening Prayer. These prayers thank God, ask His blessing, plead for forgiveness, and petition Him for the accompanying of His holy angels to help us against all the evils of Satan we may face in the day or in the night. 5. Finally, Luther mandates us to sing a hymn. He knew personally how music and its accompanying words has the power to drive away the evil spirits and sadness and give joy.
Our evening and morning prayer expresses each day our confidence in God's presence and power, grants an understanding of the meaning and purpose which God provides for our daily lives, rightly express our reliance and dependence each day not on the security which we provide, but on the security which God gives in His Word.
In a time that feels chaotic, overwhelming, and anything but peaceful, incorporating these habits into our daily lives could transform us as individuals and the way we experience our world.
Take good care,
Natalie Hubartt, LMHC
