Pastor Baz from the Unity in Paranormal Community has another spot on article I would like to share. http://ccapsg.blogspot.com/2011/03/do-we-create-spooks-is-paranormal.html
As a spiritual person, no matter what your faith or creed, if you are SINCERE and truly looking to help others, you need to be sure you have a clear calling to help others to be rescued from dark entities.
If you are looking for fame or glory in the paranormal world, the area of demonology should be avoided. As a minister it has not brought parishioners running to my doorstep. And more times than not your collegues who have not been trained in this type of ministry think you are a loon.
Yet there are many who boast to be a demonologist or exorcist without proper training in pastoral counseling let alone psychology who attempt to claim fame in the paranormal community. If you deal with real people with real issues you need real training. Waving a cross, sprinkling Holy water and reciting a few prayers will do no good if you have no inner resources from which to draw upon if things go bad. You need to be called out from the crowd to minister to the oppressed.
Waving a cross, sprinkling Holy water and reciting a few prayers will do no good if you have no inner resources from which to draw upon if things go bad.
ReplyDeleteThe cross and holy water are mostly good for diagnosing the problem. For example, I've read of someone sprinkling holy water on the clothes of a family member whom she suspected of being possessed. Even though the family member did not see or feel this done (the clothes were in the closet and the family member was away from home), he refused to wear the clothes. Holy water in food has had similar effects.
As for exorcisms, technically speaking they require either a bishop (Catholic or Orthodox) or a priest authorized by such a bishop. If this doesn't apply to you, you're not performing an exorcism, so you should not feel compelled to imitate what you've seen in the movies. You can, however, still pray for the affected person. An exorcism is, after all, only a special kind of prayer; it is an official prayer of the Church, rather than the private prayer of an individual believer. Prayers by individual believers can "work" too, and are not wasted in any event. My advice, though, would be to pray for the affected person while someplace else; this will make it easier to avoid distractions or fall into the trap of believing that YOU are the one casting out a demon, rather than acknowledging that it is Christ who casts them out.
Just a question, pastor. I love the paranormal and the paranormal community. I would never try to do an exorcism or even a ghost hunt at this point in my life. I think about the paranormal all the time. I wonder, what could my calling be? Is the paranormal communities' purpose to try and help people? I think it's to find answers. That's what I want to do. I'm reading more and more of your blogs, and I think, what can I do to further paranormal studies?
ReplyDeleteThanks Howard,
ReplyDeleteI think the cross, Holy water and other icons are a focal point for faith to work. Much like an anointing of oil.
After all your comments, I did not realize you were Catholic! Or am I reading into your comment. You seem to be taking the view of a Caatholic. I am familiar with their approach, Ken Deel and I used to talk quite a bit.
In the Protestant faith one usually just has the training and a calling. There are lay exorcists of varying quality.
Unfortunately the popularity of the paranormal has a lot of people involved with the ceremony or rite without a faith background.
I personally feel you need a faith background, training in the rite and psychology/counseling education. When I took the courses in Seminary in the early 90s it was under the pastoral counseling curriculum.
Thanks Jennae,
ReplyDeleteThen you are doing what you need to do, read broadly and in other topics as well. Perhaps you are called to be an investigative writer? I love researching the paranormal, you get so many odd stories and you begin to see patterns. But the best part for me in writing at this point is meeting or talking to the authors I have really looked up to for years. Good luck with your blog!
Sorry if I was not clear: Yes, I am Catholic. I was raised in independent Bible churches and considered myself a Southern Baptist as a young adult, but about 10 years ago I converted. This gives me some insight from two very different perspectives.
ReplyDeleteI am curious about the paranormal,but prefer to find out via safe venues such as your blog on a subject that is basically like a dangerous neighborhood.
ReplyDeleteI remember the words the demons gave to those who tried an exorcism without the proper calling:
"Jesus I know,and Paul I know,but who are you?" Acts 19:15