I began my adulthood in the Marine Corps. One of the many things I had to memorize as a new Marine was a list of the eleven general orders of a sentry. Now I am a Licensed Professional Counselor. Counseling, like the other clinical mental health professions, is increasingly a militantly secular profession. The codes of ethics of the professional associations are increasingly incompatible with orthodox Christian convictions. While Christ will build his church and the gates of hell will not prevail against it, no such promise exists for the profession of counseling. Gates are a defensive military implement, which presumes that Christ’s Church is on offense in the realm of spiritual warfare.
Counseling is not the Church. Counseling serves the Church. While the Church is on offense, pastoral care and counseling play a defensive role in the life of the Church. To that end, here is a reflection (thought experiment?) on the eleven general orders of a sentry applied to pastoral care and counseling.
The eleven general orders of a sentry.
- To take charge of this post and all government property in view.
- To walk my post in a military manner, keeping always on the alert and observing everything that takes place within sight or hearing.
- To report all violations of orders I am instructed to enforce.
- To repeat all calls from posts more distant from the guard house than my own.
- To quit my post only when properly relieved.
- To receive, obey and pass on to the sentry who relieves me, all orders from the commanding officer, an officer of the day, officers, and non-commissioned officers of the guard only.
- To talk to no one except in the line of duty.
- To give the alarm in case of fire or disorder.
- To call the corporal of the guard in any case not covered by instructions.
- To salute all officers and all colors and standards not cased.
- To be especially watchful at night and, during the time for challenging, to challenge all persons on or near my post and to allow no one to pass without proper authority.
The eleven general orders of a Christian Counselor.
- To display Christ’s compassion and provide Christ’s comfort to the suffering of those in my care.
- To perform my duties in a Christian manner, keeping always on the alert and observing the effect (or lack thereof) of Christ’s compassion and Christ’s comfort to the suffering of those in my care.
- To gently confront sin in the lives of those in my care, while holding to account abuses of power which may have contributed to the temptation, sin, or suffering of those in my care (Mark 9:42, Galatians 6:1, 1 Timothy 5:19).
- To collaborate with other Christian Counselors and the Church to relieve the suffering of those in my care.
- To never abandon those in my care unless their suffering should end or unless care is properly transferred to another competent Christian counselor.
- To remain rooted in an active church body and a faithful association of Christian Counselors.
- To protect the confidentiality of those in my care unless the law or standard of care requires a breach of confidentiality.
- To break confidentiality and involve the appropriate authorities in cases of suicide risk, homicide risk, assault risk, or risk of abuse or neglect to a child or vulnerable adult.
- To participate in regular consultation, supervision, and continuing education
- To counsel as an act of worship, and to leave outcomes in the hands of Christ.
- To attend especially to my own personal holiness, which inevitably shapes the compassion, care, and counsel conveyed to those in my care. To beware of dual relationships, which inevitably warp counsel in one direction and possibly away from what is right.